Work, Work, Work (Pub, Club, Sleep)

I've become very bored of the internet in recent weeks. I very rarely go on a forum, quite strange for me, partly because I don't find myself drawn to any of the conversations. Occasionally, I'll play free games but it does get quite boring after so long of shooting arrows off people. I only switch my modem on nowadays to go on MSN but end up playing Solitaire or something in the background, waiting for replies. I hate just sitting around, I have to be doing something or I start getting all fidgety and run around like a mad thing.
In a few months time I will be leaving for Uni and it will feel great having something else to do other than just staring blankly at a computer screen with no intentions. During the run up to Christmas I was working on a few 'mini essays' set by Adam. They involved stuff like watching intros to films and writing about the different techniques used. Considering I've never studied on the Film & TV course I don't think I did too badly. I don't think I was ever a proper art student as such as I found myself as being more Media orientated at some point during my time at college. I need to get back on the radio! I got to the point where I was sick of my course but because I had my own show I stayed on for that. Thankfully my grades at the end of the two years weren't all that bad.
Anyway, thanks for the one vote so far that I've received for the topic of my first podcast. As soon as that poll has timed out I'll get planning for it. So thanks for the ideas.
And I'll be off for now, I'll probably write more tomorrow at some point. So until then...

All the people, so many people. And they all go hand in hand...

I got myself a copy of Rollercoaster Tycoon 3 at the weekend and began building a park with my brother which is, of course, called Parklife. So far it has two coasters, a swimming pool and a fairground style area of rides. Aside from the random spots of puke and the scattered litter it looks great. I like the tool which you can use to pick up people. Yesterday I had some fun in picking up the Park Inspector and dropping him in the middle of the swimming pool. He then proceded to swim to the edge, climb out and make his way to the Aqua Blaster water slide, still with clipboard in hand.
I'm building the park on Sandbox mode so I have an unlimited budget. It's a good idea to start off with this because I can see if I can make profit for more rides in the career option, which is probably the point.

It's been a while since I've blogged, I feel like there is loads of catching up to do! But it's just general nonsense really, I went to work, went home, went on the internet. Sleep. At the weekend I was up in Newcastle which was a laugh. I'm looking forward to moving up there. I'll be living life as a student but, I suppose, it's the experience that counts, isn't it?

Evolution 2009

Single day tickets have just gone on sale at £9.50 each, weekend tickets are now sold out. The line up per day has been announced and can be viewed on the Evolution website. If I keep it up, I might get in for free.

YouTube and the Ultimate CliffRoll

YouTube has blocked music videos to UK users following a disbute with the people who sort out the royalties for songwriters. Apparently payments are overdue and it doesn't look like YouTube will be paying them. The full story can be read here.

In other news...
Following up from the Ultimate RickRoll, in which the idea was to get Rick Astley's tune, Never Gonna Give You Up, to the Christmas number 1 spot, there's not plans for a CliffRoll which intends to get Cliff Richard his number 1 single of the noughties, therefore ending up with a number 1 single in every decade of his career. The CliffRoll will take place on the lead up to the Easter Sunday countdown on April 12th. But that's not all! The song chosen is an odd choice as it is a Christmas song. And it's not Christmas! Yet. So, I'm just passing on the message for everyone to download the track from iTunes, 7Digital, HMV Digital, or whatever floats your boat, during the week beginning April 6th. But what is the song? Mistletoe And Wine, of course. Let's CliffRoll Easter 2009.

My website

Finished off building a fully functional website yesterday and it looks pretty good! One problem encountered is I have to zip up the folder and upload it to my learning assistant thing but the folder won't extract files because it includes a potentially harmful virus that will permanently damage my PC (Thanks for letting me know, Adam). If I finally get it sorted then I'll actually be able to submit it for my NVQ.

Weekends and Mando Diao
I put up a poll thing for the best modern album but for some reason Hurricane Bar by Mando Diao wasn't among the nominees so I'm giving the 'award' to them. I've been continuously listening to that album this weekend and, according to Last FM, Mando Diao have overtaken The Cribs in my most listened bands list (I joined the site in May 2007 but didn't start listening with the software installed until January 2008).

One year ago I was getting all excited about going to see The Hives... and it was worth it! Since then I've seen The Cribs (again!), The Futureheads and Kaiser Chiefs, all of who I got into around the same time. Who's next?!

Geordies

I love them lot, and their accents. This one made me laugh. The second video is from the same show, in which Michael McIntyre talks about Sex On Fire by Kings Of Leon.



I've also posted up a new poll for you to take a look at.
Thanks again to those who read this.

Viva City and Kaiser Chiefs

Viva City - The Other Rooms, 27/2/09
As told in previous blogs, I first came across these guys supporting The Futureheads at The Sage in December. Hearing there were to play their own show at The Other Rooms I decided to make a trip down and experience a full live show from them. And I wasn't disappointed. Tearing through a set of indie rave anthems, which sure as hell got the crowd dancing, Viva City clearly proved they are a band with a great future ahead of them having perfected the indie rave technique. The crowd were up for a good time and I thought hiding between the stage and the DJ box would save me from being hit in the face or something. After the show I reached over the stage for a setlist, which I'm sure no one minded me doing. The rest of the night played host to a DJ set from Viva City, of which I didn't stay for. I needed to get my energy back up for Kaiser Chiefs.

Kaiser Chiefs - Newcastle Metro Radio Arena, 28/2/09
I chose my now vintage Chiefs shirt from 2005. I've liked Kaiser Chiefs for so long now I'm surprised I hadn't been to see them before. We decided to skip the support bands, and, having checked the arena website for what time we expected our lovely Chiefs onstage we headed out to get there half an hour before. Meeting security on the door telling us we were cutting it fine we flew straight in and wended our way through the crowd to get a decent enough place near the front of the floor in front of the stage.
After years, yes, years, and they were on opening with new album starter Spanish Metal but what really started the show for me was the second song, Everday I Love You Less And Less. T'Chiefs played songs from all their albums as well as live favourite Take My Temperature during which Ricky Wilson walked through the crowd to the middle of the arena, standing on the podium to sing the song. At first I couldn't see him, I was looking around and wondering why people were looking to the centre but a spotlight located his position for me. After arriving back on stage the band went off to which cries of 'KAISER CHIEFS!' hit the air. The encore included new song Tomato In The Rain. I was never much of a fan of the new album Off With Their Heads but after hearing it live and listening to it over again I've found it to actually be quite good.
We were surprised with a new version of Love's Not A Competition (But I'm Winning) which was still a slow track but involved more from the drum and synth sections, as provided by the two Nick's (Hodgson and Peanut).
As usual, the Kaisers ended with Oh My God which was even better than I'd ever imagined and there couldn't have been a better way to close the set.
Kaiser Chiefs are certainly a band who know how to put on a good show, and certainly a band I would go and see again.