Nighmare Visions - Napier

Nightmare Visions, Napier, Blackburn, June 2nd 2007

Spanish Grand Prix - 2007

Spanish Grand Prix, 2007

Second time around and it's just me and Michelle, similar preperations as last time, cool box, food water, chairs etc.

This time went to see qualification, had good look at new cars, plenty of pictures taken.

Race day, good English following for new boy Hamilton, not a win for him, but a third gave him the lead in the championship.

Good cheers from Spanish for Hamilton, oh how that would change in a few weeks.

Sea's of blue had become sea's of white as locals had to buy new shirts to follow Alonso's move to a new team. Not a wise investment for the future, oops. Had my Scotland flag, Senna t-shirt and Button baseball cap, very eclectic.

Had new camera this year, so was able to get better pictures, bit closer with good zoom, so go look see.

Riders On The Storm - Manchester Apollo

Riders On The Storm - Manchester Apollo, January 2007

When are the Doors not the Doors, when they are Riders On The Storm, this being due to some injunction or something.

But Jim is dead you may proclaim, yes I know but Ian Astbury has donned the leather jacket and shades, and taken over the vocals. Boy does he do it well.

Along with original members, Robbie Krieger and Ray Manzerak, they took to the stage in Manchester and rocked the Apollo.

Mostly the 'hits' are played, but a few obscure fan favorites are included. Astbury does not attempt to be Morrison, and simply slips to the rear of the stage in between songs, thus allowing those who were there to tell us about being there.

That being said, there are a few moments when you could almost believe Astbury was Morrison, what with his vocal stylings and physical presence. Jim has left the building, but the Doors are still open.

Ojos De Brujo - Barcelona

Ojos De Brujo - Barcelona, December 22nd, 2006

Was spending christmas in Spain with Michelle this year, and for a treat, she had bought tickets to see ODB. To be honest,
I had a CD, but had only listened to it a couple of times, oh how that would change.

A dazzling fusion of flamenco, asian, dance, techno produced two hours of incredible musicianship from incredible musicians. The concert was being filmed and so a video projection filled the back wall, thus enabling us to see just how incredible the incredible musicians actually are.

Now it is many months later and the concert has been released on DVD. Guess what, if you freeze the playback at the correct moment you can just make me and Michelle out, in the audience.

Damned - Manchester Academy

Damned - Manchester Academy, December 9th 2006

The Damned may not be the greatest band in the world, or the best musicians, but boy could they write a good tune or two. So here we are again at the Manchester Academy to see this band perform but a small selection of fine tunes they have entertained us for many a year.

Last time we saw them they were on the 25th year Machine Gun Etiquette tour, so they were promoting that, but this time nothing to promote, just a bunch of aging punks playing to an audience of aging punks.

Included amongst the classics were Alone Again Or, General and Rabid, all of which I never expected to gear live. As usual the band is on form and the pantomime banter punctuates the set list with the obligiatory 'Sensibles a wanker' being chanted whenever possible.

The Damned never fail in their ability to entertain. They may not be the best band in the world (possibly in my top 10), but for sheer entertainment, they are up there with the best of them.

NDR Big Band

NDR big band

manchester november 22nd 2006

Towards the end of Frank Zappa's momentous life & career his touring band began to resemble the 'big band' format. So it was no stretch of the imagination in predicting what format tonights even would take.

So when a middle aged jazz warbling warbler began a warbling, I was a little warbled myself, but not in a good way. These were not Zappa tunes being big banded into warbleville, but contempary pop tunes. Was this the right room, had I paid for 5 minutes or the full half hour.

This big band strangeness ended with a warbleful of Sting's 'Moon over bourbon street' and the reign of the warble queen was over, long live the king.

This prompted a brief intermission, thus giving us time to ponder what had transgressed & what was to be.

Fortunately the second half was to be warble free, and was to be as advertised, Zappa, Zappa and more Zappa. Some might say this is yet another tribute band, but this is so much more. Interpretation & imagination seperate this from your standard soundalike tribute band. This is tribute with a diamond encrusted T, and extra gold stars for effort.

And so it began, from 'peaches' to 'black napkins', 'lets make the water turn black' to 'g spot tornado', all exhibiting such proficiency, even passing cyclists would qualify. If tonight was a long playing record, you would have no need for a hungarian phrasebook to tell you of its condition, pristine scratch free, and willing to hold it against your body.

Nods of appreciation from fellow band members follow solo musical excellence, followed in turn by the slapping sound of paired fleshy extremities. This is pure Zappa, and hurrah.

Anderson & Wakeman

anderson & wakeman

manchester opera house 30th october 2006

I feel a little underdressed considering the surroundings, as this is an opera house, Manchester Opera House to be precise. A certain decorum must be observed, a reverence dictated by the oppulent facade. Here there are boards that have been tread, whats that I hear, he's behind you, oh shit. Pantomimes and dodgy musicals are on the bill, fortunately, not tonight. Prog maestro's Jon Anderson & Rick Wakeman age going to tease us with acoustic renditions os classic Yes, interspaced with new offerings written by just the two of them.

Mr Andersons has wifely support from Mrs Anderson sitting inthe balcony to the side of the stage, so at moments of mutual secrecy, he would gaze up to her, blowing kisses, waving of arms, and generaly saying hello.

Mr Wakeman has no support apart from his piano stool upon which he sits. Moments of verbal amusement eminate from his section of the stage. A swapping of tales from duo to audience give rise to titters and guffaws, depending upon severity of incident being recanted. Usually of Mr wakemans alcoholic past.

Mr A accopanies Mr W on acoustic guitar, and yes surprisingly it is plugged in ans amplified to a decent level. Reworkings of familiarity are interspersed with smatterings of new stuff, written especially the duo-ic concept. Mr W tinkles ivories like an ivory tinkler tinkleing Yes tunes, which of itself is self evident, for that is what we expect to hear.

Halfway through, just after the intermission Mr A takes up the stool and begins his own tinkleing, much to the amazement of the seated audience. Mr W enters the stage, places are traded, and Mr W gives us reditions of familiar nursery rhymes in the stylings of classical composers, and ends his solo spot with a highly subjective yet recognisable version of Eleanor Rigby. Before Mr A returns to his familiar spot, Mr W tells a few jokes and the evenings entertainment is allowed to continue.

As before is what is after, remarkable renditions of remarkable renditions, expert performances, considering how long they must have been playing some of these songs, to know them backwards is an understatement, but sometimes as Mr W was to quip,

"I didn't play on that one"

Off The Wall - Blackburn KGH

off the wall

KGH blackburn 15th september 2006

My experiences with tribute bands have been mixed at best, for the whole idea leaves me feeling a little soiled, don't get me wrong, i have nothing against tribute bands, its just the fact that i just couldn't do it myself. That being said tonights tribute band attempt the emulate one of the greats, Pink Floyd.

Fortunately I have been informed that this band are up to the task, and have a light show to match. The venue is appropriately decked out, banked seating have been errected to provide an optimum viewing position.

Over the speakers it is announced that the performance will start in 5 minutes, of coures those needing a state of conciousness alteration pay no heed to what has just been said and stay in the bar. So when the first notes of Shine On You Crazy Diamond a frantic dash eminates from the bars and seats must be occupied.

Images of Syd Barret are projected on the circular screen at the rear of the stage, as without him, none of this could ever have existed. Along with a brief few images of Syd projected during Wish You Were Here, this is the only reference to this madcap genius. On previous occasions, the band had performed such classics as Arnold Layne and See Emily Play, but not tonight.

Classics are played and enjoyed, Welcome To The Machine and Have A Cigar, to Sheep and Learning To Fly, with most of Dark Side Of The Moon thrown in for good measure, even a track from Division Bell is let loose on a most appreciative audience. As this is going to be a long set, it has to be split into 2, this gives us time to replenish those parts that need it,

The intermission allows the audience to aquaint itself with itself and to see what cross section has ventured out tonight.From the middle aged die-hards to teen metal heads, all are here, even some pree teens, maybe it was cheaper to buy a ticket for their children than to get a babysitter for the evening, but it looked like they were enjoying the single occular device given to us. Its at events like these that brings out aquaintances that you only see at events like these, its always good to catch up like this. So on with the show.

Of course those in need of an altered state of conciousness slowly amble their way back to seats during the first song, but hey ho.


The second half, that being the one that follows the first is as stupendous as the first, sublime renditions of Floyd classics whip up the crowd, maybe substances have some bearing of the participation of audience based whooping. A couple of frommage based food product hand clapping incidents have the required cringe factor, but are soon forgotten when Off The Wall begin The Great Gig In The Sky.

Never before have so many open mouths been seen in King George Hall, the female guitarist has a voice, I really mean a voice. I personally have only heard this vocal sung as well once before, and that is the original. A collective raising of the hairs on the back of the neck with shivers down the spine marks the Van Der Graff Generator moment, and the crowd reciprocate with raptuous applause.

Throughout both sets projections illuminate and educate, visuals of both digital and actual beings flicker upon the circular screen. George Bush and Robert Mugabe are the idiots on the grass, Hitler makes a brief appearance, along with the Wizard Of Oz, all of which raises a smile, a nod and a wink. Quite some considerable time and effort have been spent producing such a superlative performance, but all things have an end, and this is it.

All the musicians have been given time the the proverbial light that spots, showing that time and effort pays off dividends, and being a Pink Floyd tribute band is a proud badge to wear. The show ends with a huge projection of a glittering disco ball, rotating to the last notes from Comfortably Numb, silouetted against this the saxaphone player tootles like a Lisa Simpson possessed, its time to go now, thank you and goodnight.

Frank Sidebottom - North Bar, Blackburn

frank sidebottom

north bar blackburn 31st august


Sometimes as you get older, things change, or you view things in a different way from how you did 10 years ago. This thought passed through my mind one night as I drank a pint of Guiness not too far from where I am right now. Pondering how I would react to witnessing the one, the only Frank Sidebottom later this evening. As a regular visitor to Blackburn in the past, Frank Sidebottoms Timperly Lectures were something to look forward to in the cold winter months of the mid 90's.

This is now 2006, we are older, but is Frank? A man who performs in a large papier mache head, pretending to be a superstar, speaking as though wearing a clothes peg on his nose (his real one, not the hand painted pretend one), and singing familiar songs but with reworked lyrics. An act full of in jokes and ridiculous routines, an act so strange it is almost impossible to explain, you have to see it to believe it.

That brings us to a wet Thursday evening on the last day of August, cramed into the North Bar Blackburn. In here there are some real die-hard fans, I do enjoy, or rather enjoyed Frank in the past, but how am I going to react tonight. The answer is really quite simple, one word, fantastic. Still the same old Frank, with Little Frank, and the silly in jokes still amuse and bemuse. His head is still large and made of papier mache, Little Frank is still of cardboard, and guess who's been on Match Of The Day, he has in his big shorts.

A constant factor with the sucess of Franks act in an interaction with the audience. You are expected to play along with and experience the strange world in which he inhabits, to become the 10 year old child again, living in a very special fantastic world, where cardboard figures take on strange personas and everything has a fantastic quality.

To the unintiated, this may seem like some strange ritual, grown men singing along gleefully to a man in a large head, women screaming at his as though he is a greek adonis sex symbol, but to those in the know, those of us who have followed this bizarre cult for many years, it is entertainment at its silly best.

Many costume changes punctuate the act, from his straight suit to Father Christmas, then later onto his classic football kit, and finishing the preceedings with the addition of the obligatory Freddy Mercury moustache. Is this the real life or is it just Timperly.

No pyrotechics, no digital effects, no smoke or mirrors, for what you see is what you get. A man in a suit with a rather large head, singing increasingly daft songs in a daft voice. Blimey, lets just hope his mum doesn't find out.

Big Green Gathering

big green gathering

august 2006

This year there was no Shambala Festival, but the desire to pitch tent and drink Chai was too strong to ignore so an alternative festival was required to sate our thirst. Many are on offer, but how do you select one from the many, unless you have a specific criteria. The choice was reduced somewhat by others wanting to attend at the same time, so co-ordinating time schedules became paramount. Two made the shortlist, but only one can be attended, and the winner was 'The Big Green Gathering'. I know people who have attended the northern version of this festival, and have had a great time, but to visit the big one would be different, for one thing, it would be down south.

This year transport would be relatively simple, as other northerners are to be attending, they who attended Shambala for the first time last year, and are wanting to repeat the experience. Also an offer of a lift has been made and accepted, so i will be travelling with Jill, Carl and Lily. Also attending would be friends from Cornwall, those being Pla, Kirsty, Freya & Willow, and travelling from Yorkshire would be Chris & Francis.

The journey down was quick and painless, and a rendezvous arranged at services to accertain a suitable route to the festival. After a short wandering down tight country lanes our goal was in sight. Large fields beckoned us with waiting carparks, in which we could secure a spot and unload our equipment. As with all festivals, camping is positioned away from our vehicles so all our goodies must be moved by hand, or by any available means. Here horse power has been laid on, and horse drawn carts transport our bits to camping areas, basic but effective, this is a green festival after all.

Finding a large enough spot to accomodate our tents provided a slight obstac le as many weary travellers had already made camp, and space was rather limited, but space was found and the pegging began. Soon our camp began to take shape and the rest of our belongings retrieved from the cars, transported on backs and bike powered rickshaw type arrangement. We are here and ready to begin.

Like Glastonbury, this festival is spread over many fields, themed to accomodate differing tastes and desires. The Campaign field had stalls dedicated to informing people of differing ideologies from conspiracy theories to nuclear disarmament, and solar powered showers to running your car on vegetable oil. The family field had a funfair at one end, a huge open area in the middle for daily events, and a pub at the other for their parents who need beverages of an organically intoxicating format. If arts & crafts float your coracle, then the craft field would be the obvious location in which to exercise your facination. Chipping away at a stone or making a batik painting to take home can while away many an hour if you so intend. Or try your hand at some felt craft even willow bending, its heaven for occupational therapy, and a good way of discovering new hobbies and interests.

Other fields are themed in other ways, some more mystical than others, alternative healing gives respite to those with ails to be cured, or just to chill out around the stone circle.You can aimlessly wander from field to field in whatever state of mind you bring with you or endevour to discover, even meet yourself travelling the other way if you try hard enough.

Joining all the differing fields together food stalls assault your nasal passages, all of which provide nourishment of a vegetarian persuasion, Jamaican stalls rub shoulders with Indonesian, mexican is sold next to indian and Chai tea is sold by the bucketload. All the food is as organic as possible, sometimes a little pricey, but generally its all worth it, especially if you discover a new vegetable you would like to take home with you. If clothing takes your fancy then a festival high street splits the main fields in two. Jackets, jumpers, and jerkins are always available, festival fashions festooned in a myriad of colours shapes and sizes are arranged on racks to peruse and pour over. Often we return after careful consideration to purchase such items, to be worn continuously, or until the festival ends.

What is a festival without music, a festival without music. But this festival had music, and lots of it, more than you could shake a whole basket full of sticks at, and again many genre's for many tastes. Arthur Brown without his crazy world, headlined Thursday night without his crazy headwear, but for a man of his years, his performance was full of fire, good humour and his classic fire. Strange industrial techno preceeded Saturdays fireshow, loops of noise grabbed some by the Bjorks, some loved it and some hated it, but it was different and compelling. Nik Turner was scheduled to play with Galacticos, and did so, but the previous night, without any prior warning played in a chai tent with Space Ritual, must to the dismay of Mr Pla (a long time Hawkwind/Nik Turner addict), as he missed it. To finish Sunday night, The Baghdaddies performed Ska with a middle eastern twist, no oil crazed illegal invasion here, just damn fine music to end a damn fine festival.

So what else was happening during the festival, well plenty of wanderings, a fair quantity of alcohol consumed both during the day and in the evening, two locals became frequented, one being the Bimble bar situated near the bottom of the family field, the second being a magnificent chai tent usually visited last thing at night for an evening tipple. Amongst the other sights were Terry Pratchet, well if it wasn't him he has an identical twin. At least one wedding was performed, a mobile confessional captured unexpecting sinners, several grumpy goblins saught out gobliny things and death and mrs bolster paid a visit.

Sorry Shambala, you have lost your crown for family festivals, five days of chilled out fun, with perfect camping weather thrown in for good measure. Even though there are probably 3-4 times as many people attending The Big Green Gathering than last years Shambala, it felt far less crowded, plus there is much more to see and do, just a shame there is no mass fancy dress, maybe that could be suggested for next year, as for next year, i would like to do it all over again.