The "Bells" Are Back in Town....

Night number two of our heroes UK tour, and the set list is looking better every day, especially with the addition of “For Whom The Bell Tolls” – let’s just hope it stays in for the rest of the tour! That’s the problem with Metallica – because they change the set list every night, you’re never quite sure what you’re going to hear!

Manchester Set Lists:

Metallica: That Was Just Your Life, The End Of The Line, For Whom The Bell Tolls, Wherever I May Roam, One, Broken, Beat And Scarred, Cyanide, Sad But True, Turn The Page, The Judas Kiss, The Day That Never Comes, Master Of Puppets, Blackened, Nothing Else Matters, Enter Sandman, Blitzkrieg, The Prince, Seek And Destroy

Machine Head: Clenching the Fists of Dissent, Imperium, Halo, Beautiful Mourning, Descend the Shades of Night, Davidian.

On the train home last night, I heard two students talking about rock albums when one piped up that “Let It Bleed” (the classic 1969 Rolling Stones album) is “the best guitar album in the world – ever”. Quite obviously the person in question has never heard any post 1968 Pink Floyd albums. All those albums could be contenders for “the best guitar album in the world – ever”. This is, of course, with the exception of “Atom Heart Mother” from 1970. I’m sorry, but there’s no room in rock n’ roll for an orchestral brass section! Even Roger Waters wishes this album had never been recorded!

Out with Mr Garry tomorrow for a few drinks in The Solid. I haven’t seen him since the start of January so that should be a good laugh. Nice couple of days off before traveling down to Newcastle to check in with the parents and check out our heroes in the flesh. Looking forward to that!

Happy Weekend everybody.

"Look Out - it's The Fuzz!"

I thought an episode of The Bill was being filmed outside the house last night – two squad cars appeared and a bunch of folk in the street arguing! Next thing you know, another two squad cars come flying up the street withtheir blues and two's on. Turns out that a few of the neighbours had a disagreement, and decided to take it outside into the street. Her majesties finest hovered about for a while before whisking the two offenders off “down the station”, although probably not for tea and cake!

Whilst all this was going on outside my house, the mighty Metallica were laying waste to Nottingham’s Trent FM Arena on the first night of the UK tour. I’m reliably informed that The Sword kicked things off at 7:00pm, followed by Machine Head with Metallica coming onstage at 9:30pm and coming off at 11:40pm.

Machine Head: Clenching the Fists of Dissent, Imperium, Beautiful Mourning, Hallowed Be Thy Name (Iron Maiden cover), Halo, Davidian.

Metallica: That Was Just Your Life, The End Of The Line, The Four Horsemen, Leper Messiah, One, Broken, Beat And Scarred, The Judas Kiss, Sad But True, No Leaf Clover,
All Nightmare Long, The Day That Never Comes, Master Of Puppets, Fight Fire With Fire, Nothing Else Matters, Enter Sandman, Breadfan, Helpless, Seek And Destroy.

This is the same set that Machine Head played at Wembley Stadium with Metallica in 2007, but it’s still good for the 45 minutes that they have. Metallica are now playing 6 songs off the new album and like the US tour these do change every night. Sadly no Creeping Death or For Whom The Bell Tolls, but hope these can be slotted in for Glasgow taking out (the eternally boring) Sandman and the ubiquitous Sad But True.

Serious Update?

Well, I've not been taking this whole blogging thing seriously but thought i'd update it today with a quick round up of what's been happening with me.

Nearly March already, so the gigging season is beginning. Metallica (plus the awesome) Machine Head and relative newcomers The Sword are coming to the UK as part of Metallica's Death Magnetic World Tour. First stop for me is seeing them in Newcastle next week and then again in Glasgow at the end of March. The Sword are also playing a headline show in King Tut's in Glasgow on the 27th March, so that's another night out.

British metal veterans Saxon and Motorhead are also scheduled to tour this year - which is good because I missed them when they played a joint show in Glasgow in November, as well as AC/DC, Blaze Bayley, Heaven and Hell and the ubiqituos Status Quo gig later in the year.

Donington's Download Festival (previously called the Monster of Rock Festival) is in June with Def Leppard, Whitesnake, Slipknot, Trivium, Marilyn Manson and Killswitch Engage amongst the bands as too, is Anvil - who are currently undergoing a resurgence in popularity thanks to their film The Story of Anvil. Could be worth a shot - but i haven't decided yet.

Health wise, I've given up the brocolli (I just hate the stuff!) but am struggling through my brussel sprouts - still horrid, but less so than brocolli! Still hovering around the 9 stone mark but eating more fruit and vegetables on the whole.

Apart from that, everything seems to be going along quite nicely on the whole - Happy Days!

Back To Normal?

Well, it's been a long time since I updated this due to the obvious reason that i've not been well. I've never been off sick for so long in my life, but it's nice to know that after three months off from work, I have been missed. I now hold the record for being off sick the longest in the office - not sure whether to be proud of that or not!

After numerous complaints (Steven and MJ - I'm talking about you two primarily!), I'll make sure I update this a bit more often from now on.

Keep on Rockkin'! :)