Christmas 2011.

Okay, so I said in October 2009 that I would try to update this more often, but obviously failed miserably, so I'm having another attempt at keeping this up-to-date.  Famous last words, eh?

;-)

October.

So where did September go? I have no idea! Long time since I've updated this but I've just been so busy that I haven't had time.

Bought a couple of new books recently - both autobiographies - by Chris Evans and Ozzy. Should both be a good read.

Currently listening to a lot of Deep Purple and Rainbow. Not really sure why but at least it's decent music. Will update this for sure at some point next week. Happy Weekend! :)

August Already?

Busy weekend for me with lots being done (but nothing really productive).

Simon came down on Friday night while Ross and Ashleigh were visiting their gran at her caravan in Saltcoats. Went to the pictures (for the first time in seven years) to see “Moon”. It sounded really good, but we both left disappointed. A few beers in the town (although not in The Solid) and then home. He left on Saturday morning to head back to the caravan, but he might be back again this weekend.

Saturday was Top 100 day in The Solid, so lots of silliness was had. The regulars table was packed out, but it was all good fun. The annual Air Guitar Championships were had again with me being cajoled into participating. Unfortunately (or fortunately!) I was eliminated in my first heat – not helped by the fact Frankie was playing the “guitar” with her boobs! Ended up on the tables rockkin’ on to this years number one song: “Highway To Hell” by AC/DC. The Top Ten was filled out with Metallica, Journey, Lynyrd Skynyrd, KISS, Iron Maiden and more AC/DC.

Sunday was spent in Edinburgh with mum and dad and the rest of the folk from Tyneside who came up for the weekend. The afternoon was nice just sitting in Princes Street Gardens listening to a succession of Jazz bands in the bandstand followed by a barbeque at Alec’s house. Katie and Janet both turned up with the kids, which was good as I haven’t seen them for ages.

Pre-AC/DC at Hampden Park

Tonight is the big night for any self respecting rock fan in Glasgow – or should that be Scotland. AC/DC roll into Hampden Park as part of their “Black Ice” World Tour and the anticipation is high. I’ve got a few mates from Dundee coming down as well as one from Stevenage coming up for the gig, so it’s a logistical nightmare trying to fit everyone in for drinks before we head off to Hampden.

The Solid is bracing itself for a day of madness, as it’ll be busy from early on until about 5:00pm. It’ll be interesting to nip into the pub tomorrow at about 9:30pm when AC/DC are in the middle of their set – interesting to see how empty the pub is on a Tuesday!

Wednesday Thunder are playing The Academy as part of their (second) farewell tour. I’ve seen them a few times (including the previously mentioned farewell tour) and am still thinking about going to see them one last time.

Thursday I’m out again, this time seeing Northern Ireland’s The Answer for a gig re-scheduled from April. The band are supporting AC/DC on their current tour, so they should be good doing a longer set.

Weekend in Dundee.

So I travelled up to Dundee on Friday night after work and went out into town for beers with Scott and Euan. We visited Paul at The Phoenix and then back up the road. Late start on Saturday due to the excesses of Friday but we still managed a pub crawl round Dundee city centre. Unfiortunately Paul wasn't out on Saturday for beers, but I'm sure we'll see more of each other the next time I go up or they guys come down to see me.

Disappointing result for Ferrari in the British Grand Prix, but Sebastian Vettell did a good job for Red Bull - notching up his second win of the season.

All was going well today, until I went into the spare room to find some low life piece of s**t had decided to chuck a stone through my window (again!). I'm quite concerned about this to be honest, as it's the second time in 6 months it's happened - almost like I'm being trageted (or is this just paranoia?). Of course I don't know who it was that did it, so can't do much about it - the annoying thing for me is that I have to pay another £200 to get the damn thing fixed.

Newcastle Visit

Took a wee trip down to see the parents at the weekend again and to see Katie and Nathaniel who are over for a wee holiday. As always, it’s nice to see Father P doing so well and Katie and Nathaniel seemed to be having fun too. The main reason for going down was to see them all before their imminent depature to Spain for a weeks holiday.

I managed to escape into town on Sunday night where I tried to get into Trillian’s (the Newcastle version of The Solid) and turned up at 3:30 only to be told that it should have opened at 3:00pm but strangely – wasn’t! I have the feeling that the rock fraternity of Newcastle was venturing down to Castle Donington for the Download Festival to see bands like Slipknot, Anvil, Thunder, Whitesnake, Faith No More, Journey and Sunday’s headliner’s Def Leppard.

Ended up at a place called The Percy Arms which was kinda rockkin’ so not a bad night all in all.

Def Leppard’s Donington Set List: Rocket, Action, C'Mon C'Mon, Make Love Like A Man, Too Late For Love, Nine Lives, Love Bites, Rock On, Two Steps Behind, Bringin On The Heartbreak, Switch 625, Hysteria, Animal, Armageddon It, Photograph, Pour Some Sugar On Me, Rock Of Ages, When Love & Hate Collide and Let’s Get Rocked.
Whitesnake’s Donington Set List: Best Years, Bad Boys, Can You Hear The Wind, Love Ain't No Stranger, Guilty Of Love, Lay Down Your Love, The Deeper The Love, Is This Love, Got What You Need, Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City, Give Me All Your Love, Here I Go Again, Still Of The Night.

This weekend coming I’m off to Dundee for more beers with Mr Scott and Mr Dave (if he turns up), then we’re all getting ready to get onboard the “Rock N’ Roll Train” heading for Hampden Park on 30th June. :)

May Bank Holiday.

Busy day on Sunday for me.

First off was the (now) annual Doctor Who Event at St Andrews In The Square (http://www.standrewsinthesquare.com/Flash/saints.html). It was my first time there and it’s a very nice venue (much better than the tacky Central Hotel, where it was for the last few years). I got to meet some nice folk connected to Doctor Who including Colin Baker, Nicola Bryant, Wendy Padbury and Nicholas Briggs. There were a couple of “local” guests too – Andrew Smith (who wrote “Full Circle” in 1980) comes from Rutherglen and Stephen Greenhorn (who wrote “The Doctor’s Daughter” in 2008 as well as creating “River City” for the BBC) who comes from West Lothian.

Met up with a few mates too – Scott, Dierdrie and John so spent sometime in the downstairs bar with them – I was on the coffees, by the way, as I was driving! Nice menu there and very pleasant surroundings.

The trains back home finish early on a Sunday and the reason that I was driving was because I was heading off later in the day to see Blaze Bayley and his band playing at Ivory Blacks (the old Strawberry Fields, for those who know Glasgow) as part of their World Tour to support their “Man Who Would Not Die” album. Seeing Bayley live is always fun – and never predictable – and it’s nice to see him in a small venue close up with deafening sound.

Blaze Bayley's Set list: The Man Who Would Not Die, Blackmailer, Smile Back At Death, The Launch, Lord Of The Flies, Born As A Stranger, The Brave, Tenth Dimension, Identity, Kill And Destroy, Ten Seconds, Alive, Ghost In The Machine, The Clansman, Samurai, Voices From The Past, Stare At The Sun, Futureal, Leap Of Faith, Robot


Waiting for my "Flight666" DVD to arrive! ;)