bu-bye In On The Chase

Last night I went to The George to see We Caught The Castle, In On The Chase, The Fortunate and Jody Has A Hitlist... All bands played incredibly, but as per I was mainly there to see my good friends in IOTC this time in there final show as a band... It was absolutely brilliant, so proud of my buddies, and they definitely got the best crowd reaction of the night!

Other than IOTC and JHAH I didn't really catch the others as I was sitting at the merch table with Katie selling IOTCs tshirts, chatting to Katie, Sean, Zack, Jack and Gabelli. but when JHAH played they did good! I've always been a fan of there stuff even if they're not my favourite people in the world haha.

how to lose friends and alienate people

I should have been the author of that book, because apparently it's something I was really good at Friday night!  But every cloud has a silver lining, and with every friend I lost I've made at the very least two more! With my new relationship with Sean (well, we've been together nearly 2 months...) I've also gained some awesome new friends in Joe, Jack, Callum & Zack- they're gonna destroy my liver though!

some of the wednesday lot! L-R Jordan, Sarah, Beth, Joe, Lauren & Ro

The Wednesday Crew have been hitting town hard the last few weeks, normally resulting in some sort of drama and hilarious anecdote, including being started on by some fat woman and a disabled french man telling us he had filled up his nappy. It was annoying and hilarious respectively. I tell you though, £1.20 drinks will be the end of me!

me & stanley at the flat warming party.

Friday night just gone was an absolute blur. After about 10PM I don't remember much! I know I annoyed a lot of people, because of being loud etc... but I also know that I made a good friend in Stanley that night! We chatted for aaaages & sat in an empty bath tub for way over an hour. I have no idea whaaaat we were talking about for that long but I had a fun night so whatever!

Knee Deep Presents... @ The Star Inn- Guilford

Will Kent from Within Her Depth

After an absolutely ridiculous night of drinking last night, the last thing I really wanted to be doing this evening was going to what was essentially a hardcore show- but I promised the promoter that I'd be there after he promised to give me two mars bars in return, and I'd already gone through a lot of hassle trying to find out if Dan could give me a lift there... Armed with my camera and a pair of sunglasses to hide the hangover I got picked up at four by the Eyes Like Knives boys and we set sail for the wondrous guilford! (I sat in silence for an hour while Chris and Lewis talked about guitars and other shit I don't understand).
We arrived pretty early, and had a wander up a really steep hill, then back down again because we realized Guilford really isn't that great and there's not a whole lot to see so we unloaded the equipment and retreated back in to the venue.

It wasn't long before my good friends in Within Her Depth turned up, so after a much needed catch up with their bassists' girlfriend (one of my best friends from school) WHD took to the stage to open the show- It was definitely one of the best times I'd seen them play even if Will did seem to knacker himself out by the last few songs- but all in all they played a good strong set and pleased the crowd, even though it was nearly impossible to get them moving.
Next up where Eyes Like Knives who had so much energy from the very beginning of their set, but they need to learn to pace themselves as they all burned out after 2 or 3 songs, there was something different about these tonight- there energy and stage presence went beautifully hand in hand and made for a entrancing show, I couldn't take my eyes off of them! The guys were playing incredibly the whole way through but unfortunately a lack of communication (or just members of staff being absolute idiots) resulting in the band being told they had 10 minutes longer to play than was planned for, meant they didn't get a chance to play 'The Lurcher' which I'd say was probably their best known track as they've recently released a video for it-



After Eyes Like Knives finished there set and we packed everything away I got a but caught up in the whole socializing side of things and only caught a few tracks from the rest of the bands but from what I saw/heard they were all brilliant, The Divided really impressed me and they actually managed to get a bit of movement from the audience and Mind Set A Threat where great to watch because of the shear amount of energy they had on stage- I was getting knackered just watching them! In League disappointed me a bit though- I didn't think much of their clean vocals and to me they didn't really seem to really pull together or get that great of a crowd reaction. But I've got the upmost respect for them and what they're doing! They are an Australian band that've been touring the US and Europe since October... that's a long time to be living on the road playing shows.

The journey home was a long one, I got a lift home with Within Her Depth to save Dan having to drive the extra distance from Andover to Shrewton... we got a wee bit lost and ended up chanting Yearbook songs at eachother whilst I struggled to stay awake- and now I'm sat on Katies living room floor writing this because I'm  not allowed to go to bed until her little brother's gone to get the coach for the college trip he's going on.

You have no idea how well I'm going to sleep tonight!

Another week working with In On The Chase

considering I post here very rarely, two posts in one evening is absolute madness!

Thought I'd post a quick one about all the stuff I've been doing with In On The Chase this week. I've ended up as their merch girl, meaning the George show with Jody Has A Hitlist could be an interesting one... I've also ended up in charge of taking the promo photos for their tshirts, but I have no idea how I'm gonna present them, then I have to edit the photos and urgh it's just a lot of work. I've also got to finish writing their bio aswell... cor, I do a lot for those guys!

They've also got a new member! Codi's joined which meant I had to do a whole new promo shoot really last minute during their rehearsal times... But I got a few good shots!

Salisbury times

all photos courtesy of Darren Bridge

this is here cause its the only okay photo of me, even though its actually a photo of Erik.

It's been a good three days!
My Valentines day was a bit of alright! Woke up to a nice brew and a bunch of flowers from Katie, the rest of the day was spent playing the Sims, and drinking too much vodka whilst watching the entire first series of the IT Crowd with Mike & Chris... When I got home at 1AM, a drunken me thought it would be a good idea to go on Skype and bother every one- paticularly Bosely who, when he figured out I was pissed as a fart made me go on webcam, turns out he was with Kurt who invited me over to his for a chill out sesh with every one on Wednesday night, really glad I went! Rocked up to Salisbury at 5ish Wednesday and chilled at Guild with Erik, Bridge & Will for a bit, waited waaaay to long for Bosley to come pick us up and went to get food at Tesco. Whilst the other 11 people opted to let Will and cook Simmons them a stir fry, me and Conner went for tesco pizza & fries-to-go.

Simmon and Will cookin' up a stir fry

After a meal that filled me up ridiculously quick, we all slugged about playing Mortal Kombat and drinking until it was only really me and Kurt that were drunk... eventually everyone left, leaving only Dan, Erik, Bridge, Kurt & Myself, we watched monsterwolf and I made a new enemy in Dan because I let him know how awful I thought it was even though he loved it. 

Left: Kurt & Me Right: Conner, Bosley & Jamie

Thursday saw us all chowing down on the cheese and black pepper toasties that Bridge made us, and migrating to Bosleys for more pizza and tea... then twat laps around Salisbury was all fun and games when Conner found a box of donuts and they became ammo for throwing at people- until we nearly hit some police officers and then that game ended very quickly. The next few hours were not so great- sitting in Sainsburys car park while Bosley and Simon tried to do something I didn't understand to Bosleys car, which ultimately didn't work. As Dan needed to get stuff he left at Kurts the night before, we headed back there and Kurt decided that me and him were just gonna stay in for the rest of the night, so I showed him how to cook beans and we watched Step Brothers (which still makes me laugh) and Pick Of Destiny (and I still know all the words to most of the songs!) actually, I slept real well last night and for a whole lot longer than I normally do! 

Unfortunately my good few days were ruined once I got to the bus station to come home- it's amazing the lengths people go to to avoid someone else from realizing I'm there; then I got on the bus short 50p cause they up'd the prices but that got sorted and the bus was filled with screaming children and people eating McDonalds which sucked because I was absolutely starving!.. But, I'm home now and hopefully I'll be kickin back next door soon and having a jolly old catch up with the neighbours :)

viva la In On The Chase!

Last night was spent sat in an empty pub watching In On The Chase rehearse for upcoming shows, brain storming video ideas, and smoking a lot of cigarettes considering the short amount of time we were there...
I am getting a little worried about this music video though, as I had my heart set on doing a live music video & they've got literally no shows lined up... I was hoping to have a video done in time for uni interviews etc so I could put it as part of my portfolio, but for that to happen I'll have to try and come up with a completely different idea. I'm getting far too stressed and worked up about this video, but I'm determined to make something great!
As for the rehearsal itself, I cannot begin to explain how excited I am for every one to hear the new stuff I heard last night! I was amazed the first time I heard it- then got told that was the first time it'd been played the whole way through? My jaw may aswell have hit the floor...



Although I do have footage of their amazing new stuff, I don't wanna show any one til they've agreed to release it! So here's a video of them faffing about basically... and evidence of why Robby shouldn't do vocals!

RIP Ruins Of Earth!

Sunday 8th January 2012. End of an era and all that. Ruins Of Earth played their last ever show at The George to a RIDICULOUS crowd.

This metal as fuck all dayer began at 2, although I couldn't tell you who played before 4 as it was only at that time I decided I felt safe enough to venture away from my bed after a beyond heavy night of drinking the night before. Thankfully I turned up to the show just as my friends in 'Within Her Depth' played. I'm pleased to say that from what I heard & saw on the new screens they've installed (bloody brilliant idea by the way, because it's a narrow and long venue it means you can see what's cracking on stage if you're not man enough to brave the inevitable pits at the front) that it was their best set not only for crowd reactions but also for the tightness of the set.

From that point on I'm sad to say I didn't pay much attention to the bands until Ruins played because I felt like death warmed up. But MY GOD Ruins Of Earth were absolutely fucking incredible. The crowd went mental, the pits were deadly and at one point Collin refuse to do anything until the stage was over run with people and there were people hanging upside down from the ceiling. It was mind blowing!

Death Of An Artist Christmas Show, Bournemouth Champions.

The amount of times I convinced multiple people I'd already paid entry and my stamp had rubbed off was ridiculous.

So on Friday Dan told me that Eyes Like Knives (ELK) where playing this show, and I was all the more gutted that I couldn't go due to lack of transport, as I'm good friends with Sandy & Dan as well as a standard fan of the band, also because I was gutted that I would miss The Smoking Hearts and Death Of An Artist (DOAA). After this a lot of shit went down for me personally and I got a wee bit too drunk, text Dan and convinced him to take me with him to the show on the next day.  Needless to say when my alarm woke up me up at ridiculous o'clock the next morning I had no memory of doing so, but since this kinda thing happens a lot I instinctively checked my message/notes and photos in my phone and quickly found out what I was doing! :)

I got to Salisbury at 2 and had to wait in the cold for the guys to come meet me for what felt like forever, and although we were meant to be in Bournemouth for 3.30, we left Salisbury at about 3.35. I sneakily managed to avoid paying entry to the show by hiding in the green room. Needing the loo was the worst because you had to leave the venue-y bit to go and upon reentering you had to show your stamp, which I didn't have, so every time I had to go out I'd stand have a conversation with whoever was on the door and be like 'BRB NEED TO PEE' and then come back in and continue the conversation, which was alright til the doorman changed and wouldn't let me back in til someone convinced him I'd just left to go for a shit. embarrassing.

Sandy, in the green room... stolen off of the Eyes Like Knives facebook

The bands all played amazingly, but I was particularly impressed with ELK's set just due to the amount of energy they had. Lewis and Sandy literally went mental on the floor, while Joe and Dan killed it on stage, the whole crowd went mad for it, not bad for the second band out of 9 to play?
The Smoking Hearts absolutely STOLE the show. They played beyond incredible, Ben had so much energy and was all over the place, getting up on the bar, pool tables, and at one point the only member of the band on stage was the drummer. Absolutely incredible!
DOAA were a bit of a disappointment for me personally, after watching Smoking Hearts. Yeah, the crowd went mental... but it juts seemed to be missing something, I'm not sure what... it just seemed kinda empty to me.

All in all I had a great night, which was much needed after the awful events of Friday... but I finished last night watching Home Alone, even got a cuddle out of it,  can't go wrong there. :)

so that last post? yeah, irrelevant!

The Gentry Underground pulled outta the gig. Lame.

I've got that...

...awesome feeling you get when you find out that The George has listened to me and booked one of the bands I promote. I'm a happy bunny. :3