Dark Horse.

I had been outsourced before (don’t worry I’m not going to bore you with a work blog) but it was the first time I had been invited to the new company’s head office in Birmingham, the meeting it self was spread over two days discussing policy and such like, but they had made sure we had some entertainment on the night, a gig at the near by NEC……..Whitney Houston, no that’s not what the blog is about either.

I wasn’t really bothered as I had saw Young Whitney back in 1988, I’m sure I have blogged about that gig, my mind has a tendency to wander after so many blogs……. oh, look a butterfly! As I said I wasn’t really bothered however we had a private viewing area with free drink, all of a sudden, I was interested, we all bordered the mini bus to take us to the venue, yes I was the youngest in the party and yes people thought I was strange because of my acute indifference, this all changed when I got to the venue and saw who the support act was.

I had discovered Amanda Marshall after receiving a free cd handout at my local record emporium (that’s a shop to you youngsters, you see they used to sell records in shops!) then I watched in all of her glory on MTV’s Ray Cokes programme(you see MTV used to play music a long time ago, but I digress) I was hooked I loved her debut album (still in my top ten) she was out supporting her second album at this moment in time, as I walked through the doors of the venue I bumped into a few peeps that I knew and they were here for the same thing, gossip was swapped and things were not going so well for Whitney with strops and firings the order of the day, she didn’t like her support act either!

We had just entered the arena when the lights went out and with three solitary spots on Amanda and the rest of the band she went at it like Imelda Marcos at a shoe sale, three songs in the power got cut, yes that’s how well she was doing, did that stop her, hell no she simply kept going when her guitarist picked up an acoustic, the whole arena shut the fuck up to listen, outstanding, I had goose bumps, as she left the stage (no encore) she got a standing ovation, did I watch Whitney, erm no, I got totally ……actually I had two bottles of non-alcoholic beer (I don’t drink at work I know how much of an arse I can be) and went back to the hotel in a shared taxi with my friends, not before telling peeps I was meant to be with what I was doing.

I don’t think Amanda finished the tour, I didn’t care I was as happy as a pig in muck, she did one more album , each album getting more in a pop direction (not as good as the debut but still good) she kind of disappeared apart from the odd track on a film soundtrack or two, she has been threatening a new album for the last nine years (hey if it works for her good  luck to her) but I’m greedy I want more from her, as she is fantastic, go look her up on YouTube, but I do recommend her debut as its gorgeous in a dark velvety way!    

I bet I have shocked you all as I have blogged on time (and the numbers have been positively stratospheric) over the last few weeks (here’s hoping I can keep the flow going) the comments have mainly been positive although one or two were a tad……yeah lets not go there it is what is, so keep spreading the disease and watch the skies, god knows what the next one will be about as I have kind of run dry of musical blogs, ah well I have another seven days until the next one I’m sure that something float to the top at some point in the week but until then………..Toodles.

Death on Two Legs.

I can remember quite vividly the day that I realised that life was not always sweetness and light and that people usually lie to do what they do, some people will probably call me naïve after reading this blog and they would be right, I was and to a degree I still am, I  have a strong desire for truth in my life, the quickest way to make an enemy of me is to lie. That usually is the be and end of all of any of my friendships, lie and I will cut you out of my life forever, with no bitterness or rancour you will simply cease to exist in my small universe!

This is a blog about my first wife, this is not a rant, this is not hate filled, in fact I don’t hate her at all, but it was the first time that I became disappointed in someone, I hope that she is happy in the life that she chose, I do wish her good health and happiness she wasn’t a bad person she simply wasn’t an honest one! I just wished that she hadn’t lied to me, it’s the little things!

I met her when my best friend and I decided to go and see Queen at the NEC (August 1984) on a trip from the city hall, we got on the bus sat in front of her and in the end got chatting to her, actually my mate did because to say I was shy was an understatement, if I was a character in a sitcom I would be Raj from Big Bang, I could talk to females just not ones that I liked, well at least not until the ice had been broken, anyway we enjoyed the gig she enjoyed the gig, it turns out it was an all round success, we chatted all the way home and she offered us a place to sleep as we were going to stay in Malbourgh Crescent Bus station and wait for the first bus back to Gimpsville! We gratefully accepted then chatted some more and then slept in our respective rooms I was a gentleman; I don’t think she expected that!

My mate reckoned she liked me, I didn’t agree with  his hypothesis, in the morning we said thank you made our farewells and passed address’s so we could write (those were the days) as pen pals, I visited a few times and we soon discovered that we were attracted to each other, it turns out my mate was right she did fancy me and I was wrong (D’oh) I was the first person to stand up for her (I’m not going to bore people with the details she had been given the shitty end of the stick from her parents, it’s one of the reasons I strive to be the best person I possibly can be for my kids) she was living in a crappy flat with a crappy job and lots of debt, I was moderately wind swept and interesting, I had my issues nothing she couldn’t fix (WRONG) I paid her debt off and we moved to a nicer place she got a better job, things were on the up, we were a young couple we had dreams and aspirations.

Her family or I should say her parents were a ghastly nightmare and things soon spiralled out of control when they realised I wasn’t going anywhere, killing me with kindness soon turned into genuinely wanting to kill me, go figure, I know that I have made passing comments to these people in previous blogs but to say they were insane is an understatement, how their kids weren’t more messed up is a bloody understatement, again she marvelled how many bands we would go and see and how we could get backstage and chat to people in the know, she liked this new life but it soon became apparent that she didn’t like some of my straight talking friends, some of them sussed out the lie long before me.

We had further troubles with her parents so we moved back to Gimpsville a place where she didn’t know anybody and at this point I was an ordinary working Joe working long hours for crap pay, we thought putting some distance between us and them would work, unfortunately it didn’t it was simply a recipe for disaster, we had married, we were upwardly mobile, but me being out of the house for 15 hours a day for six days of the week didn’t help, I encouraged her to find a job closer to home and to make friends in the new job, these “friends” used to go clubbing in Gimpsville on a Thursday night,  again I encouraged it, I was supposed to meet up with them, but after a long day and an early start the next day I fell asleep on the settee and was awoken to find my blushing bride coming home at 3.30 in the morning, harsh words were said, simply because she had woke me not because I knew anything was amiss.

I went to work the next day but felt crappy about the argument, so I sent her flowers by way of an apology, I decided to blow the weekend shifts with an excuse for work (Cough Splutter) and it all seemed rosy in the garden we babysat her nephew and her sister came to visit, there was however something hanging in the air, I couldn’t quite put my finger on it but Friday night and Saturday was all good in the hood, Sunday dragged until we were alone, her nephew was picked up and I walked her sister to the bus stop, as soon as I got home I knew that something was amiss, I picked at the scab for once she was honest!

The only thing I had ever said to her at the start of our relationship was to be honest, if you are ever unhappy tell me, if you no longer want to be married tell me, we only got married to upset her parents, we were young and dumb and well you can guess the rest, kids eh? was it perfect? of course not, at least I tried my best or so I thought I had, apparently I wasn’t the person I thought I was, but my trust was shattered, it took me a long time to trust someone, the only good thing was my sister in law again a friend, we had gone to school together she told me that I was in denial, she insisted that I should see a solicitor, which I did and he gave me the options, I just wanted out, no fighting , no war of words I just wanted to leave, she received the divorce papers on valentine’s day (sweet revenge) she thought I wouldn’t go through with it, she thought I was too nice a person and that she had me on the hook, guess what I did, so I gave her the house, that house I had paid for, me once again I tried to be the good guy, I wasn’t I was angry and she saw that, I wanted my record collection, I got it after some toing and froing, it fizzled out I have to admit I didn’t know where I had gone wrong as I had always been truthful. She wouldn’t divulge what had turned the relationship dead it simply was!

It turns out she had been unhappy for a long time, why she hadn’t said anything I have no idea, she should have just said, I would have been true to my word, but she had turned deceitful, again after I had paid off her debt for a second time, I still see her from time to time, I am always pleasant, maybe once every 9 years or so, I have a rough idea where she lives, she never remarried and still has my surname although she has been in a long term relationship and had kids, I know her brother and sister are doing well because I have spoken to them, they both  thanked me for standing up to their parents as that was the beginning of the end of that particular dictatorship! I don’t wish ill to anybody in the family, I should for the crap that was pulled, I walked away with my dignity, not much else but it mattered to me, but that was the day that I realised that the world was no longer black and white but full of various shades of grey, I wish she had been honest that is my only regret in the whole relationship!

Me I picked myself up (allegedly) had a fab time with the usual suspects and avoided women for more than four years, until I met the wife, the one thing I asked from the start was that she would be truthful, and she has been, sometimes brutally so (it would appear that I can’t dance) I have never lied, I have never cheated, I have been oblivious to the world around for nearly the last thirty years and I am a better person for it, If I  have  learned anything from the experience, well just the fact  that I am naïve in many ways and that if me and the wife were to split up I would bugger off and live in a cave and stay single, I think that would be best for everyone, I only have and have always had eyes for her (But don’t tell her that she will use that info against me…..coming dear) .

There you go something different from me I know that I can do things with a twist, life isn’t perfect, but be honest with the ones you love, it’s the only way life can improve, thanks for all the kind words from you the discerning reader, watch the skies for incoming and keep spreading the disease, until the next time ……………Toodles!

When I'm President

Obviously, I have no intention of becoming the president of anywhere, not even my own little independent state of mind, but I had already used the title that I wanted to use, so this is from the same album and in reality, it conveys the theme just as well!

It was May 1991 and it was my (cough) infamous, single and living in and around Newcastle time of my life, I had met the wife but she hadn’t told me that she wanted me to be husband number two, I had a ticket for to see Extreme to play the Riverside, a ludicrous venue for them to be playing as they were the flavour of the month, why they never booked into the Mayfair I have no idea but it would have been sold out, I had bought their debut album on the strength of a song called “Play with me” it turns out it wasn’t on there, and the album (yes folks you read right ALBUM) was kind of bland, I wasn’t impressed, cue 18 months later and Big G had their second album on import and on repeated play as usual he had infected me with it, it was moreish, once again I bought the import version of it at the weekend before it was released the following Monday, what did I care for money.

I bought a ticket but I had no discernible way of getting there and back home, to this day I have no recollection of how I got home I know I was staying in Heaton the night before as I had attended the Mayfair on the night , the next morning up early for food in the town before hand and then a couple of cheeky pints to wash it down, I managed to get to the venue just after lunch, before the band got there. Big G was there and he got me inside as he was DJing the gig, the gig was set up and the support band were sound checking and they were simply stunning, G was open mouthed pointing at the stage, yet another discovery for him a band called Saigon Kick, for a support band they were simply stunning utilising the additional vocals of their sound engineer to help with the big ballad from their debut.

Not long after the soundcheck in walked Nuno Bettencourt who was not impressed with the venue either the size of the hall or the ablutions, the back stage area was no bigger than my back room, and could only be reached from the stage, to say he was grumpy was an understatement the rest of the band arrived and were in a much better frame of mind, the day progressed slightly more drink being consumed and then the doors opened and the venue started to fill out, Saigon Kick started the evening off in fine rousing form, they crushed, damn how was the main band going to follow that?

As it happens quite easily Mr Bettencourt may have been grumpy because of the size of the venue before the gig, but he played it like it was a huge arena the headliners did not let anyone down, a much better proposition live, and although it was the only time I saw them, it still sits in my top ten of gigs, the guitar solo being the highlight of the gig for me, then more drink, more frivolity and somehow I got home, all the way back to Gimpsville, surely that should be the end of the story, well as it would appear it certainly wasn’t, I managed to get to work the next day I soon bumped into a grumpy band of wandering minstrels this time not Mr Bettencourt and his troupe but the support band who had been staying in the Marriott  across from where I work, it turns out that the drummer (take a bow Phil Varrone)  had decided to take a shit out of the window in said hotel, well those windows don’t open much but it would appear that he succeeded, cue the band being kicked out before breakfast, I didn’t mind as I sat and had a good 40 minutes of them as a captive audience as I ranted at how good they were, one of the more pleasurable times at work, regarding music.

They soon departed once their mini bus turned up, I was offered the chance to be on the guest list for any of the remaining dates (thanks to Jason Bieler) however I was on extremely (pardon the pun) thin ice as I had had a few short notice days off (all holidays I don’t blow shifts) to go and see bands, I was trying to stay in the good books at work, honestly I was!

I would love to know how I got home from the gig as I was that sober (there’s a surprise) I’m sure at some point the mystery will be resolved, why this title well I had played the album to refresh the memory of the gig and it did really blow the cob webs away, definitely an album of the time and moment, they never reached the heights again, it was a damn fine pinnacle.

Number two of the year on time as promised hey this might become habit forming (not) enjoy and keep spreading the disease, onwards until the next one, until then…………Toodles!

Sick for the Cure.

Oh, dear I fell at the first hurdle, to be honest its not all on me, well it is, but I hit a speed bump, let me explain!

I wanted to get the holidays out of the way and the last blog has done relatively well, actually it’s the second best read blog even if I was thought it was as dull as dishwater, diluted way too much, but it had to be set free, it may have been the second most read blog but it was the blog with the least amount of comments………go figure!

I was on fire I had three ideas cultivating as soon as I posted the last one, they are still bubbling away (this isn’t one of them) and no matter how well this one does the next one will be here on Sunday….hopefully, I need to keep these flowing if I intend to end this year and I have decided that I am in deed going to be done, all five hundred by December, it’s a done deal, no come backs, unlike Motley Crue, I may be as fat as their singer but I will keep my word!

Doubt crept in as I sat and watched the numbers climb that and my diabetes kicking my arse, I seem as though I’m in a permanent food coma of late even though I am being sensible with what I eat, washed out, massive headaches, generally feeling like hammered crap, thankfully I am at least in a relatively happy frame mood at the moment (well kind of) that will only last so long, no black dog, but no glorious sunrises either, short sleeping patterns , not that it matters too much simply because of the food comas, but the latest I have slept to of late is around 4.30, I’m not one of those people who can roll over and go back to sleep, I wish I was.

The wife is in a bad way health wise as well she has a bad back and she is like a hunch back at the moment and is sleeping worse than me, she can thankfully drift off back to the land of nod, but it’s wearing her down, nothing a holiday probably wouldn’t cure, shame she isn’t going to get one, well she is but she has to have a minor operation so that’s fun……..Not! we are both sick for a cure, believe me some good luck wouldn’t go amiss. But we are in a better shape than others so we need to count our blessings.

Just as I was about to sort out the blog, we got some bad news one of our favourite people has been taking seriously ill, her husband and her are special people, if you have a prayer going spare please send it their way, we haven’t been to visit, we have hardly seen them these last couple of years no excuses simply life keeps getting in the way, but believe me when I say that our thoughts and prayers are with them, thankfully there is a glimmer of hope, praise be to medical science and a loving husband, our thoughts for them are more required than another blog about not a lot really, it really does put life into perspective.

Having made the promise that I intended to be more productive blog wise this year, I very nearly did fall at the first hurdle, so I made a little promise, before I succumb to yet another food coma, I have simply got to get this out into the big bad world like I said I would, I also need to stop feeling sorry for myself and think of others for a change, so there you go first one of the last year, I’m not expecting this to do the numbers of previous blogs, like I said life has hit a speed bump, a bloody big one, my thoughts on our cunning plans can wait,  but the intention is too keep moving forward, so watch the skies for more incoming, the next couple hopefully will be worth your attention , so until then keep spreading the disease and I will see you all then………….Until then, Toodles!