Now Hear This………………….6.

So, this is the penultimate blog before the change, and yet again its in the style of “Now Hear This” style of blog. Enough of the waffle lets go to it!

1.      What is “Now Hear This”

Well as you know I like to call my blogs after whatever music I am playing at the time, on the day of the first one that I did I was blasting some Hellanbach, I liked the title, and it has stuck…Go Figure!

 

2.      Why the Change?

This has been asked so many times I simply had to address the question, the simple answer, I feel as though I have taken it as far as I can, it needs to change, change or die, I mean you have to be sick of me droning on, I want to improve, I know I can do better, I want to do better, I’m sure the right answer is amongst that lot take your pick, I have a different answer for every time I have been asked. Basically, I want to, enough said!

 

3.      Ratings?

People are asking me if I am worried about the ratings dropping, Yes, But I know it’s              going to happen, it’s not going to be a surprise, I doubt that many people who read the blog is into the same music that I am, so yes I get it, I know some only like it when I’m down, some like certain blogs and drift off when its not what they expect, the blog this year has exceeded over 70000 hits, next year will considerably less it is what it is.

 

4.      More Books old style Blogs?

Sorry to disappoint some of you but that’s not going to happen, for the books at least, there may be the occasional old-style blog, but only if we get a life back, don’t hold your breath its highly unlikely.

 

5.       Will I still use Song Titles?

I still have to decide on some of the longer blogs, its still rather fluid at the moment, however you will all be the first to know.

6.      Are you still ambitious?

I like to think that I am, that’s why I am changing  the format completely , I had a little try out in 2018, it was a success, if only in a small way, I think I can improve it and the intention is too start small and continue to grow if I can manage half the numbers I am doing at the moment I will consider it a success, we will have to see how it progress’s lets see what the next 12 months bring.

7.      How often will I blog?

The intention is to continue as weekly, sometimes it might be more, I’m hoping because of the content it shouldn’t fall below that (fingers crossed).

8.       Are Family and Friends Supporting you?

I haven’t got a clue, I don’t write it for them, I write it for me, I believe some drop in and out from time to time, there has been no negativity (as far as I know) in my wanting to change, lets see what happens in the new year, if the levels of abuse go up, I’ll know who is reading and who is not!

9.       Musical Influences?

This is just about the most asked question with in these NHT blogs, I like to think of myself as fairly open minded, I like most things from ABBA through to Frank Zappa and then everything in between, a good song is a good song, I think the name game kind of tells you were I am at, at any time of the year, I do like a good singer and I’m not into cookie  monster style of ahem “singers” doesn’t mean that I can’t appreciate it, but I probably wouldn’t go out of my way to find it, I’m sure you all would understand, we all have our guilty pleasures, musically speaking I’m no different lets see what happens, you never know you could be surprised!

10.   Will I still write in code?

I doubt it, I only wrote in code not to offend people who are in my sphere of my friends, not that its directed at them, usually someone who I didn’t know, and they didn’t really know me, just in case they were pointed in the direction of the blog, it has never been my intention to upset anybody, its meant to be FUN!

11.   Social Life?

I have no idea what this refers to it seems like so long ago, at the start it appealed to me and my nature, but I know I miss my friends and I hope that they know it, I can’t wait for the day until we can all get back out there and have some fun and some Craic!

12.   Honesty?

I still intend to be as honest as I always have, I see no reason as to why I shouldn’t, again I’m sure that people will tell me if they think I wasn’t!

13.   Will there be any further Historical blogs to come?

Never say never, the intention is to never say no if I have one that I think will pass muster, especially in the Musical sense, then probably but they should be few and far between, that’s the intention, you never know, it’s a definite watch this space kind of answer!

14.   What about your notes for blogs?

 I still have them and might return to them at some point I don’t know at the moment I’m     done with them, let’s put some space between them and lets see what we can do with that space, I do love writing, and I still intend to write observational notes, who knows what might happen with them, I still would like to write “the Grand Novel” but with out my partner in crime (she’s a lady you know) to act as my editor, I don’t know what will happen there I have a great idea with a great twist at the end of it, it’s the stuff in between me that I get bogged down with, again watch this space, you never know.

 

15.  Will this make you happier?

I have no idea; I can only try, I’m sure you will keep me on the straight and narrow!

 

16.   Have you changed your mind about a favourite blog?

I have struggled with this one, I have reread some of them recently, simply to try and remember what they were about, at a push I could say that there were a few that I like, no I have no intention of naming them, why? Because as soon as I do I would change my mind, if you lot have a fave I’m happy for you, but I like them all, even all of the crap ones and yes there were some really crap ones, I know and you know it to, it is what it is a time or moment in my life when  I spewed what was in my mind onto a blank sheet, take from them what you want, but or now its time to move on.

17.   Have you written Blog 500 yet?

Erm not quite, should I even be telling you all this, I have the basic structure, I have a sense of what I need to say, it would always alter on the day of typing anyway it always has, simply because I’m always affected by what is going on around me…oh look a butterfly! It will stay fluid until I press post! I reckon I’m about 98% done, but tomorrow I could quite easily have no idea and be nervous about my intentions, lets stick with the 98% version.

18.   Social Media?

I think I will stick with what I know, I have tried unsuccessfully to expand to other areas, lets just go with the flow and see how it goes that’s not a no or a yes, it’s a let’s see what happens!

19.   Is this a knee jerk reaction?

No this is me planning 18 months and tweaking what I intend to do, I haven’t stockpiled lots of stuff as I intend to try and keep it fresh, whether that happens remains to be seen.

20.   Cunning Plans.

 I always have a number of cunning plans on the go this is one I intend to see through, through to the bitter end, it will take me a while to get where I want to be, its taken over 12 years to get here, over 70000 hits and counting, I am under no illusion that its not going to be a battle, but lets start with the premise, its for me, if I can stick to that premise it should be OK anything after that is a plus.

 

So there you have it, one step closer to the edge, its coming don’t say that you haven’t been warned, so watch the skies for incoming but until then its ……….Toodles!

Standing in the Rain.

I know this is late, I don’t need reminding, but life has been well to put it bluntly………Busy! Work has been totally crazy; however, I now have a better understanding as to why I wish to treat the human race with contempt a good 85% are total cock wombles (but this is not the blog to explain) hey this Christmas lets try and keep it on the straight and narrow, just this once, Yes? The reason that the pandemic is as bad as it is, is simply because of the selfish cock wombles roaming the streets, I wish I could take a big stick to all of their heads; however, I’m being told by human resources I’m not allowed, which is a shame. I would love to be able to issue cattle prods to all of the staff at work, what no mask, zap! As always, I have already begun to digress, this is not the reason why the blog is late, I have been nice to the wife by attempting to do as many tasks as I possibly can, I really should have done them so much earlier, I’m annoyed as it has impacted on the blog being published, however the youngest leant a hand so I was able to pass the finish line sooner rather than later. To be honest I would probably struggled to complete what I have done without her help, but we climbed the hill and thankfully won the day.

One of the main tasks was too move some of my music collection from the back of the house to the front room, no small task and then the seed was sown for the many cunning plans and small tasks, I had started earlier in the year, matching units were the order of the day and once I had talked the wife into it (with surprising ease I may add) we followed the plan and set off to that magical land called Ikea, we soon realised that the bulk of our order would not fit in our car so we had to go to plan B, and get them delivered, thankfully it was cheap enough and they arrived the very next day. The intention was to store them until after Christmas, you all know me to well, as soon as they were in the house, they were gnawing at me like a rat in a trap, I had to move to plan C!

As I arrived home, I knew I wasn’t going to be able to resist and I think the wife knew that as well, so as there no were objections, I attacked the task in hand with vigour, well my youngest helped actually but I wasn’t in good shape and I hadn’t planned it properly, but I soldiered on, but my knees defeated me with only half the job done. I was not getting any better and working off the floor was problematic to say the least, I finally raised a white flag, I set about a new plan of action I had it, I cleared the table where my lap top is normally found and worked from a sensible height, once completed, I took a small break, but I knew I wanted to complete the task, the plan to move the CD’s the next day fell by the wayside, and I moved the next phase moving over 800 individual CD’s thankfully it didn’t take me too long (cough splutter) and before anybody asks yes they are all alphabetical and then chronological, I’m sad I know, me with my reputation!

The rest of the weekend then fell into a maelstrom of little jobs that needed to be completed, then I had the task of sorting out the rest of the chaos that I had caused, then I had to paint where the other storage had been, dispose of the rubbish, cook, clean and the list went on, just like me I know, so as a consequence the blog fell by the way, not even into the back seat, I simply wanted to start a job and complete it in one go, well kind of I finally managed to finish tonight (Thursday) just before I set about typing this up, I had laid the bulk of the ideas that I had for the blog during a lunch break at work, yes I do take them, usually when I have a deadline for the blog. I simply wasn’t feeling it and as we get ever closer to the big changes coming up, I wanted to feel it, I wanted to do the job properly, I also wanted to enjoy it, I mean that’s really why I do this, because I do enjoy it, however life, work and a million (a slight exaggeration I know) other things conspired against me. But here I am back on task determined to get this posted, you lot might be unhappy with me for being late, but I’m happy with what I have done, I might not have been if I had simply spewed something on to the page!

I know you are all thinking where is the title coming into this, well I was doing exactly what the title says, waiting for my lift to the work  house, and the song was an earworm I didn’t wish to get rid of, I felt(feel) good, well at that moment I did, it was cold and dark and very wet, I felt very happy to be in that moment, which to be honest doesn’t happen very often so I simply went with the flow, I had a couple more days on the poop deck then I was going to let the Christmas buzz wash over me, yes me I was going to join the tribal feeling and “try” and enjoy the days, its not a surprise that I’m a mixture of Scrooge and the Grinch, I’m not a miser (if I have it I will spend it) but I kind of struggle in company and I have the best friends in the world, but I still struggle at times, I am work in progress but I am trying to improve!

My path into the world of Christmas is to watch A Christmas Carol, this year I fancy the Patrick Stewart version, then all will be well with the world, then Christmas will begin in earnest, I hate it right up until the moment that I watch whichever version, I look forward to the day, simply because I love cooking the dinner, that’s my treat, I haven’t poisoned anyone yet……………. Yet! then it will be time for some music, music, music and then some more music I have four days off I do not intend to watch any of the box over those days! Have you guessed what’s around the corner for the blog in the new year, really oh well it will be a surprise LOL! What has this got to do with the blog, if you have read the previous 497 blogs rain has featured in a lot of those blogs, I do indeed love the rain, I’m usually happiest when its raining, I’m a true pluviophile! Another thing that’s new is the partaking in the giving of presents, its not something that we usually do but we have decided to this year, you never know I might grow to like it! It could be a new craze, we are simply going with the flow, I really hope that Santa thinks that I have been a good boy.

So, this is officially the beginning of the end, the next blog will be the final “Now Hear This” don’t say that you haven’t been warned! And then the last one before the big change in direction, I’m excited for the new direction, but I know that it will be hard work, this is simply me waffling, I need to be a bit more professional (I know me with my reputation) I know that we will lose some of the casual readers, it is what it is, its looking like we will hit over 72000 hits this year next year I will be happy with 10% of that.

So, say safe stay alive, don’t be selfish think of others, keep watching the skies for incoming, the next one will be here sooner than you realise, so until then………. TOODLES!

Spirits, Ghosts and Outlaws

So, the blog as we know it will soon come to a close and I need to get some of this crap off my chest, musically my life has been likened to a prog rock track long slow passages, frantic jazz chords and oh so bloody long! I feel as if I have gone off road too much, hopefully the new direction won’t be so…. lost!

The one constant has been my friends and music, sometimes music and friends but those two have always been a constant, my brother and I fought tooth and nail, but we were a unit when it came to music, my brother and his friends informed me on the rocky road of pubescence, my friends weren’t too bothered about music with the odd exception then I left school and life exploded, the one constant with my friends, is music the one common denominator with just about 99.9% of my friends and people that I know!

Pubs, friends, music, work, parties, music, more drink more music……………...ooooooh girls and then back to the constant, MUSIC! Ask any girl that I went out with the overlying thrust (ooer matron the screens) music always came first, maybe I was wrong but nobody told me otherwise, they were always present with me, I never ignored them but there was always music, music played a huge part of my life from the age of about7 onwards, I know over the years I have shrank my music collection (vinyl wise) and I regret it, but I never got rid of my 7” singles there was too much history, they mean nothing to anybody except me, their little stories and history.

It was the same with going to see bands, first locally at pubs when I could get in or maybe even stood outside when I couldn’t get in, then to venture off to Newcastle, and then I really spread my wings going further afield and then following groups on entire tours (please see previous historical blogs) through the good times and the bad times, the weddings, and a divorce, I only took my music when I departed. Music has been my safety net rightly or wrongly it has been my constant, it speaks to me, it has helped me through the good times and really helped me in the bad times! The long journeys with my Walkman and a bag full of tapes, my discman and my bag of CD’s and then onto my trusty MP 3 player, damn it has been a good friend, always there for me, never judgemental, always supportive through all of the days.

Where am I going this one, to be truthful I have no ideas, I just want to say thank you to all of my friends I have been to see bands with, the people I have stood shoulder to shoulder in record shops and record fayres over the years, in the bars cracking on about the latest album by so and so damn good times I tell you, the girlfriends who probably thought I was bat shit crazy (they weren’t wrong) I haven’t really matured, my brother and I still waffle for hours about music (about 90% of the time another 8% about work the other 2% everything else) I don’t think any of us (brother friends ) will change, I don’t want anybody to either.

Although I’m not done with gigs, they are getting fewer (obviously Co-vid fucked this year) but musically I listen to more music than I ever have, so I hope you know the direction (after much deliberation) that I will be travelling, why? Simply because I can and I want to, what can I say, I need a hobby so that I think I will do it as a hobby, who is going stop me? If she wants to (probably the wife) I know the numbers will drift but I don’t really care.

So there you have it, one step closer only three left to go, the name game is in play (an album I’m listening to as I type this) I am looking forward to the future, I’m hoping that it does alright but its being done for me and no one else, lets see what happens, so watch the skies there will be another blog along soon, sooner than you may think, but until then ………...Toodles!

Sacred Hour.

I think Magnum would be in my top five of number of times I have seen a band, not always by choice. I first came across them supporting BOC, and I thought they were really old men then, I was only around 14 so everyone was, I enjoyed them they did the type of music I liked, well I thought I liked. Over the coming years they supported more bands than Budgie (and that takes some doing) and after a couple of times of watching the same set I was kind of getting bored with them.  I went with my brother and a friend to see the Tygers of Pan Tang at the city hall in support of the Spellbound album, a radical departure for them, a new singer and some wunderkind called Jon Sykes allegedly some kind of modern guitar god (erm not quite but he was on the way) well he at least had the ego! A band called Alcatraz opened (they had an album out on RCA called Radio 4, I only remember this because It was going to be one of my first official writing jobs outside of my circle of friends, before they got dropped, I would have to wait another six months before I was offered a paying job for writing lyrics!

They finished and then it was announced that Magnum would be on in ten minutes, an inward groan, I really was sick of the same set list, we agreed to give them two songs and then head off to the bar, imagine my surprise when they opened with two new songs from their yet to be released new album Chase the Dragon, they had  my attention, now I will admit here and now in my eyes this is their perfect album, I like them and virtually all of their albums but this was the pinnacle for me, my brother and friend buggered off to the bar, I stayed and watched and listened to their majestic brand of pomp and circumstance!

They still looked (really) old, but the new songs were simply superb, the Tygers struggled even with their vim and vigour, they simply were a pub band after what I had just seen. The album still wasn’t released for at least 8 months and I still got to see them at least 5 times, I had started to travel to see bands, I had a taste for them, most of the gig is in the north east that I attended were also were attended by my wife and she and a friend were close friends to the band especially Bob Catley, where a group of them manged to run out of petrol delivering baby clothes to him and his wife, the reason I mention this is simply because I probably went to dozens of gigs and she was there and I never knew, well at Judas Priest I did when she walked down aisle, oh matron the screens, but I digress.

Another half a dozen shows and I didn’t care as long as they did songs from Chase the Dragon, alas it wasn’t to last, they released the Eleventh Hour album and although I liked it, I was working away from home more and consequently starting seeing more bands (I know what a slut) they released On a Storyteller’s Night and it was a glorious return to form (but not a patch on you know what) and I caught a couple of shows, none of the band seemed to have aged at all since that first show in 1978 but they still looked bloody ancient! They then moved on to a major label and had Roger Taylor produce a couple of albums, I liked them but I didn’t actively seek them out, move on a few more years and they were back to an independent label and I hadn’t seen them in about six years and I hated the album (it has grown on me) I caught a show on the tour and didn’t enjoy it at all loved the classics but I had simply been away too long.

By this time, me and wife were partners in crime and money was tight, gigs were curtailed to the odd occasion as opposed to being a matter of life and death! It would be a further 12 years before we got to see them in the flesh again (Bob hadn’t changed one bit Tony had) , I wasn’t not looking forward to them, but I wasn’t jumping for joy I had seen them well into double figures and didn’t think I would get a kick out of them, boy was I wrong, and who were the young guys on stage with Bob? Damn it’s the band, energetic and exciting with great new songs, I loved them and yes they did do a couple of classics, I was a pig in heaven, after that I got the albums and went to see them every year, loving the fact that every year they were doing new classic albums, my only complaint there was nobody to reign in Tony Clarkin, a great song writer but some of the songs did not need to be that long, still classic material, but come on just because you can fit 88 minutes onto a cd doesn’t mean that you have to! I have to admit the last time we saw them in 2017 I was disappointed that they did over  an hour’s worth of a new album that was released on the day of the gig, good songs but deep cuts that are complex, they need time to seep into the blood stream, not like the bad old days, like the good old fashioned romps that they used to do, still great songs but yeah they need a little time to digest, it all went wrong from there as people left or were sacked, ever decreasing circles too much touring, with too much new material, I kind of get that you still want to feel relevant, but it’s a fine line and they were cutting their own nose to spite everything else.

Although we were going to see them this year Co-vid got out ahead of them and the tour like so many others were cancelled and so no more gigs this year, hopefully Tony has been working away like a beaver he is after all a great song writer, and he looks younger than me now……WTF!

So there you have it I knew I could do it why the title (spoiler alert) the blog kind of follows what Bob would always say when introducing the title, it takes me about an hour to type these up and check then check some more so it is kind of like a “Sacred Hour”  enjoy and watch the skies for incoming we are near the end game for this phase of the blog, well kind of, I know I have kind of given the name game away but I kind of can, so until the next time stay safe and until then …………Toodles!