Days Gone By

I have been nervous about doing anymore historical music blogs as they of late have been so slow out of the blocks that I have had serious misgivings, I have done blogs on Roger Taylor, Blue Oyster Cult to name but two, and they have seriously undermined my potential for doing these. So here goes third time lucky purely because the last blog went through the roof!

Music was my saviour in my younger days (still is if truth be told) it was simpler times I would jump  on a train or a bus to head off and see bands all of  the time, depending on the finances, damn it if I won the lottery it’s what I would do now, blow it on following tours of artists that float my boat and damn the consequences, then I really would bore the pants off you lot! Let’s transport you back to a simpler time.

1985 I was in London for a friends birthday and I kind of over stayed by a week or two, I had no ties at work or otherwise, well a had a girlfriend but she didn’t seem to mind if I wasn’t there (this became a common thread in our relationship even when we got married) we (the boys that is) had decided to have one last night out before we all went our separate ways back to home, we met in the Marquee I seem to remember it being Valentines day simply as there was a special  offer to gain entry, none of us qualified, by the time we arrived the band was already on stage (I have blogged this beginning part before) and I lost all interest in the night out as I loved the band from the  opening chords of “I belong to the night” to the rowdy ending of “American Girls” yes my love affair with FM started that very night, I liked Steve Overland’s voice from his previous band Wildlife I discovered him by accident as I had taken a date to an MSG gig in Newcastle (yes it didn’t go down well or last very long) my intention was to see Derek St Holmes who was playing with the headliners, I got diverted after the support band, I bought the album the next day and then travelled to Sheffield to see them again, then they dropped off the face of the earth.

Out of nowhere there he was again on the stage in the marquee wearing matching dodgy suits and big hair, I loved the well-crafted tunes and that voice was simply like honey, a great vocalist, now that they were on my radar I did my level best to ensure I saw as often as possible in 1985 (I don’t remember the exact dates but I do remember the venues) I saw them supporting so many people I saw them in Bradford more than once in 1985 also in Birmingham, I had bought (yes I know I was shocked as well) tickets for Gary Moore as I wanted to see Glenn Hughes playing with the fiery Irishman , unfortunately Mr Hughes succumbed to his Mars Bar addiction, so I was gutted when he pulled out but I was over the moon to see FM supporting still wearing the dodgy suits. The only issue the wife (of the moment) insisted that she had discovered this new band oh how me and my friends chuckled!

1986 came around and I had traversed into normal employment (needs must) so I hardly got out and about but I did manage a trio of gigs at the end of the year including a gig at the marquee which wasn’t the best for me as I had never drank tequila shots before, the journey back to the North of England wasn’t pleasant the next day, an early train and then straight to work for a late shift was not a good idea, not that I was full of good ideas back in the day!

1987 was slightly better for gigs trips, I got to see them in Sheffield and Nottingham (the first time ever at the Rock City venue) and a trip to see them at the Astoria was slightly better only because the wife was sick and couldn’t attend and then she couldn’t tell everybody that she had discovered them, bless again  the blur of travel drink and gigs was becoming the norm, to say that I was  burning the candle at both ends was soon going to have consequences, working long hours and then whenever I was off I would travel to see bands of many denominations, my private life was decidedly shit, I suppose I already knew this but was in denial, the marriage crashed and burned at the end of the year my only regret for the relationship was that she couldn’t have been truthful, the only thing that I asked for in all of the time we were together I knew It wasn’t an easy partnership but I always tried my best and I was always honest, and I was at least  a monogamist , something she had issues with, no blame apportioned we went our separate ways me I went into self-destruction mode for at least a year drinking, drinking and then drinking some more, I blamed myself when in reality we were both to blame, life’s too short  it was time to not only to burn the candle at both ends but to take a flamethrower to the middle as well 1988 was a blur with no FM activity!

1989 was a return to the norm, drink was curtailed to sensible levels, well normal-ish but I became known as the half day kid at work as  I would take half days to go and see bands, travel back on late trains and go to work the next day (ah the good old days) they returned to action in August at the Mayfair and  I was down the front bouncing and singing along (badly) other dates included through October and November at the city hall the Hammersmith Odeon and Leeds and Sheffield back to the Marquee for the Christmas show , which I loved but I awoke on the platform of the train station back in Newcastle with no recollection on how I got there……ooops!

1990 wasn’t the best my only recollection of an FM gig that year was the Town & Country club that was marred by someone close to us being poorly, we thought it was a heart attack we did our best and an ambulance was called I often wonder if the guy survived, it kind of took the edge off the gig although in a bittersweet irony it was the first thing I ever recorded once I bought a (second hand) video player, I do believe I still have the tape somewhere.

1991 was the year I met the current good lady wife and I saw them a couple of times including a date at the Riverside in Newcastle on the taking it to the streets tour in which they insisted playing a Thin Lizzy medley, not what I wanted to hear at all, but I still have the tape, me and the Mrs saw them at Walkers doing their acoustic thing which was awesome apart from the fact we got hammered on scrumpy jack, I may have annoyed one or two people that night (sorry peeps) then it was a case of if the played close to home we went and then they split, damn what was I going to do now?

Mr Overland resurfaced in a band called SO with Pete Jupp and I had a devil of a time trying to buy the bloody records in the end I had to succumb to a downloaded version of their only album called Brass Monkey I never got to see them play live but the album is a masterpiece in my top five of all time its not what you might call rock its very song orientated I love it, however I had to rely on dodgy tribute albums and a Broadway show soundtrack to get my fix of Mr Overland’s voice.

One of the most surreal viewings we were invited to a wedding for SMOR and MR O and Juppy (damn I feel as if I know them) were playing in a cover band for the wedding and it was awesome all covers but I did get a cheeky snippet of closer to heaven after I shouted for it  and after the actual two sets I had a great conversation with Mr O who was genuinely taken back by my admiration of Brass monkey, a short conversation but one that I will take to my grave.

Since then we have seen them a number of times I have only missed them once, when I was as sick as a dog but the wife did buy me the latest EP as a consolation prize, I was a poorly bairn that night,  the furthest we have travelled is Hartlepool again a great gig with the wonderful Bernie Marsden supporting and another night of great memories for the story box, Mr O is involved in so many bands at the  moment and  I haven’t come across a bad one yet long may it continue, its not all a love fest though he appeared on a tribute album and he covered Angie (by the Rolling Stones) and it was horrible, his voice was the  usual, but the song was simply shocking , can somebody please tell me how they are revered for being the band that they are, answers on a postcard to IDONTGIVEASHIT.COM

So, there you go I will sit like an expectant father hoping that this one will soar through the stratosphere like the last blog enjoy and keep spreading the word, until the next time …………Toodles!  

Bus Stop

OK so my cunning plans as always have gone just slightly astray, I did a blog and its done great numbers, I have another one prepped , I haven’t polished  it and this one springs to the front of my brain, and I simply couldn’t shake it, add that with 12 extremely long shifts with multiple issues , to say I was shattered was a bit of an understatement, I came home yesterday euphoric that I now have three whole days off and promptly fell a sleep in the chair in the living room, this simply does not bode well, so I better get my finger out and get this one done!

The music one will be here no later than Monday because I will sort that one out later today while I am on a roll…………Honest!

I may have mentioned in the past that I travel to work (most of the time) via public transport, I have done for nearly 34 years and sometimes it pisses me off and sometimes it doesn’t, but a thought occurred that I spend long periods of time with these people and I don’t really kind of know them, to be honest most of them leave me well enough alone, there can be people standing and they still won’t sit next to me, I must have a serial killers look about me (no comments please) now I call my mode of transport the plague carrier, simply because there is always someone coughing and spluttering away behind me!

I travel from Gimpsville to my place of work and in all honesty its usually takes about 40 -50 minutes depending on the traffic and I normally use the travel time to either listen to music (no surprise there then) or to have an additional power nap on the way to happiness, usually the bus is populated by the same faces with maybe one or two missing on occasional days, very occasionally there is an interloper, someone who only gets the bus once in a blue moon……………we don’t like them!

From time to time I play bus seat bingo, that’s when I sit were ever the hell I want simply to upset the apple cart as bus’s are worse than working men’s clubs for it being someone’s seat! I have mentioned bus seat bingo in previous blogs so I wont bore you with greater detail, there are a number of characters who populate my journeys to work, there is Jabba the Hutt a lady who does like just like that loveable rogue from star wars, the person who I have wound up the most (quite unintentionally) a person who is so highly strung if I sit in her seat she slithers down the bus to sit in it when I get off, the easy answer would be to sit next to me and I would soon get sick of her as she is huge and it would be an uncomfortable journey, however she hasn’t so I do like to sit in her preferred seat, now I don’t sit in it all the time simply because I like to share the love, the last time I saw her she smiled because I wasn’t sat in her seat, some one else was and she had a major strop / meltdown and got off at the next stop, I do wonder about some peoples mental health!

Then there is the fabulous boxing brothers, they hate each other and they always squabble bicker and usually end up coming to blows, they get on at different stops but boy do they hate each other, bus drivers wont let them get on the same bus now, that probably adds to the hate, they are always at different stops in the vain hope of getting on first I think! Then there is red hat man he Is obviously an office worker quite stylishly dressed, even though it doesn’t suit him and no matter what he always wears a home made woolly hat (in the 70’s they were called bobble hats and boys always cut off the bobble) he pulls on as low as he can, way past his ears and then puts a pair of beats headphones on over the bloody hat……..go figure!

Then we have the hulk a bloke who is as wide as he is tall and as he falls into which ever seat he sits in he is a sleep quicker than even me and he sprawls out in to the aisle people have to climb over him to get on, and he has an uncanny knack of waking up at his stop, bless him. There’s a lady who works in the courts I recognise the uniform even though she removes all forms  of identification, late fifties thinks she is super cool with shades on and the promptly puts her bag on the seat next to her until at least 80% of the journey (snooty cow) then you have me the irresistible imp with my roguish charm (I did say I wonder about peoples mental health) listening to my music (currently Diamond Head, Snowy White , Thunder, Lucifer’s Friend and many more) I have no issues with people sitting next to me, they seem to though maybe it’s my bag of severed heads I’m not sure!

Good weather bad weather you do see the same miserable faces (come on peeps they are all going to work) thankfully the service has improved of  late, I do miss the original old bus drivers, then we got some right misery’s but after an email complaining how crap the service was, it improved, I have no idea if they read all 12000 words, but boy did I feel better after I sent it I should have posted it on here as a blog…………..hmmmm I wonder!

Most of the new drivers have improved their work out look, there are no grumpy ones, one or two of them do drive like it’s a formula one car but hey ho it is better these days, I wish I could say the same for the reverse journey that really is the village of the damned, populated with all manner of arseholes and misfits, I fully understand why some people hate to get the bus at any time, unfortunately for me its simply too late! There is always timing issues on the return leg that cant be helped there is always traffic issues, you simply have to go with the flow on the return leg, I carefully try and identify someone who is not travelling all the way back to Gimpsville simply so that I can yet again claim the seat for myself!

There is one hot spot on the journey home that drives me nuts its crap in a car but wonderful in a bus, as nobody argues with a bloody big bus and once we get through that its plain sailing always back to Gimpsville, usually if it’s a double decker I gaze at the scenery that’s usually hidden from the single decker approach, its actually quite a pleasant journey home! Its when the time tables change that does my head in the weekends and bank holidays , its so obscure you simply have to take pot luck on the way home hence last Monday I had to wait an hour as I had just missed the bloody thing, I wasn’t a happy camper (me with my reputation)!

Its not cheap either sometimes I think it would be cheaper to travel by car but then I remember I haven’t passed my test and I return to my travel sulk! It was £3.30 for the week, when I started now its £34 for the same journey ……..lets move on now, learn to drive I hear some of you shout, erm that would be a no I still have anger issues from my previous attempts over thirty years ago, as much as I would like to, I think I would need to have a large lottery win to attempt it ever again.

So that’s it that’s what I needed to shake out of my head and get it posted I promise I will post the next one no matter how good the numbers are by next Monday, I have also been giving it some thought as to what to do when I hit the 500 mark and I do have a cunning plan, I will still be posting occasional missives but it might not be blogs, I need to have a better thought process but an idea is formulating, as soon as I now you lot will know, it helps me get less angry with Farcebook, if you follow me there you might an idea of which road I might end up travelling………..watch this space!

So watch the skies for incoming, thank you for all of the kind comments please do keep spreading the disease/word as the blog is growing and that makes me a happier well o slightly happier ( I am still officially a misery the wife keeps telling me), for the rest of my time off I foresee music and snoozing in that order everybody else in the family is off working for the weekend and that is kind  of OK with me (in a selfish kind of way) I can indulge in my favourite pass time……….isolation, until I post the next one (Monday at the latest honest)…………………………Toodles!

Brute Force & Ignorance

I know, I know, stop kicking off at me, I have been busy, I got a life I had a small holiday from work, I had a small nervous breakdown at the end of said holiday, I fell out with the wife (again) I bought her some flowers (before we fell out D’oh) spiralled out into a bad case of overeating and general malaise and then I had to go back to work so that I could catch up with most of what I had missed, which in the grand scheme things was sod all, but it still did my head in, next time I have no intention of taking my works phone home with me, I know shit will happen even if I’m there or not , I need to stop stressing about what I have no control over, stop being passionate about my job and try and relax with the family………oops!

Not that all things were bad, just as always little things ate into my brains like two mad squirrels locked in a tin box that’s way too small for them, can you picture that scene, yes I know, I over think things, thankfully I am getting better as I get older (honest) I am in a much better place these days than I have been of late, I can’t help that I love my job, is that wrong? maybe it’s the fact not everybody else is in love with theirs and do as little as  they can possibly get away with, now that does drive me nuts.

For as long as I can remember I have always believed that the trajectory of us the human race has always been in a (I know I’m getting all philosophical on you lot) slow forward moving motion, OK so we did start off an initial burst of well ok we started with a bit of brute force and a hell of a lot of ignorance, but ever so slowly we improved as we pulled ourselves from the primordial sludge evolving (allegedly) into beings of a higher level of intelligence and compassion. I know I got that one way wrong (I’m hoping that what we are going through at the moment is just a momentary speed bump in the road of our evolution) as I sit and watch our world (again allegedly) evolve around us stupidity and violence seem to have the upper hand ( I don’t claim to be a rocket scientist but come on even I can see the problems).

We seem to have turned our intelligence against ourselves we continue to allow bad things to happen and we simply do not challenge them collectively simply because we are said to be “good people”  allegedly now I know most of you have been reading these blogs (and books) over a long period of time, you know even when I am full of doubt and pessimism and even despair at times I do try and overcome this, I don’t always succeed but I do at least try, we know that mad bad and dangerous things do happen, its all part of some great plan (or so we are told)  I am so hoping so and  that it’s not actually the Matrix after all, why not well simply because I never got the choice of a brightly coloured pill, I’m not a fan of mass drug taking anyway (alcohol was always the drug of my choice and I have not had a drop in over 5 months…..WTF) we normally (as a collective I’m not Clark Kent just a concerned onlooker) resolve the problem just in the nick of time and we simply continue on our way, but its getting harder and harder to do and sometimes I find other people in a similar funk as me at work distressed and disturbed, good honest hard working people, people who I care a lot about and don’t seem to have the ability to help them like I would or should be able to, again in other areas like feelings or simply in relationships, I now I’m aware it’s not just me!

Hippy Alert, I like being alive generally, I like most of the people who I associate with (mind you there’s millions of suggestions who Farcebook keep trying to foist onto me who I have no idea what’s so ever who the hell they are) by and large I don’t want to rain on anyone’s parade, that includes my ex partners or anybody else’s, life is way too short, but I also don’t want anybody raining on  mine, unfortunately  I don’t see a light at the end of the tunnel and the matches that I have are wet because some fucker keeps pissing on them, I may be more mature these days but I also dwell on things in a more adult manner (allegedly) and I don’t like it, I’m not a huge fan of what is happening. I may be in the body of a middle aged man, but inside I’m still the same 15 year old who wants to listen to music, chase girls and drink beer occasionally and then for the process to start all over again, well maybe not the chasing girls bit (I don’t think I was ever that successful at it) so can I simply have double dose of music please, friends are seriously ill and I cant help them mentally or physically, and boy do I want to help them! the wife is not in a good space at the moment and again I keep trying to throw her a life belt but it always seems to on a rope that is way too short,  that doesn’t mean I’m not going to stop offering her my support if she needs  it. these things happen to everybody not just us, a little bit of luck would be nice every once in a while for everybody out there not just for me and mine, I feel that we are slipping backwards not forwards, since when do we stop helping our fellow man, we all need somebody at some time and if ever there is anything I can do to help please let me now, because if you help just one person trust me our lot will be an ever improving one, lets try and use the intelligence we were given and not fall into the trap that liars and the snake oil salesmen are trying to lump on us and a lot of us seem to be falling for it…………rant over honestly

Now this wasn’t the blog I intended, but its what has flowed from  my pen and keyboard today, so I’m going to post it and I will take the abuse and any kind comments that come my way, life is not a rehearsal you only get one chance make sure that you have an excellent road crew to assist you with load ins as well as load outs and that will get you through, friends come and go, people die people go through good times and bad times and I cant thank the people who have helped me over the years enough, you are some damn good peeps out there, whether they know it or not I will always be there for them, so for the future cunning plans abound (I just as always need to make it to pay day……again) watch for the skies as I have a historical one brewing, I simply do not know which band I want to write about, but I’m guessing it could be……………wait until the next blog to find out!

So keep spreading the disease as the numbers have been fantastic even during yet another sabbatical, honest I simply haven’t had the time, I have had the inclination but time rules everything, as soon as the numbers drop on this one the next one will appear, that’s a threat not a promise (me with my reputation) so until the next time …….I suppose its Toodles!

Blurred Vision

As always life goes on, as always it’s not always a straight run on the road of life (LOL), what a week, with a party as the endgame (see how topical I can be) with lots to do in between, as always I have gotten ahead of myself, strap yourself in it’s a slightly bumpy ride!

I was still feeling a tad off through the week, even with my long weekend off, although a welcome respite, it had not cured me of my ills, there was something lurking in the background that I simply couldn’t put my finger on!

I kept going forward, I had a great day, I had a poor day, then back to a great day, I was struggling to play nice at work, nobody’s fault except mine, hopefully by the end of the week I was a lot better than I had been at the beginning of the week, and hopefully I didn’t piss too many people off (as if I care LOL) Friday was hard, as I simply seemed  to have run out of steam, thankfully I got across the finish line, all I had to do was rest and relax, as we were going to a party and I wanted to be tip top for that, I wanted to be, however life had different plans for me the bastard!

Friday night was the usual and yes at some point I blinked for long periods of time, off to bed at one in the  morning, in bed tucked in before I was properly awake, because if I was fully woken to the full degree of consciousness, I would never get back to sleep (can you see were this is going) some nice person or robot rang my phone at three o clock in the bloody morning, I scrambled to answer it before it raised the dead (it woke me didn’t it) no glasses on and half asleep I soon put it into the switched off mode, I did not as every one of you expects, simply throw it at the wall, the issue then though I was now awake with no chance of going back to sleep.

I tried to go back to sleep and I tried absolutely not to wake up the wife (thankfully I was successful in that task) however I was now wide awake and stayed that way until I got out of bed a little after six in the morning, I was wiped out, hopefully the rest of the day was going to go better then the previous evening, the rest of the tribe got up did a few deeds and then the rest of the tribe arrived with the grand kids running riot, I cooked quite a nice dinner for everyone and things were going quite well until a familiar gurgling started in  my guts (oh oh) we had started on a task that we had been avoiding for the last couple of years and I was sweating buckets and the stomach gurgling continued unabated, now this I could do without, until I realised an explosion was going to occur and at a rate of knots I dived over people to get to a safe haven, crisis averted however I was still sweating buckets!

Crisis was not averted, the enemy continued with repeated attacks, I really did just want to die (yet again) job completed I decided to towel of the excess sweat and try a snooze, I did not want to miss the party after missing the previous weeks shenanigans!  I probably managed about an hour, however I awoke refreshed and I tried some toast to settle my guts (crisis what crisis) it seemed to sort me out, thankfully I would be going to the ball!

It was a combined birthday party for the master of the royal hounds and one of his friends (who had a simply inspired costume for the party but hold your horses I’m getting ahead of myself) The youngest was going as Freddie Mercury from Live aid the wife was going as Freddie from the Crazy little thing called love video, yes you guessed it,  I was going to a Queen themed party now which Freddie could go as…………..none, I was going left of centre, Gerry Stickells their tour manager (you  may have noticed I mentioned him in a previous blog “Shove It” ) I can grow a beard I can wear a Hawaiian shirt how hard can it be, actually quite easy, I made some passes of the backstage variety (Copies  of the genuine article, no I didn’t have any, but I know someone who does) so I went with a Crazy tour one a one from the Game tour and I believe mine was from 82, me a nerd ……hell yeah! Somebody asked me if I could do them a Kind of magic one and yes, I can!

Thankfully refreshed and booted and suited we set off on an uneventful journey, no wife shouting and swearing at passing drivers, well kind of, we arrived to find the house of people, the host had excelled and had a complete Kind of magic suit with proper yellow belted jacket and a full on crown and robe, even going to the lengths of dying his hair the same colour as Mr Mercury, now that’s dedication,  definitely the winner of the evening, then I had admit I was a little disappointed as I thought there were going to be a million more Freddie’s with a designated parking spot for all of the accumulative Hoovers, there were some great costumes just not as many as I thought that there would have been, the other birthday boy’s was inspired he came as Connor Mcloud flasher mac included  and how he walked the streets of shields to get there with that huge sword in his hands (oh matron) and not to get arrested!

There was a Roger Taylor (a female version) sorry but Roger was sexier (LOL I mean in a nice way) there was even a Mr Bad Guy version of Mr Mercury (more of that later) and a Tribute act who did a good job of dealing with the ignoramus’s who continued to talk when he was performing , want to talk, fuck off to the back of the house and let others enjoy the show! I know it’s a tribute act but he was still trying his hardest to entertain those who wanted to watch, I’m not going to go into huge detail it was a fun night, one that I intended to break my (temporary) sobriety as it happens what with my stomach the way it was I decided not to, and consequently it was my first ever party sober, not that I ever get commode hogging drunk, squiffy yes, but not obnoxious, consequently I believe the hosts thought I might have been heading down the rabbit hole, I wasn’t, I was simply sober and shy and I really didn’t know a lot of people, the person who I  usually would have sat and spoken to turned into Mr Bad Guy for the evening he was minging when we got there and simply got drunker as the night went on, I had no problem as such but he trampled on Blue a couple of times and was generally toxic to a few others, spilt drink bad language whilst the act was live on Facebook, I genuinely thought the wife was going to twat him at one point, however the host of the evening gave him the look and he (sort of) calmed down, a lovely chap just last night I think he had my share of drink as well (and a damn sight more), in the nicest way I hope he is suffering this morning bless him!

The second set was Neil Diamond songs and a bit of karaoke, the wife and the daughter got up to sing as did the host, all in all a pretty good night (next time I will not be sober………sober is boring) we headed home later than normal, we had our own pooch to think about and others were going to work the next day (hahahahahaha not me I had a blog to do) thankfully an uneventful journey home  and we were soon headed up the wooden hill to the land of dreams and boy were they some strange dreams, all Queen (the musical entity not the drag kind) related, I awoke refreshed this morning, as I had turned my mobile (of the phone variety not something swinging above my bed to put me to sleep) off, I waved everybody off to work and now I sit typing this monster up.

Now the name game is in play and I was flabbergasted that nobody guessed or googled it, today's title is a B-side but the artist should be so damn easy come on you all know that you want to!

A great party and a jolly good time was had by just about everybody, even if only two people got my Gerry Stickells reference, so watch the skies and keep spreading the disease! there will more coming down the line, until the next time …………Toodles!

Up from the Deep.

I know I only seem to surface occasionally, like a U Boat from days of old, my health of late has been a bit off in all kinds of ways, I will do a brief up date and then hopefully normal service will be resumed well let’s see shall we(I know that you have all heard that one before).

Since the last blog (the Gerry Stickells related one) I have wished for death quite a few times, a swift one I had a bit of a poorly tummy with my insides trying to abandon ship via any escape hatch possible, it wasn’t nice it wasn’t clever, lets simply move on as quickly as it arrived, it left me wiped out in more ways than I care to mention , well actually it took over 5 days to leave, it definitely overstayed its welcome.

I then went back to work and I wasn’t a happy bunny, nothing to do with work (that makes a change I now) I simply wasn’t in a good space, and I was drowning not waving, I had many offers of help and I spurned just about every one offered, me pig  headed, erm that would be a yes then! To make matters worse I then suffered my worst bout of tinnitus ever 6 days and counting like a continuous drone of white noise, it hasn’t helped.

My diabetes seems to have levelled off at the moment its not perfect but it is better than it has been, a more concentrated effort is required, but a best foot forward situation gives me hope in that direction. I only checked the blog occasionally and the numbers were in fact quite good, some one was interested and old stuff has been read, but that’s not what I wanted, I had intended to keep pace with the coming weeks so I will have to double down and crack on to catch up I’m only 7 behind for the year so far, I know I know, but watch this space.

Music hasn’t helped (due to the tinnitus) today has been the first time in weeks that I have played more than one album, again fingers crossed I’m hoping that this can’t carry on forever (I know I have just jinxed myself, haven’t I?) I have actually done as little as possible; I know again me with my reputation, I’m hoping that the long weekend (with no Easter eggs) will allow me to pull myself together, a lie in would be nice, something, anything, anytime after 06.30 honest I will take 06.35 at a push, if that’s all you have, if I wake up as I have conditioned myself because of work, I’m a screwed pooch when I come to retire! Don’t worry I have a few years to resolve the issue, I’m not hopeful.

So there you go , I’m alive only because my prayers went unanswered at the time of my sickness and……you get the picture, yes the name the game is in play, don’t google it see if you can name the band out of the recess’s of your brain, people seem to just want everything now and are not prepared to exercise the grey matter! I’m not going to make any promises as I seem to keep shooting myself in the foot, lets see what happens when I get better as I feel as though I’m still not quite firing on all cylinders just yet!

So I hope you are all enjoying your long weekend and chocolate, watch the skies as there will be more incoming, I need to make sure I’m 100% better as there is the mother of all parties with a couple of Freddie mercury’s in attendance and me going as Gerry Stickells, you can guarantee that there will be just a short blog after that one, until then ……………Toodles!

Shove It

I returned the arms of drink back in November of 1987, my wife (of the time) had cheated and then lied  (in that order) so I walked away, I’m not a fan of either act, I acted with as much dignity as I could considering what had happened, the truth be told I didn’t hate  her for  it, I simply wish she had been honest with me, what’s all this got to do with drink I hear you ask well read on!

It was around this time I had returned to being a civilian and had to start paying for tickets to see bands, I had no problem with this, it was simply a shock to the bank balance/system, when we split I managed to keep or acquire most of the tickets that’s we had bought for forthcoming gigs, unfortunately she was savvy enough to keep a hold of a pair of tickets for The Cross which really was just Roger Taylor of Queen with some young pups in tow, I had wangled some backstage pass’s for Queen , now she wanted to see Roger in a more intimate venue, although we had split up we were still trying to remain friendly/adult/sensible/bloody idiot (delete as you see fit) and although I had served her with divorce papers on Valentines day (me a hopeless romantic I  know) we both still wanted to go see the gig, she also knew if she had refused to go with me I would have caused an absolute stink outside the venue(me with my reputation) a truce was called and we behaved ourselves, I stayed sober , well ok ish! as I didn’t want the green eyed monster spoiling the gig, Newcastle Mayfair on Sunday the 28^th wasn’t a bad day for it,  the venue was half full, I was a charming perfect gentleman, ask anyone, the gig was great and on the way home I decided I was young free and single, dammit I’m going to do some more gigs!

I had a limited window of opportunity and an even more limited supply of cash, but I had a cunning plan I took the remaining holidays that I had from work, I had to be sensible I needed the cash and sorted my travel to Norwich, I was strapped for cash so it was going to be by bus………even a car journey to Norwich is horrific even now, a bus from the Gallowgate in the big city and then a slow meander to Birmingham a three hour lay over and then five hours to get to Norwich honest the bloody bus stopped and picked up anybody that was at the side of the bloody road, whilst in Birmingham I may have had one or two pints so when I woke up in Norwich I may have been a tad “Grumpy” I needed something to eat to sort me out and then because I was thirsty, I honestly had a single pint of shandy, I like to watch bands not be an arsehole to everybody around me at gigs!

I got to the venue the university of North Anglia and bought my ticket as I got to the inner sanctum they refused me entry as I wasn’t a student “but you just sold me the bloody ticket” sorry nothing I can do about it, well yes you guessed it I kicked off big style not aggressively, but I wanted to speak to someone in management not a chinless wonder having a laugh at my expense, I could see the way this was going so I simply got loud as It happens a member of the road crew came past as I was giving it large and as I left the venue he followed me, asked me a couple of questions and when he realised I was genuine he guided me around to the stage door, he promptly disappeared back into the venue and by the time I got to the area he was stood talking to a gentleman in a Hawaiian shirt, I knew this man to be Gerry Stickells  the tour manager and he was listening intently, he kept looking across to me and then he came across and asked me some simple questions, I replied as honestly as I could, I explained I had been there on Sunday at Newcastle, he asked if I intended to get pissed I said I wasn’t and then he said follow me, it turns out he had argued with the venue or they had took the piss earlier in the day and he was annoyed so he though it would be a great idea to poke them in the eye, he stood me stage left at the crash barrier I enjoyed the gig and as the last song played the roadie from before( I never got his name)  escorted me back out the way I came and made sure that I got in a taxi back to the bus station, “erm I can’t afford a taxi” “don’t worry the venue is supplying it” I was dropped off at  the bus station and was on my way to Leeds to stay at a mates house, what seemed like months later, as I did the bus journey in reverse and got to Leeds in the early morning with a smattering of snow I hoped that my mate turned up on time, Simon did and he treated me to a lovely breakfast at a little greasy spoon, I crashed at his parents and enjoyed an afternoon of sleep, we had a few beers on the Friday night, ok we had a lot of beers and I suffered on the day of the gig, I wasn’t a bad house guest , but I think that there were less milk bottles on the door step after we got back on the night time then what his dad had put out, Saturday was great a day in the pub another gig and hopefully a lie in before getting the bus home.

The next morning the four of us awoke with cunning plan number 203 lets go see them in London at the town & country club, My Flu kicked in (cough cough) and we headed down to London and arrived early Monday morning with some time to kill, thankfully we knew mates so we were soon put up for a couple of nights and although there was jolly japes none that drunken for me as I really was flying by the seat of my pants, thankfully we got on the guest list and again had a wonderful time I bumped into Mr Stickells one last time he was at the mixing desk before the gig, he remembered me and I asked if I could buy him a drink as a thank you (please say no please say no) he just chuckled and told me to enjoy myself, believe me I did.

The next day I gratefully accepted a lift back to Leeds with Simon, I would have been hitching otherwise, he dropped me off at the train station and I hid in the toilets all the way to Newcastle, I then had to walk home (all fourteen miles) as I had the grand total of 60p in my pocket, fully recovered I returned to work on the Friday (just in time for the weekends overtime) I bumped into the ex-wife as she had been trying desperately trying to get in touch she needed some papers signed and she enquired where I had been, well I simply explained that I had been enjoying myself on the “shove it” tour LOL that was the most jealous look I ever received from her, one nil to me.

We still bump into each other about once every 8 years and I’m always civil and I’m always polite, life’s too short, besides I saw Roger Taylor more times than she did, there you go I hope you enjoyed it, I did a lot at the time, but not so much in the writing of it as Gerry Stickells died earlier in the year a truly nice man he didn’t have to get me into the Norwich gig but he did that’s the sign of a true gent, enjoy and watch the skies for more incoming ……until then…………Toodles!

The Hounds of Love

I know I know, I took a small holiday from writing the blog, for no other reason than, well I could, what are you lot going to do sue me? yeah probably some of you would LOL!

I wasn’t happy after the last blog as it festered away, it finally did good numbers, but it wasn’t the runaway success that some of the blogs had been, so I thought sod it, have a break, I didn’t get no Kit Kat though…. bugger! I was confused as it did barely double figures in the first three days I really thought I had written a crap blog, but they picked up it simply took longer than normal, me obsess over reader numbers……never!

So what did I do, I have been asked by you lot, do you want the truth, well I worked then worked some more and played lots of music whilst working just a bit more, I’m sure that you get the picture, the longer it went the harder it was to put pen to paper, I mean I  did, but nothing that floated my boat, and I certainly didn’t want to write a bucket load of angst and depression, not that I was feeling either of those things, I just wasn’t in a writing mood , go figure! Some of you (as always) got your knickers in a bunch, thinking that there was something seriously the matter there wasn’t I think I’m simply getting ready to finish the blog (at number 500 as previously stated) and although in a strange way I did miss the writing, it was nowhere near traumatic as I assumed its going to be!

So, what brought me out of my funk, if you could even call it that, well I have no idea other than the dam was breached and a shed load of ideas floated to the top, I was finally fiscally sound (for all of 48  hours) I treated the wife to a nice if not exactly exciting meal on Friday and it was lovely doing things that other people seem to do, we had a wander, spent some time and some money on ourselves ……which was nice! I bought some books and a set of headphones, I know me with my reputation, We had a late night mercy dash to complete late at night(did I say it was late, yes  it was, it was late) because a of public transport fubar, but in the grand scheme it all went to plan well as much as it can with our family…….so late at night!

Yesterday was more of the same, except we had a kraken who was unable to close her back door, please don’t ask and for those of you out there with a filthy mind no it wasn’t a euphuism, we have a cunning plan which we needed to source some materials, we set off to do that, it just gave us more cunning plans we are an awkward bunch,  but we then continued on our merry way and ended up enjoying a lovely lunch (a salad I kid you not) and then a bit more shopping (another set of headphones …..don’t ask) we ended up home later than anticipated, then we set off to pick up our youngest (what does she think we are a bloody taxi……..actually she doesn’t I just felt like whining like the old man that I am) and then head off to see friends in South Shields, that’s when the dam broke lots of fun and chat and the creative juices were flowing, the dogs were as loving as dogs can be, and a great night was had , it was all cut too way damn short thanks to the clocks going forward and everybody but me going off to work (hahahahahaha I don’t have to). Although I have my own list of chores to complete as long as my arm (so maybe not as long as I am making out!

As a last treat as we headed home I took the executive decision to call in and get a Chinese takeaway, and as I entered through the door of my local, I was met with what I thought was the third world war going off in the kitchen area ( I don’t speak Chinese) a brief moment of silence followed by a huge outburst of laughter, WTF!  It was then that they realized that I was stood at the counter waiting to place my order, one of the daughters came through and as a way of explanation she said something in Chinese, my obviously blank expression made her repeat what she said with a small bit added on in English “sorry he is Chinese Billy Connolly” erm ok!

Once we were home, I snaffled off other people plates as they never eat a full meal and I would have been bloated if I had eaten all of a main meal for myself, honest I was being good, we all ended up doing our own thing the daughter off to bed the, wife colouring her stress away (have you met me!) me watching / snoozing through a Jason Statham film, go figure.

So that should be everybody caught up, that’s what I did on my vacation, as for the blogging, my nose shall be back to the grindstone in writing mode as soon as the numbers for this one dies down,  yes I still have a few ideas to work through, my work ethic has simply been (in a blog sense) nonexistent, it’s time to get my big boy pants on and man up and get writing.

As always thank you for the messages of concern from the more caring of my readers, there was nothing at all to worry about, I simply took a side street on my blogging journey/ life, I did some family stuff and as I said before I did some work, all In all its all good in my garden (not that I have one, I hate gardening) after posting this and obsessing over numbers (well until they hit triple digits) I have some house hold chores to carry out and then a steak and kidney pudding to devour, however that’s a tale for another blog!

The name game is in play and although a strange one for me it is a song I like, watch for the skies for further incoming and as always, many thanks for helping to spread the disease/ blog at least that’s how I think that the blog does so well, because I certainly don’t have a bloody clue who reads the bloody thing until the next time……………Toodles!