Summer of Rock

Between May and August 2010 I will be attending 3 festivals (Download, Leeds and Bilbao BBK Live - now renamed "Hobbitfest") and a number of gigs. At these places I will be seeing most, if not all, of the following bands:

Last Updated 29/04/10*

AC/DC
Pearl Jam
Aerosmith
Rage Against the Machine
Guns 'n' Roses
Faith No More
Bon Jovi
Pixies
Queens of the Stone Age
Manic Street Preachers
Them Crooked Vultures
Billy Idol
Slash
Motorhead
Jet
Rammstein
Slayer
Hole
Lostprophets
Billy Talent
Megadeth
Gogol Bordello (3 times)
Airbourne
Wolfmother
Coheed and Cambria (possibly twice)
Rise Against
Paul Weller
Alice in Chains
Dropkick Murphys
Biffy Clyro
The Futureheads (probably)
Lightspeed Champion (possibly)
NOFX
Deftones
Steel Panther
Ratt
Bullet for my Valentine
The Black Keys

And a whole lot more.

Impressive, no? I'm so freaking excited about this summer.




*Yes, I actually have to update this post as more and more awesomeness keeps getting added to this summer. Any more and my head might just explode.

A More Convenient Truth.

It's snowing in Salford again. At first it was a novelty, it was exciting - as snowfalls have been on all their infrequent occurrences in the past. But now it's getting a bit much. Just about everyone I know is bored of the snow now, and the forecast for more is met with despairing groans. The ridiculous weather has made this winter worse than any before it, and summer can not come too soon.

And it's not just here. I spent the last week in Spain, where they've had more rain and colder temperatures in the past two months than in many people's lifetimes. Washington DC is buried somewhere beneath an iceburg. And the Pope's left shivering in his dress as Rome is covered with fresh Italian snow.

Clearly there is no denying it. Climate Change is affecting us. Hugely.

And what's causing it? What has changed in recent times that has influenced the world in such a way that we've all been freezing for three months? Well it's quite obvious really. The cause of everyones discomfort comes from the number of people trying to save energy and reduce their carbon footprint.

The evidence is all there. People turn off their electrics, use energy saving lightbulbs and listen to Al Gore and suddenly we're all stuck with a crappy winter that doesn't appear to be ending any time soon.

So I leave you with this message: Turn your televisions back on. Light up your LEDs. Buy some proper lightbulbs. And together, maybe we can put an end to climate change.

You have the power. Use it. A lot.

Graphs don't lie*.

*Graph not based on any factual evidence.

4am. (Or: Why I don't often write poetry)

Fake light illuminates a metal roof,
Windows are mirrors now.
The sounds are peaceful,
And the silence is full of noise.

Creatures chase after their shadows,
Trees become ghosts.
The darkness seems clearer,
Than the dismal light of day.

Bottles tell tales of the night's depravity
As they roll under my feet.
Now there is no-one,
Only their debris left behind.

Fake light shows the fake world.
The street is orange,
Even the clouds have changed.
The night should not be like this.

Stroh

Burning death in a bottle.