We set off early and went on a family shopping expedition to Gunwharf in Portsmouth today with the sky looking beautiful from the ferry terminal.


We were expecting it to be really busy and were surprised to find it wasn't! After the fun we've had playing Guitar Hero on Laura's DS LIte Gareth bought the full scale version for his XBox360, so although we were sad to leave, we were looking forward to getting home too!
We played it as soon as we got in and had lots of laughs when I noticed my shadow on the lounge wall, dancing like those models in the Robert Palmer "Addicted To Love" video!
 In the evening we went to see 'Australia' starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman.


A real epic of a film that was stunning to watch. Recommended!

27.12.08

Unfortunately (!) Laura had to go into work tonight, leaving her DS Lite with Guitar Hero on it! Gareth and I fought over it all night!


Whilst Issy slept through the lot!

 

26.12.08

We're spending Christmas with Gareth's parents and his sister Laura, and of course Issy! She managed to sleep through us opening our presents so everything stayed un-chewed!


I got so many great gifts so a big thank you to everyone!!
Also had the great news that my niece Jo has got engaged today to her partner Chris. Congratulations to them!!
We had a fabulous Christmas dinner and then settled down to play with the dog, watch TV and bother Laura to play Guitar Hero on her new DS Lite!

25.12.08

I'm on holiday from work today and it says a lot that I decided to watch a dvd whilst Gareth was at work, but ended up calling him to tell me how to use both the TV and the DVD player! Believe me, it was so complicated I would never have managed by myself! Maybe I should just stick to listening to the wireless!

22.12.08

We drove to Colchester today for the traditional family get together. What we didn't know was that the Westie puppy Gareth's Mum was having for Christmas, Issy, had been delivered early and had come along with them!


Much excitement followed! Good job she needs lots of sleep


so we got to catch up with all the family too!

21.12.08

We travelled up to London today to see a play, a concert and a little last minute Christmas shopping too!
 So first stop was the Duke Of York's Theatre to see "No Man's Land", a play by Harold Pinter starring Michael Gambon, David Walliams, David Bradley and Nick Dunning.


 It was beautifully acted but I must admit I did not have a clue what was supposed to be happening!
After our traditional visit to Pizza Express we set off for Camden where we were seeing 'Adele' at The Roundhouse. I won't regale you with the story of the oldest, most bitter cloakroom woman I have ever had the misfortune to have to argue with, but that aside we soon found a place to sit and wait for 'Adele' to take to the stage. As we waited, someone else came and sat on the floor next to me. Julian Clary! I shook his hand and said it was a pleasure to meet him, then I hesitated and said I was unsure whether to say the next line as it was such a double entendre. He encouraged me to continue, so I said "you have given me a lot of pleasure!" which made him laugh and he replied "that is perfectly acceptable!". A very nice man!
Soon the brilliant 'Adele' took to the stage and she played a great gig,


 with her usual laughing and waving between songs! Her band were all wearing Santa hats and her sound crew were all dressed as elves!


This is the last gig I'll attend in 2008 and it was a great one to end on!

20.12.08

We went to see the film 'Twilight' tonight.


I so hoped that it would live up to all the hype, but for me it wasn't that impressive. It definitely felt like a film aimed at a specific audience, part of which I don't fit!

19.12.08

Gareth and I met 5 years ago today!
I knew from the moment I met him that he was "the one" and luckily he felt the same! I fell in love with him instantly and still feel exactly the same today!

18.12.08

I drove down to Bournemouth tonight to see 'Stereophonics' at the International Centre. They were as excellent as always but there were moments when they were getting the crowd to sing and clap along which seemed quite unnecessary and made them seem like any other arena playing band.




That moan aside, it was otherwise a really great gig!

17.12.08

I travelled up to London earlier than usual tonight as I really wanted to see 'Athlete' supporting 'James' at the Brixton Academy. I got there so early in fact that the venue was almost empty. Considering it's always full every time I've been before I couldn't help myself and had a a run from one side to the other! I really didn't care that the few people in there, including the staff we all watching me like I'd lost the plot, 'cos it was fab!!
Soon enough it was time for 'Athlete' and they were brilliant, well worth the early arrival!


It helped that being there early meant I was actually right at the front for once too! 'James' were excellent as always and the crowd loved every second!




A really fab night!

16.12.08

We went to see a preview showing of "The Day The Earth Stood Still" tonight. I've never rated Keanu Reeves as an "actor" a I think he is one dimensional to the point of being wooden so I really needed to be impressed from the start.


Gareth really enjoyed the film and disagrees with my point that it was some tired special effects linked together with some pointless dialogue!

10.12.08

There will be a new addition in the family in January.


 A little Westie called 'Issy' was born last month and as soon as she is ready she'll be moving in with Gareth's Mum & Dad. To say we're excited would be a HUGE understatement!

07.12.08

Despite feeling a little under the weather I drove to Bournemouth tonight to see the 'Steel City Tour'. It's a triple headlined gig by Sheffield bands 'Heaven 17', 'ABC' and 'The Human League'. When I booked the ticket months ago I opted for a front row balcony seat to was grateful that I could sit down as the aches and pains started to worsen.
First band on were 'Heaven 17'


who played new stuff as well as old classics including "Come Live With Me", "Let Me Go" and "Temptation".
Next on were 'ABC' who played songs from their long career,


but getting the best reaction for their singles from "The Lexicon Of Love" album, "Poison Arrow", "The Look Of Love" and "Tears Are Not Enough".
The final act on the bill were 'The Human League' who had a really stunning lighting throughout their set,


which included "Open Your Heart", "The Sound Of The Crowd" and of course,


 "Don't You Want Me". It was a real 80's night which explained why for once I wasn't anywhere near the oldest person at a gig!

06.12.08

A day off work for both Gareth and I so a welcome sleep in before getting the train to London. We were greeted with clear skies which meant it was very cold


 as we did a bit of shopping, saw the Christmas lights




 and yet another visit to Pizza Express (the gym is calling!). Then it was over to the Lyric Theatre to see Eddie Izzard perform his latest show, "Stripped".


He was hilariously surreal as always, switching between coughing giraffes, jazz chickens and God deciding what colour to paint the moon! Genius.

01.12.08

Suffice to say I woke up with a ringing in my ears!
We had an early start to make our way up to London. First stop was the BFI IMAX cinema near Waterloo Station where they have the largest screen in the UK. We watched 'Madagascar 2'


which looked amazing and was great fun, especially the penguins!
After our traditional visit to Pizza Express we went to the Hammersmith Apollo to see 'Pam Ann'.


To suggest she has a gay fanbase would be a huge understatement. The place was like 'Gaydar' come to life! She was absolutely hilarious and as outrageous as always. She commented that she now has so many gay friends that she sometimes forgets when in straight company and uses words that send them straight to Google rather than ever ask her to explain what she'd just said. A great evening!

29.11.08

I drove to Portsmouth tonight to see a gig by the band 'Pendulum'. I think the text message that I sent to Gareth best sums up what it was like....
"This is THE loudest gig I've been to in ages. It's so mental in here it's borderline dangerous. It's like a riot with a soundtrack!"


It was absolutely amazing with a light show perfectly suited to the music


 and a crowd who were literally throwing themselves around. It's been a very long time since I've seen a band that can generate that amount of passion in an audience. Amazing gig.

28.11.08

We went to see the film 'Four Christmases' tonight with our friend Kevin.


In my opinion it really didn't meet up to the hype that surrounds it and apart from one very laugh out loud moment the film was a real disappointment.

27.11.08

We went to see the Clint Eastwood directed film 'Changeling' tonight, starring Angelina Jolie.


There's no denying it is a really great film, though it did take a long time to get going and because of that felt very long. However, Angelina Jolie shone in the lead role and I believe she is guaranteed an Oscar nomination.

26.11.08

This evening I took a pen and some paper onto the train with me to write up some notes to transfer onto this blog. Why is it that when you sit in the 'Quiet Zone' there is always someone who is incapable of holding a quiet conversation? And why is it that these "loud" types are always the most irritating?!  The girl was describing Brighton to her male friend and managed to say "awesome" about four times, "transient", "by the ocean" (it was the English Channel when I last went there so it's obviously been upgraded!) and that Brighton was "quite gay". Her male companion then went on to describe a friend of his by saying she bought expensive shoes and drank Earl Grey tea. The girl honestly said the following in response, "oh she sounds amazing, really intelligent". I was so grateful I had a pen to immortalise those words of wisdom!

I've always had a really bad memory. I don't keep the 'Gigs' list on here like a trophy, it's because it's the best way I know to keep track of who I've seen and when. Unfortunately for me my memory allows me to forget the quality of venues. As I walked into the Shepherds Bush Empire in London tonight, the memories came flooding back. What a shit hole it really is. I made my way to the front in time to see 'Jesus Jones' play their support slot.


 Lead singer Mike Edwards was clearly having a really great time and I got to hear "Right Here, Right Now" which made it worthwhile for me!
When they finished I thought it would be a good time to make use of the toilet facilities. I was wrong. When I finally made my way through the crush of the crowd I had to join a queue just to get to the toilet. After about 5 minutes I finally made my way into the tiny toilet where urinals were overflowing and the floor was flooded with the consequences. To make matters even worse I then had to queue to get out again and this actually took longer than getting in. Then it was back through the crush, trying to avoid wearing other peoples drinks and failing miserably. I finally found a little space to squeeze into to watch a band I last saw play live 20 years ago, 'The Wonderstuff', older, less hair and tragically a few members less due to two untimely deaths. They are doing a 20th Anniversary concert to commemorate the release of their debut album, "The Eight Legged Groove Machine" which was played in its entirety tonight alongside various later hits.


 Miles Hunt was smiling so hard I bet his face aches tomorrow, as the crowd sang along to every track.

31.10.08

I went to Southampton tonight to meet up with my good friend Richard and go to see 'Goldfrapp'. The gig clearly wasn't sold out as I'd never seen so few people in there, maybe three quarters full, which was a shame


 as the band were amazing, the sound was crystal clear and they played a great set including "A&E", "Number 1" and "Strict Machine". Brilliant gig!

29.10.08

I went to see the film Ghost Town with my mate Kevin tonight.


I'd been unsure about this film when I saw the trailer but I absolutely loved it and would recommend it to all. I even cried at one point which came as a surprise!
When the film was over I turned my mobile phone back on to see a message from Gareth saying it was snowing where he was. I thought he must be joking but as Kevin and I left the cinema we walked into a blizzard and were both covered in snow by the time we got back to the flat.

 

28.10.08

We finally got someone in to put up our curtain rails today. I had thought about attempting it myself, but knew deep down that I'd probably make a complete mess of it, so thought it was much safer to get someone in to sort it. We can now throw out the cardboard we've be leaning against the windows at night for privacy!

27.10.08

Back up to London, this time to Koko in Camden to see 'Keane' play as gig as part of the BBC Electric Proms. Most bands try to do something special as part of this season and Keane didn't disappoint.


Saxophones, a string section and a choir were all brought on to the crowds delight.


And the fact that the band took to the stage at 8:30pm meant it was all over before 10pm and I was on the 10:20pm train home. Result!

23.10.08

I've loved the band 'Puressence' since I first saw them play as a support band back in 1995. Tonight they played a rare gig outside the north at the legendary 100 Club in London's Oxford Street, so I had to be there as it's such an intimate venue.


They were superb as always, despite terrible lighting which made it seem like they were playing in the dark. They treated the crowd to all their best tracks including one of my all time favourite songs, "All I Want". Superb.

22.10.08

I went to Bournemouth tonight to see 'Oasis'. Over the years I've seen them mature onstage from yobs taunting the audience to gentlemen who respect it's the audience who got them there.


It's just a shame that the audience haven't matured at the same rate. Throwing drinks was pointless and moronic in the '90's so why it still has to happen is beyond me.


The band were on great form though it was interesting to see that everyone adored the classic songs but headed to the bar when they played tracks from the new album!

20.10.08

It was great waking up in a luxury hotel room. The rush of yesterday had taken its toll on Gareth's cold so I left him sleeping whilst I popped around the corner to the National Portrait Gallery to see the 'Annie Liebowitz-A Photographer's Life, 1990-2005' exhibition. I've always loved her work (darling!) and it was great to see her recent portraits of the Queen.
Back to the hotel to check out before popping into the Odeon Cinema, that'll be the world famous one, to point out that they had spelt 'Mamma Mia' incorrectly on their advertising board outside!


Our afternoon surprise was to see Kenneth Branagh play 'Ivanov' in the Chekov play at the Wyndham Theatre.


The acting was excellent but I think we're best suited to less clever productions as I think we were both a bit lost!
We got the train home and finished the birthday weekend with a visit to the cinema to see 'The Rocker'.


Despite being a bit predictable it was great fun!

19.10.08

Happy Birthday Gareth!
In order to celebrate in style I organised a few surprises, the first being a stay at the 5 Star Radisson hotel in Leicester Square in London. The view from our room took in the world famous Odeon Cinema

and meant we were just a few minutes walk from the second surprise, tickets to see French & Saunders


 at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane.


It's billed as their 'Final Farewell' so the show was a look back at their best bits over the years. I felt it relied a bit too much on video sequences but the final scene with the two fat men made it all worth it. Absolutely hilarious!
Next it was a birthday meal at Pizza Express (of course!) and back to the hotel to freshen up before heading off for surprise number 3.


We went to see 'Avenue Q' at the Noel Coward Theatre. It's the show that includes a lot of muppet-like puppets and it was hilarious. I really didn't expect it to be quite so rude! Songs such as "If You Were Gay", "Everyone's A Little Bit Racist" and "Internet Is For Porn" kept us laughing throughout!

18.10.08

I've recently found a new route to drive to work, one that takes me through miles of beautiful countryside. I get to see many breathtaking sights, but that sometimes has it's disadvantages too. As I drove to work this morning I suddenly saw cars coming in the opposite direction brake sharply. It was to avoid a large deer that was running in the road. To avoid those cars it turned in my direction and started running directly towards my car, a look of sheer terror in its eyes. That look was instantly mirrored in my own as I too braked and held my breath, just as the deer narrowly missed my car and ran off in the road behind me. I wonder whose heart was beating the fastest.

We met up with our mate Kevin tonight to see the film 'Burn After Reading'


It had its moments but was a little too odd for my tastes. Brad Pitt was great though!

17.10.08

I went to see the 'Kaiser Chiefs' tonight at the Guildhall in Southampton


They were on form, as always, and the crowd were loving every second of it.




A great gig!

15.10.08

We went to see the film 'The House Bunny' tonight.

This is definitely what I consider to be a 'Gareth film' so I was really surprised at just how much I enjoyed it! A great film!

10.10.08

I ventured up to Camden in London tonight to the brilliant venue that is The Roundhouse. I was seeing 'OMD' and for this gig they had 'China Crisis' as support so it was a night of nostalgia.


I was never a huge fan of 'China Crisis' but I was surprised at just how many songs I recognised and they did play the one song that I both own and adore, "Wishful Thinking".
'OMD' were superb as always, playing all their hits


to a crowd of 40-somethings who loved every second, myself included!

 

07.10.08

I drove up to Oxford tonight to see a new band called 'White Lies' play at the Academy.


I went to see them on the strength of a free MP3 I downloaded by them called "Death".


I wasn't disappointed as they were absolutely amazing! Very Joy Division-esque.


Remember their name, 'White Lies'. They are destined for greatness.

06.10.08

I travelled down to Portsmouth tonight to see 'Travis' play at the Pyramid Centre. They were excellent as always and the crowd particularly enjoyed all the hits. They even managed a cover of the Katy Perry song "I Kissed A Girl"! As well as their acoustic version of "Flowers In The Window" where all the band


gather around a microphone and just belt it out. Classic!

04.10.08