We went to see 'Night At The Museum 2' tonight.


We wish we hadn't.

20.05.09

I watched Last Chance Harvey today.


The chemistry between Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson really makes this film a joy to watch. Recommended!!

18.05.09

Can it really be a year since Gareth and I had our Civil Partnership ceremony?It seems like yesterday that we had the best day of our lives!

Ironically we travelled back to Cardiff today but unfortunately it was to visit my father in hospital. He has become so frail as his cancer has progressed and it gets more upsetting every time I see him. Today he seemed in good spirits and told a few war stories as well as talking about his parents and the woman who helped bring him up. However when we had time alone he told me that he had had enough of his illness and just wanted it all over. I tried my best to stay optimistic but seeing him looking so thin and frail makes that almost impossible. I turned to look at him as we left the ward and he looked so old and lost in his memories as sat on his bed. I cried all the way out of the hospital.

17.05.09

The day has come when we leave Canada. We have had such a brilliant time and we are really grateful to the whole family, especially John and Sue, for making sure we've seen everything and been well looked after. I got quite tearful at the airport when it came to say our goodbyes.
Once we'd gone through security we strolled around the airport shops and saw that one of them sold 'Cadbury Creme Eggs'. Yay! I was thrilled to see that they are also labelled 'Cadbury Oeuf-Fondant' too!
I wasn't really looking forward to the flight as we weren't flying direct to Gatwick, but going via Manchester, making the flight an hour longer. However the three films 'Milk', 'Madagascar 2' and 'Confessions Of A Shopaholic' kept me from getting too bored.

08.05.09

Happy 85th Birthday to my Dad!
We went out for lunch with John and Sue, meeting up with Rhiannon and Brian's wife Nora. Somehow as the meal was being served one of the staff managed to drop mustard all down Gareth's back. They couldn't apologise enough, and it was at that point that Canadian politeness started to wear, though we did all get free desserts!
Afterwards we stopped off at Nora's flat and met another family pet, Lola!


When we got back to John and Sue's house the Bluejay had returned for some food in the feeder just outside their kitchen window.


It was soon followed by the four deer.




When we were at the supermarket earlier in the week Gareth was delighted to find coloured wafer biscuits and when Rhiannon came over she was happy to help him eat them!


Later in the evening the valley beyond my brothers land started to fill with mist which was quite a beautiful sight which this picture really doesn't do justice.

 

07.05.09

Gareth and I went supermarket shopping with Sue again today. We loved it again too! We were choosing meat for a barbeque at the house tonight but still managed to spend some time at the candy section too. I expect the shop has never seen such a demand for Smarties!
It was a reall family affair at the barbeque as we were joined by my brother Brian and his son Glyn and my niece Bethan and her fiancé Jason. And not forgetting their dog Porsche!






Obviously our regular deer visitors had been spreading the word as another two turned up tonight!

 

06.05.09

Happy Birthday to my sister Glenys!
John and Sue took us to Drumheller today which is about one and a half hours north east of Calgary. We went to visit the Royal Tyrrell Museum which is dedicated to the science of palaeontology, or in laymans terms, it's full of dinosaur remains!






We had a great time wandering amongst the skeletons, footprints and fossilised poo!
After a great lunch at a pizza place in Drumheller itself we drove back to Calgary as an amazing lightning storm circled around us. The sky got really dark at times and as the landscape is so flat is was really spectacular as the fork lightning and thunder began!
Safely back in Calgary we all met up with Rhiannon at a restaurant.






 We had a great meal and it has to be said that Alberta beef steak is superb!

05.05.09

Another sunny morning and lots of birds to photograph through the kitchen window as I ate my breakfast.


We went shopping with Sue and after a stroll around a shopping mall we went to get some food in the Safeway supermarket. It was huge and we loved walking the aisles there, especially the candy section!
When we got back to the house the squirrels had returned to the garden so after last nights success in getting close to the wildlife I decided to try to photograph them up close.






As I walked around the garden some geese landed noisily nearby too.


Later on the deer returned for a meal


and as it got dark the bird feeder was visited by a strange visitor.

 

04.05.09

My nieces Bethan and Rhiannon kindly took Gareth and I into the Rocky Mountains today. After a brief stop at Bragg Creek to get gas and some coffee we set off for the Kananaskis Country Golf Course where the views are breathtaking.





 
We also noticed a beautiful frozen lake nearby.




Our next destination was Banff, a resort town with the highest elevation in Canada as it's over 5000 feet above sea level.




After a walk around the shops and a relaxing meal we went to see Bow Falls and the Bow River.








As we walked along the banks I was thrilled to see my first gopher too!


Our next stop was the stunning Lake Louise






A huge thank you to Bethan and Rhiannon for a great day out and an even bigger thank you to Rhiannon for driving us everywhere!
When we got back to Jon and Sue's the deer had returned for their evening feed so I went outside to refill the buckets with food. They watched


 until I moved away and then came closer to feed while I sat on the decking and watched them up close. Beautiful.

03.05.09

We woke up to another beautiful day and were observed by the squirrel as we ate our breakfast.


Then we went for a walk with John and Sue around the lake near their house.


The swings were too much of a temptation for a photo opportunity!




As the snow was beginning to clear we finished the morning by taking a tour of John and Sue's land


and in this picture you can just see their house back amongst the trees.
In the afternoon we took a drive out and got some great views of the Rocky Mountains in the distance




before arriving at the beautiful Elbow Falls.





 

02.05.09

We woke up to a beautiful morning and ate breakfast watching the incredible wildlife outside the kitchen window.




A trip downtown got us to the Calgary Tower.


It is 627 feet tall with an observation deck at 525 feet which includes an area
 of glass floor added to the perimeter. Bethan just walked straight onto it


 so I was determined to stand on it but it took quite a few attempts


and definitely no looking down, though I did point the camera that way without looking!


 Bethan had to take this picture for me though.


The views from the Tower are breathtaking as you can see for miles.










Next we went for a walk around the shopping area before going for a delicious lunch. I couldn't believe just how polite everyone was and great service too!
Then it was back to John and Sue's where we were soon joined by another deer just outside the patio door!


And then a Bluejay came along to entertain us too!


In the evening we went to an Indian restaurant for a family meal. We met up with my brother Brian and his two sons Glyn and Dylan, and we were then joined by Brian's wife Nora as well as my niece Bethan and her fiancé Jason. We all had a great meal and then headed over to Brian's house for a few more beers. Gareth and I travelled there with Brian and his sons in his huge truck. Now I know why they need such wide roads in Canada!

01.05.09

An early start in order to get to Gatwick Airport for our trip to Canada. We had time to register for the 'Iris Recognition Immigration System' now offered at the main UK airports. A photograph is taken of your eye and when you return to the UK you can stand in front of a special reader machine instead of presenting to passport control (and the queues that usually entails) so I look forward to trying it out on our return.
It wasn't the best time to learn that my Dad is back in hospital yet again due to a further complications with his cancers. Luckily my sister Julie arrives in the UK later today so at least she can ensure he's ok and keep us all updated.
After a massive breakfast we set off to the boarding gate and were soon on the plane. The flight path took us over London and we just got a glimpse of Wembley Stadium


 through the cloud.
I may have mentioned before that I love watching films on planes but tend to get even more emotional for some reason. I've seen 'Ghost Town' twice already and cried both times, so I prepared a tissue in readiness and I so needed it! Whilst I watched it, Gareth watched 'High School Musical 3' and loved it so when it came on the in-seat monitors again I thought I'd give it a go. The fact that Gareth had loved it should have been enough to alert me that this film was as awful as I'd expected. At least I had the distraction of the beauty of the snowy expanse of Greenland.


 Eventually this changed to the ice flows in the Davis Strait,


then over the coast of Canada.


At this point I decided to inspect the 'facilities' on the plane and was amused to note the ashtray fitted into the inside of the door, just below the 'No Smoking' sign and smoke detector!
The next film was 'Burn After Reading' which I enjoyed a lot more than when I first saw it. As the journey continued across Northern Canada we just saw more and more snow


 but after 7 hours in the air we finally saw some signs of civilisation.


As we got nearer Calgary I was absolutely amazed at just how flat the landscape was. I had always imagined that Canada would be tree covered mountains so to see miles of flat plains


came as a surprise. As the plane turned to make its descent into Calgary airport I got my first glimpse of Calgary itself.


We finally arrived and I was VERY nervous about going through passport control. As we queued I could see all the officers in their booths and one of them looked positively evil, so you can guess which one I ended up handing my passport to. She had a right strop about how I placed it on the desk so not a good start. Then she asked why I was visiting Canada so I said it was to celebrate my brother's 60th birthday. She almost screamed "how come you have a brother THAT old?" to which I quickly added, "well I have a sister who is even older!". She came back with "why is there such an age gap?" so I just said that I was mistake No.2 and I'd have thought they would have learnt after mistake No.1! Without warning she smiled, which I have to say was even scarier than her glare but she let us pass through. Phew!
 Next hurdle was getting our luggage through customs. The advice we'd been given by the staff on the plane was just walk straight through "Nothing To Declare", despite having a huge jar of pickled cabbage in my luggage (for my brother and sister-in-law honest.. they asked for it!) and Gareth having a huge tub of Marmite in his (for my niece Bethan). As the sniffer dogs were brought out to sniff all the cases coming off the luggage carousel I prayed that the pickled cabbage jar was still intact and breathed a sigh of relief as they passed it by. Next came the walk thought customs. The officer stood there was what I would describe as "built like a brick sh*thouse" and he took a breath in as I walked by, but only to say "Welcome to Canada". I hope he didn't notice the trail of sweat behind me!
My sister-in-law Sue and my niece Bethan met us at the airport and then drove us through Calgary. Everything looked supersized. The cars, the highways, the shops. We stopped by to see my niece Rhiannon at her great flat and got to see her 'interesting' collection of teas!
Next stop was to Sue and my brother Johns beautiful house which backs onto a First Nation reserve so has views of miles of countryside. Sue needed to get a few things from a local shop so drove out to Bragg Creek and on the way it began to snow. Have I mentioned I don't 'do' snow? As Bethan, Gareth and I walked around the shopping area we were getting covered in the stuff so it was quickly back to the house to recover from my ordeal! Soon my brother John returned from work and it was great to see him to wish him a belated 60th birthday! We watched through the window as it continued to snow


and then were absolutely amazed when two wild deer just walked into the garden.




Apparently this is an regular occurrence!
Quite a few glasses of wine were drunk that night until Gareth and I realised that we'd been awake for 23 hours and took ourselves off to bed.

30.04.09

I drove to Portsmouth tonight to see the recently reformed 'Ultravox' play the final gig of their comeback tour at the Guildhall.


For once I didn't feel old at a gig, and when the band came on I felt even younger!


They played all their biggest hits including "Reap The Wild Wind", "Visions In Blue", "Hymn", "Dancing With Tears In My Eyes" and of course "Vienna" and got a great reaction from the crowd with every song. A really great gig.

30.04.09

Gareth and I had an early start today as we drove to Cardiff in order to take my Dad to the hospital to get the results of all the tests he's had recently. The news wasn't good as his prostate cancer has spread to his liver and they also suspect lung cancer too. It was felt that chemotherapy was too aggressive an option as Dad is so frail now.
When we got him home I wasn't sure how much he'd taken in when we'd met with the doctor, so whilst Gareth took Dad's partner Pam shopping I explained the diagnosis in a much more straightforward way. Or I tried. How do you tell your own father that there is really no hope and that he must prepare himself for the worst? The fact that I wept as I explained it all was probably the clearest indication that things were looking bleak. We sat in silence for a very long time afterwards.

27.04.09

We travelled to London today and started with a bit of shopping. Then we went to see 'Madame De Sade' starring


Dame Judi Dench and Frances Barber. The prospect of a play originally written in Japanese set between 1772 and 1790 that has been absolutely mauled by the critics wasn't too much of a draw but I absolutely loved it. The costumes were gorgeous and the acting was incredible.

28 years after their first studio album went to No.10 in the UK album chart Depeche Mode's 12th album "Sounds Of The Universe"


entered the chart tonight at No.2. Not bad!

26.04.09

Gareth took me London today for my birthday surprises!


We started off with a bit of sightseeing including The Mall


before we walked across Green Park and did a bit of shopping in the West End, despite part of Oxford Street being evacuated due to a gas leak!


Then it was off to my first surprise of the day. We recently went to see Graham Norton in the musical 'La Cage Aux Folles' and I loved it so much that I'd said that I wanted to see it again. So Gareth got us tickets for the matinee!


It was just as brilliant the second time as the first and I noticed so much more. Thank you Gareth!
After our traditional meal at Pizza Express it as off to my second surprise. Gareth had got us tickets to see Jason Donovan in the musical 'Priscilla Queen Of The Desert'


 It was absolutely brilliant, with an amazing stage set and a great soundtrack too. Just superb. Thank you again Gareth! If I go to work tomorrow doing high kicks and calling everybody "darling" you'll know why!

23.04.09

Happy Birthday to me! 42 today!


To soften the blow Gareth got me the deluxe box set version of the new Depeche Mode album "Sounds Of The Universe". It was delivered to my office where the above picture was taken. It is utterly gorgeous and includes books, cd's a dvd. A thing of immense beauty. A big thank you to Gareth for such a great gift.
And another big thank you to my great nephew and niece Louie and Ella for their birthday picture too!


In the evening Gareth needed a nap so went to bed for an hour. Unfortunately the mixture of Gareth snoring and a camera nearby was just too much of a temptation...

21.04.09

We travelled to Bath today, but for once we decided to take advantage of the fact we live opposite a railway station so we travelled by train. We did a bit of shopping, but nowhere near as much as I used to do in Bath as it seems to have changed in recent years, less unique little shops, more standard high street chains.
We were in Bath to see Othello at the Theatre Royal.


The lead role was played by Lenny Henry who was excellent and I really enjoyed the play.

18.04.09

We went to see the film 'I Love You Man' tonight.


It was nothing like I expected, especially as the poster says "he needed a best man... he got the worst" which is definitely a misrepresentation of the film. I really enjoyed it. 

15.04.09

I drove to Cardiff today as my Dad has been in hospital this week with breathing issues, which eventually resulted in one of his lungs being drained. This in turn was more complicated than originally thought and a LOT of fluid and blood was drained off. I got to the hospital expecting him to be kept in over Easter only to find him dressed and waiting to leave as it had been decided to discharge him. I spoke with a doctor who inferred that lung cancer was suspected and he asked about exposure to asbestos etc. Not the best news.
I drove Dad home from the hospital. He is now quite frail so I helped him get in the car and made sure he was sat comfortably. My Dad has always been healthy fit and strong, even into his 80's so it felt odd to be assisting him in this way. I'm sure it's something experienced by many people when their parent(s) get older but that didn't make me feel any better.

09.04.09

I travelled up to London tonight to see 'ABC' play a unique gig at the Royal Albert Hall. They were playing with the BBC Concert Orchestra.
The first half of the gig was a run through of their hits,




but it was the second half that people had come to see.
Lead singer Martin Fry changed into his gold suit and they played their classic 1982 album "The Lexicon Of Love" from start to finish with full orchestral accompaniment.


 The album was produced by Trevor Horn who introduced the second half of the gig. It was great to hear hits "Poison Arrow", "Tears Are Not Enough", "All Of My Heart" and "The Look Of Love" with live strings and brass. A really special night.

08.04.09

We went for dinner tonight at our friends Mark & Mark. Superb cooking as always and after we'd eaten we spent most of the evening competing on 'Guitar Hero'. I feel somebody has been spending far too much time practicing!

07.04.09

I've said on this blog before that my mate Mark sure knows how to shop and today his influence definitely led me astray! It's just a short walk to the shopping centre from here, and what started as an excuse for us to window shop and get a coffee soon became 8 t-shirts, 2 long sleeve tops, 1 pullover and one designer shoulder bag! And considerably less in the bank! And that doesn't include what Mark bought either!

After seeing Mark safely on his way back to Cardiff I set off for Portsmouth. I went to see 'Starsailor' at the Pyramid Centre. They are touring to support their new album "All The Plans".


I've seen them many times over the years and they were as brilliant as always.

04.04.09

My great friend Mark from Cardiff came to stay at ours today. It's always good to see him as we have been friends for many years. He works in IT but that does not excuse the comment of the night: "I've been quite into barcodes of late"! We all travelled up to Camberley and ate at Nando's before seeing Monsters vs Aliens


in 3D. A really fun film!

01.04.09

I travelled to Putney in London tonight to see an acoustic show by 'Puressence'.


They were playing in a pub called The Half Moon and it was just lead singer James Mudriczki with Lowell Killen on guitar.


 They played beautiful versions of many of my favourite 'Puressence' songs including "How Does It Feel", "All I Want" and "This Feeling". A truly special gig.

01.04.09

We went to see the film 'The Boat That Rocked' tonight.


Great fun and a great soundtrack too!

01.04.09

We travelled up to London tonight to see the play 'Three Days Of Rain' at the Apollo Theatre.


I booked it as I wanted to see actor James McAvoy on stage and he was excellent, as were Nigel Harmen and Lyndsey Marshal. An enjoyable night.

31.03.09

Lets just say we all woke up feeling a little delicate. As Gareth and I waited for everyone in the hotel lobby I had the best cup of coffee I've ever had, but the way my mouth felt I think any non-alcoholic drink would have had the same effect!
After a walk around the shops we all made our separate ways home, all feeling like we needed another weekend to get over this one!

29.03.09

An early start to ensure we got to Southampton airport for our 7am flight to Amsterdam. We're seeing Pam Ann tonight


along with friends Scott and Jon and my sister Julie and her partner Joe. Also in Amsterdam tonight is the Holland vs. Scotland football game, so quite a few kilt wearers on the plane, drinking beer as soon as it was on sale. Gareth spent the flight playing a game on his mobile phone that required the need to shake it every few minutes. It did make him look like he had special needs! At least he had the aisle seat so he couldn't finish the look by licking the window! As he became engrossed in his game I had the chance to have my first listen to the new 'Depeche Mode' album "Sounds Of The Universe". First listens are always strange as I can guarantee I'll hate most of the songs, but in a few listens they will start to grow on me and by the time I see them played live I'll love them. Particularly where 'Depeche' are concerned there is always the fear with each album that I won't like it, by which point I've usually bought tickets to see them on the corresponding tour (8 shows booked so far!) already!
We soon landed in Amsterdam, well, near Amsterdam at least because after landing, the plane taxied for what seemed like miles. I suspect we landed in Belgium and drove the rest of the way! A train took us to the centre of Amsterdam


 and we emerged from the station into pouring rain


 and a temperature so could we could see our breath in the air. We had a walk around the shops and the red light district before checking into the hotel. A quick freshen up and a walk back to the station to meet Scott & Jon and Julie & Joe who had previously met up at the airport. Thankfully the rain had stopped by this point so at least Scott & Jon's first impression of Amsterdam wasn't too spoiled.
First stop was a boat trip


around the historic canals,


 then a great meal


before heading back to the hotel to get ourselves ready for the evening ahead. As we were running a little late we did a 'power walk' to the Pathé Tuschinski to see Pam Ann. The term 'power walk' was used because I had no intention of being late for the show as our seats are in the second row and I didn't want to draw any attention to ourselves with Pam's reputation! We arrived in plenty of time at this stunning venue




and witnessed Pam at her best. Arriving on stage via a bicycle down the aisle whilst wearing huge yellow clogs she was hilarious, though we were nervous throughout as we were so close to her, so close she even asked if we were alright as she passed by at one point!
After we'd fought our way through the crush of the crowd at the end of the show we set off in search for a bar, passing beautifully lit canals.


 The first one we found was a bit cramped so we soon off in search of another. We 'found ourselves' in the red light district and after having a look at some of the beautiful women working there we found a bar right in the middle of the action.








We had a great time there and left when the bar was closing, staggering back to the hotel around 4am. As it was the night the clocks are put forward it meant we had even less sleep!

28.03.09

I travelled down to Portsmouth tonight to see 'James Morrison' at the Guildhall.


As always he was excellent


and the Portsmouth crowd loved every minute, myself included! A great gig!

26.03.09

I travelled to Cirencester to meet up with some old friends that I worked with in Cheltenham in the 90's. It was great to catch up with everyone's news.

24.03.09

Gareth and I drove down to Gosport today to see his parents but as we reached the outskirts of the town we could see a huge plume of grey smoke filling the sky. A local scrap yard had caught fire and as cars and tyres starting to burn the smoke this created resulted in the view we saw.

 

22.03.09

To Southampton tonight to see 'Lily Allen' play at the Guildhall. I've seen her in small venues recently so it was nice to see what a big stage set can bring to the show.


She was excellent as always.

19.03.09

I went to the Pyramid Centre in Portsmouth tonight to see 'Doves'.


They are promoting their new album "Kingdom Of Rust" which was very well received, but it was classic singles such as "Pounding" and "There Goes The Fear" that got the biggest cheers. Excellent gig.

18.03.09

We got together with our friends Mark and Mark tonight. Starting off with a meal at Nando's and then back to ours for a game of 'Guitar Hero'.

I believe the game will soon be purchased by them and can see some challenges ahead! A great evening as always!

17.03.09

Where we had to temporarily move the washing machine after it flooded the hallway it has left dents in the carpet. I searched the internet for tips to get these dents out and one that seemed to get a good response from people was to put a tea towel over the dent and then rub a hot steam iron over it.
I can confirm that it works really really well!

15.03.09

I really need to pay more attention to my car it seems. After having had the headlight repaired on Thursday I hadn't noticed that the bonnet had not been closed properly.  Unfortunately I was driving at high speed along a motorway when I did notice. I suddenly became aware that the bonnet was shaking up and down and then thoughts of it flipping open and blocking my view. When I had the chance to pull over I rushed to the front of the car and kept pushing down on the bonnet until it eventually closed, but until it did I must have looked as if I was trying to give the car a heart restart!

14.03.09

Normally I pay absolutely no attention to the bad luck myths of Friday the 13th, but I have to admit that everything I had planned to do at work today got cancelled for one reason or another! Spooky.

13.03.09

We went to see the film 'Marley And Me' tonight.


I read the book just after it was released and was in floods of tears over that but I wasn't sure how well the emotional stuff would be conveyed in the film. Much to my surprise they got it very right and both Gareth and I sobbed our way through!

11.03.09

We went to see 'Confessions Of A Shopaholic' tonight.


Well I say "we" went to see, it was more like "Gareth went to see" and I accompanied him. The film was as predictable as I expected and made me think of all the other things I could have been doing at the time!

10.03.09

We went to see the film 'The Young Victoria' tonight.


I learnt a lot from the film which I'm sure was the whole reason it was made at all, to dispel the image of the older Queen Victoria that seems to many to represent her. In mourning and wearing black. This film showed that once she'd led an exciting life with Prince Albert. As it was capturing her life up to a certain point it didn't really go anywhere and ended abruptly, but I now know a lot more after seeing it.

05.03.09

Yet another gig as I went to the Portsmouth Guildhall tonight to see 'The Ting Tings'. For once I got to a gig early so I could see the support from 'Ladyhawke' who played a great set and really won over the crowd. I was really looking forward to seeing 'The Ting Tings' and the played a great set and were much better live than I ever expected.


"We Walk" was a particular highlight as Jules De Martino from the band started by sequencing the keyboard part, then sat at the drums playing the bass drum with a foot pedal as he played guitar. Superb.

03.03.09

Another gig tonight. This time 'Elbow' at the Solent Hall in Bournemouth, part of the International Centre there. Parking nearby was impossible so I had to drive around to find a space and then run to the venue, getting there just in time.
The band were absolutely superb, playing a set made up mainly of tracks from the excellent "Seldom Seen Kid" album.


Lead singer Guy Garvey was explaining various songs before they were played and he came across as a really nice genuine man.


A brilliant gig.

02.03.09

I travelled to Cardiff today to see 'The Killers' play a concert at the International Arena. First stop was to see family and then I popped in to see my old friend Ian who cooked me a really nice meal. Thank you!
As I parked outside the Arena I tried to recall when I last saw a band here and why I'd left it so long to come back. I met up with my good friend Mark inside the venue and we had a great time watching the band.




 This is except for all the morons in the balcony who were throwing full bottles of beer across the crowd, so I got wet and quickly remembered why I had avoided the venue for so long!
There were some impressive pyrotechnics


and then the band finished the gig with their name written in lights


across a huge welsh flag. They could do no wrong tonight!

28.02.09

Tonight we travelled to Winchester to see 'Clive James' give a talk about his career. I used to really enjoy his TV shows and have also read various books from his series of autobiographies so I was looking forward to being entertained.


 The fact that the main car park serving the venue was closed was maybe a sign of the evening ahead. When Gareth and I took our seats I realised that I was half the age of most of the audience and Gareth was probably younger than most of their grandchildren! Before Clive took to the stage, the album "Seldom Seen Kid" by 'Elbow' was being played through the P.A. system. When he did come on he commented how much he admired their work and then told some really poor jokes about alternate names they had discarded before choosing 'Elbow'. And it was downhill from there. Sorry Gareth!

27.02.09

An earlier than usual trip to London this evening to get me to the O2 Arena for the "NME Big Gig". Headliners are 'The Cure' but the first band on are 'White Lies' so I had to be there to see them. Turned out to be a bit more difficult than I planned as although I got to the Arena with plenty of time to spare, by the time I walked to the specified entrance door, queued, went through security and then got into the concert hall itself I was just in time to see the band take the stage. This must be the biggest audience they have played to so far and they didn't disappoint, playing a superb set.


Next on were 'Crystal Castles' and the nicest thing I can say about them is that they were unique. Let's just say that I won't rushing to see them again. Ever.
Soon it was time for Franz Ferdinand. I've never really liked their music and I wondered if seeing them play live would alter my point of view.


 It didn't.
Finally it was time for the headline act, 'The Cure'.


As always they were brilliant, playing a mixed set of singles including "Just Like Heaven", "A Forest", "In Between Days" and rarer album tracks "Disintegration" and "Want" amongst many others. Excellent.

26.02.09