Good intentions

I am going to try and update every week on Saturday/Sunday now. I don't know why I've got so slack recently, probably due to the fact that we are now back into lectures and along with rehearsals for Titanic, I am quite tired when evening comes around and thinking about what to write is a little bit beyond my reach. Although that doesn't account for the ten days in between my last blog post and lectures starting, for which I apologise.

Titanic is going well, I've literally just come back from another rehearsal: I have been cast in the musical as The Major, a sixty-something retired army officer travelling first-class to the 'States, for reasons unknown as they are not mentioned at all within the dialogue or the songs. It's a nice little acting role that I hope to do full justice with, although it has caused great amusement that the main basis for my role is Major Archibald Butt, who sailed on the actual ship and gave his place up on a lifeboat for some women and consequently went down with the ship. So I am unofficially Major Butt. Yeah. I found out today though that me and my fellow first-class men will be allowed to smoke real cigars on stage during the run, which is a very interesting development. Sadly the brandy we drink will be merely apple juice, but hey, you can't have everything, right?

Sonisphere are making an announcement this week, which is good because I can now weigh up if I want to go to it as well as Download or not at all. Download, by the way, announced 14 new bands this week, including Machine Head, Tenacious D, Lamb of God, DevilDriver and The Devin Townsend Project. It's a very strong lineup already and I'm looking forward to seeing how Sonisphere respond to this. I don't get the hate towards Chase and Status playing above Machine Head and below headliners The Prodigy on the Friday night though. Firstly, The Prodigy probably chose them as Special Guests, and that's fair enough. Secondly, Machine Head were offered to headline the second stage or play third on the main stage and chose the latter, so evidently they're happy with their position on the bill. Also, Chase and Status may have their roots firmly embedded in drum 'n' bass, but there are definite rock influences coming through and by rights that makes them suited to a ROCK festival. Or am I missing the point? Plus, metalstep, or dubstep metal, will be the big thing in 2012, I'm sure of it. Enter Shikari will be playing arenas by the end of the year and people like Skrillex will collaborate with many other metal bands and bring the new genre to the foreground. It's my belief that the aforementioned metalstep along with the 'djent' movement that began last year will lead the way as we go into 2013. Which we will, because the world isn't gonna end.

My course has started well, really enjoying being back and getting stuck into work. Looking at Hamlet in Shakespeare, which means I've now studied it for the third year in a row. A bit of a bore, you might think, but it's my favourite play of all time and I love studying it from any angle, however I admit I'm getting slightly sick of it now. Ways is gearing us towards performing Sarah Kane's 448 Psychosis which I can't wait to do. Creative Writing is as it sounds, and in Representing we looked at Clowning and how it is incorporated into political protests with comical yet considerable effect. So that' all good.

A small downer as I bring my post to a close - yesterday was the fourth anniversary of my Grandad's death. He battled with dementia for the last seven years of his life and it was horrible to see a man of his prescence and intelligence deteriorate into a shadow of his former self. However, I know that his legacy will live on and his memory shines ever brighter, and that one day I will join him and the rest of my family in Glory with his memory restored. I miss you man, but I never stopped loving you.

Laters xx