More things about this week.

Look at this!

This is my Reader Review of Skindred in Bristol last month printed for all Metal Hammer readers to enjoy for the next month! I apologise for the average quality, the camera on my phone appears to have taken one too many knocks to bring it in focus properly. Proper chuffed it got printed, they're a magazine I'd love to work for in the future, haven't missed an issue for four years straight. I hope that my minor in Creative Writing will give me a good footing should I apply to work there. Of course I want to be an actor, and I probably always will, but should a career on stage and screen not work out then I'd be very interested in music journalism. It's little things like this that will be very useful in the future when it comes to showing what I've done in the past.

On an entirely different note, I have really got myself into Back to the Future in recent weeks. Not just film-wise: I genuinely believe I was born in the wrong era. Living in the 50s or the 80s would have been so much greater, as far as I'm concerned. I hasten to add that this would be AMERICA in the 50s or 80s. Don't get me wrong - I love where I am now, it's amazing to be able to contact the entire world with the tap of a screen and the push of a button, the ablility to watch live sport on the TV in 3D and have 1000 channels at your fingertips. But life back then seems so much SIMPLER. And cooler. Plus, I appear to be developing an attraction for females in 50s-style outfits. The woman who plays Lorraine in the film is simply smoking wwhen she's playing her teenage self.

That said, I know that it's from a film and would have been given the 'Hollywood treatment' that coats everything with so much sugar even the foulest piece of shit can taste sweet. I imagine young adults experienced the exact same problems we do now, and living conditions probably weren't as they are portrayed. But I'd love to go back and spend a week or two there, see how I get on.

Talking of the past, I have really got back into my old PS2 games. My PS2 itself is cream crackered, it only plays PS1 games for a start. So it was a welcome relief when my housemate's boyfriend set his PS3 up in my room. I have been playing Dark Cloud, Simpsons: Hit and Run and Robot Wars: Arenas of Destruction for hours at a time. It's been so much fun revisiting my past in the smallest of ways, even if I've found things about it as frustrating as before.

And today? Well I had another rehearsal for the Creative Writing Showcase I'm a part of, and then yet another spontaneous student barbecue. I'm loving the time I'm spending with friends, out in the back garden with smokes, drinks, food and laughs. It's absolutely wonderful and I am looking forward to more of them.

Right, I'd best start winding down this evening.

Laters xx

The Twenties: Chapter One

So, I have now been 20 for eight days. Or twenTEEN, as I was informed the other day. I apologise for not updating sooner, this week has been taken up by drinking and partying. Let's begin on the past week.

Monday saw me at my friend's house party - she turned 21 on the same day as me, so I spent the night there. It was all going well until I bought vodka...I remember very little now of the night in question - only photographic evidence reminds me that I was there.

Tuesday saw me recover, and much needed too!

On Wednesday I went for a meal with the cast of Titanic to ZaZa Bazaar's, an all-you-can-eat joint on the Waterfront. A very enjoyable time was had, I must remember to go back again. After a small time spent outside watching an exceptional travelling brass band. This was then followed by pre-drinks in Lloyds (again on the Waterfront) before some of us headed on down to OMG, a gay club on Park Street, with free entry and drink from 99p. And despite me catching three people in the face with my elbow and not getting home until 4am, I once more had a brilliant night.

Thursday was about recovering again, as the following three days were hectic.

Friday started by heading to Clifton Downs for more time with the Titanoraks and listening to the most beautiful voice message ever from one very drunk Paul Bailey on Wednesday night. Then it was down to St. Matts for the Summer Last Orders - which included a large football match on the sunken lawn - and THEN onto the Bierkeller for their Phuct Video Games night, which I admit would have been better if more people had turned up.

Saturday saw the annual Drama Ball, which was a lovely event on Campus again. I had a bit of a moment due to severe loneliness but on the whole it was really good.

And then we come to Sunday. From midday St. Matt's held a Fun Day on the sports pitch which included a barbecue, gladiator poles, a bouncy castle and sumo suits. After living over two decades on this planet I FINALLY learnt how to do a forward roll/roly poly, whatever you want to call it, so that was something of an achievement, but again it was just great to chill out and have a lot of fun with my friends. That evening saw a Summer Ball, which I went to, then went home and got changed and then returned because I felt horrifically overdressed. That evening, a few of us hit Mbargo's in town and I rolled into bed a very happy bunny.

So, that ended my first week of being a 20-something. And now I have to look forward to the Creative Writing Showcase on Wedensday and Thursday where I aam playing a world class director. It's gonna be amazing, you should all come down and watch it. Half 7, St. Matt's campus, Room M1. It's gonna be great.

Talking of the showcase, I'm off for a rehearsal now and I'll be abck later with a bit more of an update on life.

Laters xx

The end is nigh.

In 90 minutes I cease being a teenager.

 In an hour and a half I will have lived on this planet 2 full decades.

Yes, at midnight, I become 20 years old.

It's a very weird feeling, given that I've spent the last 7 years of my life being a teenager. I've been through so much, and am planning a huge number crunching session tomorrow that will explain. But now I have to face the fact that I'm into my twenties.

Nevertheless, growing is old is inevitable, and growing up is optional.

See you on the other side.

Laters xx

We Don't Need No Education.

As many of you will probably know, I am far too nice for my own good. I always see the positives in people and I want every single individual that I meet and know to be happy and successful in life. I believe that every single person in this world can do anything - all they have to do is set their mind to it. And it really gets on my nerves when people are given the tools to make something quite brilliant and they end up pissing it away.

Why am I saying this at half 11 on a Friday morning? Because whilst casually browsing Twitter earlier today, I came across a tweet saying:

'Attended 1 day of sixth form so far this week, nice going.'

Now, I don't like to be an old so-and-so about this, but people like this really get my goat. We in this country are lucky to have a free education system, that from the ages of 4 until 18, it is a compulsory requirement for us to go to school five days a week. Of course there are still the private and boarding schools that charge tuition fees, but I went to a free comprehensive and have come out of it with 3 A Levels, 4 AS Levels and 12 GCSE's. We really take it for granted sometimes just how fortunate we are, there are countries around the world (particularly the poorer nations) where school is just for the rich, and not for the intelligent. There are kids on this planet who actually DREAM about going to school and learning about things. Perhaps we should switch them all over? Any person that does not want to learn is shipped out to wherever and replaced by someone who would jump at the chance to learn Maths, English and Science. We'd reduce the amount of people leaving school with next-to-nothing and Jeremy Kyle would be out of a job in 5 years.

What gets me even more, though, is that this individual is in SIXTH FORM. Now, although the laws changed in 2010 to state that all children must stay in school until they are 18, that law only applied to the Year 7s around the country that year. For everyone Year 8 to 11, they were still allowed to leave at 16. This person consciously CHOSE to stay on for A Levels and actually obtained the grades to do so. As far as I can see, they are wasting the opportunity to build their foundation for life even more and seem to be happy about doing it in the process. Yes, I was very happy that I was finally studying less than 5 subjects and that I had at least one free period a day, and when it came to Year 13 I was going home after half a day as well. But I still put the effort in. I attended every single class whether I wanted to or not, and it paid off. Only an error by the exam board scuppered me of the B that I deserved for my Drama A Level. Again, there are people who would KILL to go to Sixth Form and improve their chances of going to university, so to see people like the above who are apparently abusing the system just rubs salt into the wounds.

I won't get on to university because it's an entirely different board game, but let me just finish with this - when Tony Blair became Prime Minister in 1997, he began his opening speech with the words 'Education, education, education.' Now, I can fully see why. It appears that many people in the UK DO believe that 'We don't need no education.' Fine by me, enjoy just being another brick in the wall.

Laters xx

Scar Symmetry feat. Bobby McFerrin

The vast majority of us will know Bobby McFerrin for being pushed down a flight of stairs by Stewie Griffin in an episode of Family Guy, but I can't lie, he's done a wonderful job on this. One of the best theme tunes on the planet and he deserves a medal for what he's done.

On the subject of music, on Friday I went to a gig at the O2 Academy. Or rather, The O2 Academy 2. I've never had a gig in the upstairs room before: the capacity is less than a quarter of the main room and the stage is in one corner - there are two sides of a square to for the audience to stand around. It's actually quite a nice venue, but DAMN it was loud. My ears have usually stopped ringing the morning I wake up after a gig - this time it wasn't until midday. I would like to say thank you to Jay and Katt for getting me on the guestlist for this event - a free concert is always welcoming.

Anyway, the bands! Openers Deal's Death [6] got a bit of a rum deal as far as this review goes - I turned up half an hour late and after sorting myself out only caught the very last song. Nevertheless, they made me bang my head and were good - I will have to catch them again. Betraeus [7] brought together a fine blend of prog and death metal, clearly inspired by Gojira. Main support Xerath [7] continued the trend with gusto and strength. But everyone was here for one band, and one band only, and despite the abscence of guitaris Jonas Kjellgren, Scar Symmetry [8] proceeded to play 13 songs in the space of an hour with pace and aplomb so great I didn't want it to end. They didn't let up from the opening strains of 'The Anomaly' to the closing notes of 'The Illusionist'. Roberth Karlsson and Lars Palmqvist make a formidable vocal assault, Roberth's growls perfectly complementing Lars' cleaner tones, and when Lars re-appears in a Union Jack shirt the small yet dedicated audience roars in approval. Through tunes such as 'Pitch Black Progress' and the brilliantly-titled 'Rise of the Reptilian Regime, the band give us songs from each of their five albums. And despite the curfew of 10pm so the Academy can prepare for the club night at 11:30, the band proceed to hang out with us for a bit and sign my setlist, written on a paper plate. All in all, a very fun night!

Today I got an essay back which leave me four marks outstanding before I know everything about Year 2. That said, the 62 I received today meant I am now averaging 59.1 for the year as opposed to 58, which I'm very happy about - 4 big scores in the last 4 assessments and I could push this up to a 60/61, which is massive if I want a 2:1 at the end of university as a degree. I also have been cast as the 'Director' in the Drama Society Original Writing Showcase on May 30th/31st, in a play by the wonderful James Bonser called 'Noir', an absurdist piece. I am very much looking forward to this as acting roles have been few and far between this year, so I'm pleased I have something to really get my teeth into.

Mumford and Sons are brilliant for writing these posts - they really help me reflect and bring back all I need. Seems a bit weird that I should listen to them, considering my usual music taste, but they're incredibly calming and I think they're excellent. Seeing them live would be brilliant

And with that, this post is done. In a bit people.

Laters xx

UPDATE: I've just noticed this is my 69th post. I couldn't help but giggle. Wow, I'm so mature.

For Those About To Rock.

This AC/DC song had been a real voice to me in recent days. It's the second line that has had particular impact.

Stand up and be counted.

It's less than ten days until I turn 20. And while I will forever hold the philosophy of 'Growing old is inevitable, growing up is optional', the fact that I will no longer be a teenager says to me that I have to start acting my age a bit.

It's a weird feeling, but I want to let the adult inside me start to take me through the next phase in my life. That means growing up more.

What you are about to see is a man grab the bull with both hands firmly on its horns, not with one hand to allow some control but allowing people in freely to help out. That does not mean I will be shutting the door completely and trying to go it alone - far from it. Everybody needs the support of friends and family, that's just the way things are. But I have to take more responsibility now, make sure everything is in order before I undertake certain activities and the like.


Don't get me wrong, I'll still be the same old Elliot - if anything, I'll just be a helluva lot more organised than I am now. You'll still have the crazy cocktail that makes up me, that isn't going anywhere :)


But I'm about to rock, and hopefully gain a few salutes in the process.


FIRE!!!!


xx

The perfect week?

Potentially so.

I'm actually not sure how this is going to affect me in the long run, because everything has fallen into place almost simultaneously. This scares me a little - for now I have to hold everything down and keep it together!

So, Friday night was the best night out I have had in a VERY long time, and rounded off a week of finishing uni, trial shifts and fun times. I wasn't worrying about anyone, there was no real drama and I drank more than I wanted to, but hey - I was finally having a night about me, where nothing was going to stop me from having a good time, and so it proved. Saturday was spent sleeping, drinking tea and going to a friend's leaving meal, where I finally tasted Heaven's food (ribs), tried mussels and risotto and had a wonderful laugh with friends, with today about seeing family. To top it all off, Chelsea won the Cup, even if I spent the last 30 minutes watching it through my fingers. A wonderful end to a wonderful week

My one concern is that Friday night left me in more of a wonderful position than I was expecting. Something happened that came so far out the blue even the Smurfs were applauding the colour as it left the hue. And it's actually caused a disruption. A good disruption I would like to add, but one that I've actually been struggling to deal with - although being utterly shattered hasn't helped either, as tiredness makes everything so much more intense. Nevertheless, the last 48 hours have been about me riding a wave of conflicting emotions and I haven't been dealing with them great. That said, I've dealt with them better today than last night, so that's a plus. And whilst I know that it won't be a long-term thing, I will make the most of it, as I'm happier than I have been in ages.

Arrangements are in place for my 20th birthday. It's two weeks away. 14 days. 336 hours (and counting). Expect a couple of poems about my teenage life as I go through this. I'm scared, but obviously looking forward to it at the same time. It's going to be a laugh and a half.

I'm really tired - didn't get much sleep last night and I could do with some. FINALLY seeing the Avengers tomorrow: the first trip saw us get within ten people to the box office and the line selling out, so here's hoping we can actually see it this time.

Laters xx

Late night post and letter to Johnny.

I wanted to get this out of the way now before I sleep.

 

I watched the film 'Huge' tonight, starring Noel Clarke and Johnny Harris. Noel is probably best known for playing Mickey in the revamped series of Doctor Who that began in 2005, as well as directing Kidulthood and Adulthood. Johnny, meanwhile, is known for playing (a different) Mickey is This Is England '86 and This Is England '88, the BBC3 drama The Fades and starring in London to Brighton, amongst other things. It is Johnny I want to focus on in this blog post.

 

Johnny was taught by a tutor at my university, and last year he came in for the day to speak to the Drama students about his experiences and other things. After this, he came down to the SU and the two of us spent a good 15-30 minutes just shooting the shit and talking about anything and everything. Since then, we have continued the odd chat here and there on Twitter, fan to actor. But what has struck me about him is how welcoming he has been towards me. We only spoke for a short amount of time after that visit, yet he still remembers me. I'm not just another fan and that's that, he has always found that little bit of extra time for me. I am sure that I'm not the only exception and that he finds time for a lot of people, but I really feel that he's gone the extra mile in this instance.

 

It's something I want to be. If I make it as a well-known face, then part and parcel of my job is to be recognised. But I want to show to any admirers I may have a gentle and warm side, even if I'm going through a tough time (which may present itself in front of any unfortunate press!). If citizens want pictures and autographs and stuff, then so be it. I don't want to give off an air of 'me and you', I want to be able to glow 'us' and 'we', which is something I really feel about Johnny. He's not your prima donna actor, he's a genuine, down-to-earth guy with a huge amount going for him and a wealth of talent, some of which I feel is still waiting to be explored. And I hope that I can keep my current personality, even if I end up on many red carpets in front of many camera flashes.

 

I don't know how well this has come across, but I want to sum it up like this: Johnny, if you ever read this, thank you for being a huge influence on me; not just as an actor, but also for being a legend of a human being, so humble and modest. I hope that one day we can meet again and talk like old friends, even though it will have only been the second time we have met.

 

Regards,

 

Elliot Leaver