Special: Jagermeister Tour Review!

What do you get when you put one of the UK's hottest live bands, a trio of alt. rock legends and five British rockers on one bill, add a different opening act for each of the 5 night stretch and then sell tickets for a fiver? The Jagermeister Music Tour 2012, that's what!

After a successful stretch last year, the Jagermeister Music Tour returned to the UK, running through Glasgow, Newcastle, Leeds and London before finishing at the O2 Academy in Bristol. The venue sold out before any of the others, a mixture of generations filling the venue for a night of brilliant music.

Opening the night, local act Turbowolf (8). I wasn't sure what to expect from them, but they thoroughly impressed with their unique brand of psychedelic, electronic rock. Vocalist Chris Georgiadis, looking like the hippie brother of the 118 guys, made very good use of the limited space on stage, his mad eyes encapturing every audience member present and rounding everything off with a little bit of crowdsurfing. Black Spiders (8) continue to show us why they are a force to be reckoned with on the live circuit, newer songs like 'KISS Tried to Kill Me' slotting in perfectly alongside more well-known numbers such as 'Stay Down', and no time is wasted between songs - banter is kept to a minimum to allow the music to do the talking. The big surprise of the night is Therapy? (9) who gives us a balanced mix of old and new songs and really get the crowd going, inciting the first pits of the night with an 11-song set that had pace and power. 'Nowhere' and 'Screamager' off 1994 album Troublegum and new single 'Living in the Shadow of a Terrible Thing' were particular highlights and the band put all pre-show doubts I had about them to rest.

No such doubts about headliners Skindred (9), however: the reggae metal boys hailing from Newport in Wales are well known for their energetic live shows, and despite a false start when they lost all power on stage before they'd even played a note, they recovered to give the 1,600 strong crowd a performance that made the price of the ticket even MORE of a bargain. It's a mystery  to many why these guys are playing academies and not venues like Hammersmith Apollo: the crowd didn't stop moving for the entirity of the set. The band played four songs from new album Union Black and mashed up plenty of others - 'Pressure' was combined with their cover of AC/DC's 'Back in Black'; 'The Fear' had the outro for 'Rude Boy For Life' and closing song 'Nobody' was preceded by a snippet of Slayer's 'Raining Blood'. They even threw in a small intermission of Beyonce's 'Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)'. Frontman Benji Webbe is as charismatic as ever with his banter and his prescence, and is probably the UK's best frontman not called Bruce Dickinson. But the best is yet to come, as on encore song 'Warning', the Academy is greeted with the sight of 1,600 people swinging clothing over their heads and performing the 'Newport Helicopter'. By 11:30 it's all over, as is the Jagermeister Music Tour for 2012. But what a tour.

At long last!

It's over. The madness of my second year is FINALLY over. I sit here writing this from my family home in Gloucester, able to kick back and relax for the first time in over 3 months. And WOW, it feels good!

Of course, now I'm looking towards next year. In 12 months' time I will have graduated, more or less, and that's a scary prospect. But hopefully I will have everything in order for the years ahead as I go off into the outside world, with nothing more than 21 years of life experience and a BA(Hons) degree in Drama with Creative Writing. My saving grace is that it IS 12 months away still, I have a while to prepare yet.

In other news, two of my cousins are expecting children later this year! They're due on the 10th and 11th October respectively, and with my grandmother turning 80 on the 9th, that makes for a very busy month! What's even better is that the arrival expected on the 11th is in fact twins! Many congratulations to them.

My first gig of this year is on Saturday! I have been waiting for this for the last five months, and you can expect a special review in the wee hours of Sunday morning or the afternoon of that day too - the latter is more likely. All well and good the review will be printed in the university's paper and a shortened 100-word version printed in Metal Hammer magazine. Fingers crossed eh?

What else? Ooh yes, Drama Society things! Well, firstly, more congratulations are in order as we retained our 'Society of the Year' award from the Darts Society and have now won it 3 years out of the last 4, which is a fantastic achievement and now we must look to win it four years in five! Also, I have been chosen to co-direct one of the radio plays due to be recorded in the coming months - we have adapted two of our original writing pieces, 'Into Oblivion' and 'Subject to Requirement', and having performed in the former last year I am very happy to be directing it this time around! Talking of Original Writing, the next Showcase is coming up and I am looking to direct AND act in it, so here's to auditions going well.

Right, I'm going to resume my Pokemon adventure on my phone - get my newly caught Vulpix up to scratch.

Laters xx

Special post: The demise of Sonisphere 2012

In the big story of the week, the cancellation of Sonisphere was announced. The organisers said it was due to an impossibility to put on a festival fit for the fans, and the official statement can be read here. Whilst I respect their decision and applaud them for not attempting to put on a half-assed festival, I do feel they only have themselves to blame for the following reasons:

1) The lineup was not as strong as previous years. True, the headliners were massive: KISS, Queen + Adam Lambert and Faith No More, but even THEY couldn't stand up to the previous years of Metallica, Iron Maiden and Slipknot, to name three. Also, the undercard wasn't as strong, despite the announcements of Refused and three bands playing albums in full (Glassjaw, Mastodon and Hundred Reasons). The lineup just didn't stand up to the stellar bill that Download has put together this year. That therefore would have been a factor in potentially poor ticket sales. However, Sonisphere made one fatal decision:

2) They announced far too late. By the time they had announced the first batch of bands, Download had a huge lineup and people who had needed to book time off work for the summer had had to do so. The trouble as well was Sonisphere, only going into it's fourth year, was still too new to have established a following like Reading/Leeds or Glastonbury where tickets are often almost sold out from the moment early bird tickets go on sale after the festival has finished. Hell, even DOWNLOAD hasn't got that, and rock festivals have been held at Donington for over 30 years. If Sonisphere had announced KISS with Metallica, Queen with Sabbath, FNM with The Prodigy then they probably would still be going ahead. Last year's headliner battle was immense:

-Download announce the return of System of a Down after a 5 year hiatus. Everybody goes mental

-Two days later, Sonisphere announce Slipknot, on their first tour since the death of bassist Paul Gray. Knebworth is set to be the last date. Everyone goes even more mental.

-Sonisphere confirm Biffy Clyro to headline the Saturday night in their first ever festival headline slot. Opinions are vastly divided.

-Download follow suit by revealing Linkin Park as their Sunday night headliner. Opinions divided again.

-Sonisphere attempt to bury the hatchet with the confirmation of The Big 4 on the Friday night: Anthrax, Megadeth, Slayer and headliners Metallica one after the other, with Diamond Head opening, leaving Download to come up with something truly special.

-Download bring back Def Leppard as their final headliner, which seems very underwhelming. Advantage Sonisphere.

I therefore feel that even though people would have still said Download had the stronger lineup, Sonisphere would not have got itself into the mess that it did.

3)I believe the festival was struggling to book bands: many were exclusive to Download or Reading/Leeds and therefore could not be announced until after those respective festivals were over (in the case of R/L then, not at all). Touring commitments would have also meant a no-show, whilst other events taking place in the UK this year have already had an effect: the Big Chill was cancelled because they were struggling to book acts owing to the Olympics. Similarly, Glastonbury moved forward their 'break' year amid concerns of a portaloo shortage. Perhaps these also combined to result in the cancellation? I do wonder whether Sonisphere approached certain bands, but as they couldn't promise the bands when they would be announced, the bands themselves turned down the offers. That's just speculation though, as indeed, it all is.

So, Soni '12 is a no-go: will there be a 2013? The answer is we just don't know: there was no confirmation of a festival next year in the official statement and with the news that Sonisphere Italy is facing a similar fate, a rumour that the company has gone bust is slowly rumbling round. However, Italy is in a worse finanicial state than us, and whilst Sonisphere doesn't have the demand that Glastonbury and R/L do, I am more than certain there is enough demand for Download to continue having a main rival to battle in the quest for the UK's premier rock festival. I am sure we will see. I'm pencilling the 5-7th July and the 12-14th as dates for Sonisphere 2013, back at Knebworth, where it belongs.

It's been a while...

I actually can't remember the last time I made a blog post (checks date) 22 days ago. Since then, I've done loads of rehearsals, slept a lot and my Dad has even turned a year older. However, today I post another one - it's been a long time!

In a week's time, I will be at home. I am so close to finishing second year it's unreal. Four days of lessons, one essay due in on the 4th, a performance on the 5th, a second essay on the 30th April and I'm done for second year. It's scary too, thinking that this time next year I'll be in my last lessons of uni, ready to face the outside world with nothing more than a degree in Drama with Creative Writing. The good thing is that there is still another year in the middle though haha.

I'm slightly worried about next year, I won't lie. It's a lot more about us as individuals - the year is worth 75% of our final grade, so we all have to do what's best for us. Don't get me wrong, the nature of the course means the support will still be there in an abundance, and we will still be a very close-knit year, but I do have a horrible feeling that it won't be quite the same. Considering that I've only really got to know my year in the last 6 months, I don't want to have to make huge sacrifices in order to push forwards.

Talking of our year, I want to say thank you to all the second year drama students at UWE for the last week. The weather has been gorgeous and I have thoroughly enjoyed spending time with you out on the sunken lawn chilling, laughing, playing frisbee or football and just generally having a good time. This academic year hasn't been brilliant for me as a whole, but this last week proved to me that you all have my back and are there for me, and I can't praise you enough for that.

I handed in my Creative Writing Portfolio yesterday! Act One of 'The Thin Ice' is completed and Act Two will be written this summer, all well and good. It's loosely based on Pink Floyd's 'The Wall' and in celebration of finishing it I watched the film version for the very first time on Thursday night. Good film as well.

In two Saturday's time I will be heading into the O2 Academy for my first gig of the year! I can't wait! It's the Jagermeister Music Tour and the last night of the tour as well. I'm so excited it's unreal. Seeing Skindred for the second time is going to be excellent.

There is a special blog post coming up in a few minutes time on the big rock story of the week!

Laters xx

Special Post: The debate on gay marriages

Today, in the year 2012, society is more accepting of all colours, creeds, genders and orientations than ever before. And it is the latter that I am going to talk about in this special blog post, inspired by a huge debate that I saw on Facebook.

Currently, in the United Kingdom, homosexuals do not have the right to get married. They have the right to enter a civil partnership with one another, but that is how their status must remain: legally, a man cannot be married to another man, a woman married to another woman. This also makes all civil partnerships void of certain things, such as tax benefits. However, the government recently began a 12-week consultation period into the possibility of gay marriages in England and Wales, and I for one fully support the notion and will be most disappointed if it is rejected. Why? Well read on…

Firstly, I believe that, as long as two people are in love with one another and wish to be together for the rest of their lives then they should be allowed to marry, regardless of whether they are man and woman, man and man or woman and woman. I really don’t think it’s right that there should be double standards on this sort of thing. We as humans cannot help which sex we fancy or who we fall in love with, and the law should not hinder that in any way.

Secondly, and the big debate at the heart of this, is the religious standings on the subject. We are a predominantly Christian nation, there are more Christians in this country than any other religion, and understandably so the Church of England has it’s own views and standing on the matter. However, as a Christian myself who has grown up in this society, I would like to throw my two cents into the mixing pot and if this is heard, then brilliant.

People will draw on Leviticus 20:13 from the Bible which states:

“If a man has sexual relations with another man, they have done a disgusting thing, and both shall be put to death.”

Now, I cannot change what is written, but I can challenge it, and I do so thus: the verse says quite clearly that men cannot have sex with other men. But that only condemns the PRACTICE of gay sex. It does not condemn the ORIENTATION. Furthermore, the Bible should be taken as a set of guidelines on life, not taken as word-for-word literal. If you begin to do that, you end up getting the wrong end of the stick. As such, each teaching needs to be applied in as modern a context as possible. And in a world where gays and lesbians have more rights than ever, I think that the Church should not condemn gay sex any longer, but merely frown upon it for a moment and then let it go. Sex is a wonderful thing, the Bible teaches that it cements a relationship together and bring a couple closer, and if you are in a healthy relationship that has a wonderful sex life, I do not see any reason why you should be seen as inferior based solely on the gender of the person you happen to be sleeping with. In my opinion, the Church needs to kick itself into the 21^st Century and welcome all orientations through its doors and teach every one the word of God, and if they wish to be married then so be it.

Following on from this is something very interesting I came across on the internet. Listed below are 11 of the 14 ‘prohibited marriages’ that the Bible lays out. The three missing cause debates in their own right, and I would rather keep on topic at this point:

1. With father or mother.
2. With one's sister or half-sister.
3. With one's mother-in-law.
4. With a grandchild.
5. With one's aunt.
6. With one's uncle or uncle's wife.
7. With one's daughter-in-law.
8. With your brother's wife.
9. With a woman and her daughter or her grand daughter.
10. With two women who are sisters.
11. With thy neighbour's wife.

Now, I was looking down that list and what do I notice? That’s right; nowhere in that list (nor in the three omitted) does it say that a ‘prohibited’ marriage is one between members of the same sex. I admit that the Bible does not say people of the same sex CAN marry, but it also does not say they CAN’T. As a result, I see no full argument for why the Church should not allow gay marriages and will be very hurt if this legislation is not passed in three month’s time.

To summarise quickly: In my view, all couples should be allowed the chance to marry, regardless of orientation – the only rule should be that they will be committed to one another for life. The Church should not be stalling on this; they should have revised their teachings long ago and moved forward. If I were the pastor of a church, I would welcome everyone through my doors and treat them as equals, for Jesus did not practice any form of elitism.

Please, feel free to leave comments below and I will reply to them as soon as possible.

Over and out.

xx

Decisions, decisions, decisions.

Lots of things to think about over the next few weeks, and lots of assessments too, so if I don't post much, again it'll be down to that.

 

Firstly though, I'd like to offer up my prayers and thoughts to Fabrice Muamba, the Bolton Wanderers midfielder who suffered a heart attack on the field of play today in a match between Tottenham Hostpur and Bolton at White Hart Lane. The match was abandoned after 41 minutes and Muamba was rushed to hospital, where he is said to be 'critically ill' and in intensive care, but 'stable'. Here's to you making a full recovery man, you don't deserve to have your life cut short at 23, especially not when you have a family and a young child. We're all behind you.

 

Secondly, continuing with the sporting theme, congratulations to Wales for winning the Six Nations. I wouldn't usually be pleased, but their winger used to go to my school, and I feel incredibly proud to have gone to the same school as an international rugby player. I hope I can emulate his triumph by going on to be a well-known actor. If I don't then so be it, but I damn well want to be one. As for England, our young side has shown a huge amount of promise during the tournament and will go on to achieve great things I'm sure.

 

I have been listening today to a band called Ghost. They have caused quite a stir within the world of metal, and are probably the first band I would describe as metal without being remotely heavy. No, seriously, they're completely metal but they're a lot more melodic than their look lets on: the frontman is a skeleton Pope called Papa Emeritus, the other five wear hooded cloaks that disguise their faces and are known as Nameless Ghoul. All of them. They look like a band to play black metal with indistinguishable vocals, fast guitars and lots of bass kicks. But they don't. Here's an example of their work:

 

 

Ok, so maybe they're a little heavy, but it's unquestionably metal. And I really dig it.

 

I've also been continuing my Creative Writing Portfolio. I'm doing a play loosely based on the album 'The Wall' by Pink Floyd. So far I have the first 4 scenes down, and I intend to write more tomorrow. It's all looking good currently, I'm very pleased at how much I've got done today.

 

That's about it for my life so far. Tune in next time for the continuing adventures of me in 'My Life'.

 

Laters xx 

Special: Farewell, farewell, Godspeed Titanic!

It was a musical nobody expected UWE to do. It was so different from the bouncy Our House of the previous year that I wasn’t initially interested in doing it, and only came in at the last minute to provide an extra male voice.

It’s developed into the greatest musical I’ve ever done, and I’m so sad that it’s now over.

Titanic, about the famous luxury liner that sank on it’s maiden voyage nearly 100 years ago, does not go down the line of the film. There’s no Jack, or Rose, or Celine Dion.

And thank God.

Because it’s FAR better than that.

The music is grand and epic, really giving the audience a sense of the excitement at boarding the ‘Largest Moving Object in the World’ and giving us an insight into what it was like on all three class levels: the first living in a ‘Remarkable Age’, whilst the third describe their dream jobs when they reach America, before the iceberg is struck and the excitement turns to confusion, panic and then acceptance of death, before the final scene shows reflection from the survivors who made it onto the Carpathia. If you missed out on watching the CPA do it, you really DID miss out.

Anyway, why has this been the best musical ever? Well, for one, the cast have been fantastic. The best cast I have been involved in bar none. That is not to say the casts of every other performance I’ve been in have been poor, I’ve enjoyed working with every cast, but never have I seen a group of people gel together like we have. It really is one big family, and I can’t wait to work with as many of you in the future on future musicals and the like. We’ve had laughs, we’ve had tears, we’ve made one very impressive spider diagram along the way, but most of all we have represented our university in one of the best ways possible.

As such, following on from the awards last night, I have decided to hand out a few of my own – you may even get small prizes if you’re lucky! So:

The Keep Calm and Carry On Award goes to Naomi Wilkinson and Jade Hall for carrying on with their final few scenes despite a clash of heads resulting in mild concussion for the pair of them.

The Best Outside Reference Award goes to Khoi Nguyen for his ‘Big Bang Theory’ knocking during the matinee.

The Best Audience Reaction Award goes to Adam Hopkins for the wolf whistles received on opening night when stepping out of his room.

The Consistently Funny Award goes to Paul Bailey for explaining that he still has a wife, receiving a laugh every single night.

Paul Bailey also receives the Online Maniac Award for tagging every single picture taken of us at socials or rehearsals.

Finally, The Shot in the Foot Award goes to Liam Gordon for trying to convince us the picture of his sister in his wallet was actually his seven year-old daughter – until he mentioned she was born in 1997.

A few quick thank-yous as well – to Alice Dalrymple and Lora Seward for organising buffet lunches, plugging us on the radio and being general good mother hens to us all, to Anthony Garnham, Lora and Lizzi Fortin for allowing us the use of their homes for socials and general merriment, to Ian Henderson, Jacquie Bell and Alexander Turasiewicz for putting their time and effort into direction, choreography and production, and to everyone else for playing their part to full effect and putting on a powerful, moving and exceptional production.

So, Titanic has been a rousing success, but as we know, all good things must come to an end at some point and sadly, that happened last night. Next year we go from the shipyard to the farmyard with the very tongue-in-cheek Honk! and an absolute mile away from where we were, but I know it’s going to be an absolute laugh.

See you all for next year’s musical?

Alright then!

Over and out from your ‘Big Mouth’ cast member, and lots of love to you all.

Elliot xx