Resolutions,

Hey all,

As this year draws to a close, it occurs to me that I should actually think about some New Year Resolutions.

Granted NYRs tend to be broken within day or hours of the New Year being rung in, but I think they would make some good points for meditation anyway.

I'm going to pull out the paper and pen and get back to you.

Other news:

Sent an email to the contact I have at the online networking company looking for writing interns.

I'm looking in the big book of Courses and Stuff at short courses in Features Writing and related subjects.

I've got a couple of Library Books that I either need to finish or get renewed by next Tuesday. One of them is Clockwork Orange, which is heavy going because I have to decode all of the Droogie Language, that being what Alex uses. It gives me a pain in the Gulliver, real horrorshow. Still, I am halfway through it, so I'll keep going.

And my right knee isn't hurting so much.

Over and out.

-Jason

Hey Hey

Hey All,

The two days I spent working at Next in Leyton went pretty well. The permanent staff seemed to like me, and the Manager of the whole store seemed to be impressed with my work ethic. I even didn't mind the work too much.

So it is possible that I might be called in for a few more hours. I'm not holding my breath, but it might happen.

Anyways, tomorrow I have errands to run and fish to fry, so I'm going to get on that in the morning.

Niggles: I don't mind the cold, but my right knee doesn't seem to happy about it. If I bend my knee beyond a certain angle, my kneecap screams. I also seem to have trouble putting weight on the leg, which is troublesome when you have just done two days to work that frequently involved picking stuff up off the floor.

Also my handwriting is in a scary state right now. I'm glad that I don't have to write any letters right now, otherwise I would be screwed.

In any case, I'm tire and I am going to get some sleep.

Over and out.

-Jason

Christmas Day

Hey All,

Christmas Day, and as predicted I've been having a quiet one.

I did finally upload the review of that Club that I got sent to last Friday, though.

I noticed that despite my stocking up on essentials on Friday Night, I am actually out of Margarine, and I'm not doing too good for Bread either. So I'll have to venture out into the cold to grab some stuff, hoping to find at least one shop open that stocks the things that I need. Because I couldn't possibly go another 24 without any Margarine, oh lordy no.

I sent out a Christmas Bulletin online and received some replies from friends. My phone is nearly out of credit, so that might curtail my Christmas SMS-ing. Might find a shop which does phone recharges.

Yesterday afternoon I watched the last 10 minutes of a recent (I think) production of Joseph and his Technicolour Dreamcoat, most notable because even though it was played in front of an audience of children, the chorus line seemed to be made up of near-naked Egyptian Concubines and Courtesans. WTF?

Not sure whether to cook myself a Christmas Dinner of Steak or Spaghetti Bolognaise. Probably steak, since it is less labour intensive. Really liking Spag Bol lately, even since my flatmate showed me how to make the mince sauce. Decisions.

I better hustle for my margarine and stuff.

Over and out.

-J

Merry Christmas to Readers on the other side of the Dateline

Hey all,

Thursday night I colonised a table at the Devonshire Arms to write some reviews that I was having trouble putting together. While I was scribbling I inadvertantly got talking to some New Media types who liked my jacket (the black patrol jacket with the badges). Turns out they both work for an online web community behind-the-scenes kinda thing, and one of them pulled out his Nokia N-something to show me the mobile accessing capabilities that had just been launced in the states and here in England.

The important thing is that one of them told me that said online community was looking for music writers, and he gave me his card for me to get in contact with him so that I could pitch my skills to those in charge of content. Neato.

Then I took a tube to Westminster and discovered that while it was still very foggy, it wasn't quite spooky-foggy enough to justify snapping Big Ben. Oh well.

Friday I stayed in, shopping for food at Tesco (absolute bedlam) then watching Qi (Stephen Fry in great form!) and Jonathan Ross. On the latter Richard Hammond made an appearance, demonstrating again how miraculously he apparently escaped serious injury, Though I couldn't help noticing a subnote of terror that passed through him at points during the interview... something along the lines of 'I know I'm okay, I'm sure of it... I think'.

Whatever. I'm just happy he's alive. Me and the rest of Britain.

Also Friday: an Alternative Mag Photog sent me a message asking if I was available to catch a French Band in Camden the next night, possibly to review the show. I replied positively, more because I wanted to see a different Alt Mag photog than the one I always work with. Writing for Alt Mag can be like being in a terrorist cell sometimes: it's almost like if we're captured we won't be able to identify any more contributors.

Saturday I polished the reviews, sent off the Dragonforce review and headed into Camden. The band turned out to be pretty crap (no need to review them, because not much nice that we can say), but the photographer was cool. We wound up going to The New Intrepid Fox on Denmark Street, where we swapped stories about our experiences and ran into Regis.

Pretty good.

Today I polish and send the other reviews.

I'm going to have a quiet Christmas here in Leytonstone, probably sending out Christmas Messages to all and sundry but not getting silly in any respect.

I'm also going to make a list of New Year's Resolutions and another list of Goals For The New Year.

Over and out,

-J

Fog Update

Hey All,

In case the story hasn't reached my readers where they are, the fog that I saw last night wasn't just confined to the West End or East London.

Apparently it is all over England and some of Europe.

So much so that some airports are closed down for the moment.

This is bugging one of my flatmates, because he flies to Sweden on Friday.


I'm thinking that if it is still foggy tomorrow night I should run around with a camera getting shots of London Landmarks (Big Ben etc) in the Fog.

On a side note, I wonder if some John Carpenter Fans are freaking out.

Too cold and foggy.

I'm getting some sleep.

Over and out,

-J

Hey All,

Hey All,

Yesterday morning there was still frost on some leaves, lawns and rooves at 10 AM here in Leytonstone. Hello Winter, glad you could join us.

Last night I was sent to cover the Cradle of Filth show at the Astoria. A friend of mine too up the +1, and we queue'd up for an hour and a half while waiting to be let in. We probably would have been queue'ing longer, but some old school Thrash fans let us into the the queue because they overheard me saying that I was excited to see Sabbat (reformed British Thrash band).

When we got to the front of the queue I discovered that if you are on the guest list you can go onto the Guest List Queue, byspassing the far larger main queue. Yep, I'm a NooB.

No matter. First support Deathstars were good, even if they did look like The Murderdolls and sound like Fields of the Nephilim jamming with Duran Duran at Rammstein's house.

Sabbat were far better, Andy Sneap demonstrating that despite being more famous as a producer these days, he is stilll anincredible guitarist. Extra points for having a bassist that looked like Hagrid The Giant. Though their set was blocked from brilliance by a drummer who occaisionally missed beats and singer Martin's obviously suffering vocal chords.

Between bands I talked to an Australian friend and her North London posse of occaisional Suicide Girls. I also saw the guitarist of a veteran crusty/anarcho-punk band excuse himself midconversation to answer a message on his Blackberry.

Eventually Cradle of Filth came on to a carefully set stage. And frankly they didn't really do much for me, though the fans did love it. Backing vocalist Sarah Jezebel Diva is horrendously fat and dresses wildly inappropriately for this fact (though friends do insist that she is a really nice person) Dani Filth is still a midget, something visually exacerbated by his decision to wear overlarge boots, the mix was a bit sketchy and that material from the last two albums was rather weak.

Granted the encore was pretty good (Cthulu Calls, Cradle to Enlave and some othe one) but I was still left with a feeling of 'Is that it?' when the show ended.

Afterwards I hung with my pal Richie, who ran into the editor of The Wire, an English magazine that deals with various kinds of avante garde music. I think I've got the latest issue lying around here somewhere. Next we went to Garlic and Shots, a bar deep in Soho that is open late (we passed on The Crobar). Interestingly I got to meet a tall, slim man with short, slightly grey hair and a soft brogue who turned out to be the reviews editor at a London extreme metal magazine (I'd say which one, but I'm trying to get out of the habit of making my Name Dropping so easily googled).

Chilled in a basement crypt of Garlic and shorts with Richie and a few beers until the staff turfed everyone out. After that we both decided that sleep was prefereable to negotiating the Cro-bar, so Richie headed off to Trafalgar Square and I headed in the opposite direction to see if I had missed the last tube (I had) so I had to wait for the night bus in the dropping temperatures and rolling fog.

By the time I got home the fog had blown all the way east, blanketing Leytonstone in an eerie mist that reduced visability to ten metres, if that.

Today I'm writing and stuff.

-J

Sunday Night Again

Hey All,

It's been an interesting weekend.

Friday I think I've written about. Now I just need to write about it in a more formal way.

Saturday was the Metal and Hardcore all-dayer at The Dome at Tufnell Park. I meant to get there earlier in case tickets sold out and I couldn't get in (remember that the last Berzerker Show was at the Gararge, and I do remember it being reasonably well attended). However I had fish to fry here (cds to burn for people, domestic stuff etc) so I did't actually get there until about Half Five. Thanks to the stopping/starting Northern line I got talking to a pretty Physio-Therapist from Melbourne. She had a Michael Franti CD she couldn't get out out its shrink wrap, I've still got sharp nails (shorter than they used to be but still razor like). I told her about seeing the Disposable Heroes (Michael Franti's pre-solo band) back at the start of 1993 with Sonic Youth.

Tufnell Park I jumped out and was just happened to get talking to a longhair who asked me if I was going to the gig, because he needed directions to the venue. I showed him the way, and in return he gave me a face value price on a ticket he had (each band had to sell fifty tickets each, or horrible pay-to-play situation hence him selling tickets on behalf of his friends).

I needn't have worried; the show was about half full, and the support bands were not really anything to write home about, with the exception of a Laptop-Jockey blasting out metal mashed with Gabba.

I did get to see some friends of mine. A journalist pal of mine and a freelance photographer who is just starting out (she has already had stuff in Metal Hammer, Rock Sound and Terrorizer).

The venue was a weird kind of hall with a stage at one end that looked like it dated back to the Big Band Era (despite not being big enough for a Big Band). The Gabba DJ's sets produced so much bass the the ceiling started to shake, showering fine debris, and the rain outside backed up something or other, producing a bizarre musty smell.

But the The Berzerker was brilliant. Their set was even more intense than the show back in February, I think (will check) and the mosh pit was absolutely insane. I loved it, especially since the tall stage and thinner crowd meant that I didn't have to be right up the front to enjoy the set.

They closed with a furious cover of Corporeal Jigsore Quandary by Carcass (interestingly, I saw Bill Steer's Classic Rock band earlier this week - what a different direction he has taken).

With a huge smile on my face I headed over to Slimes to kick back until dawn, then took the tube back to homebase.

Tonight I scribble, and polish and scribble.

And make a list of stuff to do this week.

More soon if I think of anything.

Over and out.

-J

Hey All,

Hey,

Thursday Night I was sent to see Dragonforce at the Astoria. A 2215 curfew at the Astoria meant that I missed both the support bands, but Dragonforce themselves were pretty amazing. Lot's of energy, well developed performance, incredible instrumental skills, all up pretty damn good.

Yesterday I got an SMS from Phil asking if I would like to cover the Birthday/Christmas night of the ROCK Club at the Mean Fiddler that night. I'm not too big on the ROCK Club myself, but I figured that there was no good reason why I shouldn't take it. It was a club night rather than a show per se, so it represented something different to my usual fare, besides which a band called Winnebago Deal were playing, and I hadn't seen them yet but I had heard good things about their performances.

The club night itself was actually pretty quiet. I think that everyone was either at Sin City in Camden or possibly at Synthetic Culture in King's Cross (I'm not sure if it was on, since it's not a place I tend to go). But I did enjoy the band and see some interesting people. Saw some friends of my pal Paul Coleman, he who was in London for a bit but is back in Brisbane. Met someone who did their undergrad degree in Art History then did a Masters in Business Management and is now a City Headhunter. Met a girl who is apparently the presenter for a new Rock Channel on Sky, as well as her agent (a cute, blonde law graduate from Sheffield). Also got talking to one of the Bens from Winnebago Deal (who, incidently, were brilliant) and saw my good friend and reliable wingman Regis Hertrich, a photographer who is spoken of highly by everyone who knows him, in a city where photographers are usually hated an reviled.

Mental Note: Tell Elea to Check out Winnebago Deal if they make it out to NYC. Winnebago Deal make me want to play rock again. In a country where every band seems to be made up hipster fucks, WD are an island or rough'n'ready rock'n'roll.

Gross side note: I just blew my nose and the snot came out bright orange. That can't be right. If this keeps up I suspect there is a chance that my left sinus may be infected, ergo I'll have to track down a doctor and get a course of antibiotics.

On that gross note, I'm going to have to hustle because I have to get over to Tufnell Park to see the Berzerker at the All-Dayer they are playing. The Berzerker are great, but the main reason I'm going is because a good friend of mine hinted that the editor of a serious metal magazine might be there (if so, he would introduce me as that kid that has written some good reviews and should submit some stuff for consideration). I reckon I'll take take my bag or a big notebook so that I can get some writing done in the down time between bands.

Also: I am really loving the new Tool Album 10,000 Days. Incredible material.

Mental note: make list of CDs to get Dad to bring over from Australia.

Gotta Run.

Over and out,

-J

Hey All

Hey There,

The induction yesterday went well enough. They had us sign some pieces of paper, write down bank details, gave us a tour of the store and had us watch DVDs on Workplace Health & Safety as well as Working in the Sales. After the induction I wandered over to TK-Max (some kind of clearance warehouse place) and bought a pair of French Connection Leather Gloves for only £15. Ordinarily I think that these gloves would be £30 or £40. And they fit so nicely that I think there's a simile in it.

Anyways, back to Next. At this stage I'm just going to be working for a few days in the sales, but I think I'm also likely to be on call it it gets busy leading up to Christmas.

The idea is that I work as hard as I can and really shine the days that I am there, so that at least if I don't get offered a permanent job (which is a slim possibility) I can get the to sign off on a really good reference.

Besides which, it is likely that nothing will inspire me more to crack on with my writing and media career than working for five pounds an hour in Leyton.

Speaking of writing, I am a little saddened that Marlies over at www.morrigans-pit.org has decided to close down the webzine ahead of her starting a new life in Canada. While I have been more focused in the last few months on writing reviews for Alternative Magazine, I know that I wouldn't have gotten the chance to write for Alternative Mag if the editor hadn't been impressed by my writing for Morrigan's Pit.

Of course, it does leave the question of what I do with the things that I want to write about that doesn't fit in Alternative Magazine, because as much as I love writing for them, it does occur to me that I should set my ambitions a bit higher than three live reviews a month. Furthermore, the more I write the better I get and the more I get seen.

So I'm thinking that I might revive my reviews page and see what happens from there.

There is a new years coming. Time to think about goals and strategies again. I feel a brainstorm coming on.

In the meantime, tonight I am covering Dragonforce for Alternative Magazine. I haven't found anyone that wants my Plus+1 yet, despite putting the word out through the usual channels.

Still, it is hard to feel down when you are seeing a great band for free.

In the meantime I'm listening to the new Tool Album (which has acutually been out for a couple fo months - incredible art direction on the packaging and the music isn't bad either) and cleaning up my room. There are so many magazines on my bed that I only have a third of the space to sleep on, and stuff is piled so high on my desk that everything threatens to spill over.

I'm setting myself a deadline of Monday for the Dragonforce copy. Thee Ed hasn't said anything, but I personally feel like I let the turnaround get too long last time (even though it was three reviews for three shows in four days

Other news:

Went to Stratford Library the other day, renewed Clockwork Orange (all that Droogy Talk is making it heavy going) and found some three books I thought were worth borrowing: The Magazines Handbook, Careers in Journalism and Principles and Practise of Advertising. Then and there I sat down and read some of the Magazines Handbook, specifically the parts dealing with writing features and interviewing skills. Paradoxically, despite the extreme likelihood that the writer has a background as a journalist I did find the style lacked clarity of communication. Still, I did find some useful material.

I also finally got around to mailling the magazine. Hopefully it won't get stolen by postmen.

This new Tool Album is really good.

Enough blogging. If I was feeling dark before the music is making me feel better.

Over and out.

-J

Today I...

Today I chipped away at my To Do list.

I burnt a CD for a friend, then I realised that I didn't have any CD cases.

Trip to Tesco, then, since I also needed more tomato sauce (and bread and stuff).

While at Tesco I also bought some C4 envelopes (the envelope version of A4, not the explosive). The idea being that I was going to make good on my plan to mail the latest Alt Mag to Australia.

At home I started watching Tora Tora Tora, the movie about the events leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbour. I found it pretty captivating, especially given that today was 7th of December (indicating that somebody at ITV decided to be clever/commerative).

Next I set out to go to Stratford, meaning to get some cash out of the one ATM I'm sure is not skimmed, but some fruit then hit the post office and mail the envelope. A sound plan in theory.

In practise, the Central line was suspended in both directions because somebody threw themselves in front of a train. Then getting onto the 257 to Stratford was a re-enactment of the last days of Saigon, 1975. Then traffic held up the bus.

Eventually I made it to Stratford, grabbed the cash and the fruit and discovered that the Central Line was still out. Repeat of the Last days of Saigon, then heavy traffic slowing the bus down to a crawl.

I think I finally got to the Post Office at about five, only to discover that on Saturdays it closes at one. The shop attached to the Post Office stays open til seven, but the Post Office Punks pike out just after lunch.

So I still haven't mailed the magazine, meaning I still suck. But not as much as the Post Office does.

Anyways, this evening I chilled out by cooking myself a mincey-saucey-pasta-ey Spag Bol while listing to the Ambient half of the Sulphuric Saliva double CD I bought.

Off to Slimes soon.

Over and out.

-J

It's Six AM and I can't sleep...

So here's the latest breaking news:

I got the call today from Next at Leyton saying that my induction is Next (hur hur) Wednesday at half three. I guess that's confirmation then.

Also: I finally finished the Motorhead and Backyard Babies reviews. Strictly speaking, I finished them last night, but I thought that I was catch some sleep before sending them on. As it happens, that was a sound strategy, because with my head cleared I managed to do some last minute tweaking (and fix a glaring typo) which made the pieces ever so slightly better.

I around about midday I emailed them to the editor of Alt Mag, who rewarded me with double passes to Dragonforce on the 14th and Cradle of Filth on the 19th. I'm hoping that my newly acquired temporary employment doesn't affect these dates, because I'm afraid that when Metal clashes with Employment, Metal is likely to win.

I've just discovere that the support act for Cradle's Astoria show is a newly reformed classic Nottingham Thrash band called Sabbat. I was previously not that familiar, but I've been listening to one or two of their tracks on their myspace page, and they make me want to play metal again.

Speaking of Alt Mag, I still haven't posted the latest one down to my family in Brisbane yet, because I suck. If the post office is open on Saturdays I will make sure I do that tomorrow.

Not to mention that I am long overdue for another clear-up of all the magazines that cover two-thirds of my bed.

Last Saturday a good friend of mine was scandalised that I haven't read A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess. So on Tuesday, after going to the Bank at Stratford I ducked into the Stratford Library and found myself a copy. I've been reading it, but the language makes it bloody heavy going. I thought there was supposed to be a Glossary(?)

Anyways, I have a stack of books to read. Which means I should probably take more long tube and train rides, since that seems to be where I do most of my reading.

Another note:

I didn't mention it much in the blog, but over the past three months I was in a frequent state of panic over my health. Hypochondria+over-education about nasty diseases+worrying symptoms+lousy timing etc= me properly freaked out.

During this time the gentle weight loss I had been experiencing for most of this year jumped into high gear with my anxiety, and I found it really hard to keep weight on. I would literally forget to eat for 24 hours at a time, and burn off whole kilos with my nervous twitching.

Then just over a week ago, I had my finger pricked, came back negative and all was fine (I'd already had a battery of other tests, there was only one test left...).

Needless to say, I'm feeling much better, but an annoying side-effect of my new-found well-being is that my weight is starting to creep back towards twelve stone again.

Bugger. I was rather getting to like being slimmer again. I could fit in my leather jeans and all.

Anyways, enough from me. I'm going to try to know a few more tasks off my to-do list before it gets warm enough to go out again.

Over and out.

-J

Hey All,

Hey there,

Haven't blogged in a couple of days because I've been busy with stuff. Fortunately I seem to have some good news:

First of all: It isn't 100% confirmed yet, but I most probably have some work in Next (swanky English clothing shop chain). The DWP sent me for the interview over in Walthamstow yesterday, I shaved, washed my ever-more scraggly hair put on a red shirt and black trousers.

After the interview I was told that I had successfully passed, since they were looking for confident, outgoing people. I couldn't believe it. Apart from being a Barista and the charity shop I have no experience and no references. The Interviewer must have thought I looked cute in a suit. It's the only logical explanation.

I even told them I would cut my hair for the job, at which point I was emphatically told 'No! Don't cut it, it's completely you!'.

My friend Emma has told me the same thing, but bear in mind that Emma has her head shaved up to the crown, the rest dyed pink and likes to wear tight rubber dresses and Vivienne Westwood style shoes.

Confirmation comes tomorrow. A few days over Christmas and a possibility of permanent work. Fingers crossed.

Anyways, after the interview I took a wander through Walthamstow, since I hadn't been there literally in months. It seems to be moving up in the world, lots of little coffee shops opening, and the corner shop that used to be a bakery is now a barber-shop with polised wooden floors and leather couches. I wasn't sure it was the same place, but there is a sign at the top of the plate glass windown saying 'Hot Bread Baked Fresh' or some such.

I also saw that the Ottakurs in the shopping centre is now a Waterstones, and I met a writer of children's books name Nicki Cornwell.

Victoria line into London took forever. I took the Northern line to Camden and sat in the near-empty Devonshire Arms writing my reviews in a notepad. After that I headed to the West End where I caught up with some friends in Leicester Square.

Eventually I got home. My fridge was empty, but it was too late and too cold to make the journey to Tescos for food. I left that to this morning.

I would really like to see The Melvins at The Scala on the 11th, but tickets are sold out and I suspect that the touts are going to be charging trhough the nose. Which is annoying.

Anyways, enough for now.

Can't believe it's Friday already.

Over and out.

-J

Hey Hey

Hey all,

I just had a pretty hardcore weekend.

Thursday night I hung with friends in Camden, and wound up crashing on the floor of a friend's Camden Bedsit (possibly the only time I wish I had shorted legs).

Friday I was supposed to go out to some club to meet some friends (extremely loose arrangement) but I wound up putting my plans back to watch a new episode of the Simpsons, and thus wound up missing that last train out of Leytonstone.

Never did wind up making it to the club, but had some minor adventures trying to get there (seeing the N8 route in the reverse order to the usual, seeing some nice looking Georgian buildings in Bethnal Green, meeting some students from Sheffield on a bus etc). Eventually I met some friends who happen to live in Leytonstone kicking around Oxford Street, and took the bus back with them.

I love London, but it annoys me that with the possible exception one or two sketchy bars in Soho and some really bad cafes/kebabishes (and Slimelight on Saturdays) there is pretty much nowhere to go after a certain hour. In Brisbane at least there was always Fatboys or Jimmy's on the Mall, or the Beat or something. I've said it before, I'll say it again: it is a flat out lie that London is a twenty-four hour city. Posters stating this should be erected in every other city in the world.

Saturday I took care of some domestic duties and Saturday Night I headed into Slimelight. Slimes started slowly but before the end every man, his mother and her dog were present. There were Strength Through Joy regulars who didn't even go to the last Strength Through Joy. Not to mention that I got to see two great laptop shows (one of the being

Also: two or three people told me that they had read reviews I had written for Alt Mag and liked my style/ability to communicate the nature of the show in the small space available. Which is an ego boost. At least one of these people is in a position to introduce me to editorial staff on some other established magazines. I would be far more specific, but I think that I do far too much name dropping in this blog, so anyone who wants to know more about it please feel free to e-mail me (jason_deathpixie@hotmail.com) and I'll tell you all about it.

After Slimelight I had breakfast with a few friends at a greasy spoon cafe nearby, then took a swoop through Camden before coming back to Leytonstone.

Today I have fish to fry and fires to poke.

More news as it comes.

Over and out

-J

Ey Oop!

Hey all,

Bit of a quiet week compared to last week.

Hung out with some friends, chilled out etc.

I finished the Hatebreed review and sent it off. I think it came out nice and punchy.

I'm in the process of writing the other two reviews.

In the meantime, I'm heading out.

Other news before I go: I don't know if I've mentioned the skanky old clinic across the road that the NHS decided to close about two months after I moved to Leytonstone. In case I haven't, it's a bleak looking bungalow with a concrete courtyard that is currently overrun with weeds. Besides being located in a miniature toxic forest, it is also right next to the Overland Rail line, which routinely makes my bed shake in the night (because let's face it, nothing else does). Anyways, the NHS, in their infinite wisdom, decided to Auction it.

According the The London Paper, it just sold of 1.4 Million Pounds.

Fuck. Me. Blind.

And on that note, I take my leave.

Over and out.

-J