We shall fight in the Hills (Download 2022) Could have been "MEXICO"

Shall we start at the beginning. We don't always but today we will.

Home for 5 days. 

Welcome to DOWNLOAD 2022 it's been 3 years since we did this right and No this still isn't going to be right. 

The 3 year gap has allowed for a few things to change, time does that time always does that. The results though well, we have a new campsite. It's HILLY. We actually have several new campsites. 

So, if you see the original map on my earlier post you will notice a few differences.  Yellow Campsite is gone. The Cinema is gone (There will be more to come on this)
So we ended up camped in the back end of purple, As you know what it was flat. It wasn't far from the village and it was walkable to the arena in 30 minutes. Way better than the old 90 minute walk we used to have to deal with. The pathing was direct and simple enough... WAIT! Hills. Seriously Hills! The whole area has got both nice gentle sweeping raises and dips to am i nearly vertical! Okay that is an over exaggeration but they did have some undulations that changed the angel abruptly. 
Okay moving on from this, we will get used to this and adapt out footwear to cope. 

Toilets! Erm so random this year. We had a mix of toilets in so many different designs, and ways or working from long drop portaloos to flushers and everything in between, thanks to some drunks though (I'm guessing drunks any way not actual vandals) in the camp we ended up with missing seats and broken mirrors, all general festival fare to be honest though this is nothing new. 

Security...... I did hear of a few things going missing in the camp site. I also was informed by a security group that they had found "security officers" actually stealing from tents. This was quickly dealt with stuff was returned, the individuals involved were escorted from the premises and I am guessing charges would be being pressed, badges were stripped. This restored faith in the lackluster searches. I didn't get searched or checked once. Only time was the usual entry checks through the first barriers. 

So many issues with tickets (Going to the digital age) From parking to camping, you would think coming up to 20 years of the festival they would have got to grips with this all by now. 

Okay hang on stop. I'm not bashing and what I am about to say is not that difficult. I still find Download to be one of the safest, friendliest and amazing alternative festivals within the UK. While there are as always teething issues with new advances and ideas they do get ironed out rather quickly. 
With the toilet situation I am going to guess as it was a week after the Queens Jubilee it is highly likely that most of the good toilets were stuck in that there London and we got the leftovers. 
While on the situations of toilets.... Cleaning..... Yeah..... It was HOT, we are talking the opposite of most downloads. Generally the campsite toilets are cleaned 2 maybe 3 times a day. They had got really good at keeping on tops of this. Well this year, yeah it didn't happen as frequently. 

I understand that the total number of ticket sales, both camping and day was down, due to the cost of living, the slowly dispersing viral issues and fuel prices. This in turn becomes an issue with the stalls and food services. Talking with one or two of the independents it became clear that the festival is quickly pricing itself out of independant sellers. For example there should be shops and stalls here.... This is the far side of the festival field which normally would hold the activities and shops. 
NXT, Fighting Knights, Newrock Stall, Merch bits and so on. It's Empty.

Actually outside of the Music the entertainment in the arena was nothing. No Area 52, No NXT, No Armoured fighting, NOTHING. The Side splitters stage and the Doghouse where open air affairs within the village, which did hold quiet a few things and some surprises like he Malevolence and Boston Manor acoustic sets at 10:30pm which also didn't get announced until the middle of the afternoon. Which was nice. Gave us something to do when we got back to the camp if we had left early. 

All in all it was interesting and I am hoping that lessons are learned and the organisers make improvements. 

When it came to food and Drink...... You have a captive audience. The price gouging HAS TO STOP. Once more pricing yourself out of the market, we would like Download to last for long past my lifetime, like Glastonbury just go on for eternity. But they are heading the same way as Monsters of Rock, just keep racking up the prices as the visitors reduce due to the cost. I have to eat and in the arena I have very little choice other than purchasing what you offer but being charged £10.60 for a burger, Is daylight robbery. A Cheese and Bacon toastie in the village was £6.50 but you can't live off Toasties. 

An what is even worse it the organisers set the prices according the them. So how come some stalls were doing water at £2.60 and others where charging £3.00? 

Why did Burger prices vary from different branded outlets?

 Above it he Bar Prices in the Village. I really wish I had gotten the prices in the Arena. As they were fairly close and here is the difference in the village they were cans, in the arena they were pints. 
Also we were once more left with Carlsberg Pilsner..... An other low ABV Alcohols. We used to get a good selection of drinks back in the Turborg days. It might be vile but it tasted better than Pilsner. 
Maiden Played this year, normally they come with Trooper. Where was the Trooper? 

For the last 18 years. I have had a budget of £400 which covers food, drinks, Merch. Been the same for every one of the 5 day events. This year I went over £600. The Merch hadn't really got anymore expensive. The food and drink was just too too high. 

So I should really get into weather and Bands really. The weather was glorious. It was very warm and as such fluids were very much needed. Overpriced water issues. 

So bands.....

Punk Rock Factory played in the Village Thursday night was wild and so hectic but a really good sing along show. 

Friday Friday Today is Friday.

Theory.

Who are actually Theory Of  Deadman, I got into these guys back in the 2010's and own all their albums was a good performance covering many of the albums and quite a few songs I knew. All in all a really good show. An I am not just saying this as it has been so long since I have seen live music, I was at the pilot back in 2021. 

Enjoyed Black Veil Brides on Friday, I know very little about them I can't recall if I had seen them before but the performance was good, enjoyed the set. Yeah sorry I've got nothing they are an Emo band from back in the early century and I have never really followed them. I enjoyed it but I am not going out of my way to get into them now. 

Skindred. I have seen Skindred so many times and my reviews are always the same for them totally enjoy what they do, from Benji coming out to the Imperial March to the New Port Helicopter they are an amazing live act, entertaining and brilliant live. 

Wandered over to sleep token in the tent after Skindred had finished. 
So, I like music, I enjoyed the playing I thought the songs have potential, I just don't get the stik. The crowd interaction was non existent and while hiding behind masks is nothing new it just felt a bit flat. 
As I said nothing wrong with the singing the playing of anything I just didn't enjoy the gimmick.
(I forgot to take any photos)

We will get on to Saturday in a second as I've seen Kiss twice and they do ZERO for me and I had run out of bands and ended up in the Bars and heading back to the tent but we did see Malevolence doing the acoustic set in the side splitters and it was such a good show.  

Good Morning World, It's Saturday. What's on the list of things to do today?

Well for me today is all about Bush, Shinedown and Iron Maiden. That is it. 
(I'm presently realising the only reason I am at the festival this year is because I rolled my tickets from 2020. The line up has suffered greatly over the delays. I also know I have purchased my 2023 tickets already and am taking a gamble on the 4 day music event for next year.) 

Saturday Morning View.

So into the arena after failing to once more find a good breakfast. The Chinese / English food hall it not here this year. Which was always the greatest place to grab breakfast in a morning and a seat but it's just not here. Possibly another victim of the pandemic or a victim of the price hikes that the organisers have placed on the venue stores. 

Right on to bands. I am still impressed with the new walk from camp to arena and that it takes as little as 30 minutes. Roll it back to 08 to 19 it was nearly 90 minutes to walk from the village to the arena. And we were camped at the back of the Purple camp site the camp site possibly furthest away. 

Right who did I see on Saturday.... Oh yeah I went to see Bush but because the walk was so short we got there in time for Ice Nine Kills. I can't fault the playing, I can't fault the performance, I can't fault a lot with these guys. It was just Alice Cooper does it better, Wednesday 13 Does it better, Rob Zombie does it better. They are another shock rock group. Songs about Psycho, Friday 13th, Halloween, Yeah we've seen this all before. I don't know a great deal about them and I will probably look into them more. 

Bush. I have been waiting to see Bush since the 90's,  when they first appeared, was listening to them through Secondary School, which means there was probably a nostalgia haze covering my brain, but you know what they played amazingly, interaction was entertaining and I got to sing along with every song. 

Right we shall wander over to ShineDown. Loved it, awesome set great time really enjoyable. 
I remember tweeting about it and how awesome they were, but like Neck Deep from last year I seem to have misplaced the memory. But here are photos to prove I was there!

So. This is where it gets hazy. I want to see Megadeth, I am not phased about Deftones, there is quiet a gap we shall wander and get some drinks have a laugh see a few friends and then get a spot for Megadeth and finally come back for maiden. 

Rocktail Cocktail you have a lot ot answer for.

These were a BAD IDEA but so tasty. 

Oh WOW look at all the people we should go get a spot for Iron Maiden, damn it going to miss Megadeth. Ah well seen them several times and how many more times will we get to see Maiden really?

I'm not even going to write a review here for Maiden, you know how it works. Starting set, set change, amazing performance lots of things on stage and popping up bits and pieces and always look on the bright side of life to end. So here are the photos.

Sunday! Wait No Saturdays not done! I'm buzzing, lets go do something we haven't done for years! Lets walk the cap sites. Yep that happened. Been getting older so we had stopped doing this just wandering the camp site, chatting to other downloaders discovering what was making their festival great. So we donned the trench, and walked into the night. We actually wandered till 3am, met so many wonderful people, told jokes had a laugh with so many and had a really great night as well as blowing out my own vocal chords, again. We were introduced to people from all over the world. Was such a fun giggle bringing laughter to all and laughing with all. Because if you're not ready kids, you'll never know who lives in a pineapple under the sea. Right on to Sunday.

Sunny Sunny Sunday.

So today is a day for Bands today is a day for a lot of standing at main stage to day is going to be awesome. 

Let's play spot the tent!

I keep forgetting how quick the walk into the Arena is so instead of making it in for Alestorm and too meet up with friends that are on day tickets We arrived for Powerwolf.

I enjoyed Powerwolf, I have no photos of them though as I forgot to take them. Yeah this happens and as the weekend goes on becomes more common due to me really just getting into the bands. 

So we will skip to Alestorm. Finally I get to see Alestorm, I'm not too drunk they aren't playing too early they are on stage I am here it is AWESOME to finally see a fun band that love what they do. With catch Pirate tunes sing alongs all round entertaining group. I did watch from a distance as I was with the day tripper friends, due to them bringing their 8 month old they wanted to stay back and I was down with this. Baby sitters are expensive but you can't always miss a gig. 

Have a photo and a video!

 

Volbeat time. I really really enjoy Volbeat, I find them entertaining and musically good. Though while standing watching singing along and enjoying every moment of their set and what they were doing I came to the realisation that they might be the Danish version of Nickelback. Then I just let that thought go as they aren't they are a good mix of rock, roll, and metal. With the power to do some nicely laid out and written tunes mixing languages as they go. So Volbeat massive in Europe hopefully massive in the UK as well one day. 

If you have gotten this far then I shall share with you this, the blog is coming to an end very very shortly. As what comes next should have been my last actual band. I wish I had walked away with Dave at this point as nothing left on the bill was going to top KORN for me. I told other members of the group that they wouldn't enjoy steel panther or The Darkness and when I saw them in camp later they agreed with me. But we will get to that in the final thoughts. 

So Korn. Over the last couple of decades Korn have evolved and changed more than any other Nu Metal Band. Well maybe Slipknot but still. What Jonathan Davis can do with his voice Just WOW. 

His stage presence and performance has greatly improved from the early days of standing on stage playing away to the way they now interact with the crowd. Still banging out fantastic stage shows and singing every line with every ounce of heart. Was great to hear Twist, Freak, Shoots and Ladders, the medilies everything and finishing with Blind (Once more blew my vocal chords) loved every second of it. 

I agreed to stay for Biffy Clyro.... I don't get them.... Can't knock them nothing wrong with the playing the singing any of it they just don't do a thing for me. Here are two photos from Biffy.

Back to camp and a conversation with the guys that went to see Steel Panther and The Darkness. I did not see any of this but I have had a few people collaborate these things. 
Steel Panther. Taking the piss out of both Def Leppard's drummer Rick Allen by putting his arm in side his shirt and playing the drums. No just fucking NO that guys done more for music than you bunch of regurgitated spinal tap failures. Then doing Ozzy impressions and taking the piss out of him. Yet again Nope. I do not like Steel Panthers I have seen them once, they are not good they are a group living off sexist jokes and bullshit performances. In the present way of the world do we really need a failed Motley Crue impersonators that aren't fit to lace Spinal Taps boots on our stages?

Oh and I just hate The Darkness. So Yeah thats my personal thoughts on them. 

Monday... Home Time....

Final Sum up and thoughts.

Covid, Fuel crisis, Cost of living issues all caused so many issues.
It felt like a Download, it was a great weekend. Loads of amazing people bands and entertainment even if it was more muted than normal. 

Great seeing the festival scene back. 

The Bank Holidays being in the posting cycle for tickets and car parking passes.
(Mine turned up thursday while I was at download!)

Some work needs to be done, we can't do anything about the hills in the camp site, the new village layout is a great idea but needs to bring back the vendors and we are talking the pre 2018 vendors. 

I miss Bagel Dude, Tea and Toast, The Waffle stand, Delikate. I don't miss the more corporate food vans. Where was Easy Cheesy? Now I think about it. 

Someone needs to look into the pricing properly and be more realistic it's a 4 day music event next year for the 20th Birthday. 

Someone needs to look into stocking a bit better too. Bar's closing due to running out of beer, Merch Sizing needs to be thought about as well as the larger sizes run out quickly and let's be honest most metalheads are not small people. (yeah we like beer and we have a few to many extra pounds)

Also I don't want these two food stalls being priced out of standing. 

 

So, livenation. Please lower the pricing on food, sort out the beer situation as you keep promising us that you'll get the price down to what a pint is in the pub and give us more choice. 

You have been promising this for YEARS actually DO IT. 

We love the Plastic Cups. Most of us have stacks of them at home, keep this up seriously more of them less card ones. We will swap them all day until we leave and then the next day we just start again with a new cup and keep swapping. Most of us come home with 4 or 5 of them. Please keep this going and get more made, we might even be willing to pay a little bit more for them as long as we get that same amount off the bill everytime we swap them out. 

Toilets in the Campsite, maybe more cleaning routines like they used to be back before Covid. As they fill up quickly when you don't have enough to cover the amount of people you have. 

Most of these things I would guess you have information on. We have been doing this for 19 years now An when we come back for 20, let's be the country's greatest festival and home for the Alternatives in  this country once more. We've survived this long and I'd like to keep surviving and showing off new rock metal and punk bands to the next generation of alternative. For we are the Metalheads, We are the Punks, We are the Goths, The Emos and the Rockers. An we Will never Die. 

So from this Dave of the two Daves. We will see you next year. Speaking of the Other Dave he will be doing his Annual Download Review on the.
The Untitled Rock Show Wednesday on Endeavour FM.  (15/6/22 9pm BST) 

Pre Download Festival 2022 or Five Weeks to go.

 So, why am I writing this one so far before Download? 

Generally because I can, I am not going to promote this at all, I am just going to write up my initial thoughts on the line up, the new layouts that has been shown and some other tiny things I have noticed. 

So shall we start with the line up?
Why have the attempted to keep it the same as the 2020 festival? Seriously why? Every other festival going on right across europe has added a day, has changed the line up and has done all kinds of wondrous things to make up for missing out on two years of music. It is also still possible that in Europe they might get cancelled, since the UK government has decided to drop all covid restrictions and health and safety advice, we no longer hear what is really going on in the rest of the world about Covid, unless something big happens. Like China's mas lockdown again. But I digress, the line up is what it is.

Friday Kiss. This is going to upset a lot of Kiss fans, I am not a Kiss fan, I think they should have retired and stayed retired the second time. I've seen them twice and neither time have they impressed me.
Also half of them have passed 70 while the other half are knocking on the door.

Saturday Iron Maiden. I like Maiden, I have zero issues with them they gap their gigs so they don't get too worn out and so on. But they are also getting on. Only Bruce isn't old enough to draw a government pension and Nico is closing in on 70's. Still love them and am very much looking forward to Fear of the Dark with the East Midlands Choir. 

Sunday. Biffy Clyro. Not my bag, but they have a following. Under them are Korn and Volbeat, Korn maybe passed the point of drawing the big crowds they did in the 00's and Volbeat while headlining in Europe probably not as big in the UK. So I do understand this booking. Do I agree with it... Maybe not but I am not booking it. 

Now you might be sitting here thinking why are you going if you think like this. Well There are another 112 bands playing(It was a very quick rough count on the poster) and I want to see about 31 of them. Plus a few I just want to check out and add to the list of bands to review. 

With 3 bands dropping out due to reasons!? 
Distillers... Cancelled everything...
Pretty Reckless... Canceled Festival Tour, not own tour blaming Logistics
(I think they wanted more money or a better slot)
Code Orange... Nope that one I don't know why that happened or where they were on the poster this was just what I was told be someone so I take this one with a pinch of salt.
(though Napalm Death has been slotted in)

I wanted to see them 3. Distillers have been replaced with Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes.... WHY! Seriously they were originally 3rd band on in the 2020 festival. The Headlined the Pilot which was fine they were available short notice the whole pilot was thrown together in 21 days! I wanted to see Frank Carter. I saw them at the Pilot. I Was very very very disappointed. An now they are replacing The Distillers a band I was very much looking forward to especially as they were against Kiss. 
Personally I would have just pushed Airbourne up a level. Seriously they could have headlined the second stage. 

Okay why am I doing this... Easy because post Download I write my review and we sit and talk about how we couldn't see X because the tent was crammed or we missed Y because beer or Z was playing but the sound was terrible. An I just wanted to do a bit of a "If I had to do it would I do it like" blog. 
Also the things I am looking forward too, the worries of the new camp site, the way it is being pushed so hard at the moment both Day, Weekend and Camping, which is making me think that maybe people just aren't ready to go back yet. The new layout while interesting has some massive spaces. This is a thing we will not workout till we get there though. So here comes the break down of the above. 

Firstly new layout. 

East Car Park looks like it is the old Blue Campsite. That is fine, but when you see where the camp sites actually are that is a long walk from one side to the other. Are all campers going to be in the West Car Park? If so that is a small car park. Also the camp sites themselves. Do not look very big. The Village is looking awesome but there is a lot of open space between campsites and so on. If I am right, and I have checked with old Maps, the Purple Campsite is where the old Yellow Campsite was. So Quiet will also be where it always is. That means that Yellow, Blue, Black are all in the old West Car Park. That ground was horrible when we were parking on it, so I don't want to imagine what it will be like for tents. (Pack your air beds people)
This in turn leads me back to numbers and the pushing of Day Tickets. If the campsite is smaller then you have to make it up with people coming in every day. They have also reduced the RIP Camping size.

I am saying all this but there is still he possibility to rapidly change it at the drop of a hat I would guess on the influx in ticket sales. I would hope that they accounted for the possibility. Also I wonder if they are running on the 2020 plans with the 2021 plans to now come in 2023? Though they could have done the 2021 plans now!

What comes next? Clash's clashing bands is always a risk and until the time table is released I am unsure what this will be like, for the last few years (Not including Pilot) at least one headliner has ended up being the only band playing this reduces the clashing as the 2nd stage finish and the main stage starts, while the tents can still be seen to keep going but not all the tents. This year we are guessing that it is likely Maiden will be the only band on, but it is possible that it could be kiss in which case To The Bar to get wrecked on Trooper. 
Also Beer choice, we could do with more. Last few years it has just been Carlsberg Pilsner. Not all of us like Pilsner. his year we will be getting Trooper, I personally am a big fan of Trooper as are the rest of our Group and I don't know why Live Nation don't just do a deal to have it at every Download because it is far nicer than the Download Dog swill. 

Any way all worries aside it should be awesome there are so many bands playing that it is going to be a very constant wandering from stage to stage. An while i have sat here and typed out my worries my hopes and the things i am looking forward too. Trooper on tap for one. Seeing everyone again and as this is my 18th Download..... Missed the first due to health, Missed 2020 due to lock down, was at the pilot. An next year should be 20th Download.  

Which by then hopefully these last few years will be behind us and we will all once again be ready to rock. Also 20th Download. That needs celebrating.

Virus's a Covid Journey.

So background.

I am double jabbed and boosted.

I survived a hit and run when I was 16 resulting in me gaining brain and nerve damage.

Said brain and nerve damage is what saved me from a viral infection on my brain at the age of 42.
With out said damage I Wouldn't have realised there was something wrong and got to hospital early enough to save my own skin.

So at 43 what happened, well Our beloved government decided that all Covid restrictions were no longer a legal requirement in an ongoing pandemic. 
Our government thought that it would be simpler to leave the mass's to get back to normal and act like the pandemic never happened. Sorry I mean decided to let the mass's take matters into their own hands and do as they decide. 

Well for me that meant still wearing the face mask and warning everyone that while on our premises due to the lack of airflow or any ventilation within the shed that they should really wear masks. 
If they don't feel well just cancel and we will not worry about it as it is better to be home than be in the building passing on the virus. 

Yet they don't listen and as said I am masked I wash my hands regularly I am very careful as I know if I am off work things will go wrong. As they always do because my employers have no idea how to run the site. 

Any ways, I have no idea when it happened but I caught Covid. (I will take an educated guess when it happened as I can calculate it down to the people through the door and the time it took me to get ill.) It was the "men's group" which was booked in on a day when we were closed by one of my boss's who while on site spend the entire night sat in an office at the other end of the building leaving me to deal with 21 gentlemen who were happier to be out and of course never bothered that they had "colds" and carried on being out in the world once more. 

Masks work if all are using them. When you are heavily outnumbered there is a possibility it is going to get through. An social distancing with my job well that has never been really possible. All I can think is I had to drink, I put the mask back on and I didn't tighten it enough I shall go with that. 

That cold that several of you had, well it happened to be Covid. An I know this as I thought oh I have a cold I will just take a test to make sure and Oh look it is positive. I'll just take a second test to make sure out of the newer kit an Oh it is also positive. Well that's 2 LFTs from 2 different kits both saying I have the virus. So we will trust the LFT report it and not bother with the PCR as that's just taking up room in the system. 

Partner also tested, results so far for her have always been negative. When she is home I have my mask on and when she is not home I have had windows open and mask not on. Thankful for global warming right now as its mid march and it is unseasonably warm. (Global warming is BAD need to sort that)

Anyway I haven't reached day 5 that is tomorrow and I shall be testing for the first time since the positive result on Thursday morning. 

So what has it been like, I have been expecting this flu like horror, an first day it did feel like I had flu, I had aches and cough my nose was running my throat was sore and I was hot then cold and everything in between and these included both hot and cold sweats!

Day two, Just a sore throat and random lightheadedness and loss of energy though that didn't last long and was back to strength very quickly.

Day Three. coughing and sneezing, sore throat gone, but much coughing and sneezing. An aches in joints and muscles. 

Day four, well today. Kidney pain but only mild, sore throats back but I can eat and drink without pain so think it might be the vocal cords. An occasional drop in energy which yet again don't last.

Who knows what day 5 is going to bring? 

It is rare I get the same symptoms one day after another. I am hoping that my test tomorrow comes back negative but I have a feeling it wont. Though I would like it too so I can get back to work on Tuesday as I feel I am letting down customers.

On top of this not being in work over a busy weekend has been hectic as I know all the stuff I am going to have to rebuild when I do get back in. As I have been called in twice well technically 3 times over the weekend to try and repair the site. The Saturday I went in once the site was closed double masked and gloved (Double Masked is my 2 micron resin casting mask with 5 layer carbon filter with an N95 under it) I would hate to pass this on to anyone. 

Wow this is really long and boring. 

So in short Covid SUCKS. It can be deadly it can be boring it can be awkward. Seriously every single person I have talked too has said different things. There really is no baseline Covid expectation. It has been so random and so different through all my research and talks with friends and people that I have been able to talk to about how it has been for them. While always remember the few that I didn't get to talk to about it, but that is the thing this virus has been so turbulent and destructive not all of us got out of it unscathed. Hell I haven't got out of it yet, this is the end of day 4. I don't know if day 5 will see me clear. I know my employers would like to see me clear so I can go back to making them money. 

So yeah why I wrote this. Because like most things I try to get my thoughts down in this blog, about what's going on as well my brain is already damaged and it helps to run things into words. An while I was slowly starting to get my brain back after the viral thing from 2021 recovery was taking way too damn long but i was getting there catching Covid and being late to the party is just a thing that has happened and I wanted to get this all down before my brain wiped it out. I have enough learn to live with issues I'm not sure what comes next once I am through this. I regain energy quickly so if I do get worn out then It probably won't slow me down. My brain is clearly becoming better at getting things out as this is really long. This cough needs to do one. 

An incase you were wondering, which you probably aren't, I am still going to wear my mask at work, I am still going to keep my distance as best I can, I am still going to clean my hands regularly and I am still going to make sure that I don't pass this on to anyone else. 

But you have had it your now immune. Nope I am jabbed and boosted I have had it, I have about 6 weeks off immunity and guess what that is not good enough. Get used to the mask's people, they will reduce colds, flus and covid infections. Keep washing your hands once more will reduce cold flus and covid infections (also nora lets not forget about that horrid piece of work)

So yeah I am jabbed and boosted and I am not going to die but it is an inconvenience making sure I dont kill some one else by passing it on but that is all it is. An it is one I am willing to make. Every damn time. 

I'm a long way from done, I might still ruin it, I Might make it look awesome. All I can say for sure no matter what it is the first mini I painted this year.

 So why the odd title.

It's been christmas it's been new year, it has been an odd one with it falling on weekends and with the state the worlds in the day job has basically not been open so I have had time to paint. 

Which has been nice, I picked up a lovely miniature from Bad Squiddo games which is the dungeons and laser Xeno Dragon, I got it built and painted over 3 days, being new years day till January 3rd.
This though is not about that though I am a little proud of it. Which I shall be honest for me is odd. 

This brings me to this blog and what it is about! Self Criticism (Is that how you spell that?)
We all do it, some of us do it more some of us do it less. 
But the whole thing of hating things you created even if others think it is good.

I know we all sit here trying to get likes and thumbs up and so on in order to get the dopamine hit. 
Which shockingly is more common in the younger generation, while with the oldies not so much. 
It is more related to the time you learned to use the internet. Side tracked again sorry. 

It is more for the tryers. (is that no that is definitely spelt wrong)
Never knock your own painting, you painted it. 
Never give up just because someone says that naff, the reason they are saying is because they are jealous.

Also Practise everything is practise. I hate my painting I forget how I get colour combinations and all sorts, but I painted it.

It's got different colour parts, it has different hue's (nope also looks wrong) shades and so on, did I paint it as the book says. Did I heck, I painted it my way, my sloppy unlean way, my slap dash totally not how any painting guide anywhere will tell you to paint way, but it is my way and it works for me. 

The paints not too thick not to thin because I learned how to use a wet pallet (probably wrong but still) means my paint flows. 

Once long ago, (some time in the 1990's) I worked for the juggernaut of tabletop wargaming. Who of course taught me to paint, sculpt and other things as well. An you know what I still changed how I paint as it was what made me comfortable and what made me happy and still does to this day. 

So the questions to answer are as follows (yep no rhyme or reason to this at all)

I don't get edge highlights. They are not a thing you would ever see in real life so why do we do them?

Do you start dark and get light?

Start light and get dark?

Start in the middle and shade and highlight?

Do you use basic paints or mix and blend?

In all honesty non of the questions matter, what matters is do you enjoy your painting?

Do you feel pride in the army you hand crafted and placed on the table top?

Are you playing a game you enjoy and using the hobby to relax?

The last 3 all should have the answer yes to them and if this is the case then who cares what other people think, while we like to hear good things about things we create and do non of it is that important just the desire to play games and spend quality time with friends and strangers demonstrating our tactical prowess and lack luck with dice, while pushing around miniatures making look like our minds want them too.

Side note this is a rambling of my brain trying to say something which I honest cant find the words to say, this is my first random attempt to blog in a while and I have been sat here for 4 hours writing this.
My brain is still struggling to work correctly and I have to just keep pushing in order to get back what ever I can. 

Thanks for humouring me as I try not to lose me.