So this should be Download 2016 review BUT!

Okay so, lets get this ball rolling, and try not to get crushed under the weight of every thing that has happened in the last fortnight.
Download 2016 review should be here but I've just had most of it wiped from my memory with everything that happened. Now don't get me wrong Download 2016 was enjoyable and it's usual interesting time, from the scorching 25 degree Wednesday and Thursday to its raining main even status of Friday to Sunday. Which is the problem. I missed out on the back half of Friday due to tent problems with a sudden tremendous down poor which flooded half of my tent but thankfully spared my sleeping quarters. Having to drop out after around 70 minutes of Sabbath because my coat was so drenched that I couldn't stand up any longer and it was too wet to sit down, to back problems on the Sunday resulting in me deciding not to go down to early and just see the final 3 Acts on the Sunday to give me some form of enjoyment.

Most years this wouldn't be an issue as the group would have each others back but this year this was the year I went Solo!
Everyone else's lives just got in the way this time. Though with all the Downloads over the years behind me I was very much prepared for it. An the general setting up camp and getting to and from the car in one motion was made very much easier by the way I now plan and carry my gear too and from camp.

Did check out the NXT even as well while I was there and very much look forward to them coming back to the UK and attempting to get tickets to see them.

I'm sorry this review is so minor but there is so much more to get into what has happened and so little memory of everything that happened while I was at Donington, Met some great people in the camp site and in the arena as always will talk to anyone. Skindred and Disturbed performances were fantastic as always and as expected but now on to the other stuff.

Monday get home, Tuesday recover, Wednesday go to Alton towers. Thursday about to go to dinner and it rains, Wait for rain to pass then go to dinner, but the sky is falling, falling so much that the water in my garden is now 6" up the side of my house and 2" across my downstairs. An we begin bailing, from 2pm till 10pm bailing for my life, I got lucky, Very lucky, 2 neighbours have had to have their floors removed and lost electrics and all sorts, I can't afford home insurance so after the minor tiny flood from 5 years ago I modified the house to cope, put in new floors raised the damp course in the house and tried to keep all my power and electrical equipment off floor level, plus tiled the entire downstairs apart from my living room.
Unfortunately though I did lose the transformer for my Xbox One and my Ultimaker 2 3D printer and my Wanahoo 4X, plus a couple of Coax Cables for my TV. The transformers aren't going to be cheap but I worked out everything that needs to be replaced would have cost less than my excess on home insurance.

Now the other side of this flood, the Scalextric Racing Site I run ended up under 8" of water.
This is insured but the work around to rebuild it will take several weeks as it is an operating company we have to take into account health and safety and COSH and all manner of other little annoying things,
So once the insurance is in and lays out what they will cover and what I have to do I will have a week after dry up to rebuild the whole site, which I have spent 12 years building and maintaining and modifying to fit the needs of the company that pays me what they like to call minimum wage.

But this also means that once I have put in all the parts that need to be addressed I have to invoice the company for the work done and claim back what ever components I have had to purchase.
Which after replacing everything I have had to sort at home is going to leave me border line broke. for a while.

An with out the extra income from my 3D work which I can't do at this time I am in a little bit of a pickle.

So anyone wondering why I'm a little but more crazy than normal or quick to stress or anger, have a wild guess whats on my mind.

Oh and I lost 4 note books of new pencil designs and concept work for new things I was working on when the surface they were on started floating away and crashed into the cat litter tray that was floating the other way.

I'm off to keep throwing out wet boxes from the cupboard under the stairs.... At least my bathroom and kitchen floors are cleaner than they have ever been.....

I Get Wet without even trying. "Download 2015" Swim Suits may be required.

Welcome to an abbreviated blow by blow of Download 2015. Why abbreviated do you ask? Well that is simple, though I spent a lot of time in the Arena on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday I was hopping about a bit trying to keep warm in the rain.

   

 

 

Wednesday and Thursday was glorious weather. Possibly too hot to be sat in one space too long in the arena and meaning vast amounts of water drunk if it stayed as it was over Beer, but still it was a glorious couple of days. Then Friday it started out really nice, then as the arena gates opened it began to turn grey and then well it rained non stop from around 2pm till 5pm on the Saturday.


Do want to just side note actually checked out the Comedy Tent in the village on the Thursday and I don't remember any of the names of people we saw but it was enjoyable and was a good giggle for an evening, though we did seem to spend about 3 hours in there! If you want to know who was preforming go check out the Download Website.


Friday this is all main stage. If not going to move only doing it to find food or beer.
So we shall start with well where we started which would be Clutch. Been around a while and still able to put on a show, solid set nothing flashy several of their better known songs and just all together an enjoyable watch. Nothing to complain about nothing to praise was just a solid rock and roll show.
Five Finger Death Punch followed, you know what I like FFDP and have all their albums but the last few times I have seen them at Download I have never been impressed with their set's at all, For some reason they just didn't seem to get me going which is a little bit upsetting and I was starting to think their production with the CD quality was the problem, but everyone I know had seen them play at their own tours and things said they were good and I was failing to see how. This year they surprised me. I was just blown away by their presence on stage and the ability to play, I'm going to guess it might just be down to what I was going through when they played before and more me than them. One day they will be headlining at Download they will be deserving of it.

Judas Priest. I've never seen them play badly yet but then I have only seen them twice and even as the years roll on they never fail to impress me.

Slipknot. You know what, even with the new guys in the band I couldn't tell anything was different.
If you weren't at download but caught the rock am ring live feed then you pretty much know what happened. Identical set other than the German section at Rock Am Ring was in English. Still an incredibly high energy 90 minutes of a group of Guy in masks making a very loud noise. An making the pulse race and hair fly.

Shall we go back to camp and check we've not flooded yes yes we will. Tent 4 and 4 still standing.

 

 

 

 

Saturday, tent still standing, still raining.
An the first band is 11am! WHAT THE HELL! In all the Downloads I don't think I have ever made the arena before the first band it ends up being a long day on your feet and with the ground sodden and muddy it is hard walk from the camp site all the way in the bottom of green which is my favourite place to camp to the actual arena. So onto the Lounge Kittens, I have been watching their you tube videos for a while. An live they did not disappoint. Funny and very musical. An from here we wander to 4th stage for New years Day. Had seen a couple of their you tube videos, wanted to check them out, good vocal range, very jumpy and high energy set rather impressive fingers crossed they keep at it. Now where whats next! Beer. Right band find a band what band... Apocalypitca. Who appear to have got a singer for their latest work and while there were technical issues due to weather still put on a show though I feel with having this singer it detracts a lot from what originally got them to the party. We shall see how long this lasts. Musically even with the technical issues can't fault them for their preforming ability. Right food and over to main stage for Hollywood Undead who seem to have somewhat evolved pretty far from their roots. First album did impress me a little but this latest incarnation of themselves just don't float my boat, though the rain was seeming to be able to do that at this moment. Back to 2nd stage for Motionless in White. These guys have so much potential. Both on album and live, though to get bigger they need to do something radio friendly I guess and that would totally be against what they are and while I think they could go a long way if they could find their audience of which I am gladly a member. That audience will never be big enough to have them standing as a head liner upon the hallowed ground of Download Main Stage though I do think they will get to that stage one day. More food and off to Faith No More. It's faith No More what can I say! tight as always funny and ever and doing that thing they do being brilliant and random and a little but crazy. Good set nice mix of new and classics with some re-imagining of some classic songs. Such a good set. Mental Dash over to catch the End of Andrew W.K. An yeah not getting any where near that stage. He is on 3rd  which is a Tent it is a large tent but so many people wanted to see him as he tours over here so rarely now a days, Would have liked to have seen him on second stage, while this would have given the fans more room, I'm not sure the energy levels would have been the same. I did catch a bit of Muse, Couple of songs, but not really my thing. Musically can not fault them.  I forgot Manson! How could I forget Manson! Especially as he actually played a blinder I was in total shock. Every time I have seen him play Download I have been greatly unimpressed as he mumbles and fumbles his way through the set. More like he is just doing it cause he is being paid too and can't be bothered I even watched his Rock Am Ring set and wasn't that impressed as he couldn't be bothered and just made a half arsed attempt to play music. But Download this year WOW he was up there with how he was on the Twins of Evil Tour and I shall give him his dues on this one couldn't fault it, didn't really watch the stage as was stuck near the bad but what I could hear sounded really good.

 

 

 

Sunday. Sun Shine! We start with Sunshine!
I wanted to check out Pop Evil, they were playing at 11am, I wanted to see Evil Scarecrow, I would have liked to have seen the Von Hertzen Brothers. Not a chance, while the sun had got me up early after pulling a full 12 hours in the arena the day before my feet were not up to it!
So what did we start with well Tremonti, They were an acceptable rock and roll band. Didn't blow me away didn't suck was just good old rock and roll, bit heavier than Alterbridge. I got nothing here I am afraid just a good old generic rock band. Then on to Black Berry Smoke, I like these guys some country some rock all soul but while the odd song dropped into a play list of many varying songs makes for a good distraction and a bit of a sing a full set for me is a bit too much, it was raining again and once more some minor technical issues but they played on. Didn't really blow me away but once more it's a personal preference isn't it what works for one don't always work for another.
Billy Idol. Still plays amazingly well to say he has been doing it for a little over 30 years now. Still plays the classics and adds in new stuff, Good to dance along and sing along too.
Slash. Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators. Now don't read this the wrong way I am a MASSIVE GnR fan it is where I started on my road with music if it wasn't for them I don't know the late 80's and the 90's would have been a very different world for me I guess wouldn't have had that gate way band I fell in love with all them years ago and no one has ever managed to turn me against but I do wish they would play their own stuff, they have two complete albums and a partial album in the way of the first Classic Rock Presents Slash album. Every moment from Night Train to Paradise City and all in between. The dirty and amazing rift that screams out the introduction of Anastasia. To singing along with the track I can't remember the name off from World on Fire. (I have been writing this since around 6pm and it is now midnight download this year was hard work) One day these guys will be Headlining Download and they deserve to be doing.
Motley Crue. Slammed on the barrier for this and not a great place to be. While musically it was fantastic, Being so close to the stage made it hard to see what was happening on it even at 6'2" tall it was uncomfortable while it didn't dishearten me or my enjoyment of the set I would have liked to have been a little further back for a better view of what was going on instead of having to make do with flashes on the large screens.
Okay you're not going to like this but.. I don't get KISS. I just don't. The ego the bravado and the ignorance and arrogance of them just grinds my gears. (see I still managed to get a family guy joke in) Then to berate other bands for using pre-recorded samples when playing live. Or too gloat that their day had sold 85,000 tickets, not realising their was possible 5-10 thousand round the corner watching Enter Shikari. Oh and to me Kiss are still well Boring I do not get the fascination with them. 85,000 tickets is a nice amount to sell. But Maiden, Sabbath, Metallica. They all sell out Download. Kiss You wouldn't have even sold out the old in track arena.

 

Obligatory Photo of Me 

 

 

 

Monday Morning, Glorious weather to leave on, once of these years it will stay all the way through. Here is too 2016 and another 6 days of Friends, Music, and Mud.... I mean no mud there is always mud.

Ready for Download 2016. 

Hey Ho Lets Go "Download 2014" A lost weekend in review.

Where to start? At the beginning? On the Friday? The Wednesday? I am fairly sure not one of you is interested in anything but the bands I can recall, the things I remember or the way it was.
I'm sat here with In This Moment, Blood Re-Issues & Bonuses playing as I am working up to a new Album review, an they are on my list to review, but they didn't play Download, so you will have to wait for that.

So we shall begin with saying Download festival I have been to them all but the first one. An I was meant to be there for that but yeah it's messy. It is my annual pilgrimage to Castle Donington, the group changes but I always stay the same, I try to watch as many bands as I can which can be hard at times as it's a festival an partying in the camp site at night can mean late starts in the morning, okay I possibly mean afternoon.

We will start with the Wednesday shall we. No bands play on Wednesdays. But then this is the thing, I left Leicester as I was staying over at a mates before heading in we left at 11 am, reached the services had breakfast. Now here is the mad bit even in the quietest years and there have been a couple not many but a couple that time in the morning the services near to East Midlands Airport and the road down to the Race Track are usually choker block, this day how ever we drove straight into the services, had breakfast then drove straight into the car park and parked not a single traffic delay at all! This was a bit of a shock.

Into the queue around 1:30/ 1:45 takes a while to load up the trolley an drag two massive tents, and bags all the way over to the gates themselves, we slowly went along down getting closer to the gates and they were searching everyone a little more thoroughly than we have seen before which was interesting, but if you're not carrying anything you shouldn't have then it's all fine, in we go and tent was up and we were down with beer by 4 pm. Just walked into our normal camping area and set up with out issue. Down the bottom of the Green camp site. Not to far from the village but just far enough to be out of the way if anything kicks off we are safe and sound. So were in Thursday happened. Involved going off site to buy beer, as the price for a crate of 24 cans was a lot steep. Like £42 - £48 steep. An Turborg possibly the most horrible larger ever created was the more expensive one!

FRIDAY.

So not an early start on the first day, arena don't open till 12, first band goes on at one, two we wander down to be in position for:

Powerman 5000, most random of starting bands, no one seemed to know any of the songs as we wandered down, I could remember a few but once they started playing we all suddenly started remembering songs by them as they played and we sang along. Good set, worked well with the crowd though it wasn't massive. But still was a good set.
Moving on to the band we really came down early for:

Skindred, As always they brought the best they can be, with great tunes, high energy rifts and mixing and such a charismatics and fantastic front man. If they tour near you go see them they are just an amazing live act, full of energy and banter fun and all round brilliant act. Rugby Choirs and Tom Jones aren't the only musicians to come out of Wales and bring the house down. Just watch out for that Newport Helicopter.

Time for food a wander and a bit of a break. Wanted to see Flogging Molly and Black Label Society kind of managed to miss both some how. Think I was in the beer Tent, could hear black label and they sounded a little off but it might have just been the sound and as I didn't see them I can't comment on this really. As it would be unfair on them. Back in place though for:

Within Temptation, as always sounded amazing, vocally amazing as always and good set, though I don't think we will ever see them much higher up the line up. Great vocalist. Check them out.

Now the act I was looking forward too and was expecting an amazing show from was Rob Zombie.
Was expecting something fantastic as every time I have seen him to date he has played a blinder, be it at the Birmingham 02, Headlining the second stage at Download 2011 or the twins of evil show in Birmingham NIA with Marilyn Manson.  He has always brought an amazing show and an amazing presence.
He couldn't be bothered. Complained that it was sunny, complained he was doing a "Party" Set, Had non of his props on stage and even asked if the Solo John 5 had been doing was long enough to take them to the end of set and walked off to be sent back out to play Dragula that he slurred the words on like many songs and just couldn't be bothered. I have the utmost respect for Rob Zombie as an Artist and I will just have to put it down to technical issues short set and something making it a bad day that just ruined what could have been magical. But I don't know all I know is what I saw from around 50 feet from the stage.

Bad Religion. I really didn't know what to expect here. I had no clue at all, never seen them before know the odd song and know how long they have been around, was glad I saw them though they didn't light me on fire they played very fast and very well but I have nothing to compare them too. Some jokes thrown in but that was about it really, they might have been playing their hearts out they could have been dialing it in, I just don't know but they did play well if they didn't light a fire under the groups backsides.

Here comes my highlight of Friday. An the rest of the groups too. Ave......... hahaha Nope wasn't A7X it was the might and the amazing Offspring.
Playing Smash, from intro to intermission to end, throwing in hits from Americana and the last single from Rise and Fall, You're going to go far kid (Dance fucker Dance)
20 years on, and while the years are seen on their faces, they still play as hard and fast as they ever did, the crowd was behind them pits appearing, dancing and singing along at the top of their voices, at one point even drowning out the band and the main stage with their cries along to hits like Pretty Fly for a white guy and Self Esteem. Crowd interaction as always was done in the form of little in jokes and they banged out hit after hit with efficiency and a greatness that these only veterans can bring. Set finished with 15 minutes to spare. I do wonder if they had anything left in them after that to do an extra encore but the stage hands never gave them a choice and started breaking the set.

SATURDAY!

The plan was to make the Arena for Fozzy.......... This was a massive fail mainly on my part as I had spent a lot of the evening Drinking with people around the camp site and I didn't crawl out of bed till late. An then pretty much started drinking again in order to avoid the hang over, Music festivals the only place where it is acceptable to down 3 pints before the kettle has boiled to make the coffee.

We aimed once more for 3 pm as we weren't missing bowling for soup. An as it's the only video I could  find have some of their Download 07 appearance.
I am a massive bowling for soup fan they are up there in my seen more times than I can could list of bands. An after 20 years they have retired from big tours, so this might have been the last time to see them for a while. They cram so much into a set it is unreal, jokes songs and they never miss a beat. Crowd interaction going on through songs after songs during songs just non stop party band and they are such an amazing group of guys to see play and it is a shame it might be so long till I get to see them again. Just go find their work buy it get everything you;'' love them you might even know more songs than you think.

As I really wanted to check out Richard/Crane featuring Whitfield Crane and Lee Richards a new project I skipped Killswitch Engage. An then passed out for a bit. R/C though are a two piece acoustic project, this is a new path for both of these guys getting out those songs within them and down, they say every time they do a new project it will be different and this is going to be a journey through music with them and their creativeness. Was a very gorgeous pieces and I am looking forward to the finished album. Which the first one will be Acoustic. Don't expect Ugly Kid Joe or God Smack though but something new and very interesting.

Right I'm awake I have hiccups, need to get too 2nd stage as the wild hearts are ab-o-ut t-o pl-ay, was so uncomfortable no idea where they had come from but they were pissing me off and then I herd that opening rift of sick of drugs and I ran off full speed straight to the front of the crowd pushing my way though to get a decent view. I do love the Wildhearts. Ginger the ever charismatic front man, the band behind playing in unity as always and once more some hard hitting fast paced songs that just make you want to BOUNCE and sing along. Always amazing watching the Wildhearts and Ginger.

Twisted Sister.... Oh My God I Wanna Rock! Amazing presence fantastic front man funny as hell and just some very hard hitting Rock and Roll. Low flying planes though and New York bands not always the best thing especially when Donington Park is directly under the landing path of East Midlands Airport. First random moment of the set. While it was towards the end of the set. Second stand out moment was the tribute to Motorhead and Lemmy. Dee Snider is a true gentleman of Rock and Roll.

Now this is where it gets a little complicated. I started to wander. I watched the first 20 minutes of the Quo set and the boys were on fire they said was a short set due to the football.... Sorry what!? I'm at a rock festival I couldn't give a shit about the world cup play music not sports. Read the results on your phone later and let the bands play. I wandered to third stage and caught a bit of Behemoth not really my thing but from what I could see sounded good were playing well and I did like the out fits, the set layout and the special effects. An as they were playing Linking Park, now not my cup of tea but sounded clean and well presented I didn't look towards the stage but I got to hear crawling and one step closer which are the only songs I know by the band and they sounded really good, before heading back over to the 2nd stage for the End of Quo, some random conversations with people around me and some hard core air guitar, then back to camp and more beer.

SUNDAY.

This all went very wrong. I was going to see Buckcherry if it killed me. It very nearly did, was an early start, so beer in hand as I was going to have to drive the next morning get the "light" drinking in early on the way down to the arena. So off for breakfast, beer in hand, have breakfast, then its right were off to the arena, me thinking I would have time to get back to the tent change the battery on my E-Cig grab an extra beer just to finish them of on the walk and dump things like my trench coat and stuff in my pockets. Nope no no no not allowed were going. Off we wander. We get to the Arena entrance and Buckcherry come on stage. Damn It All. It is jammed tighter than a sardine can and were not getting in in a hurry so I get to listen to a distorted sound as the wind is up and at that range everything is bleeding together. Get through the gate and they start Crazy Bitch. Yeah last song of the set that's how long it took to get in, I manage to get from the arena entrance to the barriers before they get half way through the song. So if you saw a 6'2" guy running across the Download arena heavy leather trench coat billowing that was me. I'm sorry if I knocked anyone over I think I dodged, jumped and skipped round most people.
Any way back up for lunch and the usual meet up spot, I do love Deli Kate, possibly my favourite food stall, they do all the rock and metal festivals go check them out. Is it Deli Kate or Deli Cate? I don't remember they have been standing at download 5 years now, they also do blood stock and this year Alt Fest. As well as a few others.

Crash at the top of the hill for some Richie Sambora, Crowd which is singing along look small from where we are, sound is okay but he is no Jon Bon jovi, he can play the guitar but he hasn't got the same range as his band mate. Though once he starts playing the well known Bon Jovi tracks the crowd picks up and starts singing along.

Joe Bonamassa???? I sat I watched It did nothing for me. I recognized one song, which is played to death and isn't that impressive, the performance was good it just didn't get me going or make me want to go purchase his CDs. I ended up wandering went past 3rd stage and saw them trying to crush into the tent for Crazy Town which I didn't expect at all but they were just surrounding the 3rd stage trying to get in.

Volbeat, You know what I own their albums, I rarely listen to them, I was really impressed and I should possibly go back and listen to them again really nice show, some good tunes some interaction with the crowd and very pleasing set thoroughly enjoyed them and once I learn some words might even try and see them on their own tour.

Sorry Steel Panther you just don't do it for me.

Seether, never herd them before had no idea what to expect was pleasantly surprised though, some really nice tricks with delay peddle and loops. Really good performance had my foot tapping and bouncing along to songs I didn't even know. Shall be checking them out more once I have some funds to do so.

The Pretty Reckless.
Last time they played download I was shocked and amazed at how good they were, I didn't expect to like them I got their Albums and have enjoyed them. Now I don't know who's fault it was if it was the bands if it was the sound techs but the bass was so high that you couldn't hear any words all you could feel and I do mean feel was the bass drum and guitar. It really spoiled the set, when they did eventually get the bass lowered she appeared to mumble her way though the songs while the other mic the guitarist was using was clear and audible. This wasn't a wind issue this really was a set up issue and should have been fixed.
Several kids in the crowd more dads in the crowd just to leer over her dancing around on stage being provocative. Worst set of the whole festival though I have herd that Bring Me The Horizon didn't do that well either, but I don't know as didn't see them.

Back for Aerosmith. An the last two tracks of Alter Bridge.
Was it going to be the same lack luster performance of 2010 or was it going to be an energy fueled explosion.... BOOM straight off the bat it was high energy and 5 songs in I'm all okay they are playing to their potential lets go see Zebrahead for a change, we never go see Zebrahead......

I had no idea what I was letting myself in for here, the 4th/5th stage depending on how you look at it is tiny, and packed! High energy fast fun rap rock punk show. With some great little moments, but only a 25 minute set and so much packed into it including this.....

Yes that is a member of the band paddling a raft across the top of the crowd! 

It all gets a bit hazy after that much jollity was had around the camp site many jokes and stories told and a lot of laughing singing and doing really bad impressions before rolling in and calling it another Download Festival brought to a close. Roll on Download 2015 and another great 6 days of Alcohol, Music, Sun and fun. 

Is rock dead? Shouldn't the question is music dead?

In response to this massive blog. I say response I have been asking this questions myself for a while.

http://www.classicrockmagazine.com/blog/is-this-the-end-of-rock/

Music changes, it expands it retracts it adjusts and it alters, through time we have seen the singing of choirs in worship of deities, we have had the renaissance of Mozart and the likes, we have seen the rise of all manner of musical forms, which lead back from folk tales in song form, to the swinging 20's, 30's, 40's and so on to rock and roll of the 60's on to the metal in the 70's punk dragged us kicking and screaming into the 80's, we traversed the 90's with a mix of techno and rave before it moved into house music, and the new generation of rock came with it on the other side of the fence, we came across to the turn of the century and we were levelled by Nu Metal and Emo the baby sibling of the 80's goth generation. Though the haze of the memory kind of distorted what we got a little, the genre fractured into such a massive plethora of varying styles and types, no longer was there just rock, metal and punk, we got the cores, grind core, hard core, and so on.

With all these changes through music though came technological advances. Bards no longer wandering singing of things they had seen in the other village, going to the grand concert halls to see a full orchestra play the latest compositions from the great writers, as history moved forwards and technology advances, speakers, microphones, tech getting smaller allowing it to be positioned easier and faster, expanding the range of places music could be performed and we end up with the music festivals, and stadium performances of the bands we wanted to see.

An then we have this whole melancholy to see the greats. The bands that inspired the next generation of bands, of course they are still alive and with us though ageing because we grow old.

The line that makes me question within said blog was.

"Ginger Wildheart posted similar sentiments days after the Sonisphere headliners were announced. “It would appear that rock music is finally on the machine that goes bing,” he wrote. “The revolving door of (fewer than 10) worthy festival headliners indicates, to me anyway, that we have outlived the era of ‘big rock’.”

I do love Ginger for his honesty and bluntness, though I can't agree with this, yes while there are possibly as few as 10 large festival bands left who can pull this off, no festival is pushing newer bands to the top spot. Download 2014 in the UK this year is giving Avenge Seven fold a shot at it though and while I am not a massive fan of them, and am unsure they really deserve it yet it is a step in the right direction, an while we have the staple of linkin park and aerosmith as well headlining it does make me ask why is no one else taking the risk like this?

While the bands of the 70's and 80's still want to play it could be time to start allowing the 90's bands of which there are very few to take to the top spot and with this move a modern decade band the ability to try and show they are able to show a festival crowd there ability to wow the world.

While the record industry is on its arse due to the demise of the record store and the labels not wanting to push albums as you can record it and get rid of it online with out ever having to press a record, CD, tape! if you are old enough to remember the 8 track then them too. (I'm not)

An yes I have gone a lot of topic with this, but there are so many reasons for it, because it is such a wide topic to cover, the death of rock. The death of music. These are things that will never truly die, they just go underground. We love music, I can't think of anyone that does not listen to music in one form or another.
Be it the clubbers, the guys in the pub or anywhere else, we use music to tell us stories, we use music to make us feel, to give us a beat to dance to and to share with friends. We talk about bands, we are even very set in our ways about who we like. We fight for the bands we care about we scream and shout in time with them when we see them play, we sing along and we learn the lyrics because they are singing for us and we want to sing along.

Even the one direction fans, the wanted fans and the other Canadian idiot, who I can't be bothered to name.
They buy their music they learn the songs and they watch them on all manner of media. Just like the metal heads, the rockers and the punks among us. But we get festivals, because Alternatives stand together cause we always stand out.

So yeah the bands think rock is dead, but they won't stop playing, they think festivals are going down the pan, well they aren't we still want to see you play, we still want to be entertained and we will keep buying what you let us hear.

But they have to keep working and while the greats and the classics are reaching retirement hahaha no rocker ever retires. The next generation need to pick up the gauntlet and run with it, an yeah there is only a finite number of rifts and notes, but there is a massive dictionary of words out there.

Thrashers, thrash, grungers grunge, metal heads JUMP, rockers rock and punks... Yeah put down the flaming dustbin.........

Music isn't dead, it just needs to accept that it needs to be bigger once more and take back what is rightfully it's. The fans.

Thoughts of a 34 year old never giving up never giving in metal head. . . . . . . . . . .

Orcannas of Orcus the City of the Dead.

So this picture above, I did this a few months ago. It was my playing with this idea about doing more cartoony characters for Herenkoa and throwing away the idea of making everything overly realistic for the game, while keeping the game as close to myths, legends and realistic science as I could. 

It's a basic design around the idea of Dragon Warriors, from ancient China. 

Here is the thing, I am not even sure if Dragon Warriors really exist or if it is something I have made up from watching films over the years!

Now I wrote a piece and created a city called Orcus. I think it is on the map, the idea was this will be the dead city and everyone that was housed there had died and no one could work out why. So it was just known as the city of the dead. It's in greek mythology go look it up. Any way while I was researching this and getting my facts right I had this secondary idea. What is the city wasn't dead! What if this was just a story they created to hide from the war? 

At which point I came to this idea of them living under the city, they created this underground city and the aboveground city died away. Yet they scared off anyone trying to settle the city about producing the whole city of the dead issue and scaring everyone away.

The only issue I have with them living under the city is that it kind of links with the Centaur/Minotaur concept in a way that I did with the city of Minous and how this race came to exist with them being in a labyrinth beneath the city. Which they don't they were created there and then over ran the city itself.

Any way this leads me on to the idea of the City of Orcus and the tribe that dwells in the city Orcannans the way they hide is they fashion their armour to look like well that below and from a distance they look like fiendish monsters but under the armour they are just humans. So how is that for a concept? Having a human army that hides under their armour to make the world think they are monsters. An this all comes from the Dragon Warrior idea I was playing with a few months ago just to practise my ZBrush skills. The image below is the initial armour concept for this new tribe. 

Music, my love, my passion, my life......

Music is my first love. Always.
An though music brings us all different emotions thoughts and feelings, we have differences in what we like what we listen to what we choose to fill out heads with it all comes back to good tunes, lyrics, timing for me.

So as I lack someone to talk music with at the moment, that is on the same level as me musically I turn to here, an this isn't a review, this is a personal adventure into music and what I think what I feel and what I like and for you well or you all it will be different.

So Music shopping I have been, and there is a fair amount of stuff kicking around in my collection now that I haven't gotten to talk about to anyone.

Black Sabbath. 13. It is a Black Sabbath album, you get exactly what you expect but three times as long as normal, which is nice. Song's not conforming to that normal method of 3 minutes and try to repeat as much as possible to fill it out.

Motorhead. Aftershock. Once more its Motorhead being just that Motorhead with some bluesy bits and some slow downed tracks, and the usual splatter of thrashed up to the eyeballs power Rock 'n' Roll.

Five Finger Death Punch. The wrong side of heaven the righteous side of hell Volume One & Two.
I'm doing these two together, I borrowed Vol One and Bought Volume Two, and after getting volume two they have been on permanent rotation all day! I've seen them live three times an they just don't do it for me live I don't know why but on CD I think they are amazing, a complete mixture of great guitar work, impressive lyrics and altering song dynamics, just amazing me to be honest, really enjoying the way the songs change and the stories they tell. They are starting to really carve out their own sound and I do hope they last, if they keep pushing harder with their writing and musical ability they should go far.

Stone Sour. House of gold and bones part 1 & 2.
Now I give the stone sour guys there dues they are amazing musicians but I did go off them a bit with Audio Secrecy, just didn't impress me and I have given this double album some play through but not enough to really give a definitive have they saved themselves moment. I just I don't know some good tracks on there but not enough to make me play it in loop like come what (ever) may or Stone Sour.

Soil. Whole. Just feels like its trying to be Scars, and to be honest it should be. Its that line up once more, just I don't know feels like they are trying to hard?

Nine Inch Nails. Hesitation Marks. Another it's Nine Inch Nails and everything you could expect and more another amazingly put together album that still makes my heart break and race with both anguish and joy.

Motionless in White.
I picked up infamous, and their first album Creatures, not sure if they are more akin to Wednesday 13 or Marilyn Manson yet, with some Alice Cooper thrown in just for kicks, they are growing on me and are an interesting band would like to see them live hopefully they will be in the UK next year and I can get a bit more of a feel for them.

Avenge Seven Fold. Hail To The King....
How many rifts can you rip off? I know everyone was joking about it but I do find my self singing the wrong song, seriously! If it comes on and it isn't often as I don't have it in a rotation like everything above, I have given it a play through and I end up singing different songs to what is playing. Nightmares the only good AX7 album and I stand by it. Hail to the King, na you're alright, go buy one of the other albums in this list.

Korn The paradigm Shift. I own it. I have heard the few singles off it and while I do like them an the album is better than that last travesty I'm still a little unsure, it just don't feel like Korn which is funny as its got the most original members they have had for a while!

AFI Burials. I am really enjoying this album but 17 Crimes is such a catchy tune even if the video for it sucks so badly. It is what you come to expect from AFI, an any band that releases new stuff and stays with what they know works well for me as that is what you expect.

I have three or four more albums still to listen to properly, but its finding the time.

Candles

Fire burning in the night.
Bringing to you all the light.
Images flicker in the flame.
Memories from down the lane.
Past that seems to close and true.
Futures night and dark I miss you.
The time passed down it burns.
Fires rise and souls still yearns.
Darkness shrouds once candles burned.
Visions follow into worlds.
Memories still to come.
Things not passed and things not done.
Let the candles bring the light.
Into darkness they shall ignite.