Are We Still In The Game?
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Thu, Mar 17th 2005
11:34 am - Bnad Stuff (Bad/Good)

Bad: Our studio booking was apparently not written in, and the dates we'd agreed have been filled by other bands. Arse. Looks like we will have to go in in June now instead.

Good: We have been confirmed for the 13 Festival with Sonata Arctica et al in July.

Mood: tired
Music: Nevermore - Sea of Possibilities



 
Wed, Mar 16th 2005
9:43 am -

Yesterday: went into town to sort out an international (Euro) draft to pay for the new geetar; unfortunately, it'll take up to 5 working days to get to me, so that means by the time it does, I post it, it gets there and paid in, guitar gets sent out... It'll probably be the end of next week at the earliest before I have it.

Eve: C and I went to the gym. I felt *really* tired and not much in the mood (w blues), but going did make me feel better afterwards. Home, stir fry for tea, a bit of TV, some noodling on the current encumbent Jackson, then finished off with a bit of 'Strangers Wrath' on XBOX. It's cool; a "love it or hate it" kind of deal methinks, but if you love Oddworld games (I do) then it's a winner.

Today: got stuck behind 2 tractors from Overton wiggly road - then once at the edge of Kingsclere, there was a cable down across the road and the police had shut it off. Sat there for 10 mins, then decided to turn around and go all the way back out round via the A34 and Tot Hill; took me an hour to get to work in all :-\

On the radio on the way in, there was a news story about the woman whose grave was dug up and desecrated by anti-vivisectionists. OK, putting aside any personal feelings either way on the debate - the newsreader explained she was targeted because her family "Breeds skinny pigs for research purposes". *Huh*?... So of course, I'm sat there trying to ponder the reasons why a pig of reduced girth might be more useful for vivisection - when the item moves on to an interview in which the mention of Guinea pigs puts me straight. Yeah, so - that's what state my brain is in on a weekday morning... (Hmmm - I know a community where this anecdote might be appropriate...)




 
Tue, Mar 15th 2005
4:36 pm - Birthday Shouts -

To [info]warwick, and my man David Cronenberg.
:)




 
10:52 am - Ah, How Could I Forget The New Guitar?

Well, not yet, but (hopefully!) on its way. Having not found anything to lure me at Percy Prior's in HW, I decided that - yes, I *would* buy the guitar I'd been stalking on eBay for the past week or so. I clicked the "Button 'O' No Return" on Sunday morning, and have since been in touch with the vendor about payment etc. - I have to go into town this lunchtime to sort that out.

I am a bit nervous; private seller over eBay (from Ireland), £1300 guitar, said large sum of fundage going out in good faith, etc. etc... Still, he has a reasonable amount of decent feedback from other people who have bought guitars from him (not that this can't be faked, mind), seemed genuine enough, has other guitars on the site, etc. So all in all, I took the chance that it'd be OK.

It's a Jackson Soloist SL2H (My current instrument being a Soloist SL3 - but I've never liked the 3 pickup configuration so much), with a "shattered glass" finish and looks absolutely gorgeous. Pics etc. when (if?! no, when let's say) it arrives...

Mood: hopeful



 
10:34 am - Weekend, Yesterday, NTS Update

Friday: Went to Sainsbury's just for a few bits and pieces; these included Fuller's London Porter, as they were running low so I acquired 2 of their last few bottles - "just in case". Didn't do an awful lot thereafter - ate, TV, etc.

Saturday: A well-earned (and much needed) lie-in, followed by taking a drive out to High Wycombe to check out a guitar shop there. The shop was OK, though as expected their actual stock differed somewhat from the ("we can order the more expensive ones for you but we don't stock them") web site listing. Asked them about service and re-fret on my Jackson; it'd cost about £250 - but apparently they send them up to Chandler's to do re-frets. Well, might as well take it there myself then... HW - hmmm; I'd assumed it'd be quite posh and well-heeled (as, most of the people I've ever met *from* there have been). In fact, it was alarmingly Chav-ridden and bestowed with a distinct 60s throwback ambience - the kind of shopping centre that Basingstoke was until a few years ago, and Newport very much still is... They didn't even have any recognisable brand of faceless corporate coffee purveyor (i.e. the ones C and I like) - they're still stuck in the dark ages of independent local (i.e. crap) coffee FFS... They did have a Game though - so C got the pink SP she's been hankering after for a while, and I got 'Strangers Wrath' for the XBOX. I also managed not to buy a DS, though it was a close call. After that we went back to Basingstoke and (aah, back to civilisation) the comfort and familiarity (and it has to be said, damn good espresso) of Caffe Nero.

In the evening - ate, I spent much time on ProTools recording 'Nick's new Nevermore-y / One Twenty-ish One' demo.

Sunday: A moderate lie-in, followed by tidying the house, followed by a trip to the dump with rubbish, town for more Caffe Nero goodness, back home for tea. Afterwards I went round to Darren's - we watched the remake of 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre' (which I didn't hate as much as I'd expected to - it was actually quite good in places), some more Lenny B (the Mahler segment of '20th Century Crisis'), and pondered a few bits and pieces of new Death / Black metal, video games, and so on.

Monday: Had to take C for a hospital appointment; this ended up taking up all morning and into the early afternoon. Thereafter I went to see my chums in Wiltshire, and spent a good deal of time updating their DB, installing new software, web site etc, then sitting through discussions in which they yet again changed their minds about what they want the DB synch process to do. *sigh*. Got away from there around 7ish.

Went to Sainsbury's again for a more concerted shop than Friday's "a few bits" effort; Fridays fears of diminishing London Porter proved unfounded, as they had restocked. And so did I. :) Had quick microwave curry for tea as neither of us felt like cooking; spent the remains of the day finishing the demo version of "New Song 3" - bit of guitars then some piano stuff.




 
Fri, Mar 11th 2005
10:52 am - Brummyham

Gig was OK; not massively attended, but it was good to catch up with the Shadowkeep guys. The venue was a lot better than we'd been led to expect as well, and the promoter was a really decent guy who loves his metal! :) \m/ We'll probably be adding Edwards No. 8 to our list of venues to play when we've recorded the new album.

Stayed to watch SK, so didn't get home till 2AM or so.




 
Thu, Mar 10th 2005
9:52 am -

Last night I did nothing.

(And it was everything I'd hoped it would be.)




 
Tue, Mar 8th 2005
8:37 am - NTS

Last night = working on CA, watched Uni Challenge, more working on CA, bit of HL2 to round off.

Tired.




 
Mon, Mar 7th 2005
11:27 am - F1

Stayed up on Sat night / Sun morning to watch the first GP of the season. The new rule changes struck me as a bit bonkers to start with - especially the fact that an engine now has to last TWO races - bad enough that they had to nurse them through a whole weekend, without the penalty of grid places next race if they need to change it... Not changing tyres... Hmmm. Seems to have been alright this race, but I can see it causing problems also. I know what they're trying to achieve. Guess wait and see on that one.

Anyway, good to see a different winner - the qualifying conditions made a bit of a mockery of the predictions, and Fisichella basically had the race to lose from the off, but there definitely seems to be more of a level field at present. (Doubtless this will change over the course of the season as new designs etc. come into play.)




 
Fri, Mar 4th 2005
11:43 am - Me + My Ride.


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