Category Blog

May 26 2011

Right Up The Bracket – all day charity event Saturday 30th July, 2011 @ The Polish Parish Club

It has been some time since I last put a gig on anywhere. This one kind of evolved from a bit of a conversation into an all day charity event. The original premise of the gig was to welcome Old School Enemy back to the stage after a very difficult 6 months, coming to terms with drummer Michael Ayres’ tragic passing and subsequently carrying on the band in his honour with new drummer Luke Thomas. In reality since we started planning this, OSE have booked another couple of prior gigs, since they were ready to play a bit earlier than they expected and they had the opportunity to climb back on the horse sooner plus I think they wanted to do a couple of live performances before taking part in an all day event.

Frontman of the band, Michael’s brother (and also one of my best friends), Dave Ayres and I started discussing it and what we wanted from the gig. My own band was well up for playing anyway, as were a couple of other close friends’ bands. I wanted to plan something at the Polish Club in particular; since they have recently started hosting live gigs again after a lengthy break and both bands have an affinity with the club with several of us being members. From talks of a couple of bands, the conversation turned into an all dayer and it was decided that we could do it for charity.

As far as the charity side of things was concerned, I thought it would be appropriate to include something along the lines of mental health awareness, since Michael had suffered from depression himself before sadly taking his own life and if by doing this, we can prevent others from taking that path then surely it can only be a good thing?

Ironically, I had no awareness of any local mental health awareness programmes myself (maybe a case in point?) and so I got in touch with a friend of mine Neil Terry who has experience working in this field. After some digging, he suggested that CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) be a perfect choice, since they deal in particular with this issue. They are situated in East Lancashire and Merseyside but they do take calls from anybody within the UK, regardless of age and location. They are by no means the only organisation which deals with helping people with mental health problems and indeed there are some more local to Bradford. However, CALM specialises in dealing with suicide amongst young men.

I have a number of friends who, to varying degrees, have suffered from some form of depression and in extreme cases considered taking their own lives. Some of them try and do what they consider to be the “manly” thing and bottle it up, sometimes self medicating through alcohol and drugs instead of talking to someone. Indeed since we have started this project, this cause seems to have struck a chord with quite a few of my friends. If we can encourage even one person to talk about their problems and find a better path, then it is worth all the time and effort in the world. I would give absolutely anything to have Mic back with us.

The name “Right Up The Bracket” came from a phrase that my wife used one time, which Mic was particularly fond of. He was having a particularly hard time and she sent him a message saying that if people weren’t treating him right then she would be round to “give them a punch right up the bracket”. Just prior to the memorial gig, a compilation CD was put together including loads of Bradford bands, the proceeds of which went straight to his family. This was also affectionately called “Right Up The Bracket”. It seemed fitting then to continue with this title.

And so to the event itself. Obviously Old School Enemy were always going to be on the bill as well as Suicide by Cop. We would have liked our good buddies Iron Rat to play too, since all three bands have shared a stage a number of times but they were unavailable. However, frontman Stephen Haran will be there playing an acoustic set for us. When Idols Fall are also on the bill since they played at Michael’s memorial gig in January. That gig was supposed to include Old School Enemy and was actually drummer Wan’s 40th birthday and so it seemed fitting that they play on what would be OSE’s return to the stage. Nottingham’s Skullfunk were also added to the bill as they were due to play with OSE the week after Michael passed away. Add to the mix local legends Idiot Box and newcomers The Guilt Charm and you have a pretty cool line-up. Entry will be free but all donations will be very gratefully received and your contribution could quite literally save someone’s life.

At the time of writing, there are still a couple of slots available, so if you are interested in playing, then please feel free to get in touch.

Acts so far:

Idiot Box

The Guilt Charm

Old School Enemy

Skullfunk

Stephen Haran

Suicide By Cop

When Idols Fall

+ DJ Paul Goodison will be playing a mix of rock, punk and alternative music throughout the day and night

This is not necessarily the order of appearance, times will be confirmed soon.

Doors will be at about 3 o’clock and it should be a nice chilled out day.

Please feel free to forward links to this message / retweet / repost / reply etc. Really the more awareness we can raise, the better.

Apr 9 2011

Stanfest

I have heard the word Stanfest mentioned a number of times this year and I just thought I would take this opportunity to set the record straight from my perspective. As always, I welcome any comments.

Stanfest was originally an event which I planned with our old friend William ‘Stan’ Simpson in his final days in May, 2009. It was a very emotional day as we had planned this to be his last day out with his mates watching the bands he loved. It was held at The Mannville Arms, which although a place Stan did not frequent a huge number of times in his latter years (mainly due to ill health), was a piece of Bradford alternative history and had seen generations of his friends through its doors over the years. Sadly, Stan passed away on the very day of the event, which is what made it all the more poignant. The bands which played were chosen by him and some of them had actually reformed after years of not being together. The day was epic and we managed to raise a good amount of money for Manorlands, a hospice which Stan spent some time in in his final days and a place which was close to my heart because my grandfather passed away there in recent times. In short, this was not just another all-dayer.

Some months after the event, many people started talking about Stanfest II to take place one year on. I was, at first reluctant to put another one on as I did not want it to detract from the original day. I thought long and hard about it and eventually managed to come up with a second bill which I considered appropriate. Again bands who were friends of Stan and ones which he enjoyed watching. After some to-ing and fro-ing, this ended up taking place at The Mannville Arms again. It was a great day again, it still felt right albeit slightly diluted from the first one and I knew after that one that it would be almost impossible to repeat it again in the manner which was fitting.

Whilst it is important for us not to forget Stan – he was a very dear friend to me and a lot of people, I would not want to somehow cheapen his memory. I am not adverse to organising another Manorlands fundraising event, I think this is very important and I will be doing that at some point. It simply just doesn’t feel right to me. The Mannville is long gone too and for me that was also a big part of it. Stanfest I & II were both very personal journeys for me and ones which I will always hold dear to my heart.

I realise that everybody has a different viewpoint and whilst it does not feel right to me to do a Stanfest III, if anyone feels differently and wishes to host one themselves, then it would be unfair of me to be territorial about the memory of a man who was a much loved part of our community. All I will say is please do not use it as a vehicle for creating business. It was never about that.

William Stan Simpson 1935-2009

Rest in peace old friend.

Apr 4 2011

To believe or not to believe

It seems increasingly these days that the topic of religion, god or the existence of god is at the forefront of people’s thoughts, probably more so than say 10 or 15 years ago even. From right wing christian fundamentalists to hard-line muslims to the very dry atheism of Richard Dawkins. I just thought I would take the opportunity to impart onto the world a few of my beliefs and views. After all, isn’t that what a personal blog is supposed to be for?

Personally, I consider myself to be an emphatic atheist. Atheism, like any other belief system (I’ll come back to that) has been often mocked in recent times. Some people criticise the organisation and coming together of atheism and atheists as “just as bad as the thing they are opposing”. Whilst I suppose this is true in part, I think it is misunderstood sometimes. Like belief in god should be to people, my atheism is a very personal thing to me. It does not just represent a lack of belief; it represents a total belief in the non-existence of god, which in itself can be construed as a faith. I have not read any Dawkins and I don’t consider myself to be as militant in that respect. I do agree with the fact that we should not mix religion with law, politics or education and am a big advocate of a truly secular society. I dislike the idea of faith schools, especially those which teach only the beliefs of a single religion. It should really be an all or nothing approach, although if I am honest, I really do feel that if people wish to learn about religion, it should be done in their spare time.

When I was a child, I did attend Sunday school and quite ironically, I was christened as a methodist (christening babies is again something I emphatically disagree with). I remember from a very early age, I always questioned the things that they “taught” us to the point of exasperation. I decided at the age of 6 that I did not nor would not believe in something that was to my mind so utterly unbelievable and void of reason. Quite contradictorily, I sang in a church choir when I was around 10 or 11 years old. Even though I still held my belief in the non-existence of god, I just enjoyed singing and it was something for me to do in my spare time (one of a long list of hobbies I tried as a child). As a teenager and well into my 20’s, I was a lot more outspoken and to be honest, very intolerant of the beliefs and views of others as far as god/religion was concerned. As I got older, I mellowed. I realised that I am not going to change the minds and hearts of everybody I come across and to be honest why would I want to? Faith provides a lot of people with a sense of purpose and comfort and if by attempting to remove one, you may remove the other, then that would be a very bad thing indeed.

My ex-wife is a catholic and we had many a debate (mostly friendly) over the years on god and religion. She once told me that quite ironically; she thinks I am one of the most christian people she had ever met. Morals and religion however can be mutually exclusive. I just try to be the best person that I can be and I find that to be fulfilling and rewarding. Just because I do not believe in god does not mean that I am not a spiritual person. I have a deep seated feeling that nature and the universe is at one with itself and that everything is somehow connected and I think karma and fate play a big part in the way of things (everything happens for a reason / what goes around comes around etc.).

There are many things which science has not yet explained and until such a time, it seems senseless to me to waste what short time we have in this world investing one’s time in unsubstantiated and ludicrous answers. People sometimes call me an agnostic for this but I insist that I am an atheist, since I hold the belief that whatever science eventually uncovers, it certainly won’t be a deity.

If you need a mantra in life, then why not refer to Bill and Ted – “be excellent to each other”.

Oh and don’t forget – “party on dudes”!

By Idle Hands • Posted in Blog
0
Dec 31 2010

Should old acquaintance be forgot

As the last moments of 2010 draw to a close, I would like to wish everybody a very happy new year. 2010 hasn’t been ideal for a lot of people, myself included but as the title says, forget the bad times and put your differences aside. The coming of the new year is a good opportunity to look forwards and it is always best to do this when at peace. As I alluded to in my last blog, the last month or so has seen a time of change for me with things starting to fall into place for a new chapter in my life.

I have left the promotions game behind but I would just like to say here and now that whilst the last few weeks have contained some miscommunication and friction, I would like to think that this has been cleared up and I bear no animosity or malice towards anybody. I wish all of my friends the very best of luck with their continued efforts in that area. It is not an easy time for anybody in the licensed trade but there are still some great places in this city and I have had some fantastic nights out in many of them, even very recently. I will not be out and about quite as much in the new year but I will still be kicking around somewhere most weeks and of course I hope to be out playing a lot of them with the band.

So as the clock strikes and we greet the new year of 2011, try and clear your heart of any ill feeling, think of those less fortunate than yourself and most of all make the most of the year ahead.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 1-1-11!

By Idle Hands • Posted in Blog
0
Dec 6 2010

See change, sea change

As 2010 draws to a close, it seems to be the beginning of a number of changes for me – some good, some not so good.

As a few of my friends will know, I unfortunately lost my grandmother a few weeks ago as she finally lost her long and brave battle against cancer. We all loved Nanna dearly so this was a very sad occasion for us. It was nice at the funeral to meet up with family whom I seldom see but very sad to see her go. We had some nice visits in those final weeks, the memories of which I will cherish.

In the last week or so, I finally parted company with the Zuu bar. After over 2 years of events booking for the Zuu and before that the Mannville Arms, it was finally time for me to move on. It has had its ups and downs and some phases have been easier than others. After a recent communications breakdown at the venue, I initially decided to quit “for the foreseeable future” (i.e. a cooling off period and to get my breath back). However, I had not really been happy for some time and after more bad lines of communication, I have finally decided to move on completely. I won’t comment on the reasons any more than that. However, I would like to wish all of the staff at the Empress and the Zuu bar the very best. There is a fantastic team of dedicated people at those venues (and in the background) and they really do go the extra mile to keep things going from time to time. The last event I have booked there is this coming Saturday (11th) with Keyside Strike + The Bullet Kings + The Zombie Head Hunters. It is a great line-up with a great set of people. Sadly I will not be in attendance but it will be a fantastic night’s entertainment so please do call in if you are in the area. There are other outside promotions coming up in 2011 such as various Fungalpunk nights and Dragonfest so watch out for those.

A few weeks ago, Billy at the Black Swan had decided he would like to tackle bookings for the pub himself. I was involved in a limited capacity but at the time, I was too ensconced in the Zuu bar business to be able to do it justice, so this came as a welcome decision at the time. Billy has some great ideas and a lot of spirit for the Black Swan and the pub has really come into its own.

Events-wise, I am fairly relieved to be stepping down my commitments to be honest. I shall be supporting the Polish club where I can in times to come but I am happy to leave it at that for the time being. I have met some great bands and individuals over the last couple of years of doing this and am kind of looking forward to being a punter for a while. So, with that in mind, the old @ambivalent-productions.co.uk addresses for the Zuu and Black Swan will no longer be in use. I am still friends with people at various venues and am always happy to help out if I can, so please do ask. I cannot really commit to the levels I have in the past but I don’t mind lending a hand.

On the band front, things are changing round a bit after Mick has decided to leave the band. Things are on hold for SBC in the short term but we shall be back soon, initally down to a 4-piece probably. It is still early days yet, so much has to be discussed but we are still here and hope to be gigging again early next year. We are also hoping to play at some different venues too. More on this as it unfolds.

I would like to conclude by extending a warm and sincere thank you to all of my friends and family who have been there with me and for me through all of the above. I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and I hope to see many of you out and about real soon. Cheers!

Nov 23 2010

Punx 4 Heroes – a review

It all started a few months ago. Mick and I were talking about hosting another charity all-dayer at The Zuu bar. We had not done one in a long while and we love having a bunch of bands on and raising money for worthy causes.

Mick chose “Help for Heroes” as the cause, being an ex-serviceman who has been directly affected by war, its psychological impacts and the lack of funding to help soldiers and their families.

I have to admit, at first it was not my first choice of charity. I have never been one for the military and I am pretty much anti-war in my beliefs. However, I quickly realised that H4H is not about politics. It is very much about people. You can say till you are blue in the face that “the government should be looking after soldiers who have been affected” but the fact remains that they are not and so isn’t it a nice thing to do to help out in any way you can? Anyway, we received mixed opinions about it but thankfully a lot of support.

I decided to make it a punk thing and call it “Punx 4 Heroes”. That was my personal choice as I love live punk and know a few who punks who happen to be big advocates of Help for Heroes. The bill was very quickly filled for this first one with as many bands who did not get to play. I stuck with 7 bands which seems to be about the right number for everybody to get through the day comfortably. It was a good mix of local and out of town bands. Shatterhand came all the way from Dundee as they kicked off their latest tour, Keyside Strike and The Zombie Head Hunters made the trip from the north east and Threshold Shift, Suicide By Cop, The Drastics and Hospital Food were all locals.

I arrived at around 1.30pm to an empty venue with just Scouse our sound engineer, who had been doing some maintenance on his gear. He had already engineered 7 bands that weekend, so needed to make some repairs to mic leads etc. The backline and drums were supposed to be arriving at around 2pm with the first band (which happened to be Suicide By Cop) on at 3pm. So, after half an hour of me flapping, all of the gear arrived at about the same time and we proceeded to get it all set up and sound checked. Although we were almost ready to play at around 3pm, we decided to leave it until 3.15 just to let people have chance to arrive. It was worth doing because just 10 minutes later, the venue started to fill up. I was very pleased and surprised that so many would manage to make the effort for the first part of the day. Mark arrived and set up shop in the kitchen, preparing an array of hot food (which was very much appreciated a few hours later!).

Suicide By Cop took to the stage at 3.15 and we set about playing our set. For some reason, I was pretty nervous which is unusual after some years gigging experience but we cracked on and played through our set as rehearsed. Overall, I think we played pretty well. Kaz had some breathing difficulties part way through but these thankfully subsided towards the end and there were a small number of minor bum notes and beat misses, which is normal. Opening up an all dayer can be a bit of a chore as it is early and people have generally not got into the swing of the day. However, since Mick and I needed to oversee the event for the rest of the day it made sense to us to go on first. We got a good response anyway, even though people were still coming round from the rest of their weekend a bit. We all enjoyed playing, especially our new song which we did second to last.

Next up were The Zombie Head Hunters from Durham. I have booked these guys a number of times before at the Mannville and then The Black Swan, often as support to someone else. I had forgotten that they had actually played The Zuu before until they mentioned it. Anyway, they let out a rip-roaring performance. Alice is an excellent frontlady with a powerful set of lungs on her and the entire band was really animated on stage. There were some technical issues with the lead microphone but these were dealt with swiftly and managed not to impair the performance too much. Scouse had done a grand job with the front of house sound and everything was well balanced. I love watching this band and I am always glad of the opportunity to get them playing. It was also nice to chat with them all afterwards.

After a half hour or so break, Hospital Food took to the stage. Kev Grainger plays drums for this band. Kev and I used to be in Wild Trash together with him singing but I had not seen him drum for a band for about 13 years when he played with The Motorvators. This was my first time watching Hospital Food and I thoroughly enjoyed them. It was the singer’s first gig with the band and he had only been with them for a month or so. It didn’t show as he blasted his way through the set. The guitar had a piercing top end sound which really cut through and really suited the music, despite not having a great deal of distortion. Hospital Food are a bit heavier than many of Kev’s old bands and they have a style which is tending slightly towards the hardcore but is just melodic enough to have rousing choruses. Huge thanks to Kev who kindly let all of the bands use his kit, despite it being a bit old, worn and delicate in parts. Their set was slightly shorter than their allocated time and they actually left the stage slightly early, making up our lost time from earlier.

This was then added to when Keyside Strike took to the stage 10 minutes before their originally planned time, bringing the whole event around 15 minutes in front of schedule. Stoney and his band’s no-nonsense approach saw them arrive in good time, set up in no time at all and crack on with their set. Now this is what made the day that bit more special. Stoney informed me about a week prior to the gig that the bassist and drummer could not make the date but rather than cancel, he recruited a couple of members from a band called Gimp Fist and threw a couple of rehearsals together. To the audience on the day, this was not noticeable at all and when I told Mick he was amazed and immediately enquired about booking Gimp Fist. They played an expertly delivered set, sounding like they had been together for years. A massive thank you to Stoney and co. for going that extra mile, I would have perfectly understood if you needed to cancel. This was UK Hardcore at its best and we are very much looking forward to seeing more of Keyside Strike in the future.

Local stalwarts The Drastics took to the stage after a lengthy mid event break (I always like to give people chance to give their ears a rest and grab something to eat before the evening bands). Despite Jennie, the bassist being under the weather, they played what was probably the best I have seen them play yet. I have booked this band many times, often putting them on an early slot in the past but this time they were placed further up the bill. They sounded great and Dean has well and truly settled in as singer. They sound like more of a unit than they have ever done and really look together on stage. Tony’s guitar playing has come on leaps and bounds in the last year or so and he no longer looks nervous each time he gets on stage. Overall, there were many comments from people I spoke with about how much they have improved. A very strong performance.

Next up were Shatterhand all the way from Dundee. They kindly offered to play for us as part of their tour and I have to say, what a great bunch of guys. They are not only a fantastic band but are really nice lads to talk to. They even offered the profits from their merch up as donations to Help For Heroes, which considering they had travelled the furthest was very kind indeed. Many thanks to Tom Marshall for liaising with the band as well as putting them up for the night. Tom also took lots of photographs throughout the day, which I am sure will turn up on the web sometime soon (if they haven’t already). Shatterhand played a brilliant set of high energy melodic punk and the lead singer was dancing about all over the place. Once again, a brilliant band and once again we are already talking about rebooking them.

Last up were Threshold Shift. I had been waiting all day to see them play. For those of you who don’t know them, Threshold Shift are probably the longest running and best punk band to hail from Bradford. They play a perfect blend of pop-punk, ska and cite a whole bunch of other influences. Highlight of the set for me is my current favourite Shift track “Ward 54”, which has been stuck in my head since I saw them play recently at Rio’s. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole set and although the crowd had depleted by that point, they managed to get the most people dancing. A huge, huge thank you guys for bringing the backline down and being patient enough to go on last. Thankfully, we weren’t running too far behind time and the gig was wrapped up in good time for people to get their busses or have one last school night drink.

Personally, I couldn’t have asked for a better day. Every single band was great, the atmosphere was good and we managed to raise a few bob in the process. For those who took the political stance and criticised what we were doing – well, sucks to be you, you missed out on a great day which was about good music and good people doing good things, no more no less. We are definitely going to be doing it again next year!

Thanks to all of the bands, in particular Threshold Shift for the backline, Kev for bringing the drums and Stoney for going the extra mile and getting replacement members at a moments notice. Thanks to Tom Marshall for doing the photography and sorting out Shatterhand. Thanks to Mark for the food and raffle. Thanks to all the staff at The Zuu bar. But most of all thanks to the people who turned up and supported the day.

Nov 6 2010

Henry Casaubon Derwent

My family and I recently came about this article about one Henry Casaubon Derwent, who was my great great grandfather. Apparently, he was a major player in the founding of the Bradford Telegraph & Argus. Makes for interesting reading, certainly for us. It would certainly be interesting to see his reaction to how both the paper and the city have turned out.

Henry Casaubon Derwent

By Idle Hands • Posted in Blog
0
Nov 6 2010

Punx 4 Heroes

On Sunday 21st November, at the Zuu bar we are hosting an all day charity event. The day will consist of 7 quality punk bands, with DJs in between and after. Entry fee will be a voluntary £2 and all proceeds shall go to Help For Heroes. Door open at 2.30pm with first band on at 3pm and the line up is:

Keyside Strike
Shatterhand
Threshold Shift
The Drastics
Hospital Food
The Zombie Headhunters
Suicide By Cop

So, if you are into punk and support Help For Heroes, then please come along and give generously. We have a cracking line-up for you and it should be a top day!

Useful Links

Punx 4 Heroes Facebook Page
Punx 4 Heroes Facebook Event Page
Punx 4 Heroes Twitter
Help For Heroes Website
Zuu Bar Website

By Idle Hands • Posted in Gigs
0
Oct 29 2010

Between a Mac and a hard place

Well, it has been over 3 months since my last blog. I thought I had better post something up since my switch to this shiney new WordPress site. I have never been very skilled in the web design area. My software skills are not very strong at the moment and I don’t think I have much of an eye for design. So WordPress is ideal for me. Besides this site, I created another one for the band which I have to say I am rather pleased with. Check it out http://suicidebycop.co.uk.

A few months ago, I bought myself an iPad and I have to say, it is fantastic. I am unashamedly turning into a bit of an Apple fanboy. I bought a Mac mini last year and I love it. I did get a second hand Mac mini a few years ago but since I was studying for my degree at the time and the software I used for my course was Windows-centric, I never really started using it and my PC at the time was of a better spec anyway. I gave it to my wife and eventually bought myself the new one.

Anyway, since becoming a fan of the Mac, I have noticed a few things. It is curious how strongly people feel about Apple, both lovers and haters. I am very much the former and I am ashamed to say that I have suffered from the proverbial “Mac smugness”, which I should really curtail as it is not a good trait really. However, it amazes me how vehement some people can be about the Mac (and Apple in general) too. I have read some very scathing comments, often from people who have never really used them. I mean I can be just as much of a geek as the next guy but I guess we all need to get a grip sometimes.

I have experience of using a few different platforms and form factors. I have too many computers to justify having really. I have a desktop PC which currently has Mandriva Linux installed, but has had Windows XP and Vista on various occasions. I have a media centre PC, which gets used purely for that purpose. This runs Windows 7. I have a laptop which I really only use for DJing which has Windows XP. I have an Asus EEE-900 netbook which has a flavour of Linux on it (the stock OS was Xandros but I have been meddling with EEE-Buntu) and I have an Apple Mac mini and an iPad. I am going to get shut of the PC and the netbook when I have spent a bit of time flattening them and doing a fresh install.

So, these are my opinions on the whole Windows vs Mac vs Linux debate.

Windows XP – I use this at work all the time and it is infuriatingly slow at times (possibly due to corporate policies and network traffic). At home, I grew weary of the constant housekeeping required. Updating anti virus, clearing temporary files etc, using Crap Cleaner, installing security updates every 5 minutes etc. etc.

Windows Vista – Prettier looking but very resource hungry. It was very buggy, not sure if it has improved yet. Media Center is pretty good but again was very buggy when I used it. I have heard that since I stopped using it, they ironed out a few of the problems and it runs OK now.

Windows 7 – Prettier still, much faster and slick to use. Much better than Vista and the media center bit really is a step up.

Linux – Can be pretty good. Can be nice looking after some configuring and fast too but when it goes wrong, it can be very difficult to put right. Things like external hardware drivers and using a network were problems for me. You need to have a lot of patience with Linux, although I did enjoy my time using it. I had it set up so it was more like Mac OS than Windows but it never quite worked right and I lost patience with it.

Mac OS-X Snow Leopard – Very slick, intuitive, nice looking and overall a pleasure to use. Safari is the best browser I have used. Mail is easy to set up and works beautifully. I use Neo-Office for word processing, spreadsheet etc. iTunes is fantastic on a Mac, although does need a bit of configuring to not do things you don’t want it to. The iLife software which comes bundled is great too.

Don’t get me wrong, I admit I am not really what you would call a power user. I don’t write software or play games. I just do what most people do on a computer – internet, e-mail, office stuff, pictures and for that, I found that the Mac is the best user experience.

As far as Windows is concerned, it is better for gaming, the Media Center Interface is very good with no native Mac equivalent, particularly for DVR functionality and it is much cheaper to knock up a PC than buy a Mac. Although, I would argue that you get what you pay for. Yes, Macs are pretty expensive but both the hardware and the software is top quality.

So, the iPad then? I was intrigued by the iPad right from when I first read about them and as soon as I saw it, I immediately knew that it was the device for me. I had previously used my netbook for armchair and bedroom surfing but the form factor didn’t make me want to do it for long. The tablet is such a nice device to use for idle surfing, reading books, social networking, email and calendar applications. A common comment from people is “well, it is just like an oversized iPod touch isn’t it?”. Well, yes it is but that is a positive. Many people don’t see the point of it but it is all about the form factor for me. It has encouraged me to read more which can only be a good thing. I hardly put mine down when I am at home – except for when I am using my Mac that is! It is also good for reading on the way to work on the train.

Again with the iPad though, I have read some really quite nasty comments from people spitting bile about it (again, often from people who have never even seen one, never mind used one). I mean, it is only a gadget. If you don’t want one then don’t buy one but why criticise the pleasure of those of us who have got one? It has even encouraged me to complete the set and upgrade to the iPhone 4 in January and I am already longingly looking at the Macbook Pro.

But hey, these are just my opinions. I know folks who have very different ones. Horses for courses and all that.

Oct 17 2010
Video

Video: WIld Trash – Cellophane

By Idle Hands • Posted in Video
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Oct 17 2010
Video

Video: Dawnraiser

This one is a bit of a trip down memory lane. The track itself is called Dawnraiser and the pics are all from various gigs we played at Bradford Rio’s around 1995/6.

By Idle Hands • Posted in Video
0
Oct 17 2010
Video

Video: Wild Trash – This Town

By Idle Hands • Posted in Video
0
Jul 22 2010

The Exchange, the end of an era through my eyes

Thew news has reached me this week that another old pub has closed its doors. The Exchange Ale House on Market street apparently saw its final night last night, bringing to a close the current 10 year lease.
I first started going in the pub back in 1991 as a naive 16 year old. The landlord was a moustached guy called Kevin I recall. It was an ideal meeting place for everybody with its central location and close proximity to bus stops and it was always my starting point on a night out. The style of the pub was always pretty mainstream with a slight rock feel but it was never what you would call a rock pub (I guess a lot of town centre pubs were like that in those days). Through the early 90’s until 1996, I preferred pubs such as The Mannville, The Smithy and Tumblers and when the two former closed, I briefly used the Exchange as a more regular pub until the Empress turned into a rock pub in 1997.
At the time it was managed by Claire Beastie and it had a fairly large bunch of loyal and close staff and regulars. In fact, they used to refer to themselves as the “family”. From that group, I met some very good friends of mine, one of whom in fact turned out to be my future wife.
A lot of the crowd of the time used to flit between the Empress and the Exchange but each had its own definite followers. Whereas the Empress was more of a definite rock and metal pub, the Exchange retained its mainstream and widespread appeal. It was always a beautiful pub inside with its dark wood, brickwork, stone floor and polished brass and it was generally very well maintained. I think this period is what I would call “my” Exchange. I am sure everyone has their own.
This era lasted for another 3 years or so until the brewery decided to sell the lease for the pub. It was never to be quite the same again. Initially, the new leaseholders turned the place into something a bit more upmarket, fitting carpets and changing the music and style of the place quite significantly. The Exchange regulars decamped to the Empress briefly and then the newly reopened Market Tavern, which was a kind of mini Rio’s in pub format.
After a while, a few of the old regulars slowly filtered back in and eventually I think the leaseholders conceded that the place should return to more of what it used to be, employing new management who were more familiar with the M.O. At first, it wasn’t far off. A lot of the same old customers returned and the place immediately burst into life again.
After a small succession of managers, Steve Malley took the helm and the place evolved into even more of a rock/metal place than ever before – what a lot of people remember it to be. This was quite a buzzing time for Bradford with 3 town centre rock pubs, each within walking distance from each other and Rio’s up the hill. Somewhere along the line, most of those places disappeared but the Exchange stuck in there and for a brief period of maybe a month or so was pretty much the only rock pub in the city, with the exception of the Gasworks which was more of a bar/club than a public house.
Since 2006/7, changes in (mis)management, questionable decor and an embarrasing name change to “The Xchange”, saw the popularity of the pub fall dramatically over the next couple of years or so and despite Danny recently becoming manager, which resulted in a slight peak in trade, it was obvious that the old character and appeal of the pub were long gone.
My recent visits to the Exchange have been few and far between. Not because I necessarily haven’t wanted to. I am very much a creature of habit and when I get settled into a pattern of regular places which I visit, I seldom veer elsewhere. I have often asked about the place to people who I bump into, including Danny who’s recent efforts I think were admirable given what he had left of the place to work with.
I admit I have been fairly outspoken about my opinions on aspects of the Exchange in recent years. I guess I found it ever so sad to see its slow demise from what I remember to be a great watering hole. I have already read and heard mocking comments about it closing, which I don’t think is very fair really. It is easy to laugh and point but remember over the years, it has meant a lot of things to a lot of people and many people did actually put a lot of hard work into the place. Whatever your opinions of The Exchange from whatever era so far, this cannot be denied.
I just hope that the place continues to be a pub. I don’t think it needs to try and be anything but The Exchange Ale House. With a bit of TLC it could be a fantastic place. A real ale spot, a Bierkeller perhaps (an idea I know a few people are keen on). I personally think that for far too long, the place has tried to be something that it is not. I look fondly back to my memories of the Exchange of the 1990’s and whilst I don’t think it will ever be quite the same ever again, I hope that whoever takes it on next will have the care and attention to make it into something just as good.
Apr 19 2010

Stanfest II – line-up fully confirmed!

Mar 31 2010

Social networking and its drawbacks

OK, so it seems like most people use Facebook these days. Some of us use similar, yet different services such as MySpace and Twitter. I use all 3 to varying extents and recently, I have become bogged down by the realisation of just how much Facebook in particular has become interwoven into my life.
Facebook is very useful for promotion and networking and like MySpace, I have managed to conduct a lot of bookings via this avenue. I recently created a seperate profile entirely for this and I find that psychologically this has helped, as it kind of separates and depersonalises things a bit (don’t feel as bad about adding “friends” whom I don’t know at all for instance). I also created it so that other members of the Zuu team could also use it for promotion and communication (hint hint Mick -lol!).
On a personal level, Facebook has been a bit of a love/hate relationship for me in recent months, getting too heated up by some comments or impassioned for or against a viewpoint, it is really not a good thing in many ways. It does have its uses in so far as I can see what a lot of my buddies are up to at any given time and I recognise how beneficial it is for some, in particular those who live or are at home by themselves. One never really feels alone when there is access to Facebook and it contains no shortage of distractions.
However, I no longer feel comfortable with it being one of the first things I do in a morning and one of the last things I do before going to sleep 75% of the time. Having it on my smartphone only exacerbates that.
I have also found that a lot of real-world social conversation revolves around things that have been posted or said on Facebook. I am sure many opinions are formed about people by people who have never met them face to face and there are also sometimes virtual lynch mobs against people or for causes. Why do we choose to let ourselves get so bogged down by a single web service?
I quote a friend of mine from a couple of weeks ago “I would ask you what you have been up to but I already know. It has killed the art of conversation”. Incidently I had not seen said friend for months and I think we both left feeling somehow that we had been cheated of a more pleasurable experience out of our albeit brief chat.
So, I have decided to take a break from it for a short while, certainly from my personal account. I have done little things such as delete the app from my phone and stop the email notifications as well as other things to distance or distract myself a bit. Ironically, the first thing I have done is blog about it yes and I also see the irony that there is a possibility a link may be automatically be posted as a FB status update via Twitter / Twitterfeed (although it shouldn’t now I have changed my settings).
Anyway, whether or not I change my Facebook habits or how long I manage to stay off of it remains to be seen but I guess it is the old adage that the first step to solving a problem is to recognise that a problem exists.
Jan 9 2010

Stanfest II – The Mannville Arms 02/05/10

In the early part of 2009, our dear old friend William “Stan” Simpson was unfortunately diagnosed with cancer. He had been sick for some time. Shortly after his diagnosis, he was admitted to Manorlands hospice where he received sterling care from the staff. Stanfest was organised around about this time so we could have one last blast in his honour and raise some money for Manorlands, which is a charity run organisation. The date for Stanfest was 3rd May 2009. We discussed the event and Stan handpicked a few of the bands for the day himself. Although he was in his 70’s, he was a keen gig-goer and he loved live music and up until his illness could often party harder than a lot of people even a third of his age. The original intention was for Stan to be there but his health had deteriorated too much in the days running up to the event.

Stan passed away on the morning of Stanfest itself, which made the day all the more poignant. Many many people attended and we all raised a tearful glass in rememberance to our Stan whilst we saw some of his favourite bands rock the house. The Mannville Arms was positively overflowing with people coming to pay their respects and everybody made it a day to remember for a special man who we will never forget.

I never intended for it to be any more than that one event as I wanted it to be a single special day. However, I received an overwhelming number of messages saying that we should make it an annual thing. Even up until very recently, I was unsure about doing it again but in the end I thought why not.

Cheers n beers!

Alec Marlow.

Keep checking the Facebook Event for details of what is happening.
Jan 4 2010

A new outlook

As we emerge blinking into 2010, another year, another decade infact. I am sure various people have been thinking about fresh starts in many ways and to some extent I am no exception.

I have resolved to afford time for the things in life which are truly important to me and to strike a better balance. For too long now, I have been bogged down by the whole Bradford music scene thing and the politics contained within, so much so that I let it consume me to some extent. Both with the BMC and with organising things for the Mannville and later the Zuu Bar, I spent an unhealthy amount of time thinking about and performing tasks related to this, sometimes doing things when my attention should have been elsewhere, waking up in the middle of the night to switch the PC on and fire off messages / set up Facebook events, going straight on the PC when I got up and when I got in from work. Not just with the bookings but with the online disputes and flame wars and trying to gather news for the BMC newsfeed as well as look for new ways of getting the word about. I have been at times, a man obsessed. I think it had affected my mental health a bit and has strained some friendships at times. It was reminiscent of when I was at the height of my degree commitments, except then I had a real workload to get through and a definite end goal to reach.

All the while, the rest of my life was not being given the attention it deserved and to some extent I was losing the plot. This last couple of weeks has been great as I have had the opportunity to spend some real quality time at home and in some ways it feels like I had been away somewhere.

I have been and still will spend quite a bit of time online but I have been using my own personal accounts more again recently rather than BMC ones (Blog/Twitter/MySpace) and have been trying to vary the kind of information I read as well as learn new things a bit. I do like social networking but am tending more towards the evolving Twitter culture rather than the (often banal) Facebook culture, which is getting more ridiculous by the week. Don’t get me wrong it is nice to keep in touch with friends but quite a few people are finding new and more ludicrous ways to waste time and bandwidth these days!

I have still been out and about over the festive period. I will always be a social animal and love going out with friends and listening to / watching cool music – this has been the whole driving force behind my music scene activities, However, until very recently my whole “going out” experience had an agenda behind it. I was switched on, networking, exchanging ideas and making sure other people where having a good time rather than simply enjoying myself. I was constantly arranging everything else around gigs at the Mannville / Zuu bar, sometimes speculatively and I consequently missed out on some cool events because of that. I also found myself going out more often and drinking more regularly. It was nice over xmas to go down to Idle village with some friends and just be out enjoying ourselves with a change of scenery. I need to do more of this socially and I shall do, whilst balancing it with a healthy amount of home life too.

Then there is the band. I have been enjoying this immensely. In the past a band has been a means of escape from the rest of life’s pressures but on this occasion, it has been intrinsically linked to them. We did have to put it on hold in October, again due to the venue(s) and both Mick and I were probably physically and emotionally tied up elsewhere whilst that happened. Thankfully (I think) we are now up and running again but it feels like a bit of a struggle sometimes. The music is great though and as long as we keep ticking over it should be fine. We are set to return to the rehearsal room on the 14th January, the day before our first anniversary (started our first rehearsal 15/01/09). I am personally looking forward to recording (allegedly in February).

There have also been brief talks about a brand new musical project which I may be involved in, which will likely be a more casual affair but I don’t want to jinx it by saying anything about it just yet. More on this as it unfolds. SBC will remain unaffected anyway.

So what future for the whole venue / bookings / BMC activities? Well, don’t get me wrong I will not be stopping doing any of this by a long chalk. After all, it does need doing and I do enjoy it. However, I will be re-addressing it with a healthier outlook and not be obsessing over it like I was.

I simply realised that I don’t have to turn up to every single gig that I have booked every week or spend my time agonising over things that don’t matter too much in the grand scheme of things. Yes I care deeply about music in my city, I will never let Mick and co. down and I will try and keep up the efforts to the best of my abilities. However, I realise that I don’t have to make it my sole purpose in life and I also realise that no-one has ever really had that expectation of me, other than myself.

So, apologies if I don’t get back to you quite as quickly as I have in the past or if it takes me a little longer than before to get things done or even if I do not get to every gig I have booked for you. I am still here and I still care very much! You could say that I have rediscovered “me” and the bigger picture of my life to some degree. I feel much more at peace and it has been a long time coming. More of everything else please!

Aug 14 2009

SAS punk gig @ The Mannville Arms 1st August, 2009

It was a quiet summer Saturday afternoon, the 1st of August 2009 (Yorkshire Day). We turned up at around 4pm to ready the venue for the evening. Mick Dunn, Stevie Ward and myself were wearing two hats that day, namely the venue landlord, sound engineer and promoter respectively and also members of our band “Suicide By Cop”. The gig was one of Fungalpunk Dave’s Spit and Sawdust events and he had offered us a slot on the bill. SBC were the only band on the bill that lived within 200-300 miles of the venue, which is not unusual for one of Dave’s gigs. Anyway, we set the venue up, had a quick practice and awaited the arrival of the rest of the bands. Dave was sadly unable to get across for this one due to car trouble but we knew the arrangements were in safe hands. “The Hijacks” arrived around 6, all the way from Aberdeen and they stepped up for a quick sound check. Musically, they were fairly punky ska with some pretty screechy vocals and we could tell that their set was going to be enjoyable. We waited around for a while, whilst Mick spun some tunes DJing, nervously wondering where the other two bands were. Time was cracking on and we were wondering if they were going to turn up or not. Anyway, at what seemed like the eleventh hour, a minibus turned up containing a Nuneaton band called “None Of Your Fucking Business” and a band all the way from sunny Spain called “Von Danikens”. After the introductions and final details of sets etc, The Hijacks took to the stage.

The audience size was comparable to the last Mannville Fungalpunk gig (an fair to average turnout for the place), which was a reasonable achievement considering the time of year, what with a lot of the local punks saving themselves for Rebellion the week after. More importantly though, they were attentive and enjoying the tunes. I think most people in the house were at least tapping a foot along to the bouncy sounds of The Hijacks. Kenny Armitage and Mick Barrett from Threshold Shift were throwing themselves around on the dance floor lapping up every minute and as usual showing their full support for the scene. Various merch was purchased by the pub staff and a CD obtained for inclusion on the jukebox and we all agreed that we would like to see them return to the Mannville in the future for a headlining slot. Great band, with a great attitude. Nice one Dave.

We were next up (Suicide By Cop) for what was only our 4th gig. Of course I would be biased by reviewing my own band but I think we put on a reasonably strong performance and we got some good feedback afterwards. Most of us have played in bands before so we have been around the block a few times but Kaz is a relative newcomer to the world of bands, although she has done various singing in shows and karaoke type performances before. Consequently, she is still a little stage shy but she did deliver a strong performance, singing the songs. Most of our songs are fairly upbeat and bouncy with the exception of the ballad (for want of a better expression) “Divide and Conquer”, which is a favourite of ours to perform but we were unsure of how a slow song would go down in front of a punk audience. Thankfully, punks being punks were open minded and enjoyed it for what it was. It was one of our best gigs yet and we thoroughly enjoyed playing, especially to a bunch of out of town bands and punters.

After a quick pack away and drink, we returned to see None Of Your Fucking Business, who played a kind of ANWL noisy but catchy sort of punk – the sort of thing I usually enjoy. I must confess to not paying a huge amount of attention at this point as I got chatting and drinking as we finally got chance to relax a bit. My only gripe with this band was their particularly rude attitude to northerners, which was uncalled for and all he succeeded in doing is making himself about as welcome as a fart in an astronaut suit. Some might argue that it’s a punk thing to piss people off (I am in the “being nice to each other” corner myself) but this guy couldn’t carry it off and just made himself look like an idiot. He was lucky that he didn’t come a cropper with someone that night but in the spirit of things, people didn’t really want to sink to his level. Attitude aside, they were a pretty good band and on music merit alone, I would have them on again but the attitude let them down. Speaking with the singer afterwards though, he seemed alright off stage and was appreciative of the chance to play. It is a shame that the attitude will be what they are remembered for here and not their music.

After a considerable gap between bands where local punk/Rockabilly DJ Paul Goodison spun a set, the music went quiet and what looked like the most drunken man in the world approached the stage. It looked like it was all going to go pear shaped as the rest of Von Danikens set their gear up in a time consuming fashion. All of a sudden from out of nowhere, we were treated to a blistering set of really well crafted and executed melodic punk. It was worth the wait and I think everybody was unanimously impressed. It was a rare opportunity to have a band on all the way from Spain and one which we would very much welcome again. Dave, you surpassed yourself on this one our kid. I just wished you could have been there to witness it!

All in all, a brilliant night. The contribution to punk made by people like Dave and Leon Punkined can’t be understated and I sorely wish that more people would turn out for their gigs. Punk is very much NOT dead and it is great to be a part of it!

May 18 2009

Stuff and nonsense

Nothing much to report. It has been another variable early summer Monday morning, the weather has been a bit grim over the last couple of days. I hope it brightens up for the weekend.

I had a productive day yesterday and sorted a few things out at home. Still quite a few things to do but I already feel better about addressing some of the backlog anyway. My TV has annoyingly failed for the second time since I bought it at Christmas with the same fault. The guy from PC World is coming round to sort it on Friday. I hope it is a direct swap. All 3 HDMI ports died one by one in the space of just over a week. All I had plugged into them was my PC. Consequently, we can’t watch our recorded programmes until the weekend. Last night, we resorted to switching the Sky box on! I am looking forward to ditching the subscription to be honest and getting hold of a decent FreeSat machine.

It would seem that quite a few people feel quite passionately about the (mis)management of The Exchange Alehouse in Bradford. So much so, that a Facebook group has been set up in protest. There are 65 members in less than a week at the time of writing, which is pretty significant. Whether anything happens off the back of it remains to be seen but it has been made clear that the person in question is not very popular and has significantly reduced the customer base in the place due to bad attitude and bad management. In my opinion, it would be unwise at best for the leaseholder not to at least monitor the situation.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=88126155722&ref=ts

*** end transmission ***

May 13 2009

A new day

Well, as predicted, Stan’s funeral did act as the metaphoric full stop to the chaotic last few months described in my earlier post. It is weird, it feels like a huge Doctor Who adventure has just finished and I have just arrived in the TARDIS somewhere totally new.

As funerals go, it was a very mixed affair. The opening piece of music was Get Rhythm by Johnny Cash, which was very apt for Stan. The main body of the service was fairly religion heavy with various biblical readings, prayers and a hymn which I am sure provided comfort for some, including Stan’s older sister. As far as I knew, Stan wasn’t a particularly religious man but I guess people of a certain generation like to do things in a particular way. It was nice to hear a summary of his life and was very moving (if a little strange) to hear his daughter Astrid and nephew Paul read the lyrics to Dance On (a song I wrote for Stan in his final days) out loud. The final song of the service was Stan’s own eponymous song, played from the Wild Trash CD. After the service, it was off to the Jacob’s Well, which was one of Stan’s favourite pubs. They have got some nice beer on and they also put a good spread on for everybody. A lot of us carried on drinking perhaps a bit later than we were originally planning, moving up to the Mannville for the evening session. I am sure I was not alone in feeling pretty rough yesterday! It was nice to pay our final respects and it is a nice feeling to not have to worry about not only a good friend suffering but also the organising of various things in parallel.

We return to the rehearsal room tomorrow night with SBC and I guess it is a case of running through everything, picking up the pieces and working on new stuff too. We also need to decide when our next gig is and when we are going to record. We have been asked if we want to play at the MS Matters benefit gig at The Mannville on the 24th of this month, so that needs to be discussed. Personally speaking, I wasn’t planning on us being involved after just finishing playing at two all-dayers recently. It would be nice to be able to relax a bit this time and just enjoy the day, rather than having to worry about stuff. Also, it would be nice to play a gig of our own (or at least a grab decent support slot) at another venue for our next appearance. Still, it has not been discussed yet so anything could happen.

I am planning on spending some proper time doing Mannville business soon, to run through the backlog of band requests. We have quite a backlog and I haven’t had the time recently to go through and give them all a listen. We are still heavily booked up until September I think but late summer needs some attention.

At the moment, I am chilling a bit and I feel more relaxed than I have done for quite a long time. Just the job!