Who will step up?

After returning from my second music festival this summer where I saw Metallica for the third time, Anthrax and In Flames for the second time, Richard Cheese, Bill Bailey, Limp Bizkit, sum 41, Weezer, Diamondhead, Motorhead and many more – I realised I am already too old for this shit.  There were bands present at this festival that I had never heard of and it is only a matter of time before I will be going to Sonisphere – as I have now agreed to make it an annual pilgrimage – and not having a clue about ANY of the bands there.  I desperately want to get the materials of some new bands which I was introduced to or bands who have been around for sometime and, unfortunately, I have just not had the time to get into them such as; In Flames (the Swedish Disturbed, in my humble opinion), Black Stone Cherry and Avenged Sevenfold who were just fantastic live at Donnington. 

Anyway, I came to the sad conclusion while I was actually at Sonisphere that the heavy metal/rock ‘n’ roll bands which I know and love; Iron Maiden, Metallica, Motorhead, Anthrax, Korn, Alice Cooper and many more will not be around forever, especially since the likes of Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead is pushing 70, Alice Cooper, 65 and Joey Balldonna is in his mid fifties!  There was a time where Maiden and Metallica were carrying the torch, the beacon, of heavy metal into the future and they very much so have kept that flame alive.  If anything they have caused a forest fire in terms of keeping that flame burning but, who will keep heavy metal going when these legendary rockers decide to call it a day or worse yet, when they are gone?  I do love other bands like System of a Down, Linkin Park and Disturbed but I cannot imagine them to even come close to the same status as Metallica or Iron Maiden.  Now, we have shitty band emerging like Bring me the Horizon with all these sad scene kid bell ends getting into them.  I would love to go up to just one of them and simply say:-

“Stop being a cunt.”

The thought had occurred to me because I was wondering around in the arena at the festival on Sunday afternoon awaiting the next band, Limp Bizkit (total blast from the past!), when I strolled into a small but incredible stall.  This stall was selling dvds, cds, 7 and 12 inch vinyl’s and some official programs from concerts of old.  The kind of concerts which are legendary, almost to biblical proportions.  The type you hear about and wonder how?  When?!  I saw one of Led Zepplin at Knebworth 1979.  I held the official program in my hands.  Sold for not even a solitary pound back then (priced at 90p) and now selling for £30 today.  I desperately wanted to purchase it.  I know it will be worth ever so much more in the not too distant future.  The concert itself is 18 years off of it’s 50 year anniversary.  It will be worth so much more than £30.  It is an absolute gem of a collector’s item.  Led Zepplin have been described as the most influential band of the 1970s and were considered even more influential than the Beatles.  In addition they have sold over 300 million albums worldwide acclaiming them as one of the most successful bands of all time along with Rolling Stone describing them as “the greatest band in music history”.   That program, even now, is worth way more than £30 and its value will only sky rocket more and more day by day. 

In addition to this, everyone at Sonisphere had to partake in a 2 minute silence for the death of Slipknot’s bassist Paul Gray who died of drug overdose in 2010.  He was only 38 years of age.  Everybody at the festival went completely quiet for the entire two minutes which was surreal.  It was eerily quiet.  However, this got be thinking, my heroes of music are still human after all and there will be a time that that will stop producing epic, soul liberating music and it is a very depressing thought. 

However, one must remember we can never touch music, music will always touch us and we should enjoy it when it is still being made by our champions.

Much love,

Jackson L. 

Ramblings.

It is summer!  The weather has well and truly proved it of late, it has been sub-tropic here it’s just beautiful!  I always look forward to the summer for many reasons; the weather, the smells, nature is more exuberant, people are happier and it is generally a greater ambience. 

An activity which I always look forward to – sometimes literally for months and months is going to festivals.  You buy the tickets so long in advance and when it finally comes around the excitement has bubbled into something so much more.  You relish every moment of your time at these festivals whether it is single day or weekend long festivals. 

I love these festivals.  I was at Sonisphere 2010 and I thought it was just too good.  I was blown away as it seemed like the crème de la crème of music festivals.  They had a 24 hour supermarket, fresh food stalls, showers with hot water, toilets that flush(!), loads of different entertainment tents – including one with Tim Minchin performing and another with Henry Rollins.  What had attracted me most of all to this festival was the fact that Iron Maiden – my favourite band of all time and Rammstein, a band I listened to at the pinnacle of my teenage angst.  I found, when leaving the festival – feeling extremely solemn and as if I had forever lost a relative or a limb (…whichever is worse) I found that the best reasons to do to these were not to go and see the array of talented performers entertain – although that is one hell of a bonus – it is the banterous time you will spend with your friends, random people who you have never met and enjoying all hours of the event as it passes by with these people.  It was depressing to leave all that behind as it just did not seem to last long enough….I guess forever would be a bit too much to ask. 

There was nothing better than coming back in the evening and sitting with a drink (Relentless in my case) and stay up for hours and hours talking complete nonsense but, having the best time, time that you will forever remember and look back on fondly. 

I will be attending two of these music festivals this year – Download and Sonisphere.  The word ‘excitement’ does not even come close to defining how my allies and I are feeling about going to these events. 

In other news – I was reading the papers today when at my neighbours flat watching Manchester United place one hand, aggressively, on the title trophy after defeating Chelsea 2-1 and extending their lead to 6 points at the summit with only 2 games left.  They have effectively won what was a bogey season with no one being outstanding….just consistent it would seem.  I think only one more point would seal the deal for Man U.  I hate Man U.  I hate them, not because of their players – I rather like their players, Ryan Giggs is just an exceptional all round athlete.  For a man who is pushing 40 years and still getting a regular game for a top flight, world famous team like Manchester United?  Even the word ‘exceptional’ is a catastrophic understatement.  I also think Wayne Rooney, only for his athletic ability, deserves respect, huge work ethic and many others like Paul Scholes, Vidic, Chicarito (Little Pea) probably the most economical signing in sports history, let alone football history!  A great team.  Even more implausible manager, Sir Alex Ferguson.  A glittering career at Old Trafford and he has won everything and dubbed ‘The God Father of English football’ and rightly so.  But, the reason why I hate that team is their fans. 

Their fans believe they should have a pedestal built and they have the God given right to be placed upon it for simply supporting Man United.  They always strongly believe that they are following the greatest team to have graced the Earth.  Being in their presence is just offensive and, if you ask me, there are never enough Man U fans to stop a runaway bus.  Most of them actually live very far away from Manchester.  It is painfully stupid. 

However, I must credit the team for winning the title.  They have been the most consistent and for a bogey season and league campaign that had seen several twists and turns and change in form – United were most hungry for it.  I still hate them though. 

So, as I was saying – I was reading the papers (I deviated, I know) and I stumbled upon this most gruesome, odious, abhorrent, cancerous, repugnant photograph:-

I would just like to point out that it was ‘News of the World’ newspaper that had decided to torment it’s readers with this vile, hideous filth.  She has arms that belong to an abuser of heroin (I’m sure she would find it more-ish if she tried it) and it is rancid!  I wanted to throw up everywhere when I saw this malnourished looking Madonna.  I want to throw up when I see her anyway. 

It is bad enough having to view a photograph of Madonna or see her on television as it is.  I can’t stand her pathetic attempt at an English accent, her stupid face, her shit songs and most of all, I find her general existence offensive.  I think even her children will agree that she is a grubby, revolting, disgusting prostitute.  I feel terrible for her children….I would rather be a destitute than be her child.  I would berate Madonna more but I really can’t be bothered.  She is just terrible.  She should stop being a cunt and sort her life out and by that I mean she should end all her ventures in the world and eradicate any semblance of her career from the face of the planet. 

Much love,

Jackson L.