Face Of Cheam

The third trip to Wembley Stadium this year for a gig, and this time for three acts I don't actually own a CD by them. A weird mix granted but we got there in time for Girls Aloud. The High def big screen did them no favours, all members over made up and manky skin. However, they have great pop songs opening up with Sound Of The Undergroud and the great 'Sonething Kinda Ooh!' with a cover of the Pretenders I Stand By You sandwiched between they were good fun. Jay-Z on the other hand has a style of music I just don't get. He wanted the audience to bounce in a triangle shape in each song and therefore I spent most of his set near the bar! (bargain £4 a pint!) Coldplay have some good tunes but Chris Martin, the singer, is just so objectionable. In the audience participation bit at the end of Yellow, a Simon Callow from X-factor clip was shown on the big screen, something that no doubt seemed hilarious in the pub didn't quite work in practice. There was a b stage which we got right down the front at and here they played a cover of Billie Jean with actor Simon Pegg on harmonica. Good but ultimately fairly bland was my overall verdict. Hats off to the chiltern line however meaning we had time for a late beer in Marylebone!

Managed to finish all thirteen episodes of Dollhouse season one within a week. I think it's fantastic. The first four episodes seem to suggest that there would just be an adventure with the main character (with a different personality computer programmed in her) doing good. However, the dollhouse who imprint the personality is essentially a brothel and the moral ambiguity of this becomes apparent in episode five when there are more twists and 'what the f....' moments than you can shake a stick at. Thankfully there is a second season and to see how the show develops is going to be interesting.

I was disappointed with Derren Browns lottery show, despite normally being a big fan. As he did not reveal his prediction before the draw, it is more than likely there was a switcharoo somewhere along the line. (he did say in the trailers that this was 'misdirection') so a good magic trick. However, his explantion on the Friday was rubbish, though some of the tricks in the build up were impressive. Hopefully this Fridays one based on suggestion and hypnosis will be better. Also to look forward to (& setting the video / skyplus for) on Friday is the new series of Peep Show, one of the classic comedies of recent times. Just hope that as it is the sixth season, they haven't run out of ideas or get stale.

Has a good crawl of London on Saturday evening. After the draw at Charlton, where the pre-match pub of the Antigallican had some nice young barmaids in tight vests, we did the Chandos, Roundhouse, Lamb & Flag and Dehems where they had Lindeboom now on draught. Nice stuff.

I bought Dot Allison's new album (her fourth) and it's on a par with her debut. After going trancey on her second and far too acoustic on the third, she is back with more of a band sound whilst remaining dreamy meloncholy voiced it is more melodic. It has Pete Doherty and Paul Weller on it which may have helped. Finally, talking of music, if you get a chance type in 'Taylor Swift Def Leppard' into youtube and get songs from the US series crossroads where they duet on great versions of Photograph, Pour Some Sugar, Hysteria and Taylor Swifts songs Love Story and Should've Said No. Though you could say its slightly disturbing a 50 year old hairy bloke from Sheffield singing about pouring sugar with an attractive female teenager. Depends what your take on it is!

No it's not a monster as The Automatic sing, bit a new job. Hooray. Same as my old one but a different company and location (sunny croydon). Thing is that my start date was only two weeks after being offered it and I'm now trying to cram everything in. For example, my opticians are near my old work place and I've realised I am going to run out of contact lenses probably in the middle of October. Now, I don't fancy my chances of popping there at lunchtime in my new job so I've had to order them this week. There are a couple of gigs I may not have booked too had I know I would have had to wake up for work the next day. Finally I need to check all important train times from East Croydon to Southampton for midweek trips. Annoyingly our first ever LDV cup game (& our most realistic chance of heading to Wembley) is a 7.00pm kick off! I don't fancy my chances if I worked till five, though at a bargain £7.50 it still may be worth missing five minutes or so.
Had a trip to Notting Hill record & tape exchange spending £42 on 17 albums which was bargain hunting to the extreme. Included in my purchase, although feeling it as a guilty pleasure, was Taylor Swift's Fearless album. Having played it last night it really is good! Other bergains were the aforementioned Automatic, Brett Anderson's solo album, Tina Dico and Gabriella Climi, alongside some classic rock albums not previously got to fill out my collection such as def Leppard's High & Dry and the best of Cheap Trick.

Title comes from Jemina Pearls new song which features Iggy Pop. Fav song of the year so far and is currently on her myspace page.
Been a quiet two weeks mainly cause I've had a virus that made me dizzy if I stood up or turned my head, which at the beginning was accompanied by vomiting. Not nice, and lasted just under two weeks. To be honest I still get a bit groggy if I suddenly stand up so not fully recovered yet. This did allow me to go down to Dorset for a long weekend and make a fuss of my parents new Golden Retriever puppy who is lovely.
Illness also made me miss Saints home game v Brentford. In fact, we've played six games so far and I've only seen the opener v Millwall. It must be at least five years since I last missed five games on the trot! Therefore I can't comment on how we're doing though results aren't inspiring. Looking forward to Saturday's home game v Colchester and my first chance to see Rickie Lambert. I will also purchase Le God's autobiography then (taking Le Tiss!).
Also been very quiet on the gig front with one not for over two weeks, and another stadium band who I've not seen before nor particularly am a fan of, Coldplay. However, at the end of the month I reacquaint myself with Rose Elinor Dougall who is playing a pub in Shoreditch followed by a good run of Mott The Hoople, Luke Haines, Skunk Anasie and The Cult in quick sucession. All should be good (oopps forgot Hi Ho Silver Lining Jeff Beck too!)
Also excellent news in December when Skin are playing another gig, when the support is an acoustic set by Toby Jepson!
When I fully recovered I have been looking at how to fill the days whilst also looking for a job, and have remembered that most London Musuems are free. Therefore may have a few days coming up being a tourist in London entertaining myself for no money.
Finally, wasn't the ashes great! Superb and hopefully we can dominate the less important one days too that start tomorrow.