 |
Journal | Friends | Calendar | User Info | Memories |
'My Corduroyed Life' - Mark A's Journal
I went to a gig on Friday evening: a band called Naked Lounge.
What can I say about Naked Lounge other than they're bloody great! They're a four man local band, quite recently formed but with a bloody lot of talent. Their stuff is kinda Indie, but with a heavy rockness that reminds me of Queens of the Stone Age. It's pretty original stuff actually: really good songs! They ROCK!
Okay, here's the admission: the band are actually personal friends of mine. I've known Charlie, the bassists, for over five years, and met the other guys via him. Last time I went out on the razz with them, I was most amused by all four's shouty, laddish rendition of Bohemian Rapsody at the Siam Orchid Kareoke bar. Something I'm sure they're very glad wasn't recorded...
Anyway, gig review...
The venue was The Manchester Roadhouse: a place I particularly like for it's black, black, black, and tiny smattering of red decor. Seriously, it's a really cool place for a gig and has had some major bands play there. It's relatively small, but Naked Lounge mananged to fill it: a feat that Coldplay didn't achieve a couple of years back! Low roof, venue full of people, sunny day: three things that make a venue VERY hot! The whole crowd were sweating, and all they were doing was standing around (and maybe nodding their heads a little bit). Meanwhile, the band were on stage giving it all, and despite the heat, they really, really played well. :-)
Having been to three of their gigs now, it's nice to see how the band have progressed. They've got a couple more songs, and the ones they'd already got are performed now with real confidence and they sound good, very good. Despite an obvious bias, I reckon that Naked Louge really do have a chance of making it big.
Josh (the lead singer) was nervous as hell the first time I saw them play. Not so any more! The guy has really developed a great stage presence! Walking on stage, he bellowed "NAKED LOUNGE" and then proceeds to sing with confidence. Banging his head, staring right into the crowd with scary eyes, and grabbing his crotch, he's got it sussed! It's good to see!
Meanwhile, Charlie stands to his left making ridiculously difficult bass stuff look easy. His cute little winks to his girlfriend Sam in the audience are so sweet. Bless.
To Josh's left is Shizza the lead guitarist who, like Charlie, has bucket loads of talent. Shizza just gets on with it, plays, and plays well. Then suddenly, as his friends start to chant "Shizza, Shizza, Shizza!" very loudly after a song finishes, he puts his finger on his lip to shush them. Cool.
The drummer, Grimbo, obscured at the back, plays the drums with enthusiasm and great skill. And his biker gloves are SO cool...
The set was faultless: they really did themselves justice. I always enjoy their music, but Friday was simply faultless. I'm really pleased for the guys because they deserve to do well. It was also noticeable that there were a decent amount of people who aren't friends of the band there as well. Initially, I was irritated by sprogs being allowed into the place, but relented when I worked out it was good for the band.
Highlight of the night:
Two band members had their parents there, and Josh shamelessly says into the mike: "My parents aren't here, so I can say fuck." My kind of humour...
Lowlight of the Night:
Not being able to drink 'cos I was doing a two hour drive straight after the gig.
If you're interested in Naked Lounge, and/ or want to hear some of their music to see if my overenthusiastic blitherings are actually well-founded, go here:
http://www.naked-lounge.co.uk
Their website is v. cool, and has gig dates, bios, and snippits of songs for you to download.
Have fun,
M
Current mood: Sunday chilled.
Current music: Each To Their Own by Naked Lounge.
Saturday was a difficult day for me. Family dos are always a hotbed of jealousy, brutal competitiveness, resentment, bad DJs, and cliquiness.
Actually, that's a little unfair. I *do* enjoy some bits of family get togethers: I adore playing with my cousin's kids, and genuinely like to see a lot of my relatives whom I particularly fond of.
Anyway, Saturday was my cousin Shaun's (second) wedding, and I'd driven to my parents house in Wolverhampton (from Manchester where I live) the evening before. The sun really did have his hat on, and it was very, very hot. I looked at my suit and tie, and winced. What was worse is that the only shirt I'd bought to Wolves from Manc was a 15 inch collar. I don't wear ties for work, and as such never think about the necks. A 15 inch collar may have been reasonably comfortable a year ago, but after a years Ninja, my neck is a bit bigger than it was. As such, I felt like I was being choked: I couldn't swallow properly! Not a good start.
My dad and I had a belting argument just before we left about my Gothic jewellry. He demanded I remove it; I told him bollocks. Two sore throats and an upset mother later, I got in the car with my jewellry on, and a huffy father.
I loathe weddings. In fact, I loathe any occassion that means I have to go in a church. I'm very serious about my belief system: that of athiesm. In a way, I guess you could call me a 'strict' athiest. so I do not like going to church. I feel uncomfortable, hypocritical and alienated. Saturday was no different. I went in, already sweating like you wouldn't believe in my bloody suit, and hunched myself up in awkwardness. Then came the singing: me and hymns - something that doesn't happen very often. I have a really bad vocal range which means I can't sing low enough for some bass parts, and screech like an angry cat for the higher notes of tenor. Of course, post-pointless argument with dad sore throatness didn't help either. Me, church, screeching: not good. Don't get me wrong, it really was lovely to see two people so in love making a commitment to each other. Seeing Shaun and Tracey's joy as they looked into each other's eyes at the altar was so sweet. But I felt so wrong saying "Amen" at the end of prayers, singing about stuff I not only don't believe but find really quite ludicrous, and reciting the Lords Prayer.
I find it quite perverse that I still know the Lord's Prayer. Christianity was drilled into my head at school to the point of us always saying the Lord's Prayer at the end of every assembly. I'll always have that bloody thing engraved onto my memory. I guess everyone that went to Warstones probably does. I have to admit, I'm pretty scornful about the whole Christianity thing. I look at the facts and figures of what's been done in Christianity's name, and I shudder. I also find it just bizarre that Christians can utterly ignore it all AND the fact that the bible is full of prejudice.
Anyway, less of that: this is supposed to be a blither about my harrowing day with my harrowing family. But before I continue with that, I'd like a brief ponder. Considering my scorn for Christianity, is it disrespectful for me to go into churches, and parrot stuff I don't believe? Am I contraveening my own belief system by going in there. I did really want to see my cousin swap vows with the woman he loves, but I don't like going into churches. Which should be the strongest pull?
Didn't help that my bro wasn't there. I like to have D around at family dos, but the b'stard is in India atm having one hell of a holiday. Am so jealous.
My family bitch about Tracey's family like you wouldn't believe. The older ones are both fascinated, and also a bit anti Tracey's sister who is gay. Doesn't bode well, does it? But they turn their noses up at the majority of her relatives because they're either snobby or common. the paradoxes and contradictions of that whole statement annoy me, but I bite my tongue. So the atmosphere is always just a smidge but tense. I get told who I should and shouldn't talk to. Gah! Anyway, none of that mattered as no bugger appeared to want to talk to me anyway, so I got all cliquey with my cousins.
So cliquey that I came out.
Not sure that it was a good idea. I told two of my cousins, and they were cool with it. I probably wouldn't have had I not been so disgracefully drunk due to free bar.
It felt so liberating at the time, and they got all huggy, and it was nice. Now, knowing what unbelievable gossip mongers they are, I think I may well have made a mistake.
I'm not going to linger on that...
Did I mention FREE BOOZE!!!!
Oh yes: the booze was free, so I drank lots of it. A hell of a lot of it. My dad was SO angry.
Anyway, the reception was in a big marquee and the food was great. For dessert, the blokes had Shaun's favourite, and the ladies had Tracey's. So cute!
What I thought was a nice touch was a disposable camera on every table for the people to take photies, and then give to the bride and groom at the end of the evening. "Ooooh!" I said, "That's a really cool idea." "Oh everyone does it at weedings these days." replies my mum, "But none of your friends get married, do they?"
I spent a lot of time with my cousin's kids (all six of them!). They're so sweet. They also think I'm cool because I watch wrestling. Now, me and kids, I always get told: "you're great with kids." maybe I am, but that's because I spend very little time with them, and when I do, it's because I want to, not have to. The idea of Uncle Mark really appeals, but (even if I actually thought gay adoption was a good idea, which I don't) daddy is a no no. But I do adore my cousins' kids. They're all adorable. The amount of energy they have to run around and get chased by me, is quite frightening...
My cousin's newborn is GREAT! If you smile at her, she smiles right back. Awwwwwwwwwwwww! SO cute!
All in all, after dreading the day, it wasn't all that bad... and the next one probably aint 'til Christmas, so I'll cope.
Have fun,
M
Current mood: Mmmkay... but tired..
Current music: Stuck In A Rut by The Darkness.