Sunday 31st October
Canadian pomp rockers Saga are among my all-time fave bands.
Alas, they're currently promoting a new album that doesn't quite
match their best work, and this is the opening night of a latest
world tour. Even allowing for gremlins and ring-rustiness (Ooo-eeer!),
they're not as awesome as on their last two visits to the Mean
Fiddler. Great to hear 'Humble Stance', 'Careful Where You Step',
'On The Loose', 'Wind Him Up' and 'You're Not Alone' again,
though.
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Saturday
30th October
Incredibly satisfying away win for Palace over that verminous
scumbag St**e Br**e and his Birmingham Shitty rabble. Pete Way,
who's a rabid devotee of their great rivals Aston Villa, was
on the phone at the final whistle, sounding almost as happy
as me. Wish I could've celebrated the victory the way it deserved,
but had an evening interview with the incredibly nice Michael
Amott and Angela Gossow of Arch Enemy.
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Friday
29th October 2004
Had the misfortune of watching one of the most pathetic
movies ever made, Alien Vs Predator. Granted, it has good special
effects and certain elements of Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park,
Close Encounters Of The Third Kind... but there's also an extra
ingredient. A steaming great dog turd. Mix 'em all into a blender,
remove any trace of wit, add a plotline that only a lobotomised
chimp could've written and you're finally ready to serve, along
with the only beverage possible of complementing such a dish
- lashings of month-old labrador piss.
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Wednesday 27th October
Ho hum... back to the Garage again. Not my fave venue in
the world, as I'm based on the other side of the Thames. It
was less full than two nights ago, but Swedish grindcore sensations
Nasum were sensational. Their bassist was probably the most
drunk man in the world. He vomited onstage, kept spitting up
in the air and and then catching it in his mouth. Shape-throwing
like he was a member of Warrant. Some clown threw a can at him
and he launched into this hilarious sozzled rant. Extreme Noise
Terror were way better than I expected, too. Dedicating a song
to John Peel (R.I.P) was a nice touch.
By phone-text I kept up to speed with Palace's progress across
London at the Valley in the Coca-Cola Littlewoods Zenith Data
Simod Shield. We fielded what was effectively a reserve side
against Charlton Pathetic's first team; went a goal down (inevitably
to an ex-CPFC player), rebounded 2-1 ahead and won with 10 men.
Bouncebackability indeed.
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Monday 25th October 2004
Went to check out Mastodon at the Garage in the evening.
The Georgia hairies have been described as the missing link
between Metallica and Rush, but even such lofty an accolade
doesn't do them justice. Place was rammed full (the band have
just got off a European tour with Slayer and Slipknot) and they
played brilliantly - far better than the last time I saw them
wiping the floor with High On Fire back in February '03. The
sky's the limit.
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Saturday 23rd Octber
Now this was a game that my beloved Palace had to win. West
Boromowich Albion at home. Fortnately, they were crap and we
very, very good. Andy Johnsen is the messiah. Out of the bottom
three.... I'm so drunk it took me alost 20 mis to type this
entry. Sad twat. Bounce-back-abikitity!!!!!!!
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Thursday October 21st 2004
Went to a playback of the new Iron Maiden DVD. It was held upstairs
at a pub in central London. Rod Smallwood introduced the affair
with a few choice words. Among them were the fact that bar staff
would be coming round to top up our glasses during the showing.
As I said to my pal Malcolm Dome, it doesn’t get much better
than this – Maiden and as much wine as you can drink. So
I took them up on their kind offer. Left the place at closing
time, got on the wrong train and staggered in at around 3am
having lost the headphones for my Walkman and a few other personal
effects (rough as the proverbial bear’s posterior this
morning – don’t expect a diary entry for Oct 22).
What is it with Maiden and parties? Almost got divorced after
one notable soiree in Paris. The missus found me the next morning
with trousers half on and half off, lying comatose on the hotel
room floor. I’d walked for hours to get to my bed from
that one, too. Wifey can talk, though. At the last Maiden ‘do’,
she collared Rod and decided he was going to dance with her.
He tried to make his excuses, but She Who Must Be Obeyed insisted
and eventually got her man. Serves the band right for calling
their album ‘Dance Of Death’.
Blimey, watching the footage made me realise how much I love
Maiden. The DVD is bloody incredible. Buy it or miss out on
something awesome.
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Wednesday October 20th 2004
Whitesnake at Hammersmith. How long have we all wanted to see
those two words together? Gotta admit, I was a little disappointed.
Being a long-time fan, I was hoping there would be more material
from the early days. It was hard to knock the show, but I preferred
Da Snakes when they were bluesy. Someone sent me an email the
next day that seemed to sum it up: Whitesnake had lots of power,
but no soul. The after show bash was a lot of fun. Jimmy Page
was there, and John Kalodner. Brian Johnson from AC/DC, too.
Members of Thunder and of course the Quireboys, who opened the
show, were also in attendance. Spike even bought me a white
wine. That’s a good way to start this diary.
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