West Fest 2006...

Bank holiday Monday was filled with doing a lovely little local festival, West Fest in Malvern.
The event ran from 12 midday 'til 12 midnight with many bands playing, leading to a slight challenge with getting them all on and off stage in time:

The line up... Whooooooooooooo I hear you say!

It was another picturesque festival scenario and after the morning rain had gone, it turned into a gorgeous day, so much so, I spotted these two lovely dears out and about!

Mr Richard Waghorn, fellow engineer and thoroughly pleasant chap!

Many friends, work colleagues and family visited throughout the day. From left to right, my pal Tom, Niece Amy, Steph and John.

Doggboy himself tweaking with The Tights

One band turned up with this magnificent display of professional cabling.
Guess what Doggboy had to fix!

Rob DJ! Spinning some chilled out tunes for us between bands

This lead guitarist made me laugh, as I never actually saw him smoke any cigarettes, only hold them in his mouth for style! Rock 'n Roll!!!!

The Bass player going for it from the Tights

The very neat stage - I like it ran tidy you know! :]


There were a group of very drunk people dancing and falling over at one point. Very entertaining to watch.

When we were setting up the penultimate band, a group of people where counting out their pennies on the stage (literally) and discussing that they needed an extra £1 to buy a beer. Overhearing this, I gave them a pound ('cos I'm nice like that), but this lead to me being enthusiastically hugged by about 4 complete strangers, although one was a cute girl, so I'm not complaining ;)

The compére was Dan Johnson from the BBC and we had a good laugh, as a lot of his time was spent announcing lost property and children, rather then compéring, but we were almost in tears when we got given this lost dog, as we had no idea what to do with it, as no one claimed it. It could shake paws though!

The last band of the evening were a very entertaining covers band, but the crowd invaded the stage at the end of the last song and they decided it would be fun to grab and shout down the microphones. A few of us had to go on stage with elbows while I grabbed and unplugged all the mics as quickly as possible. A mini riot :]

We finished packing up at 1:30am and there just had to be one more event befoer the evenig was out, did there not? Oh yes there did:

We towed the box trailer, full of the PA gear, up the main hill using Andy's 4x4, but when me and Rich unhitched it, the hand brake on the tralier couldn't hold all the weight and it started to roll back down the hill.
"Shit" was said very loud as me and Rich grabbed the trailer and were pretty much rolling on the floor desperatly trying to stop the thing from rolling away, while Andy found a rock to chock one set of wheels...We did it just in time and then pissed ourselves laughing! Phew

The trailer in question

Today, I'm Most Angry About: After a hard lunchtime circuit training class, I had to take a completely cold shower, as due to the kids being off school and swimming all day in the leisure pool, all the hot water had gone. Brrrrr :[
Grrr-O-Meter Rating: 3/10

Slurstar...

Saturday night comprised of a rather inebriated little get together at my Sister Numbah 1's house, owing the 'pleasure' to the lovely couple The Silver Fox and Kees, who came up from Bristol for the evening.

We ate fondue, which was just delectable, especially as I hadn't eaten fondue styleee before now, so off with the 'F' plates for me. Yay

After feeling very stuffed, we grabbed champagne and went for a dip in the outdoor heated pool and did some stargazing.

Next, we all got comfortable around the Playstation 2 for a hardcore late night session at Singstar. (...and for those of you who have never played Singstar... Shame on you! :] )

The dominating post midnight view!

Andy and The Silver Fox in intense vocal combat

My goon of a 13yo niece decides to use me as a mattress, just as I'm enjoying my fave Leffe beer!

Sis Numbah 1 Singstar action

After 'vocoholic' lubrication, DoGGa and Kees go for a head to head battle - Can't remember who won now though! %-]

Niece and nephew having it out

My sis is intent on doing the YMCA moves. Oh dear, oh dear!

After my Big Chill cow torch discovery, I managed to obtain one off the intermaweb and inadvertently started a bit of a trend friends, as they have now purchased them too!

DoGGa and Kees, proud to be with their cow torches... Although I have a bit of Chris Moyles unshaven, double chin going on here...

The Silver Fox, an ale and my cow torch... Perfic!

We put our cow torches together and they hit it off rather well...

Too well though and they had to be split up... Naughty cows... Stop humping like that... Pfff

My cow torch got bored and played noughts & crosses and hangman on Kees's hoof!

3:30am saw bed time, and 9am saw me getting up and falling back to sleep on the sofa for a while, after waking with mouth like the bottom of a parrots cage.

I then headed outside for the sun before getting stuck into a fry up, a quick morning walk and then an afternoon go on Buzz. I then drove to the supermarket and home, while listening to Lily Allen - Smile really loud and singing along like a madman.

Today, I'm heading off to Malvern for the West fest (a one-day festival)
Friends and myself are doing the main stage - providing the sound and engineering etc, not performing LOL.

If anyone fancies coming along, then please feel free to and say hello!

[ *Invoice in the post for plugging your blog there Ms Keesie Dee... Oh, and again :)]


Today, I'm Most Angry About: Seeing a guy throw an empty bottle of beer out of the passenger window of his mate's car and it smashing on the road while they grinned inanely at what they had just done. Grrr idiots...
Grrr-O-Meter Rating: 5/10

The Answer...

So, the answer to the lyric game, for those who didn't Google it, *slapped wrists* is...
DRUM ROLL - 'Devo - Smart Patrol / Mr DNA'

What an absolute brilliant song and album this is off, 'Duty Now For The Future'!

Just watch the first minute of this video, to see how obscure they were and spot the potato-I-found-in-the-gym related lyrics:




Ooh, I thought I had lost the keys to my house this morning, but found the front door was unlocked and had been all night and the keys were on the outside. Must have been from when I came back from shopping last night. Whoops!


Today, I'm Most Angry About: Getting another rubbish nights sleep! Grrr... It makes me feel retched and I slept much better in a tent in the middle of a wet field on the weekend! Grrr
Grrr-O-Meter Rating: 6/10

Bore da...

(...That's Welsh for g'mornin' by the way)

Today, I'm off on my travels again and embarking upon a long friends and family weekend camping break on the Llyn Peninsula - North Wales [The spikey red bit pointing west at the top of the red]

There's a whole troop of us meeting up there, so it should be a rather good laugh, although a bit of a random weekend with so many people coming and going across the 4 days - some of the keen ones are already out there. (As in Wales, not 'Out There Maaan')

The weather looks appauling :(

The lyric game continues until I return folks, then I'll post the answer and video of the song, as it's worth seeing, in my humble opinion.
So, here you go - all of the lyrics, except the blank I've entered as the band's name was mentioned:

"HE'S BEEN WITH THE WORLD

AND I'M TIRED OF THE SOUP DU JOUR

HE'S BEEN WITH THE WORLD

I WANNA END THIS PROPHYLACTIC TOUR

AFRAID NOBODY AROUND HERE

UNDERSTANDS MY POTATO

GUESS I'M ONLY A SPUDBOY

LOOKING FOR A REAL TOMATO

WE'RE THE SMART PATROL

NOWHERE TO GO

SUBURBAN ROBOTS THAT MONITOR REALITY

COMMON STOCK WE WORK AROUND THE CLOCK

WE SHOVE THE POLES IN THE HOLES

WAIT A MINUTE SOMETHING'S WRONG

HE'S THE MAN FROM THE PAST

HE'S HERE TO DO US A FAVOR

A LITTLE HUMAN SACRIFICE

IT'S JUST SUPPLY AND DEMAND

MR. KAMIKAZI MR. DNA

HE'S AN ALTRUISTIC PERVERT

MR. DNA MR. KAMIKAZI

HE'S HERE TO SPREAD SOME GENES

WAIT A MINUTE SOMETHING'S WRONG

HE'S A MAN WITH A PLAN

HIS FINGER IS POINTED AT [BLANK]

NOW WE MUST SACRIFICE OURSELVES

THAT MANY OTHERS

MAY LIVE OK WE'VE GOT A LOT TO GIVE

THIS MONKEY WANTS A WORD WITH YOU"

Today, I'm Most Angry About: Looking forward to a morning intake of Spongebob Squarepants, but it was a repeat of one I'd seen not too long ago... Aww - Grrr... It still made me laugh though... MEOW!
Grrr-O-Meter Rating: 0.3/10

Potato, Potato, Potato...

While getting changed before my lunch-time circuit training class, I spotted a little spud.
No... it wasn't my 'little spud', it was a real tattie just sat there, minding it's own business, on a clothes hook!
How surreal to spot a solanum tuberosum offspring in the male changing rooms at Kidderminster's leading sports and leisure facility *snigger* The Glades Arena!

It reminded me of these lyrics, so 10 house-points to anyone who gets the artist and a gold star if the song and album is named too:

"afraid nobody around here understands my potato
guess i'm only a spudboy looking for a real tomato"

Now I'll be impressed if anyone gets this and NO Googling allowed! :]

Today, I'm Most Angry About: Noticing a 'SOLD' sign go up on my, currently vacated, neighbour's house joined to mine. Grrr, the detached house privileges are about to end... Grrr!
Grrr-O-Meter Rating: 5/10

The Experience List...

...Quite blatantly stolen from Dakota's blog, who stole it from Kat's blog, who stole it from... You get the picture! :]
It is a bit 'Merkan*, but there are some good ones, so I thought I'd give it a go regardless:

Ooh, I tag: Kees Sarah Rhee Kayla Stu and anyone else who reads my blog really!
Don't feel as if you have to, but please feel free to copy it and give it a go yourself.

The ones in bold are the ones I consider I have done:

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink - It was a lock-in with few people
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain - Snowdon and plenty of others
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said 'I love you' and meant it - Yes
09. Hugged a tree - A while ago
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris - A couple of times
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise - Lots, but last was a few weekends ago in Radnor
14. Seen the Northern Lights - In North Finland earlier this year
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa (now closed to the public)
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars - Many a time camping
20. Changed a baby's diaper
21. Taken a trip on a hot air balloon - It was a Phileas Fogg type teathered thing
22. Watched a meteor shower - The Leonids
23. Got drunk on champagne - I don't like the stuff, but yeah lots
24. Given more than you can afford to charity - By direct debit and almost went overdrawn
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope - Lots, especially on Lunar eclipses
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment - Don't remind me; a few times, but worse at a complete strangers party
27. Had a food fight - Hell yeah
28. Bet on a winning horse - Red Rum, many, many years ago
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight - How could you resist
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can - Many a time and lots into a pillow
32. Held a lamb - Many when I was younger on my aunty Kay's farm
33. Seen a total eclipse - A few years ago upon Clee Hill
34. Ridden a roller coaster - A few, the worst being the Grand National in Blackpool
35. Hit a home run - I've done the rounders thing! :]
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking - Last weekend
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day - French accent one bored Sunday with friends when I was 15
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment - Not often, but yeah
39. Had two hard drives for your computer - I have right now
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was shit faced - Sooo many times
42. Had amazing friends - Right NOW!!!
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country - A girl called Vicky in Germany
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign - *cough* nuff said
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing - A few times
49. Midnight walk on the beach - Several times
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken for longer than when you were in love - Don't go there! :[
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your cds - Never again
57. Pretended to be a superhero - G-Force Rulz
58. Sung karaoke - At a works do (Pulp - Common People)
59. Lounged around in bed all day - Used to
60. Posed nude in front of strangers - *ahem*
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain - Yum
63. Played in the mud - Mmm
64. Played in the rain - Loads
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites - Mainly Wales
70. Taken a martial arts class - Judo and Karate
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight - What, and you HAVEN'T?
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party - A few yeah
75. Gotten divorced - No but...
76. Gone without food for 5 days - Over 2 weeks when I caught Cryptosporidium
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an "expert"
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark - Mmm, it was nice
88. Had a one-night stand - *cough* nuff said
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house - I'm living in it
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Created and named your own constellation of stars
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
10. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking - Oh yeah
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn't have survived.
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Petted a stingray - In Majorca
110. Broken someone's heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse - A few times in school summer holidays
119. Had major surgery - I'd say so
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi - Years ago, but yup
128. Had your picture in the newspaper - And magazines for work
129. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about - Many times
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Petted a cockroach - School had them and they hissed
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one "important" author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions - ALL
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language - Gesticulation
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream - Sometimes?
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts - This one right now
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146: Dyed your hair - Recently: two shades of blonde
147: Been a DJ - At my mom's 60th! YAY
148: Shaved your head - Well grade 2 all over, close enough and never again
149: Caused a car accident - Left my handbrake off and rolled into my mates car
150: Saved someone's life - Many a time climbing etc

[* Angela, don't you dare]

Today, I'm Most Angry About: Cooking Sea Bass and Prawn and it stinking my house out, regardless of window opening and joss stick burning. *Pewww*
Grrr-O-Meter Rating: 1/10

Festival Aftermath...

I still feel as though I need to go into some sort of summer hibernation to get over the serious lack of sleep that was achieved at the weekend's Big Chill festival.
Set aside my own late night overindulgences, the people camped to our right were the noisiest little devils ever and on the first night, they eventually turned their high fidelity stereo off and went to to bed at 6:30am, and pretty much matched it the second night.

Saying that, a fabulous weekend was had working with the engineers, the weather was stunning, the bands were superb, the crowd friendly, the showers a godsend because of the heat, and I got to see a few friends I hadn't seen for a while. Ooh and drink lots of beer, yay...

This years Big Chill festival posse consisted of (Left to right as usual) John, Dogga, Sheff, Dave, Andy and Roy.

View of the main stage and dance / performance arena from the side of the camping fields.

Same view of the main stage, but looking from the other side.

One of the perks about being in the live sound industry... an access all area pass! Basically access to clean loos with no queuing :] although there was work involved too... I forgot about that bit, darn!

One of the things I like about being at a festival, is that anything goes and very few people really bat an eyelid to it too! Take this man in a green day-glow tutu and purple angel wings for being a good example...

Here's another example... Oh, hang on, that's Dogga and Andy at the bar!

How about this guy in a Mr Scruff pinafore, large Elton John styleee glasses and a top hat. What's going on here then? There seemed to be more men dressed up than women this year!

...Or can someone tell me what's going on here? I couldn't figure it out and neither could anyone else for that matter!

After missing the first set due to massive crowd, we all went to see the Blue Man Group.
What a stunning performance of art and music. I've seen them before in London for their full show, but this cut down festival half hour slot was still very entertaining!

So... Does John look camp with his 'manbag'???

Late night drunken digital camera warfare with Ben, the main man from the big blue Club tent!

See this point? ...It's rubbish!

The best offer of the festival was found at the general stores. What a bargain!

Dogga making very large bubbles, with a group of complete strangers in the middle of a field at 2:30 in the morning. A bit of a mystery-bus experience and a 'I-dont-remember-that-photo-being-taken' moment upon return!

£4 could buy you a floating flare thingy, that seemed to be incredibly popular with the punters. They were very good and did fly off for miles and gain a hell of a height, but I thought they were a bit dangerous given that there's tens of thousands of people below and flammable tents to match!

OK children... Let this photo be a lesson to you regarding the evils of alcohol! OK... So what the heck am I doing here folks? What an absolute nob!!! Some random woman decides to take my camera and insists she's going to take a picture of John, myself and Sheff and this was the result! *snigger*

Sparks, on the main stage, playing a 3 hour set until 2am... It was a bit arty at times, but cool nevertheless.

I couldn't help but ponder over a plastic cow outside our neighbours tent, so eventually I plucked up the courage and asked what it was. The girl told me it was her torch and was more than happy to show me that when you pull the trigger on it's back, its mouth opens, the light comes on and gives out a loud "moo"!
How incredibly cool... I've just got to have one... :]

Today, I'm Most Angry About: Itchy stubble! Why does it get so itchy if you dont shave for a few days? Dagnammit!!!
Grrr-O-Meter Rating: 3.7/10

The Big Chill...

Today, I'm off to the Big Chill festival at Eastnor Castle in Malvern!

It's a large 3-day open-air festival with multiple stages and dance tents and most of the music is chilled and funky stuff.

The company I work for, design and manufacturer sound equipment and a few of the stages are using our gear, so being on the design team, it's great to see the stuff actually in action!

I went last year, but only for one night and it was great fun... Let's hope this is a good follow up!

Today, I'm Most Angry About: Finding I've got no milk for breakfast... Grrrr... May have to be an omelette then!
Grrr-O-Meter Rating: 1/10

A Bunch of Big Kids...

What do you get when you cross:
A friend who is the general manager at the Cattle Country Farm Park
A bunch of your juvenile mates
A great pub outing with a superb meal and PLENTY of beer
Keys to do what the hell you like after closing time at the farm park?
This is what you get...

Inside one of the multiple children's *ahem* people-of-all-ages play areas, is a great vertical topped slide stretching from the ceiling of the two story barn to the floor.
Some serious ecceleration and weightlessness is experienced, especially if you stand on the top and swing outwards with your arms before letting yourself drop!
Not that I would ever act in such an irresponsible way of course, honest guv ;-)

Dogga's Freeeeeee Faaaaaaalllllll from the ceiling

Andy dropping one...

Big Rich going from the top

Duncs letting rip

Ultra responsible general manager Martin at the end of the highly polished yellow bumpy slide! :] Thanks for inviting us all Mart!!!

After running up the stairs countless times to throw myself down the slide, I was sweating more than a paedophile in an identity parade. So, we all hit the ball pit, blacked out maze, rope bridges and many other bizarre padded contraptions.

After too much drink, three of us decided we really couldn't be arsed putting up a tent at half past one on the morning, so investigated an unoccupied caravan close by and discovered we could get into the awning with ease, so the three of us grabbed sleeping bags and slept in there for the night and left the next morning without a trace of evidence we had been there!
*Dogga walks of whistling inconspicuously*

In the morning, the park was re-opened to the public at 10am, which meant we no longer had free run of the place, BUT it did mean there were now attendants for the MASSIVE zip line!

Dogga going up to the zip line platform. I can handle a single story height.

Now I'm starting to get a little nervous towards the top and deep breaths are needed as the wind get stronger and the pole sways.
The girl at the top was very pleasant and when she was hooking me up to the zip line, I informed her this was the first time I had been roped up by a girl and it actually felt quite nice... She looked a little embarrassed :]

The zip line platform was 60 feet up. A lot higher than the conference room building to the right!

Dogga just after leaping off the platform.

About half way down, speeding over the top of the punters in the park was great!

A serious cheesy grin after coming off the zip line. Added pleasure of wearing all the harnesses etc of course... Mmm I do like that! ;->

There were many animals on the farm from Bison to rabbits, but I took a shining to these pigs.

Aww, look at the little piglets!!!

Today, I'm Most Angry About: Running out of beer at home! Grrr
Grrr-O-Meter Rating: 3/10