I’ve spent the whole week at home as my girlfriend was struggling to come off her antidepressants. I ended up going to the doctor with her where she broke down crying… then I reluctantly joined in. I’d not brought down my own antidepressants as I thought I was going to be away for one whole day so I ended up missing about four or five tablets. Tuesday I had to go to the doctor myself as I was getting withdrawal symptoms and feeling quite low.
I’ve spent the week not doing much as I wasn’t sure when I would be leaving. I think I’ve put on an extra bit of weight, which doesn’t help my confidence. Perhaps it’s all the toast I’ve been eating. No, it is all the toast I’ve been eating. Oh well at least there are only two weeks of my college course left. I get the feeling I’ll pack up and leave this week though. I feel so pulled apart by different forces right now.
I’ve found a way of being able to read, but I’m wondering how long it will last. I’m using the DIY magnifying visor I bought a while back but taking off my glasses as the two layers of magnification seem to blur things a little. I’m reading the Arthur C Clarke Novel Rendezvous With Rama which is written in an interesting style... it’s more like a Wikipedia article than a novel (which works well for me).
I had a bottle of wine last night and it’s really numbed me this morning. That’s probably not a bad thing though as it’ll probably make it easier for me to leave. My girlfriend said she’d come into town with me so we could have lunch together but I get the feeling she’ll bail on me again.
My tutor rang on Friday and we had a chat. He’s an ok guy but I do wonder whether he bothers to address my concerns about the college course. I get the feeling he just bins the notes he makes after I leave our weekly sessions. I will write a complaint to somebody about the music department wasting my time… I’m just not sure who to send it to and who will listen. Perhaps the government department which funded my being there.
I think I’ll carry on recording music in an amateur capacity but would like to focus more on writing as I think it’s the most economically viable creative outlet for me right now. I think I’m finally getting the travelling bug too as I was talking to my girlfriend last night about some of the places I’d like to visit. Am I finally waking up? I’ve felt so contained for so long.
It’s still very early down here in the living room. Still very quiet…
Sunday, 19 June 2011
Friday, 17 June 2011
“Suck It And See” – Arctic Monkeys (album review)
The Arctic Monkeys have, not wanting to turn their backs on perceived failings, put at least three songs on Suck It And See (Brick By Brick, Library Pictures, All My Own Stunts) that play out like salty leftovers from their previous album - Humbug. Library Pictures, for instance, could be taken as a companion piece to Pretty Visitors with it’s cascading rhetoric and lucid midway waltz. Generally though on Suck It And See there’s an overall feeling that the Sheffield foursome are striving for more than just the breathe-too-hard-and-they’ll-fall-over melodies featured on Humbug. The denser production and brighter tone on songs like Reckless Serenade, Suck It And See and the epic That’s Where You’re Wrong hint at a new direction altogether.
As the rest of the British indie/alternative music scene scrambles desperately to sound like early to mid 1980s synth pop groups (a revivalist genre ensnaring the likes of Kaiser Chiefs, Glasvegas and Editors) the Arctic Monkeys have boldly moved on a step and now warmly tip their flat caps to late 80s Madchester bands and Union Jack waving 90s Britpop stalwarts such as The Stone Roses, The Charlatans, The Bluetones, The Lightning Seeds and, erm, Babybird (you’ll know it when you hear it). It’s a brave step, considering that said decade of untucked long-sleeved shirts and shaggy bowl haircuts still feels relatively close and, as with all just-departed periods of fashion and music culture, regrettable. But the Monkeys’ fourth album effortlessly strives to celebrate a jangly, drunken singalong vibe that has all but vanished in contemporary indie rock.
Suck It And See’s opening track contains a couple of mistakes… intentional mistakes, of course… clever mistakes. She’s Thunderstorms acts as a continuation of Humbug’s precedent of getting the ball rolling with a tale of sexual frustration and symbolic titillation. Alex Turner sings about having girls “lying on [their] front” or “up against the wall”. Wherever. But girls send his mind and mouth into a frenzy and his rising blood pressure shoots his vocals into a topsy turvy summersault. So much so are these four Northern boys distracted by black leggings and teasing feminine fringes that even the guitar solo gets “sabotaged” by too much distortion that creates an ugly and cloudy fuzz tone (tightened slightly with effects and equalisation) that most guitarists would demand a re-take of.
What seems to have changed most of all since 2006’s Whatever They Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not is the prioritisation of Turner’s crooning vocals over frenetic twin guitar attacks. Each song is constructed to allow the vocals to wander in and out at any time, like a band playing live that’s waiting patiently for their singer to swagger back on stage after a lengthy cigarette break. The compositions are looser and take into account a more patient audience/fanbase that are less in need of instant pop gratification. You get the feeling that Richard Hawley and The Divine Comedy have been playing on Turner’s turntable of late and have taught him the importance of languid purposeful pace and charming music hall pomp.
If their milestone 2006 debut represented a snapshot of being at the age when you’re either too old or too young to get away with reckless behaviour and could never (and probably should never) be repeated then ideally what has come along since should be considered their true starting point. Suck It And See is the sound of the Arctic Monkeys finally settling into themselves; juggling playful images of love, loss and life in perpetual motion with shimmering guitar jetstreams and show-stopping rhythm section interludes.
But there are still pleasant consistencies: we’re treated to perhaps the most tender and soulful tune they’ve yet committed to tape in the form of Love Is A Laserquest which continues their endearing predilection for introspective ballads (see Riot Van, The Only Ones Who Know and Secret Door for more information). We also get a (now standard?) mid-tempo love song with Piledriver Waltz that’s definitely equal to the likes of Mardy Bum, Florescent Adolescent and Cornerstone.
Overall Suck It And See has a lasting quality that makes up for the service station comfort break that was 2009’s Humbug, however the whiskey soaked ventures into haunted forest atmospherics are still present and have yet to be shaken off by a band still too youthful for such bitter grown up antics. Stick to the guitar pop, boys, there’s still plenty of time to emulate Nick Cave and Tom Waits... and don’t worry about trying to impress Queens Of The Stone Age’s Josh Homme (who co-produced Humbug) with limp interpretations of stoner rock and cactus blues, he’s only a ginger and can’t hurt you.
4/5
As the rest of the British indie/alternative music scene scrambles desperately to sound like early to mid 1980s synth pop groups (a revivalist genre ensnaring the likes of Kaiser Chiefs, Glasvegas and Editors) the Arctic Monkeys have boldly moved on a step and now warmly tip their flat caps to late 80s Madchester bands and Union Jack waving 90s Britpop stalwarts such as The Stone Roses, The Charlatans, The Bluetones, The Lightning Seeds and, erm, Babybird (you’ll know it when you hear it). It’s a brave step, considering that said decade of untucked long-sleeved shirts and shaggy bowl haircuts still feels relatively close and, as with all just-departed periods of fashion and music culture, regrettable. But the Monkeys’ fourth album effortlessly strives to celebrate a jangly, drunken singalong vibe that has all but vanished in contemporary indie rock.
Suck It And See’s opening track contains a couple of mistakes… intentional mistakes, of course… clever mistakes. She’s Thunderstorms acts as a continuation of Humbug’s precedent of getting the ball rolling with a tale of sexual frustration and symbolic titillation. Alex Turner sings about having girls “lying on [their] front” or “up against the wall”. Wherever. But girls send his mind and mouth into a frenzy and his rising blood pressure shoots his vocals into a topsy turvy summersault. So much so are these four Northern boys distracted by black leggings and teasing feminine fringes that even the guitar solo gets “sabotaged” by too much distortion that creates an ugly and cloudy fuzz tone (tightened slightly with effects and equalisation) that most guitarists would demand a re-take of.
What seems to have changed most of all since 2006’s Whatever They Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not is the prioritisation of Turner’s crooning vocals over frenetic twin guitar attacks. Each song is constructed to allow the vocals to wander in and out at any time, like a band playing live that’s waiting patiently for their singer to swagger back on stage after a lengthy cigarette break. The compositions are looser and take into account a more patient audience/fanbase that are less in need of instant pop gratification. You get the feeling that Richard Hawley and The Divine Comedy have been playing on Turner’s turntable of late and have taught him the importance of languid purposeful pace and charming music hall pomp.
If their milestone 2006 debut represented a snapshot of being at the age when you’re either too old or too young to get away with reckless behaviour and could never (and probably should never) be repeated then ideally what has come along since should be considered their true starting point. Suck It And See is the sound of the Arctic Monkeys finally settling into themselves; juggling playful images of love, loss and life in perpetual motion with shimmering guitar jetstreams and show-stopping rhythm section interludes.
But there are still pleasant consistencies: we’re treated to perhaps the most tender and soulful tune they’ve yet committed to tape in the form of Love Is A Laserquest which continues their endearing predilection for introspective ballads (see Riot Van, The Only Ones Who Know and Secret Door for more information). We also get a (now standard?) mid-tempo love song with Piledriver Waltz that’s definitely equal to the likes of Mardy Bum, Florescent Adolescent and Cornerstone.
Overall Suck It And See has a lasting quality that makes up for the service station comfort break that was 2009’s Humbug, however the whiskey soaked ventures into haunted forest atmospherics are still present and have yet to be shaken off by a band still too youthful for such bitter grown up antics. Stick to the guitar pop, boys, there’s still plenty of time to emulate Nick Cave and Tom Waits... and don’t worry about trying to impress Queens Of The Stone Age’s Josh Homme (who co-produced Humbug) with limp interpretations of stoner rock and cactus blues, he’s only a ginger and can’t hurt you.
4/5
Tuesday, 14 June 2011
A brief encounter with low
I’m munching Maltesers and trying to stave off the side-effects of not taking my antidepressants for the last four days. I was only expecting to be away from college for one whole day so I thought rather than risk loosing them in transit I’d just not take one pill. I hadn’t accounted for my girlfriend’s depression flaring up quite so much. I’ve had a telephone consultation with the doctor and they’ve written me out a new prescription to keep me going. I’ll pick that up this afternoon.
I woke up this morning feeling a bit short tempered which is what motivated me to get out of bed and arrange getting more medication. I just hope these feelings don’t continue now that we’re both struggling with withdrawal symptoms.
I need to do some washing today because I only brought over with me what I was wearing. If I get that done and dried out by tomorrow morning then I might go for a wander in to town to try and take my mind off things.
I was going to arrange not returning to college at all and only go back this week to pick up my belongings, but now I think I might just stay until the end and get something valuable from the six months work experience I’ll do once I leave.
I fancy a curry today so I might grab one from the shop when I go to pick up my prescription.
I woke up this morning feeling a bit short tempered which is what motivated me to get out of bed and arrange getting more medication. I just hope these feelings don’t continue now that we’re both struggling with withdrawal symptoms.
I need to do some washing today because I only brought over with me what I was wearing. If I get that done and dried out by tomorrow morning then I might go for a wander in to town to try and take my mind off things.
I was going to arrange not returning to college at all and only go back this week to pick up my belongings, but now I think I might just stay until the end and get something valuable from the six months work experience I’ll do once I leave.
I fancy a curry today so I might grab one from the shop when I go to pick up my prescription.
Arctic Monkeys at the Don Valley Bowl
The doors opened for the Arctic Monkeys gig at five o’clock in the afternoon/evening, which seemed very early so I decided it would be best if we left the house at five thereby missing a support act or two. I was somehow expecting a large tent in the middle of the Don Valley Bowl, which would look weird, but in actual fact it was a massive arena sized tent just on site and not within the stadium perimeter itself. We rode in on the tram and as we came to the right stop there were a few exclamations from other passengers and, assumedly, visitors to the gig along the lines of “oh, that’s where they’ve put it!!”… so at least it wasn’t just me wondering how it was going to be set out.
We got through the gates fine and they didn’t ask to check for proof of my disability which was good as it would have felt a bit demeaning (although I did have proof on me). I was using my cane anyway so it was pretty clear that I had a problem.
There were lots of food and drinks stalls outside the music tent and we indulged in a few. It felt more like a beer festival than a standard rock concert. We had a pork roll, some southern fried chicken and, later on, a bacon and cheeseburger. There were plenty of toilets including a male urinal section, which was strange to do outside.
After a couple of Gaymers ciders (which was lush and tasted nicer than horrible Strongbow) we went and found the disabled platform and made ourselves comfortable. We were miles away from the actual stage but no more so than some of the regular audience members who were struggling to get anywhere near the main event.
We’d stayed away for the first two support acts but sat down for Miles Kane, who was only ok but seemed to get the crowd very excited. I wondered for a second whether his road crew were pumping pre-recorded crowd cheers through the speakers as I’m just not convinced Miles Kane is that popular. He seemed quite cocky onstage and seems to be riding on his association with Alex Turner and the Arctic Monkeys quite comfortably. His set reminded me a lot of Cast, but not quite as good.
When the Arctic Monkeys did finally come on they kept to the same setlist as the previous night (Friday), which was a shame as it felt like we weren’t getting anything particular to our night. Still, it was very enjoyable and I got very excited when they started. I’m still convinced they went out of time a couple of times on the first song. The transition from A View From The Afternoon to Brianstorm was very successful and it felt like the two songs were written for each other. I was amazed how giddy I was when they played Crying Lightning from their previous album as the whole record was hardly a career highlight… it just seemed to work very well in a live setting.
I had to go to the disabled chemical toilet a few times the more I drank, which is typical, but I’m glad it was nice and spacious and not too smelly. We were sat amongst a nice group of people although once the Monkeys started going a guy turned up on crutches and proceeded to drunkenly swing them around his head (almost hitting my girlfriend).
I hadn’t planned to stay to the end as I knew it’d be a bugger trying to get on public transport with 2,000 other punters so we left after I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor which seemed aptly timed about two thirds of the way through their set. It didn’t seem to matter that we’d left early however as we could still hear the concert from the tram stop half an hour later and caught the next three or four songs.
We rode back into Sheffield centre and got the bus home. I needed the toilet again all the way home and almost had a sneaky wee in the doorway of an abandoned building next to the bus stop, but resisted thank goodness.
All in all it was a successful evening and we really enjoyed ourselves. I’m glad they had food stalls on because it stopped me getting too drunk (a total of eight pints were downed by the end of the night… eek!!). It’s a shame the gig wasn’t quite as intimate as I thought it’d be but I guess I’ll never see the Arctic Monkeys in a small venue until maybe they’re in the twilight of their careers (and I in mine… whatever that turns out to be, lol). Two thumbs up, lads!!!
We got through the gates fine and they didn’t ask to check for proof of my disability which was good as it would have felt a bit demeaning (although I did have proof on me). I was using my cane anyway so it was pretty clear that I had a problem.
There were lots of food and drinks stalls outside the music tent and we indulged in a few. It felt more like a beer festival than a standard rock concert. We had a pork roll, some southern fried chicken and, later on, a bacon and cheeseburger. There were plenty of toilets including a male urinal section, which was strange to do outside.
After a couple of Gaymers ciders (which was lush and tasted nicer than horrible Strongbow) we went and found the disabled platform and made ourselves comfortable. We were miles away from the actual stage but no more so than some of the regular audience members who were struggling to get anywhere near the main event.
We’d stayed away for the first two support acts but sat down for Miles Kane, who was only ok but seemed to get the crowd very excited. I wondered for a second whether his road crew were pumping pre-recorded crowd cheers through the speakers as I’m just not convinced Miles Kane is that popular. He seemed quite cocky onstage and seems to be riding on his association with Alex Turner and the Arctic Monkeys quite comfortably. His set reminded me a lot of Cast, but not quite as good.
When the Arctic Monkeys did finally come on they kept to the same setlist as the previous night (Friday), which was a shame as it felt like we weren’t getting anything particular to our night. Still, it was very enjoyable and I got very excited when they started. I’m still convinced they went out of time a couple of times on the first song. The transition from A View From The Afternoon to Brianstorm was very successful and it felt like the two songs were written for each other. I was amazed how giddy I was when they played Crying Lightning from their previous album as the whole record was hardly a career highlight… it just seemed to work very well in a live setting.
I had to go to the disabled chemical toilet a few times the more I drank, which is typical, but I’m glad it was nice and spacious and not too smelly. We were sat amongst a nice group of people although once the Monkeys started going a guy turned up on crutches and proceeded to drunkenly swing them around his head (almost hitting my girlfriend).
I hadn’t planned to stay to the end as I knew it’d be a bugger trying to get on public transport with 2,000 other punters so we left after I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor which seemed aptly timed about two thirds of the way through their set. It didn’t seem to matter that we’d left early however as we could still hear the concert from the tram stop half an hour later and caught the next three or four songs.
We rode back into Sheffield centre and got the bus home. I needed the toilet again all the way home and almost had a sneaky wee in the doorway of an abandoned building next to the bus stop, but resisted thank goodness.
All in all it was a successful evening and we really enjoyed ourselves. I’m glad they had food stalls on because it stopped me getting too drunk (a total of eight pints were downed by the end of the night… eek!!). It’s a shame the gig wasn’t quite as intimate as I thought it’d be but I guess I’ll never see the Arctic Monkeys in a small venue until maybe they’re in the twilight of their careers (and I in mine… whatever that turns out to be, lol). Two thumbs up, lads!!!
Monday, 13 June 2011
More monkey business
I wish I could say things are improving at college, but they aren’t. At the end of each week I feel tempted to pack up my gear and leave for good. Part of me thinks I should stick it out until the end… but another part of me doesn’t want them to have the money. What they’ve taught me in three and a half months could have been done in a fortnight and, with two and a half months to go, I just don’t think there’s any more they’re prepared to teach. Shame on them.
I’m staying at home for a few extra days this week because my girlfriend is still having problems coming off her medication. I think she’s finally come to the conclusion that she needs to stay on them for a bit longer/permanently and so today I’ll be going with her to the doctor to try and explain things. She needs to be signed off work for a while too as she seems to be hitting the same career wall I did back in 2007/8… and it’s not a nice place to be.
We went to the Arctic Monkeys’ homecoming gig on Saturday at the Don Valley Bowl in Sheffield. It was more like a mini-festival than a regular rock concert as the band had erected a gargantuan tent the size of an aircraft hangar and provided an array of food and drink stalls outside to keep all us growing rock buffs sustained throughout the evening. Luckily I had listened to their new album a lot since it was released last week so I was able to get excited when they played the new stuff live. I was surprised how gleeful I was when they played the odd tune from Humbug… they seem to work better live. The whole event was great fun and the staff were very helpful with me and my visual impairment. My girlfriend and I had access to the disabled platform which was beneficial as I would have struggled being amongst the crowd.
I’ve made a list of people I need to call while I have these extra few days off. I might even call the Jobcentre about finishing my course early. There are probably local colleges better set up and more inclined to teach than the institutionalised mess I’m currently stuck at.
What a palaver!!
I might post again later.
I’m staying at home for a few extra days this week because my girlfriend is still having problems coming off her medication. I think she’s finally come to the conclusion that she needs to stay on them for a bit longer/permanently and so today I’ll be going with her to the doctor to try and explain things. She needs to be signed off work for a while too as she seems to be hitting the same career wall I did back in 2007/8… and it’s not a nice place to be.
We went to the Arctic Monkeys’ homecoming gig on Saturday at the Don Valley Bowl in Sheffield. It was more like a mini-festival than a regular rock concert as the band had erected a gargantuan tent the size of an aircraft hangar and provided an array of food and drink stalls outside to keep all us growing rock buffs sustained throughout the evening. Luckily I had listened to their new album a lot since it was released last week so I was able to get excited when they played the new stuff live. I was surprised how gleeful I was when they played the odd tune from Humbug… they seem to work better live. The whole event was great fun and the staff were very helpful with me and my visual impairment. My girlfriend and I had access to the disabled platform which was beneficial as I would have struggled being amongst the crowd.
I’ve made a list of people I need to call while I have these extra few days off. I might even call the Jobcentre about finishing my course early. There are probably local colleges better set up and more inclined to teach than the institutionalised mess I’m currently stuck at.
What a palaver!!
I might post again later.
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