In Hoose Entertainment

A minor discussion has cropped up on Craig’s blog centring around early musical tastes… Therefore I thought it might be nice to briefly post my first foray’s into the world of pop, rock and (a-hm) jive.

My first cassette (gift)

Back in the late 80s my grandparents took my sister for a week long holiday to Portugal. Whilst over there my sister bought me a tape; Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers.
I couldn’t name the specific album, though in hindsight it was probably bootleg. I do remember that it had red tape in it (instead of the usual black) how odd.

My first cassette (bought)

Back in the 90s when the Jeans advert music fad was strongley underway (now undergoing a resurgance I believe) pretty much any track featuring on the advert, from the classic re-release of The Joker to the bizarre flat beat (starring Flat Eric) and via the dreadful spaceman, became a number one single.

One of these was Inside by a band called Stiltskin. The song played regularly alongside “mmm mmm mmm mmm” on the radio playing whilst I underwent 2 weeks of microfilming for work experience.

Weeks later, the album became my first ever musical purchase. Quickly followed by the Crash Test Dummies effort, “God Shuffled His Feet”.

About a month later I was buying around two albums a month or so, but I didn’t get a CD player until christmas 1996 which brings me to;

My First CD (gift)

That christmas in question!

My parents made the slight error of giving me a £10 token with the message “For a CD!” in it, before giving me my main christmas present… A CD player!

hours later, as I turned 17, I opened up my christmas presents to find “Down on the Upside” by Soundgarden - to this day one of my favourite albums and one I’ve had to buy on two further occasions due to it being stolen twice. (Once from my house whilst I was at the cinema, along with my own laptop - and once from the boot of somebodies car when I was at a work meeting in Birmingham, along with my work laptop)

My First CD (bought)

I really can’t remember, though it’s quite likely that it would’ve been by one of the bands I was getting into at the time - Metallica or GnR etc etc. If I had to guess I’d go for “… And Justice For All” by Metallica.

I got into music quite late as it happens (as you may be able to tell from the above timings), I put this mostly down to the lack of exposure to music I actually liked. I never really got into the britpop thing in the mid 90s (I have since got in to some of the bands present then) and ended up drifting into heavier rock by late 96, early 97, when I also started to play guitar.

This week, I have been mostly Frolicking.

Monday

I went ballroom dancing in Sale. It wasn’t as scary as I initially imagined. We did Tango which was ok, Jive which was easy (but fast!) and then a different sort of Tango which I struggled with. Quite tiring, but a lot of fun.

Tuesday

Tuesday was frolic-free, but I did make pancakes which were shared by Rosy and Alex. Sugar and Lemon was my topping of choice. What was yours?

Wednesday

Wednesday saw me down t’pub (Rampant Lion) with Si, Rich, Andrew, Lorna & Ravi. Si had entered a darts competition which saw him exit at the quarter final stage to the eventual winner - I’m useless at darts but I’ll give it a go at some point. Mahinda / Adrian et all managed not to turn up, irritatingly.

The main point of the night is that we beat Barcelona, 2-1, in the Nou Camp. Very Nice.

I stumbled home in the rain.

Thursday

Went to the cinema to watch Hot Fuzz. Very good film. I’m not sure whether to give it a four or a five, but on the scant basis that “It’s not quite as good as Shaun of the Dead” I’m going to give it a 4. A very high 4, though.

edit : I have changed my mind and given it a low 5, instead.

Friday

Is today, I plan to prove something, to celebrate mahinda’s birthday, and to watch a band.

Hello to all the people who read the blog but never post comments … You know who you are!

Hello!

This week I have variously been out for meals, stayed in for meals, seen a show & celebrated my second new year in a matter of months. Let’s start with Tuesday shall we, though nothing much happened on tuesday (that I can remember at any rate)

so … Wednesday it is!

Wednesday was valentines day, and I managed to get a table booked at Saints & Scholars for what turned out to be a lovely dinner.

Sarah got me a Madrid Montage, which is ace, some chocolate and other stuff whilst I got her a necklace which I was quite proud of.

It was great.

Thursday was next and I played Badminton with Mahinda & Gareth sporting his new “Master of the Underworld” look. I didn’t do very well and couldn’t decide if I played better with or without my glasses. I won’t be playing next week because of the small matter of Barcelona v Liverpool.

Friday was spent at home, where Sarah cooked up a masterful fish pasta dish, including fresh pasta that was slightly sticky - but I liked it that way.

Saturday was the day of the show - The Mikado, including a very blue rosy.

Prior to that, Sarah and I had a wee trip to IKEA ashton, where I purchased a fruit bowl and some mirrors.

Mike + Pam came over, and Sarah and I met Adrian & Emma in the Phoenix.

The Show was ok. I’m not a fan of the works of G&S, but it’s always fun seeing your mates on stage. Especially when they’re covered head to toe in blueness.

Afterwards drinking took place in the RNCM bar, and a kebab followed, home by 3am.

If you want more on the show you should probably read Rosy, Simon, or Emma’s blog.

Sunday started slowly and the planned breakfast went awry when it turned out that another one had been set up, and half the people invited were still asleep by mid-day.

Instead, Sarah and I made our way on the slowest bus in the world (took an hour and a half to get into town) and met Alsion in Sinclairs, were we also ate.

People came and went, and we became two of that type ourselves when we departed around 5…

… to meet up with Cat and her workmate, Adele, to see in the new year - Chinese new year - replete with impressive firework display.

Homeward bound, I got back around 8pm where I set about making my bed, putting washing on and cooking before settling down to some 24ness and a strange lack of MOTD2.

Which brings us all the way to Monday where I sucessfully managed to be half an hour late for my supervisor meeting by thinking it was at 10 and not 930.

Still wondering about the something new post and the bike, though I’m nearing conclusion on both matters, I’m very likely to get a bike, and very unlikely to join a band (entirely due to transport restrictions).

The week past has been one of no sport (I hadn’t washed my swimming stuff in time and I missed football to do some work) and general irritation.

My iPod broke at some point, due to re-installing iTunes, so I’ve now got to put all my music back on it - which will account for several evenings to come. In good news I found some of the lost files on my computer, they were hiding.

Liverpool lost, England played atrociously (in football), Poker was dull (hence prior post), but we beat Australia twice to take the one day series. Which was nice.

I restrung my guitar and went shopping. Amongst other things bought the Mansun album, solely for “Wide Open Space” which is a good song.

Cooked a nice meal on Friday, Scallops followed by baked haddock followed by apple cobbler. All made from scratch. Ended up eating late, as you might have suspected.

Got ill over the weekend but visited Jess’ party for a couple of hours - the theme being the 70s.

Helped Ade & Emma unload one of their last truckloads of stuff yesterday, too.

At work at the moment, lots to do.

Right - I’m bored of the university poker game, partly because of the awful structure (unfortunately mandatory due to time restrictions) but also because, for one reason or another, there is very little in the way of social element to them.

Therefore I’m looking for something to do and require suggestions.

the rules are:

1. It must contain some sort of social element.

2. I must be genuinely interested in the actual activity (i.e. Don’t suggest Mugss)

that is all.

Thursday ended up a bit of a shambles with the footie, the court being closed due to the omnipresent moisture making it into an ice rink.

We phoned around and eventually moseyed on down to Ardwick to play in the Power League place, which was ok (though I’d rather play without a break)

I don’t think I’ll play next week, this weeks ended up taking the whole afternoon out of work and I was naq’d when I got back, so just went home.

Friday was swimming, as usual, and work. Feeling quite fit at the moment.

Sarah, Ade & Emma came round for food in the evening (curry) and when the tv broke we played some card games.

Saturday was busy. Sarah and I set off in decent time, but the A556 was closed (the connecting road between the M56 and M6 southbound)… cue a huge diversion, which meant that we arrived (somehow only) half an hour late. Alas all the other visitors were also delayed for one reason or another - Anna arriving last at around ten to two.

Lucy, Jake & Karine were the other people there… we’d gone to Stafford to visit my grandma.

We couldn’t stay for long as we had to go and sort out the rest of Sarah’s new flat, but we stayed long enough for some lovely food, and cake!

On our way back, we were again sidelined and ended up coming into manchester on the M602. The fog had truely come down by now, visibility at times was under 10 metres.

Asda happened, and then sarahs… we didn’t get back until half eight or so!

Sunday was cleaning. Lots and lots of cleaning. Sarah’s in the evening when everyone else had gone out.

today is Monday, I had to get up very early to see Jeff, the trip into work ended up taking 80 mins (including a stop over at Sainsbury) I’m considering getting a bike so that

(a) it’s much quicker
(b) I can get some exercise.

It wouldn’t save on money, since it only costs £4 a week to use the bus, and what with having to buy the bike and still using the bus sometimes anyway, it really isn’t going to be any cheaper.

The main downside is that I won’t get a chance to read in the morning, I’d have to make time - which I never seem to do.

Anyway; bye for now.

So Monday came and went as Monday’s have a habit of doing, before I rolled into an inobtrusive Tuesday on which I took my demonstration class before playing poker (coming 25/50) and watched the end of West Ham 1-2 Liverpool.

Poker was ok, I’m not sure I’m enjoying the uni game anymore since they’ve gone to (ok, they’ve always had, but now they’re enforcing it better) a ridiculously quick blind structure that makes the game, well, more about luck than skill.

Speaking of which, presumably as a result of the recent gutshot court case, whilst waiting outside some other people (actors, as it happens) asked what we were doing (i.e. waiting for the poker game to start) their immediate response being “Is that legal?”.

Anyway, got home fairly late which brings us to Wednesday.

More working ocurred and in the evening I went to see the Pursuit of Happyness, (deliberate mis-spelling) which wasn’t as saccarine sweet as I’d feared and turned out to be decent (3/5), that followed a big greasy dinner of battered fish & sausage with curry sauce.

Today is Thursday. I’m stuck on a problem, Sarah’s moving house and I’m going to play footie in a couple of hours.

Just time for some more “Being Stuckness” and, of course, lunch.