This is one of those blog entries where my grasp of the English language is not enough to describe the events that I witnessed on Wednesday.

It was loud, so very bloody loud, UEA seems to have had a change in curfew (11pm weeknights) and I wonder if the license agreement has been renewed and they have eeked out a few more decibels as well. Or maybe it’s just the dog’s abuse my ears get making me more sensitive.

Anyway on entry I was greeted by the support act, which as usual I have no idea who they were but the fact they had two drummers and a kick arse base line was enough to get me interested. It set up the evening nicely and defiantly had the crowd energised for the night ahead.

When Biffy took to the stage some minutes past 9 I had no idea what was in store, having seen them a few times over the years I was keen to see them away from the festival circuit, sure they would destroy a small room like the UEA, and they did.

The set list (see below) contained a huge 20 songs, ranging from all five albums. Playing most of the songs I hoped to hear. The stage appeared to be a mix of 10 huge strobe lights and lots of steel scaffolding poles running vertically behind the drummer. After 3 or so songs those scaffolding tubes turned into light tubes in amazing fashion – sadly those lights usually signified a song from the new album, which are a bit more pop, a bit slower and of course less well known so received a more muted reaction.

Within 3 songs the shirts were off and the sweat poured from the main man. About this time you began to realise that the Bass player is of awesome quality, top of his game and making his instrument sing. I was very impressed with all three of the band and the quality they showed. All 3 managed some degree of crowd interaction, which is very unusual and highly welcome, and they seemed pleased with the reaction they received.

I will look forward to seeing them again and any band that can put in almost 2 hours, 20 songs, at the end of a big tour in a small backwater city deserves respect. To have all that delivered through a top quality sound system, with passion and ability will be remembered for a long time. Thanks Biffy.

· That Golden Rule
· Living Is A Problem Because Everything Dies
· A Whole Child Ago
· Bubbles
· Who's Got A Match?
· Get Fucked Stud
· Machines
· Now I'm Everyone
· Cloud of Stink
· Justboy
· Love Has A Diameter
· There's No Such Thing As A Jaggy Snake
· God And Satan
· Glitter And Trauma
· Saturday Superhouse
· The Captain
· Joy.Discovery.Invention
· Semi-Mental
· Many Of Horror
· Mountains

Thank the lord for PLO.

After scraping a few buy ins together at 25/50c PLO, played due to such a hectic life (I wish). I was feeling a little better. Tuesday evening I managed a cash in a PLO Mtt on Stars, this is very rare, and last night managed to finish 2nd in a PLO comp. Why do 3 PLO comps start at 20:30 on stars together? especially as 2 of them are $8 comps - well not complaining, obviously I played all 3 approx 1000 runner, 200 runners and 27 runners, guess which one was fruitful. Ahh well a cash is a cash.

Not going to play much between now and the weekend - Job Applications open tomorrow so will be tarting up the old CV and making sure that I am as Prince2 ready as I can be. If I don't get this job I will scream, cry, shut myself in a dark room and seek solice in Rum and narcotics - if I get it I will probably end up on the "Degen" thread on Blonde, its going to be close.

Got Arsenal tickets coming out of my ears at the moment, or at least the opportunity to go, obviously the belt is tight with the possibility of the Big R on the horizon I have to keep saying no . . . . . bet I don't get the offers if safe in 4 or so weeks time. It is great to see them playing so well though, if they are within 3 points of the top in 6 weeks time I will start to get really excited.

If I do get the job I am sure I will have to do some retailer visits pre xmas which over the last few years has led to seeing some games around London Christmas time and allowed me to see some reserve Gunners games as well, so all being well I will get to go along soon.

In the year 2525, if man is still alive
If woman can survive, they may find
In the year . . . . . . .

If you don't know it look it up.

Prodigy’s biggest ever gig, support from Pendulum, Enter Shikari and Does it Offend You Yeah, more to be added. Tickets in the region of £45. I cannot fookin wait. Milton Keynes is possibly the best outdoor venue in the country, Prodigy are possibly the best outdoor band in the country, perfect mix.

Electric Proms.
After last years amazing performance by The Streets, this year the point of interest for me was Dizzee Rascal. Any dance act that tries to recreate their sound with a live band deserves some respect, but this is a whole new level. No DJ, no sampler and no second rapper.

Dizzee’s performance is almost word and time perfect, the band produce an electronic masterpiece. Dirty Money is a must see, the band pulling off the samples to perfection. Stand Up Tall uses a backdrop of Smells Like Teen Spirit played live, and this is the turning point where all of the crowd “get it”. The atmosphere looks “Electric” and the crowd seem on it in a big way.

The cherry on the top for me (and what a brave cherry it is) was a cover of the amazing Rage Against The Machine song Bulls on Parade. There is nothing for Dizzee to hide behind, no second rapper, no turntables and samples, no recognition from the crowd its just him and his band trying something new. Its not spine tingling brilliant, its not arranged to turn it into a new song, its not littered with thundering guitar solo’s – this is a rapper from London bearing his ability to a crowd that expected the pop hits of the a album, what they got was a performance that makes you sit up and take notice of Dizzee Rascal and see him for what he is – Talent.

This set makes me very happy; Dizzee’s new album is pop, of a moment. Yes pop rap it might be, but it was what was required at the time to get the exposure he deserves. Although littered with social comment, the bass lines are pop nothing less. This set, yes one set places Dizzee back among the young, ambitious and most talented musicians in the country of any genre.

Now the BBC has surpassed themselves this week with the Kraftwerk documentary that has been on BBC 4 this week. Charting the rise of the German band, looking at the motivation of the band, its history, members, influences, side projects and comments from other inspired musicians. Well worth a watch.

Poker – I honestly don’t know what to say about the game, I don’t think I have ever felt so low about it or my ability to win. The Shit or Bust series of results is continuing. I simply cannot cash, played in excess of 80 comps over the weekend of various shapes and sizes across and did not manage one cash.

I won 3 out of 55 50/50’s, 2 of those won were for 325 chips, 650 chips. I had big pairs busted by absolute bollocks all weekend – either early in the first hour or within 10 places of the bubble. It is horrible when you just know that card is coming to bust you, you expect it. I played a $22 x 180 about 6pm last night, lost most of my stack with AA vs 10J all in pre. Managed to fight my way to 1k stack then 2k until about 30 left and I managed to built to 12k and was sitting good, the JJ vs AQ was cruel for half the stack but the KK vs A8 was just a joke especially when you are 100% certain the A is coming.

Maybe its because with the big R hanging over me the money matters, well matters more then before, it always matters but burning through a few hundred quid a month in the next couple of months is not needed. Should have a better level of info regarding the Big R at the end of this week. I have reviewed hands, cut back number of tables and I think I am playing OK (few tilting periods aside – tilting for me is always shoving light when busted on another table) just getting unlucky, if I was playing badly I would be even more worried.

Seriously considering buying Football Manager 2010 and lying off the poker for a few weeks, maybe my head will be a little better then – reality see you in the 6pm's on Blonde and Stars.

So Thursday saw Reverend and the Makers return to the UEA for a much-anticipated gig in my house. Now Rev and the crew is Mrs Kor’s number one band, and this gig signified the start of her autumn mini tour to follow them around for a few nights (it also allowed her to pop to Manchester to see her brother and new baby – excellent a broody Mrs is all I will need when she returns).

Support for the Rev came from Yves Klein Blue, who on their own PR describe themselves something along the lines of “what the Strokes could have been if they had liked The Clash as much as Television”. Not a bad description, this four piece are balls out, thumping, punk influenced rock. They handled the stage well, got a little crowd reaction and generally impressed, well me any way. I will defo be looking them up, Franz Ferdinand with Balls?

Next came the Rev, the crowd although not huge were engaged nicely, lots of interaction, singing, hands in the air type stuff. The set list was not unlike from earlier in the year in Sheffield;

Silence is Talking
State of Things
Heavyweight Champion
Manifesto
No Wood Just Trees
Bandits
Mermaids
Hard Times for Dreamers
Open Your Window
Professor Pickles
Hidden Persuaders
Long Long Time
Yes You Do
Miss Brown
He Said He Loved Me
The End
The Machine
Armchair Detective

In the middle of that lot somewhere No Soap (For Dirty War) was started, cut short and aborted – he had some real trouble getting the song out, most strange (Talking to Mrs Kor it now seems its been dropped from subsequent sets).

Highlights for me were The Machine, Hidden Persuaders and Manifesto but to be honest it was all-brilliant. Not too much political chitter chatter, which considering this was the night Griffin was on Question Time I am a little surprised. It was good that the music got centre stage. Reverend and the Makers are still one of the best feel good bands around and with a third album confirmed I for one will look forward to seeing them again.

Friday was a different crowd and a complete different sound. The line up was Duff McKagan’s Loaded and Black Stone Cherry. Duff is long time bass player with Guns N Roses who left to leave that ship to sink with captain Axel years ago. To have Duff standing on the stage at the UEA must have been as strange for him as it was for me – a man who has played before 70000+ people including me, has toured the most impressive venues in the world, comes to little old Norwich. The best bit about the whole night, he loved it. Charisma dripped from this man, the spot light seemed to absorb into his skin, radiating from him, he seemed to sweat cool, and he held an aura of complete self-assurance.

Self-assurance is easy when you have assembled what seems to be a kick arse band. The Johnny Thunders influence is there for all to see, that early Seattle/LA sound from the late 70’s. The set then builds through a Ramones fast section to an almost Blues riff Zeppelin type section. A bit of showing off for all members towards the end (Lead Guitarist, wow that’s some showing off) and it was all over far to quickly with one Guns N Roses cover to finish. As Duff stood front and centre enjoying the adulation, a glint in his eye showed you that the Music he had bought to these people on this night was important, not about the money or the reviews it was just about the tunes, and some great tunes they are.

Black Stone Cherry fuck me that was loud. To be honest we did’t stay long as Mrs had to be up early for the tour to begin, but what we did hear was mighty fine. The 50-year-old AC/DC clad T-Shirt crew seemed to love it. For us that evening was all about Duff, little more.

So onto a weekend of Poker, Mrs away and I have no responsibility to do anything all weekend long. Clocks going back also seem to offer something, not sure what apart from an extra hour to stay up and get bad beats.

I played about 40 tournaments Saturday and Sunday, think I only managed 6 cash’s from the 80. Had two sick deep runs on Stars, one on each day – the $5 2R 1A on Saturday when I lost a pot for the world with QQ vs JJ had to make do with a $50 cash. Sunday it was the $22 5K Gtd – when again down to the last 35 runners somebody open shoves 30 bb into me, I have AK and snap his Q10, another $50 cash that could and should have been so much more.

I still feel I am playing well and have managed to pick up a few buy in’s at PLO cash to keep me ticking over, but a Stars deposit was required this weekend for the first time in an age. I am sure that a major score on Stars is just around the corner, just that flip win at the right time that is needed. I might also have to do something about volume, back to playing upto 9/10 comps at one time to go deep in maybe 2 when I seem to have much better control and understanding of where I am in hands. Maybe limit myself to starting no more then 6 at a time?

Well played to fellow blogger Vor Por Ustedes for his final table @ DtD day 1 of the 20/twenty, a fine performance.

So after the shambles that was the Editors on Sunday night, tonight is the mighty Reverend and the Makers, followed by Black Stone Cherry and Duff from GnR new band on Friday. The weekend will be dominated by poker and trying to cook the ultimate curry, have not looked forward to a weekend so much in ages.

I suppose the Editors deserve a review of some sort. First impressions were they drew the oldest posh crowd I have ever seen at a tour gig in Norwich – I am sure there was not an HR Director, Doctor or Solicitor anywhere in the city. I rarely feel young at a gig any longer but I was in the youngest 20% that night.

If you are familiar with the Editors you will know that they are a guitar led band, whose singer has a distinctive voice. There is enough of a difference that makes them interesting at least, original and brilliant at the other end of the scale, (personally its all a bit "Hail to The Thief", I wonder if they listened to 2+2=5 or The Gloaming lots, for sure there is a lot of Radiohead influence in there (well there used to be it seems)). The first two albums are well worth a listen though, a good representation of naughties music.

The stage darkens; polite applause ripples through the crowd as they enter stage right. The backdrop looks good and they lurch into a single from the early album (Bones?). Next is another single (All Spark?) so they have given away two of there biggest crowd reactions at the start of the show – schoolboy error.

Then it began, we were “treated” to a rendition of songs from the new album. I suspect that while I went to the bar The Editors left stage left and OMD or Ultravox entered the stage. I was now watching a synth pop master class if such a thing exists outside the Pet Shop Boys front room. The new songs were somewhere between dreary and awful. The dark brooding atmosphere that the stage lighting set was inappropriate for the childlike rhythm now on offer, Tom (the Lead singers) novel voice is ruined by the synth angle it just does not work.

As they ploughed through the set headlong looks of bewilderment spread through the crowd, and the energy of the over 40’s started to fade. Now I have to point out as they moved towards the encore it might have got much better, I cannot say because I left.

Leaving a gig early is never something I am proud of, or indeed do lightly, but the draw of being able to see that Beach ball score against Liverpool one more time on MOTD2 was too much to turn down.

So to tonight, the Mrs will be seeing Reverend and the Makers 3 times in the nest 5 days, they are her band. I do love the live performance they produce, it is always excellent but I will not be running round the country to watch them – just the UEA for me and I can’t wait. My Mother in Law (of sorts) talks of when she followed Cliff round the country, waited at stage doors in the rain for a kiss or signature, now some 40 maybe 45 years later she still get a thrill from seeing Cliff perform. I wonder if Mrs Kor will know that thrill in 40 years.

So time finally caught up with me yesterday when a new “Re-Structure” was announced at work. This time I am smack bang in the middle of it. 11 people pooled and 8 jobs are available. Some of these jobs are suitable for me, others, which are much more food law based are not.

The way I see it in the cold light of day there are 4 jobs to go for, one of which I would like very much and is at much the same level I am currently at, the others represent a step back, but to be honest the most important thing is having a job. If I am lucky enough to have one of the 8 jobs I will be happy, it would be easier to reassess my life while still in a job.

The manner of delivery the company used to convey the news of redundancy was interesting to say the least. The more switched on, savvy of the group were not surprised, and myself although aware it was coming was shocked it was yesterday. The managers and middle managers involved obviously had no idea what the meeting was regarding, and you visibly saw shoulders slump when they walked in and saw the HR rep in the room.

The presentation was short and punchy. Stated the rationale for the change and went on to set out the proposed new structure. Official confirmation that we as a group are within a 30 day consultation period and then a proposed timeline to the new jobs or the big R.

40 minutes and it was done, the group made up of thinkers and not usually a group shy in coming forward were in the main speechless. A few tears in some quarters, genuine anger in others – for me, just numbness at the moment. A couple of close friends are in the pool and I spent last night checking they were OK and just general discussions with the Mrs about options and next steps.

Reaction is a funny thing, happy to tell colleagues, the Mrs and glad it is widely known in the business, but could I pick up the phone to tell my Mum and Dad last night? No. Spoke to numerous friends about other stuff yesterday and could I tell any of them? No. I have no idea why, it is no slight on me, and no reflection of the way I work, but outside of work I just could not find the words. For once this blog seems a better way of conveying my news, I will deal with the parents later, maybe not until I know one way or the other.

Going forward I have some confidence in my chances to get one of the jobs but over my years working I have learnt never take anything for granted. Work as hard as I can and display my skills and thoughts in the Interviews and hopefully I will get one of the jobs, if not it’s onto something else.

Funny thing yesterday as they are telling us the news all I could think about was the 20/twenty weekend at DtD because that is now a no, no. I just hope this is all sorted pre Xmas so I can have a December trip to DtD, not to mention the Birthday trip - I have serious issues relating to this bloody poker thing.

Quite surprised I have had that much to say to be honest.

Not been doing much due to a heavy work schedule, a killer cold and saving for gig month. The first gig of the month was cancelled and I have to wait for Jamie-T some other time.

This week is Dizzee (Fri), Roni Size (Sat), Editors(Sun), Idleworld (Mon) and thats the warm up week I might pass the Dizzee tickets on, have seen him a few times in recent months and the new album is a little pop, balanced against the fact it will be killer gig, decisions decisions.

Have played a bit of pokes, full tilt has been close, just cant convert. Stars I might just set up a direct debit and give up the actual playing, some min cash's but again just cant find that major cash. IPoker I either win or dont cash, I wish IPoker was on OPR I am sure I have won about 6-10 comps on there ths year maybe the same amount of 9th's but nothing in between - scary.

So a 17 comp session today between 10:15 and 14:15 on Stars and Blonde, 5 cash's 1 win and a $1.6k profit on the day. I managed to bink the $10r 5k GTD on Blonde. Should secure me into third on the pocketfives list for a little while longer hey Boo ;)

She takes it well to be honest.