Tinca Tinca

A complete day of "Run Good" - The Specials Notts Arena Review 21/10/11

2011-10-24T03:41:00.000-07:00

Friday - what can be said it was a huge day and everything went so well.

Up for Roses tickets and I got through at 09:31 only for the card verification website to crash on me and the site throw me back to the beginning - agggghhhhhh.

At 09:44 I got through again and managed to book my tickets for the Saturday, just as they announced on the Radio that both gigs had sold out, running good.

In the car to Lynn to collect Fran and just as we got there a man phoned about a dog that we thought we wouldn't see, perfect timing.

We get to Nottingham and find out that our cheap knock down price apartment has been upgraded to the Penthouse Suite and it was plush. The property was so big you could get out of breath walking the length of the balcony.

We get into the venue for The Specials in good time and start consuming pints at a quite a rate, well you don't want to be dancing and drinking pints at the same time and alas the drinking was much better then the support act.

As the venue filled to capacity the lights went out and The Specials launched into Gangsters and the place exploded. This is the 4th time I have seen The Specials since the comeback and it was good, very good, the set list was a little less greatest hits - don't get me wrong it still contained all the classics but it was good to hear Doesn't Make it Alright, International Jet Set and the amazing Stereotype as well as a few other of the "less well known" hits.

Nik Torp I believe is the guy on Keyboards and although he has a thankless task in "replacing" Jerry he has settled into his role very well and he pulled off the much more keyboard centric 2nd album stuff very well. The whole band were on good form, Lynval and Mr Radiation throwing out amazing performances. Neville was his usual mad self (how does he continue to do it?) and even Terry Hall interacted with the crowd.

The band seemed much more relaxed then the previous gigs and played with smiles but delivered an almost note perfect set. The crowd were energetic and loud and for an arena it was one of the better atmospheres I have been apart of. Having said that though I do believe that Notts arena is one of the best organised venues in the country.

Our balcony did give a view of the stage door exit and seeing 1 member of the band leave on a walking stick does make you realise that The Specials are not going to be with us forever and I do hope the energy they are providing us all, is not having to big an impact on their health long term.

All in all a fantastic gig with a brilliant set list;

Gangsters
Do the Dog
(Dawning Of a) New Era
Its Up to You
Monkey Man
Blank Expression
Rat Race
Too Hot
Doesn't Make it Alright
Hey Little Rich Girl
Pearl's Cafe
Stupid Marriage
Concrete Jungle
International Jet Set
Friday Night, Saturday Morning
Stereotype
Man at C&A
Do Nothing
A Message to you Rudy
Nite Klub
Too Much, Too Young
Enjoy Yourself

Ghost Town

Little Bitch
You're Wondering Now

Stone Roses

2011-10-18T05:09:00.000-07:00

So I am willing to sell my soul for as many Stone Roses gigs as they announce today.

2 hours from the press conference and part of me still believes it will be "so we have a movie and a book coming out, but will never reform".

One time let the hype be true, as a youth I watched my neighbour who was older then me go for weekends in Manchester, he returned with beats, flares and floppy hair bringing the first taste of "Madchester" to our sleepy Norfolk village. I remember holding the 12 inch of Fools Gold in my hand for the first time, seeing Squire's artwork hearing that intro, I was hooked.

I played Stone Roses - Stone Roses to death, years later I bought tickets for the Glasto show that never was and watched Pulp who replaced the Roses with sadness in my heart, this set me down the Glastonbury path forever though so the Roses have already given me a lot, but I want more.

I remember the hype of Unfinished Monkey Business and I followed Brown everywhere on that first tour, willing the day Squire would return to the fold, I watched the Seahorses but none of it filled the gap that was a Roses live performance in my life.

Now it is so close - I don't care if the rumours of new music are true, or even if the rumour that they have been rehearsing for months is true, I don't care if Mani is leaving Primal Scream or not, all I want is a one chance to sing I Wanna Be Adored at a gig. I want to be able to laugh and sing, to be hooked by Reni on the drums and see Mani on Bass one more time, I need the Roses in my life, I have always needed the Roses in my life.

Even the Zeppelin reunion didn't invoke the excitement in me of this potential gig/tour, the Roses are my band, of my generation, and the "third coming" will be a truly great moment in the history of British music.

What have I done?

2011-10-03T02:37:00.000-07:00

Patience, Discipline and Bankroll management - the mantra by which I have tried to run my poker "career". Its not even my mantra and now I have gone and got myself involved in a prop bet with the person that bought that mantra to me.

He is a volume animal in comparison to me, he is a more successful player then me and dare I say a better player but we have both taken our eyes off the prize in recent times.

We have both destroyed our Pokerstars rolls, have had to withdraw for life expenses. I have played less and less for months and my opponent has just played lower and lower. So the prop was designed to try and get us to build a roll, encourage me to play more, encourage him to play within his roll, and hopefully direct us toward building a roll for the future.

The outline of the bet.

Starting bankroll of $200.
You must play within a 35 buy ins rule of that $200 or your total bankroll if above $200.
You may have 1 shot a day outside the buy in confines.
You must play 100 comps a month, no upper limit.
Only comps tracked by OPR are to be counted.
3 monthly prizes based on straight ROI for that month.
1 overall forfeit for the loser based on OPR for the duration of the bet.

The forfeit is around cooking and could get a bit silly, so I need to make sure I win this.

The start has not been brilliant for either of us to be honest;

He played 30 MTT's and $0 Cashed
Me played 18 MTT's and cashed for $22.50.

I am hoping to find a routine of playing the 2's and 4 X 180's during the week and play some true MTT's each weekend before pushing up the stakes, but as I seem to have forgotten how to play poker it might be a long learning curve.

Playing the 100 comps a month is going to be toughest bit for me (besides actually winning anything) and for hime trying to stick to Bankroll limits I guess will be difficult.

If we both end up with ROI's of circa -99% it could be a little embarrassing and probably the end of my playing poker with any seriousness to be honest. But it is going to be a laugh.

(Beware below is a obscure 80's film reference)
I feel like I have been "outwitted", doing an ROI based challenge with a volume hungry monkey is one of the 3 classic blunders along with "Never go against a Sicilian when death is on the line" and "Never get involved in a ground war in Asia".

So to a battle a "wits" has begun . . . .

"We face each other as God intended. Sportsmanlike. No tricks, no weapons, skill against skill alone"

May the best man win.

New Music - 3 slices of joy?

2011-09-26T01:10:00.000-07:00

Review Distraction Pieces - Scroobius Pip

Being described as the most relevant and important man in British Hip Hop since Mike Skinner, Plan B or Roots Manuva brings with it a pressure that I am not sure Mr Pip would appreciate, and I hope its not one he thinks about. In his work with Dan le Sac in recent times it has always been about the delivery and the tune that lines that delivery up that has forced its way to the front of each album.

With this solo album Pip puts more emphasis on the message and changing up the method of delivery - the flow of delivery is sharp and well rounded and has taken an almost American professionalism to its sound, this is not critical it just shows how far he has come in recent times - when you compare it with the almost scared sounding poet on Angels.

What comes over on this album and it is an album in the genuine sense, that he has tried to take the listener on a journey, with a start a middle and an end. Guitar led it moves from heavy to melodic with Pip's voice perfectly filling the holes.

In "Death of the Journalist" Pip is on full frontal assault, insightful education laced with opinion, its what Hip hop is all about. I love the attack on the MP3 generation.

The finish is "Feel It" a Kate Bush cover and what an attempt it is, it closes the record perfectly (maybe 10 minutes to soon) and in my opinion it is such a brave thing to do and is pulled off with some aplomb - if anyone knows where I can find any more work by the female vocalist please let me know.

Distraction Pieces is not just the best Hip Hop album of the year it is one of the best album's of the year, full of style and substance, quality production and as ever Pip makes you think - is music ever meant to give you more?

Review Velociraptor! - Kasabian

Hopefully the Pip review oozed excitement without giving too much of the album away as I want you to go and listen to it - but in relation how do I pitch an album that is just OK?

Well maybe a little better then OK but it delivers little that is new or exciting it does little to dispel the "Oasis Wannabe" tag. Yes it oozes Stone Roses, Mondays and Primal Scream references, even a bit of Zep, it is slick and well written. It is full of hooks and big lyrics but it is the same, for me it has not progressed the band at all.

There is a cynical side to me that sees this album delivering 2 or 3 tracks to be added to what has to be said is one of the best live performances around today - in time "re-wired" and "switchblade smiles" will be as staple as LSF and Club Foot in the live set. Is that not what any album is to do I hear you cry? Well yes but that album is supposed to progress the band, move them forward not be stuffed with filler and I am sorry that is all Velociraptor is for me.

I know I have little grounds for my "Filler" comment and in essence the "filler" is better then most other bands produce but I wanted more, I expected more and I have been left feeling a little disappointed.

Review Money and Celebrity - The Subways

What a fantastic collection of songs. Direct, in your face, balls out rock and roll. This album makes you want to jump off a speaker stack into a mass of moshing bodies.

The Subways seem to have avoided Money and Celebrity, hopefully its what they want and not the industry as they seem more relevant, more honest and just that bit better then most other bands of the moment.

Where Kasabian failed to elicit much emotion at all The Subways bring out excitement, Anticipation, Joy and Surprise and an overall feeling of Awe. If an album can do all that on first listen the review is not going to be good.

I cannot really put into words how good the collection of songs are - musically quick, tight and brilliantly produced this third album is complimented by lyrical content that I never suspected the band had in them.

"We Don't need Money to have a good time" and "Down our Street" are almost perfection for the time which they are released. Social comment laced with stunning drum patterns and guitars almost singing.

The Subways are different enough from the usual Radio One/Kerrang fare but are within the range of mass acceptance, there is little to put anyone off but they have touches that make them unique enough that they should rise into the mainstream.

This is the album of the week, month and year, now to find me some tour tickets.

3 Albums and a bunch of scumbags

2011-09-22T03:57:00.000-07:00

What a week for music 3 HUGE new albums;

Scroobius Pip
The Subways
Kasabian

I will report back after the weekend as lets be honest I will not be spinning my bankroll up on Full Tilt - wankers.

Personal Grease Fire just for Howard.

Las Vegas 2011 - Poker

2011-09-12T11:30:00.000-07:00

So the "me" bit of the holiday. Poker.

I love the poker room in the Nugget, its not big and brash like the Ballagio or Venetian and not as comfy as the Aria but it is a great room usually full of local characters.

It does seem recession has affected poker in Vegas at my level, in all the room's I played there was plenty of $1/$2 running but little $2/$4 - this had two impacts. Usually most games had at least 2 players or more sitting a $1000 deep and in the Nugget either the BB or button were straddled most hands.

This made playing little pots difficult and meant I had to pick my targets a little more carefully then previous visits. My first session in the Nugget I bought in for $140 and cashed out $300 and to be honest I didn't spot the fish (guess that means it was me) in about 3 hours and the big stacks were happy to test me for my stack most hands.

The second day was a little easier with a buy in of $150 being spun up to $440 - Jerry the grumpiest dealer in Vegas was on duty this day and the way he talks to the players and other staff makes me die with laughter. This was the day I first met the coked up Spaniard and the Frenchman both of whom would come into tales later in the trip. The Frenchman was a brilliant player, he seemed to soul read the table constantly and I was not surprised to see him sitting in $5/$10 in the MGM later in the week. Again no real situations of note, just basic ABC poker wins the day.

Session 3 was a disaster. Every player was straddling the BB and the average stack was about $1500 my $300 pull up lasted no time at all AQ losing on a AQX flop - nice shove with J10 sir. So I pull up another $300 and just struggle to find a spot and after about 4 hours leave with my tail between my legs another $150 down. That was it, never playing again. The table was full of lunatics calling shoves with 610 and the like, only to find out the shover had 23 off. I was just not rolled for this style of poker - its all floored logic, had lost a little on roulette and was feeling low, don;t worry kids I know I can never give up, especially live.

A day off and Session 4 was the best session I have ever had - when I join the table the afore mentioned Frenchman and a bald guy are in a full scale war for table captain status - but they are happy to defend each other against all other players on the table. Only Frenchman and Bald Guy have stacks over $1000 and my $150 is much more like the rest of the table.

I play far to tight, but the procession of Bourbon and gingers soon loosened me up. Coked up Spaniard arrives buys in for $100 and plays 8 of the next 11 hands to spin up to 6 or 700 bucks. His Mrs arrives and rather obviously asks for the bag of coke - he notices everyone else heard and asks for a rack before playing a last hand as BB, I look down at AA and raise he asks "how much you got behind" before shoving the whole 700 odd in. My AA holds on a KJJ47 board - he mucks and leaves.

Now the game gets interesting, a Asian guy 2 seats to my left plays a pot against Bald Guy and when he re raises the river bald guy asks "you got an 8?" "no" replies Asian guy, Bald guy pays the $40 and is shown the 8 - carnage erupts, "why lie" "I will get double that back" etc etc - Asian guy also refuses to tip the dealer and Frenchman takes it upon himself to tip for him for each pot he wins.

Bald guy slams Asian guy hard for the next hour, its not friendly banter and borders on personal insults. Asian guy raises my BB before Bald Guy re raises. I fold and flop comes J73. Asian guy bets pot and Bald Guy declares all in. Asian guy states "well I am all in as well then", Baldy turns over QQ as quick as a flash and Asian Guy starts to fold, table goes mad - verbal is binding. Asian Guy is "no chips crossed the line", "I was bluffing I would never call with this hand". Frenchman chimes in, floor is called and Asian guy is made to push his $400 into the middle, almost crying by now. Frenchman flys into Bald Guy for stealing money from a tourist, Asian guy turns up A3 sure enough the river brings an Ace. Asian guy becomes the happiest man on the planet, Frenchman tips the dealer. Frenchman and Bald guy get back to verbal warefare.

Asian guy leaves with his new found wealth and as a guy strips $700 from his wallet onto the table, as soon as he notices Baldy and Frenchman's stack he wants to return $300 to his wallet but dealer says "it hits the table it plays". So we have have a Straddle 3 callers so $19 in the pot, worst player in on the table shoves $600 all fold to new player - who holywoods big style. He eventually calls with 88 and bad player shows AA and holds. New player goes into a tirade "don't you know who I am" etc. He professors to be a Internet wizz kid - Frenchman asks "where is your rolex?", "how do you call?", "worth 2 million+ and tilts over 600" and then the Iphone comes out and pocket fives is consulted "who are you then?" - this carrys on. The guy goes on to tell all he is "Bakes" online for half the table this causes much merriment, now I wouldn't know Bakes from Adam but I am certain this was not he and photographic evidence was soon produced to prove it - it turned out that the WSOP update with Mr Baker's picture was the wrong picture according to this guy. The Frenchman was having so much fun that he put his two front row seats for O that night into the next pot as he didn't want to go - we all folded to the old lady in the BB as nobody else wanted to leave - she was happy.

The next two hours turned into a drunken haze but I was almost $400 up, Frenchman and the kid eventually leave to play a private game 7.5k from the Frenchman vs 10k from the kid. And like that poker at the Nugget was over but the strip awaited and all those tourists.

First morning at the Luxor and it was the morning (yes 6 days in and still waking at 9am - sigh) $35 MTT was entered. 55 runners 2000 chips blinds start at 50/100 and double each 15 minutes. Its a turbo just my style. I finished 12th when my KJ could not hold against billy big stack's K9 - sigh.

The Luxor room was full of tourists, people sitting with $50 or $100 bucks and just blinding it all off, my favourite oppo was a older guy called Jules who sat with his Mrs trying to explain how to play poker - his explanation seemed to consist of "if one of you cards match's one of the cards in the middle put all your chips in the middle". Jules paid me off, more then once, that ATM almost inside the poker room at the Luxor is a godsend.

Next stop MGM, a nice room, and I managed to see the Frenchman again he assured me the kid from the other day bolted before putting his cash up, we shared a drink and a laugh.

I had a brake even session in the MGM at $1/$2 but I only played for a few hours. On the night before my wedding, alone in Vegas what was I to do? I wanted to drink good liquor and didn't fancy the bus to Binions so I headed for MGM and decided to sit in $4/$8 blind away for a couple of hours and plague the waitresses for Gentleman Jack (they wont serve this in a $1/$2) as you can guess I was a little drunk but my logic was it would be cheaper to fold these blinds then sit at the bar, I never claimed to be smart.

This worked well until I was 5 drinks in and I looked at KK - luckily the Q high flop and a re raise was enough to make me a profit. As the drink flowed it became clear to the table I was waiting for hands so half an hour of raising allowed me to top up before leaving. 10 free drinks and a profit.

Post wedding (when allowed lol) I just sat in the $1/$2 at the Luxor and was not exactly the best hourly rate but the game was so simple, let me rephrase that, it was stuffed full of idiots, usually me and one other player of note and 8 fat fish, most just did one pull up and happily wondered off into the night, but it was almost perfect.

It was labour day weekend smack in the middle of the holiday but runners were good compared with previous visits. The daily comps at Luxor got 30 - 70 runners, there was always 1 table of $1/$2 running. MGM seemed to have 6-8 tables of 1/2 and a bigger game running 24/7. The Venetian and Bellagio seemed full but still the 1/3 tables are in an awful place, Ceasers was empty but I only went once. The Nugget well that had 2/4 Limit 1/2 NLH x 3 and a comp basically running at all times and one bigger game each night.

If going soon check out O'Shea's if you want to play 1/2. Its an awful place to play, the staff are awful but believe me you can just stand and watch as the tables are between a bar and the street, the bar sold $1 beers all Labour day week and I have never seen a such bunch of bad players ever, believe me I was there a lot.

A great break again, a modest profit and plenty of hours played most of all I loved it.

Las Vegas 2011 - Entertainment and Wedding

2011-09-12T02:35:00.000-07:00

So another trip to Vegas in the bag and what an eventful one this was. The plan was 5 days at the Nugget and 5 at the Luxor. Caz and I had decided to go as a friend (Shelly) was getting her fella (Steve) a surprise trip for his 30th Birthday - they wanted a strip stay so I had to forgo the Nugget for 10 days, sigh!.

Trip over was uneventful, an hour delay but the flight was smooth and comfy even if the Virgin Atlantic crew were a miserable bunch - they didn't like the fact we turned left just because we booked in last, see kids booking in online is not always the best thing to do.

We arrived in Vegas Sunday evening having been awake for about 40 hours - thankfully the pilot made us all aware of the Arsenal vs Utd score so that had me in a good mood, we hot footed to the Nugget and after a bit of drinking on Fremont street it was to bed - see I am learning you don't have to play poker as soon as you arrive.

Monday was a day on the strip getting Steve up to speed with the Duece and the layout of the strip before we hit Cabo Wabo for the first meal of what I am sure would be many. After the meal on the patio outside over looking the Bellagio fountains, Caz gives out envelopes to us all. Inside was the shock of my life, an invite to my own wedding.

After almost 13 years of me asking her and coming to terms with it would never happen, she was finally was going to make an honest man of me. 15:30 on Saturday 3rd of September @ The Special Memory Wedding Chapel. To say I was shocked is an understatement, but to counter that I was over the moon. She had planned it all, bought a ring, a dress even party favours for the Wedding Breakfast. She had booked the service, arranged limo's, chosen her favourite chapel the whole 9 yards, all without me knowing, all via the internet - but this is Caz and I, it's never going to run smoothly.

I was in shock . . . . not much else to do except Gamble and get drunk. So we were off back to the Nugget where I destroyed a roulette table and the best part of a bottle of Gentleman Jack in celebration. When I say destroyed this means spun $50 to $500+ and then to nothing, I don't believe in cashing out of table games. Don't play table games when drunk or angry - just angry to go, but don't worry it will come.

So the next few days fell into a routine - Breakfast, Pool for me which was 10am till midday when it was about 110°F and I would retire to the poker room, Caz and Shelly would remain by the pool and Steve would find a bar.

I will do a second blog post for just poker - but I think I had more fun this visit then ever before and played more sessions at various stakes then ever before.

Found a new home in the Cigar bar in Binions (Benny's Bullpen) I always went in sober and came out drunk as the "good liquor" was so cheap - Havana Honey cigars are the snizzle. I am not sure they were used to English guys racing through bottles of special Reserve Appletons Rum or Single Barrell Jack as most were there for the Brandy but I met some fascinating people. One observation, Craps its worse then Poker for story telling, everyone wants to tell that story of when either they or another bloke rolled for 55 minutes, which is unheard of apparently. When this bloke was rolling for 55 minutes there must have been a thousand people round the table, backing the same numbers as everyone has the same story.

Over the next few nights we saw a Led Zep tribute band at the House of Blues, went to Wolfgang Puk's restaurant did some Fremont street experience saw a show or two (I played poker) all before going to see the mighty Steel Panther on the Friday night. Sadly about 4 hours before the gig we went to Johnny Rockets for some American Burger action - sigh. No amount of Corona in Mandalay Bay could shift the feeling of lethargy Mr Rocket had left us with.

With beer at $13 a pop inside the house of blues the consumption rate soon slowed down anyway. Steel Panther were excellent, as a comedy act they are first class, they are also great musicians but they simply don't play enough of the their own music - to happy to take the piss out of others but after 90 minutes it became tedious.

So this is the night before the wedding and as Caz is downing her 2nd 24FL Oz beer on top of the biggest Sambuca you ever did see, all on top of Johnny Rockets double BBQ burger I did have a twinge of doubt about the plans for the next day. When I was woken by Vomit noises at 5am I was certain the wedding would be off - so close. As it turned out Shelly and Steve were also ill, it seems Mr Rocket had ruined my Wedding day. It also turned out to be the day we were due to see Matt Goss (see previous Vegas trip report for Matt Goss relevance) - alas Caz never made that either.

Now I did not take the cancellation well blaming alchol intake rather the Johnny Rockets, it was only when I realised Steve and Shelly were also ill it became clear this was Food Poisoning ably assisted with alcohol.

Now Vegas is not a good place to be alone, angry, with money in your pocket - I am shamed to admit that I spunked off a considerable sum of money. The anger was soon replaced by drunkenness which helped me spunk some more money. 3 Card Poker, Roulette, Blackjack I tried it all. My 10 hands at Blackjack saw the dealer get 4 Blackjacks if I hit 20 he hit 21 etc.

By the time Caz found me and reassured me the Wedding was rebooked for Monday the damage had been done - lesson learnt, don't carry your roll in your pocket. Thankfully a $20 investment in a "Big Money" progressive Jackpot machine got me out of a hole when I hit the "Pearl" Jackpot - thanks Vegas god's.

By now we are at the Luxor and I have to say, while it is not the Nugget the newly refurbished tower rooms were great. Spacious, clean with all the amenities you need, the pool and nightclubs are amazing also. It does take you a 30 minute walk through the Excalibur and New York, New York to get to the strip, for that reason I would never stay there again.

So Sunday night turned out to be my stag night, also was the night the other 3 had already booked to see Def Leppard @ MGM. Having seen the dirge that is Def Leppard at Download earlier in the summer I took the opportunity to get drunk and play poker - see second post.

The next morning a Limo picked us up and took us through Down town Vegas to the Wedding Chapel, where we completed the formalities and waited for our 12:30 slot. Having seen a cival service take place beside the restroom sign, in a corridor I was pleased Caz had not gone for the cheapest option.

Shelly walked Caz down the aisle to the traditional wedding march, and we said vows and exchanged rings in the blink of an eye - it actually took 20 minutes but it just raced by. We had Paulo and 10 out of 10 escort us out of the chapel before the obligatory photo's. That simple we were married (yes we had sorted the licence stuff earlier in the week), by 13:00 I was the happiest man in Vegas.

We are not traditional people, and due to Caz being Caz we would never have got down the aisle in a traditional white wedding - this is what we wanted and its fantastic so many of our family and friends both understand and appreciate why we have done this - for those of you that don't - well its our day not yours and the sooner you understand that the better.

I am shamed to say we ended up in the Hard Rock for our wedding breakfast, not my choice but the food was good, but as everyone was still feeling a little delicate from the previous poisoning experience so it seemed prudent to play it safe and cheap and we had a few days to celebrate in style.

The evening was taken up drinking in front of the Bellagio, gambling in the Paris and just generally having a good time. At least the Labour Day crowds had calmed down so you could actually get about the strip without fearing being trampled to death.

Post the wedding it just all turned into a poker binge for me and a sunbathing binge for the Wife - I did miss the B52's and Gladis Knight which was a shame but one thing the Luxor and MGM did offer was poker tourists and that was just to big an opportunity to miss.

The flight home was awful, bad turbulence (watched a few films download or rent The Guard a truly brilliant UK film) friends and family have been amazing since we came back, most guessing we would marry, how they guessed when I had no idea I cannot begin to understand but thanks for all the support and well wishes.

Big thanks to Shelly and Steve for being there and huge thanks to Caz for making the happiest man in the world.

15 Years - Where does the time go.

2011-08-12T00:41:00.000-07:00

Oasis Knebworth was 15 years ago Today (10th/11th August).
I just needed to doucument the fact that it makes me feel very old but in all the things I have done with my life I don't think those two days have ever been beaten, one day I really must write up why they were so significant in my life, days I can look back and pinpoint that my life changed beyond measure.

For those that were there I hope your memories are as good as mine.
For those that were there I hope you lives are a little less hectic then mine.

Live Forever!

Boys +1 on Tour - Cricket and Poker

2011-08-01T02:44:00.000-07:00

So Friday was the day of the annual pilgrimage to the Test Match. Last years outing was for a stag night, this year no stag so I finally had to fulfill a promise to the Mrs and take her to the cricket - hey its only taken me 12 years. 12 of us in all made the trip and it was going to be drunken.

This year we sat in the Fox Stand @ Trent Bridge and although we missed the toss we were in for the first couple of overs, I was gutted England were batting as I was very keen to see Tendulkar bat, probably my final chance.

The crowd were brilliant and very vocal in the final session and considering England were up against the wall the crowd still enjoyed the day, good old Mr Broad really gave the crowd something to cheer about - I can't imagine what the reaction to his Hat trick ball was like on the Saturday afternoon. The Mrs thought the whole day was most enjoyable and has already started looking for future games for the rest of the summer - I do wish I had not wasted my holiday earlier in the year.

Then it was onto the serious stuff of drinking and the sights that Nottingham offers. To be honest for me Vodka revolution, 80's nightclubs and Weatherspoon pubs are not for me and I would rather poke my eyes out with a rusty nail. I hid in the wonderful Foremans bar for an hour or so enjoying the mad sounds. When we met up with the others my Poker buddy Slim was about as ready as me for some card action.

Thankfully the Mrs was happy to slope off with the others to the Cheese club and Slim and I headed for the Alea for some Roulette/Poker. We sat down for a spin up on 3 card poker, he spun up, I span down.

We put our names down for the 50/£1 and Slim gets a seat and proceeds to dominate the table for the time I remained. I managed to recoup my losses on Roulette to get out for the day.

Having seen the facebook video's the Mrs and I made the right decision staying in a hotel by ourselves as much rumness ensued back at the shared apartments. Tight Mates vertical bed and Ed sleeping with the cleaning equipment are very funny vids and pictures - but funny from afar.

Saturday I felt like death, and a near 4 hour drive home thanks to caravan hell. I just kind of slumped in front of the TV for Saturday and tried to recover.
Mrs was at work Sunday so I got a day of sport and poker.

Darts, F1, Cricket, Moto Gp and more - all while playing poker. Played a few comps on Stars and strangely decided to play a comp on Ladbrokes, where I have not played for years. Stars as usual I managed to get some huge stacks and donk them off in quite spectacular fashion.

The £20 freeze on Ladbrokes had about 150 runners and I got a stack very early and managed to stay at about 30bb until the last 20, where I played the bubble aggressively to get the chip lead. By the time we were down to 10 I had 20bb and was about 5th. First round of the final table I got it in with KK vs AK on a K high board for most of my stack. The running aces were brutal. From there I just clung on to finishing 6th when I shoved 88 and found the big blind with 1010 and I collected about £140.

So my first session for an age and my first FT for even longer, but if you don't play you won't win. Had a look at OPR for the first time in an age on Sunday and was shocked to se I have a 15% ROI lifetime on Stars, How? but I just don't play enough to beat the variance these days.

Mr Lederer is still to call, email or write about my Full Tilt balance, having dealt with the Full Tilt customer service before I did expect an email about now, 6 weeks on, although not life changing amounts I would like it back. Back in the day we used to say DIAGF, for once maybe its apt.

Don't ask, its better not to know

2011-07-20T11:56:00.000-07:00

Story time.

I was aware of the Stone Roses but was a little young in 88 when Brown's band were turning the country on to Flare's, Ecstasy and The Hacienda. The closest I came to seeing the Roses was Glastonbury 1995, when due to Squire injuring himself before a tour that included the Glasto gig, they were replaced by Pulp for what turned out to be one of the greatest gigs I have ever attended.

Fast Forward, in January 1998 the hype around the release of Ian Brown's first solo album was huge. Evening Radio 1, MTV and the music press were all over it. My circle of friends at the time were older, Brown was worshipped, these guys had bought the Flares and gone to the Hacienda for them it was the rebirth of a saviour, the excitement was infectious.

The job I had at the time had a social club that nobody used, a mate and I would finish a late shift and go and play Snooker in an empty building, smoke some dope and listen to Mary Anne Hobbs night after night. It was a great time when I had no responsibilities and few worries.

I remember turning the radio on for the Breeze block night, the breeze block was a mix section of Hobbs show that this night would be Ian Brown. I ran down to the car to decide which "rave" tape I would sacrifice to record this epic set, we set the snooker aside rolled a fatty and settled back for Brown to impress us.

I will never forget as his set started expecting Fools Gold and I am Resurrection splattered with new songs from the eagerly anticipated first solo album. I will never forget as the first tune kicked in, bells chimed and the most amazing lyrics kicked in explaining the "true" history of civilisation. The rest of the set was brilliant but that tune, those lyrics of that opening tune became an obsession.

I rammed the tune down my friends throats, nobody knew what it was. I remember getting my first email address and I mailed Mary Anne Hobbs to ask for the set list. I got a personal reply apologising that her old producer had all the set lists and they were no longer in contact - she would try and get me the information, she never emailed again.

When I joined ebay, on that first day I bought a copy of Browns Breeze block set on CD and Optimus Prime (boxed of course, lol). When the CD arrived, no set list, it was a long shot. The CD did allow me to pass the tune around a new group of friends, still nobody could name that tune. I have never heard that tune on the radio, on MTV or come across it in anybodies record collection. Tarrentino has never used the tune in a movie, what chance did I have.

Over the years I settled into acceptance that I would never know what that tune was called. Recently I have upgraded my phone and downloaded Shazzam. Shazzam allows you to hold your phone in front of a speaker and it names the tune being played, how smart is that, yes I know its been around for ages but I am slow to catch on.

Tonight I have finally named that tune, I looked it up on YouTube have read the Wiki pages and it has left me a little empty inside. I don't know what I expected to discover but the air of mystery has gone. The song is controversial, its lyrics disputed, criticised and revered in equal measure. The tune and lyrics although still epic has already lost a little of its luster to me and I regret looking it up. To make it worse I am aware of the artist even have an album in my collection.

I think I preferred the world when Father Christmas was real, and I preferred the world when Ras Kass was mine and mine alone.

Played some poker

2011-07-18T08:03:00.000-07:00

Now don't get excited it was just some online comps, nothing major. The long and short of it was I was awful or maybe it was awful, can't say I enjoyed it. When I did get a stack I spewed. I did split the torture over 3 days, I am just throwing away the last of the bankroll now.

I can't imagine I will play much more before my holiday, which I can't even write about in case a certain someone still reads my blog (all will become clear in 12 or so weeks) but money is tight and time is even tighter. Funny for the first time in about 10 years there are actually other things I should be doing, dare I say it would rather be doing then playing online poker.

I might get a couple of live sessions in, I plan a trip to Yarmouth for a juicy cash game and a trip to DtD when I go to the 2nd Test, but apart from that nothing till the holiday ;)

Specials tickets arrived today main event of the next 6 months, late summer/autumn will be a funny time for gigs this year B52's, Gladis Knight, The Damned, Motorhead, Vaccines, King Blues, Darkness, Turisas and Steel Panther to list some, quite an eclectic line up, should be a laugh.

Need to get my head down at work, so can't imagine I will have much to say on here in the next few weeks, maybe some football related stuff. Rickie Fowler got me a 30 point profit on my golf bets at the weekend so at least have a roll ready for some football bets.

Looks like the next few weeks could be huge for Arsenal - if they are say 10th at Christmas would Wenger get the elbow? what an undignified end that would be. Please don't let that happen, sell Cesc, keep Nasri, buy S.Taylor and Samba, or Cayhill and maybe Ben Arfa - see football management simple!

As excited for Norwich just have a feeling they might just stay up its going to be a huge year, what is it 4 weeks? must be Fantasy Football time soon.

Glastonbury Photo's

2011-07-01T05:51:00.000-07:00

The amazing annual Glastonbury Festival photo's from the Boston Globe.

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2011/06/music_and_mud_glastonbury_fest.html

Glastonbury Festival 2011 Part 2

2011-06-28T09:34:00.001-07:00

Saturday dawned with aching feet, fields of mud and fine forecasts. Hope. The mud does make you re evaluate your plans as movement takes so much longer, but it can be fun as you can end up seeing a few acts you would not have chosen.

The Gaslight Anthem quite tamely bring me into Saturday, but that seems like a charm compared with Rumer - who make the whole situation of standing in a muddy field listening to a Karen Carpenter sound alike with less personality then my big toe very hard to endure. No doubt the girl can sing but it is not for me.

Next was Tinie Temper or was that S:Mouse! It was quite a shocking experience. The size of crowd was sensational, the interaction something to behold. I was shocked at how many of the tunes I actually knew, I was shocked at the delivery - he was actually OK. I won't be running out to buy his material just yet, the comparison with S:Mouse! is very funny and I am sure Tinie is exactly the sort of "star" Mr Lilley is sending up but I am big enough to admit the kid ripped it up. I cannot think how he thought at 17:00 as he walked out on that stage to that view, but at about 18:15 I do hope his thoughts were all about how amazing that was and not "what the hell do I do now?" I will be surprised if the kid ever tops that gig.

Tinie also delivered some sun. Proper drying hot sun. The perfect backdrop for Paolo Nutini, not enough tunes from album 2, but 10 out of 10 and Pencil Full of Lead provoke a very uncharacteristic outburst of dancing - some sight I must have looked in Wellies, shorts, hat, swigging from a flagon of Rogers cider, one of those almost perfect festival moments.

In all my years of going to Glasto I have never watched a sunset on a music day. The line up, the warmth of Captain Morgan and my good lady meant it was a good idea today. So we headed for the stone circle for Sunset, we stopped for a cup of tea on route and missed the actual sun set, but it worth it to see Kate Moss being driven through the green fields in a dirty Range Rover with "Kate Moss should learn to walk" etched into the mud. I like to think Kate wrote it herself, either way it was a funny sight.

We chilled in the garden at the bottom of the stone circle for an hour before setting off for the Chemical Brothers. The Chemical Brothers are Glastonbury as much as Orbital, Billy Bragg, Joe Strummer or John Peel, there history is in twined with previous performances at the festival. To say the boys delivered is an understatement. The visual display was incredible, the set list a blend of old and new and a crowd as up for it as any I have ever seen. The Mud had begun to dry and my booted feet started to find some life. I was so inspired it was time to carry on.

Next stop at past midnight was the new Spirit of 71 stage for Guy Called Gerald - who delivered a perfect old skool house set including Energy Flash and the like we were buzzing and feeling excited to explore Glasto at night once more.

We headed for a small stage in the Green Fields to end the night with some Ska - a random Dj followed by The Selector was the perfect end to the day. It was warm and dry and tunes were truly uplifting.

For those that know him, at this stage Fran came to life - it is always a pleasure to share Glasto with Fran as it means even more to him then it does me, he squeezes every ounce of fun from that site. To see him dance around the crowd while The Selector did what they do asking random people if they knew where the taxi rank was or if they knew anywhere to get a Cauliflower Kebab(we were in the green fields) was brilliant. Within the hour he had secured promise of a lift to the tent on a 3 wheel bike and was clutching a raw cauliflower Florette - only Fran, love ya brother.

We got back to tent to see the sunrise a perfect day.

Sunday was to be a battle for other reasons. By 7am it was hot, to hot to sleep in the tent it was like 2010 all over again. We headed for the sweat box that was Jazz World (West Holts Stage) for Jamie Woon and Jah Wobble. Both excellent, Jah Wobble blasting some amazing dub sounds. At this point Ali declared "its to hot to smoke" if you know Ali that is some statement.

It was then off to the shade and breeze of Cube Henge and a session with Jah Shaka. This guy is an institution to the delivery of Jamaican music and Rastafarian beliefs to the public. He is a sight to behold in the way he plods around the stage, bedecked with huge Haile Selassie backdrop, the single deck and the speaker system that needs to be heard to be believed. In this tiny corner of the Dance Field it is the loudest thing I hear all weekend.

We sneak in half of Dan La Sac vs Scroobius Pip who again have drawn a huge crowd considering Paul Simon is less then an hour away. Scroob is his usual manic, lyrically perfect self. It is with heavy heart we leave for John Peel to see Everything Everything. The stage is running late and when we see Scroobius Pip walk past as Everything Everything start you become aware of what a stupid decision it was to leave Scroob mid gig. Compounded by the fact that Everything Everything were terrible.

We hot foot it through the Nature reserve (do people even realise this path is there?) to catch the end of Paul Simon, thankfully including You Can Call me Al a real sing along moment. It is then Plan B. It was good, but lacked something I can't put my finger on it, maybe it was the heat or where we were standing in the mammoth crowd but it just lacked something - what it did not lack was a beat boxer who if I am honest stole the show, have no idea if BBC televised any of it but try and find it he was up there with Beardyman.

Next were Pendulum who all I can say destroyed the place bit by bit. They were loud, heavy and just what the crowd needed. Interaction was the key again a front man who knows how to interact with 50,000 people + is a rare thing - again they do enough to break barriers down those who had wanted to see Paul Simon or Plan B or those who waited for "bouncy" Pendulum got people on there feet. Excellent.

After much deliberation and bartering over the weekend our group agreed our Sunday headliner would be The Streets. All of us together to watch Mike Skinner deliver a fantastic goodbye set. I have said on here many times what a band they are, and this set is no different. The "go Low" I was standing outside the tent so had the perfect view and to a man every person in that tent went "low" first time of asking and to see them all react to the beat was one of the best sights I have ever seen. Once again our little group had a little cuddle before we all went our separate ways for another year.

One quick mention to Leanne the virgin of our group - she was a real trooper all weekend. She took everything in her stride, she Bussed in, arrived to a downpour, coped with mud and was dragged to every dance event with the ever young Perri. She was in late, up early and never had a bad word to say about anything or anyone a credit to herself - she can come again. The group worked well this year, those that you expect to be trouble, were but only mildly, the mad ones were mad and the caners caned and the strange one, well he was strange this year deciding to sleep at the camp site but he loved it and he bought me cold beer everyday and drove me home so I cannot complain, but as with every year we worked well to get as much from the festival as we could.

Caz and I headed to the Green fields once more for one last late night session before the journey home it seemed prudent to let the car park clear a little, some Neville Staple to finish our festival - it was a surprisingly Specials heavy set. What a way to end a memorable festival skanking it up to Neville. . . . . If Carlsberg did festivals . . . .

Glastonbury Festival 2011 Part 1

2011-06-27T15:12:00.000-07:00

This blog has covered 4 maybe 5 Glasto's before and as in previous years I went down early for a few days and did the usual drinking, eating and meeting up with old friends. A trip to Roger Wilkins Cider farm was undertaken and Roger was in fine form. Roger will be appearing on Jamie Oliver's new TV show in October when I will do an entry all about the amazing Mr Wilkins.

The "Isle of Avalon" camp site in Glastonbury was in perfect order as ever, and myself and others in the group do find this place very special. It just seems to be the perfect place to relax and with no festival next year plans are already afoot for a visit next summer to get our fix.

One thing that was different this year were dog visits. One member of our group re homed her boxer dogs when she became an intensive care nurse due to the new levels of commitment the job would require. They were re homed through the boxer society, and strangely ended up in Glastonbury. The new owners were happy to take visitors all week and to see a friend have what she describes as "the hardest decision of her life" - completely justified. The new owners dote on the dogs and they are completely central to their whole lives, my friend was very happy to see them cared for so well.

Tuesday night was car park hell again, Why? I must admit hearing the story of the 4+ wait to get in for those that drove down on the Wednesday does make a night in the car park seem worthwhile but they have to sort the Q Jumping.

Brother did it rain when we got through the gate on Wednesday. One thing you always want to do is put your tent up in the dry, sadly this was not happening this year. My recollection of Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are hazy due to the amount of drink consumed. It was raining is there much else to do? I also did a lot of walking trying to get through the far ends of the site before the music on Friday. One good thing to come out of the year off should be that Shangra-La, Block 9 etc should get torn down to start again next time - the place is tired, difficult to navigate and aside from Arcadia and the actual Block 9 nightclub just wasted space - the Skybridge/Decontamination area was the biggest waste of space ever and I would not be surprised if it did not freek some drug users to some very bad trips.

Friday was wet but the line up huge. Metronomy first, what has happened to that excellent band that had a remarkable debut? Most of them have been sacked, such a shame as they had the potential to be something very different, now they are just a guitar band that wear funny lights.

Next was the surprise of the weekend for me, and the band I most want to see again. Two Door Cinema Club were breathtaking. I know little about them, but they had a huge crowd filled the stage and delivered a set that got the crowd buzzing.

So the perfect set up for my main band of the weekend Wu Tang Clan. Of course no ODB and it seems by reviews classed WTC as "Dad Rap" these days which just seems disrespectful, but makes me smile. This was a masterclass in Old Skool Hip Hop and a masterclass on how to work a crowd. The way Method Man worked the crowd to a reaction in line with that a headliner could expect was 20 years performing experience oozing from the mud that glued the crowd to the floor. The set list was excellent, enough of 36 Chambers and even Liquid Swords to engage the crowd and enough freestyle to show why Wu Tang Clan have survived for 20+ years. Simply to a man they are brilliant at what they do, and it was obvious for all to see. The crowd around me was in a frenzy and this included a few 50+ couple waiting for BB King - brilliant.

I understand then when booking slots for the festival that crowd movement is essential - and as a punter you will always have difficult choices, and when viewing with a group you will have to have some give and take. Sadly I with others made the choice to see the "Special Guests" rather the BB King - sigh!

So we slog upto the Park Stage, I cannot get on Twitter so we have no idea who the special guests may be. Top rumours are Pulp, Foo's, Take That (please god no) or the Artic Monkeys. We get there early enough to see the awful Big Audio Dynamite and take our place ready for . . . . . . Radiohead.

To say I was shocked was a understatement. Sadly the position we were in, the weather and my friends all dictated this was not going to last. I managed to hear the first 4 tunes, they were great of course but the sound was a let down. I do think the Park Special Guest situation needs rethinking, at least give the area the rig it deserves you don't have to boom it out for all performances but some of those people gave up 4 hours plus to get a spot and were let down due to the sound.

So the night was finished with the end of Munford and Son's who were amazing, again its all about the noise the almost orchestral sound they generate. A huge crowd, a huge reaction they are entertaining beyond belief.

We wait for Primal Scream, I am not going to see U2, not because I disagree with it all, but because I think U2 are shit. To say I am wet at this point is an understatement, to say I am drunk is an understatement. Now I have read some reviews of a great recreation of "Screamadelica" now why they did play most or all of it I am sure it was not a reproduction in order? and I am sure the played "rocks" and the like but I could be wrong - I went to bed, the rain still falling and my head spinning badly.

Now rumours were abound that an Anti U2 protest was stopped by heavy handed stewards. I have heard a couple of first hand statements of a giant balloon reported with anti Bono statements, now I was not there so cannot say with any certainty - but IF true I am disappointed especially as I spent 2 more days watching video's of Greenpeace direct action for various causes, surely not 1 rule for 1 and 1 for another? And I am certain not a direct opposition to freedom of speech. U2 should take pride in the fact the now have more graffiti on site then any other band and probably more then Banksy.

The Subways @ Norwich Arts Centre June 14th

2011-06-16T07:44:00.000-07:00

After the weekend at Download I really felt like attending this {sarcasm}. But its a great band in a great venue and it would have been a shame to waste the tickets.

I was so glad I could be bothered. So The Subways have a new album, mixed they have signed a record contract and new stuff is coming soon, all good news. The best news is, they are fucking brilliant.

They are Raw, yes raw can mean ropey. At the start of the set the bass was set to high and Billy's voice was a little off key, but all of that was soon put right and to honest it adds to the charm. Its not like they can't play or sing sometimes I just think they try to hard. As a 3 some the generate such a wall of sound and seem to feed is other wonderfully well, even the new track were very tight and they are not the simplest arrangements.

The energy of the band spilt quite quickly into the crowd, I imagine that the Arts Centre holds maybe 200 people? and about 100 of those were moshing, they even managed a circle pit, and I can't believe that has been seen there too often. So the crowd loved it, the band seemed to love it, I am not sure you need much more, guaranteed success.

3 New tunes all heavy, all quick and all lyrically sound. I have to say I think the one released this week is the poorest and "don't need to be rich to have a good time" or some such title is a hit hit hit as they would say on round table.

I do hope the album get the promotion it deserves and I hope I get to see more of a great band in the future.

Now one more working day before its off to Glasto for a holiday in a tent before a the mother festival. Rumours are I am not driving for the first time in about 12 years so that's a bonus, but the lead up has not exactly been easy or smooth and I am still quite unorganised.

See you on the other side.

Download Festival - June 2011

2011-06-16T06:10:00.000-07:00

Well it has been a while - not since Monsters of Rock circa 1995 had I been to Donington for a festival. My motivation for going was simple System of the Down. £195 for a 3 day ticket with the line up is OK, a little steep when you consider there was only one must see band for me, but I head off full of hope.

We get parked up Thursday a.m on the race track and start the slog towards the gate - the distance was ridic, but the sun was shining so it could have been worse.

Its a standard festival (not like Glasto) fenced off arena, separate campsite with a village in the middle to offer out of hours fun. Not unlike V, Leeds etc, all of that to stop you taking your own drink in - sigh.

Thursday I manage to get sun burnt and drunk in preparation for the Music on Friday.

Friday is warm and dry (can you guess where this is going?) - I managed to hear a little of Puddle of Mud before starting with the full set of Duff McKagans Loaded - what a pile of off key tosh that was. Give it up Duff surrounding yourself with good musicians does not mean you can sing or write songs it seems - basically everyone is waiting for the one GnR song.

Next up is Black Stone Cherry, who are loud and proud and very good. At this point I have to remark on the stage size, it is massive, tall, deep and wide and very easy for a band to get lost on it as some prove with great aplomb later in the weekend, but Black Stone Cherry fit in well.

Next up is the first curiosity of the weekend in Thin Lizzy, well lets be honest it a tribute band. What they do, they do well. They sound good and the classics are delivered with much gusto - quite a lot of drink (at £4 a pop) had been consumed by now so singing Whisky In the Jar and Jailbreak at the top of my voice was much fun.

I was looking forward to Alterbridge, having seen Miles with Slash last summer I knew the guy could sing, but it has to be said the band are excellent and I look forward to finishing my collection - probably the band that made me happiest all weekend (not including SOAD) I wanted them to be good and they were excellent.

Decision time Darkness and Def Leppard or Korn and Pendulum???? I went with the flow, the Mrs and friend were main staging it and Darkness had been good(ish) on Sunday @ The Waterfront. The Darkness played much the same set, the had some pyro which was cool and they really filled the massive stage. The energy of both band and crowd was brilliant - I was shocked big time by the reaction the band got.

Finally it was Def Leppard, it pains me to write their name. This is band with almost 30 years in the business and they were total shite. They looked uninterested, the played about 10 ballads back to back, Joe Elliot did more costume changes the Justin Hawkings quite possibly the worst live performance I have ever seen.

The company made the day, we had a laugh saw some good, some bad but it was all about Saturday for me, I headed back to the tent to get pissed on my own Jack Daniels and dream of SOAD.

Saturday was a funny day - we took our time heading for the arena and were greeted by SkinDred. So we have a big black rasta, dressed in a 3 piece suit that lloks like its been made from Jerry Halliwells famous Union Jack dress, he wears a big pair of Union Jack sunglasses and talks in a welsh accent. He also happens to front one of the best live bands I have seen. It is kind of Drum and Bass metal. Asa front man he is lively, energetic and above all good. The crowd are wipped into a frenzy and the Clothing Helicopter he does with the crowd is a sight to behold. SkinDred are the band I come away from the weekend, surprised by the most, most eager to see again (obv except SOAD) and will buy (yes not download) the albums. They were excellent.

I did hear some of Hollywood Undead, apologies if you are in the band but the bar seemed a better option.

The 3rd member of our merry band was most keen to see Down. We even went in the front pit, assured it would be great. Front man good, band good songs OK. Lacking in energy probably my biggest disappointment of the bands I knew anything about.

Skunk Anasie are a band with a great sound, a blinding front woman but I get the feeling they never found there place in the world. They have never evolved into a rock band fronted by a woman. The album paranoid and Surnburnt promised a glittering career but it never really fulfilled the promise, now 10 years on it is good to hear the tunes trotted out again and they are delivered well, but like always they don't quite have the spark.

Now as Skunk finish the black emo spiders descend towards the main stage. I have never seen so many youths in black hoodies, holding there Avenge Sevenfold flags, it is like an invasion. A7X are my curiosity of the weekend, I have heard the odd track on Scuzz or Radio 1 rock show etc but was aware that the kids love this band they have huge hype behind them - why? Well lets find out.

First impression, they have tried with the stage set - pillars and what look like cemetery gates with A7X on them - as the band enter the stage the top of the gates burst into flame. Immediately I am surprised with how "mainstream" the sound is. As the fire show continues it all starts to look a bit manufactured and the stage set seems small on the stage - they seem to find it difficult to project. Its all very good, well standard. There was very little to dislike to be honest, but they had little wow factor.

I probably would pay out of curiosity one more time to see A7X in a smaller venue -but to be honest the amount of fans they had and the amount of material (5 albums?) it does seem that they will only be gracing arena's and the top 2 slots of festivals for the foreseeable - is it justified? I am not sure.

Then it was System of a Down - see the previous post, amazing.

Sunday the heavens opened and I ran off home - sad but true. Basically we decided to pack up early so we could head off after Bullet for my Valentine, but it took a staggering 2 hours in pouring rain to make it to the car - I then had to trek back to the campsite to return a trolley we had used and at this point I/we were soaked and demoralised so I took the opportunity to drive home in the daylight like an old man.

Overall it was a good weekend, more for the company and SOAD, but as a festival it s well run and I have to say the other attendees were about the friendliest bunch of festival goers I have ever met. I think they need to sort out the distance of the car park from the camp sites but if that is all I have to moan about it can't be all bad.

Highlights, System of a Down and Skindred.
Lowlights, the walk from the car and Down.
Surprises, Avenge Sevenfold just not sure if it was a good surprise or a bad one.

Would go again, but it would need a huge line up.

System of a Down, Download Festival - 11th June 2011

2011-06-13T03:09:00.000-07:00

Saturday night was a real Bucket list moment for me. I guess not because I am about shuffle off the mortal coil, but because sometimes you have to realise you cannot do everything in life you want to, some things are out of your control.

I will never see Jagger in his pomp, Bonzo blaze away on Moby Dick or see Liam Brady's left foot inspire Arsenal to more glory. The chance of seeing System Of A Down for me was gone also, band on a break of unspecified type or length, each passing year it's looking less and less likely - its the rumours that hurt, Joe99 from Ohio has "heard" this or that, SOADaddict fills message boards with news that the band are returning "soon". I have heard it all before, I expect nothing but I keep looking and live in hope.

Then one day the front page of the System Of A Down website is changed, with a huge crowd shot and some cryptic message regarding "live" performances, can it be?

Download Festival at Donington Park is announced as the SOAD stop on a whistle stop Euro tour, tickets are bought and the clock ticks down - dreams can become reality.

With months to go, it still didn't seem real but the anticipation level grows everyday, until suddenly it is here. I will write a bit about the festival in general but this gig needs its own post, I need to be able to look back on this night.

So 3 of us wait - as we walk back to the main stage beer in hand as a rainbow appears from one side of the site to other, at my angle it arcs beautifully over the main stage we walk under its arc managing to squeeze in alongside a towering speaker stack, the rainbow disappears and the sky clears completely to a perfect blue vista, the sun dipping to the horizon over my right shoulder, everything is ready.

A guy squeezes past, 4 beers in one hand phone pressed against his ear shouting "put your hand up" his eyes scan the crowd looking for his friends. I spy a hand raised and point him out, the man in a sign of unfounded festival gratitude gives, no insists I take one of well carried beers, in fact its cider - glory be. As the cider fairy disappears into the crowd towards the raised hand back lit by a perfect sunset a white sheet covers the stage - a blast of Drums, Bass and guitars is strobe back lit to reveal the shadows of System Of A Down.

"Don't let me down now" is all I can think. Within 2 bars of Prison Song I knew they would not. Everyone around me seems as excited as me, but by the time B.Y.O.B was a couple of bars in the enormity of the crowd and sheer excitement this band generated was clear as it seemed 50,000 people sang every word back at the stage. It was a quite wonderful sight and sound.

Chop Suey, Hypnotize, Aerials and Toxicity get the kind of reaction that any big band expects when they play their "big" tunes and at a gig of this type that is quite a sight and sound. Singing, circle pits, moshing, crowd surfing those tunes have it all. The amazing thing is, so do the others. 26 tunes played, 26. That is an incredible effort and to be apart of that crowd for Bounce is something I will never ever forget.

Now the adrenalin has past and I am dry at home, it was still the best ever. Sure Shavo was not the lunatic I expected, Serj didn't preach at the crowd and the drums didn't explode into flames in tribute to A7X efforts earlier in the day, but it was perfect. Note perfect, as tight as any I have ever seen, a perfect crowd. A perfect set list for me. Its not often that everything aligns in such a manner, if it was fiction I could not have written it better.

On a day blessed with excellent company, sun sets, rainbows and cider fairies System Of A Down delivered 26 pieces of perfection and the crowd delivered a response that the performance deserved.

Perfection !

SOAD set list Donington Park 2011 (Download Festival)

1.Prison Song
2.Soldier Side - Intro
3.B.Y.O.B.
4.I-E-A-I-A-I-O
5.Needles
6.Deer Dance
7.Radio/Video
8.Hypnotize
9.Question!
10.Suggestions
11.Psycho
12.Chop Suey!
13.Lonely Day
14.Bounce
15.Kill Rock 'n Roll
16.Lost in Hollywood
17.Forest
18.Science
19.Holy Mountains
20.Aerials
21.Tentative
22.Cigaro
23.Suite-Pee
24.War?
25.Toxicity
26.Sugar

The Darkness @ The Waterfront 05/06/11

2011-06-06T01:45:00.000-07:00

Five years "they" tell me since the Darkness last played with Justin Hawkins - I cannot believe it is that long, but if it is what "they" say, it must be true.

Last night was the local return, the warm up for the big show that is, Download.

My motivation for attending was more because the Mrs loves both Darkness albums and always wanted to see them live, mine a desire to keep her happy and a morbid sense curiosity - I expect spectacular failure.

We arrived a good 30 minutes after the doors opened, and there was a queue, I have never seen a queue at the waterfront before. It was all very well mannered and relaxed, the venue was packed and hot, with a vibrant atmosphere which I have to say was a pleasant surprise. The average age was way up there, the average hair cut was way out there.

Surprises kept on coming, probably the biggest was standing next to Justin's Mum for most of the gig - 70 guests is the rumoured number, that's about half the venue capacity, no wonder it was full to bursting. As for Justin's Mum she had a great time as did the rest of Lowerstoft.

The Waterfront is a hard place for any "heavy" band to sound poor as it is so small, and the Darkness didn't disappoint. It took about 60 seconds of the first song to realise that these are a legitimate band. Not a bunch of hair obsessed rockers playing out a need and desire to be Whitesnake, even if Justin looks more like Ming the Merciless then David Coverdale these days.

The songs are catchy, Justin's voice still as high as it ever was, but up close you realise the ability and range this guy displays is quite astonishing. He really does manage to display a great level of talent, real talent it has to be said. The new material hints at a slightly more serious direction - the pitch is still high but the bass lines a Little more serious the band contribution a little more rounded.

The rest of the band are tight, talented and energetic, it is a good watch and I am glad I was in attendance. For the encore Justin was lifted onto the shoulders of mighty men, clutching his guitar he was carried through the crowd playing an excellent solo. As he was carried past me and his family I bumbled for my phone to snap a quite amazing image, sadly my settings let me down (or maybe my photographic ability) and I have a very nice picture of half a guitar and and half a Norwich Admiral tracksuit - sigh.

Overall I was surprised at the energy of both crowd and band and surprised by the appetite of both as well. As a fan the Mrs loved it, for me I am glad I was there but Friday night at Download it will be Korn for me rather then The Darkness.

Day Eleven

2011-06-06T01:29:00.000-07:00

A song from your favourite band;

Nothing else to say - the greatest band ever, who were lucky to have the greatest Drummer and Bass player's ever. The Singer and guitarist were not too bad either. When you add a manager the revolutionised the music industry and song writing ability never really matched elsewhere what is not to like.

Winner

2011-05-30T11:31:00.000-07:00

Well I won a live poker tournament. I bested a field of exceptional professionals in dramatic fashion. I managed to get it in with QJ vs KQ vs QQ when 3 left. After the rivered flush of broccoli the final result was never in doubt. The professional carpet fitter with the QQ took it well as did the professional shipping agent I outdrew heads up.

It was one of those nights, I took the money for 1st goalscorer in the champions league final, also had 50% of the last goalscorer, all in a sweep stake between the group. I placed a little bet on Messi to score next just before he scored, its was just one of those nights.

It was brilliant to play a late notice game of cards with the boys, with a couple of faces it has been too long a gap since we raised a glass together, everyone was on good form, even the Utd fans were good value. Quite a performance by Barcelona all in all.

Not played online at all, just can't find the time or inclination, not helping still being on the work laptop, the installation of stars is dodgy enough, not pushed it with Tilt or Holdem Manager, should really sort my personal lappy out.

Should get my new car tomorrow, at last. Nice timing as we head to festival season, next Sunday is The Darkness comeback gig, followed by Download (SOAD), The Subways and then Glasto all that in the next 25 days.

Day 10 and Football

2011-05-26T00:53:00.000-07:00

A song to make you fall asleep

It seems only one thing makes me fall asleep - Match of the Day.
When I watch in the evening by the time Wigan game rolls around I am generally knocking out the Z's. If I get up early to watch what I missed I usually asleep on the sofa before Arsenal have finished throwing away a 2 goal lead and failed to walk the ball into the net 3 times.

So football - what a season. I cannot convey the level of uninterest in Arsenal that has grown in me, the level of "meh" I felt towards the club by the end of the season is quite concerning. I only attended 1 Arsenal game all season the least since I was 13 years old. I don't feel any connection with the club at all. Wenger annoys me, why can't he see what we can all see? 1 Centre back at Christmas, it didn't need much more. When Birmingham scored I ran off to Ladbrokes to count my winnings, rather then revel in the self pity.

The beauty of Football is that a new season brings new hope a level playing field, where we all start again. There is a small spark of hope as there is with the end of any season, but I just don't believe that Wenger has it in him to make the changes required.

Maybe its an age thing? Maybe I just don't love football as much? Maybe I am turning into my Dad? I am not certain any of these are the reason. I have thoroughly enjoyed being part of Norwich City's journey from the First Division and through the Championship in the last 2 years. Yes its local, but its been fun. I don't think I have ever had fun at the Emirates.

The lack of communication of any meaning coming from Arsenal is soul destroying. Wenger is becoming a charactature of himself. He once demanded the respect of other teams not just his own, now his players seem to snigger behind his back. The cliche's associated with the club - Never replaced the back 4, Need a goalkeeper, Fox in the box required, never replaced Vieria, Have not got a Captain, Buy a Centre Half, Won't spend money, Do it Wengers way, I didn't see it etc etc etc - worst thing they are all true.

New season, new hope - sounds like a star wars film, lets just hope we defeat the evil empire this season.

Day 9

2011-05-24T05:44:00.000-07:00

A song you can dance to

Dancing is not my forte to say the least. I have little or no prowess for dancing. The only time I can dance is when under the influence, and I am aware that this does not actually mean I can dance it just means I don't notice I cannot.

During the raving days I thought I could dance, and nothing was better to dance to then a bit of DnB. Shuffle forward, shuffle back, shuffle left etc so I give to you, and yes technically its not a "Song" but tough its my list.

Last rave track of the 30 I promise.

Day Eight

2011-05-21T00:38:00.000-07:00

A song you know all the words too

Oh dear, any one that has ever attended a gig with me will know that I am not particularly adverse to singing the wrong lyrics from time to time, so I doubt there are many songs I know all the words too.

However, once upon a time bored in an English class many years ago I wrote out the lyrics to the below tune, and strangely I can remember every one too this day - who says you never learn anything in school.

Adam Ant @ The Junction 17/05/2011

2011-05-18T01:46:00.000-07:00

Never go back they say. Well I had nothing to go back too as Adam Ant was one of those I was too young to see.

Mr Ant’s illness and fall from grace has been well documented and if you have ever read his autobiography you will know all about the demons he faced. (If you have not read the book, read it, as it one of the best Music Autobiography’s out there).

So something like 15 years from the last tour Adam Ant is on the road again, and I get see him at the junction in Cambridge.

Not been to the Junction for about 15 years myself when it was a regular Rave haunt for me - don't think it has been painted since and the floor is as sticky as I remember but it is a brilliant, little dark venue. Good line of sight, hot, squashed with a good bar, everything a venue needs.

The support act were a band called Krakatoa who I assume are from that London town, never has a support act actually hooked me quite like these did. 5 piece, lead and rythum, bass, singer and drummer. Young lads who it seems listened to early Beatles and Bill Hayley as much as they listened to The Clash. Some of the true Rock n Roll sound was so 50's sounding it was simple and brilliant. The mainstay of the sound was original and somewhere between Artic Monkeys and The Kaisers with enough Krakatoa they make the sound there own. I cannot put it any other way, they pull off originality where 1000's have gone before but are obviously influenced by the "scene" today enough to make them relevant.

Sadly good songs and musical talent is not enough to get you by the world today it seems, but Krakatoa have a hook - the front man. He can sing, is a good looking lad and oozes charisma. His on stage performance does not lack either, this band has it all, and I predict big things - think I have predicted big things twice before White Lies and Ting Tings so can I say I am 50/50?

Well onto the main event, being too young to compare (weeeeeee @ being to young)I imagine the tension in the room prior to Adam's appearance was not unlike that of a late 70's punk gig. It was close to anxiety, I think the crowd were mainly fans either from The pre Ants punk era, or the Ants era all seem to be represented and all seemed nervous to see how good the performance could be - never have I felt such a vibe at a gig.

To be frank the start was not good - the band moved towards there instruments as some pre recorded speech was played (too quietly). Adam entered stage right and the crowd rose to a tumultuous welcome, and the start was weak. First track was I think Plastic Surgery followed by Dog Eat Dog the band seemed nervous, Ant's voice croaky and off key, it was disappointment.

Song 3 everything changed - Plastic Surgery changed the world :) well at least the gig. The band relaxed and Adam Ant began to deliver a set and performance that I had dreamed of seeing. Tunes like Zerox, Press Darlings and Vive la Rock were delivered with such gusto and clarity that the place was in danger of standing open mouthed in wonder.

Some of the arrangements have changed, I assume the vocal range is a little more restricted then in 1979 and the lunatic side to side, up and down jack in box performer a little more relaxed but for 55+ he still can show the youth how it is done. 3rd song on he demonstrates a quite startling vocal range singing high, screaming a key that would challenge Korn of SAOD as well as holding a note for an age, it really was quite a performance once it got going.

The band still boasts 2 drummers and they still produce a remarkable sound, all the musicians in the group follow Ant around the stage with there eyes for the entire gig, drinking in the fact that they are sharing a stage with one of the great performers. As a band its quite remarkable how good a gig they produce, as a Singer Adam Ant delivers a performance that sends a group of fans home happy, as a man Stuart Goddard is back where he belongs.

The below is the set list from last night as far as I can make out, probably a couple of errors in regards to order so forgive me. 1 hour 45 minutes to deliver the below and I have to say I like all the others went away very, very happy.

Plastic Surgery
Dog Eat Dog
Cartrouble
Zerox
Deutscher Girls
Stand and Deliver
Catholic Day
Kings of the Wild Frontier
Beat My Guest
?????? B-Side Bay?
?????? Wonderful?
Press Darlings
Antmusic
Cleopatra
Goody Two Shoes
Never Trust A Man (With Egg on his Face)
Vive Le Rock
Christian D'or - (stand out tune of the night)
Fall In
Prince Charming
A.N.T.S
Fat Fun
Get It On
Physical (You're So)

Day Seven

2011-05-16T02:08:00.000-07:00

A song that reminds you of a certain event.

Dreamscape 17 vs 18 Sanctuary Milton Keynes - 11th March 1995.

I was at Uni, the Sanctuary was my life. Slipmatt played this tune first, just dropped the needle in the middle of the record and we were off. If you look hard enough on the you tube videos of the night I am there in all my glory, long hair, thinner looking like a twat dancing badly. But it is a night I will remember forever.
Peace, Love and Unity.

Weekend

2011-05-16T00:42:00.000-07:00

Funny things your Mrs says part 197:-

So she came bouncing in from work last night, boasting about Spurs "wonderful triumph" over Liverpool and asks in a highly excited manner if "Spurs have now qualified for the channel 5 cup?"

Annoying things your Mrs does part 19993 :-

Goes on a new restraint course where she gets the "impression" that the fingers to throat breakaway manoeuvre is both funny and acceptable when smashed after going to see Pete that she attacks both you and your friends in said manner until she collapses into the sick bucket at 1am, well played.

So an Interesting weekend. Pete Doherty Friday night at the UEA. Me driving, Mrs drinking Sambuca with the Ali, nice balance.
Pete was fantastic, by far the best singing performance I have ever seen him deliver. His voice was clear and crisp, he seemed coherent at all times and delivered a set stuffed with Libertines greats, some Babyshambles stuff as well as a few from the brilliant solo album. He also played This is for Lovers. Some early guitar issues aside it was a fine rounded performance - little interaction with the crowd in comparison to previous gigs, but he seemed very focused on the delivery of the music. Overall very impressed.

Saturday was my boozy day, couple of lads over for the football, drinking and darts. We were good at the drinking, didn't enjoy the football as Utd won and the cup final was poor. However Mr Toure did allow me to repeat my 1-0 Toure first goal bet from the semi final, that earned me a few quid, backing City, the 1-0 and Toure to score first was overkill slightly but helped the day pass.

By the time we got around to playing Darts we were on the 2nd bottle of Captain Morgan so maybe was not the best time to try drunken darts, but much fun was had.

Yesterday was a write off. Played a little poker but playing very small comps with big runners, so the chance of a score is low. Thankfully the $5 HU Hyper turbos's are keeping me going. People play these so badly, sadly that helps little as they still manage to get there. I am showing a profit, infact I think I am 50/35 up against the field - played a set against one Swiss guy yesti and we drew 6-6 so Pokerstars won that dual.

We are sneaking towards the summer of fun, Darts tonight, Adam Ant tomorrow and then my last lazy weekend for ages. I am determined I am not giving that weekend to work, I have fences I need painting.

Slim! good luck in Cork this weekend.

Day 6

2011-05-11T06:44:00.000-07:00

A Song that reminds me of somewhere.

It was always going to be the Glastonbury Festival of Performing Arts, held in the small village of Pilton most years since 1970. As anyone who knows me or reads this blog will know, I am a little obsessed with Glastonbury. It has been the scene of many brilliant days, nights, sets, performances and encounters in my life since I first attended in 1995.

So many songs to choose from, so many moments that are burnt into my brain, so many moments that make me proud to think back "I was there".

Choices included, Born Slippy live, Cerys Matthews singing Chardonnay in the hottest tent in the world, Leftfield doing Storm 3000 in the biggest crowd I have ever seen, Al Green blowing me away, Tony Bennett in his suit, Cypress Hill playing anything from Black Sunday, seeing Page and Plant, Reprazent being amazing no matter where or when they played or The Specials and loads and loads more.

Listening to Orbital in interviews makes me think Glasto means as much to them as it does me. Chime was a huge festival hit, but the version above I don't think I have ever been a part of a crowd reaction like that. It was something that became linked with Glastonbury history.

Douglas Adams

2011-05-11T03:21:00.000-07:00

I was shocked to find out that Douglas Adams died 10 years ago today, it does not seem that long ago.

The Hitch Hikers Guide had a big impact on my young life. My first introduction was the Radio series if you have never heard it, go and listen to it, it is quite brilliant. (IMO Peter Jones as "The Book" is quite possibly one of the best pieces of acting ever, of any genre TV, Film or Radio.) It is said that Adams was writing scenes as the actors were downstairs recording parts of the episodes he was then writing - I can't think he ever imagined those first scripts would lead to a worldwide following.

From the Radio series to a book, a book I read at about the age of 12. A book that led me to discover other genres and authors. But above all it was a book that taught me literature could be silly, witty and enthralling and above all it was the first book I ever read that was a real page turner, the first book that I wanted to tell the world that I had read.

Obviously the book grew into a series and a phenomena. Dirk Gentley followed around the same time that America went crazy for Hitchhikers and the rest as they say is history - Douglas Adams was a legend.

From the Book
"Space," it says, "is big. Really big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mindbogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist's, but that's just peanuts to space, listen..."

Ford Prefect
"Time is an illusion - lunchtime doubly so".

Without the amazing works of Douglas Adams my world would have been far less fun, for that I will owe him a debt of gratitude.

Day 5

2011-05-10T07:00:00.000-07:00

A song that reminds me of someone.

Easy one again. This song reminds me of Sam, the late brother of my good lady. There is a horrible story attached to Sam's death that's not for here.

After Sam had died, Caz and I had a difficult time as a couple. Neither of us coped very well as you can imagine, we were young and Sam was just 16 when he passed and obviously his big sister struggled to come to terms with his death, and I struggled with losing a friend like no other, but also struggled with the pain it was causing Caz.

The Summer of 02 was a horrible time for both of us - eventually after much soul searching we decided to return to Glasto. Enjoying yourself, when so bitter at the world is very difficult.

On the Friday morning Mercury Rev played the Other stage - and in the encore or last track of the set they played Dark is Rising. It was an epic moment, a moment that all the emotion of the last few months changed, it was the first time I can remember thinking about Sam and remembering something good from before he was ill. Even today although its a melancholy tune it still makes me remember Sam for who he was, my friend.

Darts

2011-05-10T00:40:00.000-07:00

Made my Darts debut last evening. I lost both my singles and my doubles. Some very poor play in the doubles from both of us, but the other bloke in particular ;) saw us get thrashed 2-0. We did have a visit each on a finish in leg 1 but it was not even close.

In the singles the team were 1 down with 2 to play and I lost 2-1 after being 1-0 up. I had 1 dart at double 10 in both legs for the win, but alas not enough.

The standard of the night was a little better then I expected, don't get me wrong some awful darts were thrown, but enough 100+ scores that the evening moved along. The home venue is sweet and the team seem like a decent bunch of guys. A bit more practice and I won't show myself up to often.

Laptop - it does not look good. Well I am lying actually I have not even turned it on again so it looks as bad as it was last time, but today I am giving it to someone to "have a look at" he is confident that worst case he will get it into DOS and be able to retrieve my Stars and Tilt notes and my Holdem Manager database.
Please save my Laptop. Tonight the Norwich procession and a walk through the city. Before Pete on Friday and Adam Ant next Tuesday oh and I hope to book Vegas today but that's another story.

The days thoughts go out to my Mrs who I think about lying in the sun all day, drinking cold lager, smoking and reading while I am at work. Days like to today I envy 3 on 3 off 12 hour days - and when I get home she will still insist that she had weeded the gravel and cleaned the kitchen cupboards - but I know what goes on ;)

Day 4

2011-05-09T06:59:00.000-07:00

A song that makes you sad . . . .

Only one choice for me it makes me cry every time I listen to it, I hate the day its associated with and everything about it. I can't believe people take anything positive from the song at all.

Sundays hate me and I am not even grinding yet

2011-05-08T05:14:00.000-07:00

Played a session last night with only a couple of minor cash's. The HU Hyper again proving to be the most frustrating as usual losing when I actually had the best of it.

Finished playing about 2am, so set the sky+ for the Manny fight and took myself off to bed. I had also remembered to record the following programme as these things always over run, I run good.

Got up this morning, a nice bath. Followed by breakfast and the papers on a sun drenched patio. I then turned on the laptop and sat to watch the fight. I think it was round 6 when the coverage finished, sadly this was during the extra program I recorded. While all this was going on my laptop failed to start up. Followed by a failure to start in safe mode - if I cannot get this running (it looks bad) this will be a major issue for my poker, work and life in general. I have my office laptop, but that is not an ideal situation or long term solution.

Now Arsenal are getting spanked by a better side in Stoke (FML), and generally embarrassed by the home fans top quality banter. If this is not Arshavin's last game for Arsenal there is something sadly wrong.

I am off to the sunshine to get baked - when I wake up tomorrow this fucking day will be over.

Day 4 - well umm

2011-05-07T11:57:00.000-07:00

Actually thought quite long and hard about my list of 30 songs, well I have put it through the washing machine so have to do it again - sigh! Will continue it tomorrow.

Played quite a lot of poker over the last week or so - just can't win that flip. Breaking even and playing well but just need that score to get me going.

Make my darts debut on Monday, so practicing lots. Sadly my average is not going to get me in the Premier League anytime soon. Should be fun though.

Day 3

2011-05-03T13:22:00.000-07:00

A song that makes me Happy.

It was always gonna be a Ska tune, but which one? Seeing the return of this band was one of the musical moments of my life and is well documented on this blog, every time I have seen the band or Neville perform this tune is always the set highlight for me.

Seeing this tune performed as an encore by Dan Le Sac and Scrobbious Pip was quite a moment as well and one memory guaranteed to bring a smile to face.

Have to note after everything I said about Mr Kelly yesterday, Adele and he have just made one of the strongest opening to Jools BBC2 show I have seen for many years. Both awesome performances.

Oh and CITY, CITY, CITY we are premier league - lol

Day 2

2011-05-02T04:28:00.000-07:00

Least Favourite song

Probably the easiest one on the whole list for me, even though I had loads to choose from.

When Caz and I got together, the first night I went to her flat I flicked through her vinyl (as you did back then) and at the front of the pile was this tune. I will always remember the despair I felt as I held this tune in my hand. To be honest as I flicked through the collection my opinion of this woman was starting to be damaged, until nestled at the back was salvation. More of that later in the list. At the front of the pile was the worst tune ever . . .

Day 1

2011-04-30T12:04:00.000-07:00

Day 1 - Favourite Song

This is just my favourite today, and is probably the one on the whole list I have thought about least. I cannot have one favourite, but because today is a lovey dovey day, I give you. .

JJ72 - Oxygen

Just missing out Willy Mason - Oxygen (live), Concrete Schoolyard - Jurassic 5, Jump Around - House of Pain, The Machine - Reverend and the Makers, but like I say that's just today, tomorrow this list would be very different.

No in depth reason for my choice, just a tune that always struck a cord. Not a band I follow, have seen them a couple of times and they are solid but I just love this tune for some reason.

Tomorrow is "Least Favourite" - another easy one.

Order from chaos

2011-04-30T11:51:00.000-07:00

Well the 11 days of madness have been not exactly mad.

2 days left and to be honest all I have really managed is household chores and celebrated the same birthday about 5 times. Sorted the garden, tackled the spare room including CD's and done a hell of a job on the kitchen. Not the sex, drugs and rock and roll I expected but I feel fulfilled, lol

However the Mrs is back to work in the morning leaving me to grind poker for the last 2 days of my holiday and I got 2 quality bottles of red to demolish at some point, then back to the grind and diet from Tuesday, fun fun fun.

Inspired by going through all my CD's today I am going to have a crack at one of these 30 day music lists. It seems to be standard facebook fodder these days, but as I manage to dodge that particular time drain I am going to have a crack here.

Oh if anyone has the below albums borrowed from me please return them . . .

Tyrannosaurus Hives - The Hives
Resist - Kosheen
How to operate with a blown mind - Lo Fi Allstars
Nevermind - Nirvana
Hats off to the buskers - The View
White Blood Cell - White Stripes

(What makes it worse is half of them I have the cases - I am blaming her)

Anyway on with the show . . . .

New Music

2011-04-26T11:48:00.000-07:00

Wombats - The Modern Glitch

I like the Wombats, the energy live, the hooks and lyrics of the first album and delivery that hinted at more then teen pop, they gave you lots of things to like.

The new album was never gonna be was never gonna be the acapella homage to the Beach Boys the first album hinted at, but did they have to get Vangellas to produce? or has Howard Jones joined on keyboards? Did DLT infect a whole generation with The Human League and Nick Kershaw? Will I have another 9 years of synth pop? Someone save us.

So the Wombats join The Editors, The Bravery, and others as just another band, spoiled by over production and sudden directional changes? Maybe not. The album has a couple of stand out tunes, not quite the hooks of the first album but some fine efforts and maybe they will grow out of the 80's pop fetish. The undercurrent of that energetic, well phrased debut is still there. Lets hope they play it live well it may be the difference between me buying the third album and not.

Foo Fighters - Wasting Light

The Them Crooked Vultures album took Dave Grohl to a rung on the brilliance ladder in my brain just below John Bonham, Dennis Bergkamp and Monty Python, it is that good.

Don't get me wrong I love the Foo's, but it is not often I find myself reaching for a Foo album, its Nirvana for me if I have to choose. I appreciate what Grohl has accomplished and rate the original album as one of those great debuts its just I don't have a Foo's mood I guess.

That is until today. Wasting Light is a heavy album. Basic, Lyrics, guitar and drums. Its so bare. Its not sensational or groundbreaking but it is a little piece of brilliance and if this turns out to be the last Foo's album (as rumoured) it will be a fitting end and maybe the best of the 7 albums.

Glastonbury Line-Up

2011-04-14T08:22:00.000-07:00

OMG - so happy, WU TANG CLAN and BB King. Just about sums up my range of music taste and why I love this festival.

Other highlights for me Eels, Craig Charles DJ set, Wu Tang, 3 Daft Monkeys, Queens of the Stone Age, DJ Zinc, Subfocus, Dan Le Sac vs Scroob, Patrick Wolf, Photek, Fatboy vs Carl Cox, Beardyman, Dj Shadow, Example, Miles Kane, Battles, Big Boi, did I mention Wu Tang, Jimmy Cliff, Chase and Status and Paul Simon plus loads, loads more.

Mrs is gonna be pissed though, no Underworld, no Leftfield and no Pulp, but we don't care.

Not long now

2011-04-05T02:57:00.000-07:00

Chris Lilley is back

Good, the bad and the ugly.

2011-04-04T05:11:00.000-07:00

Mrs working most of the weekend, but had some tasks to complete to pay her back for the excellent spring clean she performed this week.

So ignoring my orders - Friday night and Saturday it was table time. Friday night I started at great pace, building a huge stack in every comp, winning races, hitting sets etc. Then in the 25K and the $16.50 x 360 I had 66 vs AQ and AQ vs 66 at the same time on both tables, I won them both - miracle of miracles. Stars also thought so as I didn't win another hand for 2 days - doom switch engaged.

By the end of Sunday it had got to the point that I was expecting every hand to be outdrawn and I didn't get disappointed. I am sure Stars are in cahoots with the devil or in this case my Mrs, as by midday on Sunday I was happy to spring clean the kitchen and dining room.

I got my own back by adding a wonderful wall decoration to the dining room in the form of a dartboard, her reaction on finishing work last night was a little extreme, but it is still there this morning so it seems an argument I have actually won. Positive action is the key.

Still got about 6 hours work to do on chores, but as the Mrs has gone away for the Spurs game (so at least I don't have to sit on the sofa Tuesday pretending to be interested) I can complete my chores at my own pace, well in between playing some arrows. Think I will stay away from Stars for a few days.

What a shit weekend for Football - the Lynn dream for the FA Vase/Trophy whatever is over and the fans reverted to type and smashed up some of the ground and some of each other. Arsenal fail to impress or even score, watching Saturday you couldn't help but think how different the Season could have been if Chris Samba had been wearing Red instead of Blue and White. He seems to lead and inspire his side and basically portrays everything Arsenal need.

Wengers comments post game "Not up for it", "Flat performance" etc worry me, and even I, a true believer in "In Wenger we trust" now starts to doubt the future direction of the club under his continual guidance - not certain I am on the Wenger out Bandwagon just yet, but I'm making sure it is not too far away so I can hop on anytime soon. At 5pm Saturday Arsenal had to win 9 games to win the EPL for the first time in a long time - to see that performance was shocking, no belief, no desire and little ability on show. Simply not good enough.

The only good this weekend was Norwich City - who seem to be breaking the trend, a play off team finding some form, not sure they will last long in the premiership, but lets ride the bubble of Lambert and hope they hang on for 2nd, it all looks positive so far.

Put some Freshness in your life and watch the mad skills.

Things I thought I would never say . . .

2011-04-01T01:58:00.000-07:00

I have just bought tickets to see Adam Ant

Relaxed of Norfolk

2011-03-30T02:59:00.000-07:00

So spent a week in Puerto Rico, Gran Canaria. I can't say I had high hopes for this break, but it was quite fantastic, just what I needed. A whole week of nothing. The resort is not great, but the sun shone, we found great food and enjoyed each others company, can you ask for much else?

The weather was unexpectedly hot, so hot in fact that I managed to do that English thing of burning myself to a crisp on the first day by the pool. The days were basically a day by the pool or beach reading and a good evening meal, and a few drinks - sadly I still show the battle scars with the sun, although brown, peeling is still an issue.

Both flights were passable, a little bumpy in parts but I managed to survive (I sure love flying!). The pool at my apartment was brilliant and I was quite happy that the shoulder managed to stand up to a few lengths each day - think I finished the week being able to do two 500 metre sessions in the day, not loads but considering I couldn't move my shoulder 3 weeks ago I was chuffed.

Caught up on some Koontz reading - What the Night Knows is a great book, a little more supernatural then the Koontz standard, and the build up in the first half was proper heart in the mouth stuff, he does build an air of tension unlike any other author. The reveal section of the book although good, fails to deliver the sheer terror of the first half of the book, still well worth a read and in Koontz's top half of produced works, in my opinion.

I also read Books 3 and 4 of Koontz's Frankenstein series - I love what he has done with the story, I guess these days it would be called a "reboot". The modern setting, the very strong and funny hero characters and the "is this possible in today's world" feel of the books make them real page turners. I would suggest anyone pick this series up.

Book 4 was Tommy Lee's autobiography "Tommyland". The book is written with real humour and gives a new look into the life beyond Motley Crue for this "bigger" then average star. Reading the book gives you an idea of the struggle Tommy has faced first to get his career off the ground, and then in later years to find that ground again. The way he writes his Mother and Fathers story is wonderful. Some of his antics with women leave you bemused and others mystified. Stories of Love with Pamela Anderson, and Heatehr Locklear, drunken antics with Ozzy Osbourne and band members through the years give the tale a real lift from darker story's of incarceration, family death and the tragic loss of a child's life in his pool just when his life seemed to be coming together. Tommy's life seems to be a real cliche of "Pain vs Pleasure" - but he articulates it well keeps the humour alive and I finished it quite liking the guy, a real turn around of my opinion when I started.

Like all holidays, it was over too soon and work loomed quickly. I have to re-engage with the diet (added 8lbs in a week) it seems difficult restarting so far, but I will however succeed. I have returned to work to find my boss has gone away for a week - happy days. Now I just have to cut the grass, sort my old car out before the new one arrives, sort the garden, play some poker and get ready for a summer of fun.

Is older better?

2011-03-16T16:08:00.000-07:00

The Levellers @ UEA 16th March 2011

The shirts may appear tighter around the middle, the style and the statement are retained. Simon's voice shows signs of wear, but it adds a balance to Chadwicks precision. The hairlines are higher, crowns visible under the onslaught of lights, still the dreadlocks are long and proudly displayed. The hats maybe worn and tired but they are the same hats telling the same tale they told 20 years ago, 20 years since Levelling the Land was first released on our green and pleasant land.

I was not there from the first time round, aware but oblivious of what was on offer. Later Levelling of the Land had its effect on me. Its Fran music in my life, it arrived with him in 199X (we were trying to work it out tonight maybe 12 years, but working anything out with Fran is difficult at the best of times, half way through scrump 8ish its even harder). He does like to muse on times past though. That pint we shared in The Crown and Mitre public house with Mark Chadwick and his merry men before "that" Kings Lynn gig, Glasto 2000 (The year the fence came down) and the volume of mad writhing bodies I saw in one place connected to one band. Frans slurred story reminds me, I'm sure I learnt a lesson that day. It was probably don't let Fran in the mosh pit in his glasses but it might have been something more important, who knows. The words of Liberty, The Boatman and One way were already printed on Frans mind. For me, 2000 was first exposure and as we all know, FIRST pill, blowjob, line or pay-rise is special, that gig is worthy of joining that list. Rose tinted? maybe but the adrenalin still flows so forgive me.

That makes tonight special - maybe its special because I am about to drive 4 hours down the road get in a plane and fuck off to the beach? maybe it feels good because I got 11 huge days off work? Nope its special because a band that oozes talent, have gone their own way told their story when and how they wanted, and they are here in little old Norwich, to pay homage to their finest hour.

Its straight forward, proceeded by the Wonderstuff perfectly and a video reminding us of 1991 and beyond. Thatcher, riots, tory rule echos of today turn into Cameron, riots and the same tory messages with different voices. Blasts of Wham and Hardcore are mingled with news features, Blair is boo'd and its ended with "Peter Finch's" speech from Network, it is perfect.

Boom - One Way, the place erupts as only a levellers gig can, an air of seriousness with huge helpings of mania, passion and energy. It is brilliant. The band deliver the album straight up as it should be a quick interlude of "other" tunes between "Side 1 and Side 2" (ask your Mum and Dad kids, about when music had 2 sides). And that Ladies and Gentlemen that was Levelling the Land 20 years on. I'm not going to bang on about this song and that if you don't know them you should, if you do, dig it out for one more listen you won't be disappointed.

Its not better - its flawless, unblemished and beyond compare the same today as it was "first time around"

I left at this point - yes it shames me, but I have got to catch a plane and the Mrs is a biff, but that's a different story for a different day.

My memory is unsullied of the encore of greatest hits, I can assume Fran and Ali will regale me with Tales of Just the One and Beautiful Day I am sure, but I once again survived The "Battle of Beanfield"

See you all soon.

It never rains . . . .

2011-03-09T14:54:00.000-08:00

but it pours.

The last few days have been up and down.

At the weekend I went to see my parents, so Friday night was a trip to the lucky IP. My shoulder was still giving me some aggro so couldn't play street pong or pool so the only thing to do was play some poker. I cashed on £40 and played a small session. With all the drinking and eating of takeaways going on it was difficult to hold my resolve - but the diet held firm. I get a bit of a kick out of the not drinking when others do it seems.

I played 7 comps and managed 4 cash's 68/1308 in the $7 Turbo, 58/2298 in the big $4, 43/512 in $10 HU Hyper and 3/309 in the $4 2+1 for $330.

Saturday I just bummed around Lynn saw my parents and spent the evening with friends I did relent and have 1 small glass of vino, it was good vino you can't say no to good vino.

Sunday was back home and a decision weather to try and qualify for the Stars Million, played a few Hyper turbo's with little success. And then 15 minutes before kick off I managed to bink a seat, I was in a good position in about 4 other sats so decided to take $215 T$ and if I won another seat I would play the comp - I didn't win another. . . . . sigh.

So a good weekend, played a couple of comps on Monday but couldn't get that cash, and Tuesday I managed a small cash in the $5 20k Turbo on Stars but nothing else.

Today I had to go to the hospital for a scan on the shoulder which is feeling better day by day. I look forward to the results.

An early finish from work meant I could play a session before picking the Mrs up from work. Some days when you play poker everything seems to click into place, you win those flips that matter, in turbo's the table breaks go your way, you get "that" hand when you need it. Managed to hit the last 18 of a $7 x 180 turbo in poor shape, got my stack in bad 3 ways and binked - after that it was never in doubt and I am $378 richer wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii. First win of the year that's not a sat.

Pick the Mrs up from work and play another turbo session while she is watching the Spurs game. Picked my way through a $12 x 180 turbo and again made a the last 18 with a micro stack. Got 76 red in against AJ and flushed, and then 2 hands later got 76 black in against AJ and hit my straight to J to get me right in it. 10 BB's was enough to build again to the last 3, when Mr aggro pushed on my BB and I looked him up with A5 - his 106 missed and it was never in doubt from that point, ship the $594. Not quite a comma day but a good day, some spends for Holiday next week.

I need this holiday like never before, work is such a bind at the moment. I have always enjoyed my job but it is evolving into something I never expected. My boss seems to have more ambition for me then I have for myself and he is getting me involved in things I never thought I would touch. After the madness of Christmas and the projects I am on this year, just think I need a break. Hopefully Gran Canaria will just be what I need for a week of relaxation before returning to the front line ready to tackle the crazy projects I am involved in.

I must do a football post tomorrow, Arsenal, Norwich, King Lynn, Barca and Spurs all need a mention. Some good, some bad.

Self Confirmation

2011-03-04T02:55:00.000-08:00

Well I see the V tickets sold out, so enough people were happy with the line up as it is . . . no accounting for taste I guess.

The rumour mill and self confirmations for Glastonbury have begun in earnest this week. While the headliners offer no interest for me at all, I do appreciate the bookings. U2 have never played a British Festival, Coldplay are a huge draw and Bouncy is a new direction, trying to appeal to a different demographic I guess.

One of my biggest Glasto regrets is missing B.B.King last time he was there - well 2011 offers me another chance, 2011 seems to be throwing other acts at me I never imagined I would see or have previously missed. Top of that list is Eels - at one point it looked like I had missed my chance with a huge recording break between late 2004 and 2009, but 2010 saw the delivery of 2 new albums and although not quite to the standard of Beautiful Freak it will be a great day seeing Mark Everett in the flesh.

Other self confirmations from Jimmy Cliff (please be the Sunday afternoon Sunshine slot) Don McLean, Biffy, Elbow and The Chemical Brothers Live, so it starts to take shape at last.

With the sun beaming through the window today, my thoughts are on weekends and summer days - off home this weekend to see the parents and to catch up with friends, can't wait.

Injury

2011-03-03T11:39:00.000-08:00

Been in pain for 3 days, right shoulder, today it became unbearable so went to see the doc.

It seems I have damaged my Rotator Cuff, 3 possibilities, a) Scar tissue from a previous injury flaring up and likely to mean I will go through periods of pain for the rest of my days. b) Tendonitus which can also flare up whenever with no real treatment and will effect me for the rest of my days. C) Some actual damage that will need an operation, that may or may not be successful. Scan next week to give diagnosis after swelling has reduced, struggling to see the win in any of those options.

How do you do such a thing I hear you cry? Well to match my sporting ethos in life it seems that I did it sleeping . . . . marvolous.

I was ready for the Street Pong clash of the titans tomorrow night (Joel runs good), and the fat bazza's badminton challenge next Tuesday. Both those out of the window.

Maybe its Gods way of forcing me back to the poker table . . . .

V Festival "On the beach"

2011-03-02T00:31:00.001-08:00

WTF is up with the V line up?

I admit the 2 headliners are top draw, but the rest of the line up is like Channel 4 on the beach. How much of the budget did they spend to get Eminem?

My music taste is as varied as the next man, but come on that line up is completely uninspiring*, and the thought of splashing £180 to see 2 acts I have seen before is frankly little motivation to join the Lynn crew on site for the weekend. I am a little disappointed to say the least. This is not Glastonbury or even Leeds it offers little or no entertainment outside the 12:00 - 23:00 performance slots, the smaller stage area's are too small, the stages are too close together, the stalls are overpriced and offer little variety - yes yes I am trying to talk myself out of going, and a dam fine job I am doing of it.

The real question is it worth going to see Enimen for 70 odd notes?????? Is it even legal to go for 1 day only?

*Primal Scream doing Scremadelica aside.

The Streets @ UEA 28/02/11

2011-03-01T04:15:00.000-08:00

Its a scary thought that Original Pirate Material is 10 years old. If ever an album defined a period of my life, this is one. Having lost my way post rave period and becoming all consumed with JDB (Jungle, Drum and Bass), The Streets provided me an album that let me engage with the mainstream again. I cannot describe how I felt that first time I heard the CD, the connection I felt to the spoken word of Skinner, the blend of basslines and electronic trickery. It felt so new, and like it was talking to me and only me, it felt personal. Now we have seen the release of album 5 and this is maybe the 10th or 12th time I have seen them live, the level of excitement and sadness are matched equally.

Going into last night, reminiscence was at its height, attending with the brothers Pratt (both big Streets fans), we told story's of first encounters and previous gigs. I remember seeing them perform in the new dance area at Glasto, circa 2001 - the set was beset with technical difficulty's, this was before Skinner had learnt that Hip Hop trick of having a second MC to fill in the gaps bought about by his pace of delivery - the beats were good and crisp, but Skinner had yet to learn to engage with a crowd, a problem quickly sorted.

Fast forward 10 years and the Computers and Blues has been released, already for me a real contender with albums 1 and 2 for Skinners best work, the lyrics are again relevant to my life, the beats a throw back to JDB with some blues overtones, perfect for where I am at the moment. The introduction of Robert Harvey ex of The Music for the new album also offers something very different for Computers and Blues. We head for the UEA full of anticipation.

Skinner must have a like for the UEA as all of the new album artwork is photographed at the UEA, and on his last visit he played "Babyfoot" and generally hung out pre gig, no signs of that this time, but the UEA crowd showed appreciation to the max, I have to say the circle pit during the ballad of the set was top draw.

The Streets as a live experience are a very different proposition to the recorded disks as they always tend to play heavier live, delivery of the classics has always evolved gig to git. Hard and fast seems to be the order of this tour, and the delivery was almost perfect, a small technical difficulty aside.

The set list (see below) was just about perfect, a blend of new and old, with favourites such as Heaven for the Weather, Fit but you know it and Dry your eyes - stunning, not be mention huge versions of Turn the page, Borrowed and the quite spectacular Going through hell, what a tune that is.

It was great to have a singalong, feel the emotion of the crowd. The vibe was electric from start to finish. Vibrant, vocal and lively, I fitted in perfectly.

This will probably be the last time I see The Streets, festival appearances aside, this tour marks the end, the music world will be far worse off without Mike Skinner and The Streets. I cannot wait to see where Skinner pops up next - whatever he does I am sure it will be cool.

"CAN YOU SEE ME!"

Set List 28/02/11

Trust Me
Don't mug yourself
Let's push things (Jamrock)
Puzzled
ABC
Escapist
OMG
Borrowed
Weak become hero's
Too late
Never be Friends
Soldiers
Blinded by the lights
Church
Heaven for the Weather
Dry your eyes
=============================
Turn the page
Fit but you know it
Hell

Jerry Sadowitz and Beardyman

2011-02-20T06:59:00.000-08:00

Jerry Saddowitz @ Norwich Playhouse 17/02/11
I don't know what I can say about Jerry Sadowitz I have not said before he is the best Stand Up I have ever seen live, and Thursday evening just reinforced this belief. Its more then watching a funny, wild haired scotsman deliver a tirade of abusive observations and punchlines. It is the delivery of the subject that is as good as the quality of the jokes, the stamina he displays and his ability to offend every person in the room makes it an amazing show to watch.

I don't know how many shows I have seen in the last few years but its a few, and once again he managed to deliver 90% material I had not heard before as well as some classic lines. A rant about Bill Hicks and "no smoke without fire" routine were highlights for me. Much of the material is as ever, well not just close to the edge, but about 12 feet over but as delivered, in such a way it draws you in, you laugh because its funny the rest don't matter, its no real life!

The post gig chatter in the bar is always a top half hour as groups of friends regroup and the air is a buzz with words from the show. It seems he generates a buzz in everyone lucky enough to witness the show. Well played to the Playhouse for continuing to book the best comic in the country, and well played Jerry, 2 complete hours is some effort, appreciated. 10/10

The gig for me saw me having my first beer of 7 weeks and I was well on the way pre gig, but post gig I continued to enjoy myself, but kept to a sane level as I was looking forward to Friday and Beardyman.

Beardyman @ The Waterfront 18/02/11
Sadly the group of friends I was attending the Beardyman gig with were late, meaning one person had to take one for the team and drive - it was I.

We got to the door the second Beardyman took to the stage. Beardyman found fame as ex world champion beat boxer, but in later time has moved on to looping his beats live on stage to produce tunes live on stage.

Friday was one for the kids, a fully interactive gig, as Beardyman used his facebook page to use his fans suggestions for music to play. This allowed Beardy to show his full range of ability including his ability at "impressions".

Genres covered, Dubstep, Bluegrass, Techno, DnB, Hardcore, Grunge and many more. All were done amazingly and if you have never seen his act, go as even if the music does not appeal you should see Beardyman to believe what he does is actually possible, seeing is believing kids.

As usual the Waterfront crowd was livly and mainly smashed it has to be said the techno and Rave sections of the show were very well recieved. But why oh why do these people film complete gigs? Would you not rather have the memory of watching a gig rather the back of your smartphone? Also go and stand in front of someone else.

We got a 10 minute free style with just the mike - this for me is where the real talent of the man is. His ability at beat Boxing is truly awe inspiring, how he makes the noises he does I will never know - but I know that I love it.

The evening was spoilt by the late arrival, lack of beer but a terrific performance.
8.5/10

Holiday and time off

2011-02-20T06:38:00.000-08:00

Good times and a big decision.

I spend too much time on Stars and it has to stop for a while. Having made $700 at .5/$1 in 2 weeks, this has cost me 54 hours of my life and it has to stop. Just when I needed some motivation along came the opportunity to book a small apartment in the hillside overlooking Puerto Rico, Gran Canaria in March. So the roll is gone.

Have withdrawn the lot, already an error as I am 10 VPP's short of opening my 5000 VPP $50 token, oh well ho hum its not going anywhere.

I will still play some poker over at Full Tilt and to be honest its time I offered my backer some serious time and hopefully return him some cash, but this will be loads less time then if I was playing on Stars.

I enjoyed playing cash but I was getting sucked in, playing every free minute I had playing with HEM and generally looking for excuses to let me play poker. I don't need this at the minute. Work is busy, summer is coming and I need the decks clear before that happens.

So head down now and fun later.

One last thing to do is order my car, cannot be arsed to wait 6 months + for the VW, impatience for the win, now what to get????

Poisoned

2011-02-15T02:51:00.000-08:00

Well this Sunday I ran worse then ever as I managed to poison myself with some hastily defrosted prawns, and it is only now that the stomach cramps have got to the point I can function.

Monday afternoon I actually thought I was going to die, I felt so bad. Let just say the Mrs had a Valentines day to remember, but on the bright side I guess it helped the weight loss :)

Played 2 sessions on Sunday one a monster 1360 hand session across 2 tables where I ran super bad to dump back $251 - basically all was going well until one player KILLER__AA88 arrived playing 53/31 he basically won every hand against me and then dumped my chips to the rest of the table, he relentlessly reloaded and I did not have the discipline to walk away, or at least pick better spots. HEM shows me in almost 250 hands he called 100% of re raises pre (I have only just found this stat) I guess also showing I should have picked better spots.

Session 2 was slightly better 830 hands for $120 profit nothing remarkable but nice to get back on the horse as it were.
I might have a dabble today she what the daytime action is like.

Have been catching up on Films and TV stuff (my TV is dieing :( )

Unstoppable - 4/10, not my cup of tea at all.
RED - 6.5/10, was everything you expect not remarkable but watchable.
BlackSwan - 7/10, I liked it can't imagine I will ever watch again but a fine story.
Blue Bloods - has potential hope it delivers.
Boardwalk Empire - loving the set up but 3 episodes in it needs to start delivering on that set up, amazingly filmed and scripted.
Mad Dogs - liked the first episode again the set up was good and the cast are great. Am very interested to see where this one goes.
Eastbound and Down - it just gets better and better, right up my street very very funny.

Just after Christmas I lent my Ma and Pa my Wii as I used it little and they fancied getting one, I feared they would never use it. I now get the odd phone call or late night MSN message to state they have beaten this score or that - I believe the only high score I have left is Frisbee. My Ma is now a 240 average bowler, my old chap has done all 3 courses at 8 under on the golf, not bad for a 65+ year old couple. This weekend they even had a Wii party with other like minded couples, how things change.

Edit

2011-02-13T08:24:00.000-08:00

Normal service resumed - FUCK SUNDAYS

That is all.

Shock horror, a good week

2011-02-13T02:52:00.000-08:00

So the Mrs returned yesterday, looking bronzed and relaxed. She had a fine time, and we may well head to Gambia for a weeks break in March. Good to have her back, but I do suspect my better week is related to having the lack of distractions about the house :)

MTT's saw a return of $350 ish maybe $200 profit, but the main stay this week has been Cash. Playing with HEM and grinding sessions when work load allowed.

3700 hands for $300 profit is not too bad at .25/50 and .50/$1, admittedly not setting the world on fire, but it has been some time since I played and Cash and I am enjoying the learning process again and obviously HEM helps. It seems most days I find a new little gem hidden in the options, although there are still lots of bits and pieces I would like to be able to do with the programme.

The standard is not that high at .50/$1 have come cross the odd tricky player, and playing 6 handed I struggle most against the real loose players, but in the end they seem to do their stacks, just not always to me. Obviously I have some brain fades every now and again as the downswing from hands 750 to 1800 show, but that was all in one session when I was tired and watching TV (30 Rock is back wooohooo).

If I keep this new found love of cash going I am going need someone to discuss situations with as my usual poker circle are all MTT grinders.

Away from the tables, I did get to see True Grit this week, and what a film it is, very straight for a Coen brothers piece but it is in the usual style. Amazing scene setting, the quirky background characters and some special leading roles. It is right up my street.

The diet continues, this week has been the hardest so far, still not failed but didn't enjoy it much, so am looking to change up the staple meals a little this week. I have now lost about 36lbs and am under the first target, lots and lots to go though, and with a drinking session planned for Thursday and or Friday will be interesting to see how we recover next weekend.

This week, Arsenal vs Barca, Jerry Sadowitz on Thursday and Friday off before going to see the mighty Beardyman, at last gig season begins.

Right Mrs is at work so time to hit the tables.

Not a good day

2011-02-08T01:19:00.000-08:00

Its broken record time - I am such a twat. Played the £2 sat to the £40 sat on Stars for this weekend's UKIPT @ DtD. Won the £2 sat without much drama and the £40 sat started immediately after, It generated 10 seats and £109 for 11th and 12th and £13 for ummm 13th.

Now I know you all know where this is going, but I need to type it out to cleanse my soul. 4th break and I have 12 BB and am BB first hand back. I think there were 15 left at this point. The King and another King are like a present from "God" or Lee Jones or whoever. The shove by matey with 10,2 is like turning up for a blind date and seeing Angelina Jolie waiting for you. Amazingly I held. Two hands later and I shove over a raise with AK and matey finds a fold. So we are now 4th with 12 left its almost 1am and I should just turn the laptop off and when I wake in the morning there will be an email from Stars asking which day I want as Day 1 - happy days.

Instead, convinced that I am safe with my 40BB stack I donk off in the space of 4 hands. I can't even remember what they were, one was the monstrous A7 off played out of position against the chip leader, why do I do these things? Don't all shout it at once.

Now with Caz coming back from Gambia on Saturday, and tickets for a show booked having not seen her for a week, some might think this donk off was prudent. However the Mrs is always supportive of me playing live and she would of been very happy with a weekend in Nottingham. Sigh!!!

While this was going on I was also playing the $11 40K GTD 6000+ runners and I managed about 150th ish (for some reason its not on OPR yet, probably not finished) but it was actually a standard exit JJ into QQ blind on blind, but another deep run. My record in 2000+ runners comps is getting a bit silly now, I have to win one sooner or later.

I have to do a post soon about the difference between Stars and Tilt, or more precisely the way I play them differently - HEM shows that I play both sites differently basically I play badly on Tilt, this is not a conscious thing at all, but it is something I need to address asap.

The bad day was compounded by loads of work grief - a new costings and standards project that is going to ruin my life for 6 months or more and ultimately end up with more software design, more scripting and woe of woe's writing another Test Plan, CRP etc I am in test plan, CRP mode at the moment and I would be happy never to do another as long as I live, its just not me. Not good news.

Then Car - work have signed a contract with a lease company that cannot deliver my choice of car for at least 25 weeks and is likely to be even longer - I am leaning towards taking the cash for car option and buying something myself, but I really do. I had my heart set on the Scirocco but alas it seems that is less likely day by day.

Yesterday was also the anniversary of Sam's death, and spending the evening on my own was really hard, then Caz phoned and was obviously upset, this did not help my mood at all, and was difficult knowing she was in Africa alone and probably feeling 10 times worse then me - I am usually very good at remembering the good times, but it was very hard to have a positive day yesterday. I then had a row with my Mum, because of all things I got offended that she wanted to buy me a gift for Valentines Day - she was just trying to be nice, I was having a bad day and told her I thought it was weird. Just bad timing, I phoned back and apologised, I must try to treat my parents better.

Today the world seems a better place, the sun is shining and the sky is blue, if I can get some sleep tonight I am sure tomorrow will seem even better.

10 Days until gig season begins, Jerry Sadowitz, Beardyman, The Streets, The View, Levellers and then a holiday all in the next six weeks - see life is good, sometimes its just difficult to remember how good.

I just can't finish it off.

2011-02-07T01:39:00.000-08:00

With the Mrs away sunning herself for a week I had the perfect opportunity to have a weekend of excess and debortiary.

Alas my diet and new temporary lifestyle changes (30lb lost now) left me with just a weekend of poker and football and what a weekend it turned out to be.

My mate Dave came over on Friday to keep me company, try my diet cooking and grind his 45 mans for 2 days.

For me it was a tale of two sites, one good one bad. On PokerStars Friday saw 17 blanks where to be honest I didn't get close, for the second week running the $11 Hyper Turbo Heads Up saved me when I managed 8th for $161, and again I was so far ahead pre flop A9 vs J9, I was gutted to see that rivered J.

12 comps on Tilt saw only one cash in the $26 19.5K GTD, when I finished 22nd for $90. The daily double B was the worst when sitting 3rd with 180 left the chip leader outdrew my aces with 78 blue, was gutted.

Saturday was a day of hope, and alas Full Tilt just destroyed me all day. 11 comps, 1 min cash and beat after beat. Do I play a different style on Full Tilt? More on that next post.

Stars a different story, 23 comps was supposed to be a morning and evening session but it blended into one. The 13:00 $11 Rebuy was the comp that split the sessions, I honestly don't think I have ever cashed in this before and with 60 ish left I had a good stack and was playing well until I spewed off with 10J black out of position when I had no reason to get involved - what a twat.

About the same time I was 2/12 in the $8 500 Cap and I think my poor performance in the $11 R spoilt what should have been a fine performance, I blinded myself away and finished 6th for $170 bucks. Simply an awful performance in the end.

The next set of entertainment was provided by the 21:00 $11 Rebuy when again I smashed my way through a field of 3000+ to the top 60 odd, and again I managed to play too few hands didn't find a 3 bet and was generally far to passive. I call off my last 6 BB with J rag for another $185. With 15K up top this was a wasted opportunity of the highest order.

Sunday just the 9 comps on Stars as I had to do a few hours work so just a small session. The only cash was the $8 Rebuy - 50BB when the bubble burst and determined not to fall into the passive trap of Saturday I then proceeded to donk off in spectacular fashion, playing spots that I should have left alone - what a twat.

While watching the Superbowl (what a game!) I decided to play a couple of tables of .50/$1 six max. I ran so well, hitting a Royal (making a donk call to get there) and then a straight flush to 10 against the same guy - he was not happy. 500 hands across 2 tables for $200 profit.

I have started using Holdem Manager (Thanks Boo)and in the small samples I have some interesting points to discuss already. I guess my life will be wasted this week trawling through 2+2 trying to learn how to set the thing up properly, and what my stats should be for 6 max cash and if it can be any help for tourneys.

All in all a fun weekend, but I have to find some run good on Tilt asap. I am playing well apart from the last 10% of comps, I think it used to be my strongest part of my game - now I seem to be able to compile stacks but just can't convert - one day I might be able to do both.

A quick mention for Slim - how good do you run in Sats, alas I didn't make the UKIPT to keep you company, please win it all.

Deadline Day and Cash

2011-02-01T02:42:00.000-08:00

Good to see Mr Wenger did what 99% of Gooners wanted and bought a CB. Hey I would have bought 2, Samba and Cahill. You have to think they would offer the stability Arsenal desperately require at the back, not to mention some leadership.

The general level of the Premiership is far below what it has been in recent seasons, Arsenal could win the title with what is essentially a poor side, lets be honest it looks like United will. However Mr Wenger sees fit to hold onto the money for a rainy day.

Now I appreciate what he has and is doing and I can understand not dipping into the crazy January market but I just feel with City, Chelsea and even Liverpool splashing the cash it is going to be much more difficult to win in years to come - a wasted chance this season.

I have to say I like Liverpools front line now, and I think they will both go on (discipline matters allowing) to become great players with brilliant records. If ever two players are suited to each other it is these two. £35 Million? time will tell I guess. I do find it confusing that you would buy Carroll when you don't have a winger? Still a lot of work to do at Liverpool as the rest of the side are very poor.

My favourite stat of the Day

Torres: £50m

Carroll: £35m

Szczesny
Clichy
Djourou
Vermaelen
Sagna
Fabregas
Song
Wilshere
Nasri
Van Persie
Walcott
-----------
£44m

Puts yesterdays spending into perspective - In Wenger we trust.

After my cash on Friday and another small Final Table on Tilt on Sunday, I have been mostly been playing short cash sessions on Stars. Time has been short so it seems like a good solution. I have run very well in all honesty and found some real bad players which is always nice.

Work have given me a new laptop so I can play with that for the next few days, got a big screen so it might be better for grinding then my personal one.

Mrs goes on Holiday late Thursday night so I get a huge week of the pokerz, guilt free. Please for once let me run like the sun.

Car Update - All ordered, I just wait for a delivery date, I fear it will be in region of 12-16 weeks but I should know before Friday. I want it NOW!!!!

Tough week, good going and the lucky IP

2011-01-29T15:40:00.000-08:00

So Monday was that day of the year, the day reserved for Sam and Jake. After almost 10 years the run up to the day is always more painful then the day itself, Sam would have been 25 on Monday, a bizarre thought. I miss him more then you can imagine, and I know his sister still loves him as much today as the day he died. RIP my friend.

For Jake the pain is still a little real if that makes sense, and I worry about his Dad every day, but then I have always worried about Fran. I saw him today, and we discussed finishing writing his "book" its the first time he has mentioned it since Jake was lost and to be honest it was possibly the best of Fran I have seen in 2 years, a happy day.

Aside from that I am starting to win some of my own personal battles, no dope for 28 days, my longest period of abstinence in almost 20 years. I have not drunk an alcoholic beverage in the same time period, again I would think my longest ever abstention, and have not touched a crisp, bacon, cake, chocolate or a takeaway and have lost a quite amazing 24 lbs in a month. Now this is a fine effort and I know not that sustainable at the same rate, but I am actually enjoying the diet. To be honest I feel better then I can remember in a long time, my energy levels are up, so much so I played badminton on Thursday. My performance was not amazing but I had a great laugh, 6 weeks ago I would never have considered playing anything. Any way a very long way to go but we are fighting the good fight.

So this weekend was a simple plan, a trip to Slim's Friday, Breakfast at my parents Sat followed by lunch with Caz's parents and then DtD for the Super 50. Alas Caz's parents put back our lunch date past the departure time, so again GG DtD - when will I see you again? As I write this Slim has been knocked out in 61st place "ran into aces".

Friday night it was some "Street Pong" at Slims followed by a grind. Why is the Tilt schedule so poor post 9pm for under $30 MTT's? I played a small $8 comp and finalled coming 8th. I played a bigger session on Stars and got some stacks going. Ultimately it all came to nothing, but I played some dam fine poker, running bad in some key spots.

10 mins before kick off Slim told me to get in the Hyper Turbo HU shootout, 6 or so games later I was in the final playing for $1200 vs $650. The hand in the final was the furthest ahead I had been in any hand in the whole comp, but sadly I didn't hold but the $650 is sweet all the same and gives me some grinding $$$$$

What is it about playing at Slims, honestly I play so well when I am there? if I don't win he does, it is a sick IP address. MBN to live there ;)

Now its getting silly.

2011-01-23T11:58:00.000-08:00

Had a better Friday and Saturday on the tables from the respect I had some good deep runs, but failed to convert from some good positions for a big score, but actually ended in profit for the first time in a while. All reasonably standard stuff when the dust settled and feeling much better about my game.

Then Sunday arrived, played a big session on full tilt and the place just takes the piss out of me on a Sunday. I could post 7 or more crazy beats, but no one cares and I know shouldn't, but its 3 weeks running. I am glad I won't be able to play next weekend.

I am off to watch the NFL playoffs - Bears and Steelers to get out of jail. But it is Sunday so expect the Jets and Packers to be in the Superbowl.

WBCOOP

2011-01-20T12:20:00.000-08:00

I have registered to play in the PokerStars World Blogger Championship of Online Poker! The WBCOOP is a free online Poker tournament open to all Bloggers, so register on WBCOOP to play.

Registration code: XXXXXX 365512

Radio and Football

2011-01-17T12:31:00.001-08:00

Football on the radio is very important to me. I grew up listening to Radio 2 (as it was then) commentary's. I remember and still get in truth a thrill when you hear the Sports report music on a Saturday afternoon. Sky is quite a new thing for me so the radio has always been my insight into the football world.

Now over the last year I have found I have listened to more Talk Sport, I have not deserted Radio 5 completely, and admit that the addition of Robbie Savage to the line up has been a huge boost. However Alan Greene, Lawrenceson and Waddle have driven me further to Talk Sport, I have even got used to the adverts. I was amazed when Mark Saggers left 5 for Talk Sport to be replaced by Chappers, FFS BBC what are you doing?

But enough is enough, Stan Collymore destroys radio. He is the most egotistical individual in radio. His glorious career at Liverpool and Villa where he won 14 or was 24 trophies and scored hundred or thousands of goals allows him to pass judgement over all things football. If you disagree, he shouts until you do.

He has been in every situation. He talks down to people with years of journalistic or professional experience because they never played the game. He contradicts himself so often (Villa need a goalscorer last week, but this week should spend the 19mill outlined for Bent on 3 young players), he makes comments for and on behalf of all sorts of people, today talking for Martin O'Neil in regards as to why he left Villa after spending weeks stating he does not know why he left Villa.

Now not enough that he shouts all over other pundits, ex players and callers on Talk Sport, if I decide to listen to Radio 5 I can hear Stan fucking shouting in the background as he is obviously in the same commentary box.

Talk Sport will never break the Radio 5 dominance while he remains.

Funny old game

2011-01-17T11:38:00.000-08:00

At 14:30 on Sunday afternoon I was about as dejected with poker as I have ever been. I had played a session Friday, a big session on Saturday and started a Sunday session. I had played 25+ comps on Stars with 1 min cash and 15+ comps on Tilt with 1 min cash over that time.

Now I know I moaned last week about my quality of play, but I feel I have tightened up where required, was making better moves at better times only to get smashed in the face with some run bad. Not beats as such, just one of those days that seems to have lasted 3 days as it were.

My min cash on Stars came in the $7.50 Turbo that starts about 23:00, and it was just typical of the time I was having, my exit hand was KK into AA in the blinds when 5th in chips against the chip leader - standard.

Similar story for my min cash on Tilt. Sunday I should not have played in reality, I was tired after a late night session while watching the NFL games. The Mrs and I had started the day with a row about nothing, which resulted in her sulking upstairs watching fucking Prisoner Cell Block H (long story), so I was left with Sky and a laptop, well whats a man to do? Football and Poker weeeeeeee.

I started playing about midday and by 16:00 had busted all my comps apart from the Super Stack on tilt that started at 14:30. So one tabling dreaming of my grilled chicken and brown rice (FML) this happened;

Full Tilt Poker Game #27325818270: Super Stack $10K Guarantee (212120630), Table 46 - 60/120 - No Limit Hold'em - 16:15:05 WET - 2011/01/16 [11:15:05 ET - 2011/01/16]
Seat 1: alexptirl (7,090)
Seat 2: 4thfloorliving (17,760)
Seat 3: POKERPRINCESS42 (3,945)
Seat 4: 90mustang five0 (16,930)
Seat 5: TincaTinca (12,145)
Seat 6: BligSlick78 (1,965)
Seat 7: labrocks (8,320)
Seat 8: Lakaveli (5,699)
Seat 9: kingericthe7th (13,396)
alexptirl posts the small blind of 60
4thfloorliving posts the big blind of 120
The button is in seat #9
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to TincaTinca [Ac Kh]
POKERPRINCESS42 folds
90mustang five0 folds
TincaTinca raises to 360
BligSlick78 has 15 seconds left to act
BligSlick78 folds
labrocks folds
Lakaveli folds
kingericthe7th folds
alexptirl calls 300
4thfloorliving folds
*** FLOP *** [2s As 5h]
alexptirl bets 840
TincaTinca raises to 2,040
alexptirl raises to 6,730, and is all in
TincaTinca calls 4,690
alexptirl shows [4c 3s]
TincaTinca shows [Ac Kh]
*** TURN *** [2s As 5h] [7h]
*** RIVER *** [2s As 5h 7h] [9h]
alexptirl shows a straight, Five high
TincaTinca shows a pair of Aces
alexptirl wins the pot (14,300) with a straight, Five high
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 14,300 | Rake 0
Board: [2s As 5h 7h 9h]
Seat 1: alexptirl (small blind) showed [4c 3s] and won (14,300) with a straight, Five high
Seat 2: 4thfloorliving (big blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 3: POKERPRINCESS42 didn't bet (folded)
Seat 4: 90mustang five0 didn't bet (folded)
Seat 5: TincaTinca showed [Ac Kh] and lost with a pair of Aces
Seat 6: BligSlick78 didn't bet (folded)
Seat 7: labrocks didn't bet (folded)
Seat 8: Lakaveli didn't bet (folded)
Seat 9: kingericthe7th (button) didn't bet (folded)

I was apoplectic. I don't think I have ever been so down over poker - Slim phoned me to say he had set up some Stars Home Games and commented how down I sounded. I was knackered and dejected. I could not believe alexptirl was in the hand let alone flopped the world - it seemed like the final straw.

Slim and I don't discuss beats as such, passing remark is about it, "It's Quads day" or "Losing to one pip all day" etc but that's about it. What Slim does well for me is helping me believe in myself and helping me remember that I can play the game. So we played a little Home game PLO and he bashed me up as usual, and we played a HU SNG and I returned the favour even though he made the game PLO/NLH to try and keep his advantage ;)

At 18:00 I was cooking a meal while one tabling, shouting at that scrote of a United right back on the TV and settled in for an evening of NFL again. I could feel the mood lifting and was starting to enjoy the Super Stack. I have never played a comp with such a crazy structure and looking back it was perfect for what I needed. One tabling for the win, paying attention to oppo's helps it seems :) I picked off some bluffs and my marginal calls were all at the right times, it was turning round.

Long story (very long and no its not the perfect end to the story) I crashed in 18th at about 22:00 with the hand below;

Full Tilt Poker Game #27336327014: Super Stack $10K Guarantee (212120630), Table 1 - 6000/12000 Ante 1500 - No Limit Hold'em - 21:54:42 WET - 2011/01/16 [16:54:42 ET - 2011/01/16]
Seat 1: AquaeSulis (282,976)
Seat 2: ISMOOKING (459,238)
Seat 3: TincaTinca (395,522)
Seat 5: Seby95 (244,519)
Seat 6: SIggI011108 (436,924)
Seat 7: labrocks (1,275,921)
Seat 9: semi_deja_vu (412,698)
AquaeSulis antes 1,500
ISMOOKING antes 1,500
TincaTinca antes 1,500
Seby95 antes 1,500
SIggI011108 antes 1,500
labrocks antes 1,500
semi_deja_vu antes 1,500
Seby95 posts the small blind of 6,000
SIggI011108 posts the big blind of 12,000
The button is in seat #3
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to TincaTinca [Ad Qd]
labrocks folds
semi_deja_vu folds
AquaeSulis folds
ISMOOKING folds
TincaTinca raises to 27,500
Seby95 folds
SIggI011108 has 15 seconds left to act
SIggI011108 raises to 108,000
TincaTinca calls 80,500
*** FLOP *** [7d 9d 7s]
SIggI011108 has 15 seconds left to act
SIggI011108 bets 120,000
TincaTinca raises to 286,022, and is all in
SIggI011108 calls 166,022
TincaTinca shows [Ad Qd]
SIggI011108 shows [6s 6d]
*** TURN *** [7d 9d 7s] [Kc]
*** RIVER *** [7d 9d 7s Kc] [8c]
TincaTinca shows a pair of Sevens
SIggI011108 shows two pair, Sevens and Sixes
SIggI011108 wins the pot (804,544) with two pair, Sevens and Sixes
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 804,544 | Rake 0
Board: [7d 9d 7s Kc 8c]
Seat 1: AquaeSulis folded before the Flop
Seat 2: ISMOOKING folded before the Flop
Seat 3: TincaTinca (button) showed [Ad Qd] and lost with a pair of Sevens
Seat 5: Seby95 (small blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 6: SIggI011108 (big blind) showed [6s 6d] and won (804,544) with two pair, Sevens and Sixes
Seat 7: labrocks folded before the Flop
Seat 9: semi_deja_vu folded before the Flop

Although disapointed and second guessing myself, should I have played the hand differently? two people who's game I respect contacted to say they (separatley) had been watching the last couple of hours of the comp and wanted to let me know that I was a) Mad for playing such a comp and b) had played it well.

I have just been through the hand history's and I played well, I didn't miss any obvious spots and think I got the balance between patience and stealing about right. Even though not a win I can't explain how much better I feel today compared with yesterday. Its a funny old game that even with what is essentially a loss it can make you feel better.

There is still long way to go, and I have a lot to do to rebuild my game and my roll, but at least I am looking forward to the next time I play.

Norwich vs Cardiff 15/01/11

2011-01-15T11:50:00.000-08:00

Just got back from the Norwich vs Cardiff game, thanks to Ali for the ticket.

Have to say it was quite a game, Cardiff managed to get a good early goal from Parkin, when the ball dropped to him just outside the box and he lashed it into the corner on about 10 minutes.

Norwich then proceeded to dominate possession, and threatened to "do an Arsenal" by playing in front of the Cardiff double bank of 4 with little penetration and one to many passes at key times. There was no space at all between the Cardiff back 4 and the midfield and Norwich just could not find that killer ball. Chris Martin and Grant Holt struggling to find any clear chances in the box.

Holt did have a penalty turned down in the first half(replays at half time showed he was taken down, but I fear going down easily over recent weeks has led Holt to be viewed as "one of those players"). The very gifted Lansbury seemed to play further forward then in recent games at the head of the diamond, and the Cardiff bank of eight kept him very quiet. (Talk was that Lansbury has signed for the season, if so it is a huge boost as he is obviously quality).

As the game moved on the Cardiff double bank fell deeper and deeper towards its own goal, as Norwich dominated every facet of the game. Cardiff's only out was a long diagonal ball to the left wing for Bellamy to chase. However Man of the Match Russell Martin coped easily with Bellamy, the ease with which he coped is testament to how good Martin is. The locals at the start of the season were worried about Martin's quality seeing him as a first division player, but he has grown week by week, and although a truly modern full back full of running, he has some real steel in the tackle and appears to have great positional sense.

It was only fitting that in the 89th minute it was R.Martin who popped up on the byline to squeeze a shot through a packed area and goal line to set up a 5 minute siege in injury time. The goal was at my end but on the far side, and I am not sure how Martin managed to find a finish, in real time from my vantage point it seemed an impossible angle.

Alas the five minutes of injury time did not produce the deserved winner for Norwich. Cardiff were probably victims of such an early goal and looked to hold what they had, they were very disciplined in all area's of the pitch, and held Norwich 25 yards out for most of the game. With Parkin, Chopra, Bellamy, Whittingham and that huge unit from Wolves (Olafajarna sp?) and others they have some real quality running through the side.

The final word goes to the ref - how do these blokes continue to officiate at this level? today's ref was so pedantic. Every free kick and throw the taker was moved 2 yards this way or that, every foul was greeted with a quick word, he left nobody in any doubt that he was the most important person on the pitch. Obvious decisions were missed for both sides, and the home team did not get a decision until Holts pen was turned down at the end of the first half, after that he was at least even in the decisions he gave. If it had not been two such good sides on display the ref would have ruined the game, I fear he will ruin many more games this season.

I am still not sure that Norwich have the arsenal to force automatic promotion, and to be honest I am not certain the club want it this season, but there is no doubt that Lambert is building something quite special. The style of play and the players on show make a Norwich game a fantastic afternoon of entertainment.

LAMB !!!!!!

2011-01-13T05:45:00.001-08:00

OMG, I say OMG.

The mighty Lamb have announced two gigs for May.

5th in Manchester and 6th in London. Now do I go to both?

Its amazing, but sadly I will be the only person I know that will be remotely interested in this, but still its an excellent day in my world.

Woe is poker

2011-01-11T06:00:00.000-08:00

I am playing sooooooo badly currently. I am aware this is not run bad, it is not variance, I am making bad decisions in various spots, not just those pressure spots that make a difference in an MTT.

After reviewing my most recent play, my hand ranges have become massive pre flop, I am showing a blatant disregard for positional play, I am showing little or no respect for opponents play and I am generally getting my chips in bad.

I never believe anybody has a hand, and I am calling off when I know I am beat. The question that needs to be answered is why? At least 3 times a night I am actually saying "I know you have XX" and surprise, surprise when I press call they have the 2 cards I thought - I get it right so often I could be Darren Brown.

On Stars I am playing a little lower then I have of late and with it has come a new found lack of respect for my opponents, I really wanted to play with some BRM this year and not keep withdrawing and reloading as and when I need.

No more excuses its time to knuckle down - so its back to 6 tables max, no more then 2 sites at a time and sort this out. Patience, Discipline and BRM, poker is that easy, sometimes we forget that :)

Woe less.
My factory reset of the laptop as I mentioned lost me some links etc so I have been rediscovering some old classics;

The best "pop" video ever?

Not Jazz Flute, but its good.

Jenny Eclair @Norwich Playhouse 09/01/11

2011-01-10T05:46:00.000-08:00

First of all sorry to all my loyal readers (1 person it seems) for letting me know that my blog had been locked to invite only, have no idea how that happened, well at least I have no memory of ticking the box to change it to invite only, but we are back live and direct.

New year lifestyle revamp is going well, lost half a stone in the first week, won't be publishing weights just yet as it bloody embarrassing but the 3 meals a day, no snacks (I would imagine that Walkers Crisps have noticed the drop in volume sold already) no alcohol is going very well so far. I even did some exercise over the weekend, well I went for a couple of walks, its a start.

Most importantly I am still feeling positive and am very determined to make this a success, but don't worry this blog might be shit but it will not turn into a log of my eating habits. The pains of trying to give up smoking you might have to put up with though.

So last night I went with the good lady to see Jenny Eclair at the Norwich Playhouse, now these tickets were booked long before her I'm a celebrity success, and I was a little afraid her stand up would suffer for lots of jungle related story's. However I am pleased to report there was zero jungle content.

I first saw Jenny doing stand up maybe 10 years ago, when she was doing a very in vogue "Anti Male" show, her delivery was always good and the show was funny. Now the show has changed and she is trying to do something very few comics pull off - she is trying to appeal to a specific audience. Perhaps only Roy Chubby Brown pulls this off in British comedy, aiming at 16 - 40 year old drunk males. Jenny Eclair seems to positioning herself as the spokeswoman for the 40 - 70 year old woman (most of whom were drunk, quite a sight).

The set although very funny and brilliantly delivered actually contained specific material for that demographic. Gags about Paruna (ask your Mum), HRT, The Change, Sex for the over 50's, anti football etc etc were all bang on. Her Radio 4 appearances seem to bring a certain "type" of person, some seemed outraged by her use of the C and F bombs - but Jenny took the time to explain why she used them, and indeed why she was allowed to use them and after that the audience got into the show.

Jenny's descriptive prose is excellent and sometimes a little too graphic, giving you slightly too much vision in the minds eye, but her timing and gag rate is up there with any comic.

I came away glad that I had attended and with the feeling I had seen something very special to be honest, and I felt a little like I was hiding at the back of the room watching something I should not have seen or was not invited too. I suppose because I was not target audience, didn't get some of the handbag, tampon, Paruna gags to walk away feeling like I had just laughed constantly for 90 minutes was a testament to the fact I had a excellent night.

If you want a good night out, go see Jenny Eclair on tour, if you want a great night out take your Mum and she can explain some of the gags for you.

Fck Arsenal and Fck Poker

2011-01-06T04:16:00.000-08:00

Sat at home and watched the Arsenal game last night - the first 15 minutes were everything I dreamed the Emirates would be. A fantastic atmosphere, a team that entertained or even dazzled. The team and supporters seemed to energise each other, exactly how it should be.

After 15 minutes both players and supporters it seemed to start to lose a little faith, and even though the mighty went on to dominate the rest of the game, you kind of knew they were not going to score.

The title looks more and more certain to be United's, and I have to say whoever wins it will be the worst team possibly to ever win the premiership. I will use my "one time", please don't let United go through the season unbeaten, that I could not cope with.

Poker has been a nightmare since new year. I am struggling to concentrate, struggling to feel comfortable in my environment when playing. I seem to have no feel for the game. My light raises are getting picked, my big hands find bigger hands and I am making some awful bluffs. Now bluffs are only awful when they are picked, and they seem to be getting picked every time. Not only that everyone folds when I have a good hand - I even flatted AA in first position last night on Stars, on a super aggro table expecting a raise, can you believe the BB folded pre flop. FFS.

I have even tried Sky Poker "Where the fish are fish" and even though the standard and style of play are noticeably different to say Stars and Tilt, I still can't get going. In fact I am not sure playing MTT's on Sky would be good for you if you play your majority of poker elsewhere. The play seems very passive, and then when in the last 20%, people call off with any suited cards that add upto 19 or more.

I quite like the software, but no Sync breaks, all 6 handed comps and the low traffic figures I cannot see I will add Sky to my nightly regime - also raked rebuys, why? I can see Sky being a short session or cash site, but at this time that's about it.

Aside from all that got my separates set up, and am well chuffed, will need a set of wireless headphones asap, and the Mrs wants something new to put them on.
Managed to get a ticket for the Friday of the Trent Bridge test vs India in July weeeeeeee.

The diet is going well 2 days in, sticking to the 3 meal regime, have not snacked and have had no crisps or alcohol which at this stage is the important things to avoid. Got a couple of good walking routes planned for Saturday and Sunday so we are still positive steps forward.

Positivity is easy currently, just say to yourself "it could be worse, I could be a Liverpool fan".

Factory Reset V2.1

2011-01-03T11:49:00.000-08:00

Is saying happy New Year now wrong? Well tough, Happy Bloody New Year, and I hope you all have a fine 2011.

Christmas and New Year have been kind to me, had lots of time off work, saw my parents and friends and managed to spend some time with the wonderful Mrs Tinca as she had her first Christmas off for 5 years.

So the Factory Reset of the lap top was brilliant, should have been more thorough in the files I saved beforehand, I got a little too excited with my new external hard drive and a little too frustrated with my slow laptop - Laptop is an Acer and its E-recovery system was very simple to use. My only bug with the whole process was as it is a Vista machine, it has taken forever to download all the Windows updates I was behind, and in turn have had to wait to be able to download MSN messenger get skyplayer to work etc, but finally we seem to have everything we require.

Through Jan I am embarking on the mammoth task of cataloguing my music collection. A friend has recently lost his and his insurance claim has been helped by meticulous records and photographs of what he owned. I have no idea how many CD's I have (circa 2000 at a guess) as well as loads of vinyl and old tapes. After losing a fine Sony stereo to stereo heaven I have gone back to separates (new amp should arrive today, weeeeeeeeeee) so it is a good time to sort the music collection out.

However it is like cleaning out a set of draws or the garage, in that you keep finding stuff you forgot about. So far a re-listen to All is Dream by Mercury Rev, some old Velvet Underground Bootlegs and the Remastered Autobahn have all been pleasant distractions, Mrs Tinca finding Listen without Prejudice wasn't so much. Sadly you do seem to lose CD's all the time any one got my copy of Body count by Ice-T, or Up the Bracket by The Libertines please return them, having said that not been through all the hiding places yet so still a little hope of finding them - finding IOU's signed by Marcus dated 15 years ago in some tape packs was funny. It seems you owe me Marney, it does not state what, just that you owe me.

Next is a Factory Reset for myself - in my glimpse forward post prior to Christmas, I said "Alternatively it could be another year enjoyed as a Two Income, no Kids household wasted in the bottom of a rum bottle, who knows".
4 Bottles of Rum I got for Christmas, 1 Scotch, 1 Bourbon and some Gentleman Jack (which is amazing stuff) it did seem like the gods are conspiring against me. So from today, no drink until Saddowitz mid Feb (then just for a day as I have friends over), no dope, no crisps, no snacks 1 walk and 3 meals a day. To be honest if I can achieve that the weight should drop off and I can work towards the other half of the yearly goal, giving up smoking.

I am determined, motivated and have a need to do this. My motivation is two pronged, I want to be able to walk Glastonbury pain free and full of breath for 5 days in the summer, the other motivator is death. No more illusions I was 36 on the 2nd of Jan, I have smoked for 21 years, and smoked dope everyday give or take for 19 years - it is time for things to change, it is time for me to think about the future, even if it is scary. I do love my life and my lifestyle, but it has to change otherwise there will be no life.

Lots of things are about to change, including this blog. I am going to use it to document this lifestyle change, it will still contain some Music and Poker (as they will be my only distractions) but its important to myself that I do this and as so few people I actually know read this I am hoping I can speak my mind, through what are going to be some hard times.

Have also joined Twitter @thetincatinca have no idea if I like it, or if I will use it regularly but we can try see what happens.

Right apparently its important to have things to look forward to, first 3 months look like this so far;

8th Jan - Jenny EcClair
15th Jan - Tuggers Poker Home game.
22nd Jan - Grand Prix DtD
11th Feb - UKIPT DtD ???????
12th Feb - Hairspray Theatre Royal (Fuck my entire life, the things you do for Love)
17th Feb - Jerry Saddowitz Playhouse
18th Feb - Beardyman UEA
28th Feb - The Streets UEA
16th Mar - Levellers play Levelling the Land UEA

Agggghhhhhhhhh

2010-12-29T16:29:00.000-08:00

So got a nice external hard drive for Xmas, and have used this evening to transfer all the chit off the laptop and do a complete factory reset. Was having some massive registry issues and had no choice.

Have now set the laptop up, downloaded Stars, Tilt, Dtd etc moved my bookmarks back and all is good with the world.

And then, while waiting for some menu, install, uninstall or something, one thought flutters through my head for the first time - Player Notes.

What an absolute disaster, this is worse then Wigan's second goal, worse then my wonderful mother beat my Wii bowling high score. What a twat.

Glance Forward

2010-12-21T03:19:00.000-08:00

So another year moves towards its climax and if this snow and ice continues it will be a very slow crawl, it was -10.5°c on the way to work today.

With the cancellation of most of the football and the awful performance in the cricket, the weekend was a slow burner. If you get the chance try and find Boycott and Aggers close of play podcast from Day 5 of the 3rd test - Stuart Broad is in the studio with them and Geoffrey lets fly, brilliant radio.

I was full of cold at the weekend, and played some poker through the pain barrier, played too many tables, for too long and lost. Thankfully a PLO/NLH cash session Sunday night got me out of a hole (and no I was not chasing, it was all I could play in the time available, my Mrs needs to learn to drive).

Slim has already qualified for the UKIPT @ DtD in February, so I need to pull my finger out and have a decent crack and qualification for that - also a possible visit planned for the £100 Grand Prix in January, reading the DtD updates on Blonde Poker makes you realise that you just don't ever visit that place enough.

Next Year, well it could be the biggest of my life, with Marriage, Baby's, moving, diets and exercise, a return to Vegas all having to be seriously considered. Now Mrs Kor and I are good at consideration but the clock ticking is getting louder for us both. Alternatively it could be another year enjoyed as a Two Income, no Kids household wasted in the bottom of a rum bottle, who knows.

Next year looks good on the gig front, with Download and Glasto tickets(will this be my last, or at least break the run of attendance?)in the bag as well as a trip to The Specials booked for 10 months time, another Saddowitz performance a trip to see Jenny Eclair (booked long before she was on Celebrity), The Streets and The Levellers @ UEA and a musical booked to keep the Mrs happy. Anything added in around that lot should build towards a decent year, System of A Down at Download is enough to keep me happy for life anyway.

Work - well its new office time again, and as you can see from the pictures it will quite a drag moving away from the view in the current office. Reading Tony Kendall's blog on the Blonde forum makes you realise how lucky I am to work in the environment that I do - his description of his new office at Sky sounds maddening. 150 people, open plan, TV's, phones etc etc - I doubt I will see anyone at work today, some rabbits maybe a deer through the window.

With the new office comes a view of the car park once again, but new members to the team and a small shift in responsibilities. Two huge projects to complete, one teaching me VB scripts (very slowly, but the system I am building is so smart, if slightly nerdy) and the other trying to sort out the costing and NPD processes of the business - well its better then banging data into systems which is where we were this time 3 years ago.

Well if we don't post again before the weekend Happy Christmas everyone, and I hope all your dreams come true in 2011.

Noble, Waffle

2010-12-06T02:40:00.001-08:00

For Slim, I hang my head in shame after getting my Dogs and Snakes in a muddle, but Grant will get over it.

Norwich rumours abound today that Wes Hoolahan will be off to WBA in a swap deal for loanee Leon Barnett in January, both out of contract in the summer. Although I have never been Wes's number one fan, he will leave a hole, and Lansbury sized hole.

Arsenal top of the lot - Utd and Chelsea both look venerable this season, but Arsenal look so poor at the back I cannot believe they will maintain a decent charge. Man Utd vs Arsenal next Monday will tell us a lot.

Managed some Poker Friday and Saturday, and although I managed some deep runs in the $11 turbo, $11 20K and $5 2+1, ultimately I could not convert - a level session profit wise at least. I feel I am playing very well, I just wish I could find the time to add some real volume.

Last night was Ross Noble @ Theatre Royal in the city. How Mr Noble manages to tour so extensively and appear not to have any script is quite an achievement. No point describing any routines as he is quite off the wall, lurching from topic to topic with little regard for flow or time. His delivery as ever is epic, descriptive powers, comic timing all mixed with a sprinkle of physical comedy still make him one of the most engaging comics in Britain today.

Ross feeds from the crowd, observational or from Q&A, he spins almost any comment into a routine and special mention needs to be made for the Down Syndrome routine, which he handled brilliantly even if the crowd were looking like "Sir Terry had just got his cock out on Children in Need".

All in all, well worth dragging myself out on a Sunday night, and with Arthur Smith tonight it should be a funny start to the week before attention turns to European football.

Bye bye Leslie

2010-11-29T03:22:00.000-08:00

Genius who will be missed - Police Squad was my favourite as a youth, up there with the Young Ones and Porridge for me as the best TV comedy ever.

Airplane - It was the start of so much.

There's no reason to become alarmed, and we hope you'll enjoy the rest of your flight. By the way, is there anyone on board who knows how to fly a plane?

Rumack: Can you fly this plane, and land it?
Ted Striker: Surely you can't be serious.
Rumack: I am serious... and don't call me Shirley.

"City, City, City, City"

2010-11-29T02:19:00.000-08:00

I was lucky enough to get a ticket to the Norwich vs Ipswich game on Sunday. Sitting in the upper river end was a change but the atmosphere around me was as good as any I can remember at a Norwich game.

Obviously to see a 4 - 1 win over the local rivals was a great day. Random thoughts;

Henri Lansbury looked quality, at 20 I am not sure he will get his chance to develop at Arsenal, if I were he I would be jumping at the chance to work with Lambert.

Ipswich fans smashed there end of the ground up apparently - why?

Ipswich looked very poor, the players in the team just not a high enough standard for that division in my opinion, Keane has been there long enough, they should be better.

Lappin - where do you play? have you any positional sense when your team has the ball, the idea is not to take your player to the ball, cramping your team mate's space. Awful player.

Norwich fans - the songs are brilliant, as was the noise you generated you performed as well as the team - did it come across on the Telebox?

"Ron Burgundy" aka Gary Holt was so up for yesterdays game, he was a real inspiration for all his players and loved the celebrations, the 3rd in front of the "Dog Pit" was sweet.

Overall a great day, finished off by a couple of drinks in the Steam Packet, great banter.

The rest of the weekend has been filled with a little poker on Friday - $200 in buyins and $50 in prizes, not what was required. Played a couple of comps late Saturday while watching the cricket - the cricket that was amazing, what a turn around - they didn't go well, pure bubbled the 5r when some joker called pre and on all streets with K10 vs my AK - the board was AKX, turn a Q. . . . . I was cheered up by Ricky Ponting looking so happy on the TV :)

Why was the Karl Froch fight not on TV? - managed to find a stream to go with the BBC commentary and it has to be said he destroyed AA. So into the semi's of the Super Six with a belt once more. Hopefully the next fight will be screened in the UK.

Its true, its true

2010-11-29T02:03:00.000-08:00

So System will indeed be playing Download - that throws Summer plans into chaos but I will not be missing it. They are playing 11 dates around Europe and sadly Rock Am Ring is too early to consider due to the project I am currently running but I will get back there one day, sadly not for System.

The only alternative for a 2nd date is Meltdown in Sweden but that would turn into 3 festivals in 3 weeks and the last one being Glasto - slightly ambitious but its an idea.

Just as I am writing this I receive an email from The Specials website with my priority booking code for their forthcoming tour - 2011 is shaping up to be a musical paradise.

SOAD

2010-11-27T12:00:00.000-08:00

Looks like one is coming off the "Bucket List" - seems System of a Down will be announced as headliners for Download festival on Monday.

Never believed it would happen - feel like a kid at Christmas.

Sunday session

2010-11-21T01:58:00.000-08:00

Sunday 20th November - lets try a live update of sorts.

More to be added as we go I am sure.

Stars
10 x 180
10:00 $33 12.5 GTD
10:15 $8 500cap 4k GTD
10:30 $5.50R 15k GTD
11:05 $3r PLO 6max 500 cap 3k GTD
12:00 $11 10k GTD
12:30 $4 turbo 5K GTD
13:00 $11r 32k GTD
14:00 $5 12k GTD
14:30 $2r 2k |GTD

10:00 - here we go, the housework is done and I am ready for the working week ahead, and the good lady is at work until 8pm. So some time to relax with the poker and a monster session. Repeat of last nights Prizefighter on the old telebox and we are off with the $33 12.5 GTD, one time etc.

Edit 1 - 10:30
Not played a hand in the $33 - doubled in the $8 with JJ vs J9 when he bluff shoved the K river, flop was two reds and he flat called my bets on flop and turn so took it as a busted flush draw and was right. Stars buttons what does everyone have them set on? I am 2.5/pot/max pre flop and 35%/40%/70% maybe the post flop ones need some work - oh here comes the $5 rebuy, and there goes the first buy in A10 vs AQ.

Edit 2 - 11:00
Doubled the $33 with QQ vs AK aipf - flatted a 3x raise on the button, BB shoved, I called, after initial raiser folded. 5.5k in the 8, 4.7 in the 33 and 2.6k in the 5 at break.
The Chou vs Matthews semi in prize fighter was a cracker - the little man grinning showed how much he loved being in that ring.

Edit 3 - 11:55

Some people just give them away . . .

PokerStars Game #53033510564: Tournament #340010197, $30+$3 USD Hold'em No Limit - Level V (75/150) - 2010/11/21 11:21:00 WET [2010/11/21 6:21:00 ET]
Table '340010197 36' 9-max Seat #2 is the button
Seat 1: galfi68 (3150 in chips)
Seat 2: kxaça (7062 in chips)
Seat 3: bliznets26 (8396 in chips)
Seat 4: blugger (1795 in chips)
Seat 5: TheTench (5900 in chips)
Seat 6: tarzan2006 (5285 in chips)
Seat 7: Knipser11570 (3095 in chips)
Seat 8: henry762 (5852 in chips)
Seat 9: flipside88 (5100 in chips)
bliznets26: posts small blind 75
blugger: posts big blind 150
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to TheTench [Ah Kc]
TheTench: raises 300 to 450
tarzan2006: folds
Knipser11570: folds
henry762: calls 450
flipside88: folds
galfi68: folds
kxaça: folds
bliznets26: folds
blugger: folds
*** FLOP *** [4s 5d 4h]
TheTench: bets 600
henry762: calls 600
*** TURN *** [4s 5d 4h] [Ad]
TheTench: checks
henry762: bets 2325
TheTench: raises 2325 to 4650
henry762: calls 2325
*** RIVER *** [4s 5d 4h Ad] [Qd]
TheTench: bets 200 and is all-in
henry762: calls 152 and is all-in
Uncalled bet (48) returned to TheTench
*** SHOW DOWN ***
TheTench: shows [Ah Kc] (two pair, Aces and Fours)
henry762: shows [8s 6s] (a pair of Fours)
TheTench collected 11929 from pot
henry762 finished the tournament in 230th place
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 11929 | Rake 0
Board [4s 5d 4h Ad Qd]
Seat 1: galfi68 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: kxaça (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: bliznets26 (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 4: blugger (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 5: TheTench showed [Ah Kc] and won (11929) with two pair, Aces and Fours
Seat 6: tarzan2006 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 7: Knipser11570 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 8: henry762 showed [8s 6s] and lost with a pair of Fours
Seat 9: flipside88 folded before Flop (didn't bet)

@ Break 12.5k in the $33, 11.8k in the $8, 4.9k in the $5r sadly I bought all of those more then once and 2.5k on the PLO.

Edit 4 - 12:16

Am I actually meant to think I am behind? Just dont see it - he has been aggro we 40 from the money and the table aggression has gone up noticeably in the last couple of rounds.

PokerStars Game #53034876115: Tournament #340010197, $30+$3 USD Hold'em No Limit - Level VIII (150/300) - 2010/11/21 12:11:55 WET [2010/11/21 7:11:55 ET]
Table '340010197 36' 9-max Seat #7 is the button
Seat 1: Bens123 (20180 in chips)
Seat 2: kxaça (7612 in chips)
Seat 3: tboak (16486 in chips)
Seat 4: LingJin123 (15485 in chips)
Seat 5: TheTench (11877 in chips)
Seat 6: Gorge Jung (14865 in chips)
Seat 7: Knipser11570 (31634 in chips)
Seat 8: Wessssh'83 (10380 in chips)
Seat 9: Lochnlode (8296 in chips)
Bens123: posts the ante 25
kxaça: posts the ante 25
tboak: posts the ante 25
LingJin123: posts the ante 25
TheTench: posts the ante 25
Gorge Jung: posts the ante 25
Knipser11570: posts the ante 25
Wessssh'83: posts the ante 25
Lochnlode: posts the ante 25
Wessssh'83: posts small blind 150
Lochnlode: posts big blind 300
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to TheTench [Ks Kd]
Bens123: folds
kxaça: folds
tboak: calls 300
LingJin123: folds
TheTench: raises 900 to 1200
Gorge Jung: folds
Knipser11570: calls 1200
Wessssh'83: calls 1050
Lochnlode: folds
tboak: calls 900
*** FLOP *** [6c 2c 2s]
Wessssh'83: checks
tboak: checks
TheTench: bets 3300
Knipser11570: calls 3300
Wessssh'83: folds
tboak: folds
*** TURN *** [6c 2c 2s] [6d]
TheTench: bets 4770
Knipser11570: raises 4770 to 9540
TheTench: calls 2582 and is all-in
Uncalled bet (2188) returned to Knipser11570
*** RIVER *** [6c 2c 2s 6d] [7h]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
TheTench: shows [Ks Kd] (two pair, Kings and Sixes)
Knipser11570: shows [As 6s] (a full house, Sixes full of Deuces)
Knipser11570 collected 26629 from pot
TheTench finished the tournament in 119th place
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 26629 | Rake 0
Board [6c 2c 2s 6d 7h]
Seat 1: Bens123 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: kxaça folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: tboak folded on the Flop
Seat 4: LingJin123 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: TheTench showed [Ks Kd] and lost with two pair, Kings and Sixes
Seat 6: Gorge Jung folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 7: Knipser11570 (button) showed [As 6s] and won (26629) with a full house, Sixes full of Deuces
Seat 8: Wessssh'83 (small blind) folded on the Flop
Seat 9: Lochnlode (big blind) folded before Flop

Upto 19k in the 5r at least. ahhhhh
and crippled in the $11 freeze Ak vs KK on a AKX flop

Edit 5 - 12:55

Sick hour.

20 from the money - "no heart" was the shout.
Need to work on what I shout for.

PokerStars Game #53036162044: Tournament #331147712, $8.00+$0.80 USD Hold'em No Limit - Level XV (300/600) - 2010/11/21 12:53:51 WET [2010/11/21 7:53:51 ET]
Table '331147712 14' 9-max Seat #6 is the button
Seat 1: Komaklaus (42381 in chips)
Seat 2: Suppa1337 (19083 in chips)
Seat 3: MuKiZi0 (32072 in chips)
Seat 4: TheTench (14068 in chips)
Seat 5: seeteufelxxx (26920 in chips)
Seat 6: The Big Ezzy (27149 in chips)
Seat 7: Dippony (25009 in chips)
Seat 8: LEPILANTELO (41977 in chips)
Seat 9: wbassara2 (16383 in chips)
Komaklaus: posts the ante 70
Suppa1337: posts the ante 70
MuKiZi0: posts the ante 70
TheTench: posts the ante 70
seeteufelxxx: posts the ante 70
The Big Ezzy: posts the ante 70
Dippony: posts the ante 70
LEPILANTELO: posts the ante 70
wbassara2: posts the ante 70
Dippony: posts small blind 300
LEPILANTELO: posts big blind 600
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to TheTench [Qs Qc]
wbassara2: folds
Komaklaus: folds
Suppa1337: raises 705 to 1305
MuKiZi0: calls 1305
TheTench: raises 5445 to 6750
seeteufelxxx: folds
The Big Ezzy: folds
Dippony: folds
LEPILANTELO: folds
Suppa1337: folds
MuKiZi0: raises 10050 to 16800
TheTench: calls 7248 and is all-in
Uncalled bet (2802) returned to MuKiZi0
*** FLOP *** [6s Qh Jh]
*** TURN *** [6s Qh Jh] [9c]
*** RIVER *** [6s Qh Jh 9c] [Ts]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
MuKiZi0: shows [Ah Kh] (a straight, Ten to Ace)
TheTench: shows [Qs Qc] (three of a kind, Queens)
MuKiZi0 collected 30831 from pot
TheTench finished the tournament in 76th place
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 30831 | Rake 0
Board [6s Qh Jh 9c Ts]
Seat 1: Komaklaus folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: Suppa1337 folded before Flop
Seat 3: MuKiZi0 showed [Ah Kh] and won (30831) with a straight, Ten to Ace
Seat 4: TheTench showed [Qs Qc] and lost with three of a kind, Queens
Seat 5: seeteufelxxx folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: The Big Ezzy (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 7: Dippony (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 8: LEPILANTELO (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 9: wbassara2 folded before Flop (didn't bet)

Bust the 3PLO also.

17k in the 5R which is bang on average and a short stack 2.2k in the $4 turbo. Must run better.

Edit 6 - 13:55

The hour of broken concentration as the house becomes a train station due to a crisis at the Mrs place of work - well thats my excuse and I am sticking too it - I have now successfully roasted 3 chickens and cooked a pizza all of which I had to send away in a car - my house smells wonderful, my stomach thinks its throat has been cut and concentration on the tables was not top draw.

2 tables left the 5r - where the bubble has just broken I have 37k and average is 32k. Blinds are 500/1000 - moving hour in this one.

The 11r sadly went from glory to chit. My AJ got rivered on a KQ10 board for a 18k pot, the 10 coming to give KK the house - 2.2k currently.

Oh hello 12k make that 3 tables. Chips in the 5r please.

Edit 7 - 14:55 ish

The 11r has gone, never got any chips and never got a chance to double.
Still in the 5r with 37k - 89 runners left and a average of 75k. Started the hour on a table dominated by 2 x 120k+ stacks and managed to double before a move. Then won a pot with JJ before blinding down to where I am now. The new table is very loose so if I can find a hand I have a chance at a double.

About 2.2k in the 2r and 2.7k in the $5 12k gtd. Still no sign of the 10 x180 I reg'd for some 5+ hours ago.

Do we reg any more ????

Gone 84th in the 5r for $31 - 88 vs JJ AIPF, I got caught shoving over a couple of limpers, as the table nutter finds a hand. Didn't make to many mistakes and another deep run in a 1500+ field as ever, the comma quest continues.

Villa getting beat is a good distraction to not running good enough.

Edit 8 - 16:55 Still here.

Tired hour but 1 table has allowed me to prep tea - Prawns in home made chilli sauce with Onion and Mushroom noodles, ummm - I am the king of cooking while playing poker.

Anyway the 2.20R 2k GTD made a staggering 12k prize pool. Blinds 200/400 and 727 left with 16k average - I have 36k from just finding people bluffing off chips, no actual hands of note post rebuy time.

The 10 x 180 has also arrived with 2 hands played before the break.
Man City show some form at last.

For this hour some run good please and may the prawns deliver.

Edit 9 - 17:15
Sigh Bluffed off 10k with 99 on a QQJ board he could not lay down KJ to 2 check raises.
Down to 25k average 20k

Edit 10 - 17:21
Beer is open

Edit 11 - 17:55
Hero called AJ on a A high board against table nutter to get to 79k - Average 36k blinds 500/1000. 340 left 288 paid, well it will have to be this one then.

10 x 180 gone.

Edit 12 - 18:55
3rd beer and the prawns were hot.
95k blinds 1250/2500 average 79k - got a all in, big stack merchant 1 to my left scaring the shit out of the whole table, we had a bit of raise and re raise fun but I am going to have to get him sooner or later.

Edit 13 - 20:15
As her key hits the door I get my 8bb in with A9 for the big stack to find A10 and the call, and alas the day is unfullfilled. A small cash for $35 - good fun. Didn't exactly set the world on fire in the last hour and I will now be punished by having to watch Strictly and X-Factor - FML.

Gallows @ Waterfront 19/11/10

2010-11-20T14:06:00.000-08:00

So the Gallows last night in the Waterfront and quite frankly it didn't disappoint.

The venue is almost perfect (a couple of pillars aside) for this type of gig, dark, small, low ceiling's and cheap beer. It wasn't continuous circle pit's due to afore mentioned pillars but the crowd didn't disappoint the Carter brothers and rest of the band.

Some well organised circle pits around the pillars did develop late doors. The stars of the evening were the ceiling hangers, both crowd and band managed at times to hang upside down from pipes running across the ceiling, while mosh pits were frantic below. Was a great sight.

As for the set loads of stuff I had not heard performed live before, but the classics from the 2 albums were of course represented. The beauty of the Gallows is each song is only about 2 minutes long they race through the tracks, even though last night they were very interactive. Promising a 3rd album next year went down well.

Kudos to the support Feed the Rhino a 5 piece from London(?) the singer was a bit shouty for me but he was a great front man on the entertainment front. The band were brilliant, quick, very heavy and about as one as any metal/punk outfit I have seen for a long time, one to watch.

The consumption of Red Stripe at pace through the night led to a stupid stop off at the Wildman public house - a whirlwind followed but it does now seem we are off to Vegas in September but that's another story.

Sport and Poker . . . perfect weekend

2010-11-14T12:46:00.000-08:00

What a Sunderland performance this afternoon, possibly the best performance I have seen by any club side this season. They can play that 11 100 times more and they will never play that well again, to a man, brilliant.

Arsenal ground one out, they looked solid and tough to break down which makes a nice change. The ultimate Arsenal cliche "that's the sort of game we would have lost in seasons past" fits, but in seasons past we have not lost to WBA and Newcastle at home so once again when its all said and done I doubt it will matter little.

Harrison got what he deserved, we as fans did not. Market forces are funny things, Haye and Audrey does magic PPV numbers and Sky can give us Pacquiao vs Margarito for free, how does that work. A great fight it was. Manny shows that hand speed counts for everything no matter what weight. 17 lbs he gave away, and Margarito is no mug, how he kept walking forwards into those combinations I will never ever know. Please let PBF put that zero on the line, one time.

Along with the sporting fest that included a Norwich game on the box (well played ref) and England beating Australia at Rugby I did actually manage to play some poker.

Now OPR shows that I was averaging 40 MTT's a month for the year, which frankly is a joke, work and real life has kept me away from the tables. The Bankroll for a few months has been around $100 on stars, with no need to top up as I was just playing the odd 4x180 when I had free time.

Mid October I started to find a little time to play, but was in the main playing badly, until I managed a final table in a 1979 runner $3 comp. It kind of reignited the fire, I started to find time to look at hands and started to refine my game a little. I also noticed the time off had changed my thought process when in a hand.

My decision making process is now more like the prep of a tennis player pre serve, or a golfer pre shot. I now have a check list of "Why's?, How? and What's?" that I ask myself before every decision and it has actually helped. My thought patterns are not so centered around my own cards - yes I know I should have got past this level of thinking many years ago.

Over the following weeks the volume increased a little but the results started to pick up - A late night Friday grind led to a 2nd place in a $4 2 rebuy 1 Add on comp. I had clung on to make the final and did well to make second and $464.

1 week later and I find the time to play another late night session and this time I find a stack in the big $4 6K GTD, single tabling from about 1 am I finally manage a win at about 5 am, besting 2702 runners and claiming $1731. All through the final I had the best player in the comp on my right and when the other shorty got in in post flop with AA vs J9 on a 99J board I thought another second beckoned. Thankfully the river ace saw me 5/1 down heads up against a player OPR shows had never been heads up before. 70 hands later and I had grinded him out of it, well OK he folded away his 5 to 1 lead - winning any big runner comp on Stars is OK in my book.

Onto this weekend and after actually losing some races and not getting Aces or Kings every 10 minutes it was back to the grind. Again some bad beats, bad play and general tiredness saw me 1 tabling by almost midnight, that table was the $10 20K that starts at 20:30. I never got a stack, don't think I ever had average chips in the whole comp. I was short stack for the entire final and finally got it all in pre with 88 vs 1010 to finish 4th from 3188 runners for $1833. Well played to THE BAKER555 who won that comp and I had marked up as the best player in the comp from about 200 out.

So back to + lifetime figures on OPR and 16% ROI on MTT's on Stars, better or maybe worse I also have some desire for MTT's again. Funny how a couple of wins also helps the Mrs to understand my poker needs. Now if I could just keep the run going over the next few weeks I could have a very Merry Christmas.

So 570 odd words to catch up on my Poker playing since May, not exactly frontpage stuff but as ever its enjoyable.

I wonder if I could sum up Music and Festivals since May in 570 words, I doubt it, I might try next time we will see.

Comeback

2010-11-13T08:55:00.000-08:00

Well its time to dust off the keyboard and make a return to this diary, I was trying to find the date of a Scroobius Pip gig I attended a couple of years back through my archive and realised I like having the record of some of the major events in my life. Toyed with the idea of setting to personal only access but I think the open aspect encourages me a little - time will tell I guess.

Not much has changed in my time away, been to a few gigs and festivals, seem to work more and more, play less and less poker both online and live, but I have managed a couple of results in the last few days more on that next time. Survived Kidney stones which was nice, still with the good lady which is slightly less painful then passing stones. Arsenal still flatter to deceive, United remain unbeaten even though they are shit, Blackpool and Holloway entertain, the Cowboys are a joke and the Ryder Cup was wonderful.

Looking forward to the boxing this evening, the ashes in coming weeks and grinding through the dark winter months. Some gigs upcoming of course so should be plenty to update.

Tomorrow we will start with a poker update.

For today I have been sucked into the Harrison vs Haye Sky hype - when announced I understood the 10/1 against Audrey, but Sky has managed to convince even me that its much closer, punchers chance and all that. Please let it be a contest. All that and the real fight is free of SS1 @ 2am, that should be a real cracker.

Poker

2010-05-24T04:11:00.001-07:00

Played poker at the weekend and won . . .

Played a decent session on Stars Saturday evening/night and cash'd in about 4 comps on the bounce, the highlight being the 20K $5 turbo in which I finished 9th.

1ST hand of the final I was small blind, all folded to me and I pushed with K4s and found the BB with AJ - sigh.

The hand caused some minor discussion but I cannot find the hand history so without stack sizes and blinds its a bit pointless, it seemed like the right thing to do at the time though.

I did win a flip in a comp on stars when in the money and it was in the $3R, for what seems like the first time ever. Don't actually feel I played any better then I had been, just had some hands stand up - now if only I could play well.

Hopefully this week pre world cup I will get to play some poker - have some work commitments and also some garden chores to do but with a little luck, poker might just be back on the agenda for a few days.

Thanks Slim for a great weekend and I look forward to the trophy session next weekend - its coming home to Norwich one more time lads.

LOST

2010-05-24T01:21:00.001-07:00

Well I just got up at 5am to watch the last two and a half hours of a 121 hours of TV, it was all I could hope for, understanding perfectly that all the questions would never be answered, I am a little annoyed at some of the questions they missed, but all in all it was enough.

Now the good lady is very much the Black to my White, and she hated it.

I have to say I loved the end, the emotional tugging of the reunions that ultimately saw all the "Losties" - Found and move into the light, it was done in such a brilliant manner. About the only thing I have correctly predicted in the whole of Lost was that Sayid's one true love was Shannon and not Nadia, just about everything else I missed by some way.

So I am going for the Island was as we saw it, a plane crashed on an Island where good was fighting evil, or light and dark whatever connotation you like. It ended with Hurley being the new Jacob as it should.

Couple that with the Alt reality that was not real, it was the artificial reality where they all waited to be a group before moving into the light . . .Some died in the crash, some on the Island others after they got off the Island, hopefully for Hugo lots of years after taking over.

I did like the whole "Live together, die alone" stuff - the dog was a great touch.

Loved Locke's line to Jack "its you? kinda obvious?"

Lots of questions;

Who was Jacobs mother?
Where was Jacob and MiB from?
What was the MiB's name?
Walt?
Dharma?
Who found the Island?
Button, Hatch, History?
Gun shots from the pontoon when they were jumping around in time?
Statue - How, When?
Why was the Island underwater in the Alt timeline?
What was the end credits scene all about?

Missing it already.

PS - or of course, none of it actually happened. The first plane crashed and they all died. Jack landed where he did originally and dreamed the whole thing, then his eye closed and he died. End of story.

Gogol Bordello review @ UEA 10/05/10

2010-05-11T03:21:00.000-07:00

When you walk out of a gig covered in sweat, with aching legs and ringing ears, debating with all and sundry why a band is not a headline act at xxxx festival, or why they are not bigger you know you have had a good night. Last night was not just good, it was amazing.

Gogol Bordello are self proclaimed Gypsy Punks from New York with Eastern European roots. Influence's of balls out Punk, Dub, SKA and that Eastern European Gypsy sounds all combined with an energy not matched by many.

Now I don't know if the UEA made the small tour because of the amazing crowd performance of the last visit December 2007 but to see a band play London, Manchester, Birmingham and Norwich only makes you realise that the booking boys at the UEA do something right, well played whoever decided to bring Gogol back to Norwich one more time.

After the last visit the band seemed on the verge of super stardom, I would never believe that they would again play such an intimate venue as the UEA - but times change and I realise now that being hugely talented and entertaining is not enough to guarantee you of super stardom, especially if some of your lyrics are in a foreign tongue !!!!

Once again Gogol provided a set of 90 minutes+, with many of the classic tunes, but its the way they build a set, the mad almost hedonistic start, followed by a mad hedonistic middle and a completely crazy, insane end, the encore for the encore is then a slow calm you all down number - perfect.

The band is the usual mix of percussion, guitars, drums, violins, energy and boundless enthusiasm. The crowd rock, cheer and jump all the way to the back. After two songs the youngsters start to flee the pit in front of the stage, this is not a night to be 8 stone wet and try messing it with the pierced, tattooed hordes of Norwich and beyond.

Eugene Hutz, front man, conductor and general pogo, looks like he has not eaten since his last visit to Norwich. It only takes seconds from his entrance on stage to see that smile, a smile that almost said "this is why we came back here", it only takes one song before he is swigging some spirit from the bottle and about 3 songs before the top was off and the signal that this was going to be an energy packed night was received.

If ever you get the chance see this band, do. Your life will be better for it.

The set list for the gig was;

Intro
Ultimate
Not a Crime
Wonderlust king
Companjera
Tribal
Mishto
Immigraniada
Break the Spell
Through the Roof
Pala Tute
Purple

Encore

Sun is on my Side
TC Hustle
Baro Foro

Encore of Encore

Alcohol

What a night.

"And you know that I'll pick up
Every time you call
Just to thank you one more time
Alcohol"

It’s all a bit shit really.

2010-05-10T08:55:00.000-07:00

So once again the blog becomes a moan in online poker related areas. I am playing like a fool, my calling ranges are too wide, my aggression levels are through the floor, and my positional sense has gone out of the window. I have tried so hard to concentrate and attribute ranges to opponents with no success, this is when I stay in a comp long enough to get any information on my opponents. All of this is topped off by the fact that I am running like. . . . . you don’t need the specifics, lets just say its so bad I have no desire to play the game at the moment, and the distinct lack of a roll will make a break an easy choice – for the first time in 5/6 years the game is costing me money, at this point that will not do.

Football.

I am an Arsenal fan; 31 years ago I saw my first game. I grew up in a house called Highbury, it had red and white facia boards, and it had red and white flowerbeds, a red and white garage etc etc. I had no choice; to be a son to my Father I was going to be a gooner. Now years later my Dad’s faith in the Red and White and all things football has declined, fed up with the money and the move away from it being the game of the people, he is also older, less mobile and less inclined to travel all day for 90 minutes of football. Myself, I have not had a season ticket for almost 10 years and in recent years have seen maybe 4 games a season. Arsenal is still in my heart and it always will be and now I am left with a decision I never though I would have to make.

Since moving to Norwich I have been to watch more and more City home games, friends, work colleagues and the chance to see decent opposition players has pulled me out of the house on a cold Tuesday evening more then once. This weekend I managed to secure a seat on the Barclay for the final game of the season, to see the City boys presented with the trophy for their great win of the first division title. It will be a match I will always remember, not because of the result or performance, but because it was a laugh, like a party atmosphere. It was the first time I felt like a Norwich fan.

Now some months ago, fed up with spending £20-£30 a game and only seeing the games others didn’t want to see, I applied for a Norwich City season ticket. Now I have to make a decision - do I take my ticket or not? What’s the problem? I am an Arsenal fan it should end there, obviously one football fan can go and watch another team, can even cheer for another team, but when he starts to feel pain at that team losing has it gone to far? Should I feel guilty about enjoying the party atmosphere on Saturday? Should I feel guilt that I am no longer just an “Interested Observer”? On Saturday I even found myself tuning into Canary Call on Radio Norfolk after the game, that’s dedication almost above and beyond.

Do I love Arsenal any less? No. I will always turn to the results of Arsenal first, the Arsenal page of the BBC website will always be the second place I visit online everyday. Will I still blindly back Arsenal every season to win the league, win each week? Of course I will. Will I still enjoy my phone chats with Dad, moaning about Wenger’s transfer policy, lording the skill and passion of RVP, worrying if Cesc will stay another year, of course I will. Then why do I feel so guilty, feel like I am letting my team and my Dad down.

I honestly feel I would be in less turmoil if I were cheating on the Mrs*
So do I take the season ticket, because my feelings are sentimental Bullshit? Or do I stay true to my team, come hell or high water?

Music

Even music is shit at the moment, at least my involvement in watching music. I have two tickets for Bon Jovi at the O2 bought for Caz’s Birthday she now can’t attend, I have 1 possibly 2 Download tickets that are unwanted, 1 Prodigy ticket too many for Milton Keynes, and 2 tickets for Leeds that in reality I should have bought tickets for V (didn’t think I would ever say that). That’s almost a £1k worth of tickets bought without thinking things through or due to drink or without checking holiday allowances. And yes I have come to terms with the fact that I will never see AC/DC, I just don’t like to talk about it, and I will miss the APAT champs bank holiday weekend – Just to see the Libertines who probably won’t even turn up – agggghhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

At least tonight will be good – Gogol Bordello @ UEA. If one gig ever signified the start of the summer it is this one. I have tomorrow morning off work, taxi is booked and I expect to be in the middle of the mosh action, watch out UEA I am coming to get ya.

* Which of course I never would.

Same old, same old

2010-05-04T01:47:00.000-07:00

I'm back . . . . its like I have never been away . . . . Internet poker was my friend this weekend . . . . huge session's across 3 days . . . . volume, volume, volume . . . .Stars and Full Tilt both proceeded to stick it in my eye . . . . It's like I have never been away.

To be fair to myself, I played like a complete donk at times, tired at others, maybe even slightly drunk at times, but still I was shafted, when not by myself then by the site's.

Played the SCOOP low on Saturday, 6max - I played like a dream. Just like most of the dreams I have, it ended just as it was getting good - sigh.

7 hours in, in the money some geezer finds a call for 35 big blinds (65% of his stack) with Q10, my AQ fails to get there. Hey the $40 was well worth the time.

Other highlights include getting AA smashed by AJ when in the money of the $10k, $24 on tilt. Also managed a small cash in my first Rush comp on tilt - again I was outdrawn.

Monday I sat down to play a 100 seat added $22 comp to the SCOOP Medium, 6 Max rebuy. What a comp only 300 odd runners, and I looked forward to the $215 T$ boost to the bankroll - I won, sadly it was for a $55 seat and the sat ended about 4 seconds before the comp started (one day I will learn to look at the lobby) - I then went on to play the rebuy stage brilliantly - doubling up in the first 10 hands and never looking back. OK brilliantly is a lie. I was shit and gave my money away.

Sunday and Monday just turned into one of those days when you knew the 1, 2 or 3 outers were always going to hit. Monday turned into "lets get aces smashed day". Its just variance, and to be honest to be playing again for some decent time, it was all worth it.

I am looking forward to playing a bit more on Tilt in coming weeks, and getting back to a micro grind on Stars, I even thought about self excluding myself to ensure that I took my roll on Stars with a little seriousness. . . . would make a change.

I could write pages of beats - but today (Toosdey) I look back on my time playing the pokes with much fondness, I miss it, and will try harder to make it my special mistress once more, I have missed you my sweet.

Away from the tables, loads of sport. Mayweather proving he is the best, and to be honest I cannot see him ever getting beat, probably because he will continue ducking Manny Pacquiao, or is that Manny ducking Mayweather? I would love to know.

The Wednesday vs Palace match was great, so much pressure. But what were the policing/Steward levels all about, joke.

Arsenal lose again . . . BIG SIGH, you do realise that Spurs could still catch us? Come on, get your finger out of your arse, now.

One more win Chelsea, please, just one more.

Lorenzo teaching the world how to ride a bike - I hate it when someone beats Rossi.

John Higgings - what a twat, he looks well scared of the Russian mafia in that video, maybe it was the Champagne that scared him - bye, bye John.

Duckworth Lewis in 20/20 needs sorting. That score was not representative of what England scored, I just don't get it - Morgan what a player he is going to be in 20/20, shot selection is amazing.

Right better go do some work I suppose - oh well played Slim, please ship the UKIPT in Nottingham, one time etc.

Update - Music and Poker

2010-04-15T07:17:00.000-07:00

This place has been a Music Free Zone for far to long . . . . .

The Glastonbury Line Up has been released and I have to say I am "awfully" excited. The name that leaps of the page for me is Snoop Dog. Can't believe he is allowed in the country again let alone going to play Glastonbury.

Great to see Faitless get the slot they deserve at last, I just hope they deliver a full on greatest hits set. They are one of the best live performers going and they deserve the accolades they will surely receive.

Friday night will be quite a decision, do I get arrested watching U2 (scum), or spend my time wisely? Watching the spectacular stage show of the Flaming Lips, tapping the foot and losing my mind to Groove Armada, or Mos Def and full band, don't get the chance to do that every day. Obviously Fat Boy is an option but history tells me Fat Boy in a tent = not a hope, if you want to watch any other bands in the 3 hours before he is on.

Saturday will be dominated by the epic, magnificent George Clinton, with wonderful starters including Neville Staple, The Wurzels, Steve Harley, Alabama 3 and the amazing Seasick Steve.

Sunday last thing is just one huge clash, Stevie Wonder vs Orbital vs Rodrigo y Gabriela vs Dan Le Sac/Scroobius Pip - what to do?

Anyway why am I losing sleep over any of this, the reality is I will drink too much cider and Rum and fall asleep in front of some random bloke with a guitar and miss everything.

Poker - since my return from Vegas I have managed to play some very small cash sessions. Unfortunately life has conspired against me playing any MTT's, too tired (jet lag is a bitch), or just too much to do - sigh, and thanks to F'kin Handy Andy my Sunday was a complete blow out, simply meet a bloke to collect a present for the Mrs Birthday next week and 7 texts delaying me one hour - cheers mate.

Monday to Saturday I have done OK playing 1 table of 50/$1, yes 1 table because a mate gave me the old Mega Drive Emulator and I have been having so much fun playing John Maddens 93 and NHL 93 that one table was all I could concentrate on. However it has gone well making a steady if slow profit each day. Sunday saw all that profit and more disappear during a day session. 3 buyins chasing a flush draw and 4 buy ins avoiding a flush draw. I got back on the horse and made a bit back in the evening - but I must learn to walk away from juicy tables to lock in profit.

If I am going to start playing cash seriously I will need to seek some advice from the Hand Anal board on blonde as I am sure I am playing a little too tight and missing some super standard spots, but the next few weeks is all about bank roll growth so slow and steady wins the race.

Caz's Birthday next weekend so won't play much then either, but I might make it to NPC next Sunday for some live action - wiiiiiiiiiiiiii.

Random Thoughts

Loving the Plan B album.
When you are pissed, have a pee before sleep - hey Nath :)
What do I buy the Mrs for her B'Day?
Jack and Ginger and Appletons and Coke don't mix - what a Friday.
Download or Reading? - this is turning into the grandest Fuck Up of them all.
Anyone want to buy a ticket for . . . . . . ?
Louis Theroux anyone? - WTF was that about . . . Mad yanks.
Have you been to see Kick-Ass yet? WHY NOT?
Fuck Arsenal, Fuck Ferguson and please let Chelski win the league - Fuck Chelski too.

We fucking love Grant Holt, We fucking love Grant Holt, Grant Holt.
Yellow's, Yellow's, Yellow's, Yellow's.
Well done the City - deserved IMO.

Vegas Pictures

2010-04-12T14:50:00.000-07:00

Cold in the Desert

Matt and Caz

The amazing Bellagio Fountains

Sad at going home

Shit or Awesome?

Vegas - The final push

2010-04-12T12:33:00.000-07:00

Monday 5th and onwards

Moving day. Cash out from the Nugget, it was quite a feeling taking those chips to the cage, well it made me feel good but to be honest its where the good feelings finished for the day - it was cold, wet (in the k'in desert) and bloody windy.

We were both sorry to leave the Nugget behind and up sticks to the Bellagio, the cab driver was very funny "be careful last time I stayed at the Bellagio I bought a house" among his gems of advice - what can you say about the Bellagio. Its plush, beautiful and posh as. But compared with the personal service of the Nugget it sucks. The room was not as big, the bed not quite as big, the pillows not quite as soft, the TV not quite as big. The water costs, even the Internet was charged for, the Bellagio offers nothing for nothing.

So it was time to make the best of the strip in the cold and to be honest it didn't go well. My feet were in real trouble, but I soldiered on. We waited at T1 for the pirate show getting pissed on Margaretta's - the show was cancelled due to the wind. So off down the strip to watch the Volcano at the Mirage, it can only be described as shit. A red light and some water that cost a reported $10 million bucks - the Americans in the crowd thought it was "Awesome".

Now roulette in Vegas is obviously dominated by the traditional table game but the odd casino has the English bookie style roulette machine. Now the Americans hate these machines as they believe they are "fixed" - me I love it, especially when you spin $5 upto $150 allowing you to feel less guilty for eating in the restaurant at the Paris.

Tuesday 6th was my big day for the Venetian deepstack $340 buy in started at 11am. I awoke at 11 confident I could still make it - sadly the comp although still not started by midday was sold out. Gutted but I would return the next day. So again the day was spent up and down the strip, a meal in Hard Rock, my first one, and I admit I was impressed. I also watched the "Messi" game in the Sports book at Planet Hollywood, this is the best sports book on the strip IMO and the valets both gorgeous and attentive. We decided to go and see Carrot Top, only to find the show had been cancelled.

We did see the free street performances at the Venetian - it was a bit meh TBH. We spent our newly found free time drinking.

While walking the Skywalk near City Centre (What the fuck is that all about, it looks shit) a bloke walking towards me, got right in my face and shouted "they can't do that" stupidly I enquired "what". Again he shouted "they can't do that" I tried to walk on and he said "pull a hand from the muck", I laughed and stated "of course they can't do that" well he shouted "At Bills they do", I walked on thinking I must look like a Poker Player, sadly he began shouting his rant at the next person on the skywalk, I felt less special.

April 7th last full day in Vegas and back to Venetian for the last $340 day, I got there about midday, to find out that for the first time in a week they started on time and I had missed registration. So I never got to play a multi in Vegas, what a twat.

So we decide to go to the Masters of Rock show at the Riveria. The Riveria is cool, it has loads of old photos of past performers all over the place, its also the Casino that was used in the film Casino so it seems a bit familiar, but to honest that's where the cool ends. The place is a bit shabby, but you can gamble alone. The show had only about 50 punters. It was basically 2 excellent guitar players, and brilliant bass player and an amazing drummer - they were joined by various blokes pretending to be the bloke from Motley Crue, Robert Plant, Joan Jett (a woman pretending to be this one) and Ozzy. The quality of the musicians made the show well worth the money - but it was a bit end of the pier stuff.

After the show we moved over the road to Circus Circus, to watch the very bendy lady, Caz found a Nikel pusher, she was happy. Circus Circus is very kids orientated, loud and in your face. It also has the shabbyness of the Riveria - it looks a little tired to be honest.

The last morning we spend most of it in Ballagio Breakfast Buffet - go and do it, it is splendid. Fillet Mignon for breakfast is great, not sure Caz's curried duck was such a good idea.

Like that it was over we were in a cab back to the airport. The last 3 days just turned into a drunken ramble from hotel to hotel, playing table games and generally treading water - basically we didn't want to come home.

All in all it was an amazing holiday - we have loads to do on the next visit and will definitely return but it will be downtown for me.

Back home, Back to work . . . . . sigh, oh and I can't bloody sleep again.

Vegas Post 3

2010-04-12T05:31:00.000-07:00

Saturday April 3rd.

So again awake before 7am even though I went to bed pissed and late - its all getting a bit silly now.
So a few hands at the old 3 card poker again and 3rd hand in I get dealt 345 black for another 40/1 payoff - that's my buy in for poker sorted.

After checking on Caz providing her plenty of Water etc, I head to the $1/$2 in the Nugget, where after my one previous session the card room manager remembers my name and escorts me to my seat, and has a bit on banter with some locals warning me that a couple of them are really 3/6 and 5/10 players.

After my rock like start in the previous session and still buzzing on the straight flush, I find it a lot easier to open up the range a little. I raise over one limper to $4 with 67 red. This is promptly re raised to $20 dollars. Now the smug expression of matey boy's boat race leaves me in no doubt he has Aces or Kings. So I flat hoping to catch a red flop, or at least a draw to bust him. The flop comes a wonderful 877. I check and he shoves for his $1100 stack, my $200 bucks is in the middle before his. I fade the two Kings he needed to hit and I double up in the first half an hour - he didn't take it well, lol.

What follows is an awesome display of power poker by myself as I proceed to get my money in good on 6 consecutive occasions with AK or AQ and once with 1010 all against the same bloke, each time he has 1 pip less then me and 99 vs the 1010, every time he hits his kicker and the 9 in the pair vs pair hand. From a high point of $600 odd bucks I am down to $120 ish.

Time to regroup - I leave my seat go and see the good lady, who is bemoaning the demon drink and the fact she is a fugitive from the law and will never be able to go anywhere in Vegas again, and then I go and have an amazing Steak and Shrimp Dinner in Binions.

Refocused, full and ready to rebuild the stack. To say the table dynamic had changed is an understatement - Ladies and Gentlemen I introduce to you Cody, the drunk "Whale". Cody is again known to every member of Nugget staff, tips $20 a drink and is obviously filthy rich - he has been asked to leave the 3/6 game as he was not taking it serious enough so he sat his drunk self on my table with about $2k in front of him. Cody is loud, brash and very, very drunk, he is drinking a Corona every 10 minutes, but is funny and well mannered with his maniac tendencies.

As I sat down he was busting aces with 79 off suit all in pre. This was going to be fun. Cody's standard move is to open pre, blind, to $102 dollars. My first shot at him was a clusterfuck, I had won a small pot earlier to get to the $200 mark, while Cody was in the restroom. Cody is big blind and matey boy between me and him raises to $10 I look down at AK blue and re raise to $40 waiting for Cody to ship. Cody gets his 2k+ into the middle and wait for matey to pass, but he ships also - knowing I am behind to matey's call I fold. Cody turns over the mighty 23 off and Matey AQ - a 2KXXX board helps my mind set no end - but I knew I would not have to wait long.

The next half hour sees Cody tear the table apart he is running so well and upto almost 4k, however he is no longer a fun guy, he is now sleepy guy. Almost every hand the dealer has to dig him in the ribs to wake him to play - his play ranges to folding about 1 in 10, raising to $102 when he remembers what game he playing or open shoving his whole stack on other occasions. All of these actions are done blind. He has also taken to cheering for his opponents cards as he wants to go to bed, as well as running out of $20 bills so he is now tipping $50 for each Corona, the valets are queuing to serve him.

My chance at the stack came quickly as I found AK again. Cody has opened to $102, I ship my $245 in with AK and all fold to Cody who calls. Its my AK against J9, and the door card is a 9 - wonderful. Thankfully the river is a beautiful red Ace.

This signalled the beginning of the end for Cody and he lost his next 6 all ins - sadly I only got one more and that was the last $130 bucks he had. As soon as Cody leaves the table most of the locals are off to cash in their profit - the cardroom manager comes over with a comp ticket for the buffet by way of apology for having to cope with Cody's behaviour - my first Vegas comp.

So I nip back upstairs to check on Caz and she is finally soundly sleeping, so I head back to my seat to be greeted by almost a entirely new bunch of players, and it seems we have been invaded by "zee Germans". Stereotypes aside, what a great bunch they turn out to be, I have a Husband and Wife either side of me, just intent on destroying each other with garbage, a German beer lover 2 to my right, who when he finds out I have been to Munich for the Oktoberfest just wants to talk Bitburger and Erdinger all night, and a couple of other great characters. In Seat 1 is an old Oriental Lady - who turns out to be a nasty piece of work, who provides the rest of the table great entertainment.

I think its around this time that Jerry dealt for us for the first time - Jerry controls the table in a polite and efficient manner, tells story's of a bygone age when Vegas was for rugged men - as soon as he started telling a few Amarillo Slim/Benny Binnion prop bet story's I was hooked. Scary Oriental lady was not impressed - she shouted at Jerry on more then one occasion, questioned rulings, berated players and generally acted like a teenager. My quest was to bust this woman.

My chance came with JJ in the BB, the J710 two diamond flop I checked to induce, she checked - grrr. The 9 of diamonds was not the card I wanted on the turn, she called my small bets on the turn and river and then flew into a rage, getting in my face complaining about my play. I now wanted her so badly. Within the hour opportunity arrived.

QQ under the gun I raise and then flat scary woman's re raise - she has become ultra aggressive since losing flush over flush. The Q109 2 green flop I check, she checks behind stating she knows I must have QQ, ummmm. The K green turn sees her reraise my bet, she is getting excited stating she has trapped the trapper - I am starting to worry. The wonderful 9 of hearts arrives on the river, I bet and she folds A high flush face up and proceeds to berate me for my bad play, and to be honest I feel hollow at how badly I have been outplayed, even though I won. About this time a 5/10 game starts and Mad Oriental woman removes about $15k of chips from her bag and moves to that game - Jerry informs me I have made an enemy for life, I am proud - we will meet again.

So my first 12 hour + session of vegas poker sees a good few hundred dollar return.
I played well didn't get myself into to many 50/50's but above all enjoyed it, and made a enemy for life.

Sunday April 4th

Caz is back in the land of the living so much so that when I get awoken by an alarm asking me to evacuate the building, I am surprised to find her not beside me in bed. Now as I have previously mentioned my feet are not in good shape at this point, although a day off them had stopped the actual bleeding they were red raw, and covered in blisters - I could post a picture but you people don't want to see that. So a trip down the fire escape 17 floors was just what the doctor ordered on a Sunday morning.

While slowly bumbling down the escape I saw a familiar face - you know when you see a face and you know that you know them from somewhere, but cannot put you finger on where or when? I knew this person was famous, but after only a few hours sleep my brain did not function well.

Only in lift on the way back to the room after the all clear was given, talking to Caz about Steak Night tonight and wanting to do a silly little Steak Night dance from Scrubs did I remember - it was Turk a character from Scrubs, opportunity missed.

Caz decides she needs to cleanse the toxins from her body and impressed with my winnings from the day before orders me back to the cardroom. I have been sitting for less then 30 minutes and the bloke 1 to might right gets 4 aces for the high hand jackpot, before the guy one to my left gets a K high straight flush for the progressive High Hand of about $1200 bucks, and then 10 minutes later a guy 3 to my left gets a 7 high straight flush for another $300. Crazy, Jerry laughs lots, I like Jerry, he ribs me about mad oriental lady, who is playing 3/6 but staring at me from the corner of the room.

Now what happens next is a little strange to an Englishman - on the border of Mexico and the US is a Earthquake measuring 7.2. The light fittings start to swing, the floor moves a little, there is no doubt we are having an earthquake. I ask the bloke next to me if we should do anything? maybe go outside? he relpy's "only one thing to do in an earthquake son - Raise". I re raise and take down my first ever pot in an earthquake.

5 minutes later Caz returns from the Sauna to explain the difference in the reaction in the Sauna to the earthquake, lots of screaming hysterical women comparing it to the cardroom that is an oasis of calm. Now strangely Caz saves me a lot of dosh, without even knowing it, she takes the role of Moll, pulls up a chair and watches' me play. I have spun my $200 sit down upto about $350. The guy to my right is on fire but has to catch his plane in less then an hour - when his good lady arrives to watch over his shoulder.

In the BB I find JJ, folded round to "on fire" guy in the small he raises to $10, I call. Flop is 559, he checks I bet, he calls. Turn is a 5, he bets, I re-raise he calls. His Mrs stares at him and mine at me. The river is a blank and he bets, I re-raise. He asks "What are we doing if I shove here?". I reply "well we are getting it all in" with a huge grin on my face safe in the knowledge that I am miles ahead. As one both women say "Don't think you are losing all them chips in this hand" - the table laughs, he min raises, I call and he shows Kings. His Mrs and mine saved me my stack.

When "On Fire" guy left for his plane, I cashed out about a $40 profit, went for a meal which strangely was called "General Tso's" chicken and some great Sushi I then went for an early night, at last I sleep. Tomorrow its off to the Bellagio.

Vegas - Post II

2010-04-10T17:09:00.000-07:00

Day 3, April fools day.

Bang awake about 3am, no sign of beating the time change.
By 6am I decided to go downstairs for a game of poker, but both the Nugget and Binions card rooms were empty, so onto the table games. 3 card poker and I quickly dropped $100 playing $5 min on the ante and pair plus.

At this point I was joined by some bloke obviously known to the staff of the Nugget, and he was sporting a Super Bowl winners ring. I was far to polite to ask who he was, or when he won the ring, but he was quite a celeb. His arrival marked an improvement in my luck and before the end of the session I hit trips twice 30/1 and and then the fabled straight flush for a 40/1 pay off.

By about 10am the pit boss had put the table minimum upto $20 per bet, as I sat when it was $5 I was allowed to play at that stake, but they were certainly trying to get me to drop my winnings back, but I was resolute and remained at $5 a bet. BY 11am they closed the table due to a "shift change" and if I wanted to continue playing I would have to join another game - where I would lose my $5 privilege - In my mind I had beaten Vegas.

By now the Mrs had appeared and it seemed it was shopping day on the strip, and with my new found wealth it seemed like a great idea. One problem during the London trip to see the Specials I had worn some unsuitable footwear for 2 days of walking and my feet were not in good shape but I no idea how far she would walk me. . . . .

So onto the RTC bus from downtown to the strip and off at the Fashion Mall. 2 Hours walking round there and we were off down the strip, this included a full tour of the Ceasers mall, the Miracle Mile mall and walking down to New York New York, and back upto the Wynn to catch the RTC bus home. All of this took 8+ hours, and for a fat bazza like me that sits behind a desk all day, this messed my feet up bad. This provided the perfect opportunity to play poker for a couple of days as I could not walk besides in 24 hours Caz would be bedridden with shame and drink related issues - Poker was about to begin.

Day 4 - after at least 5 hours sleep we awoke for a day of Sunshine, she headed for the pool and I was off to the cardroom. Straight into 1/2 game - in which I finished about $150 bucks up, not the most startling hourly rate but I was happy and we were off and running, but this day was to be "special" for other reasons.

This day was the day the Mrs had dreamed of for many years - she was going to see Matt Goss, I was under no illusions she had essentially flown 5000+ miles for this night. So glad rags on, back on the RTC and into Ceasers to the "Gossy Room". This was true old school Vegas - a small room of round tables, real lounge bar action. Entertainment was provided by Matt Goss and the Dirty Virgins (his dancers) and a band of exceptional talent.

We sat with a couple from some far flung US city (sorry memory of this not so hot) and the lady of the couple was mad, nice mad, but bonkers, but she would eventually make Caz's night. After an excellent 80 minute set of Vegas standards and some quality original material (sadly no Bros tunes) the set was over. Minutes later Matt reappeared drink in hand to smooze the room - my good lady, now drunk on Vodka Martini's, and half the worlds supply of gin suddenly became bashful. Mad woman would have none of it though and dragged Caroline over to meet Mr Goss - I have some great photo's. In the following 2 or so hours Matt came over to say hello and even bought us a drink - email addresses were exchanged and promises of seats at an upcoming Albert Hall performance were promised. Caz left that room, feeling like a million dollars, well played to Mr Goss, he played the room like a pro, and made my Mrs very happy.

Now the fun began - pissed Mrs gets all independent and is sure she can walk us back to the strip, now unfortunately A) she is hammered and B) the only time she had walked from the Strip to Ceasers she had gone through the Mall, and it was not 4am ish. This would be a issue - not in her head, she somehow managed to get into the Mall, all dark and closed. Undeterred she pressed on for the exit. Surprise, surprise the exit was closed, so next best option side door, that took us outside at last. (I must point out here for those of you that don't know Caz she can be "quite independent" when drunk and its best not to interfere for fear of broken noses and the like, for those of you that do know her, yes it was one of "those" moods). Sadly this part of outside was a restricted area, some sort of staff quarters, recycling, VIP parking area's. The good lady was pissed enough that walking towards the light of the strip was all that mattered the 25 foot wall stopping us from joining the strip was not a deterrent. Eventually she admitted defeat and headed back inside through a fire exit, and reappeared at the entrance to the Mall. Walk left to the Casino or right back into the closed Mall. Right it was and within minutes we heard voices, then saw people sitting on one of the fountains, they were also lost. Seconds later a startled security guard appeared and led us to freedom.

At last Caz had started to calm slightly, but with this calming came a loss in the ability to walk and talk. By the time I got her to the RTC bus stop she was drawing quite a lot of attention - asleep waiting for the RTC the US girls seemed to find another woman in such a state hilarious, the blokes openly offering me sympathy. The packed RTC arrived and I managed to drag Caz on at the stop opposite the Bellagio, she falls instantly asleep - happy days. Before we had reached the Wynn she was awake and declaring she was going to be sick, and she does, all over the bus. It seems that Vodka Martini's make for incredibly smelly vomit. We are off the bus at the Wynn and she continues to be ill all over Steve Wynns wonderfully manicured gardens. Again she draws quite a crowd, insults from the women and sympathy from the men - she is officially the biggest state in Vegas.

Within minutes she has sorted herself out, and after many promises she won't be ill again we are back on the RTC heading Downtown. 3 stops down the road, disaster. The original RTC has stopped due to some fool being sick all over it, all the punters get off and join the next bus - our bus. The looks on those punters faces as they see Caz asleep in my arms, a couple even take the time to point out the soiling charge notice "MINIMUM $1000 fine" - agh. Aside from some scary glares all is good until we get to the last stop and just one punter remains, who brazenly walks to the front of the bus and grasses Caz to the driver. We are out the back door and down Freemont street as fast as a fat man can carry his sleeping Mrs. I was now sober enough not to walk through the front door of the Nugget, as a glance behind us shows the driver standing in the street taking notice of where we are heading, we turn the street and are out of view before we enter the Nugget to safety.

Funny enough Caz did her best to avoid the RTC for the rest of the holiday - after much ribbing I think I had her believing they would at least catch her at the airport to pay the fine or go to prison - 8 or so days later when the security guard pulled her out of line the look on her face was brilliant, thankfully she was just being told she could miss the body scanner.

Hangover for the Mrs = Poker for me.

Holiday Part One

2010-04-10T13:38:00.000-07:00

Hi Honey I'm home.

Well some trip was had as I eluded too in my brief update from the city of sin. Now I just have to remember the best bits.

Now as previously documented I am not the worlds greatest flyer, so as soon as the Specials gig was over my attention was on that flight. To be honest for the first time in 5 trips I had what can be described as a "standard" flight. My impression of Virgin was top class. Cattle Class provided ample room even for me, and the 10 hours was helped by ample good food and a free bar, yes a free bar. As soon as the Stella was all gone - in fact as soon as I realised they would serve you two drinks at a time I moved onto the scotch and ginger. The drink was enough to distract me from sleep - mistake one.

Arrival at Vegas airport was an hour late but we cleared customs and secured cases in about 30 minutes, most unusual I am told. Into the excellently organised taxi system, and after making out we were seasoned vegas visitors and knew that the "tunnel" route was a rip off - Taxi guy proceeded to take us through said tunnel and charge us $40 odd bucks for the pleasure - wanker.

Upon arrival @ the Nugget I was knackered, still a little merry and ready for bed, but the Mrs had other idea's - more of that later. We stayed in the Gold Tower and the room was plush and huge, considering we had payed 3 times as much per night for the previous two nights in Victoria for a hovel, it was a welcome relief. The Mrs hated the brownness and the lack of kettle in the room but the Leather 3 piece, Double bathroom complete with TV in the mirror and the biggest bed I have ever seen.

So no chance of sleep, it was off to the Thomas and Mack arena for Smackdown. Have been up about 25 hours at this point, but she was well Roy. Now getting in the Taxi (some giant size 4x4 thing) I heard a tell tale rip from the jeans as I stepped up to get in. Due to time constraints, fuzzy headiness and being unaware of the extent of the issue I pressed on. Closer inspection when secured in the taxi on the "Freeway" showed a rip through the crotch and about 6 inch's down the left leg - this was going to be embarrassing - mistake 2.

To be honest Smackdown was a bit naff, admittedly my main concern was keeping my modesty for most of the night, but the Mrs loved the razzmatazz of it all. Notable things from the event was a picture of Barrack shown on the big screen greeted with an amazing reaction of a positive nature, I have never heard a crowd "pop" like that for anything anywhere - It was matched in sound by a huge boo for a picture of Bush. Both were dwarfed in noise by the pyro for the Undertakers entrance, my ears are still ringing almost 2 weeks later.

Finally another taxi ride back to the Nugget, a quick walkabout the hotel, and first view of the Sharktank in the swimming pool - bloody smart that is (pictures in a later post). Think I hit the hay at about 12:30 vegas time.

Day 2 began at 02:30 - wide awake, she slept. I went downstairs and hit the tables, didn't think poker was the best idea as the mind was frazzled. Roulette, Slots and 3 Card Poker a much better choice. A small win was had on all 3 and the bankroll was off and running. Now I was amazed that every time I sat at a table game a valet appeared offering me a free drink, this was going to be fun.

Most of the day was spent in the Sports book at Binions watching the first Arsenal vs Barca game and as the Sun went down we explored Freemont street. Freemont street boasts an overhead TV screen that is about half a mile long and is cool as. What they play on it is a bit naff, but all in all its cool.

Freemont street was a bit underwhelming TBH, but the old school casino's are cheap, the drink and food is cheap and the action is loose. Now while in 4 Queens we had the biggest mistake of the holiday, Caz won at roulette at her first attempt - $100 or so and she was happy, and could now see that this vegas experience might be something she might enjoy. I had a slots win, my biggest of the week and the bankroll was building.

After a shed load of $2 Corona's I was ready for bed at 1am - surely I would get this time zone thing sorted.

Alive and well

2010-04-04T12:04:00.000-07:00

So many story's to tell already and believe me the Caroline's Drink/Drunk/Famous(ish) Person encounter story is better then any you have ever heard before, she surpassed herself this time - she spent one night in our room for fear of arrest and deportation she says, I think it was shame, to be the biggest mess in Vegas is a great achievement IMO.

We have got on very well after a shaky start, and the sunshine has helped to keep her happy, that is due to end today, so shopping for the end of the week - my feet are in bits from the first day shopping, so have to say, not exactly looking forward to hours walking malls - funny enough as I am winning cash permission to go play cards while she shops is easy to come by.

The Poker has been good so far with the Cash Games at the Nugget being very kind. Some days it falls into your lap and others you have to grind, but the mixture of styles and players has been good fun - I have lots of notes to do a full diary on my return.

Off to Ballagio tomorrow and 3 days of the daily comps @ Ceasers, by far the best cardroom I have seen and as a hotel or any building Ceasers is one of the most impressive I have ever seen anywhere, quite breathtaking in places.

Got to the point today where I don't want to come home, well at least not yet but all good things. See you all soon.

TCT and The Specials

2010-03-29T15:27:00.000-07:00

Emotionally charged night watching the Specials and the Albert Hall.

Rembering Sam and how many kids go through what he went through. So good to know Addenbrookes has its
TCT unit pending. Caz was a trooper.

After trying for so many years to get tickets it was fitting that our first
TCT gig was the specials. Best I have ever seen them almost two hours and every
Song I could of dreamed of hearing. Nite Klub and stereotype were incredible. The energy in the room
Has to be seen to be believed. Nothing I can say can do the night any justice.

Well off to Vegas in about 6 hours so time for some sleep, due to vodafone ridic roaming charges
Who knows when I will next update, so see you all soon. Next time we talk I will be Venetian deepstaxk champ lol

Kick-Ass

2010-03-28T14:30:00.000-07:00

Just been to a screening of Kick-Ass and O M G it is simply amazing.

Not everyday you come out of a film and it goes straight into the top 5.
The film is part Superbad, part Kill Bill. The effects are breathtaking, and it
Will give every person who has ever played GTA a hard on.

It is so wrong in places, crude, lewd and amazingly violent.

The bananna splits scene will live with me for many months.

Go and see this film its bloody brilliant.

ALL REV’d UP

2010-03-25T01:22:00.000-07:00

Tuesday night saw the return of Reverend and the Makers to Norwich, this time at the Waterfront. This venue is great its small enough you can always get to the bar, they have enough staff to ensure you always get served quickly. All of this coupled with the fact that the venue is so small you can touch the performers on the stage – it makes for a great night for any gig.

Funnily enough the Mrs made enough of a recovery to come and see the Rev for about her 12th time in recent history (obsession), and when he walked on stage I am not sure who looked worse (The good lady is getting better slowly, but has been knocked for 6 by what is now confirmed food poisoning). The good Reverend John looked shall we say “tired and emotional”. This was a true end of album gig. It was tight, brilliantly performed with a set list we have seen before but love. The band seemed energetic and more at home then say when we saw them at Wembley a few months ago.

Away from that its all work and holiday prep. My trusted Blackberry has been in for a running repair due to its 90-minute battery life – had to be sent away to be told that the battery was fucked, well played Vodafone. Also found out that it will cost £15 pounds a day to run as a smart phone while away, I don’t need to read my spam from Norwich Poker Club or Monster that badly.

I have been reading Anthony Holden’s “Big Deal” to try and rev myself up a little before the big trip, and while a good book, excellently written, I just feel so little empathy for the guy. Why? Because I am jealous I guess, jealous that he could chase his dream for a year, jealous that he got a level of Vegas service that my meagre bankroll will not full fill, Jealous that he can manage to sit and win at cash, just when he needs to get out of a hole – it never happens like that in real life. If like me you have missed this book, pick it up some great tales in it.

The old Vegas bankroll took a hit yesterday – when the realisation struck how shit the exchange rate is, straight into grinding the start of the week, and penny slots by Friday I would imagine.

Right two huge working days to go, a day packing, London, Specials and Vegas by Tuesday night. Excitement builds.

Question of the day – will anywhere in Vegas have the Arsenal vs Barcelona game on Wednesday?

1 light, 1 dark

2010-03-21T09:18:00.001-07:00

My life is like an episode of Lost - I am not quite sure what the fuck is going on?

The Mrs returned from her African jolly with some sort of stomach complaint that still has her confined to PJ's and the bathroom some 4 days post her return, good to have her back but come on 4 days of moaning and groaning is difficult for anyone to take.

Cheltenham - hours of research and my only two winning bets were the Paddy Power stand against the favourite in the first race and a win double bought about because one horse had poker in it's name and the other had Zeb in the name and I was watching football factory pissed with the laptop on.

Football betting was a nightmare this weekend, but raked enough Laddies points for a +2 point bet on the Midlands National yesti - 9/1 winner not to be sniffed at, payed for the football at least.

Poker, have played a bit. Saturday finalled the $20 DS on Ipoker, when one player had all the chips and I was determined to beat the other small stacks - 5 left when matey called my all in with 10J. About 1 minute later down to the last 4 tables in the $7.5K also on Ipoker, I shoved my Jacks in a min raised multi called pot. Matey 1 found a call with 1010 and the BB found a 40bb call with 88 - well played sir.

Was great to feel like I was playing well but again I am struggling to cope with the beat when playing so few tables. Played another session today but when upto 5 tables I got a blind on blind beat of A8 vs QQ and after the turn bought the ace I quickly tilted off the other games.

Well a week until The Specials at the Albert Hall and then Vegas, have so much to do, and with the Mrs seemingly out of action the workload may well be doubled.

Hope to get some more poker in this week, but after sorting MP3 players, holiday insurance, buying some threads and wheels, packing and sorting myself out the reality is doubtful.

Poker and Horses

2010-03-16T05:17:00.000-07:00

Have actually played some poker, and frustration is slowly fading away, I have even enjoyed my game. I have had a number of deep runs in the $22 1R 1A, the $3R, $5 12k gtd and a few others but I have so far failed to convert to a decent score. One more big session tonight, one time etc.

Played a bit of live poker at the weekend, and was uber bad. If anything was too tight, in that game for me is most unusual. As ever it was a cracking evening, even if a few of the familiar faces were missing - next time.

The hold of the Captain (Morgan) has finally been broken, a better Rum does sail the seas and it takes the form of Appletons Estate Rum. This stuff is brilliant, loved it, will buy again - Beers of Europe really is the greatest shop in Britain.

Mrs has been coping with some 42°C temps in Gambia, she sounds like she has had fun but has struggled with the heat, and I look forward to her coming home on Thursday.

Cheltenham
Day 1 and its just a fun day for me - no real hardcore fancy's, lots of curiosity on the first race, and yes the Paddy Power marketing machine has caught me - oposing the faviourite with a money back guarantee is my sort of bet.

My fun EW accumulator this afternoon is;

13:30 - Oscar Whisky
14:05 - Woolcombe Folly
14:40 - Exmoor Ranger
15:20 - Solwhit
16:00 - Another Jewel
16:40 - Quevega

Some side action on Mad max in the 14:40 and a small accu on

14:40 - Bensale
15:20 - Binocular
16:40 - No one tells me

Tomorrow is when the fun begins for me - but if I can match day 1 of last years festival I will be happy.

Music

2010-03-08T07:05:00.000-08:00

The new and the old.

Mumford and Sons - so my insight is going to be little different from that of the popular press. Its like a bit of Vampire Weekend, Arcade Fire, The Wurzels and The Levellers put into a big pot, shaken about and you are left with an interesting debut album - Sigh no More.

Some of the songs are brilliant musically, and a little light lyrically, others strong lyrically and a little lighter on the music. A couple combine the both and offer a fantastic sound. Its a big sound in the vain of Arcade Fire, but with only 4 members they achieve that almost orchestral feel, the sound is so big. Will grow and be some Summer festival band I am sure.

The Courteeners - Second album time - Falcon. I have listened to it twice all the way through, the first time it offered enough to make me want to listen again, but looking back I cannot say anything remarkable stands out, which is where the first album fell flat for me. Good, performed well by talented musicians, good song writing but lacking inspiration, do they offer anything that others don't?

Grove Armada has not made it into the stereo yet, the mood has just not been right, but anticipation for this grows. With releases this week and in coming weeks from BRMC, The Superions (Fred Schneider of the B-52's), White Stripes Live and a huge Wu-Tang album on the 30th it will be a good month for music.

Finally getting the hang of Sky and discovering/remembering to record things from Sky Arts and the like in the middle of the night. Some cool informative programmes about classic albums, The Specials comeback tour, a great Radiohead gig and some amazing Led Zep archive footage have all been enjoyed. Last night BBC4 tracked the history of Heavy Metal, what a programme.

Everything from how Ray Davies bladed his speakers to achieve that sound on "you really got me" or how Vanilla Fudge and Stepenwolf almost made the breakthrough. But in the end, Ozzy and Black Sabbath and Deep Purple broke the mould, before the world followed - the programme looked at how after the winter of 68 the people of Aston and surrounding area's were no longer keen to be dancing with flowers in their hair. Instead the grime of the steam hammers were the back drop to the rising unemployment and discontent. The press was filled with the tales of death in Vietnam and British Music began a trend that has never died in the form of Heavy Metal.

The programme was brilliantly put together and I look forward to watching the rest of the output that followed for a night dedicated to that most British of music genres - Metal.

Reminders to look for

Vanilla Fudge
Disraeli Gears
Uriah Heep
Budgie
Edgar Broughton Band
Janis Joplin
Flight 666 (IPlayer)

Is it/am I ruined?

2010-03-08T05:04:00.001-08:00

Can I ever be a casual poker player again?

From playing the last 2 years in a semi serious manner - well loads of volume at least, can I ever get the feeling of fun back from poker?

I played a small session on Saturday and without playing sick volume the bad beats hurt more then they do when you are playing a load of volume day in, day out. I want to be a recreational player again, I want to be able to play 4 MTT's a session on Stars and not feel real despair when some tosser calls my all in with K8 and gets there, I want it to be fun again - I am sure winning would help.

Aside from the poker, it was a fun weekend, good friends, good food and some good football. BT try to tilt me badly, awful Saturday service again but apart from that a fine time. Arsenal now need 9 from 9 in my opinion to win the league, but with Fab gone for a couple of games it looks less likely by the day.

Tuesday is a huge game for the Arsenal, a game that could define the season (my god I sound like I work for Sky), but I cannot tell if winning or losing will help more with the pursuit of the title.

Life is a bit like poker and football at the moment, fell off one of my wagons on Sunday night, striving to be a casual "wagon rider" the ability to step off when you want, safe in the knowledge that you can step back on again whenever you want, the truth was it was far to soon to try that sort of thing. After 18 years of daily chasing this "wagon" to even make 13 days "on the wagon" is a remarkable achievement, something to build on. This morning I felt numb, the world was again fuzzy round the edges, an impending sense of dejection that I knew would crush my day.

Why dejected? My "wagon riding" affects nobody but myself, my choices are educated. Enjoyment while not effecting another living soul, my choices are my choices, but these choices are taken even though you know they are wrong, personally destructive in some ways. The simple truth is that for the last 13 days I have felt like the world was a better brighter place, as the days stretched on, it was like a fog had been lifted from me, I was starting to remember what it was like to be in the real world again.

Will I be strong enough to recover, will I even remember the de-fuzzed world when I finish work today . . . . who knows, but with the Mrs going on holiday in 24 hours I can play a shit load of poker for a week - one time etc.

New Month - New Start

2010-03-01T00:45:00.000-08:00

Well this is due to be some month.

The Mrs is off to Gambia in little over a week, and I not sure now who is more nervous, me or her. One thing for certain after her yellow fever jab and the pain she has been left in I am not so certain I could ever go. These nurses are butchers.

It is such a shame she has decided to go through Cheltenham week - my resolve to not go, or at least not have any time off work for this years festival is slipping slightly, in fact is slipping a lot - I can feel at least the Thursday and Friday off work coming.

Following that is The Specials at the Albert Hall, the night before flying to Vegas. The Specials have stated this will be the only UK gig this year, which is disappointing but at least I get to "Skank" about one more time.

I have been convinced for some time that I would be playing a WPT event in Vegas, now I am not sure if the calendar has changed or if I just got my dates mixed up, but its the Venetian Deepstack festival instead, which is nice - to ask for staking for 50% is the question ?????

Tickets for Smackdown (don't ask), Jones vs Hopkins, and a few shows all confirmed. I have to say I am very excited.

Glastonbury line up begins to take shape, with Faithless self confirming, Stevie Wonder (didn't imagine I would ever see him), as well as The Craig Charles Fantasy Funk Band, Adrian Edmondson & the Bad Shepherds as two names that leap off the page, not forgetting Steve Harley (Saturday Avalon), Wolfmother, Levellers and loads more.

Random thoughts from the weekend, why even bother trying to beat Man Utd when you don't get the ref playing to the rules, who gives a crap that it was in the first few minutes - but hey as Tight Mate is a Villa fan we are not that bothered :)

Aaron Ramsey, what can you say, such an unfortunate incident, and to be honest seeing Shawcross's reaction affected me more then seeing the leg at a funny angle. Long term I fear for the effect on the club, Ramsey was nailed on to fill Cesc's boots next season, now Mr Wenger might have to buy.

The announcement of the Arsenal profit figure last week was a relief, but after 7 minutes of Saturdays game all I could think was "Profit does not defend a Delap throw in".

10 games, 10 wins required, simple.

Had a nice coupon on Saturday, 5 results, trebles, fours and a accum. When Ipswich scored the winner in the 93rd minute I had a little run round the living room, had a little boast on MSN, as to my golden luck in sports betting, all I needed was an Arsenal win for a decent pay day.

After the Ramsey incident I was as pumped as Sol Campbell when the 2nd and 3rd goals went in. Drinking in celebration Saturday night before a good fry up Sunday and a read of the papers before into the city to claim my fortune . . . imagine my surprise when reading the reports to find the Ipswich game finished 0-0 - seems that last minute winner was disallowed - was Dean Windass taking the piss on Soccer Saturday?

tl;dr

2010-02-04T13:13:00.000-08:00

Well it seems that this blog has almost run its course – don’t think I will ever take it down, after all I started it for me, but lack of Poker makes AD a dull boy.

I have little inclination to update and to be honest I only pen this entry because I sit at work mid a 18 hour shift training people how to use a computer system they have little interest in – thrilling but it does ensure I get a whole day off tomorrow.

The year so far has seen me officially start my new job, which has gone well. I am trying to be slightly more hard nosed then in previous positions, out of necessity and for the protection of my team, so far so good, and the team seem to appreciate it. With the Big R raising its head again yesterday I was just very happy that none of my team are pooled this time.

Personally it has been a strange few weeks, I have been busy at work and lived through those dark anniversaries again, and to be honest they have been better then many recent years - I feel for Fran, and don’t know what to say but he knows we are there, more I cannot do.

Early Jan true to form saw Mrs Kor hit a true period of mania, we coped and as the cycle didn’t dive straight into depression we did well I feel. We are both making more of an effort to enjoy each others company, and as we have both worked stupid hours for the year so far we have tried to enjoy ourselves where possible.

Gigs, in recent weeks I have seen Wolfmother and Jamie T. Now I have seen both these acts before, while Wolfmother have grown into something wonderful, an expression of loud noise, backed with talent and enthusiasm, Jamie T has become the ringmaster of the chav circus.

Wolfmother’s set was indulgent, loud and fun. They played for over 90 minutes from 2 albums, interacted with the crowd and left me feeling all was good with the world. Jamie T seems to have gone nowhere in 2 years. Jamie has hardened the classic tunes from Panic Prevention into a Strummer influenced maze of pain. I am not sure what he wants to be. The tunes still have that wonderful anthemic quality, but are now laced with so much aggression all the fun has gone. I can understand the aggression as the kids love him, and they seem to show an aggression not unlike that seen at a early Madness reunion gig, or a late Happy Mondays gig. Also 55 minutes from 2 albums is not good enough, £17 that cost.

Tomorrow is a huge day in gig world, the Teenage Cancer Trust gigs go on sale, Noel, Artic Monkeys, Specials are all on offer at the Albert Hall, but I have tried many times in the past and failed, one time – also Gogol Bordello tickets at the UEA, now that will be M>A>D.

Mrs Kor has booked a holiday to the Gambia in early March for her and a mate and we both head to Vegas 30th March. Thanks to FatWallet.com we managed to get 6 nights in the best room the Nugget has to offer to mortals and 3 nights with fountain view at the Bellagio, and to be honest it would cost more to stay at Yarmouth for 2 weeks, just slightly more in fuel. We also think we have tickets for the Hopkins vs Jones fight, AC/DC and Matt Goss (don’t ask), somehow I have avoided Wreslemania, Bette Midler, Cher and Barry Manilow (Matt Goss is a small price to pay).

I have not seen Mrs Kor as excited in a very long time, if I can get her a Specials ticket in the morning I might get more boyfriend points then you can add up on your fingers and toes.

Poker has been non existent, a few very small sessions and then I found Rush Poker on Full Tilt. Made for short sessions look it up, it is simply brilliant. After blowing though $100 in no time I have now played all levels, spun up, down, and up. I am trying to grind a little cash at 25/50 but as I sit hear I have no idea when I will play again – hopefully before playing the WPT event in Vegas. Just a side event, but even so I cannot wait; I must get to DtD before then.

Anyway lets end on a tale of woe and laziness. Football betting, going out with some mates last Friday and losing £80 in a car park before we even start, I pop into laddies as I am early and pissed off at the £80. Now I always do my footy bets on Betfair 6 team accumulator and trebles and 4’s etc from the same selection. Laddies have introduced a coupon I pick my 6 teams all 11/5 draws, but you have to make out one line for each bet so, I tick the trebles box safe in the knowledge I will do the others on Betfair in the morning, because right now avoiding the snow and early for mates I cannot be bothered. 1 slight hangover, a trip into the city to get an abandoned car (still no £80) and I forget or am too tight to blow my Betfair roll. By the time the Newcastle game finishes at 7pm we have 5 winners and a non-runner. My trebles return about 32/1, I have not worked out what the 5 fold would be, or the 4 ways but I guess I would have got my £80 back. What a lazy git.

Peace.