andresworld.co.uk

Right, I promise (myself mainly) to be a bit more up too date with these updates (its all in the name I suppose).

So, what have the past 2-3 months had to offer. Well, as far as updates are concerned its been a dozen weeks of not a great deal punctuated by gigs and birthdays. So like some TOTP-esque countdown (derr duh der de de de de), here we go….

Coming in at No.7 is a visit to Leicester’s Charlotte to see Cut Off Your Hands (in support) and Foals. COYH were an incredibly friendly bunch, and I felt extra cool having had a chat with them at the merch stall before the gig. Funny really, but for some reason I wouldn’t have expected them to be running their own merch stall. I think all the praise and column inches Derek Davies of GWFAS has given them over the past 12 months has lifted them higher in my estimation as to where they really are in the ‘making it big’ rat race of the music industry.

I thought I’d scored twice having spotted the lead singer of Foals and approached a sufficiently indie looking gentleman only to the response of “oh, you want him over there, but my band are playing here next week…”. I said I’d definitely come and made a swift exit. I blame it on the generic fringe across the forehead haircuts…

To cut a short story shorter, Eskimo Hoax were a bit to out there for me, as Willy said, its almost as if we were expected to all sit down on the floor and clap politely after each song. Cut Off Your Hands were a fresh of breath air in contrast and the highlight of the evening, despite their short set of only 6 songs induced by the lead singers throat infection. A darned shame if you ask me. Finally Foals came on to a rapturous applause and suddenly things all got a bit feisty, there was pit and pogoing galore, unfortunately to the detriment of Jam who ended up with a blooded nose. The whole scene was in stark contrast to the previous week’s visit to see Sons and Daughters, here in Leicester the Skins kids were out in force and sales of Coca Cola were through the roof.

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|Video: Cut off Your Hands – Still Fond|

The Birthday Boy

Coming in No.6 is Mr. Ben Sharratt’s 23rd Birthday meal out at the Friar Gate Steak House. And all very nice it was too. Our second civilised birthday outing for the boys in the same month, but this time with greater numbers, its a wonder we all managed to fit in the place.

In any case the waitress and chef managed to deal with us raucous bunch of lads with ease and the meals were delivered on time and cooked brilliantly. After that the hardcore bunch (yes that did include me you cynical gits) headed off to Mosh for some indie schmidie dancing and a prancing.

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Asta la Vista Baby

Closely following in at No. 5 is a geek weekend away in Leeds where Dan and I upgraded his PC, and the played games all weekend. Yes, we are incredibly sad, but then it was incredibly good fun – and great to see Dan and Lizzie again of course (ahem).

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How can four guys sitting down make people dance so much?

At No.4 is gig number two, this time a trip down to Tamworth with Pete Jackson (of Pete Stock fame), to see those ageing folk punk rockers The Levellers in the Drunk in Public guise with Rev Hammer. My Levellers gig going had dried up in recent years compared to my infamous groupy like behaviour at school so this gig was a welcome return to the old days – I even had my dad pushing me about from behind in the mosh. Yes, a mosh pit, at a folk gig, WITH A VIOLIN, with lots of old people who look as if they’re all from the West Country. That’s just a testament to how good these guys are.

Just a shame everyone used Rev’s songs as a fag/beer/piss break.

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Consoles and Players

The New Year brought us some post-christmas with the welcome return of Consoles and Players to the gigging circuit. So in at No.3 is the Consoles and Players gig at Night ‘n Day on the 4th of January. It was great to see the boys play again and I am still eternally grateful for their performance at Petestock. Mike was in good spirits after 6 months in France, but it was just a shame the Night ‘n Day isn’t really conducive to catch-up chats – nor is it for camera captured movies, all fuzz I’m afraid.

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My photography has some way to go I think.

And for No. 2 we have the latest batch of recruits to the ‘getting old and we know it’ brigade. Holly and Ruth turned 23 on the 19th and saw the midnight hour of the 18th in with lots of cheese music and a collection of recently graduated and jubilant students. Mind you as a teacher and accountant respectively I’d say they were growing old with dignity (the clock is ticking Andy…)

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Four of the last 23 years in the North take their toll on Dan

In at No. 1 on this Andresworld mega round-up is Dan’s 23rd Birthday! The first time all the housemates were back together since Petestock and a great opportunity for everyone to catch up. Needless to say Dan hit it big on the Friday night, almost a little too big. But he was back for Wii and more on Saturday and Sunday – there was just no stopping him.

Muchas Gracias to Dan and Lizzie for putting me and everyone up for the time we stayed – they even bought us bacon, eggs and mushrooms for our fry up on Saturday morning!

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*Sadly any DJ Wildchild reference could not make it into the body post.