The End Of The Naughties

So we have goodbye to the naughties (00s) and enter a new decade.
Before we consign the 00s into the past lets have a look what has happened as I give my take on the decade.
This decade I grew up from a 13 year old spotty teenager into a slightly less spotty 23 year old man.
The year 2000 began with plenty of fireworks and a sense of optimism, but it was the same kind of optimism everyone gave New Labour in 1997 and it soon became sour. The music in 2000 was awful - sorry there is no other word for it, it just was.
The only highlights I can remember is the return of New Order with their track "Brutal" featured on The Beach soundtrack, a decent U2 album and err... not much else. This was the era of Steps, Westlife, Abba Teens (if you don't remember these then lucky you), A1, bad trance and the rebirth of contemporary R&B which pollutes todays charts. It was crap then too.
I bought Oasis' half-arsed effort with the much-hyped then-new lineup "Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants" a 5/10 effort, new-metal was just kicking off which I never really got into (with a few exceptions...)

I guess I should be thankful that 2000 never really had much tragedy, 2001 was slightly better although you can't really say 2001 was a good year for obvious reasons. I was in a Business Studies lesson at the time wrapping up the day, I got home and it was on BBC News 24. It was quite a surreal experience, I had only been on a plane 2 days earlier returning from Ibiza on a family holiday.

2002 was a blast, as Sumner said "it was a special time for me".
I was in a band for the first time since The Boysi, the summer wasn't too bad either although unfortunately I did flirt with being a "mosher" for a while thankfully this only lasted a year or so.
By 2004 I was back into indie music just as it was making its big comeback into the charts with new bands such as Keane, Bloc Party, Kaiser Chiefs and Razorlight.
Like the 90s, in my opinion most of the best music from this decade came from the middle period, 2004-2006, with a lul towards the end, although at least in 2009 there is Bad Lieutenant and White Lies, though sadly in 2007 New Order split (3 of the members starting Bad Lieutenant).

It is with a degree of optimism that I move into 2010, like most people, because there isn't really any other option. For some reason I do feel hopeful that things will change though for the better. I just hope it isn't a repeat of the false hope of 99/2000 and indeed New Labour.

ALBUMS OF THE DECADE
====================

2000
AFI - The Art Of Drowning.
Coldplay - Parachutes.
Jamiroquai - Synkronised.
Queens Of The Stone Age - Rated R.
Rival Schools - United By Fate.
U2 - All That You Can't Leave Behind.

2001
New Order - Get Ready.
Papa Roach - Infest.
Starsailor - Love Is Here.
Strokes - Is This It.
Zero 7 - Simple Things.

2002
A - Hi-Fi Serious.
Foo Fighters - One By One.
Supergrass - Life On Other Planets.
David Bowie - Heathen.
Incubus - Morning View.
System Of A Down - Toxicity.

2003
Athlete - Vehicles & Animals.
Hell Is For Heroes - The Neon Handshake.

2004
Graham Coxon - Happiness In Magazines.
Hives - Tyrannosaurus Hives.

2005
Arcade Fire - Funeral.
Athlete - Tourist.
Bloc Party - Silent Alarm.
Coldplay - X & Y.
Depeche Mode - Playing The Angel.
Gorillaz - Demon Days.
Kaiser Chiefs - Employment.
Kasabian - Kasabian.
Maximo Park - A Certain Trigger.
New Order - Waiting For The Sirens' Call.
Paul Weller - As Is Now.
Tom Vek - We Have Sound.

2006
Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I Am Not.
Go! Team - Thunder, Lightning, Strike!
Kooks - Inside In / Inside Out.

2007
Arcade Fire - The Neon Bible.
Smashing Pumpkins - Zeitgeist.

2008
Foals - Antidotes.
Supergrass - Diamond Hoo Haa.

2009
Bad Lieutenant - Never Cry Another Tear.
Empire Of The Sun - Walking On A Dream.
White Lies - White Lies.



I will sign off wishing all a happy new year!

New Computer

The end of the year is getting nearer and nearer but first I thought I would post something from my new 21.5" iMac :-)

I will post a review of it with some photos in the New Year.

Favourites From 2009

Favourite Albums: White Lies (self-titled), Bad Lieutenant - Never Cry Another Tear
Favourite Gigs: Kaiser Chiefs @ Liverpool Echo Arena, 3.3.09 & Bad Lieutenant & The Ritz Manchester 22.10.09
Favourite Single: White Lies - To Lose My Life
Favourite Music Video: Passion Pit - The Reeling
Favourite TV: Red Dwarf - Easter Specials, Peep Show Series 6.
Favourite Film: Juno

Band To Look Out For In 2010: Delphic

Factory Lives On

So I await with a degree of trepidation and excitement the re-opening of FAC 251 an "indie rock night club & live venue". Brilliant!

A Factory Club in 2010 in the hands of Peter Hook. Bring it on.

Christmas Wishes

Wishing everyone a happy Christmas! That is all X

Bad Lieutenant Good Show #2

Bad Lieutenant did another great show last night although the sound in the M.E.N. wasn't as good as the nice intimate Ritz where I seen then last.
They did a shorter set of 9 songs, notable absences were Twist Of Fate and Poisonous Intent (shocking!) but they did the 12" mix of Bizaare Love Triangle instead of the acoustic and kept in favourites Crystal, Sink Or Swim & Temptation.

Barney thanked everyone for braving the weather which was nice after nearly dying on the M62 and ungritted roads of Manchester, and I decided to stick around for the Pet Shop Boys who put on a good show.

Crap seats though.

Gig Pics

Thanks to everyone who could make it to the Jekyll & Hyde gig. Here are some of the images (thanks to Panic Promotions & Academy Images). Click to enlarge.





The reaction was mooted due to poor attendance which is normal when it is acoustic night, we still managed to get a fair few people in to watch and we got some applause. It's just a shame Reappa forgot the lyrics. Never mind it was an interesting experiment and I would say it worked well (and the Panic Promotions reviewer seems to agree).

Due to Christmas and so on it will probably be the only live performance from me for a while, plus I will be beavering with the new band and finishing my first solo album so it's not like I will be idle! Believe me, most nights I am working on something music related.

I will have the solo album out and at least a couple more gigs in the new year, thanks for the support