Film - The Devil and Daniel Webster

Recently we got the film The Devil & Daniel Webster as a rental from Lovefilm (Amazon Prime), which is from 1941...

The film is actually about the farmer Jabez Stone who, after being in debt and having hardship with the farm, says that he would sell his soul to the devil for two cents to make everything better.

Suddenly the character Mr Scratch appears, who is obviously a human looking version of Satan himself!

He suddenly makes money appear from basically nowhere in the stables!  Infinite money.  Jabez accepts this offer!

The film then shows the gradual way that money can corrupt people, and in this case Jabez, who turns into a selfish egotist who builds power, whilst at the same time pushing away his wife.

There is a clause that the offer Mr Scratch makes is for a limited time, and Jabez tries at the end of this time to renege on this deal, to which Mr Scratch says that it was a contract signed in blood.

Jabez asks the politician Daniel Webster to stand as counsel in a trial on this matter, which the politician agrees to...

Now, I liked the film to a point, but I found it to take a long time to get where it was going, and the whole reasoning that Daniel Webster uses in the trial is incredibly irritating to me - "no American should be victim to such a contract," as if the fact that he's an American makes him more important than anyone else.  There needed to be more to it than this!  In fact, if I remember rightly, it was even said how he was more worthy than a common slave, which I found incredibly unsettling!

I'd have liked the argument to be more along the lines of "no one, no matter who, should be held to a contract such as this."  But it needed to be more than that even.  It was another case of a big build up leading to a damp squib ending!

Lengthwise, I thought the film would have made a fabulous Twilight Zone episode, but in this case it sort of drags, but that might just be me, and I was tired whilst watching it, and fighting dropping off! 

Decent film, but I'll just give it three and a half out of five!

Photographs taken whilst watching the film...

Crues And Crews

Hi there *waves*

Here we are then on November the fifth (Bonfire Night tonight), and I'm trying to avoid mentioning that specific time of the year coming up...

Yes, my birthday is three weeks from today, and I will be on a week of holiday time then!

So, I've actually been off since Saturday, and today is Thursday, and I am happy that I will have done a few things with the time off, but am also peeved that I didn't get any visiting in.

Please don't take it badly though when I say that visiting pales into insignificance somewhat when compared to my Tuesday night!  You will understand why as you read on!  The title is a clue!

Let me see how my aging (44 years worth for the next few weeks) memory recall works shall we?

Hmm, Saturday?

I'm not really sure about Saturday...  I think that me and Louise might have stayed in and had a lazy day of watching films and bits on the telly.  Something we will have to find more time for as there are two DVDs needing to be watched from our Amazon Prime membership (what was LoveFilm before the Amazon people bought them out - now we gets unlimited DVD rentals, free online streaming, and free postage on Amazon orders for the price of what we had with LoveFilm).

Sunday was a trip to Rufford Park, where we inevitably got our cameras out.  Louise accidentally deleted all of her photographs by selecting the wrong option so, because I love her, we went again on the Monday.  On the Monday, as I parked up at Rufford Park, the handbrake came all the way up too quickly - I suspected then that the brake cable had stretched - an assumption proved later when we parked back up near home and I had to leave the car in gear.  I had better get that sorted, when I can get out of bed early enough!

So, I've explained Sunday and Monday there then - quick work made of that hey!

Monday night however was a pain.  Because of that brake problem and the fact that the car had the clutch bracket weld-fixed recently, I was very worried about my duties as "taxi driver" for the Tuesday night happening.  The worries were also that I had no idea where I was picking these people up from, and would only find out on Tuesday morning by contacting them on Facebook.  I could not sleep for the life of me!  I eventually got out of bed and looked up a variety of things that might help me out, such as road maps to Manchester, the BBC news 24 channel, and other stuff like that, whilst also trying to calm myself down.

I eventually dropped off a bit after 5 I think, and then I woke up around 10.  I found out where and when we were meeting up - a lovely village near to Worksop, which I reached by getting off the A1 at Blyth.  Pick up at 4.30.  My friend Skid said that I should follow him, as I could not find my satnav for love or money, as per usual!  When I don't need it I seem to find it!  Next time I find it accidentally, I'm taking it straight to the car and leaving it in the boot!

I decided to go back to bed for some sleep, and woke up at about two o'clock in the afternoon.  At that point I quickly got a shower, and all of that malarkey, went out to Morrison's for some food bits, and just about had time to eat a slice of quiche and have a drink before leaving for the meet up.

I know, the picture gives it all away!

I got to Skid's around half past four, after realising fairly quickly that I had gone the wrong way - it's tricky driving and reading instructions on my phone's notebook app thingy.

From there we drove to pick up the two people I was taking, Richard and, oh heck I'm sorry, was it Claire?  I feel awful forgetting now!  Then we drove to a garage in Anston (up the road from the Butterfly Park that me and Louise have been to a couple of times), where both I and Skid filled up our cars for the journey.  Skid was taking his sister Michelle, his brother Jeff, and their mate Rob (who I remember from the days when Skid owned the Frog & Nightgown pub in Worksop).

The traffic getting to Manchester was horrendous, and it ended up taking about two and a half hours to get there!  The doors were opening at six o'clock for a concert where the main act was Motley Crue, supported by Alice Cooper!  I was so excited to say the least!

The legend that is Alice Cooper!

I first heard Motley Crue when my friend David Cooper had bought their second album Shout At The Devil in 1983.  The other day I thought it was their debut album Too Fast For Love, but realised that it was later than 1981.  It's shocking to think that it was so long ago now, but life is a passage of time isn't it!

Alice with one of his snakes!

 I eventually bought a copy of each of those albums on tape cassette, and loved them!  When their third album, Theater Of Pain came out, we lapped it up!  Their music video for Smoking In The Boys Room was all over music television!  Back in those days, one of the television stations had a music programme on from around midnight or one in the morning until, I think, five in the morning when Breakfast Television started.  We recorded it so that we could put the VHS video on and watch, whilst fast forwarding through stuff we weren't bothered about.  The programme was called Music Box, and it was awesome to see videos and live performances on there by artists such as Motley Crue, Scorpions, Bon Jovi, and so many more!

More from the Alice Cooper performance

I'd always wanted to see Motley Crue live, but it remained one of those pie in the sky things!  I'd also always fancied seeing Alice Cooper live.  Me and my friend Andy both got hold of a live concert DVD of Alice Cooper live, and it was incredible with all of the theatricality and everything going on!

So, the tickets said 6pm for the doors opening, and we turned up a little after 7pm.  Not great at all.  I like to be early for concerts when I go to them, but what they hey!

During the time between booking the tickets and the concert itself, poor Michelle had unfortunately broken her leg, so we had to go to the help desk in the venue first and see if we could get her into seating somewhere, as she had a standing only ticket.  The back up was for us to swap tickets, as by the time I was able to sort out tickets on the Ticketmaster site, there were only seats available - I had been trying from the moment that they became available!  It took me two hours to sort my ticket out!

As it turned out though, Michelle was reassigned to what is called The White Room, which was a VIP area at the Manchester Arena.  As luck turned out, that meant that me and Michelle technically swapped tickets, and I got the standing area as opposed to my seat.

 

Alice Cooper had just finished performing the classic eighties rock song Poison as we were about to go in.  However, we still caught, erm, seven of his songs I think it was, and it was amazing!  His band were absolutely red hot, and his voice was in incredible shape!  The drama and theatricality was far better live than on a DVD, obviously.  Alice seemingly had his head chopped off on a guillotine, was experimented on to create a giant Alice monster along the lines of Frankenstein (for Feed My Frankenstein surprisingly), School's Out was fabulous - an absolute classic of a song, and Alice's escape from the strait jacket was great as well.  Fabulous performance, great staging, wonderful drama - an amazing showman!  A concert of that would have been a night to remember on it's own, but this night was going to be even more special!

Nikki Sixx above the audience! *not taken by me -
I did take a photo, but can't find it!*

After a fair bit of time setting up the stage, during which I joked to Skid that we'd have fired anyone who took that long between sets at The Frog & Nightgown, music started playing - some classical piece I believe, was it Carmina Burana?  Then the Crue came on.  The set was fabulous, including such greats as Shout At The Devil, Smoking In The Boy's Room, Dr Feelgood (one of my favourites), Kickstart My Heart...  So many fantastic songs!

Lead singer Vince Neil was on fantastic form, his voice was perfect throughout, and his repartee with the audience was so good!  An absolute star, as they all were.  Mick Mars on guitar was a legend.  His playing was astonishing, especially for a live performance, mesmerizing.  Nikki Sixx was also amazing to watch.  I get fed up of the whole thing that a lot of high brow bassists seem to have against metal and most rock bass players!  They play what is needed for the songs!  Also, in Nikki's case, he writes the majority of their songs anyway.

Tommy Lee on his roller-coaster drum kit - LEGEND!!!

Tommy Lee on drums...  Well...  His "roller-coaster drum kit" was the thing of legend!

There was a roller-coaster type of structure set up to go from where his drums were on the stage and over everybody in the audience along the middle of the arena to around three-quarters of the way towards the back of the auditorium.  It is rises and falls in the structure, and the gimble it was on rotated over a full 360 degrees, so that at times he was playing whilst it was upside down!

Of course he was strapped onto the drum chair, so that he couldn't fall off, and it was absolutely beyond words!  So cool, and so Tommy Lee!!!  It was breathtaking to watch him perform his drum solo section like that.  I caught two minutes and 51 seconds of footage before my phone memory ran out - thank you Apple for not giving it's users a way to expand the memory on there with a memory card slot!

After Tommy's solo section, Mick Mars did an amazing solo section himself that once again was beyond words!  Their version of Anarchy In The UK was a fabulous cover version.  Nikki's story about his upbringing and how it shows that people can reach their dreams was incredibly inspiring, and his obvious love for the other three members was wonderful to hear and see.

Vince (vocal) and Tommy (piano) -
intimate stage for Home Sweet Home.

I get the impression that there is a sort of sadness to their finishing, but they are finishing on the terms that they are all fantastic friends, which is a great thing in itself.  I don't actually believe that these will be their final concerts, because there is a great feeling of camaraderie there, but possibly their last tour, maybe - more likely that in the future there will be concerts here and there because they might miss it all!  Anyway, that is conjecture.

The bit where Nikki and Vince both went onto separate lifts to go over the audience was amazing as well, made even more so by Nikki stopping a few feet above our heads, whereupon he three a number of plectrums towards us.  Skid picked the four of them up, kept one for himself, and gave me, Jeff, and Rob one each - amazing!  Something that I will treasure forever!!!  He looked incredible on there, and it just added to the whole incredible show that they put on!

Nikki Sixx on the small intimate stage for Home Sweet Home.

At the end they was a little breather, while they made their way to the stage that was not-so-secretly set up three quarters towards the back of the arena, near to where we where in actual fact - we moved slightly, and I got some footage and photos of them performing the last song, which was the beautiful song Home Sweet Home.

An absolutely amazing concert!

After that I went to customer service to get my ticket back, as they take the ticket away from you and give you a wrist thing to stop you from leaving the venue and trying to resell your ticket.  Strange...  Everywhere else just rips the stub off the tickets.  Oh well, I got a standing ticket back, but I'm not completely sure if it is the exact same one!

I was hoping to get a group photograph of all of us together, but it didn't happen!  A shame...  I'm looking at future concerts for us to attend together!

Mick Mars, Motley Crue guitarist (gigwise.com)

*now continuing to write on the 6th of November*

We started making our way back, once again with me following Skid, the man with the SatNav!

It was funny in a way, because once again I was moving lanes in anticipation based on what Richard at the side of me was saying, during the times when he hadn't dropped off!  This time though, Skid was having problems with his SatNav losing signal.  We went around that much that I joked about being peeved at us not seeing Coronation Street while we were there because we had seen so much of Manchester!  We hadn't really - I was exaggerating!

Motley Crue (gigwise.com)

The fog on the way back was horrendous.  I think we had gone through Woodboro (?) when Skid's car stopped for the guys to spend a penny!  When we got near to the village we were heading towards for the drop offs, Skid's car suddenly pulled over, with us at the back doing likewise, and while we were wondering what was going on, our query was answered - Rob's head popped out of the quickly opened back door, and the wonderful sight of him vomiting told us everything that we needed to know!

Richard suggested that we carry on, as we were only a few minutes or so away from his place.  I moved off and pulled up to the side of Skid, whereupon Richard explained everything.  We all said our goodbyes.  I'd have liked time to try and get a picture at Skid's, but it was very late - due to the fog we took it easier, so I dropped them off a little before 2am I suppose, and I carried on, stopping at McDonald's on the exit for Retford for a coffee to keep me going that little bit further - a freebie with one of my many tokens filled with stickers!

I came off at the junction for Newark, but found that the roundabout that led to had the Newark exit blocked off - thank you Highways Agency for such wonderful signs to warn us drivers of these things!  I got off the A1 later, eventually reaching home a little before 3am I think it was.  I was thinking 4am, but that can't be right!

Alice Cooper (gigwise.com)

I was greeted with a cup of tea and some peanut butter sandwiches.  Eventually I dropped off at some time around five I think, but was woken by the doorbell at a quarter to ten in the morning - our ex-neighbour who had accidentally left the wrong address on some eBay orders, which explained the parcels that had been arriving!  Oh well, I was awake now!  Once I am woken, I have almost no chance of getting back to sleep, especially where we live in the dead centre of town!

I got breakfast and made both myself and Louise a cup of tea (one each of course, not a shared cup).

I was doing some internet stuff on my phone, catching up with the responses to the photographs and videos that I had posted on Social Media, as well as seeing what everyone else was saying!

Whilst I was at the concert with Skid, we had discussed something about shutter speeds on cameras, so I mentioned it to Louise, and then we thought about going to Rufford Park again - well, why not?!?!?!  It's close, not too tiring really, so it would be okay with the little sleep that I had!

More photographs were taken, but I personally didn't capture what I wanted to.  Great Tits were still too flaming fast at getting bits of food from the feeding tables, and flying birds were still a relative pain to photograph!

After that we went home and watched a few bits and pieces, and we eventually went to bed.

Thursday the 6th of November saw us going to see the Ballet Theatre UK production of The Snow Queen at the Palace Theatre in Newark-on-Trent - about five minutes walk from us, if not less in fact!

Me dressed up for the ballet

My sweetheart just after the ballet
at the Palace Theatre in Newark.

We have seen other ballets and plays at that theatre, and are actually part of the "Friends of the Palace" scheme that they have going - we pay an annual charge, and for that we get discounts, and also special offers such as the after show party for The Mousetrap earlier in the year.  Great perks!

The performance by the group from Hinkley in Leicestershire was once again outstanding.  They had chosen some great pieces of music to tell the story with, and the performance was beautiful!

Another lovely night out.  We are both surprised that a photograph of us there got an amazing amount of likes on the internet, but that's social network for you.  Something that Louise doesn't like very much, but here was a case where she didn't mind the picture going online.  I am a social network junkie to a certain degree, and am irritated that I don't get more of a chance to partake of it.

Anyway, that is basically my time off.

Me and my sweetheart at the Palace Theatre in Newark.

Here I am at work now on the Friday day shift after being awake since Thursday morning.  Luckily it isn't a driving shift, or I an may other perhaps, would be dead from my falling asleep at the wheel!  As it happens, I haven't dropped off yet, but I do seem to have an incredibly short fuse that I'm finding difficult to rein in, and there are other issues related to sleep deprivation affecting me such as stomach problems, slowness, a pounding head, and more!

I will see if I can catch a very few z's when I get home!

Anyway, that's one heck of a trawl you've done there reading all of that!

Thank you for reading, and please take care.

Friday November 6th 2015, (44 years, 11 months, and 11 days old).

Rock n Roll, No Swindle

Hi, I hope this finds you well.

So, the three months of the 50/90 songwriting challenge came and went.  My part therein was barely noticeable in my opinion. I felt terrible about not only my work rate on there being low, but most of all with my not getting much listening, reading, or commenting done!

I got a bit of work done, but it didn't work anywhere near the level I'd expected prior to July the fourth!

Now we are into October, and I am feeling terrible about my not showing up on the post 50/90 thing known as Rocktober - record and post up cover versions.

I say that, but I have started work on something very very different, although I may get some backlash for changing a Bob Dylan piece in 6/8 to a synth song in standard 4/4 time!

Anyway...

I'm already looking at what the date is and I'm thinking "am I really going to be 45 years old in about six weeks?" I'll tell you what, I don't feel like it! Not a lot of the time anyway!

What does it matter?

I was listening to my iTunes songs on random at work the other night and Gimme All Your Lovin' by ZZ Top came on. 1983... I think my first taste of it was a bit before the summer holidays perhaps?

I was still 12 at that point, and I would be 13 later that year.  Uptown Girl by Billy Joel was around the same time I think, and both songs had very distinctive and sort of similar music videos - girls! 

My taste in music was beginning to build up.  I was aware of the aesthetic in the videos but, and I know this will sound strange to some, but the music for me was the thing!

ZZ Top were and still are an incredible boogie Texas blues band with incredible chops.  I know that some of the diehard fans cringe at the "pop" sheen of that period, but they still rocked big style!

Billy Joel was showcasing a fabulously retro soulful thing at that time with little nods to fifties rock n roll.

In so many ways I still have that sense of wonder when I hear something new that I like, and that hasn't diminished over the years, unlike my hairline!  I don't think that I've changed in some ways, but in others I have... Thankfully!

Over the time since then I've discovered so much great music, seen so many things, met so many people, and have experienced so much.

I remember the Berlin Wall being demolished and how I was spellbound to see that on the television, 9-11 was so horrifically terrible, and I wasn't completely sure of what I was seeing at first...

So many things!

In a way it's tough to look at the "age thing" and be able to accept it- the passage of time.

However, if I look at that passage of time, or what my pathetic memory allows me to look at, I sort of have a sense of "wow, I've made it so far, and I've been through so much!"  Also, where I am isn't so bad in the scheme of things!

I'm not where I thought I would be, but I think that I am a relatively decent person that's been shaped by all of these events, and by the love that I have in my life from Louise.  Who I have become was determined by all of those things, and I am happy about who I am as a person!

I still like to rock out though, so if I don't catch you beforehand, then we will catch up after I see Motley Crue and Alice Cooper on November the 3rd :-)

Thanks for reading, and please take care.

Wednesday 14th of October 2015 at 02.10 am in my living room on a night off - 44 years, 10 months, and 18 days old.

The Way Things Are

Hey all *waves*

I know, it's been a long time! A very long time!

My work has been all driving for the past couple of months, which however interesting, is also something that makes finding time to bits and pieces even more tricky.

When I was sat on sites doing security work, it was easy to find the time in between the work.  Driving though makes it nigh on impossible.

We are just over half way through September of 2015 now, which a couple of weeks prior to the end of the Fifty Ninety songwriting challenge - ninety days from July 4th to October 1st in which to write fifty songs.

The "fifty songs" thing isn't so important, but rather the fun that comes from writing and recording songs - something completely new that you have done yourself!

My output this year has been lacking in many ways, mostly due to my work.

When I worked on sites during these challenges, I would be listening and commenting on other people's output, and also doing my own stuff.  Even if not, I would be okay to find time at home to do some writing and recording.

I feel as though I am letting other participants down with my near invisibility.  I don't want to be like that at all.

I was planning a few things during the challenge, but just don't have the time.

We shall see what happens.

I will carry on with taking part as much as I can, and hopefully get at least one or two more pieces out!

A "corpse piece" I've been working on is incredibly time consuming.  Trying to work on something where I've got four electric guitars, seven acoustic guitars, bass guitar, piano, organ, synth, drums, and vocals recorded is taking an age to put together.

A "corpse" in this case is something where each person does a section of something based on the last bit of someone else's piece and then carried the baton over to the next person.

This one however is called a Progressive piece, and I'm trying to go all out with it!

I've not installed ProTools yet, and it's actually a bad copy that someone got hold of for me. I thought it was the real deal, but it's a dodgy copy.

If things get flush, then I might have to bite the bullet and pay full price.

I have other bits I've done, but they need transferring.

Anyway, I'm being called away.  Such is life when your other half hardly sees you.

Sorry for moaning.

I think I might book two weeks holiday for FAWM (February Album Writing Month)?

Thanks for reading. Take care.

September 19th 3015 (44 years, 9 months, and 24 days old).

(links to be added later)

Chris Squire - Rest In Peace

Hi, how are you?

I thought that, unlike my usual self, I would write a relatively short blog post this time.

It is just because the time isn't easy to find these days, plus there is already a lot out there about the passing of Yes bassist and founder member Chris Squire.

On Sunday the 28th of June 2015, the world heard that Chris Squire, bassist, vocalist, and founder member of Yes had died after a battle with leukemia.

Yes were one of those bands that were placed under the banner of "Progressive Rock", which I suppose they were to a degree.  All I know is that they are incredibly special, and Chris's contribution to music can never and should never be ignored in any way.

Much as people see bass players such as John Entwistle, Jaco Pastorius, and other such luminaries as figurehead icons who pushed the boundaries of the bass guitar, Chris himself was just the same.  His playing was absolute perfection, whilst striding that line of lead bass almost that Entwistle too was known for!  At the same time however, Chris Squire had an incredible voice to go with it, and his songwriting was out of this world.

He spearheaded the group's experiments into time signatures, tempo changes, genre-straddling, and absolutely unbelievable vocal harmonising (I've Seen All Good People, etc), bringing such wonders as moments of folk-tinged parts in say 13/8 suddenly going into all-out rocking with four to the floor, and other such weirdness, most of the time-changes and key changing at the time being more akin to jazz than anything else.

They were never afraid to try anything!

That's how the group have material that is so diverse, you have songs that range from the likes I just mentioned in pieces like Roundabout and Heart Of The Sunrise, to incredible dalliances in pop such as the classic Owner Of A Lonely Heart and Hearts (neither of which being actually as straight forward pop as they may seem to some upon first listen).

I actually came to Yes late in the day.

Owner Of A Lonely Heart was on the radio, and I thought that it was absolutely amazing!  Everything that is going on in that song, the syncopation, the changes...  Everything is immaculate, and it was like nothing that I remember having heard before then.

It was October of 1983 when the song was released, and I became 13 in November of that year.

Up until then my taste was pretty much shaped by my family, but I was starting to be influenced by others around me.  I had begun to get an interest in bands like Iron Maiden, AC/DC, and others from kids at school.

One of my friends had some of the older Yes material on record, and there was something about them that was incredibly relaxing in a way I suppose - I just found it so easy to get into surprisingly.  Going For The One and Relayer were two albums I remember him owning, and they had so much going for them.

Once I left school I bought records and tapes like a crazy thing, and I got some great Yes albums from record fairs and record shops in Mansfield.  They continued to come out occasionally when I wanted to relax and just let myself get lost in their music.  I have trouble putting on a Yes album as background.  If I put them on, then I have to just listen and take it in.  Every time I listen I still now find things that just get me.

They had a profound effect on me and my listening I am sure, and I am also pretty sure that inadvertently perhaps in my case, Chris's playing shaped me into the bass player that I became to a certain degree.

No matter what other instruments I may play, I will always see myself as primarily a bassist, and I have Chris (and others of course) to thank for that.

Rest in peace Chris Squire, yours was never a disgrace!

Thank you.  A longer post than I thought it was going to be, but I think it's okay.

PS - I was actually talking to my market trader friend Steve on the local market last week, and we both agreed that because of our love for "progressive rock" we think we have a more open mind musically than some other people.  I have Yes and Chris to thank for that I suppose as well then (and other bands of course - hello King Crimson, Genesis, ELP, etc).

A Great Day

Hi, how are you?

I think it's been a little while since I've posted, but I just feel as though I need to post this... Well, when I eventually finish writing it... Started this all on Thursday 28th of May 2015!

Some "young lad" with wall pictures!

Much as I know some of my friends aren't "fans" of The Beatles and their solo exploits, it is well known that I am a big big fan, having been brought up with their music essentially.

Both of my parents are fans, and played their music a fair bit.  I used to have an extensive collection on vinyl, which I regret basically getting rid of for money to pay stay off with!  One of my very few actual regrets that I am trying to rectify at an expense I might add!

"Golden Ticket" - not really gold, but...

I always had this silly pie in the sky dream of meeting them, but actually most of all Paul.

John Lennon died soon after my tenth birthday, so that would never have been likely really.

When I was eleven years old I was already trying to write songs in a way, but only in a lyrical sense.  I wrote a set I lyrics that I remember were called In The War, but I remember nothing else. I sent them by post to MPL (McCartney's own company) addresses to Paul himself, along with a letter explaining that I was eleven years old, etc.  I got back a postcard back from George Martin (producer for The Beatles) saying that Paul was writing and recording some new material at that time (the Tug Of War album), and that he thought my lyrics were really good for my age.

My listening for the journey.

A few years later I had an argument with my stepdad, who tore the postcard to shreds, but I forgave him for that many years ago!

For some reason I had never seen any of the ex-Beatles, so when I saw a couple of months ago that Paul was doing some dates here in the UK, I went for it and paid for a ticket (Louise wasn't interested).

Initially I was put off by the cost, but then after a very short while I thought that I should just go for it!

With that in mind I went onto Ticketmaster and paid the price.

Pete Murphy and me (taken by Lynsey)

I discussed it with Louise, and she said that she would rather I stay overnight after the concert, so I rather cheekily thought of a way to see if fellow Fawmer Pete Murphy, who I knew lives close by, might offer to put me up because hotels are expensive.

So this past Wednesday (27th May 2015) I made the journey to Pete's with only the very irritating Google Maps on my iPhone!  I couldn't find my SatNav, so chose that option.

My Converse Trainers - name dropping

Before leaving I made myself a flask of coffee and got some sandwiches.

On the way I stopped at the motorway services (Leicester North I think), where I bought a street map book of Birmingham (and surrounding areas) and some batteries.  I also had coffee and one round of my sandwiches.

When I got to Pete & Lynsey's I was incredibly nervous and excited at the same time.

I'm actually quite shy in a lot of ways, surprisingly I suppose, and I force myself into situations at times to get me over that.  I was also more nervous because I was going to be staying at someone else's house.

Outside the Arena

Luckily Pete & Lynsey are such lovely and fantastic people who, although shy themselves, were also so welcoming and generous.

I got to their house, I think, some time around 2pm perhaps, and was greeted by Pete, who I gave some presents to for his birthday (which was the previous week).  Pete offered me something that he wanted to give to someone who would use it and enjoy it.  A wonderful keyboard instrument that I loved straight away - such a generous gift.  Thank you.

After some chatting, we went out to Sutton Lawn, which is a really nice place.  Then we had some tea at a bar there, with I think Pete & Lynsey having peppermint tea each, and I had Earl Grey (no milk or sugar).  Then we went back to theirs before I got changed into my concert clobber - music related T-Shirt, new light jacket, new designer jeans, and my Converse Ox trainers.  I like those clothes not because they're designers, but because I like them!

Tour Programme

I got to the Barclaycard Arena in Birmingham at about 5.45pm, thanks to Pete & Lynsey taking me there as they thought it would be easier that way since they know the area - a good idea.

The doors to the venue opened at 6pm, and as soon as I got in I bought myself a tour programme, and then saw a Paul McCartney jute bag with roses on, which I thought I would have to buy for Louise as a surprise present when I got back home.

I bought that and a t-shirt... Well, how could I not?!?!?!

Inside the Arena

Inside the Arena - pre-show

Then I went in and sat at what I thought was my seat!  My ticket was J126, and I saw seats with row JJ, not realising there was also a separate row J that, an hour later, I found out I should have been sat at!

So, first of all I was sat at JJ126, near to some nice people, two of whom had won the tickets.

While waiting for it all to start, they were playing music from the Rushes album by The Fireman, a collaboration between Paul McCartney and Killing Joke's Youth.

What I could see from my wrong seat of DJ Chris!

The people near me seemed to like it I think.  That album is particular is very surprising, because it's possibly the least McCartney-esque one...  In my opinion.

Support was from DJ Chris, who did great work of mashing up and sampling things from all over Paul's career - I loved hear bits from What's That You're Doing, a great jam based piece by Paul with Stevie Wonder from the 1982 album Tug Of War.

After DJ Chris finished, a group of people turned up and I found out that there was a difference between row J and row JJ.  So, I made my way to row J and wished the people I'd been talking with that they'd enjoy the concert.

Me inside the venue

I went to where I should be, which was possibly a better seat that was closer to the stage.  Not by much though!  I was thankful for the video screens!!!

After this, eventually some video montage footage appeared on the screens either side of the stage alongside a fair bit of music from all over the fifty plus year career he has enjoyed.  A nice montage utilizing great photographic and video footage.

As all of this was happening the excitement and anticipation seemed to be growing in the arena among the crowd of a little under thirteen thousand.

After what seemed like fifteen or so minutes of this, Paul and the band just turned up on stage almost without any fanfare so to speak.

Sir Paul appears and I can
hardly believe it!

They went straight into the fantastic Beatles song Eight Days A Week, and a wonderful version it was!  I could hardly believe what I was seeing!  I know that might sound silly to some, but it's true!

His band are fantastic, which I suppose they would be considering.  Abe Laboriel Jnr is a really good drummer, Brian Ray is a really good rhythm guitarist/bassist (he switches according to what Paul is playing), Rusty Anderson is actually an incredible lead guitarist who occasionally would do stuff that actually surprised me as both a fan of Paul's and as a musician myself.  Then there was the wonderful keyboard player "Wix" Wickens (also playing guitar, accordion, and kazoo at certain points), who has played with Paul since the 1989 album Flowers In The Dirt tour.

I expected the songs to be almost exact carbon copies of the original recordings, but although some were, some most definitely weren't.

I'm so glad they had video screens!

I've written below the full setlist because, quite frankly, this would be more like a biography than a blog!  I enjoyed the whole thing, so I could probably go into detail on every song!

The second song, Save Us, is a favourite of mine from his most recent album New, which came out in October 2013.  A great rocker in a long line of songs that include Get Back, Back In The USSR, etc.

As they were about to start the fifth song, Paul said that it was a song that hadn't been performed live until this leg of his Out There tour.  Then they went into Temporary Secretary, a song from his 1980 McCartney II album.  I love the song, as I did when the album came out when I heard it on my dad's stereo.

From that he did Let Me Roll It from the Band On The Run, which they ended by playing the Jimi Hendrix song Foxy Lady - instrumentally so that Paul could solo over it.  I sort of wish they had tried singing it in fact, even if one of the others sang it.

"Temporary Secretary" - Brian Ray on
acoustic guitar.

After Foxy Lady, Paul changed guitars from his recent Gibson Les Paul purchase to his 1964 purchased Epiphone Casino (right handed, played upside down).  When he did this he said, "if you want to know why we keep changing instruments, it's because we own them and want to show them off!"  This made a large proportion of the audience laugh, myself included.

He then said, "seriously, this is the guitar that was originally played on the next song."  He then went into Paperback Writer, which had some great video footage behind the stage.

I didn't take many photographs because firstly the lighting rendered it impossible, and secondly I was enjoying it so much and didn't want to miss a thing!

After that he played "a song I wrote for Nancy (his present wife)," which was the song My Valentine from the Kisses On The Bottom album (that album title still makes me giggle a little).

"Paperback Writer" - Macca
playing the Epiphone Casino.

Then he said "here's a song for the Wings fans", which was the song Nineteen Hundred And Eighty-Five from the Band On The Run album.

Maybe I'm Amazed is a song that I think should have been a single.  One of Paul's best ballads in my opinion, and a swine to perform I might add!  The performance was incredible!

I loved the song I've Just Seen A Face from Help!

Hope For The Future, a song that Paul wrote for the computer game Destiny, was incredibly epic and actually surprised me - I sort of knew the song, but this made me think of how well it sits among his great work!

After doing the beautiful And I Love Her, the rest of the band left the stage, and Paul mentioned the civil rights movement in the US during the sixties, and how he wanted to write a song that highlighted the movement, which he did (in a way) in the song he played, Blackbird.

Live And Let Die - WOW!

"How many of you tried to learn that?"  Many of us put our hands up.  I put mine up, but basically I saw some tab once, looked at it , and then put it down saying "nope".  I had only been playing for a short while, so perhaps now I might be able to play it...

Anyway, Paul said that we had played it wrong.

Whilst playing Blackbird, that front part of stage he was on lifted into the air for what was essentially a "Paul on his own" section.

That was completed by the song Paul wrote "as a conversation I wish I had with John."  The song Here Today was originally from the 1982 Tug Of War album, and the performance at Birmingham was beautiful.  I actually thought that his voice now put so much emotion into the piece.  There was a note that was most definitely dropped in tone from the original version, and that plus the aged voice added a wonderful poignancy and a painful beauty to the piece that the forty-something man back in 1982 didn't have.

Brian Ray on bass and Paul on acoustic guitar

The stage then went back to normal...

"Here's one for the kids..."  I almost feel embarrassed by this, but the song All Together Now from the Yellow Submarine album was wonderful.  The video footage behind the stage was wonderful, with animated characters bobbing up and down counting and basically emphasizing the lyrics.  Great video that made me smile so much!!!

I was irritated that I needed the toilet during Eleanor Rigby, but I got back before the song finished!  Yes, I did wash my hands thank you very much!  Great version of the Beatles song too with Paul singing and playing guitar, flanked by Abe and Rusty singing the harmonies.

I really liked Being For The Benefit Of Mr Kite, one of John's great songs!  Great work by Wix here on keyboards and kazoo.

This was followed by Paul performing what is apparently a regular song in his set over the last few years, the Beatles song that George wrote, Something.  He started the song on ukulele, which made it's way to the full band piece.  It was incredibly emotional, especially with the video screen montage of George photographs and video footage, with some wonderful pictures of George and Paul together over the years.

Live And Let Die was incredible!!!  An amazingly big sound from a five-piece band.  The video footage, lighting, flames, and fireworks literally left me open mouthed in awe!!! 

After the singalong fun of Hey Jude, the band came back on for the first encore that was made up of the three wonderful songs Another Girl (from Help), Hi Hi Hi (Wings single), and I Saw Her Standing There.  Great!!

Band waving flags, with drummer Abe Laboriel
carrying a pirate flag! Hahaha

They then came back on for a second encore where Paul joked "we have to finish soon."

The last five songs were wonderful, Yesterday, Helter Skelter (wow), and then the Abbey Road medley of Golden Slumbers, Carry That Weight, and The End.

Wonderful!!!  Paul was up there for approximately two hours and forty-five minutes, during which he went through 40 songs (41 if you include Foxy Lady).  Amazing!

I found my phone battery only had about ten percent left on it, so I texted Pete to let him know the concert had finished.

I tried to get together with some people who had gone from a Paul McCartney group on Facebook group, but we didn't meet up unfortunately.

As an aside, while I think about it, there were two things I'd thought about prior to the event...

The first was that because it was Birmingham and fellow Wings member Denny Laine was from there originally, it would have been great to see him go up on stage as a surprise guest, but I actually don't think that will ever happen, unfortunately.

The second was that I'd posted up a few times messages to Paul that I could join him onstage to play, and in fact I'm surprised he didn't get the security to turn me away for all of the messages on Twitter and Instagram!

Neither of those happened, but they didn't need to.

The idea of any ex-Wings members guesting is just my thing of liking to see people still getting on and all of that.

Much as there have been differences in bands I've been in, we are still friends for the most part...

Anyway. I talked with a couple of homeless people outside, who I gave some money to as well as what crisps I had left and some bottled water.  

I got a lift back from Pete and Lynsey, with Lynsey going to bed when we got back.

Me and Pete kept chatting for a whole, and I ate my second pack of sandwiches from earlier, I was hungry!  Other than a few crisps and a Mars bar at the event (plus a snickers bar at Pete's), it was the first thing I'd eaten since the motorway services at about 1pm - almost eleven hours previously!

When I got to bed I rang Louise.  We were missing each other so much!  My throat was shot from singing along.

I woke up at seven in the morning.  I don't go away very much, so I think the strangeness of sleeping somewhere else perhaps unsettled me?  Perhaps!

I heard Pete getting up at about a quarter past eight.  I got myself a bowl of shredded wheat and I think a mug of coffee (I'm not sure now, it might have been tea).

We chatted more, I saw Pete's well kitted out recording/writing area (actually, I think I saw that the day before) - a smaller area than I expected, but a lot of great stuff has been created in there!

I left at about a quarter to one to go home.  Google Maps were telling me to go a certain way, so I followed it...

It eventually rebooted about twenty minutes later, with me already thinking I was going the wrong way.

Sure enough I was!  Thanks Google!

I turned around and eventually drove past the street Pete & Lynsey live at.  I thought of popping in saying "I missed you," but thought that was silly, plus I wanted to get home to my sweetheart.

I carried on, eventually (after an age) getting onto the M6, then getting onto the M1, where I stopped at services again.  I bought some sandwiches, a chocolate, and a large Costa coffee, listening to more of my Paul McCartney related cassettes.

On the way there I got through Red Rose Speedway, Venus & Mars, and some of Wings Greatest Hits.  On the way back I listened to the rest of Greatest Hits, then Tug Of War, Denny Laine's album Japanese Tears, and Paul's album Flaming Pie.

I got back home to Newark at about half past three I think.

I came in with bits, hiding the picture on the jute bag.  "Hold on, who's bag is this I'm carrying my stuff in?"  I turned the bag around to show the image on it, and Louise had such a fantastic smile.  I love that smile.

I was back home! 

Thank you for reading.  Please take care.

June 1st 2015 (44 years, 6 months, and 6 days old).

Full setlist -

Eight Days A Week

Save Us

Can't Buy Me Love

Listen to what the man said

Temporary Secretary

Let me roll it

Foxy Lady

Paperback Writer

My Valentine

1985

The Long & Winding Road

Maybe I'm Amazed

I've just seen a face

We can work it out

Another Day

Hope For The Future

And I love her

Blackbird

Here Today

New

Queenie Eye

Lady Madonna

All together now

Lovely Rita

Eleanor Rigby

Being For The Benefit Of Mr Kite

Something

Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da

Band On The Run

Back In The USSR

Let It Be

Live & Let Die

Hey Jude

ENCORE

Another Girl

Hi hi hi

I saw her standing there

Encore 2

Yesterday

Helter Skelter

Golden Slumbers

Carry That Weight

The End

Thanks to the following for a lot of the photographs herein; 

http://www.brumlive.com/paul-mccartney-birmingham-barclaycard-arena-27th-may-2015/

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/music-nightlife-news/review-paul-mccartney-barclaycard-arena-9343458