That's The Spirit! - Album Review.

It's here. Finally. (Well it arrived last week, but I'm not a professional so I don't get any previews and I have college to go to...). The long-anticipated That's The Spirit from British metal-punks, Bring Me the Horizon. 

I bought my copy last Friday (the actual release day) after college, on a whim, because I was early for my bus. I also purchased a copy of their 7" single, Happy Song. I'm not going to do a track-by-track review, because those bug me, so I'll try to comment on a few songs, and the album as a whole. Here goes...

The album's opening track, Doomed seems to be a rather subdued song, with a depressing feeling to it. Makes sense, though, as that's what Bring Me are all about. Nevertheless, it's a pretty good song, and shows off singer Oli Sykes' pretty cool vocal range. 

The first single from this album is Happy Song, and I have to admit, I slightly adore it! I love the whole concept of having a song that will cheer you up, and that a band such as Bring Me recognise their fans' need for a band to look up to and help them through tough times. For that, I commend you, Bring Me!! But anyway, the riffs in this song are impressive, and the lyrics catchy. 

The sound on That's The Spirit is different to previous albums, and they've come a long way from the days when they were angry, bitter youths hyped up on cocktails of drugs and alcohol (true story, but not mine to tell. They've changed for the better now, I'm proud of them). But anyway, I feel as though their sound is becoming more mainstream, and less metal. It's definitely not their old sound. It's different even to 2013's album Sempiternal, but I like the new sound. Bands need to evolve and change to keep things fresh and reach a new audience. 

But, I do have some issues with this album. The first is in the form of a grammatical mistake in the song True Friends. It bugs me more than it should, and I just pull a face every time I hear it. The second issue I have is with the song What You Need. Well it's not so much the song as the lyrics. I feel as though lyrics such as "I'll kill myself for the **** fun" should not be included in this album as it may be sold to vulnerable, impressionable people, and it may cause some serious issues. I understand that knowing other people that you look up to feel the way you do helps in some way, but, in my opinion, it's a bit too obvious how dark and deep this album really is. 

Other than those few minor issues that are more just my personal opinion, I think that That's The Spirit really is a great album, musically especially. The sound is massive, I can see why they headline huge arenas. (Although their Reading performance was really disappointing). 
If you were to buy any songs from this album, I would recommend Happy Song, True Friends or Oh No. 

Let me know if there's any albums you'd like me to review, they can be older or new albums!! Bye guys!
- Dottie. 

How To Survive Being Ill...

I'm ill. I have a cold. Just in time for college. Its not fun... So I thought I'd write about how to survive it... Because it's such an original topic and all... 

• Stay hydrated. I feel like I say this a lot, especially recently, but it is really important. Don't drink sugary drinks like Coke or energy drinks, because they're actually really bad for you. Try and drink water, or water-based drinks like tea. I'm currently drinking a cup of strawberry and raspberry tea sweetened with honey.. It's not the nicest, but it helps. 
• Get enough sleep. Its recommended that you get at least 8 hours' sleep every night, and its really important that you get enough sleep when you're ill, so that your body can repair itself. It also means you don't have to be awake to deal with feeling terrible, so its win-win really! 
• Make sure you eat enough. Seriously. I know when you're ill you might not feel like eating, but its really important that you do. Just try and eat little snacks throughout the day. 
• If you feel really terrible, have a day off. Call in sick, or stay home from school. Have a movie day and curl up under a blanket and just relax. It really does help you to feel better if you take a day out and don't stress out. I'm hoping I can survive until Wednesday, which actually is my day off! 
• If you really feel terrible, take some medication, like cough syrup or something. It does help. 

So that's it really. Basically just get enough sleep, and drink lots of water. 

I apologise for the poor quality of this post, and the lack of regular posts, but college is really wearing me out... I'll try and sort a regular schedule soon. 

Feel better soon, 

- Dottie. 

College is Scary!!

Hey guys!! I started college on Monday.. Before I start this post, I'd just like to say this is UK college, so I'm still 16.. Okay, on with the post!

College is scary. Really, really scary. Most people are bigger than me, older than me, and know a lot more than me. The building is huge!! There are so many staircases and rooms and I have to take the bus to get there. 

Getting the bus is a really big deal for me, especially as I'm on my own. Yesterday there was an awful lot of college students on there, and I was freaking out, as I'm not used to buses or large crowds of people in small spaces.. Other than that, the bus ride is okay, although it is a little lonely. 

I'm doing music technology at college, and the course is so interesting. I'm so excited to learn everything!! The only difficult bit is using the Apple Mac computers, as I'm used to Windows, but I will work it out eventually. Most people in my class are really nice, I've got two people who I hang out with, and they're both really nice.. (Although they're not my friends from school.. I miss those people...) They're also my age, which is good, because I think we're the youngest in the class. There is a large group of boys who I think are around 17 or 18, and they scare me. They just seem to be really judgemental and I feel really uncomfortable and insignificant around them. The other girls in the class are nice, too. 

As much as I love what I'm doing, I still worry a little when I think of college. (I have a day off today, luckily!) I think it is because I'm not used to it, and it's such a huge change; at school I was one of the smartest (I'm not bragging, but it's really difficult for me now, because I don't understand anything), and one of the oldest, so I felt a little more confident. Now I'm surrounded by older people, who I feel are waaaay more attractive than me, so I feel really insecure about how I look and act.. (Yeah, I've been a bit sad about how I look since starting at college...)

I think change can be a very unsettling thing, and most teenagers in the UK around my age are feeling insecure and worried, and maybe even a little alone. However, I think it's a good thing. As I said in my post about positivity, leaving school and doing something completely different with completely different people will help us grow as people, and we will learn how to manage stress and make new friends and learn to relate to new people. 

So if you're like me and are feeling down about starting college or sixth form, just know that it won't last forever, and it will get better. If not, there are always other options. Don't let the people pull you under, you have a right to be doing what you're doing.

I hope everything is okay for you guys!
Until next time,
- Dottie. 

How to Survive a Day at a Festival

Festival season is pretty much over now (*sobs*). Over here in the UK, the last big festival is Reading and Leeds, and I was lucky enough to go to Reading festival on Metallica's headline day. Despite festival season ending (unless you're in Australia, you have Soundwave festival in the new year..), I thought I would help you to prepare for your day festivals, such as Reading or Leeds, or Warped Tour. 

My first tip would be to plan ahead. You want to have a good idea of what you're doing and when, otherwise you'll be pretty overwhelmed and unsure of where to go. You might want to schedule in breaks, so that you can get food or brave the toilets. Don't plan a full day of activity, because you will want to go to sleep at around 6pm, and miss the headline band! 

Stay hydrated. 

This is the most important thing on this page, so make sure you do it. Most festivals will give out free water, or have drinking water taps. Make sure you use them!! Don't drink fizzy drinks as they dehydrate you, and the sugar will cause you to have a sugar crash. Instead, snack on biscuits or chocolate regularly throughout the day, to give you an energy boost. Also, make sure you eat breakfast before you leave the house (or the tent, I guess, if you're camping..), and eat regular meals throughout the day. The most important thing is that you look after yourself. 

Go see bands you've not heard of before. The whole point of having stages with smaller bands on is so that you can discover a new band. I've found one of my favourite bands as a support act, so you'd be surprised who you'll find at a festival. If there are any cabaret stages or alternative stages, you should check those out, too, as there are sometimes comedians there, and we all need a good laugh. Plus, you get to sit down!! 

Talk to people. I want you to say hi, or compliment someone while you're there. You could make their day. While I was at Reading, I saw some guys from a really small band there, just walking around, and I was wearing their merch, so I went and said hey... I'm pretty sure they thought I was a crazy stalker, though...

Take breaks. You won't want to see every band on the line-up, so why not get a pizza and sit at the back of the crowd, and just listen? It's a really good way to recharge your batteries, especially if you had to get up early to travel to your festival. 

What to bring: 

• Water bottle
• Suitable clothing, e.g. extra jumpers if it'll be cold, suncream if it's hot, etc. 
• Food, like snacks and stuff. 
• Phone, iPod, whatever, to take photos. 
• Money for merch maybe?? 
• A bin bag, in case you're in a field and want to sit down. 
• Any beauty items, etc. you may need. 
• Toilet paper or tissues. 
• Notebook and pen for band members to sign maybe???
• HAND SANITIZER

Chuck it all in a rucksack and you're good to go. Make sure you keep an eye on your valuables, and wear comfy clothes and a good pair of shoes, like Converse if it won't be muddy, or Doctor Martens or wellies if it will be. 

So now you're all prepared for festival season next year!!! Have fun!! 

- Dottie. 

Positivity

This post is for Emma, who told me to change my thoughts from negative ones into positive ones :) 

I was planning on writing a bitchy, negative post about people at festivals (because since when did Metallica become the band that represents under-age teenage girls in tiny denim shorts and flower crowns?), but now I'm going to be positive. 

Okay, so festivals... A place to discover new bands, right? And old favourites. Popular bands that you've never seen live. A place to mosh, dance, open up a pit. A place to meet new people. And that's why they're so great. They're diverse, both in the sense of music, and people there. You can go see new bands, and speak to new people. It's brilliant. (I'm thinking of writing a review of my day at Reading at the end of the week). 

I do have one complaint though - an obscene amount of litter was thrown on the floor. Why?? What is the point? 

The next thing is, I went to enrol at college yesterday, and it turns out I can't do music tech at the college that is like five minutes away from me, due to low numbers choosing that course at my college. So, instead of doing something that I don't want to do, I'm still doing music tech (because music is my life, man), just at a college that's over an hour away. And yeah, I was upset about this, but this morning I see it more as an opportunity. Buses scare me. So, by going on one twice a day, four days a week, it will help me get over that. It will help me to feel more confident around people, maybe even help me talk to people. 

I'm still excited about college, it's even more of an adventure for me now. I get to go to a new place, with even more new people. Also, I will get to exercise everyday, since I will walk from the bus station to college and back everyday, until I get a skateboard... 

So I guess that most negative situations have a positive side, depending on your outlook. I want you all to do one thing for me this week - try changing your outlook on things, and try being more positive. For example, don't like school? Great, that narrows down your choices for after school. See, it's not a bad thing. 

Have a great week, guys!!

- Dottie. 

Motivational Monday - No Zero Days

Hey guys! I've been feeling really uninspired recently, which could be the reason for my mediocre blog posts, but hopefully I can fix things... 

We all have a dream, right? You want to get something out of your life, after putting in a lot of effort. That's the way it works. So here's the plan:

Everyday, do something that will get you one step closer to your goal, or seeing your dream as a reality. Even if it's a tiny thing, I promise you it will help you. I know there will be days when things don't work out, and maybe you can't play that song you almost always ace on guitar, or you can't find the words for your blog post. I also know that other days, you will be able to play everything perfectly and will be able to write five awesome posts. That's the way it is.

My dad explains it as, you will improve constantly, until you reach a certain point, and then you will plateau. This is where you feel totally uninspired and just meh. The way it is with me is, I don't feel like doing anything except lying on the sofa and reading books or watching movies. But if you keep at it, and try to do your thing every day, you will get better at it. Suddenly you'll be able to do the thing, and it's like "holy crap how did this happen!!??" It's the way it is. I've read somewhere that it's the same in skateboarding - sometimes you land the trick, and sometimes you end up with gravel in your chin. (I'm thinking of taking up skating, in case you were wondering...) 

I saw a photo on Instagram which explained this a lot better than I can, but basically, it told you to not have "zero days".  A "zero day" is a day when you do nothing to help you achieve your dream. So, I want you to do something everyday. Practice piano scales. Sketch. Paint. Do your mum's hair. Whatever it is, make sure it helps you to get one step closer to your dream or goal. Some days it will suck, and, quite honestly, you will be terrible, but that is how you improve. So don't give up when you can't do something, stick at it, and be the best. Climb the pyramid of people who are better than you and reach the top. Be the best. Stick at it.

Have no zero days. 

Best of luck with everything, guys. My next post will be Wednesday. 

If this helped you, or inspired you in any way, please feel free to comment, or share this with your friends. It would be pretty cool if you commented what you're going to do everyday to achieve your dream, I'd love to know!

Bye for now!!
- Dottie. 

You Are NOT Your Grades.

You are not your grades. You are not a letter on a piece of paper. You are not a percentage, or a score. You are a human being. A person. An individual. You are one person in literally millions, and you do not have to conform to the life that is school, university, work, retire, die. You are in control of your life and you should not be held back by something as trivial as your grades. You will be told that these grades are essential for your future, to ensure your "success", but what really is success? It is a point each individual person reaches and they feel they have done the best possible. So surely, if succeeding is different for each individual person, your grades are not always going to be responsible for success? 

We are brought up in a society that tells you that being intelligent is beautiful, then shames you for getting good grades. We are told that it doesn't matter what grades you get, then you are denied places at "better" learning institutions if you flunk an exam, because we may lower their results overall. We are forced to remember and recall and apply information that we have learned over two years ago, and if we are unable to do so, we are deemed "unintelligent". The education system is flawed. Each and every year, students develop anxiety or have high levels of stress because obscene amounts of pressure are put upon them because they may not flourish in an academic environment. 

So much emphasis is put on achieving top grades and going to university to work up thousands of pounds in debt. In school we are encouraged to do "creative" subjects, then denied our creativity because we must do whatever we can to get more marks and a higher grade. 

School work really got me down in New Year, I really struggled and felt that I was under a lot of pressure to excel... Then I realised... It doesn't matter. It literally did not matter whether I got all A*s or all Cs, or any combination in between, as long as I passed English, Maths and three other subjects. It didn't matter,as I would get a place at my college of choice. 

So why did I care? I had to (I'm using past tense, since my results day was yesterday) conform to who I was at school... Well, not had to, but felt as though I had to. I was more worried about not doing as well as expected, than I was about finding out my results, because I had a place in the hierarchy of my school, and that place was nerd. Smart kid. Whatever you call it. 

The education system is flawed and teenagers are being pushed past breaking point. In the UK, they're talking about making GCSE exams even more difficult, which I think is a terrible idea... So many people struggled this year. It is wrong to put so much pressure on young people. 

Not everyone is academic, we all excel at different things, and this is never accounted for when sitting exams. Some people may never be able to pass English or Maths, but they could be amazing at cutting hair or painting or composing music. 

"Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life believing it is stupid." - Albert Einstein (apparently). 



Okay, so I was inspired to write this blog by this video here: 

You should probably watch it, because Carissa explains everything better than I do. 

So basically, what I'm saying here is, don't let yourself become a letter on a page or a score on a test. You are what you love (as Fall Out Boy would say!) and you are your quirks and everything that makes you you. Your grades do not define who you are, you define who you are. 

- Dottie.