Friday 19 February 2016

Music Memories Tag!

Okay, so I saw this post on Chloe Maria's blog, who was inspired by blogger and vlogger Zoe London to write her version of this.. And now I'm doing it.. 

Framing Hanley - 2014

So, without further ado, let's get into answering the questions!

1. What is your worst gig experience? 

I have two, so I'm going to talk about them both. The first would be from when I saw Enter Shikari in July 2015; the venue was really hot and had no air conditioning, and I hadn't eaten or drunk much that day, so I ended up feeling really faint and dizzy, and had to be lifted over the barrier by the club's security. Oops. 

The second thing happened when I saw the Marmozets in February 2015. I was just chilling at a gig, on my own, and this guy way older than me just started talking to me. And sure, he stopped me from getting hurt by moshers, but it just made me feel really uncomfortable and ugh. WHY?!?!? 

2. What music video blew your mind? 

Hmm.. I don't know. I really love live videos, so I'm going to say A Rose for the Crows by Turbowolf. They're an incredible live band, and I feel the video really captures that. 
Feel free to check it out here!

3. What gig made you lose your sh*t? 

Hmmm... Lots of them.. So let's make a list!!
  • Enter Shikari - July 2015
  • Turbowolf - December 2015
  • Less Than Jake - August 2015
  • Yellowcard & Less Than Jake - March 2015
  • Twin Atlantic - Reading Festival 2015
  • Hoobastank, Alien Ant Farm & P.O.D. - May 2015
I think there's probably more, but these are the ones I remember. The last mega-crazy gig I went to was Turbowolf, and it was truly incredible. I also ended up covered in alcohol that wasn't mine, but whatever. It was fun. (Also the guys in Dead! were there!!)

4. What band do you wish you could join? 

Easy peasy. Less Than Jake. Their live shows are so full of energy and it's just such a laugh. I'd love to be a proper part of that, y'know, be up on stage laughing and joking with the rest of them!

5. What song reminds you of a friend or family member? 

I don't actually have a clue. My friends and family all listen to different music, there's no real crossover.. I don't know!!

6. Best gig ever? 

I'm not too sure.. I don't think I've been to the best gig ever.. I mean, Bayside were pretty incredible, as were so many other bands that I've seen.. But the best gig hasn't happened yet. Sorry. 

7. What was the last song that you listened to? 

I am currently listening to Save the World Get the Girl by the awesome, brilliant, honest band called The King Blues. It's like political ska, punk, rock, poetry.. It's a weird fusion but oh my god, it works! 

8. What song sums you up? 

Stressed Out by twenty one pilots. Because I'm always stressed, and worried about growing up. So yep, Stressed Out. 

9. What musical era do you wish you were in? 

Either the late 80s/early 90s, because the whole punk and grunge scene then was pretty goddamn rad, or the late 60s, because skinheads. 

10. Give one surprising music-related fact about you. 

I saw George Ezra live in 2013, before he got really famous, and no one cared about him until he got on the radio and stuff! No one would listen to me talk about him, like whyyyyyyy people?!?! 
Oh, and also I write music reviews on Jurassic Press!!

So there we go!! I want to tag someone to do this, so I choose Erin Marie from The Vinyl Notebook because her blog is amazing and I feel like she would answer all of these questions beautifully! So Erin, if you're reading this, and would like to do this tag, I shall leave the questions below, so you can copy and paste them!! 

(Yay, questions!
  1. What is your worst gig experience? 
  2. What music video blew your mind? 
  3. What gig made you lose your sh*t? 
  4. What band do you wish you could join?
  5. What song reminds you of a friend or family member? 
  6. What was the best gig ever? 
  7. What was the last song you listened to? 
  8. What song sums you up? 
  9. What musical era do you wish you were in?
    and lastly
  10. Give one surprising music-related fact about you.)
Thank you all for reading!!

- Dottie. 



Monday 15 February 2016

Take a Walk in my Shoes..

Come take a walk in my shoes
Come on, which pair do you want? 
You can clomp around in my punk-rock Cherry Reds
Or dance the streets 
In my tiny TOMs,
Like the delicate fairy
That you are. 

Here, take a pair.
See how it feels to be the girl
With the baggy tees and dark glasses.
Now you're the girl
Who feels surprised
and scared
When people you barely know
People you literally just met
Ask you to hang out with them at lunch
Ask you to go get food with them
And they ask you
Around five times. 

You barely know them
Yet you want to
Oh god, you want to. 
And the fear you feel
Is overwhelming. 
So you leave them with a 'maybe'
And hope they don't hate you.

You're the one 
Who still listens to punk bands
Because they gave you a voice
When you had none. 
And now you have a voice
A tiny one
Because of a tiny corner of the Internet
Where you write
Whatever you feel like
Because it helps. 

All you want 
Is to help people
And to grow as a person yourself.
And you don't know how to do either of these things. 

Your nightmare would be
Leaving the house in a crop top
Or shorts
Because you prefer to hide your perfectly acceptable body
Behind oversized tees
and denim jeans. 


And now you're growing.
You're no longer the person you thought you would be.
You no longer want to be the one
Who hides behind band tees
and the colour black.
And yet you have no idea how to change.


Now return my shoes.
You've walked far enough for today.
And you don't have to keep them.
Which pair did you choose?
My beat-up Chucks
That are covered in beer
and sweat
and God knows what else
That is found on the floor of an indoor skate-park
Turned music venue
After the show has finished.

Or perhaps you chose

My daily Docs
The black ones
The hiker-boot style ones
That I basically live in
During the winter months. 

But no matter. 

Because now you see. 

And you can no longer call me 
Quiet
Or 
Shy
Or
Antisocial. 
Because you understand. 

I want to talk to you
I really do
But I've no idea how
Or what to say
Or how to say it.
I can't just jump into a conversation.

As for life.
I don't know what I'm doing.
And yet,
At the same time,
I do. 
Because I'm going to work in the music industry.

Every day.
Until I fall on my ass. 
Which could be any time.
But until then,
I'm going to enjoy it.

And I'm not lazy.
You know this now.
I just don't know how to go about stuff.
So I avoid it. 
Stay in bed too late
So the day is gone
And I don't have to do the one thing
That I'm dreading. 

I want a job.
I really do.
It's time for me to stop wasting time
And start growing up.
I'm ready for that now.
All I need is a chance.
One chance.
One single fucking chance.

I love to learn
And try new things.
Yet no one sees this
Because on paper

They don't know me
So I have no job
And no chance
Of getting anywhere. 

So now you see
Because you've had a chance to be me. 
And you've walked a while
In a pair of my shoes.  

Sunday 14 February 2016

Spreading the Word...

Guess who's back and pissed off again? 
Bastards in power nobody stopping them
So I'm ticking my shit list off again
Now who do we kill? 
Blood on our hands man history's evil
God save the queen bald headed eagle
We bomb innocent people to save innocent people
This ain't just stupid it's "Stupid: The Sequel"

OFF WITH THEIR HEADS

Mmhmm, you got it folks, The King Blues are back again!! I've only recently discovered this band, but oh my goodness, they are so honest. The above paragraph are some lyrics from one of their newest songs, Off With Their Heads, and it's kind of a bit vulgar (lots of swears, etc.), but also very relevant, and I feel that this is something that in today's society, we really, really need. 
This band has a voice, and they aren't afraid to use it..

However

They are't allowed to use this voice. Thanks to media such as Facebook, the reach of their posts is being limited; apparently their work has been flagged as 'offensive', meaning that they can't get it out to people, and the release on iTunes has also been flagged -for reasons unknown - meaning that it's unavailable to be purchased from there. 
Off With Their Heads cover artThere are obviously good things about this - the band are no longer being ripped off by iTunes, because, let's face it, iTunes rips off artists, but it also means their music isn't out there, because iTunes is the one of the biggest music retailers in the world.. So, obviously, there's a bit of a problem.. 

The album, also titled Off With Their Heads is a hard-hitting, pure punk album, and it's everything I needed to hear; with songs ranging from authentic punk anthems, to breathtakingly beautiful poems, this is definitely an album that you need to listen to. It's so thought-provoking, and kind of tear-inducing.. I urge you to give it a listen, and if you like it, share it around!
The band has released this album on their own record label, Meatball Records, and they have no PR or promotion team behind them. I guess it's because they're a punk band, and all?? So yes, check it out on The King Blues' BandCamp, and tell your friends!!

You owe it to the punks out there!
Rage and love, 
- Dottie. 

Saturday 13 February 2016

Friday Night Was Movie Night!!

Yep, indeed!! Friday nights are movie nights.. Well. Last night was! For most people here in the UK, it's now officially half term, which means that all of us in school/sixth form/college get a week off, to rest and recuperate. Pretty cool, huh?! 

Cute bubble bath!
So, after a busy week at college, I decided that it would be quite cool to just have a bit of a girly evening. After college, I popped into Superdrug to get some tea tree oil (for spots), and I also picked up a tea tree spot stick, and a tea tree face mask.. (I like tea tree, okay?! Also it's great for spots, just don't ever put pure tea tree oil on your face!!)
It turns out that an offer was running, and because I purchased two selected skin care products, I got a Patisserie de Bain cranberries and cream gift set.. 


So yes, I got home from college and just chilled out all evening, and then decided around 7:30 to run a bubbly bath and use my face mask, which, can I point out, smells so weird. Like it's nice, because of the tea tree, but it's also so medical and just not nice.. 
Anyway, I had a nice bubble bath and a face mask, and felt really relaxed afterwards. I then made a cup of (really nice!) tea, and got some chocolate, and logged into Netflix. 
Now, if you've got Netflix, you'll know that there are very few good movies on there.. So after an awful lot of searching, I decided to watch one called Family Weekend. The description of the film makes it sound really, really weird, but it was actually rather good, and quite emotional.. A few tears spilled out, okay?! 
I'm going to attempt to describe what it's about, but you'll honestly just have to watch it, because it sounds so weird.. Okay. A 16 year old girl is really into competitive jump rope, and her family don't turn up to one of the competitions, so she basically 'kidnaps' her parents, and tries to fix her family.. And yeah.. It's weird, but kinda cool.. 

I kind of remembered, after taking the time to care for myself, that it's important to do so. At the moment, I always seem to be caught up in something, be it finding jobs to apply for, or talking to someone who needs me then and there, or just trying to get ready for bed so that I won't be tired the next day.. It's not even like I'm doing stuff like working, or homework, and yet I always seem to be busy.. It's strange. But, I managed to take some time out, and just relax. It was rather wonderful, and I feel like I need to remember to do so more often.. 
It's really important to actually take time out, so that your mind can rest, because stressing all of the time is not good for you.. So, this week, if you're reading this, I'd like to set you a challenge. Take one evening this week, to have a movie night. Or, if you've got the time, maybe a whole day! Just take a little bit of time to reset, because honestly, you'll thank yourself for it!!

Have a good week!
- Dottie. 


Friday 12 February 2016

Things That I Forget...

You have spots. You will get more spots. Everyone does, it's part of growing up. Accept that, it doesn't take away from your personality, or change who you are as a person. 
Not everyone hates you. Not everyone likes you. That's fine. People are weird and confusing, and so difficult to understand. Stick with your friends, and let whatever happens, happen. Relationships aren't the be all and end all of everything. Remember that; no single person is worth getting upset or emotional over. And sure, you might be getting more attention from guys now that you're at college.. But just don't let it go to your head. Just be you. 

You most definitely are not fat. You're probably underweight.. Everyone has something about their body that they dislike, but don't just spent your entire life in skinny jeans and baggy t-shirts to hide that. Show off a bit, dress up.. Have fun! 
Makeup does not equal beauty. If you're happy with yourself, then do not do anything just because society tells you to. Be happy with yourself. 

You are not indestructible. You need time to reset. Stop trying to do everything, stop searching for jobs or worrying about college, or what people think of you. Sit your ass down with a cup of tea and some chocolate, and watch a movie. Any movie. And get lost in it. Cry, laugh, let your emotions out. Reset yourself. 

The world is not out to get you, and your life is perfectly amazing the way that it is. You're a privileged person, and you can help others. So do it. 

If your heart tells you to do something, just freaking do it. Stop being so worried about the consequences, I mean, chances are, there won't be any.. You only get one shot at life.. 

What you wear, who you're friends with, the colour of your hair.. It literally does not matter to the people that love you. And god-freaking-dammit, people love you. They're all around you. And you love them. They're your family, and friends who may as well be family because you're so close.. They love you.. 

Stop hiding behind the big shirts and the hair cut you've had for years.. It's finally time to grow up and become the beautiful person you are inside. Stop hating yourself, those little negative thoughts about your nose, your jaw, the outfit you picked out or your wonky eyeliner. No one else notices.. 

Just stop it. 

You are you. 

That is all that you can be, and all anyone asks of you. 

And remember,

I love you. 


Saturday 6 February 2016

"Table for One, Please"

This week has been interesting! I went to two gigs, and college every day I am timetabled to.. So basically I'm exhausted!!
This photo is so blurry, what?!
Yes, so on Wednesday, I headed to my favourite music venue, to help out with a gig. The band playing was Eliza and the Bear, who just happened to be a band I really like! (No one in the band is called Eliza, and no one is bear..) So I arrived at the venue at around 3pm, just as Eliza and the Bear were loading their stuff into the venue.. I got some funny looks hanging out in the reception area, hahah!!
Once I'd found out what the heck I was doing there, and been introduced to the sound engineer of the night, I basically just hung out in the venue while the bands finished loading in, and set up their stuff.. I couldn't really do much to help, as it was the first gig I'd really helped out at. Nonetheless, I felt that it was a great experience, just to see how a gig really works, and what happens. 

The three bands that played on Wednesday were fantastic, and afterwards, I helped by coiling cables (badly) and got chatting to the touring sound engineer, who is a really cool guy! 

Then, it turns out two of the bands were playing a show where I go to college, literally the night after I saw them.. And I sort of mentioned this to one of the bands.. And they sort of put me on the guest list.. And I sort of felt really cool.. 

Anyway, I went along, despite not being able to find anyone to go with. I wasn't really worried about going to the gig on my own, but I knew that I needed to have something to eat before I went to the gig.. So I headed to Prezzo, by myself.. And asked for a table for one.. I did feel kind of awkward, but luckily the restaurant was basically empty, so I just sat in the corner, eating pizza and texting my friends. 

As I was wandering over to the venue, I bumped into the guys in the band who had put me on the guest list, so we had a quick chat, and that was very nice. Then I got to the venue, and the crew members that I'd met the night before recognised me and were saying hi.I felt so freaking awesome!!
Then I saw the bands again, it was very fun to actually get to dance and sing along, instead of focusing on learning and observing the sound techies. Eliza and the Bear played a new song, that I kind of accidentally knew the words to, since they played it like three times during sound check on Wednesday.. Oopsies..
After the three bands (different first support band) had played their sets, I got to chat to a few members of each of the bands, and they were pretty sound guys (hah!). It turns out though, that during sound checks before audiences are present, band members are usually pissed off, and venues are stupidly cold. 

But yeah, that's the story of how I went to two gigs two days in a row.. I also had to get up at six am on Friday to go to college, though.. I regret nothing!! (However I did sleep for 11 hours last night!) 

So yeah, I'm now officially a guest list person.. I feel so awesome!! 
Bye for now, 
- Dottie. 

Monday 1 February 2016

Monday Motivation: Life is Exciting!

Wow, I'm blogging in college again!! Apologies to anyone who is here looking for my Liebster Award post, just keep scrolling past this one and you'll find it! 

But yes, I am in college, and I am writing my blog. And I must remember to go sign in to directed study in fifteen minutes.. Because attendance.. I am currently surrounded by business students, who I do not know, and I feel like I am being judged, because libraries are a place of work, not blogging.. But no matter, I guess I look productive.. 

But I am writing this post because life is exciting again!! Some opportunities have arisen, which make me so, so happy, and others make me excited, and life is just so cool at the moment!! 
I'm going to start with what I've been doing today, because I actually think it's awesome.. If you didn't know, I'm studying music technology in college (UK), and it basically gives me all of the skills I need to work anywhere in the music industry.. Pretty cool, right?! Well today we have started a module called "music and sound for the moving image", which involves looking into how the music and sound is made, and composing a soundtrack for a movie or game trailer.. And I'm actually so excited!! I guess though, I'm more excited about it because it's something that Emma is interested in, which basically means that I'm interested in it.. But I guess it means that it further opens up my choice of work in the music industry.. 

And another thing that I'm excited about is Wednesday.. I am going to my favorite gig venue ever, to help out at a gig!! And for those of you who don't know, I really, really want to be a live sound engineer.. So this is crazy!! 

The reason behind my not posting last Tuesday, like I usually do, was because I was composing emails to local(ish) venues, asking if it were at all possible for me to either shadow a sound engineer, or help out at a gig.. In total, I emailed around 10 venues (probably less), and three of them replied.. One of them gave me the email address for their sound engineer, and the other two offered me some dates to head down and help out.. SO that's what I'm doing!! 

I guess though, the thing I've learnt from this is, don't always assume the worst scenario. I always thought that if I emailed venues, they would refuse to let me help out, due to licensing, and my being under the age of 18.. 
So I guess the point is, (I am signed in now) don't just assume that the answer is always no; the music industry is such a competitive industry, so you kind of have to jump on every chance you get, and get to know as many people in the industry as possible.. and I guess this can be applied to everything in life.. 

I think that we all see being in school, and college, and maybe even university as horrible thing, because we feel trapped, and unable to find time for ourselves. And yes, I understand that, for some people, it really is that bad.. (Especially those of you doing A Levels.. Gosh, you have my full support and respect for doing that).. And we all want to grow up, as soon as we can, so that we can be free.. 

But what so many people don't see is that you're already free.. There is so much that you can do to get experience, and to explore the world that we live in. And I never freaking realized this.. Sometimes, all it takes is just one email address..

And now suddenly I realised that there is a plethora of opportunities for me to take, maybe not for jobs, but for experience, and to help me to learn.. 


And I feel like it's the same for everyone.. No matter what you're interested in, and how much you know about it, just drop someone an email, and see what they say.. I mean, it's not really the end of the world if they say no, is it?! 

I've been looking into projects that are specifically trying to help young people with regards to getting into the music industry, and I stumbled upon The Big Music Project. 
Now I don't think that I'm the best to explain this, so I'm going to link you to their 'about' page, so click here to find out some more.. 
I've also found a really interesting article about finding work experience in the music industry, and again, I guess the tips will apply to all industries, so click here to have a read of that one. 

If by any chance, anyone reading this is interested in working in some form of the creative industry, feel free to write a comment, because I would love to hear more about that!!

Okay, bye for now!!

- Dottie.