Stereophonics at the ICA London ~ A Perfect Friday Night Out

5:30 Work's over, my adrenaline's pumping - I am too excited for words. On the tube off the tube on the tube off the tube ...finally make it to the ICA

6:10 At the ICA - damn need to queue :( Meet some 'phonics fans, talk about their music bla bla ... my anticipation has sky-rocketed, I actually agree to talk to the i-tunes dude (very stylish - very gay - very nice)

07:10 Finally inside! Need some food and some beer ...get a nice veggie dish (pitta bread, baba ghanoush, houmous and tzatziki (note to self - must give chef the proper recipe for tzatziki cause this one is pathetic)

07:30 Support band Little Man Tate on stage. They have potential but they need better music, lead singer's got a cheeky glint in his eye ;) Guy on my far right is well into their music, he knows all the lyrics - Who the fuck are Little Man Tate ???

08:30 Support band finish. Stereophonics crew need to do a sound check, tune the guitars (there are 12 guitars ...how many do they need !!!) God this is taking ages, people are cramming in behind me, the air is getting staler, the heat is rising, finished my second beer, my cheeks must be red I'm feeling a little peaky - WHERE ARE THEY ALREADY!!!

09:15 Suddenly silence and then the lights go down. Everyone's screaming! Any second now THEY will appear! Bright red light ! Loud guitar string strung out! THEY COME ON!
Yes the magic starts! Kelly sounds even better live! The music sounds better live. The vibrations coming up through the ground! Jumping up and down, everyone's hot sweaty and happy. The crowd is insatiable! We want more! More! More!

11:15 After a final encore, the band play us out with Dakota - it's a perfect night!


You made me feel like the one
Made me feel like the one
The one

I don't know where we are going now

The Gospel According to Robert Rodriguez

“If you want to be a filmmaker and you can’t afford film school, know that you don’t really learn anything in film school anyway. They can never teach you how to tell a story. You don’t want to learn that from them anyway, or all you’ll do is tell stories like everyone else.”

Simplicity. Persistence. Rebellion. This is Robert Rodriguez! His film will not be one of a philosophical nature, there will be no ambiguity in the finale and heated discussions will most certainly not ensue. And yet my cinematic experience will not be that of a disappointed viewer but rather it will be invigorating. Why? Because it will appeal to my base, raw, human instincts. Everything created by him is sentient of the animal within. There are no rules, there are no complications from the techniques he employs through to the end product. His journal Rebel Without A Crew is inspirational, the legend that is Hollywood is brought down to its knees, all gaps are bridged, and the ability is offered to one and all - it is there to be taken! It is not unjust of him then to ask: Are you a Mexi-CAN or a Mexi-CAN'T?

Those Crazy English Summers ...

Fields of fire that passed the train
The sky is victorious but here comes the rain
Friday is taking me home again,
And I've nothing but you on my mind.

Grass is greener without the pain,
I think that I'm changing but I'm just the same
My sun is a ascending again
And I've nothing but you on my mind

Sometimes I feel like I'm glad to be free,
Sometimes I still want your arms around me
Sometimes I'm glad to have left you behind,
The Crazy English Summer has put you back on my mind.
Life's a riot a lover a friend,
Pity the day that it has to end
Friday come speed me home again,
I've nothing but you on my Mind.

Sometimes I feel like i'm fine on my own,
Fifty Thousand miles from home.
Sometimes I'm weak and the past is my guide,
Summer returns and puts you back on my mind