Bring Your Own Vinyl Night #12

Posted on July 3, 2017 by platinumal

Bring Your Own Vinyl Night

The Queen’s Head, Mold

Friday 30th June 2017

A warm welcome back to Bring Your Own Vinyl Night, at the Queens Head pub in Mold, North Wales. It’s been a while since the last event, so I had plenty of ideas for what to play. Events would alter those plans somewhat, however…

To recap, Bring Your Own Vinyl Night is exactly what it says on the tin: you bring along some records, and get a fifteen minutes slot to play whatever you like.

I’d originally planned an entirely different set list, but following the tragic news of Chris Cornell’s passing, I developed a tribute set instead. As one of my favourite ever musicians, it wouldn’t have been right not to.

My set went as follows:

Temple of the Dog – Hunger Strike

Mother Love Bone were primed to be next big thing in rock; sadly the death of their singer Andrew Wood from a heroin overdose put an end to that. The Temple of the Dog album came about as a tribute to Wood, from his band mates Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament, and his friend Chris Cornell. Joining them were Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron and guitarist Mike McCready. The music showcased a different aspect of Cornell’s writing, and provided a heartfelt tribute. On this song, vocalist Eddie Vedder makes his debut, sharing the vocal spot with Cornell on a superb performance. Of course, many of those names would go on to form Pearl Jam. This album has tons of memories for me and features some amazing music, Hunger Strike being a highlight.

Soundgarden – The Day I Tried To Live

I was a huge Soundgarden fan; trying to select just a couple of songs was immensely difficult. I chose this song as it showcases Chris’ amazing voice to great effect, plus the composition is superb: the song builds brilliantly to the massive chorus. The effect is a song that sounds exactly like carpe diem gone wrong, thwarted by a frustration that is captured brilliantly in the vocal. Taken from the completely essential “Superunknown” album, which is crammed full of absolute gold. A record I played non-stop in my younger days, and still return to regularly.

Temple of the Dog

Superunknown

Soundgarden – Burden In My Hand

“Down on the Upside” was the follow up to “Superunknown”, though to me it never reached the heights of it’s predecessor. This song was one of the best on that set, written by Cornell and again featuring that incredible voice. A fairly jaunty number to, so I wasn’t ending on too much of a downer. I’ve re-visited “Down on the Upside” recently and it’s far better than I remembered it. However making this selection was very difficult, as it meant nothing from the wonderful “Badmotorfinger” record would get a look in.

So there you have it, my tribute set to the late, great Chris Cornell. A fantastic musician, singer and song writer – and someone who has written music that has been a massive part of my life, through the ups and the downs.

A great night with some awesome sets, including from my buddies Adam and Graham. Not to mention Kev playing a lethal track by Electric Wizard, which I didn’t expect! Here’s hoping there will be another Bring Your Own Vinyl Night soon.

The Halcyon Dreams blogspot is here.

The Halcyon Dreams mixcloud page is here.

The Halcyon Dreams Facebook page is here.

The VOD music website is here.

Pentre Fest 2017

Posted on June 27, 2017 by platinumal

Pentre Fest

Friday 23rd – Sunday 25th June 2017

McLean’s Pub, Deeside

Three days of the heaviest of metal, featuring underground, unsigned bands from across the UK, walking distance from my house. How could I resist?

I’ve been to McLean’s pub in Pentre, Deeside several times over the years – usually for functions such as birthdays. I had no idea, though, that they were regularly hosting gigs of the rock/metal variety. Pentre Fest came out of the blue, but I managed to make it down for Saturday evening.

Pentre is a small area within Deeside, North Wales – and McLeans a fairly well known pub/function place. Take it from me, the fact that Pentre Fest existed was a surprise at first.

As I was late arriving, I missed the first few bands, including the excellent Bad Earth. I’ve seen them a while ago supporting Karma to Burn and they were excellent. A bad start for me, I fully intend to see Bad Earth again sometime.

The first band I witnessed were Pelugion – they were a great introduction to the festival. A metal band with a healthy element of stoner/doom, Pelugion rocked out in a Judas Priest or Megadeth vein. They also excelled when they got into a slower, Sabbath like groove – bringing to mind Alice in Chains or Soundgarden. Really impressive.

Outside the actual venue was a marque hosting acoustics acts. This was proved handy between bands, especially on a sunny day like this when you could sip a beer outside with some live entertainment.

I saw Pelugion again performing a great acoustic set, which culminated in a heartbreakingly good version of Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun”. Serious hairs standing up on back of the neck time. Wonderful stuff – the Pelugion singer has pipes indeed.

The names of other acts in the acoustic tent escaped me (sorry everyone), but I did see a fantastic one-man rendition of Tenacious D’s “Tribute”, and a band doing some classic rock covers. And I do love me some classic rock.

Back inside, next up were Impavidus from Manchester way. Their set consisted of some incredibly locked in, expertly performed and aggressive metal. With a sound not too far away from Carcass, the pleasant surprise with this band is the amazing singer, who happens to be female. There just aren’t enough girls in rock/metal, but Michelle impressed with a vocal ranging from slinky Siouxsie Sioux to a commanding metal growl. Excellent show from all of the band, across the board – and a decent bunch of folks, too.

Up next on the indoor main stage were thrash titans Incinery. Their scorching hot set of purest thrash metal glistened with speed and precision. Obvious comparisons would be Slayer at their fastest, with the riffs of Testament or even Sepultura. Absolutely no fucking about delivery and really gripping viewing, Incinery bring back the best of old school thrash and drag it with them into the future.

Amusingly, in a very Phoenix Nights kind of way, whilst all this blistering metal was being unleashed on the main stage, there was 60th birthday party in the next room. Absolutely bloody hilarious! I wonder what Granny made of it…?

But back to the music, and next on the bill were Haerken (apologies for the spelling, I can’t find the right symbol on my keyboard). A different tale altogether from what we’ve experienced so far, Haerken introduced some Medieval themed mayhem with a killer presentation. Dressed like knights or druids etc, their Olde Worlde death fest was brilliantly presented and featured some intricate musicianship. Sharp as a gleaming sword and just as lethal.

Finally, headlining Saturday night, were the exquisitely named Sodomized Cadaver, from good old South Wales. With a band name and song titles in the classic controversy baiting death metal style, it was obvious what we would be getting. The heaviest band of the day, with a brutal rip-your-face-off musical attack, these boys mercilessly slaughtered the gathered metal hordes. Vastly entertaining, their savage yet brilliantly played Metel Angau* was murderously superb.

And that was it. At least for me, as I could only attend Saturday. Next year, I’m attending all three days and YOU’RE COMING TOO.

Awesome live music from the metal underground, Pentre Fest also delivered a great atmosphere and camaraderie amongst some very cool people. Let’s have another!

The Facebook page for Pentre Fest is here. There are links to all the bands over the full weekend – do the research, it’s worth it.

The McLeans Pub Live FB page is here.

* I am reliably informed that this is Welsh for Death Metal.

New Set Up – Death Skateboards

Posted on June 15, 2017 by platinumal

It’s summer, which inevitably means that I attempt some skateboarding yet again. So far this year, I’m happy to report that I’ve learnt/re-learnt some new tricks. This does however mean that my ankles are wrecked and I can hardly walk.

I needed a new deck, so I paid a visit to my old friends at Lost Art skate shop in Liverpool. After a bit of an adventure finding the new shop, I picked myself a new deck and got it gripped up while I was there. A great service – really helpful – and a profesh grip tape job. Very happy, nice one again, Lost Art.

I had been skating a wider deck for a while, over 8.5 inches – and while this gave me some added stability, it wasn’t as easy to do tricks on.

So I opted for something a little smaller, and chose a 7.75″ Death skateboards deck. Fixed up with Independent trucks, Indy truck bolts and Death wheels, it’s a formidable monster of a skateboard and is preforming fine (unlike me).

The whole set up looks really cool, though it didn’t look all nice and shiny for very long.

Regular readers may recognise this deck – I’ve had one before. Exact same size and everything. Which means that this blog post is a waste of time. Unless – of course – like me, you love looking at pictures of skateboards.

Death have always been a really reliable, quality company and it’s no surprise I’ve decided on another of their decks.

2 x Death decks

3 x Death decks

1968 – Gig Review

Posted on June 5, 2017 by platinumal

1968

Friday 12th May 2017

Telfords Warehouse, Chester

The road to Telfords Warehouse was littered with walking corpses, stumbling clumsily with clothes falling from their limbs. The zombified masses were yet again evacuating Chester Races, bumbling along in a drunken stupor. I was on my way to Telfords to witness something far more intriguing – local band 1968 playing live, in a safe haven away from the riders of the apocalypse outside.

Telfords Warehouse is always a great place to visit, though it’s not famed for showcasing music like we were looking forward to tonight. I’ve enjoyed music from other genres at the venue, but it was good to be expecting some noisy rock. I met up with old buddy Dan and waited for the sonic attack to begin.

As you’d expect with a name like 1968, this band has Sabbath, Mountain, Blue Cheer and others of that ilk in their DNA. It’s heavy, stoner rock with a reverence for the originals, proudly worn on their sleeves like old sewn on patches. The bass chugs, the drums pound, the guitars wail and the vocals soar – all classic stuff.

It’s not just about the originators in this sonic stew though. I could hear hints of epic Soundgarden, crunchy Kyuss riffs and even some COC style southern groove.

Enough of the band comparisons. 1968 are taking their influences and weaving new landscapes, using their own talents to create something energetic and new. The band present a crushing presence on stage, performing their material with a killer confidence.

There’s even a progressive, experimental edge to some songs, with short instrumental sections lowering the volume and creating a mellower vibe. If anything, I’d like to hear more of this develop in the songs – if only to provide a psychedlic contrast before the guitars thunder in again.

Any race goers who had wandered into Telfords soon left, slain by the merciless onslaught of 1968. A superb band, I can’t wait to see them live again. They have the riffs, the power and the vision to take them far.

It’s 1968. The revolution is now.

Visit the 1968 Bandcamp page and download their awesome “Fortuna Havana” EP here.

1968 are on Facebook here.

The Telfords Warehouse website is here.

R.I.P. Chris Cornell

Posted on May 26, 2017 by platinumal

Chris Cornell

20.07.1964 – 18.05.2017

Writing this memorial piece is a hard thing to do. I was a massive fan of Chris Cornell and had been for many, many years. I was left stunned, then in disbelief, and finally great sorrow when I stumbled on news of his death early that morning.

I had discovered Soundgarden with their “Louder Than Love” album back around 1990. Music back then was shifting; I’d been listening to what would become “alternative rock” for some time and Soundgarden fitted right in with my tastes. Along with other bands of the time like Jane’s Addiction and Mudhoney, I liked these bands that were able to meld classic heavy rock with a punk approach. Bands like Soundgarden threw influences across the musical landscape into one pot.

When “Badmotorfinger” was released, I became a full on Soundgarden devotee. The band soundtracked the ups and downs of my student life, the good times and bad. The excellent “Superunknown” album cemented this noise in my affections even further.

Their sound evolved as Soundgarden explored and developed. The riffs could still be inhumanly heavy, but there other sounds filtering through – from the whimsical to the psychedelic. Listening to those albums was an experience that took the listener on a journey through different sounds and textures, feelings and emotions.

And of course, there was that amazing voice. Chris Cornell could croon soothingly or wail like a tormented banshee – an awe inspiring ability that added yet more colour to the band’s sound.

Following Soundgarden’s split, I followed Chris’s musical journey through his solo endeavours and work with Audioslave. I also loved his Bond theme – “You Know My Name” from Casino Royale. I’ve played that many times to psyche myself up before a challenging situation, I can tell you.

I’ve tried to edit these recollections down, but revisiting some of the touch points in my life – where the music of Chris Cornell (and band mates) has been integral – goes some way to understanding the respect I have for the man and his legacy.

Sadly, now he’s gone. I never saw Chris Cornell live (I went to Reading festival in 1994 but Soundgarden pulled out at the last minute) and I’d been looking forward to more music in the future.

It’s heart breaking to know that Chris is gone, and there’s no more music. We’ve reached the end of that journey. But what a legacy he’s left. I’ll revisit those records again and again. Though full of reminiscences of my past, those songs and performances are immortal.

I won’t speculate on the nature of Chris’s death, it’s not my place. There are dark places that the human soul can go to. It’s just incredibly sad.

Thanks for the music, Chris Cornell. An exceptional musician who has left an indelible mark on millions of us.

“Heaven send
Hell away
No one sings
Like you anymore”

The Great British Choc Off

Posted on April 14, 2017 by platinumal

Which is best – Cadbury Dairy Milk or Galaxy?

Chocoholics rejoice – for one of the greatest chocolate guzzling times of the year is nearly upon us. For verily, we shall gorge upon the delicious brown confection till we are fit to burst.

But the age old question still stands: what is best, Cadbury or Galaxy chocolate?

I have been plagued by this conundrum for many a long year, until finally deciding to put this to a scientific test. So I engaged the help of colleagues in a quantifiable research scenario that would answer the problem definitively.

Now in this particular test, to reduce the amount of variables, I dictated that the subjects were to compare only Cadbury Dairy Milk and Galaxy chocolate bars. None of this Fruit & Nut/Caramel/Cookies and Cream/Ripple deviousness – this was to be a pure Choc Off between the staple brands.

Though to be fair, those variations are damn fine (except for Fruit & Nut, which is an evil mutation).

So I ask again:

Which do you prefer: Cadbury Dairy Milk or Galaxy chocolate?

Here are the results from my stringently selected test group:

Galaxy was chosen by: Karen, Kirsty, Claire, Hannah, Bridget, Liam, Laura and myself.

Cadbury was chosen by: Joey, Steve, Simon, Pete, Dan, James, Dave, Wayne, Paul, Chris, Helen and Anne-Marie.

So the evidence proves that Cadbury chocolate is the more popular choice over Galaxy., with 12 votes to 8.

Cadbury Dairy Milk

Galaxy

Some interesting data is revealed in this test. For example, those favouring Galaxy were mostly (but not exclusively) female, with the reverse true for Cadbury. Of course, this could just mean that the more amateur choc fans are largely male, choosing the Cadbury option…

Either way, my investigation revealed that Cadbury was the victor. I’ll have to conduct further tests.

Disclaimer: although I voted Galaxy, I’d like to point out that I am a fan of Cadbury chocolate too. It’s a very tough decision to make. It’s not like I’d turn down Dairy Milk! Or any chocolate for that matter. That ain’t gonna happen.

Thanks to my ever reliable colleagues for their opinions in this research. Next time: what’s the correct pronunciation of “scone”?

Talacre Playlist

Posted on April 10, 2017 by platinumal

Recently, we had a family weekend break in Talacre, North Wales. It was to celebrate Mrs Platinum Al’s Dad’s big birthday. We had a great couple of nights in a caravan at the Talacre Beach Holiday Park.

In the evenings, we often found ourselves having a drink and a chat whilst taking turns to select some music from the old iPods. Here are the tracks I played. Some were suggested or requested by others, some I chose to force on them!

The Beatles – “Misery”
The Beatles – “Anna (Go To Him)”
Queen – Fat Bottomed Girls
Queen – Flash
Queen – Seven Seas of Rhye
Suzi Quatro – “Can the Can”
Suzi Quatro – “48 Crash”
Johnny Cash – “Ring of Fire”
Johnny Cash – “Orange Blossom Special”
Johnny Cash & June Carter Cash – “Jackson”
Chris Isaak – “Wicked Game”
Chris Isaak – “You Owe Me Some Kind of Love”
The Animals – “House of the Rising Sun”
Eddie Cochran – “Summertime Blues”
T.Rex – “20th Century Boy”
The Kinks – “You Really Got Me”
The Kinks – “All Day and All of the Night”
The Kinks – “Tired of Waiting For You”
Little Richard – “Good Golly Miss Molly”
Roy Orbison – “Only the Lonely”
Roy Orbison – “Crying”
Roy Orbison – “Dream Baby”
Roy Orbison – “Working for the Man”
2 Unlimited – “No Limit”
The Clash – “I Fought the Law”
The Clash – “Should I Stay or Should I Go”
The Clash – “Rock the Casbah”
The Damned – “Eloise”
Rolling Stones – “Jumpin’ Jack Flash”
Rolling Stones – “Honky Tonk Women”

Really nice place, Talacre. Recommended.

Oh, and Happy Birthday Graham!

Sci-Fi Weekender 2016 – Bonus Scenes

Posted on March 28, 2017 by platinumal

Sci Fi Weekender 17th – 20th March 2016

Hafan Y Mor Holiday Park, Pwllheli

Trundling along on the Jundland Wastes in my ancient Jawa sandcrawler, I found a few more photos from last years Sci-Fi Weekender to share with you. The previous batch were pretty popular, so I thawed these out of carbon freeze too, rather than lose them forever in scrap and droid parts.

This years SFW is this weekend, so hopefully I can finish this post and share for you to enjoy before the event starts. I’m always busy trying to flog old droids to miserly moisture farmers.

It ain’t easy, you know.

Greeny meets the Daves

And mentioning a David Bowie song, there were a few references to the great man at last years event. Not surprising, following his fairly recent passing – or given the sci-fi nature of a great deal of his work. From Space Oddity to Labyrinth, the ghost of Bowie was very welcome at SFW.

At the bar

Leia

Night out

Zatanna

Orc

I’ll take this opportunity to thank everyone again, for posing for pictures. The creativity and skill shown in your cosplay creations was matched only by your friendly, welcoming personalities. A huge thanks to all – hope you’ve enjoyed the photos.

And finally, I’s like to end with a few more shots (as last year) of me wearing my incognito “Facebook” proof shades. You can’t prove it was me.

Of course, this is all done in jest. It amuses me, anyway.

Have a fantastic Sci-Fi Weekender everybody!

“NO PHOTOS!”

Sci-fi Weekender 2016 – The Director’s Cut

Posted on March 23, 2017 by platinumal

Sci Fi Weekender 17th – 20th March 2016

Hafan Y Mor Holiday Park, Pwllheli

It’s nearly that time again – the time for Sci-Fi Weekender at Hafan Y Mor, North Wales. So as per previous years, here are a few bonus photos from last years festivities. For some reason or other, these shots never made the original two part blog write up last year. My apologies for that, but here are the best of what’s left.

Cool!

Awesome

Beautiful

Fab

Jedi and Jawas

For those with memories wiped or destroyed by pan galactic gargle blasters, Sci-Fi Weekender is a gathering every March for all things science fiction and fantasy related. There are special celebrity guests, discussion panels, interviews, workshops, gaming and more. Not to mention plenty of entertainment and partying.

If this is your kind of thing, there’s no better place to be than Pwllheli, where the Hafan Y Mor caravan park hosts this superb event.

The main highlight of the festivities are the people who attend. Travelling from all over known galaxy, there are some wonderful people to meet and a welcoming atmosphere for all.

Troop shot

Rogue Trooper shot

My Little Pony

Group shot

Han and Princess

Of course the cosplay on display is inspiring, eccentric and hugely creative. Whether it’s a costume that’s taken hours (or days) to make or just a fun nod to a random, unsung background character, the inventiveness and level of in depth knowledge to be seen is spectacular.

So here are a few more photos of the brave, intrepid souls who let their creative prowess and geek pride shine. Every one of them a star.

Enjoy the photos – though be warned: they’re of varying quality…

Girls just wanna have fun

Max!

Pull my finger

Terminator

Temple of Doom

Dark Jedi

Bring Your Own Vinyl Night #11

Posted on March 8, 2017 by platinumal

Bring Your Own Vinyl Night

The Queen’s Head, Mold

Friday 24th February 2017

It’s the first Bring Your Own Vinyl Night of the year! It was great to be back in the Queen’s Head in Mold for another Vinyl Night, and nice to see all the familiar faces after the Christmas break.

Most of all, it was great to have a few pints and hear some great music, old and new.

To recap how this works (though I’m sure you know by now): everyone gets 15 minutes to play whatever music they like, so long as it’s on vinyl.

Here’s my playlist for the evening:

Professor Elemental – I’m British

For my first song of the set, I craved something a little different. So I decided on a track from Professor Elemental, a gentleman of some repute who is known to fashion extraordinary “chap hop” tunes. That is, steam punk hip-hop (sort of). I’ve seen the good Professor live a couple of times (at Sci-Fi Weekender) and was astonished at this marvellous mash-up from the get go. A few months back I tracked down some vinyl via the Prof’s Bandcamp page; lo and behold it was a sonic delight. Lively beats and unusual samples – more brass band than James Brown – meld with humorous, uniquely British rap topics to create a wonderful new hybrid. This track was the perfect primer for the uninitiated, but it’s all good. Get over to the Professor’s Bandcamp now, you won’t regret it. And catch him live if you can!

B-52s – Planet Claire

Next up in my musical feast was a fine little song from those lovable, quirky scamps the B-52s. “Planet Claire” is a perfect slice of sci-fi flavoured rock’n’roll, straight out of a B-movie and into your brain like Invasion of the Body Snatchers. I love it. This version is from the B side of the “Rock Lobster” 12″ single, which I was lucky enough to pick up at a record fair not long ago.

Professor Elemental

B-52s

Thee Hypnotics – Come Down Heavy

In the late 80’s/early 90’s, just before Nirvana changed the world with “Nevermind”, I had discovered the Stooges via punk rock bands like the Damned and the Sex Pistols. At the same time, there were bands coming out of the USA – such as Mudhoney – that utilised a very Stooges-like sound: fuzzed up guitars, wah wah pedals and so on. Thee Hypnotics were a British garage band that followed a similar blueprint. Though largely forgotten about now, they’re a fantastic historical anomaly and pre-cursor to the alt rock explosion of the early 90’s. “Come Down Heavy” is from the album of the same name. It seemed very popular on the night – highly recommended.

Iggy Pop – Cold Metal

I bought the Thee Hypnotics album from a Connah’s Quay record fair around 1990. I also picked up Iggy Pop’s “Instinct” album at the same fair, as I’d heard the track “Cold Metal” on a Sounds sampler EP that a friend gave me. I love – and still love – the amazing guitar riff. I was instantly smitten; not just the riff but the incredible gritty yet finely produced guitar tone – courtesy of the one and only Steve Jones. “Instinct” is a superb album – Iggy’s explored lots of sounds, but I do like it when he rocks out unashamedly. A highlight of a varied and inspirational career.

Thee Hypnotics

Iggy

And that was the end of the set – hope everyone enjoyed it as much as I did! Looking forward to the next Bring Your Own Vinyl Night – it can never come too soon.