The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2015 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 12,000 times in 2015. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 4 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.
Bring Your Own Vinyl Night
Queen’s Head, Mold
Friday 4th December 2015
Unlike the last event, I didn’t have a theme for Bring Your Own Vinyl Night this time around. Just some tunes I fancied playing. I hadn’t even decided exactly what they would be till the show was on.
For anyone still uninitiated, the night is hosted in the Queen’s Head pub in Mold, North Wales. There are two turntables and each participant gets to play 15 minutes of whatever music they want, vinyl only.
I had myself a couple of beers and rattled out this selection:
Motorhead – Ace of Spades
When you buy your first Motorhead album, you know you’ve entered the world of grown up music. Big, nasty unapologetic rocking grown up music. A song that never gets old, I was introduced to “Ace of Spades” when the band performed it on the classic “University Challenge” episode of The Young Ones. It’s just a non-stop, joyous racket that simply will not stop or slow down for anyone. Absolute perfection. I played this in memory of drummer Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor, who sadly passed away recently.
The Vapors – Turning Japanese
A New Wave/Punk Rock classic, I was donated the brilliant “Turning Japanese” by a friend. Thank you, Simon. It was supposed to be part of a tribute set that I’m still working on. It was going to be hard to follow up the adrenaline rush of the previous song, The Vapors pulled it off here though. A great power pop song that kept the pace of the set nicely.
Dinosaur Jr. – Freak Scene
A slight fast forward to the late 1980’s for this next track. The first track on Dinosaur Jr.’s album “Bug”, this track nicely covers the appeal of early American alternative rock. Born out of punk and hardcore, with one foot in old Black Sabbath and one in jangly pop; Dinosaur Jr. constantly delight. Reminds me of my skateboarding youth.
Beastie Boys – Sabotage
I couldn’t decide which track to play last, so I let the audience choose the album. The Beastie Boys “Ill Communication” won hands down, and I chose “Sabotage” as the track to play. Another unrelenting monster of a song, “Sabotage” has a funky groove delivered with a rocking style. Again, a song I never tire of. Plus the Spike Jonze video, with it’s 70’s cop show homage, is a work of genius. It’s been over twenty years and I still want to dress up and play Sabotage Cops for a day.
My buddy Adam strode up to the decks next, and delivered another fine set. It went something like this:
Four top songs from Adam there, the Queen track was a load of fun and had me doing my world renowned Freddie Mercury impression. It was nice to hear a modern song on vinyl too, with the Ronson/Mars number.
Great night, great songs – well done all on another fine evening’s entertainment. I’m currently stumped what to play next time. I’ll work on it.
The Halcyon Dreams blog is here, where you can find listed (very helpfully) all of the songs played on the night.
The Halcyon Dreams Facebook page is here.
Wales Comic Con – Sunday 29th November 2015
Glyndwr University, Wrexham
Back in April, my family and I attended the first Wales Comic Con of the year, held at Glyndwr University in Wrexham. However just one day was not enough – November saw a second event in a similar vein.
So that meant star guests signing, merch for sale and dozens of cosplayers – all gathered together for a fun day. Whatever you’re fan of, from the realms of film, television or comic books; be it sci-fi, fantasy, or other genre – there was something there for everyone.
At the previous event, we were lucky to have some stunning warm weather. No such luck this time – the rain lashed down and the wind blew mercilessly. Even for November, this weather wasn’t great. No matter though, the atmosphere at the event was still every bit as sunny as previous. Quite surprisingly, everyone’s spirits were high and there was still an air of excitement.
Comic Con was largely about Star Wars for my family, with my daughter Eloise dressed as Princess Leia in classic A New Hope style outfit. She had a fantastic time having photos taken, and running after stormtroopers trying to shoot them (with a blaster from my collection!). Meeting Chewbacca was also a highlight.
The costumes were varied and impressive – though due to the weather, lack of time and a technical fault my photos were limited. Which was a shame as there were many more photos I’d have liked to take.
So another great event at Wrexham, and an excellent afternoon out. We’ll definitely be back for more next time.
The Wales Comic Con website is here.
A friend introduced me to Kash bar in Chester a while ago, as friends do. Since then it’s become a favourite haunt. The beer is exceptional and although I’m not in Chester that often, I often pop in before a gig in The Live Rooms. I’ve introduced a few others to the wonders of this place too, as a way to “pay it forward”.
On previous visits to Kash, I’d been distracted by the food, which looked excellent. Eventually I couldn’t resist any longer, so Mrs Platinum Al and I went on a mission to Chester to enjoy the full eating experience at this venue.
Kash is on Brook Street, so not in the main town centre. It’s not too far out of the way though and well worth the effort. On entering, the visitor finds an elaborately decorated venue with a chilled vibe and some cool tunes. Not to mention, of course, the myriad beverages available, many of which are brewed on site.
To kick things off, I went for a pint of Gold Digger, from the home Blueball brewery. It’s a very tasty golden pale ale, not too strong but full of flavour. My companion went for the ever reliable Brooklyn Lager, one of our favourites.
The food arrived without much of a wait, starting with some tortilla chips and dip to share. Excellent choice – simple but effective. The dip itself was a really good, tangy sauce. We had a couple more beers – I went for a Brooklyn lager too, this time. It’s getting easier to find bottles of Brooklyn these days, but it’s great to have on draught.
We both opted for burgers for the main event, although the choice was difficult. So much to sample… Mrs Platinum Al opted for The Pioneer, which was a burger on a bun with Swiss cheese, caramelised onions, mushrooms, bacon and garlic mayo. It looked damn fine, but mushrooms are my green kryptonite so I didn’t venture a try. 
No matter – my own burger was awesome enough for me. I chose The Bomb, a burger topped with bacon, cheese and Kash’s Blueball ale chilli. The chilli was rich and full of flavour, I loved every mouthful. Both burgers were served with chips that were like wedges shaved into fries. I’m no fan of the big chubby chips, so these fries were perfect.
All in all, the food was fantastic. Great quality comfort food with loads of flavour, prepared with obvious pride and care. There’s so much to choose from that Kash demands another visit (next time it’s Mexican for me!).
Plus you’ve got a massive choice of excellent beers on offer – so much that there’s surely something for everyone. With a warm welcome, attentive staff and relaxed atmosphere, Kash is now the premier bar in Chester. Think you can beat this? Good luck.
Kash Taprooms Bar & Grill, 121 Brook Street, Chester
01244 401777
Kash is also on Facebook and Twitter: @Kash_Chester
Crobot + Scorpion Child + Buffalo Summer
Wednesday 11th November 2015
The Live Rooms, Chester
Wednesday night, but that doesn’t stop me. When there is a need to rock, I rock. I ain’t no weekend greaser.
The crowd in the Live Rooms was a healthy size, and quite rightly too. Three bands for a tenner – and all of them up and coming hard rock superstars. It’s a night of 21st century music that has one foot in 70’s classic rock, though striding confidently in to the modern realm.
Up first were Buffalo Summer, four lads from South Wales (yay!) who command the stage like seasoned masters. Their mix of classic Free and Southern Skynyrd boogie is enhanced with some Sonic Temple era Cult swagger. Powerful and melodic with a rough edge, their songs are anthemic but still have guts. “Down to the River” was just one highlight in a terrific set, but take my word for it and check ’em out for yourself.
Next up were Scorpion Child, all the way from Texas. Their version of classic rock was part Zep deep fried in Purple, and all tasty goodness. These guys go for epic and do not compromise. The songs build with purpose and create huge sonic vistas that hint at their geographic origin. “Liqour”, “Kings Highway” and “Antioch” are all songs that capture Scorpion Child’s ability to meld molten riffs with a truly grand vision. Fantastic.
Our final band of the night were Crobot, who erupt on the stage with electrified enthusiasm. Their first album, “Something Supernatural”, is awesome – but the songs have even more groove live; Crobot are hugely powerful, with riffs that are simply titanic. There are tons of highlights, “Skull of Geronimo”, “The Necromancer” and “Chupacabra” being just a few. If you dig Clutch or Wolfmother, welcome to your new favourite band. You need Crobot in your life sooner rather than later!
Reporting from the front lines, I’m happy to say that rock – classic, heavy, groovy rock – is alive and well. Do not hide, do not run for cover – get out there and catch Crobot, Scorpion Child and Buffalo Summer now!
The Live Rooms website is here.
You can follow Crobot, Scorpion Child and Buffalo Summer on Twitter. Get on it, you need to be ready.
HawRADen BMX Ride
Saturday 24th October 2015
Hawarden, Flintshire
My mate Danny is into BMX. He gets BMX bike parts, builds the BMX bikes, rides the BMX bikes too. Proper, old school BMX bikes – Haro, Mongoose, Raleigh – all the vintage legends. He was into BMX when he was a kid in the 80’s, and a few years ago rediscovered his passion.
Nowadays, in addition to hunting down vintage bike parts to build his dream machines, he also meets up with other enthusiasts for a ride. Apparently this is what these BMX geezers do: all over the North West, even all over the country, they meet up and go for a ride together. There’s usually breaks in the ride for refreshments (ie they stop at a pub or two – soft drinks, obviously…). 
Dan decided to organise a local gathering for riders, which would take place in and around the home area of Hawarden in Flintshire, North Wales. This all sounded like good fun to me. I was invited and decided to tag along.
My only problem was the fact that I don’t own a BMX bike, at least not anymore. That left me with two options: my mountain bike or my Schwinn low rider.
It had to be the low rider. The Schwinn is a retro styled bike that looks like a Harley Davidson chopper, but pedal powered. I figured this bike was my best bet, it has a cool look and was a little different. Also I decided to kit myself out in heavy metal/biker gear – rock t-shirt, bandanna, mirrored shades. Not taking the mickey, but I thought I might as well go the whole hog, on my hog.
So off I went, a Happy Shopper Dennis Hopper, to join the ride.
The meet up point was the Fox and Grapes pub in Hawarden village. Luckily they were a friendly bunch, so although I only knew Dan, I wasn’t left out. With a few stragglers to round up, we just made the train from Hawarden station up to Buckley. It was just one stop and a free fare for most of these BMX bandits.
A short ride then up to the Shamrock in Buckley, where the owner, also a BMX aficionado, laid on some food. Good stuff, great boozer. More BMXers met up with the original party here and the group grew a few more.
By the time we left the Shamrock on the ride across Buckley, there must have been twenty odd BMX riders (plus one Easy Rider interloper). The ride was through the streets and finally the first downhill stretch of the day, which was a relief. It’s hard work without gears, this bike riding malarkey.
A short break at the Parrot in Drury and we were off again, this time a nice long downhill stretch to Ewloe. I think a few heads turned as drivers and passers-by clocked the throng of bikers rolling down the road. One rider got a little too rad and ended up with the only injury of the day – but we all have to pay our dues some time.
The final stop, for me, at any rate – was the Running Hare in Ewloe. Never my favourite pub, never the less the open space outdoors for bikes and riders was ideal.
Throughout the afternoon, there were stories told and memories recalled of bikes and adventures from our youth. There was a very positive and fun atmosphere. It was all very light hearted and I was made to feel welcome, despite not having a BMX bike.
The group then rode on to complete the circuit back at the Fox. I bailed out and rolled down the hill to home, having enjoyed a great afternoon of nostalgia and banter. These BMX bike rides are a great idea – here’s to all the Rad Dads and other forty somethings keeping the dream alive.
My Christmas list this year will feature a BMX bike, for the first time since about 1984.
The Holy Rollers
Saturday 3rd October 2015
The White Bear, Mancot, Deeside
Now I may not know much, but I do know two things very well: the first one is ROCK and the second one is ROLL. And so I was looking forward to finally seeing The Holy Rollers play, bringing their unique brand of rock star to a local venue.
The White Bear is a great pub; featuring live acts every Saturday in addition to all the other wonderful things they do (like the food). It’s also very close to home for me, luckily. Though I was a bit worried I might end up hosting the after gig party for The Holy Rollers, being so close to the place. Luckily that never happened – otherwise my TV would surely have been thrown out of the window…
Wrexham’s finest – The Holy Rollers – are a covers band par excellence; expertly rendering classics across various genres from different decades. I understand they’re also debauched rock’n’rollers with a penchant for chaos and partying.
Whilst anticipation mounted, the band took their places and the intro tape played the start of the A-Team. You know, “In 1972, a crack commando unit was sent to prison for a crime they didn’t commit…” This was the first stroke of genius of the night. If ever I’m in a band, I want the A-Team intro before I go on. Awesome.
The Holy Rollers, crack commando rock stars that they are, launched into their first set of the night setting the tone nicely, with well chosen songs that skipped across styles effortlessly. There’s some Oasis (“Rock’n’Roll Star”); some Stones (“Jumpin’ Jack Flash”) and even a classy “Beat It” to get the party started. An early highlight for me was the Weezer classic “Buddy Holly”, just ‘cos I love Weezer. 
The band confidently raided the back catalogue of numerous great bands to deliver a quality set, impressing with their craft. Vocals and guitar duties are shared (and alternated) between Rob Roxx and G Bomb, adding some variety to the delivery. Both of them delivered the tunes with a cool tenacity that made it all look easy.
The first set featured a storming final run through “Should I Stay of Should I Go”, “Hard Day’s Night”, “You Really Got Me” and Primal Scream’s “Rocks”. You can’t fault that for a set list.
After a short break, the second half of the gig was back on. We get ‘Phonics classic “Local Boy in the Photograph” and a bit of Bon Jovi. The Holy Rollers version of Bad Company nugget “Feel Like Makin’ Love” was another highlight and a nice change of pace.
A mini punk rock section followed with “Teenage Kicks” (Undertones) and “Ever Fallen In Love…” (Buzzcocks). The rhythm section did a fine job of keeping everything together as the pace changed through out the gig. Bass player Maxx stalked the room like a rock’n’roll avenger with mayhem in mind. Drummer Good Boy Roy pummelled the skins as if they’d insulted his mother.
Although delivering familiar material, The Holy Rollers always have an element of surprise tucked up their sleeves. Case in point is the genius mash up of “Seven Nation Army” and “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” – two songs melded together to create a whole new monster. It shouldn’t work, but it does – incredible. The White Stripes and Marvin Gaye? Who knows what other Frankensteins these mad scientists can create?
The joy of The Holy Rollers gig was the fearless renditions of songs regardless of musical styles; be it “Uptown Funk”, Bowie’s “Let’s Dance” or the Smiths. They are unafraid to play great songs, whether old or new, and regardless of genre. It made a refreshing change to hear this four man mobile juke box playing songs that were well known, but given an exciting make over.
When the gig was over, The Holy Rollers dispersed. Probably off to some rock star mansion to drive a Rolls Royce into the pool. Or setting off fire works in expensive hotels. Whatever they got up to; we, the people can rest assured. Rock’n’roll is in safe hands.
We’re well into November now, but I still have a few Halloween horror reviews left to cover. Bonfire night? Who cares?! What fireworks?!
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Jodie Foster plays FBI agent Clarice Starling in this fantastic film, on the trail of serial killer “Buffalo Bill”. To find the killer she enlists the help of incarcerated psychopath Hannibal “the Cannibal” Lecter (a superb Anthony Hopkins in a career defining role). Utilising Lecter’s knowledge to enhance the psychological profile of the killer, the young agent finds herself embroiled in his mind games, as the race to catch Buffalo Bill gains further urgency. 
If you’ve never seen this film, see it. If you have, watch it again. It won multiple Oscars and is absolutely captivating (no pun intended) on every viewing. Brilliant performances; scenes that look and feel real; and a chilling story make The Silence of the Lambs unmissable.
True, there are no monsters or supernatural occurrences in this movie. Yet the sense of unease and tension created in The Silence of the Lambs mark it as a real horror film with chills beyond compare.
10/10
Ghostbusters (1984)
Another film that needs no introduction, though of a vastly different style; Ghostbusters is an 80’s classic. Featuring a team of scientists who, after finding themselves thrown out of their university, form a new business hunting ghosts, this film has laughs and thrills aplenty. Taking New York by storm with their paranormal investigations, the Ghostbusters wind up facing a threat that is really out of this world! 
The three main Ghostbusters – Bill Murray, Dan Ackroyd and Harold Ramis – are all excellent; with Murray in particular looking like he’s having tons of fun. Ernie Hudson as the fourth member does a good job, but is somewhat underused. Sigourney Weaver puts in a good performance as the musician caught up in a pan-dimensional event she doesn’t understand. And keep your eyes on Rick Moranis, who is constantly hilarious.
Highly recommended as some fun Halloween viewing, Ghostbusters mixes a few spooky moments with some very funny scenes. Add in a great theme tune and some memorable quotes, and you really can’t go wrong.
Who ya gonna call?
9/10
That’s it for another year, thanks for reading Halloween Horror Fest!
Halloween is over, but as ever, I’m behind with reviewing the films I’ve watched this October. So here we go…
Bigfoot Wars (2014)
Now I’m a big fan of Bigfoot movies. The Legend of Boggy Creek is, in my book, a total classic. So I was intrigued by Bigfoot Wars and definitely wasn’t put off by the obvious low budget, straight to video fest that I was letting myself in for. 
The story, in a nutshell, is this: a small town (named Boggy Creek, interestingly enough) has a problem with marauding Bigfoot abducting the local females.
Unfortunately it is all a bit cheap, at least as far as the script goes. The sasquatch look pretty scary and manage to introduce a good dose of tension to the proceedings. However the story is fairly lame and obvious, with rather poor acting and dialogue. Some guy called C Thomas Howell is the token ex-big name slumming it; but his performance is unintelligible.
As a fan of Bigfoot movies, there was enough here for me to enjoy. However I couldn’t really recommend Bigfoot Wars to anyone else.
5/10
Sleepy Hollow (1999)
Tim Burton directed this version of the Washington Irving story, and it really is superb. The design and cinematography are spell binding; the story rattles along at a great pace, and the cast is rammed with an unbelievable level of talent. 
Our old mate Johnny Depp plays Ichabod Crane, who in this version is a detective, sent to the remote town of Sleepy Hollow to investigate some hideous murders. It appears that the locals are being decapitated by a Headless Horseman, though why is a mystery. Crane must use his rational, scientific sensibilities to put a stop to the carnage – though it appears that the events may be of supernatural origin after all…
Apparently this film is Tim Burton’s tribute to Hammer horror; it’s easy to see why with the scenes of stage coaches rolling through gloomy forests. A cameo from the late, great Christopher Lee further exaggerates the point. Lashings of blood also help to underscore the tribute to sixties horror.
Sleep Hollow is exceptionally well made – it looks incredible and the story is riveting. Whilst the motivations are a little convoluted, it all comes together in the end. Highly recommended for some blood thirsty thrills, and worthy of repeated viewings.
9/10
Dracula (1992)
A difficult one, this. Undeniably stunning to watch, this version of the classic tale from Director Francis Ford Coppola has many positives. Unfortunately it also has some screamingly bad inconsistencies, too.
I won’t dwell too long on the plot, as the narrative manages to follow the source novel for the most part. Suffice to say that Jonathan Harker (Keanu Reeves) is despatched to Transylvania to arrange some London real estate for a certain Count Dracula (a brilliant Gary Oldman). Dracula then relocates to Victorian England, where his cult of vampirism is destined to grow.
Despite following many of the key scenes from Stoker’s original book, and indeed managing to correctly include most of the characters for a change, this isn’t the definitive movie version it claims to be. Rather, Coppola’s film is scuppered by introducing a ridiculous love story between Dracula and Mina (Winona Ryder) that wasn’t in the book. So for every brilliantly shot tribute to the novel that Coppola makes, there’s a stake through the heart thanks to the silly romance aspect. 
The performances vary from superb (Oldman) to annoying (Sadie Frost as Lucy). Then there’s Anthony Hopkins as Van Helsing, who can’t decide how far to ram his tongue in his own cheek.
Poor old Keanu always comes under heavy criticism for his work here, and yes, his British accent is truly abominable. In his defence, however, I would say that he looks exactly as I always imagined Jonathan Harker to look. So give him a break. For me, Winona Ryder is much worse – her acting and accent are both wrong, and she also looks totally out of place.
Thank heavens for some authenticity with appearances for much loved characters Dr Seward (Richard E Grant, great job); Arthur Holmwood (perfectly cast as Cary Elwes) and the vampire hunter who was always my favourite, Quincey Morris (Bill Campbell).
If I ignore the stupid desecration that is the Oldman/Ryder romance, then there’s plenty to enjoy. The sets, costume designs and cinematography are simply beautiful. There are some ingenious ideas where the laws of physics just do not apply – such as shadows roaming randomly – which create a supernatural world. And there is enough respect for the novel in various other ways that Coppola’s Dracula is irresistible to watch. Not to mention plenty of blood and dismemberment, and some true horror.
So despite holding my head in my hands and screaming “WHY?!” to the heavens, Dracula is still a must see. But please folks, read the book. Repressed Victorian sexuality and fears of the outsider may be present there, but “Dracula” is no love story.
8/10
Platinum Al's Virtual Hot Tub 