Listen to this song. Now.

Now find this woman and force her to marry me. Please?

Chords, for the guitarists, are Dsus2, Dsus2/C, Dsus2/B.

I have been a bit slack about posting lately, but I actually have something to post about now, so here goes.

I remember a story my Mum used to tell about how she would always put off seeing Queen perform. One year Queen were performing and she actually had the chance to go, but didn’t, and said “I’ll see them next year”. Unfortunately that was the year Mr. Mercury died, and she never did get the chance.

As I’ve had more and more opportunities to see bands I like, that story has always stuck to me, and has often motivated me to go and see bands, regardless of the distance or cost.

Just last week, completely out of the blue, I discovered that the first band I ever properly got into were playing in the same city. Tickets were about £20 each, which wasn’t too expensive, so naturally I went, and I’m so very thankful. The Levellers have been going for twenty years now, and as much as their newer albums don’t have quite the same beauty about them as their earlier ones, especially Levelling the Land, they put on a fantastic show. Even their support acts were fantastic!

Unfortunately my camera failed me a few months ago, so I was unable to take any pictures, which is really disappointing. To make up for that, I bought a t-shirt, which I am wearing as I type.

It’s great to think that I have seen one of my all-time favourite bands though. If you are reading this and are considering going to see a band you like, but are unsure about the distance or cost, just do it. Life is all about having fun and spending the money you make. You’d regret not going if one of the members passed away or the band split up.

For the first time at a gig, I actually sat down. Tallis and I were tempted to go the main floor, but instead we went up to the balcony and just sat and enjoyed the music. The experience was just as good, and in some ways better. It was nice to just relax, instead of jump around amongst a crowd of sweaty people. It also made me realise that the objective of any guitarist in a band, when on stage, is to climb onto the highest thing possible, and then try balancing on it on one foot. It also made me notice the odd things people do when they are at a gig. There was an old couple in front of me, and whilst the lady was swaying from left to right, the man was putting on some form of exaggerated redneck knee slapping act, which was so fucking funny.

For such a small venue the volume was pretty impressive. It actually made me quite jealous. As a guitar player, you really don’t get a feeling that is similar to playing through a loud amp from anything in the world, and watching their frontman strut around with his Fender was just… inspiring.

I hope I get the chance to see them again, but if I don’t, at least now I can say that I’ve seen them, and I can happily walk around wearing my t-shirt. If you’ve not heard of The Levellers, do check them out, they’re fantastic.

The weekend just gone was rather a good one for gigs. Having seen Pendulum on Sunday, Tallis and I also went to see Skindred on Sunday. They were supported by a few local bands, all of which are working their way up, so it was great to see some friends and local musicians supporting a bigger band, even if I’m not hugely fond of any of them.

Once again, stepping into the venue caused your entire existance to be engulfed in sweat and moisture, which was pretty gross, but none the less Skindred put on a fantastic show. Unfortunately, half way through their set the fire alarms went off, which was, needless to say, very annoying for all of us inside; it must have been a great anti-climax for Skindred as well. Thankfully not a lot of time spent outside, and we managed to get back in to the moisture zone of doom after a massive kerfuffle with 2,000 people and a small wooden door, which could have resulted in a much stickier situation. Skindred resumed the gig fantastically, but towards the end of the show I felt the room was getting a little too crowded and hot, so that ruined it a little for me.

Both Skindred and Pendulum are playing Download festival, which we are attending, later in the year, so hopefully I’ll get to see them both again. If I have to miss them, at least I’ll be able to do so with the experience of seeing them both earlier in the year. Unfortunately, once again I couldn’t buy a t-shirt. Dammit.

Last night Tallis and I went to the great hall, a venue on the Exeter University campus, to see Pendulum. They were performing as a band, rather than DJing their music, which I was a bit hesitant about seeing – but after the support DJs cleared the stage and they started playing, it was fantastic.

It’s very surprising actually, if you listen to the roots of their music before the keyboard player and the various other synth effects kick in, how influenced they are by progressive metal. Towards the end of the gig, they began one of their songs with just the two guitarists, bassist and drummer – and most people in the crowd were giving the horns and had a bit of a mosh.

Actually, if you spend a lot of time listening to their music, or any dance music, you realise how very simple it is, yet comes together so beautifully. I’m not usually one for dance/club music, but honestly, they were amazing. Their lighting technician, although he only had a small setup to play with, did a truly fantastic job, and all in all the show was amazing.

I think the thing I like most about the atmosphere though, is the fact that most people simply enjoy themselves and dance. When you go to see a heavy band, you have to be wary of the people around you, unless you’re really keen on getting involved with the fight pits. I think that sort of occurance spoils a performance for people who don’t enjoy that sort of activity, because they’re spending more time focused on their surroundings and not on the band. At the beginning, when the DJs were playing, a few kids were pushing each other around, and it looked as if it was going to be irritating, but when the place filled up it didn’t seem to happen again.

The Great Hall got absurdly hot, and the humidity was so thick you probably could have cut slices out of it with a glow stick, but it was a great night, and I think I lost half a stone through sweating and dancing.

Unfortunately I couldn’t afford to buy a t-shirt, which goes against my goal of getting t-shrits from every band I see, but hopefully I’ll be able to get one online.

I’m looking forward to seeing Pendulum again at Download festival, but right now I’m sitting here with stage envy.

Skindred on Sunday!

Erik Mongrain is a Canadian composer who plays the guitar using the lap-tapping technique. The guitar is tuned down, and the technique produces some fantastic sounds that you don’t get from standard guitar playing. His album, Fates, was released last year and is a truly beautiful piece of work.

Purely for recognition and appreciation, here is a live video of him playing the 7th song on the album, “Air Tap”.

It’s very rare that I blog about music or video, which is odd, as I spend a lot of my time listening to music and watching movies and series.

Radiohead’s latest album, In Rainbows, is fantastic. It’s very different to their normal work, but very samey at the same time. Generally their older stuff varies quite a lot in the mood it portrays, whether it’s depressing or agressive. In Rainbows is a very wispy, dreamy album, that plays in the background very nicely. Everything about it is very soft, and it doesn’t really draw a lot of attention to itself; but you can easily sink into it and drown in the full spectrum of beautiful sounds. I have listened to it a few times now, and I have never appreciated it as much as I did, lying on my bed, very warm and completely relaxed.