Nearly finished reading this book:

Very very interesting, all about Prof. Magueijo’s formulation of ‘VSL’ or the variable speed of light, in which he argues that the early universe had a speed of light that was much much faster than it is now, which, according to his calculations, seemed to solve some of the oldest cosmological problems, like the homogeneity of the universe and why our universe exists at exactly the right critical mass to prevent an ‘open’ or ‘closed’ universe. Also gives you a fantastic insight into the competitiveness of the scientific world, it’s brutality and bureaucracy, and how career-destroying it can be to want to stick two fingers up to the scientific establishment.

I’m now settling well into my first year at Nottingham University. My course is starting to get good now, and I’m starting to get more work, but I don’t really mind that to be honest, it gives some structure to life, rather than not having anything and going out all the time, which gets a bit old after a while in a relatively small city. The thing I am missing is going to shows, there’s only been one half-decent hardcore show up here since I’ve been, and cause it costs like £30 to get back to London, I can’t get down there for gigs etc, meaning I’m missing IRON AGE AND RISE AND FALL

Title Fight tour’s coming up here soon, and TUI and Rise and Fall in February, so I suppose I can’t complain. We’re just spoiled for choice in London.

Talking of Rise and Fall, I’m still addicted to their new album

And I’ve been listening to Pulling Teeth loads recently. Forgot how awesome this band are. They need a fucking tour here

Finally, I’m thinking of going to London for ‘The Wave’ on 5th December. Hopefully massive and well-attended climate change march in the centre of London, and with the Copenhagen talks coming up in mid-December, it’s really important that world leaders realise the strength of feeling about climate change from ordinary people. These talks are so so important for the future of our planet, but I’m beginning to lose faith in our leaders’ ability to actually decide on anything useful at all.

There are loads of coaches going to London and Glasgow  from various places in the country, and you can get a special deal from Megabus where you can get a coach for like £2 or something, which means there’s no excuse to go. DO IT.

http://www.stopclimatechaos.org/the-wave

Byes.

15 papers in just over two weeks,  23 fucking hours of exams! On the bright side, I do only have two subjects left, two German papers tomorrow afternoon, then Chemistry on Monday and Tuesday, after which the loud crescendo of my school career falls off and I have a shit long summer!

Got so many plans already man, going to Venice on music tour in July, going to Germany to see Cold World on 10th July, flights for £30 plus a €8 bus journey into the centre of Hamburg really isn’t bad! Hostel is about €20 per person per night, so it doesn’t look as if it’ll end up that expensive; the cheaper the better in my eyes, even if we stay in a shitty hotel for two nights, as long as it’s has acceptable hygiene and a shower, I don’t give a fuck.

Possible trips to Pressurefest and Some Hardcore Fest in Germany and Belgium respectively, as well as Reading to look forward to!

I’ve spent today ignoring the fact that I have an exam tomorrow and downloading music from two really good blogs

lyricswillnotreachtheaudience.blogspot.com and www.weareangryandhateeverything.blogspot.com

We are angry and hate everything’s mostly hardcore and powerviolence, some good shit but not revolutionary, but lyrics will not reach the audience has got a brilliant mixture of music, there are many contributors which helps, but everything from post-rock to 90s emo to 80s hardcore punk to indie to really odd experimental swedish bands.

This blog is how I found out about Moss Icon, a rather influential hardcore punk band from the late 80s/early 90s, born out the DC ‘Revolution Summer’ sound. They’re really fucking good, laying down the foundations for melodic hardcore/ what would become emo, the original genre which evolved as a protest/progression from hardcore punk, not a faggoty scene band with whiny vocals and manicures, this was relatively DIY and underground. They even sound like a mix of Joy Division and American Football in places, then it’ll kick off into a really fast melodic punk section, while still managing to sound quite mournful and emotional.

Good shit. Original emo happened before my time really, I was only 5 in 96, so most of it passed me by, but it really appeals to me, can be pretty intense, and melodic hardcore bands and a lot of indie bands, referring to chilled out and DIY rock bands rather than The Libertines etc, owe quite a lot to it.

Moss Icon:

Went to Nottingham yesterday for the Reign Supreme show. Best time ever. Despite the fact that I left my house at 9am and didn’t get to Billy’s until half past 2.

All the bands were insane, Headcase were hilarious, You Lose is the only French hardcore I’ve ever heard but it was sweet, Frustration were sick, Hang The Bastard were insane, By My Hands were heavy as fuck, Cold Snap were insane, Dirty Money was ridiculous, Reign Supreme were insane, even 50 Lions didn’t sound that bad.

Met some cool people, got really sweaty, ate a Salt beef beigel from Brick Lane, and generally had a sweet time. Long live hardcore.

If I find some pictures/videos I’ll put them up at some point.

I’m 18 tomorrow. Roll on the good times.

http://www.imgoingnowherefast.com/

A dude that lives in NYC I think, writes various stuff about hardcore, art and just general life.He’s got some pretty snazz videos and pictures, well worth checking out, even if you just wanna watch the videos or whatever.

Listened to this 7″ pretty much all day.

This 7″ will destroy lives.  I’ve never seen Mind Eraser live, but I can imagine total destruction. 10 songs of desperation and violence. This is how music should be made, by pissed off people with everything to hate. YES.

I’m having my first driving lesson tomorrow.

NO PLEASE.

x

But they can fuck off, as I don’t have time to comment on Imperialism by proxy and failed attempts to quell challenges to this political agenda.

I went to this last night:

Sweet little venue, it’s a pretty snazz bar/restaurant, looks far too posh for hardcore.

But yeah, COLD SNAP.  HARD AS FUCK. So hard I ripped my shirt.

SANTA KARLA. Oh my god. Split with Lonewolves soon. GET IT OR HANG YOURSELF.

NO DICE were harsh as usual, and Face of Death were surprisingly good. Two man stripped down thrash with hugely distorted bass. Was gonna pick up their demo Tape but the Recession has REALLY limited my funds.

Kent Hardcore is on the up! Actually so is all of the South Coast. I prefer the bands coming out of the Deep South than London at the moment.

On Saturday I camped in a field. My left thigh is still numb. I’m assuming I’ve got a whole series of trapped nerves or I’ve had a stroke.

x

Haven’t posted in a  good long while.

What with mock exams in December, and then the rush for Christmas shopping,  and then the general laziness that the festive period induces, finding time to update was difficult.

My Christmas presents basically consisted of a turntable, shit loads of vinyl, lots of new socks, and a couple books.

Turntable is lovely sound, it’s great to be able to experience some of the vinyl I’ve got as it was intended, rather than  listening to it after it’s been digitized.

New Year’s was pretty sick, got absolutely fucked and walked for bareeee long to get home.

In the second picture I look absolutely shot to pieces. In a metaphorical sense of course. And yes. The jumper was MIGHTY warm.

I am currently ill, and going to the gym today really did not help that.

New Year’s Resolutions include:

• Say ‘Yes’ more often
• Take more pictures to document things!
• Get a job.
• Actually learn to drive.
• Become addicted to heroin.
• Pass my exams with like 594794 points.
• That’s it really.

But.

On Friday (28th November) I went to see New Found Glory at Brixton Academy. Being a cheapskate I got the tube from North Greenwich rather than pay out for a travelcard. So I was late. Avoiding the drunk emos strewn across the pavement, I met Ben and Georgie and Fran and went inside.

Caught the back end of Four Year Strong and was not impressed at all.

Had a pint then settled down to watch Set Your Goals. Enjoyable set, especially when I ventured down the front just in time to pull Ross off some random kid that he was trying to flay. Sound was a bit wank though to be honest.

New Found Glory. I have never been into New Found Glory, unlike some of my friends who grew up listening to them, but I found myself really enjoying their set. They play really catchy pop-punk, and whilst it isn’t exactly musically complex, it was still enjoyable despite me not knowing any of their songs previously. But in reality, any band that can pull of both a Gorilla Biscuits cover and a cover of Kiss Me and pull it off is worthy of note in my book. Funny seeing loadsa people that normally go to hardcore shows singing along.

Yesterday (1st December) was Ceremony at Islington Bar Academy. Pretty awesome show. Jailbait opened up, pretty solid, not thrown by the constant fact that everyone only ever knows two songs. Never Healed up next, really didn’t dig them, they’re alright on the music side of things but their vocals are so raspy and grating that I found it hard to get in to. Ceremony was JOKES. Played all their classics, only a couple songs from their new album, which I was pleased about as I really don’t know it that well. During Kersed we nearly managed to knock the PA clean over. People jumping off the bar and shit. Chaos. Violence. Sweat. Brotherhood. Just a good honest hardcore show. Good to get the aggression out of you. Love it.

I never actually noticed that much before, but so many of Ceremony’s songs are about God. Not necessarily completely disagreeing with His existence, more examining the effects of religion, the repression and bleakness it can bring with it.

I actually get pretty grumpy and apathetic if I haven’t been to a show in ages.

VERSE on Thursday. HAVE HEART and CRUEL HAND next Tuesday. COLD SNAP, NO DICE and COLD ONES Sunday 14th. Oh its a good life.

Mocks coming up. Not hugely bothered if I’m honest. Doesn’t really affect my final grade in any way, if you ask me its just a harsh amount of stress and hassle for nothing.

Laterz x

On one hand, I think this is hilarious and it serves members of the BNP right to be such narrow-minded fascists.

On the other hand, it raised many contentious issues surrounding the legality of the BNP, its place in British politics, and whether it is right to persecute/punish members.

In my opinion, although I virulently disagree with anything the BNP has to say, I have to defend their right to be able to say it. This country is built on the values of free speech, democracy, the right to assemble and the right to form political parties, whatever their position on the political spectrum. Therefore, I must defend the BNP’s right to exist and to believe in what they stand for. The moment you begin to place laws against parties like the BNP, the moment it becomes totally justified to ban ANY slightly undesirable organisation, including Government opposition.

I find saying this extremely difficult, especially when many Nationalists contribute to websites like ‘Redwatch’, an online database, including personal details and sometimes photos of anti-fascist/Nationalist activists and members of Far-Left Groups, members that have been threatened with violence in exactly the way some BNP members are threatened now.

If I’m honest, I think the BNP should be allowed to have Party Political Broadcasts like the other parties, and engage more in mainstream political debate, purely because it would make the public realise how narrow-minded and stupid these people are, and how much of a waste a BNP vote is. How are the BNP going to help the economy back on its feet? By persecuting every non-British person in this country? I don’t think so. I am losing faith in the British public to make the most intelligent and informed choice when it comes to our Government.

However, despite my insistence that the BNP should be allowed to exist, this item below still indicate what I think of the average Nationalist.

Laterz. x