Lacuna Coil - Northampton Roadmender

It was great to meet all the band after the gig who were great. Special praise has to go to Criz the drummer who is simply the nicest guy i've met in Rock !!
It was great to chat about Italy, life on the road, music and cigars. He very kindly even gave me some of his favourite Italian brand which i will save for Christmas!
Thanks for your time Criz hope to catch up again sometime and have a great trip to play in India.


Andrea - Dual Lead Vocalist


Cristina Scabbia


The Lacuna (Which means 'empty spiral' in Italian)started off with 'Underdog' followed by 'Im Not Afraid'. The crowd soon got into their stride and responded brilliantly to create a fantastic atmosphere.
The set list contained personal favourites such as 'Heavens a Lie', 'Swamped' and 'closer' as well a brilliant cover of the Depeche Mode hit 'Enjoy the Silence' which worked really well.

Full Set List

Underdog
I'm not afraid
Fragments of faith
What I see
The Secret
Closer
I won't tell you
1:19
Heavens a lie
To the edge
Enjoy the silence
Cold heritage
The game
Swamped
Fragile
...............................
Survive
Spellbound
Our truth



Lacuna Coil were formed in 1994 in Milan. They are slightly unusual in having contrasting dual female/male vocal singers to help create a melodic, detached sound. Much of the band's recent material, however, sees a heavier and more down-tuned style, featuring a more distinct bass line and a higher mixing of the guitars.

First band on were London based band Slaves to Gravity. They made a good noise and are heading in the right direction for sure. In fact they will be supporting Alter Bridge on the UK leg of their upcoming tour. Thanks for the Jagermeister lads after the gig !!





I still had to pinch myself that a band I had wanted to see for a long time were playing in my home town Northampton.
I'm afraid to have to say that Northampton is something of a Rock wilderness. I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of bands I have seen locally so this was an all to rare treat for me. It made a welcome change from travelling all over the UK and indeed Europe for my musical fix.

I managed to get away early from worlk and decided to call past the Roadmender just to see who was about?
Not only did I bump into an old mate of mine I also met Cristina Scabbia lead vocalist and face of LC. She had just been shopping in the Town centre which didn't measure up too well against her home town of Milan. Unless you happen to like Charity shops and Poundstretchers!!

Within Temptation Fans Day

Our Farewell

Robert

Ruud

Jeroen

Sharon and Martijn

Towards the end of the afternoon came the highlight of the day that we had all been waiting for - the concert.
After a slightly false start the intro music fired up and WT burst on stage with 'See Who I Am' followed by 'The Howling' just brilliant !! Next to come was my personal favourite 'The Cross'. This was a real selection of fans favourites for sure. A real treat was in store when the most voted for song on the fan site 'Jane Doe' was played. Robert joked that he didn't know if his throat could take the growls any more ?
A brilliant set finished with 'Deceiver of Fools' and 'Ice Queen' despite Robert teasing the audience by saying they were bored with IQ and wouldn't be doing it....never!!

Full Set List
See Who I Am
The Howling
Stand My Ground
Memories
Our Solemn Hour
Angels
Jane Doe
Mother Earth

Deceiver Of Fools
Ice Queen

It was a truly unforgettable day - My thanks go to Within Temptation you Rock! The excellent organisation from Diny and friends at The Silent Force and finally to Trevor for getting us there and back safely !



The Fans day had many other things going on before the concert. All of which was brilliantly hosted by the one and only Ivar De Graaf in his own hilarious and chaotic way.
Ivar was the original drummer for Within Temptation before leaving to form his own band Kingfisher Sky. I will be seeing KS in a few weeks as they are supporting Delain in Utrecht. If he ever decides to give up drumming he certainly should consider a career as a quizmaster or maybe not?
As well as the quiz (Congratulations to Team Sharon) we also had lots of clips of previous of previous fan days from years gone by. Also there was the opportunity to listen to extracts from some of the songs that will be on the new album due for release early next year. I have to say I think it is going to be epic judging fom the snippets I listened to.
Finally we had the raffle where Ivar was joined on stage by Martijn to form a double act to rival 'Laurel & Hardy'. Lots of goodies were given away including some special creative packs hastily put together by Ivar. These included 'My Favourite Scarf' so Stephen was not forgotten either.

'Mr Compere' Ivar De Graaf

With Sharon.

With Martijn

With Robert.

With Ruud Jolie - Hope he likes the Sloe Gin!

Fans gather ahead of the opening welcome as I look down from the VIP balcony.


The 5th annual Within Temptation Fanclub Day (The Silent Force)was held on October 10, 2010. It took place at the Waerdse Tempel in Heerhugowaard (NL).
Myself and Trevor made the long trip from the UK over to Alkmaar using a combination of 6 different trains including the Eurostar.
Thanks to the brain power of Trevor who won a competition we had VIP tickets for the day including a 'meet and greet' with the band.
The doors opened around 10:30 and we were given the VIP passes and felt very priviliged as we were ushered into a seperate room and awaited the arrival of the band.

As they arrived I think we all froze for a few seconds! Until Robert called everyone forward. I have to admit I did feel nervous which was ridiculous because they were absolutely wonderful and a delight to meet.
I had taken a few photos from the Antwerp gig as well as a CD cover which I was hoping to get signed. First up was Robert , who I reminded that we had spoken briefly in Antwerp. He thanked me again for coming and we chatted about the new album. Then it was the turn of Jeroen who was very chatty and not like I had expected really. He did say that he likes to blend in the background and keep something of a low profile.
I had taken a special gift for Ruud as I am a huge fan of his guitar style. However I did ask him a bit of a daft question... Do you dink alcohol? Of course the answer was yes , so I presented him with a Cello shaped bottle of my home made Sloe Gin. I think he was a little surprised as Sharon usually gets the presents. I noticed he was hanging on to it and I hope he enjoys !!
I then spoke to Martijn who was actually bigger than me which I was surprised about as I am over 6ft !! He said that nobody kicks sand in his face anymore..
Then I met Sharon who not surprisingly was highly in demand. She was as lovely as I imagined and very patient signing so many things for the fans. In fact she almost had to be dragged away once the session was over.

Newmarket Races

Winning Lady Jockey Hayley Turner who has just won on 16/1 'Honeymead' I was kicking myself for not backing as had just been sampling Mead and bought a bottle !


The winner of the Cambridgeshire 'Credit Swap' after the race.



The Legendery Frankie Dettori


Jockey Tom Queally collecting his prize for winning on 'Masaya'.




Newmarket is Headquarters and the home of British Racing now for over 300 years. It is unique in having two complete and highly distinct racecourses - the Rowley Mile and the July Racecourse.
The Rowley Mile is named after King Charles II "Old Rowley" who founded the Newmarket meetings following his restoration to the throne in 1660. It hosts racing of the highest calibre during the Spring and Autumn, including two of the five classic races in early May: the 1000 Guineas and the 2000 Guineas. Today is one of the big Autumn highlights the Cambridgeshire Meeting.

After all the torrential rain yesterday it was a relief to see blue skies and sunshine.

I don't quite know how but I managed to pick a 20/1 winner in the first race !! 'Masaya' ridden by Tom Queally and trained by Clive Brittain. Not only that I also managed to forecast the exacta !! This is getting the first and second in any order which is a very tasty bet to land, especially at prices of 20/1 & 9/1..
All together I picked up over two hundred pounds- A perfect start. The lady in the Tote booth jokingly suggested that I should go home now..I wish I had listened because I didn't have any more winners -((. But I still ended well in profit and treated Marina to a fish and Chip supper on the way home.

Panic Room - The Stables Wavendon

Panic Room opened up with the first track on the latest album 'Freedom to breathe' which grabs your attention from the word go. A really well balanced set with 'Elektra City' 'Dark Star','Sunshine' and 'Yasuni' being most memorable. However my highlight would have to be the stunningly brilliant 'Satellite' which I have hardly stopped playing ever since.
Anne-Marie Helders voice has been described as 'Kate Bush meets Led Zep', moving from beautiful ballads to screaming metal and steals the show.
You get a rich blend of jazz, metal, funk, folk, blues intertwined with Eastern influences.
The only disappointing part of the evening was the turnout. The venue was less than half full which was a great shame. I just wonder what people want on Wednesday night in Milton Keynes ?? It is a tribute to both bands that they put in such a tremendous performance which deserved a bigger audience.


Anne Marie Helder

'Rude Tiger' from Devon

Panic Room


It has been a very long time since i've been down to the The Stables near Milton Keynes to see a band.It's a smashing intimate little venue and has some great Blues,Folk, Rock and Jazz acts. It is very nice to be able to have a beer in a proper glass and take into the auditorium.
The downside being the strict no photography policy. However as you will see I managed to sneak a few in... With a little help from my gig partner Tim Johnson who when prompted leant forward to block the Stewards view. Well done Tim !

Panic Room have been described as a 'mini supergroup'and are fronted by the multi talented Anne-Marie Helder (Lead Vocals; Rhythm/Acoustic Guitars; Flute).
Also in the band are:

Paul Davies (Lead/Rhythm/Acoustic Guitars; Backing Vocals)
Yatim Halimi (Bass Guitars)
Jonathan Edwards (Keyboards; Piano; Synths)
Gavin Griffiths (Drums)

First up were support band 'Rude Tiger' from Devon. A three piece band made up of Jas Morris on lead guitar and Vocals and Dan Morris on Bass along with 'D'Collings on drums. Jas is a former winner of the UK Guitarist of the year - aged 18 no less.
I had spoken to their Manager earlier and she had told me that 'they were really good musicians' - she wasn't wrong!

Rude Tiger have attracted the following Quotes :

Guitarist Magazine - 'this guy will be a star'(Jas)

Colin Slade, Planet Rock DAB Radio - 'rock legends of the future'

Andy Powell, Wishbone Ash - 'a major league band'

Walter Trout - 'You guys sound f***ing great!''

Jas bounded into the first track like a young 'Wilko Johnson' full of confidence from continuous gigging largely in the South West. In fact he mentioned the five and a half hour journey they had just experienced to get to the gig.
I was really impressed, some great melodies and superb musicianship.
In fact I was so impressed I purchased the limited edition mini CD which the lads kindly signed as well.
I really think that they will have a great future and are a name to look out for.

Fishing in the Cotswolds

About three hours later I caught my second Rainbow Trout. This time a lot more cunning and stealth was used. I used a technique known as 'stalking'. Quite often the Trout will come in close to the bank and rest up. So by following it in the shallows you can actually drop the fly in front of it's nose and hope it takes the hook. Which is exactly what happened on this occasion, however it did put up a lot of resistance and nearly took me in the lake with it at one stage !!
Barry and I both caught two Rainbow Trout each all around the same size which wasn't bad going as it was not easy fishing. Well it never is in my case to be honest.
Altogether a really enjoyable day outside in the sun and fresh air - in fact it has made me a bit sleepy now.


Happiness is the Rod - A small play on words for all Marillion fans.

Barry - The Troutmaster



It's nice to get an early fish in the bag as you feel you can relax a bit more and the pressure is off. It was lovely and peaceful just standing on the bank feeling the heat of the suns rays and enjoying the scenery. I saw a brief flash of shimmering blue and immediately recognised a Kingfisher, in a second it was gone again.


The first fish of the day !



The sun was shining for my first Fly fishing trip of the year. Destination was Lechlade in the heart of the beautiful Cotswolds close to headwaters of the Thames.

I was with my good mate Barry who is an excellent match fisherman. Probably important to make clear at this stage that I am an awful fisherman and without Barry I would be lost. In fact I had completely forgotten the art of casting out. After a few feeble attempts I did manage to at least get the line about 10 yards from the bank. Then by some small miracle I actually caught the first fish of the day!!A Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) I maintain it must have been suicidal and threw itself on the first sharp it had come across. It didn't put up much of a struggle and was safely landed weighing in around 4lb's.
Just in case anyone is interested it was caught on 'Hares Ear Nymph' using a 'bung' or so I was told? I'm not really up with all the different sorts of flies and fly tying which is an art form in itself.

Amsterdam - Herrings,Herons and Canals

Marina was so hungry and just couldn't wait for the first course..


Enjoyed a very special Evening cruise and 5 course dinner around the canals. Lots of Champagne and wine flowing well. A perfect way to round off a wonderful day!.

As well as a Parakeet colony there are also lots of Grey Herons, which can frequently be seen in the canals. Usually found in the warmer parts of Europe, the Grey Heron has become a very common sight in Amsterdam in recent decades. The herons hunt as they usually would but also eat food discarded by humans.

Outside the Anne Frank Huis.


The Jordaan is also the location of the Anne Frank house,where the famous teenage diaries were written. The building itself is an old merchant's house built in 1635. There were already long slow moving queues forming so we decided not to go inside. Her father, Otto Frank took his family into hiding in tiny rooms above the business premises. Which is where they stayed for 25 months in virtual secrecy until some lowlife betrayed them to the authorities. Born in 1929 she was to die tragically young in March 1945 in the Nazi death camp at Belsen.

Looking across the canal at the Anne Frank house, already queues are round the block.


The Jordaan is home to many art galleries, particularly for modern art. The neighbourhood is also dotted with speciality shops and restaurants, and markets are held regularly. The most common theory on the origin of the name is as a derivation of the French word jardin, meaning garden. Most streets and canals in the Jordaan are named after trees and flowers.
It is a lovely relaxed area of the city and ideal for chilling out by the canal with a chilled beer - Just like we did.


Enjoying my Herring - couldn't persuade Marina to join me though!

Started the weekend in traditional Dutch style with raw Herring for breakfast. Traditionally, the fish (minus its head) is eaten by grabbing it by the tail, throwing one’s head back, and — while gently lowering the fish into the mouth. I opted to have mine in a bread roll along with diced onion and pickles. And the taste..? Lets just say it was love at first bite!
In fact Amsterdam owes it's very existence to the Herring. A permanent settlement came into place when they learned how to preserve the fish so that more could be brought ashore. The settlement in question was in the centre of Amsterdam,Dam Square.

The plan was to have a slow wander up to the Jordaan district of Amsterdam stopping off for the odd beer of course.

Amsterdam - Rembrandt,Scream, A stroll in the park and Metallica

We were treated to cracking versions of classic songs such as , Nothing else matters, Enter Sandman, Creeping Death, One,Master of puppets and the Four horsemen. Really enjoyed the set and the frontman was a real talent- hope they win.

The lead singer (James Hetfield lookalike)from the Metallica tribute band who were absolutely brilliant.

Marina and me at the Leidesplein.


The U2 tribute band who we caught the end of their set. Highlight had to be when the singer (Bono) jumped down into the audience and sang as he walked around the crowd. He then took it a step further by boarding a tram and walking the length of a carriage still singing away!!

Rockdonald - Tribute band who were pretty good.

Had arranged to meet Marina at the Leidespleinslein after she finished work.
The square and surrounding streets are packed with bars,restaurants,cafes,clubs,cinemas and souvenir shops. At night time it becomes neon-lit along with a strange art-nouveau style.
A big marquee had also been erected along with temporary bar facilities. I found out that the weekend was the culmination of a tribute bands competition that had started off with 5,000 bands competing. This had now been whittled down to just 9 over the three days.
We decided to watch the first band who were covering songs mainly by Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Pearl Jam. They were actually pretty good and went down well with the crowd.
Not being too keen on U2 we decided to miss the next band and come back later for 'Present Danger' a Metallica tribute.

Views from Vondelpark.


Spent a very pleasant couple of hours in the Rijks and was even happier to see that it had stopped raining and the sun was out as I emerged into daylight again.
Decided that it would be nice to have a wander around Vondelpark as close by and it was now a lovely day once again.
It was clear to see how 'Amsterdammers' love Vondelpark from the amount of runners,cyclists,walkers and general chilling out taking place. Apparently more than eight million people visit it's 111 acres every year. The Park is the biggest in the city and is filled with trees,pathways,ponds and lakes with loads of wildlife. There is also an arboretum, bandstand, Rose Garden and an open air theatre.
Rembrandt - 'The Nightwatch'

My Favourite Painting - Hendrick Avercamp- 'Winter Landscape'


What had started out as a beautiful sunny day soon turned into a rainstorm. Of course my umbrella was back at the hotel! I discovered a wonderful flea market selling just about everything as I meandered the streets and canals. Taking extra care not to be run down by a tram or more likely a bicycle. I was pleased because I picked up the latest 'Lee Child' paperback for next to nothing. I can mooch around these old markets for hours but had to reign myself in a little- time was passing.
Due to the rain I had to duck into a few 'unusual' shops to shelter on my way to the Rijks Museum. Loaded down with my book and 8 newly purchased CD's.
The Rijks Museum is the major art gallery of the Netherlands. It contains many works by Rembrandt including the amazing and world famous 'Nightwatch'. The other great Dutch name in the collection is Vermeer, the most well known work being the 'The Kitchen Maid'. A beautifully lit portrait of a young girl pouring milk into a bowl. I have to say my personal favourite is be Hendrick Avercamp 'Winter Landscape'. There is always humour in his work somewhere , as in this case with a courting couple as well as people going to the toilet!!

My rough destination was a CD shop that I wanted to check out in the south of the city. The journey was to be on foot and a voyage of discovery taking in whatever was to come my way......



Central Station

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I had the whole day to explore as Marina had already left early for work. I caught one of the 15 tram lines into Central Station using my newly acquired OV Chipkaart. The tram is by far the easiest way to get around.
Central Station is located in the middle of the City and is an attraction in it's own right. The stationed opened in 1889 and is currently under reconstruction and serves 166,000 passengers a day. It is twinned with Liverpool St Station in London.