Untitled.

So it’s been a while, as Staind once sang, and I don’t wanna be another one of those people who gets a blog and leaves it to rot. I want to atleast revive the corpse once in a while.

As I have already mentioned my life is unbearable dull and I have to deal with it- Life’s a bitch, suck it up.

So today, I want to talk about the one thing in my life that brings me joy, comforts my soul and often makes me talk shit and rant. Music. When I thing about it a vast amount of my life revolves around music it scares me. I’ve been thinking about how much of my life is wrapped up in music quite a lot recently. I think it’s the only reason I got to work- so that I can get money to buy records and go to shows (not mentioning the rate at which I lurk music blogs and other websites whilst actually at work). I have no real desire to own HD TV or to have a fast car (even though I do have an interest in them), but records, compact discs, cassettes, even mp3’s they’re my lifeblood. Whether it is getting a sweet bargain in a second hand shop or picking up a sketchy demo for a quid.

I don’t desire to get a Saxo and stick a fuck off spoiler on the back, but I do desire a copy of Elliott Smith’s Xo on Bongload Records wax (I just don’t have the cash just yet). Both are arguably useless, I have Xo on CD it’ll be the same songs etc, I just want the vinyl as well. The same goes with actually going to watch live bands. I know of people that would rather sit in the same pub they go to days on end than check out a band they like. That makes my blood boil. I mean you’d probably expect this of me, I’ve driven hours to shitholes to watch Hardcore bands 99% of people have never heard of then jump around like a mentalist (I feel like Hong Kong Fooey of the Mosh at work…). And don’t even get me started on Morrissey.

I think the main point I’m trying to get at is because so much of my life is tied up in living and breathing music, I tend to judge people by this and in many ways I think this alienates me from people (definitely doesn’t help me with the ladies.). The idea of going to a club that plays 'funky house' or ‘Cheeese’ does no excite me. The idea that some people’s only value in music is a soundtrack to drink and try and fingerbang a intoxicated bird twists my fucking melon man. Call the Cops. This puts me at odds with this lifestyle and removes me from being a ‘normal person’ and despite how much I try, I just can’t go for it.

It also puts me at loggerheads with my friends sometimes as they listen to some fucking shite music and I can’t keep my mouth shut I have to tell them why it fucking sucks and my they are showing moronic tendencies by buying into such crap.

I argue with my mum over the X Factor bullshit as she will not accept that it’s just a fat cash cow for the high waistbanded one.

It also finds me getting bummed out because people don’t feel the same way. Let’s take the example of the aforementioned Xo. I was at low ebb in my existence (yes lower than usual) and I brought that album on props from H Boy. From the first listen something just touched me (not in the pants) and I completely immersed myself in that record. I can still remember coming home from work and just lying on my bed listening to it and empathising with every lyric and getting lost in the layers of sound. Needless to say this is one of my favourite albums of all time (The Queen Is Dead being number one).

I brought a copy of this for a friend of mine and it turned out she wasn’t as inlove with it as I was. I don’t know why that bummed me out but it did. I know everyone’s entitled to there opinion but I thought they would have the same reaction to this record as me.

However, for all these drawbacks my staunch views on music, the up side is amazing. Going to see bands play, hoping my records are in the post after work, reading books about roadies and shitty stapled zines, making horrible sounds come out of a guitar I cannot play ,or even just talking about music with my friends. It such a big part of me and I hope it never dies. My dad recently said he stopped buying records when he had kids and has only just started again. I doubt I’ll have kids anyway but at least I’ll know have a damn fine collection.

I’m also pretty sure I’ve met my best friends through music and for that the normal people can keep their Chris Moyles and Time and Envy.


R

Post Script - I’ve just reread this and I sound like a twat mostly but it’s staying up here. As if anyone lurks this anyway.