Just thought it might be of some doubtful use to create a record of all the gigs I go to in 2008, so nobody can accuse me of being a stay at home loafer.

1) Detrimentum, Bloodwork, Scythian @ Bar Monsta - 26.01.08

2) Dead Existence @ Unicorn - 2.02.08

3) Primordial, Grand Magus @ Underworld - 2.02.08

4) Master, Nebukadnezza, Scythian, Anoxia @ Underworld - 4.02.08

5) Ritual Abuse @ Metal Mass, The Grosvenor - 16.02.08

6) Gamarra, Brainchoke, Hyperion, Primitive Graven Image @ Bar Monsta - 22.02.08

7) My Silent Wake, Nebukadnezza, Drottnar @ Bar Monsta - 23.02.08

8) Bludgeon, Terrordrome, Defeated Sanity @ Chinnery's, Southend - 4.03.08

9) Elimination, Damnas, Dr Death, Heretic @ Purple Turtle. 12/03/08

10) Ale Storm, Norther, Turisas @ Electric Ballroom 13/03/08

11) Bludgeon, Hovadah, Putrefy, Inhumate @ Purple Turtle 15/03/08

12) Active Slaughter, Asmodia, The River @ Bar Monsta 22/03/08

13) Nightwish @ The Astoria 26/03/08

14) Divine Chaos, Anoxia, Surrounded by Disgust, Flesh Rot @ Purple Turtle 31.03.08

15) Eluvitie, Moonsorrow, Korpiklaani, Ensiferum (Paganfest) @ Koko 6.04.08

16) Xandria, Stoneman (who were shit) @ The Underworld 7.04.08

17) Gama Bomb, Evile, Exodus @ The Underworld 8.04.08

18) Dead Existence, Surrounded by Disgust, Nebukadnezza @ Lark in the Park 10.04.08

19) Mercenary, Death Angel @ The Underworld 15.04.08

20) Hang the Bastard, Pombagira, Lesbian @ Bar Monsta 21.04.08

21) Danger, Silence the Wolves, Evil Eye @ Bar Monsta 22.04.08

22) River Freshney, Inner Rage, Chaos Blood, Rosewest @ Purple Turtle 23.04.08

23) Severed Heaven, Savage Messiah, Nemhain @ Rocket Complex 24.04.08

24) Desolation, Cloven Hoof @ Bar Monsta 25.04.08

25) Revenge, Arkhon Infaustus, Angel Corpse @ Electrowerkz 26.04.08

26) Hovadah, Empty Feeling, Onanizer @ The Loaded Dog 27.04.08

27) Intense, Blitzkrieg @ The Underworld 30.04.08

28) ???, Ahysma, Jecano, Blood Island Raiders @ Fiddler's Elbow 2.05.08

29) Empathy, Damnas, Circle of Tyrants @ Bar Monsta 3.05.08

30) Ultimate Trigger Mechanism, Necrosadistic Goat Torture, Nailed @ Bar Monsta 16.05.08

31) Conquest of Steel, Dream Evil @ The Underworld 29.05.08

32) Doctor Death, River Freshney, Mutant, Damnas @ The Quad, LSE 5.06.08

33) ??, The Devils, BlackOut @ Bar Monsta 6.06.08

34) Deathfest: Brainchoke, Detrimentum, Infestation, Emeth, Grind Inc, Unmerciful, Decrepit Birth, Cryptopsy @ The Underworld 7.06.08

35) Anger Management, Nebukadnezza, Gama Bomb, Warbringer @ The Underworld 9.06.08

36) AlmaMorta, 9 Days Down, Silence is Spoken, Carnal Rites @ The Underworld 12.06.08

37) Anoxia, Chokehold, De Profundis @ The Unicorn 20.06.08

38) Dantes Ascenscion, Dead Existence @ Bar Monsta 22.06.08

39) Trigger The Bloodshed, Burning Skies, Anterior, Dying Fetus @ The Underworld 23.06.08

40) Endless Torment, Achren, Daemonolith @ Bar Monsta 27.06.08

41) Breedapart, Nochaa, The Berzerker @ The Underworld 2.07.08

42) Ted Maul, The Rotted @ Bar Academy 5.07.08

43) Unleash & ????? @ Victoria Biker's Pub, Coalville, Leicestershire 18.07.08

44) Slaughterday Fest: Ligature, Dead Existence, Sons of Merrick, Inner Rage, Olde Crone, Mutant, Crowning Glory, Dam @ Purple Turtle 20.07.08

45) Anchorhead, Tesseract, To-Mera @ The Underworld 24.07.08

46) The Devils, Drown Your Own, Bladestorm, Meantime @ The Unicorn 25.07.08

47) Metalbrew 5: Bluesmiths, Ten Ton Tabby, Xiphon, Doctor Death, Dead Existence, Damnas, Dark Forest, Mutant, Pagan Altar, Cloven Hoof @ Mill Hill Rugby Club 26.07.08

48) Never Means Maybe, Doctor Death, Nebukadnezza, Gama Bomb @ Bar Monsta 28.07.08

49) Ninehertz Alldayer: Rachmanite, White Fang, Olde Crone, Grifter, A Horse Called War, Cherry Choke, End of Level Boss, Gentlemans Pistols @ The Underworld, 2.08.08

50) Freedom High, @ under a bridge on Castlehaven Rd, Camden 2.08.08

51) Miscreation, Aghast, Porkfarm, Fleshrot @ Bullet Bar 08.08.08

52) Kaleb, Empyrial Destroyer, Dead Seed @ The Unicorn 10.08.08

53) Bloodstock Open Air - Day One: Evile, Broken Faith, H.O.D, Tyr, Destruction, Primal Fear, Soulfly, Opeth @ Catton Hall, Derbyshire 15.08.08

54) Bloodstock Open Air - Day Two: Evil Scarecrow, Cloudscape, Witchsorrow, Empyreal Destroyer, Eluveitie, Swallow The Sun, Communic, Blood Island Raiders, Moonsorrow, Naplam Death, Soilwork, Iced Earth, Dimmu Borgir @ Catton Hall, Derbyshire 16.08.08

55) Bloodstock Open Air - Day Three: Crowning Glory, De Profundis, Alestorm, Ravenage, Grand Magus, Mob Rules, Necrosadistic Goat Torture, Kataklysm, Ravens Creed, Ted Maul, Overkill, At The Gates, Nightwish @ Catton Hall, Derbyshire 17.08.08

56) Suffocate Bastard, Inveracity, Beheaded @ Bar Monsta 19.08.08

57) Witchsorrow, Ravens Creed, Turisas @ Barfly 20.08.08

58) Apocalyptic Rage: Hallowed Point, Radical Onslaught, Deceptor, Doctor Death, H.O.D., Amok, Damnas, Nebukadnezza, Mutant, ???? (Sodom cover band), Gama Bomb @ Purple Turtle 23.08.08

59) Aghast @ Cross Kings 24.08.08

60) Young N Hostile, Ahysma, The Cassini Division, Symphony of Pain @ The Unicorn 29.08.08

61) Spearhead, Witchmaster, Impiety @ The Purple Turtle 2.09.08

62) Grave, Nile @ The Underworld 19.09.08

63) Counterpoint, Wayward, Seasons of Six, Burnt Beneath, Carnal Rites @ Purple Turtle 20.09.08

64) Burial, Basement Torture Killings, Abalch, Afgrund @ Bar Monsta 21.09.08

65) Emerald, Kaleb, Snake Eyes @ The Unicorn 27.09.08

66) Sigil, Chewin' Druids, River Freshney, Nebukadnezza @ The Purple Turtle 1.10.08

67) Firebrand Superock, Lay Out The Traps, Thirteen Wolves, Blood Island Raiders @ The Purple Turtle 3.10.08

68) Septic Tank, Blasphetised, Infected Disarray (Tom & Poala's party) @ Bar Monsta 4.10.08

69) The One, Grave Miasma, Glorior Belli @ Bull & Gate 5.10.08

70) The Take Over, Cunt Pig, Bloodwork, Kemakil @ The Unicorn 7.10.08

71) Acid Temple, Bison, Natan @ The Bridge House 2 9.10.08

72) The Gathering of the Clans: Northern Oak, Shallow Intentions, Sokaris, Wodensthrone, Jorvik, Alba Gu Brath, Aesir, Darkest Era, Ravenage, Siluria @ The Victoria Biker's Pub, Coalville, Leics 11.10.08

73) Savage Messiah, Sworn Amongst, Bonded by Blood, Gama Bomb @ The Underworld 14.10.08

74) Ghast, Skaldic Curse @ The Unicorn 17.10.08

75) Slither, Memorial, Punish, Violated, Nocturnus @ The Underworld 18.10.08

76) Infected Disarray, Hail of Bullets @ The Purple Turtle 18.10.08

77) Doctor Death, Lifeless, F.K.U. @ Bar Monsta 19.10.08

78) Bloodshot Dawn, The More I See, Devastation @ Bar Monsta 22.10.08

79) The Drowning, The Prophecy, My Silent Wake @ Bar Monsta 25.10.08

80) Waylander @ The Unicorn 25.10.08

81) Empyreal Destroyer, Eastern Front, Hecate Enthroned @ The Underworld 28.10.08

82) Mastadon, Trivium, Slayer @ Hammersmith Apollo 30.10.08

83) Parasite, Fields of Iaru @ The Unicorn 31.10.08

84) Justonefix, Spitting Blood, Bloodwork, De Profundis @ The Purple Turtle 2.11.08

85) Grailknights, Sabaton, Intense @ The Purple Turtle 5.11.08

86) Krawling Home, Circle of Rage, Anoxia @ The Unicorn 6.11.08

87) Ahysma, Greg(o)rian, Dead Existence, Pombagira @ Camden Rock 8.11.08

88) Brabazon, Isolysis, Hanging Doll, Nemhain, Cloven Hoof, Hi-On Maiden @ The Ruskin Arms 15.11.08

89) When Gods Burn, Carnal Rites, Chaosanct, Blackout @ Nambucca 21.11.08

90) Hades Lab, Cerebral Bore, Amagortis, Human Rejection @ Bar Monsta 22.11.08

91) Nebukadnezza, Descent, The Rotted, Napalm Death @ The Underworld 23.11.08

92) Royal Zen Society, Phyrexia @ The Standard 27.11.08

93) Hard Rock Hell Day 1: JettBlack, Blackhole, Textures, The Plight, Johnny Truant, Cancer Bats, Benedictum, Budgie, Thin Lizzy, Doro @ Pontins, Wales 5.12.08

94) Hard Rock Hell Day 2: Hecate Enthroned, Pig Iron, Cloven Hoof, Warrior Soul, Battlelore, Alestorm, Ravens Creed, Powerquest, Firewind, Blitzkrieg, Orange Goblin, Clutch, Black Label Society @ Pontins, Wales 6.12.08

95) Septic Tank, Anoxia @ The Purple Turtle 9.12.08

96) Symphony of Pain, Greg(o)rian, Avenge Thee, Schist, Liquid Sky @ The Unicorn 13.12.08

97) Let 'Em Burn, Nebukadnezza, De Profundis, Winterfylleth, Sarpanitum, Infected Disarray, Mithras @ Purple Turtle 14.12.08

98) Debauchery, Destruction @ The Underworld 16.12.08

99) Affluenza, Infestation, Virus @ The Rock Attic 20.12.08

100) Deceptor, Sick to Death, River Freshney, Damnas, Mutant @ The Purple Turtle 22.12.08

101) Ditchcreeper, Decrepit Womb, Visions Through Hate, Porkfarm, Embryonic Depravity, Suhrim @ The Purple Turtle 27.12.08

Some of you might know that I do a fan page for old UK Power Metal/Thrash band Holosade, I have loved their music since their 1988 LP 'Hellhouse'.

http://www.myspace.com/holosadehellhouse

However when I started the page I meant it as a tribute to their great music and I never suspected that I'd have to report such sad news as the death of the Holosade drummer Michael Lee. He played on the 'Hellhouse' LP (my favourite) and went on to an illustrious career with Little Angels, Robert Plant, Lenny Kravitz, The Cult and the Quireboys.

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=109610

He was born November 19, 1969 and died November 24, 2008, making him 39 years old and 2 months younger than me!!!

Last night, 20th August 2008, I celebrated 20 years of going to gigs by going along to the Camden Barfly & having a thoroughly enjoyable night of booze & Metal. Witchsorrow, Ravens Creed & Turisas were very entertaining I must say & the relatively small venue was packed with sweaty metallers boozing it up & having lotsa fun. Great stuff indeed.

My very 1st gig back on 20th August 1988 was the Monsters of Rock festival with in order, as I remember it (quite possibly wrongly), Helloween, Megadeth, Guns n Roses, Dave Lee Roth, Kiss & Iron Maiden & that was a jolly good day out too  I went to Bloodstock last weekend and wanted to check out Helloween's set as after all they were the 1st band I ever saw play live, but unfortunately I think I slightly over did the beer to braincell ratio & slightly missed them  

Still not to worry cos I know I have at least another 20 years of gigs in me to come, (if not more!!), so I am pretty sure I'll get around to seeing them again, plus plenty more other great gigs besides.

I was wondering if anybody else can recall their 1st gigs at all?

Any of you who have read my regularly updated blog about gigs I have attended in 2008 will see that I have been rather a busy boy lately. It just seems like there are so many great gigs on nowadays especially within the underground Metal scene rather than just 'name' bands. Some of you will know that I also started a MySpace group/profile called Extreme London Metal Militia (E.L.M.M) where I basically try to post up every gig that I hear about it the London area & post bulletins advertising them. As a result of this it just seems to me that the Metal scene is at an all time high when it comes to gigs to go to. It seemed like every other night there was a cool gig that I wanted to attend. Then I realised that there was even 5 in a row and I thought I would try to do them all, 5 gigs in 5 nights, I wasn't sure if I'd have the money or the stamina but fuck I'd give it a go.

First up was Paganfest on April the 6th, I wasn't really at all familiar with any of the band's material but seeing as 3 of them were also doing Bloodstock later in the year, an event I already have my ticket for, it would be cool to check them out. Dawn & I went along and were thoroughly made up when our friend on the door got us in for nothing, saved us £20 each, which we invested wisely on an event t-shirt each and very nice they are too.

Monday night after work we went off to the Camden Underworld for a night of Gothic Metal from the excellent Xandria. We had seen them before and the support that night was from excellent UK underground Gothic Metal bands Adastreia & Liquid Sky, this time around however the support was total shite. We missed Mely, no loss so I am told and wished we had had the sense to miss Stoneman too but alas it wasn't so. Xandria made up for their supports shortcomings though with a fantastic set and we went home happy bunnies indeed.

Tuesday was my day off work so we were able to get to the Underworld nice & early for the gig of the mighty Exodus. Supported most ably by the Thrash gymnastics of Gama Bomb & Evile, this event was a full house; we were packed in like cattle downstairs in the stage area and were treated to awesome sets by all the acts.

Wednesday after work we had intended to go & see Adastreia & Liquid Sky supporting Octavia Sperati but I think Dawn was all Metalled out & wanted just a little lie down before we left. Her little lie down pretty much lasted most of the evening & I never complained, I was pretty beat myself so I just read my book and relaxed. I failed my 5 in 5 Metal marathon but wasn't too bothered really.

Thursday me, Mr B & Pete from NGT went to the Lark in the Park for Nebukadnezza, Dead Existence & Surrounded by Disgust and had a pretty darn good night all told except for a shitty Rock band that got added to the bill for no good reason and just ended up messing about the already scheduled bands.

So 4 gigs in 5 nights, not as good as originally intended but enough to feel a flicker of pride at my unimpeachable Metal-ness!! I thought no more of it afterwards with only one gig the next week, the most excellent Death Angel, which was made doubly sweet as I got another freebie as a + 1 on my mate's blag. (Crap support though).

My next gig after this was on Monday 21st of April. The delightfully named Lesbian were playing at Bar Monsta with Hang the Bastard & Pombagira. I wanted to go as I had bulletined a few Hang the Bastard e-flyers in my E.L.M.M bulletins & also as Pete from Pombagira had remembered me from when his old band had done a gig with my old band plus I had given them gigs at The Braindead Club when I was running that at the Walthamstow Royal Standard years back. Dawn was away for the whole week visiting her mum & helping her out after a recent knee op, so I went to the gig on my own. Quite often me & Dawn help each other out when it comes to gigs, one or other of us often don't want to be bothered due to fatigue, laziness whatever so the other normally cajoles/coaxes/beats the other into getting off their arse. I had at that time just written my blog about not pandering to the venues when it came to buying their hideously overpriced alcoholic wares, so other than 2 cans of K on the way there my evening was dry. As I was sat waiting for the bands to start a guy went around handing out flyers for a gig to be held at the bar the next night. As I looked at the flyer a crazy little notion began to play around in my head, the little section called my inner gig calendar began to work overtime. I realised that I had gigs that I fancied going to every night from Wednesday to Saturday and felt sure that there must be one on Sunday too, the possibility of a 7 gigs in 7 nights orgy of Metal madness began to take shape. On this night Hang the Bastard were cool, Pombagira were excellent & Lesbian were fucking all-out AWESOME & I had a bloody good night and fuelled by the power of Metal I vowed to do the 7 in 7.

So Tuesday found me again at Bar Monsta, this time the Metal fare was far less palatable, Danger a Swedish Glam band for fuck's sake. In my era Glam was considered the enemy and I blanched at the clothes they wore & was unstimulated by their music. Silence the Wolves weren't much better being too progressive, (read namby-pamby), for my liking. Evil Eye the headliners and producers of the flyer that got this whole 7 in 7 rolling were more interesting for one of their guitarist's antics rather than for their music, but never mind it only cost me a fiver, (no booze in the venue either), and was my 2 in 2. I never knew anyone at this gig so between bands I amused myself by reading my Showcase Presents The Elongated Man comic compendium.

After a day off work the delights of Suffocation were offered to me on Wednesday night but I opted for the cheaper, more Underground option of River Freshney, Inner Rage, Chaos Blood & Rosewest instead and had a thoroughly great night. I much prefer a smaller gig with less hustle and bustle from a sweaty crowd, you can see the bands close up without getting moshed or dived on. The Purple Turtle also sells Newky Brown which is my usual gig beer so I couldn't resist buying a couple. All in all the bands were really cool on this night & I had a great time.

For Thursday the delights of an all female Death Metal band at a hitherto unbeknownst to me venue The Rocket complex were awaiting me. I was also meant to have some female company in the shape of my acquaintance Satanya but as with the Wastestock gig last year she blew me out at the last minute. The venue was great; a fiver to get in, nice sofas, £3 a bottle of Newky, (I had 3) and cool sound. The band I had mainly ventured to see (Severed Heaven) disappointed slightly, many of their songs were cool enough but the singer's endless reference to 'Southerners' and the quite distasteful display of her ample butt crack kind of put me off. Now I am a fat bastard so I avoid wearing muscle shirts or tight clothing so as not to display my lardy figure to the distraction of the world at large. I think the SH singer should consider doing likewise, a t-shirt that didn't quite go down far enough combined with trousers that never really went as far up as they should have were compounded by her chosen vocal delivery where she would bend/crouch forward to bellow from her lungs. With each bellow the shirt and bottoms already not on speaking terms would separate further revealing a capacious and not particularly pleasing on the eye or stomach arse cleavage. I don't want to disparage, the important thing with any band is the music and SH were good but if any band's singer, male or female were to flash their builder's bum at me onstage I would be equally unimpressed I am sure. I was however greatly impressed by Savage Messiah who delivered a faultless display of classy, speeding Thrash Metal that was a joy to behold especially as I for some reason didn't expect much from them at all. They were best band of the night without a doubt, but annoyingly had no CDs to sell!!! Tut tut how annoying. Headliners Nemhain were not my cup of tea & I knew that wouldn't be, so I finished up my beer and left.

I got another freebie gig on Friday, again at Bar Monsta, so no beer but think of the money I'd saved huh? Desolation were interesting with out really blowing me away & once again NWOBHM band Cloven Hoof delivered an entertaining set. I only wished that they would play more tracks from their 1st two LPs but you can't have everything. The band are really friendly and after the gig Russ went around chatting to people & even thanking them personally for coming which I thought was really cool of him. Lee stood on stage chatting to people and having pictures taken. I'm not normally one to talk to band members I am far too timid for autographs & pictures and the like but I wanted to ask Lee about his love of superhero comics that I had heard about through YouTube. If you look on my profile you will see a video I made featuring pictures from DC Comics with a soundtrack of Cloven Hoof's "Laying Down the Law", well I got a comment on YouTube allegedly from Lee's brother in law saying that Lee was a huge comics fan. Unfortunately Lee was dragged off by another over avid fan before we could share more than 2 sentences but he was genuinely overcome with the 'wow' factor when he learnt it was my video as he had obviously seen it. So I went home pleased whilst he was mobbed for more pics flashing the horns with some uber-fan who had probably flown over from Greece or somewhere for the British Steel fest & the Hoof pre-fest gig.

Saturday after work I had to go to see West Ham at home then had a curry and a couple of beers before going off to the Electrowerkz for Revenge, Arkhon Infaustus & Angel Corpse. After a hectic day I wasn't much up for the sweaty body atmosphere of the crowded venue so sat down near the back & chatted to various mates who were in attendance. Revenge's sound was god awful, akin to explosive diarrhoea gurgling down a drain. AI's wasn't much better but Angel Corpse sounded cool although I was having fun chatting to Mr B, Trev, Manny & Annie, Bludgeon dudes etc rather than paying a great deal of attention to any of the bands.

Sunday was a nice relaxing day with the gig I was to attend that evening being just 10 minutes walk from me at The Loaded Dog in Leytonstone High Road. How could I not support my local scene after all, even though the 3 bands were from the Czech Republic & I think Mick, Gary, Izzy & I were the only English people in there!! It was a very cool evening of Metal though with the Grind mayhem of Hovadah, Empty Feeling & Onanizer, how could you not love a band called that I ask you? I had seen Hovadah before with Bludgeon, Putrefy & Inhumate and not really been too keen on them but they were far more entertaining somehow this evening and I enjoyed them and the other 2 bands a lot; what better way to spend your Sunday evening eh?

So there you go, I did my seven gigs in seven days, a veritable Metal marathon and I am well impressed & pleased with myself and I had a thoroughly good time in the process. It rather stupidly got me thinking too in that rather tangential and roundabout way that I do. I was thinking about Heavy Metal patches/badges and thought about what other cliques/organisations use them and this got me absurdly thinking about the Boy Scouts for some reason & from there I extrapolated, pondering about what a great thing it would be to merge the Scouts and Heavy Metal!! You could bring kids up to learn the finer things in life and install some proper discipline and musical appreciation in them for a start. Then they could earn merit badges/patches for achieving certain tasks, like 1st mosh pit, 1st headbang, 1st windmill & other stuff of worthy Metal note like that. I also decided to award myself the Heavy Metal Boy Scouts special merit award for my 7 in 7 triumph…. So there!!

I think that I am going to start taking a bradawl to gigs. Yes a bradawl, you know one of those pointy things typically with a wooden handle that you use to make holes in things, like wood when you want to make a guide hole for screws. I kind of thought it was spelt 'bradle' but did a search anyway to be sure & it took me ages before I could find the correct spelling.

Hmmm I hear you pondering, now what would Grey want with one of those at a gig? Does he plan to use it as some kind of easily concealed make-shift weapon for the vicious stabbing of folk for no readily apparent reason? Well no certainly not don't be silly, I do intend to use it as a weapon but not against people instead I will wield it as a weapon against that most foul of fashion faux-pas the dreaded, not to mention FUCKING STUPID trend of wearing your trousers baggy so your pants are continually showing even though you are also wearing a belt.

I can't imagine what fucktard 1st came up with this fashion and I am even more baffled that people had the dumbfuckeryedness to actually think, "Oh that looks cool, I think I will wear my trousers like a total cunt too!"  I recall a few dumb trouser related trends from my youth, one year it was holes in the knees, another year it was fraying the ends of the leg & of course there are other more known old styles like drainpipes & flares/flairs. I can't say that I ever followed any of these fashions but at least with these they at least 'wore' the trousers, they didn't have them hanging down so a full yard of arse covered only by a pair of undercrackers was left showing. It is bad enough when dopey fucking trend cunts do this, I just want to either yank them down or tell them to pull them the fuck up, now though I have noticed this fuckwit fashion rearing it's ugly arse in the Metal scene!!!! WHY?? It is fucking absurd. Twice last week I saw guys at Metal gigs looking like prats because of this. One guy was taking lots of pics at a Grind/Thrash gig on Wednesday, he kept sticking his dopey head in every time I was trying to take a picture, but far more annoying was his dopey arse with his half-mast jeans that displayed a full mile of grimy boxer shorts covered scrawny backside above his inadequately fastened belt. Michelle and I were feeling very tempted to waltz in behind and debag him. The second bloke I saw wearing these hateful trousers of shame was doing the sound at another gig. Now he is in quite a good Thrash band if I'm not mistaken & seems like a decent chap so I don't want to upset him but I might seriously have to have words with him. He is actually rather on the slight side & was forever pulling his trousers up only for them to slide back down again, so it is possible I suppose that it wasn't his intention to be a fashion fuckwit, perhaps he'd welcome Grey's bradawl of belt tightening. So with out further ado I shall be taking my trusty bradawl to gigs to offer my 'stick another hole in your belt' service so that you might wear your trousers as common sense & good taste intended.

What do you few peeps who read my blogs think? And while I am on a fashion/style frame of mind can I just get a show of hands on: Dreads on white people; cool or dumb?

I don't know what it is like in the rest of the country but the clubs in London that put on gigs really take the piss when it comes to beer prices. The price of a pint, (or many cases just a tin), is swiftly approaching the £4 mark and I've had a bit of a mini-epiphany & thought, "Fuck it, I'm not pandering to this shit anymore." I mean why the fuck should we the gig going public pay £3.50+ for a can of cider/lager/bitter (pick your favourite poison) when we can get the same from an offy for a pound? Me & the wench always buy a couple of cans each to drink on the way to any gig we go to, just to get the ball rolling, and hopefully to cut down on the number of drinks we have to buy at the event. Anyway I have just thought fuck it and am planning not to bother buying overpriced alcohol from rip-off venues any more.

I can't help wondering as well if the venues wouldn't actually make more money if they charged less for their drinks, think about it. I for one & I am sure there are many like me would buy more drinks if they cost less, whereas at the price they are at the moment I try to limit myself to buying 2 maximum. So for arguments sake lets pretend that the venue buys their beer at 75p per can, it may well be less considering they buy in bulk. If they sold it for a fairly reasonable £2.75 each that would be £2 profit per drink & I'd probably buy at least 4 drinks. So in this case profit for them would equal £8. Now if they charge £3.75 for a drink they make £3 per sale but if I am pissed off at being ripped off & I only buy 1 drink they will only make £3 profit. Even worse for them the last 2 nights I have bought no drinks at all settling for just my 2 cans of K cider on the train there.

Perhaps the gig attending public needs to rebel a bit & tell the venues to stop ripping us the fuck off, sell your beer for less, you will sell more beer & make more profit, plus your patrons will be happier into the bargain & maybe not smuggle so many outside beers in!! Are you with me my Metal brothers & sisters?

Less is more!!?? Discuss.

Just thought it might be of some doubtful use to create a record of all the gigs I go to in 2008, so nobody can accuse me of being a stay at home loafer.

1) Detrimentum, Bloodwork, Scythian @ Bar Monsta - 26.01.08

2) Dead Existence @ Unicorn - 2.02.08

3) Primordial, Grand Magus @ Underworld - 2.02.08

4) Master, Nebukadnezza, Scythian, Anoxia @ Underworld - 4.02.08

5) Ritual Abuse @ Metal Mass, The Grosvenor - 16.02.08

6) Gamarra, Brainchoke, Hyperion, Primitive Graven Image @ Bar Monsta - 22.02.08

7) My Silent Wake, Nebukadnezza, Drottnar @ Bar Monsta - 23.02.08

8) Bludgeon, Terrordrome, Defeated Sanity @ Chinnery's, Southend - 4.03.08

9) Elimination, Damnas, Dr Death, Heretic @ Purple Turtle. 12/03/08

10) Ale Storm, Norther, Turisas @ Electric Ballroom 13/03/08

11) Bludgeon, Hovadah, Putrefy, Inhumate @ Purple Turtle 15/03/08

12) Active Slaughter, Asmodia, The River @ Bar Monsta 22/03/08

13) Nightwish @ The Astoria 26/03/08

14) Divine Chaos, Anoxia, Surrounded by Disgust, Flesh Rot @ Purple Turtle 31.03.08

15) Eluvitie, Moonsorrow, Korpiklaani, Ensiferum (Paganfest) @ Koko 6.04.08

16) Xandria, Stoneman (who were shit) @ The Underworld 7.04.08

17) Gama Bomb, Evile, Exodus @ The Underworld 8.04.08

18) Dead Existence, Surrounded by Disgust, Nebukadnezza @ Lark in the Park 10.04.08

19) Mercenary, Death Angel @ The Underworld 15.04.08

20) Hang the Bastard, Pombagira, Lesbian @ Bar Monsta 21.04.08

21) Danger, Silence the Wolves, Evil Eye @ Bar Monsta 22.04.08

22) River Freshney, Inner Rage, Chaos Blood, Rosewest @ Purple Turtle 23.04.08

23) Severed Heaven, Savage Messiah, Nemhain @ Rocket Complex 24.04.08

24) Desolation, Cloven Hoof @ Bar Monsta 25.04.08

25) Revenge, Arkhon Infaustus, Angel Corpse @ Electrowerkz 26.04.08

26) Hovadah, Empty Feeling, Onanizer @ The Loaded Dog 27.04.08

27) Intense, Blitzkrieg @ The Underworld 30.04.08

28) ???, Ahysma, Jecano, Blood Island Raiders @ Fiddler's Elbow 2.05.08

29) Empathy, Damnas, Circle of Tyrants @ Bar Monsta 3.05.08

30) Ultimate Trigger Mechanism, Necrosadistic Goat Torture, Nailed @ Bar Monsta 16.05.08

31) Conquest of Steel, Dream Evil @ The Underworld 29.05.08

32) Doctor Death, River Freshney, Mutant, Damnas @ The Quad, LSE 5.06.08

33) ??, The Devils, BlackOut @ Bar Monsta 6.06.08

34) Deathfest: Brainchoke, Detrimentum, Infestation, Emeth, Grind Inc, Unmerciful, Decrepit Birth, Cryptopsy @ The Underworld 7.06.08

35) Anger Management, Nebukadnezza, Gama Bomb, Warbringer @ The Underworld 9.06.08

36) AlmaMorta, 9 Days Down, Silence is Spoken, Carnal Rites @ The Underworld 12.06.08

37) Anoxia, Chokehold, De Profundis @ The Unicorn 20.06.08

38) Dantes Ascenscion, Dead Existence @ Bar Monsta 22.06.08

39) Trigger The Bloodshed, Burning Skies, Anterior, Dying Fetus @ The Underworld 23.06.08

40) Endless Torment, Achren, Daemonolith @ Bar Monsta 27.06.08

41) Breedapart, Nochaa, The Berzerker @ The Underworld 2.07.08

42) Ted Maul, The Rotted @ Bar Academy 5.07.08

43) Unleash & ????? @ Victoria Biker's Pub, Coalville, Leicestershire 18.07.08

44) Slaughterday Fest: Ligature, Dead Existence, Sons of Merrick, Inner Rage, Olde Crone, Mutant, Crowning Glory, Dam @ Purple Turtle 20.07.08

45) Anchorhead, Tesseract, To-Mera @ The Underworld 24.07.08

46) The Devils, Drown Your Own, Bladestorm, Meantime @ The Unicorn 25.07.08

47) Metalbrew 5: Bluesmiths, Ten Ton Tabby, Xiphon, Doctor Death, Dead Existence, Damnas, Dark Forest, Mutant, Pagan Altar, Cloven Hoof @ Mill Hill Rugby Club 26.07.08

48) Never Means Maybe, Doctor Death, Nebukadnezza, Gama Bomb @ Bar Monsta 28.07.08

49) Ninehertz Alldayer: Rachmanite, White Fang, Olde Crone, Grifter, A Horse Called War, Cherry Choke, End of Level Boss, Gentlemans Pistols @ The Underworld, 2.08.08

50) Freedom High, @ under a bridge on Castlehaven Rd, Camden 2.08.08

51) Miscreation, Aghast, Porkfarm, Fleshrot @ Bullet Bar 08.08.08

52) Kaleb, Empyrial Destroyer, Dead Seed @ The Unicorn 10.08.08

53) Bloodstock Open Air - Day One: Evile, Broken Faith, H.O.D, Tyr, Destruction, Primal Fear, Soulfly, Opeth @ Catton Hall, Derbyshire 15.08.08

54) Bloodstock Open Air - Day Two: Evil Scarecrow, Cloudscape, Witchsorrow, Empyreal Destroyer, Eluveitie, Swallow The Sun, Communic, Blood Island Raiders, Moonsorrow, Naplam Death, Soilwork, Iced Earth, Dimmu Borgir @ Catton Hall, Derbyshire 16.08.08

55) Bloodstock Open Air - Day Three: Crowning Glory, De Profundis, Alestorm, Ravenage, Grand Magus, Mob Rules, Necrosadistic Goat Torture, Kataklysm, Ravens Creed, Ted Maul, Overkill, At The Gates, Nightwish @ Catton Hall, Derbyshire 17.08.08

56) Suffocate Bastard, Inveracity, Beheaded @ Bar Monsta 19.08.08

57) Witchsorrow, Ravens Creed, Turisas @ Barfly 20.08.08

58) Apocalyptic Rage: Hallowed Point, Radical Onslaught, Deceptor, Doctor Death, H.O.D., Amok, Damnas, Nebukadnezza, Mutant, ???? (Sodom cover band), Gama Bomb @ Purple Turtle 23.08.08

59) Aghast @ Cross Kings 24.08.08

60) Young N Hostile, Ahysma, The Cassini Division, Symphony of Pain @ The Unicorn 29.08.08

61) Spearhead, Witchmaster, Impiety @ The Purple Turtle 2.09.08

62) Grave, Nile @ The Underworld 19.09.08

63) Counterpoint, Wayward, Seasons of Six, Burnt Beneath, Carnal Rites @ Purple Turtle 20.09.08

64) Burial, Basement Torture Killings, Abalch, Afgrund @ Bar Monsta 21.09.08

65) Emerald, Kaleb, Snake Eyes @ The Unicorn 27.09.08

66) Sigil, Chewin' Druids, River Freshney, Nebukadnezza @ The Purple Turtle 1.10.08

67) Firebrand Superock, Lay Out The Traps, Thirteen Wolves, Blood Island Raiders @ The Purple Turtle 3.10.08

68) Septic Tank, Blasphetised, Infected Disarray (Tom & Poala's party) @ Bar Monsta 4.10.08

69) The One, Grave Miasma, Glorior Belli @ Bull & Gate 5.10.08

70) The Take Over, Cunt Pig, Bloodwork, Kemakil @ The Unicorn 7.10.08

71) Acid Temple, Bison, Natan @ The Bridge House 2 9.10.08

72) The Gathering of the Clans: Northern Oak, Shallow Intentions, Sokaris, Wodensthrone, Jorvik, Alba Gu Brath, Aesir, Darkest Era, Ravenage, Siluria @ The Victoria Biker's Pub, Coalville, Leics 11.10.08

73) Savage Messiah, Sworn Amongst, Bonded by Blood, Gama Bomb @ The Underworld 14.10.08

74) Ghast, Skaldic Curse @ The Unicorn 17.10.08

75) Slither, Memorial, Punish, Violated, Nocturnus @ The Underworld 18.10.08

76) Infected Disarray, Hail of Bullets @ The Purple Turtle 18.10.08

77) Doctor Death, Lifeless, F.K.U. @ Bar Monsta 19.10.08

78) Bloodshot Dawn, The More I See, Devastation @ Bar Monsta 22.10.08

79) The Drowning, The Prophecy, My Silent Wake @ Bar Monsta 25.10.08

80) Waylander @ The Unicorn 25.10.08

81) Empyreal Destroyer, Eastern Front, Hecate Enthroned @ The Underworld 28.10.08

82) Mastadon, Trivium, Slayer @ Hammersmith Apollo 30.10.08

83) Parasite, Fields of Iaru @ The Unicorn 31.10.08

84) Justonefix, Spitting Blood, Bloodwork, De Profundis @ The Purple Turtle 2.11.08

85) Grailknights, Sabaton, Intense @ The Purple Turtle 5.11.08

86) Krawling Home, Circle of Rage, Anoxia @ The Unicorn 6.11.08

87) Ahysma, Greg(o)rian, Dead Existence, Pombagira @ Camden Rock 8.11.08

88) Brabazon, Isolysis, Hanging Doll, Nemhain, Cloven Hoof, Hi-On Maiden @ The Ruskin Arms 15.11.08

89) When Gods Burn, Carnal Rites, Chaosanct, Blackout @ Nambucca 21.11.08

90) Hades Lab, Cerebral Bore, Amagortis, Human Rejection @ Bar Monsta 22.11.08

91) Nebukadnezza, Descent, The Rotted, Napalm Death @ The Underworld 23.11.08

92) Royal Zen Society, Phyrexia @ The Standard 27.11.08

93) Hard Rock Hell Day 1: JettBlack, Blackhole, Textures, The Plight, Johnny Truant, Cancer Bats, Benedictum, Budgie, Thin Lizzy, Doro @ Pontins, Wales 5.12.08

94) Hard Rock Hell Day 2: Hecate Enthroned, Pig Iron, Cloven Hoof, Warrior Soul, Battlelore, Alestorm, Ravens Creed, Powerquest, Firewind, Blitzkrieg, Orange Goblin, Clutch, Black Label Society 6.12.08