ComEnts

I just got a "recommendation" e-mail from Amazon letting me know about a new release by a recording artist. Now, Amazon's recommendations thing is actually pretty good. It learns what you've bought and recommends me quite a lot of good stuff (that I might even buy from them if it's not cheaper on Play.com or somewhere else. Now, I have had an Amazon account for quite a long time and I've bought stuff for myself, friends, relatives but mostly for myself so normally my recommendations are good but this time it was for the Stereophonics! Urk.

So I went to see why... and it was apparently because I am someone who has purchased music by the Stereophonics from Amazon in the past. Balls... it was actually me buying that for me as well, around 8 or 9 years ago. I had friends who lived in Wales at the time and the indy clubs in Wales always went mental for the Stereophonics, so I thought it was a good idea.

Amazon never forgets.

But I've totally forgotten what it was!

Joey Ultra have (finally) provisionally booked some recording dates in November which is fantastic news. Once we have recordings we'll actually be able to send demos out to people so we can get gigs! New songs are sounding really good, we're getting more and more like a proper band all the time.

A friend of ours (Dan formerly of the Palestinians) recently moved to New York and is in a band over there and currently working with a promoter and generally getting involved which is fantastic. He (possibly jokingly?) suggested we should go and play in New York. We thought it was a great idea, but perhaps not possible due to our bass player having a kid at home to think of, but apparently his wife would be well up for a long weekend in NY so maybe it's doable after all. We'll have to think about that in the new year.

As for the Festival proper... well I only went for the Saturday but it was very good. I didn't have a ticket, but my brother v. kindly sorted out a guest pass for the day. I had to get there really early, the Pirates were on at 11:30am so I arrived at quarter to ten only to find out that the guest wristband exchange didn't open until 11! D'oh. It was worse for the kids in front of us who'd arrived the night before.

An hour or so later, a very nice security guard who had taken pity on us (well mainly the kids who arrived the night before) got them to open the guest exchange early and I got my wristband and headed over to the arena. The Pirates were really great they looked and sounded really good on the bigger stage. I didn't really have anyone I wanted to see for a couple of hours so we headed over to the bar by the dance tent. I saw a bit of The Teenagers who I thought were a bit boring but mainly chatted and drank Carling. It was very hot and I was very thirsty. The main reason for being near the dance tent was for Does It Offend You, Yeah? who my friend Rob's drumming for. When they came on the packed dance tent went absolutely mental. Rob's kit was trashed somewhere in the first song the atmosphere was amazing it was a really great show. I also enjoyed the music which was good. Last time I saw them at the Fez the live group was very new and had a bit of a nightmare now with a load of performances and rehearsals under their belt it's loads more together. Really good stuff. I'm hoping to go and see them in Oxford on the next tour.

From then on I mainly hung around the main stage. Saw some of The Eagles of Death Metal who were very disappointing. I'm a big fan of Queens of the Stone Age, but I've always found them disappointing live and it was the same here. Shame. I then saw a bit of The Shins who were very average. About 4 o'clock the incredible heat, no shade, and rapid drinking really started to take it's toll and I headed to a friends house nearby to chill out for a bit. It got to about 6:30pm and as she was heading back to the festival I decided just to go home. My girlfriend had been feeling crap in the morning and didn't come, and I felt a bit bad leaving her at home on her own whilst I was out having fun.