What’s Rockin’ March 2020

Posted on March 1, 2020 by Amanda Winchester

What's Rockin'

Gigs I’m going to this month:

  • Crossfaith at O2 Academy Islington 2nd March (this is a take 2 for me because I missed the gig I initially had tickets for last year because of a killer migraine. I was super bummed, so when they announced another London gig I naturally jumped at the chance to try again! I first discovered Crossfaith when they were guests at a Bury Tomorrow gig and they BLEW MY MIND. I became a fan there and then, and I’m psyched to see them again!)

See you at the gig!

Happy Birthday to:

  • Jon Bon Jovi, Bon Jovi 2nd March 1962
  • Joe Hahn, Linkin Park 15th March 1977
  • Chester Bennington, Linkin Park 20th March 1976
  • Stefan Olsdal, Placebo 31st March 1974
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TAG: Let’s Talk Music

Posted on February 26, 2020 by Amanda Winchester

Tags are fun to do, and you get to know a bit more about me, too. Take the questions, do it yourself, and make sure you leave a comment when you have so I can check it out!

1. Which bands/artist do you own the most albums by?

The Rasmus. As the first band I ever fell in love with, I’ve been collecting their music for years, and I’m pretty confident I own every DVD, single and album they’ve ever released!

2. What was the last song you listened to?

That would be the new single by Five Finger Death Punch, Inside Out. Very, very loudly! Arrrgh, I love that tune! Ivan’s vocals are just so powerful! It’s perfect in lyrics as well as melody. I can’t wait to hear the rest of their new album, F8, which comes out in TWO DAYS! Naturally, I preordered it, and I know I’m going to listen the hell out of it once it arrives. I’ve always loved FFDP, but ever since seeing them live last month, I’ve loved them even more, if that’s possible. Now I’m bonded to them for life. That’s it! There’s nothing anyone can do about it, ever. It’s a heavy kind of love, but it’s so freaking awesome, I wish everyone could feel it. But now I’m getting off topic…

3. What’s your favourite music venue?

The Underworld in Camden town. I feel instantly at home and accepted there, and it holds many great memories for me. I go there as often as I can, it’s a very special place to me! At a close second, though, is Heaven in London, I’ve only been there a couple of times but it’s so atmospheric and cool, I love it!

4. What was the last show you attended?

I went to see The Calling at the Underworld, in Camden, London. It was a really lovely, feelgood, intimate show.

5. What was the greatest show you’ve ever been to?

That’s a difficult question, I’ve been to so many! But one that stayed with me, and that still gives me a little rush of happiness when I think of it, is Poets Of The Fall at Tullikamarin Pakkahuone in Tampere, Finland. It was my first time seeing them and my mum and I were right in the front row! It was pure magic, there’s really no other way to put it.

6. What’s the worst show you’ve ever been to?

Deicide, at the Underworld. Absolute rubbish, I’m afraid to say. Let’s not even talk about it, what’s the point!

7. Have you met any musicians?

Yes, loads! I’m very lucky, I seem to bump into a lot of them in Camden Town.

8. What show are you looking forward to?

I can’t wait to see Sunrise Avenue play this summer at Helsinki Olympic Stadium in Finland! I just know it’s going to be amazing!

10. What is your favourite band shirt?

I have more black metal band tees in my wardrobe than any other item of clothing. I need to count them someday, but I’m fairly sure I have at least 40! My favourite is probably an Ensiferum t-shirt I got at their show one year.

11. What musician would you like to hang out with for a day?

I’d love to hang out with Amon Amarth’s Johan Hegg! He seems so interesting and wise. We could put up bird boxes, sit around a campfire toasting Odin and drinking beer, and he could bestow his wisdom upon me!

12. Who is one musician or group you wish would make a comeback?

I would say My Chemical Romance, but they are back now! Yaaay!

13. What bands/artists have you never seen live but always wanted to?

The Hives, Bon Jovi, Metallica, and The 69 Eyes. I had a ticket to see The 69 Eyes last year but I was too ill to go. And you know I would have to be really sick to miss a gig. Hopefully I’ll get another chance to see them.

14. How many music related videos/DVDs do you own?

45! I like watching live concerts. It’s the second best thing to actually being there!

15. How many concerts/shows have you been to, total?

Nearly 70. It’s crazy!

16. Who have you seen the most live?

Bury Tomorrow, five times so far!

17. What is your favourite movie soundtrack?

I love the School Of Rock soundtrack! It’s still one of my favourite movies ever.

18. What was your last musical “phase” before you wisened up?

I was a teenage goth, although I wouldn’t say I’ve “wisened up”, exactly, I still love wearing black, and black eyeliner is kinda my thing!

19. CDs or downloads?

CDs! I do download a lot of music, but I have a CD collection that I adore and which keeps on growing! I like to have my favourite albums in CD format, so I can see them and flip through the lyric booklets, and get them signed.

20. What’s your “guilty pleasure” that you hate to admit to liking?

I don’t have guilty pleasures! If you love certain music and it makes you happy, who cares what anyone thinks?

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Free 2020 Events Planner

Posted on February 23, 2020 by Amanda Winchester

So, I was having trouble keeping track of what gigs I was going to, and constantly worried I was going to double book a day and then have to go all Sophie’s Choice, when I came up with, duh, an events planner! I wanted something snazzy with a simple format, so I designed this one. Even if you just have a couple of events coming up, it’s nice to have this on the wall or refrigerator to remind you of what you have coming up to look forward to. You can use it, too! Just print it out and fill it in.

Enjoy!

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Five Finger Death Punch, Megadeth & Bad Wolves at Wembley Arena 31.02.2020

Posted on February 20, 2020 by Amanda Winchester

I was psyched to get tickets to see Five Finger Death Punch for the first time, a band I’d been a fan of for ages, but hadn’t yet had a chance to see live. They were the main attraction, of course, but it was generally an incredible lineup with Bad Wolves and metal veterans Megadeth in attendance, and I’d never seen either of them either!

I took my mum with me because she’s a big Bad Wolves fan, and we go to a lot of gigs together. Not having heard a lot of their material, the five piece super band native to Los Angeles really impressed me, I was surprised at how heavy their music was, and their Cranberries cover of Zombie was fantastic! Their singer made a reference to dealing with anxiety and depression, as well as expressing the pain of having lost loved ones beyond the veil.

Megadeth were up next, and their synchronised guitar strumming captivated the audience expertly. Dave Mustaine, who I was excited to see in the flesh, announced that he was now totally cancer-free, to loud cheers.

Finally, it was time for Five Finger Death Punch! It was hard to imagine how the Las Vegas metallers could possibly live up to start like that, but there was no need to worry! Ivan was dramatically silhouetted behind the enormous curtain shrouding the entire stage to the theme from Vikings. Then the curtain dropped and chaos ensued, and they kicked off energetically to Lift Me Up. You could almost see the adrenaline pumping, and it was a pace that wouldn’t let up for the next hour.

The audience went berserk for Wash It All Away, before the anthemic Jekyll & Hyde kicked in. The night got heavier as the band went on to play Burn MF. “Let’s try something new”, said Ivan, “Make a circle pit with your cell phones” and every person present swished their phones in the air as the arena twinkled like a thousand fireflies.

Ivan’s onstage presence was confident and endearingly cocky, and when he announced that we were going to have some fun that night, every fibre of my being believed him. He talked about his battle with alcoholism, and his two year’s of sobriety is clearly a source of strength for many on that same journey. They threw in an acoustic rendition of Wrong Side of Heaven, as well as a couple of super cover songs, Bad Company and Blue on Black. I was happiest when they played Got Your Six, my absolute favourite track of theirs!

Their catchy rock ‘n’ roll anthems were often accompanied by flames and explosive pops. It was exciting and breathtaking and I really didn’t want it to end! At one point, guitarist Jason Hook stood on a little platform that was lifted 20 feet into the air for everyone to see as he dramatically performed a face melting guitar solo. Ivan mentioned that the next time Five Finger Death Punch comes to the UK they would to be headlining Download Festival. You’d better believe it!

It was an epic concert I won’t forget, and to top off a perfect night, I nabbed a T-shirt before we left! Horns up!

 Setlist :

  1. Lift Me Up
  2. Trouble
  3. Wash It All Away
  4. Jekyll and Hyde
  5. Sham Pain
  6. Bad Company
  7. Burn It Down
  8. Got Your Six
  9. The Agony of Regret
  10. Wrong Side of Heaven
  11. Battle Born
  12. Blue on Black
  13. Coming Down
  14. Never Enough
  15. Burn MF
  16. Inside Out
  17. Under and Over It
  18. The Bleeding
  19. The House of the Rising Sun

 

 

 

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Is it okay to go to a gig alone?

Posted on February 13, 2020 by Amanda Winchester

In case you missed it, in my previous post I wrote about going to see Amon Amarth at Brixton academy, and I had a smashing time! The only thing that put the tiniest damper on my night, and this wasn’t anything to do with the band, rather the staff managing the event, is the fact that at two points, when I was getting in the O2 Priority line (on a side note, what a mega blessing! The queue to get in was wrapped right around the building and I skipped it because of O2 Priority!), I was asked whether it was “just me”, and “where are my friends”. Yes, mate, it’s just me! Can’t a 5’2″ rock chick go to a metal event by herself without getting puzzled looks from some security mammoth?? It bums me out.

I go to lots of events by myself because it’s part of my work as a music blogger, which means I will likely go to a higher volume of music events than the average person in the name of research. So I’ll just get a ticket and go without always worrying about inviting someone to tag along. Also, obviously I love the music, but that goes without saying, doesn’t it, really?

Let me tell you why YOU should be fearless and not miss out either!

  1. You meet interesting new people! Some people are nervous about being by themselves. I understand that. But just know that music fans, especially at metal and rock concerts, are a friendly, non-judgemental bunch, and you’ll most likely end up chatting to them and making new friends.
  2. You get some me time. Learning to spend time alone can be super rewarding, and it helps you grow, to trust yourself. You get a glowing sense of pride because you did something for yourself, because you’re awesome and you have excellent taste in music, and you owe it to yourself to make as many magic memories as you can for yourself.
  3. You can take your time! Are you a bit indecisive about which t-shirt to buy at the merch stand? If you’re by yourself you can take your time and not worry about your mates breathing down your neck impatiently!
  4. Picture the scene: Your absolute favourite song ever comes on. It’s live and sounds a million times better than usual, and the music is pulsing through your body like an epic heartbeat. What do you wanna do? You wanna dance! Without judgement, without distractions, without your friend who picks that moment to demand a selfie. So dance! There’s zero judgement here, and because you’re by yourself, you can get lost in that music bubble your way.
  5. You get to decide when to arrive and when to leave, because you’re on your own and you’re the captain of this adventure, dammit!
  6. You don’t have to miss another concert ever again! Just because nobody you know wants to go doesn’t mean you should miss out on an epic life experience! Personally, I don’t want to drag someone reluctant to go with me for the sake of having company. They end up not enjoying themselves, and you end up worrying all night about whether they’re having fun. Nobody wins! And besides, that extra ticket could go to a real fan, especially if the gig ends up being sold out.

Nobody should feel ashamed or anxious about going solo. If anything, you everyone should try it at least once. Be brave! You might just love it 😉

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What’s Rockin’ February 2020

Posted on February 11, 2020 by Amanda Winchester

What's Rockin'

Gigs I’m going to this month:

  • The Calling at The Underworld, Camden, London 6th Feb
  • Ben Portsmouth and The Taking Care Of Elvis Band at The Alban Arena, St Albans 22nd Feb (Guys, this isn’t my typical kinda gig, and it’s super cheesy. But I never got to see the King in real life, and this is the next best thing… I hope! I’ll let you know!)

See you at the gig!

Happy Birthday to:

  • Axl Rose, Guns N’ Rose 6th February 1962
  • Vince Neil, Mötley Crüe 8th February 1961
  • Dave “Phoenix” Farrell, Linkin Park 8th February 1977
  • Mike Shinoda, Linkin Park/ Fort Minor 11th February 1977
  • Billie Joe Armstrong, Greenday 17th February 1972
  • Tony Iommi, Black Sabbath 19th February 1948
  • Randy Blythe, Lamb of God 21st February 1971
  • Floor Jansen, Nightwish 21st February 1981
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What’s Rockin’ January 2020

Posted on January 1, 2020 by Amanda Winchester

What's Rockin'

Happy Rockin’ New Year y’all!

Music wise, I plan to beat my gig score of last year, and immerse myself in as much awesome new music as possible. The roaring 20s are here, and exciting things are happening on the music scene!

Gigs I’m going to this month:

  • Amorphis & Dimmu Borgir at O2 Forum, Kentish Town, London on 22nd
  • Five Finger Death Punch with support from Megadeth and Badwolves (WHAT A LINEUP!!!), at SSE Wembley Arena, London on 31st

See you at the gig!

Happy Birthday To:

  • Brody Dalle, The Distillers 1st January 1979
  • Doug Robb, Hoobastank 2nd January 1975
  • Ivan Moody, Five Finger Death Punch 7th January 1980
  • Wil Francis, Aiden/ William Control 8th January 1982
  • Rob Zombie12th January 1965
  • Marko Hietala, Nightwish January 14th 1966
  • Dave Grohl, Foo Fighters 14th January 1969
  • Tairrie B, My Ruin 18th January 1965
  • Jonathan Davis, Korn18th January 1971
  • Rob Bourdon, Linkin Park 20th January 1979
  • Matt Heafy, Trivium 26th January 1986
  • Chris Hesse, Hoobastank 26th January 1974
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Amon Amarth at O2 Academy Brixton 30.11.2019

Posted on December 1, 2019 by Amanda Winchester

I’ve been looking forward to seeing Amon Amarth for months (as well as worrying about getting a migraine on the day as they are an ongoing problem for me but, luckily, Odin blessed me tonight), and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. It was a performance packed with incredible props, flames, explosions, actual sword fights, and confetti, but even without all that it would have been a breath-taking show. You know that feeling when the music is so loud it’s thudding in your chest and feels like your heartbeat, and then you and the music are one? THAT!!!!!

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Poets Of The Fall tour and new video

Posted on September 30, 2019 by Amanda Winchester

A couple of days ago I received my tickets to the Poets Of The Fall gig in Heaven this December. It couldn’t come quickly enough! The last two of their concerts that I attended were two of the most thrilling live music experiences of my whole life. I left both feeling deliriously high and tingling all over. Now that’s value for money!

I do, however, have slightly mixed feelings about their new music video. My Dark Disquiet is, in my opinion, one of the best tracks they’ve ever written, and I don’t feel like the video does it justice. It’s creative, but not creative enough, and it’s somehow the wrong colour, if you get what I mean. Or perhaps it’s just not how I pictured it. Anyway, with or without the music video, I bloody love that song, and can’t wait to experience it played live again! Go check it out for yourself!

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What’s Rockin’ December 2017

Posted on December 1, 2017 by Amanda Winchester

Happy Birthday to:

  • Brad Delson, Linkin Park 1st December 1977
  • Dani Winter-Bates, Bury Tomorrow 3rd December 1986
  • Ozzy Osbourne, 3rd December 1948
  • Corey Taylor, Slipknot 8th December 1973
  • Tré Cool, Greenday 9th December 1972
  • Brian Molko, Placebo 10th December 1972
  • Nikki Sixx, Mötley Crüe 11th December 1958
  • Amy Lee, Evanescence 13th December 1981
  • Alex Gaskarth, All Time Low 14th December 1987
  • Sipe Santapukki, Apulanta 20th December 1977
  • Lemmy, Motörhead 24th December 1945 RIP
  • Tuomas Holopainen 25th December 1976
  • Lars Ulrich, Metallica 26th December 1963

Gigs I’m going to this month:

  • Good Charlotte at O2 Academy Brixton, London 3rd
  • HIM at Roundhouse, London 19th
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