This Is Not A Democracy

A little bird tells me someone needs a wahmbulance. *snork* I'm just going to get my tiny violin, brb.

Went to see Paul again. Still love it. The Odeon here was absolutely plastered in posters from the film, upstairs. They've changed the screen to a bigger one, strangely, because none of the three viewings we saw there were sold out.

Afterward, we went to dinner at a Thai place called the Giggling Squid, which was really good, but we decided we didn't want to have dessert there. We were wandering across the Lane, talking about how we wanted a place that was just for desserts, turned a corner, and there was a brand new place called Cloud 9, which just does ice cream, cakes and teas and stuff like that. Peanut butter ice cream. Fuck yes!

We've also been discussing something very cool, which would be a huge project and I don't want to talk about too much right now. Not until we have everything in place. But if it comes off, it will be epic.

Very enjoyable day, all in all. :)

Wuuuuuuuuuuuuuurgh.

This is about as coherent as I feel today.

Yesterday, I spent almost 14 hours on my feet, NSOing and prancing around in pink sparkly knickers (over my jeans), arm wrestling in Mexican wrestling masks, atrocious karaoke, body popping with Betsy and explaining to Sophia why it was okay for her to take a poo in the pub toilet.

Yes. It was that classy.

And I was stone cold sober.



L-R: Neil's Girlfriend, Neil, The Mighty Mighty Bash, Bebe Bruiser (pink mask), (behind) Derby Stopout, Flash Bang Wallop, Blaze of Gory (yes, Gory), Me (blue mask), Lady Lazarus, (behind) Sal Gore, Rose Bleed, Lady Gag'er, (front) Jubacca, t'POW, Mass Janeycide.

There are so many amazing girls who were with us yesterday, who didn't make that pic. Taco Hell's little sister, Elisa, was selling Mexican sugar skulls and masks to raise money for the league she's setting up in Mexico to buy skates with.

It's so nice, that despite obvious competition - this is a competitive contact sport, after all - the leagues get on like one massive family. All the girls are so sweet. And the Rockers had a great time, freshies to the first round of girls. It was really nice.

Even if I saw a little more flesh than I really would have liked... ;)

That was the most ridiculous train journey home, ever. Middle-aged women should not have to hoist husbands who are too drunk to stand into their seats. Nor should they have to do full-on, comedy face-bloats as they puke in their own mouths in a carriage full of people. Also, dapper old guys in their sixties should not stagger sideways across a platform, fall onto the train, off of the train, and then puke red wine all over the floor.

This is England! You should not reduce groups of very sober twenty-somethings, who have never met before, to giggle fits and discussing the best form of parkour to utilise to escape the train without being covered in sick.

I am disapprove, old people.

But anyway. Tonight was genuinely awesome. We were stunned and appalled by how empty the venue was, and even more appalled by the singer of the Japanese Voyeurs, because she was obnoxious. The Damned Things more than made up for it, though.

I nearly got in a punch up in the middle of the set, again. At one point some overly-made-up bint tried to elbow us out of the way - no "excuse me, do you mind if I take a photo?" or anything, just elbows and unnecessary shoving in a really sparse crowd - so I did a derby move on her and nearly floored her sideways. Then her twiggly little hipster boyfriend started pulling (lightly) on my arms and asking what I'd done that for, so I raised my fist and told him to back the fuck off. He did. And then a security guard came over and bollocked him for touching me.

Never fuck with derby girls, my friend. Never.

But yeah. Andy has completely shaved and cut his hair really, really short. Like, The Kill Pill short. He looks about 19 again. We didn't get time to chat, but he was lurking near us, so we did that little wave-grin-mouthe-'howareyoudoing?'-nod-thumbs-up-'you?'-'good!'-grin thing. I emailed him on the way home to say sorry for not stopping to chat, but it's been so long since I contacted him I don't know how frequently he uses that address, now.

Keith is getting a bit chubby, it has to be said. When I first met them, in spring, he was much more svelte, and he was oddly attractive but I didn't fancy him. Now he's plumped up a little bit I did actually find him quite cute (bizarrely, a girl I think is his sister-in-law friended me on Twitter recently - she seems to follow tons of people).

Josh kept wandering back and forth, looking annoyed; then he tweeted that BA had lost his clothes and guitars for the second time in a week, so he was notably pissed off. We would have been too; what a bunch of knobgobblers. We offered to buy him a drink when we saw him later, but he had one from the rider already.

The other three were just themselves at that point, really. We'd seen Rob through the window of the restaurant next to the Garage on our way in and given him a wave, but didn't see him in the venue. When they came on, they played Friday Night and Ironiclast to get things going and then about a song later I caught a glimpse of something bright flying at me and a sharp pain in my arm. It turned out it was a pick. Now, I was standing three people back on stage left. In front of me from right to left, were Rob, Scott, Keith, Andy at the back, Josh and Joe. Joe was at the far, far left from the audience's POV. Guess who threw it. Yep. The full width of the stage and three rows back and it hit like someone flicking my arm - it actually stung. As Lib pointed out, he's probably used to playing arenas and having to throw it that far. But my God, I was shocked. I really thought it had been Scott as he was nearest. Good arm, Bambi.

After the set, Joe came out of the backstage door right next to us, with Josh, and we stopped and chatted to them. Pleasingly, he recognised us right away and seemed pleased that we'd shown up (I guess the fact that most FOB fans had gone to MCR had left him thinking none of the fans would be there to see them). I told him about the pick incident and he poked at my old self-harm scars and jokingly asked if he'd caused them when he threw it. (Oh, Joseph... *eyeroll*).

He and Josh stood and talked to us for quite a bit until we were interrupted, and then when the girl he knew wandered backstage, we paused to say bye and asked him to thank the other guys for us. He wanted to know why we were leaving (the staff were chucking people out) and seemed to have expected an afterparty in the venue, which he was a bit disappointed wasn't happening. There was a slightly weird and awkward moment when he said something like, "So... yeah..." and lifted up an arm. I think I just stared at him blankly, not sure if he wanted a hi-five or a handshake and then he said, "Yeah, give me a hug, man, thanks for coming out to see us."

I was taken aback and clearly everyone noticed because on the way out Lib said, "You weren't expecting that hug at all, were you?" No. Nope. Definitely not. Joe's not traditionally that huggy; in fact, I'm sure he's been quoted as saying (or maybe even tweeted) he doesn't like hugging people he doesn't know.

He's a really good dude, though, and I'm glad that even though certain members of bandom went out of their way to try to make the guy hate me, he doesn't seem to at all. Just goes to show, I guess: be genuine and people are going to be much more accepting.

One last little bit of cute: he wasn't wearing a ring, but he referred to Marie as his 'wife' so I'm guessing they married over the summer. I'm honestly so pleased for them, I've never seen the guy look as happy as he does now - both on stage and off - and that makes me so happy. It's almost like a big-sisterly fondness. I'm really proud of him. I'm proud of all of them, of course, but especially Joe, because I feel like he's come out of his shell much more and found his confidence. He spoke on stage twice tonight; he used to chicken out the second he stepped up to the mic at FOB shows. I feel like that says a lot.

I've just been to an unexpected gig to see my cousin Stevie's band, Over and Out.

We checked my MySpace over dinner, at about 18.35 and were at the venue - remember that one at the end of my road? - within fifteen minutes.

While we were there, we discovered a band called Out of Sight. Their singer, Jake, is lovely - they sound like Spitalfield with a very young Patrick on vocals. You should definitely check them out.

We also discovered that at least two members of Over and Out live in the street that runs parallel to ours, which is really weird.

It was a surprisingly good day, today. We had a shit ton of fun. And we think Matte needs to come and live in Brighton, for serious.

Living in Brighton would be fine, except for one thing: BBC South Regional News.

Come back, rizzla teeth, all is forgiven! I miss your daily stabbings and Boris's botchups.

It's all a bit "Some senile old granny left her glove on the number 6 bus", here.

We don't have proper internet yet, so I'm depending on Matte and TFL for updates on the CFOB wank, and terrestrial TV. BT fucked up and failed to show today, so we still have no landline. We go to Ireland in a few days, to pick up Julie's stuff, and so we might not have internet until after we get back.

Thank God I have my sidekick, or I'd be screwed. That and Ju letting me user her 3 mobile internet earlier.

She also helped me put my bed together today, which felt somewhere between a Greek tragedy and a Carry On farce (yes, we were screwing on my bedroom floor all morning, blood was spilled and my tool wasn't quite big enough). I'm glad to have a bed and at least SOME television to watch, though. It's worth hours of annoyance and four skinned knuckles to have the place feel like home. I have my memorabilia shelf back up as well, where a semi-naked Amanda Tapping leers at four FOB dolls perched on Chicago mugs, with Stackham USMC name tapes, an authentic 1942 miniture VAT69, a signed packed of Xo ramen, some maple syrup, a `Loose lips might sink ships' 1940s repro propaganda flyer from Seattle, a leaping stag road sign from Vancouver and a Rosie Riveter lunchtin from Navy Pier. Oh, and a chrome zippo with snowflakes on.

(If you think that's nerdy, the shelf above has my comic collection, sci-fi trading cards and a talking Sauron still in his box... And my Kyle-style ushanka. Ftg.)

We went to the night club/venue at the bottom of our road, yesterday; the owner showed us magic tricks, bought us a drink and we left before the band came on because we aren't adjusted to the air down here and we're always tired - but it's a nice place and we will go back on a weekend, for sure.

Alas, it does not have its own Troh MCing. The owner reminded me of the bastard love child of Orlando Bloom and Brian Molko, after a lot of cigarettes and possibly some acid. Nice guy though.

I guess that's about it. If anyone speaks to Wentz, tell him I said stop the douchery and just fucking admit you're doing a Decayfest in Chi with TAI and (a reformed) Midtown. And that Copeland can suck my balls (although I hear the drummer's a chubster, so he needs to come and see me, plzkthx and I'll find other things he can do).

Does anyone want to come to the farmer's market at Ally Pally this Sunday?

Ugh. My sorethroat is turning into a cold, so anyone who was expecting to see me at the Seeing Scarlet show, tonight, I just won't be making it (and I doubt you need me infecting you all, anyway).

Have fun, kids.

shiny_starlight and I are going to see Cobra Starship!

We're doing at least Yeovil and Oxford - the former with likethepaint. We got our tickets this afternoon - I didn't even realise they were on sale until Matte told me.

It's going to be awesome - sixth and seventh time in barely more than a year. More than I've seen Fall Out Boy (six times between the end of January and August).

It's going to be like my birthday holiday all over again. XD

Also: I will be going to London on 18 May if anyone is coming.

fadefromblack and I are going to the ****-Live premiere. We have seats reserved and everything. It's going to be ridiculously tacky but so much fun.

Fortunately, the showing is at 12.30pm so we'll go see it and then go off and see our respective families afterward.

Man.

We went to Chicago together when we won the HCT competition, so this is going to be brilliant. Like a bit of a trip down memory lane.

We met at a FOB show last January, so... all our memories are of FOB shows, now!