Spring forward.

Saw Hayseed Dixie live last night at Leeds Rio's. I have been meaning to catch these guys for a while now and was very pleased I did so. This is a genuine US bluegrass band who caught on a few years back after doing an album of ac/dc covers (hence Hayseed Dixie... geddit?). They have expanded their repertiore to include many other heavy rock songs, all sort of other mad cover versions and some decent songs of their own, and so imagine if you will ... a banjo, fiddle and mandolin wielding foursome belting out the likes of Ace of Spades, War Pigs and Highway to Hell. At wharp speed. Funny and yet respectful: top musicianship, and the raw bluegrass style is somehow just right for those big rock songs. They reckon they are the only outfit ever to play both Download and The Cambridge folk festival, so this is a band who have seriously crossed over ... something. They drink a lot, and boy they are loud.

Holly fell over in the van today - in her wheelchair. I forgot to push the button which secures her 'seat belt' down at the front, so we pulled out of their school after I'd picked her and Jamie up and bang, she goes over backwards . Scared the life out of the both of us, but fortunately no harm done and she forgave me - eventually. Liz went to their parents' evening tonight and they are both doing really well. I always knew Holly was bright as a button but it seems Jamie is too, so that's great.

Three non Premiership teams in the FA Cup semis eh? Great stuff. Except that one of them is fecking Cardiff City.

Budget today. Only 20p or something on a packet of cigarettes? What's wrong with this government? They should have doubled the price of that shit if you ask me.

Two gigs in a week: am off to see The Feeling tomorrow in Manchester. Rich Eatough has consigned them to the pap bin, but I still reckon there's a lot of room for such tuneful lightweight stuff. Not everything has to be lo-fi and edgy. In my humble opinion.

Thought for the day: Creationism. If you believe in it in any way, please please think again as it really is utter nonsense.

Long time no blogging

Well, I've been too busy. Terry told me to keep her up to date so here goes.

Best event of this week was most definitely The Hold Steady at Manchester Academy. Rich Eatough alerted me to this band a while back and they are great. Go find them on YouTube and then go buy their Boys and Girls in America CD as it's killer. Seriously good. They are my favourite band of all time at the moment. Great that RB could get there too as she was working near Manchester, and we had a bit of adventure in Halifax trying to find her hotel after the gig, just for added fun.

What else has been happening? Oh, yes - LMC (Leeds Mountaineering Club) annual dinner in Conniston last weekend. Got out on the mountain bike for the first time in what feels like forever - round the Grizedale forest trails. Top stuff it was too and we had the best of what was a ropey weekend for weather - out of the wind, and their was no rain to speak of. Sunday was sunny, even. Rach is coming on so well on the bike and she did her first trails back in Grizedale on the Sunday. I think she suprised herself by enjoying it so much on the firetrail descents - and once she'd been shown where granny ring was she got up all the climbs too. Top girl. She's hooked. Hurrah. She got the part in the play she was after and is now rehearsing 3 evenings a week for the next 2 months. What a wierd hobby... :-)

Saw Scottie for the first time in ages the other weekend which was great. He seems on good form. Hopefully going to organise a Liverpool Saturday night out meet up very soon. Met mum and dad in Liverpool yesterday actually for lunch (was working over there) which was most pleasant.

Kids are on good form. Jamie is 5 now and got a Sony PSP game thingy for his birthday which he loves to death. I probably got a spacehopper for my 5th birthday. The kids of today, eh? Holly is fine as ever - she's seven soon and also growing fast.

Plans:
Week biking in Les Gets/Morzine mid June with the Reading crew.
Trowbridge folk festival, possibly.
Week with kids 'down south'.
Windermere marathon (I will be asking for sponsorship).
London at RB's posh new flat beginning of April.
Scotland at Easter (Glencoe/Fort William area).
Forthcoming gigs: The Feeling, Hayseed Dixie, Joe Satriani, Bruce Springsteen.

Happy 2008

Well, here we are all safe and sound in a shiny new year. 2007 and was a good one, so this one has a lot to live up to. All the best to anyone reading this and maybe see you soon?