Best of 2005

Here's something I mean to do every year and thought I'd give it a go this year.
My Fave albums of the year 2005. Dunno about the order mind but here we go:

Bon Jovi - Have A Nice Day.
Buckcherry - 15.
LA Guns - Tales From Sunset Strip.
Robbie Williams - Intensive Care.
Ginger - Live Begins at 40.
Ginger - A Break in The Weather.
Crystal Pistol - Crystal Pistol.
Nickleback - All The Right Reasons.
Jackdaw4 - Gramophone Logic.
The Yo Yo's - Given Up Giving Up.
Tommy Lee - Tommyland-The Ride.
System of a Down - Hypnotize and Memorize.
Billy Idol - Devil's Playground.
Oh and only just made it on here... Ginger - Valor Del Corazon.

And some other stuff
Vince Neil - Promise Me (Single).
Towers of London - Singles - Fuck It Up, On A Noose and How Rude She Was!

My best night out /gig has to be seeing Ginger, Jackdaw4 and PlanA, playing acoustically in Rugeley. The review for it can be found elsewhere on this blogger. The YoYo's playing the Jailhouse down the road from me was a great gig also. One gig Imissed which was also at the Jailhouse was the Dogs D'Amour which was supposed to of been very good.

My favourite music DVD (reviewed elsewhere) was Showtime by UFO.

Two enjoyable reads for me were Tommyland and Sid Vicious biographies.

The best start to 2005 was being in thailand for 7 weeks. What was good about it? The warmth, the casual, pleasant way of life, going up the tallest building in Bangkok and being on top of the world, having my Mum join us for a week, village life and the company of my wife Panee.

Biggest surprise of the year was the surprise 40th Birthday party for my best friend Iain. He didn't have a clue.

Biggest shock for me was how well Tyla did, when starting at his new school. He made me very pround with his immediate settling in and getting down to working hard. And also his continual enjoyment of ice skating has surprised me.

Funniest comedy on TV has got to of been Little Britain. Dudley and Ting Tong were great although very stereotyped for a Thai / Farang couple. Andy and Lou were funny as usual as was the only gay in the village.
While on the subject of tv it was a welcome return to Dr Who. It was far better than expected.
Films though, I can't think of one that was released in 2005 that really stands out for me. Fantastic Four I waited to see on DVD and was a little disappointed with it.

2005 was the time, when we got to spend time in our new conservatory (although it took a few years to build) and spend time in our garden during the summer. It was also a time of walks in Leamington park which we all found enjoyable. Soundin like an old couple now, but what the hell when yer in love it's very special. And I love spending time with Panee, she puts the spring in my step. Not forgetting spending time with the kids, I also bought a push bike so I could go out with the kids.

Here's to 2006 being a great year!

Panee's Sales Frenzy!

Panee goes on a Sale spending spree! This was Panee's 1st experience of New Year Sales since bing in England, as the 1st year she was not yet settled in.
So on Boxing day, Panee went on the 1st of her sales spending spree's! She went into town at about 9.00 am. I met up with her mid morning as she rang me to say she needed her bank card as she needed some money for the sales.
Another spending spree followed the next day when she went to the 'Next' half price sale!
Well that was the end of her savings that she assured me she was gonna save till the next time we returned to Thailand. She'll have to start again now.

Xmas Day 2005

Our Christmas day 2005
The family spent the day at home. We all got up at about 7.30am and then opened presents. We spent the morning lazing around playing with the kids toys before going up my Mum's for Xmas dinner and more presents.

Christmas Eve 2005

Christmas Eve up the Social Club
We spent the evening up the club with the kids

Panee's ESOL Certificate Presentation.

Panee's certificate for her ESOL English work, was presented to her by The Lord Mayor of Coventry. 

She Didn't Like Rock 'N' Roll: Ginger - Valor Del Coraz�n

She Didn't Like Rock 'N' Roll: Ginger - Valor Del Coraz�n

My copy of this cd arrived in the post today just in time for the New Year! Excellent album on 1st couple of listens. Check out a review on the above link. I'll put my thoughts down on it at a later date.

The Yo Yo's and Antiproduct - Live at the Jailhouse, Coventry.

Quite a surprise to see The Yo Yo's coming to play a gig in Coventry. But the Jailhouse has been getting some quite decent bands to play and the turn out to see them seems to show there is an audience for them them too, even mid week as this one was. We arrived after the 1st two bands had played and Iwas quite surprised how full the pub was. The bill had advertised four bands so quite surprised to find there were actually five playing. Me and my mate Fred had a couple of drinks at the bar before going through to the band room to watch who we throught were gonna be The Yo Yo's on and were surprised to find Antiproduct hitting the stage. Now I've seen this lot before and they are very good at what they do but I've never gone out of my way to get into their music. They play their own brand of over the top shock/ glam rock. The front man, who's name escapes me now, is very energetic and in your face literally. He came flying off the stage a few times and the 1st time I thought he was gonna knock my drink out of my hands as he leapt off the stage towards me. His band consisted of three girls on bass and guitars, all dressed quite kinkerly in rubber and leather, and a male drummer who dressed like he'd just walked in off the street. Anyhow we watched a few songs and I got the feeling I seen similar kind of show before and the Wrathchild memories sprung to mind. So a few songs in and we retired into the other room to the bar. Upon entering we met up with Danny from the Yo Yo's who was in hyper mode waiting to go on stage. Chatted to him for a few minutes and got a couple of pics with him, which was cool. The guy is such a down to earth, friendly and funny person. We had actully seen him earlier in the night comparing tattoo's with a girl in the bar. Danny has the beginnings of a new tattoo on his back which is the drawing off the cover of the latest Yo Yo's mini album.
After Antiproduct had played we made our way back through to the band room and waited in antisapation for The Yo Yo's to hit the stage. 1st song up was 1000 Miles The band was tight and apart from Danny's vocals a little low in the mix , which was resolved after the 1st song. They were excellent and worth the wait. Danny seemed pretty cleaned up although the drink began to take it's toll on him towards the end of the set. I probably didn't help with a guy in the audience buying them all what look like whisky and coke, about half way through the set.
Omega Male was the 1st new song from the latest album and was the second song in. It seemed to blend right in with the old songs that much that I didn't realise it was one of the new tunes, as it never stood out on the album. The new album though really is a pretty bad production along side Uppers and Downers though. Took me a lot of plays to get into it. But all thenew songs that got an airing tonight sounded great and not out of place. Tattoos don't last forever was dedicated to Danny Frye (I'm not to sure who he is myself) and Danny got a little upset with a guy at the back who seemed to be disrespectful. Rich Jones got danny to laugh it off a bit though before plough into the song. The band seem to pay as much attention to the banter between songs as they do to the actual playing of them. One quite funny moment came before playing Rock City. If ya know this tune you will know it is one big chorus, with every other line a change. Anyhow one guy at the front offered to jump up and sing with the band but said he only knew the chorus which amused the band enormously. Anyhow the band were on for about an hour and did one encore which Danny swapped bass with Tom Spencer for his guitar, to play a song I didn't recogonise and guessed it was a cover. A brilliant gig which sent me home with Rock City ringin' through my head. Look forward to them returning to Coventry, possibly with Plan A or even Ginger in Tow!!??!!?