KILLJOY CONTAMINATION: 110% COMPLETE

So last Friday saw me partake in MCR take two, full on Killjoy times.

It started with me collecting Nick and Holly from town, heading back to mine, where Nickie joined us, we freshened up (got on our best killjoy gear) this involved turning an American flag into a cape for Nickie!

We then headed back to town and met Kandy, who was joining in with the pre killjoy festivities.

Hot chocolates all round in Soup Kitchen (home of ace zine shop Good Grief! kids!). Pick our sens up an Em Ledger and head to Wagamama gaining another Holly on the way (after a Killjoy backstreet photo shoot obvs!). we eat stuff, get full, get over excited and then feel sick! WAR PAINT on in the toilets. MAKE SOME NOISE!

We say by to the non Killjoys and try to convince Kandy to come with us, if only to make sure we manage to get home when we are a mess of sweat and joy!

We head to the MEN, spend all our dollars on merch (managed to get some pencils, yes!).

We decide we're far too cool (and have to much love for MCR) to sit through the support, so using the colourful walls of the MEN we have our own Killjoy photo shoot.

We are the best gang here, we turn a few heads (due to our awesomeness/aren't they a little old to be doing that.. delete as appropriate).

We head inside the arena and feel the excitement, half an hour to wait, we grab ourselves an awesome spot. See a little boy with red hair and a PP mask, we all of a sudden like children!!

Here would be a good place for my open letter to the MEN, an apology of sorts....

Dear The MEN Arena,

I am often read as always) slating you saying 'I hate the MEN' still calling you the NYNEX just to be difficult like, but it took a return trip to the sweat box that is Wembley Arena to realise the error of my ways.

I am sorry.

It turns out you are a pretty good arena. You have colourful walls, loads of toilets, a high ceiling so I don't sweat to death and a high stage.

You even have an indoor foyer which means the kind of fans that like to camp out can do so under a roof, with Maccy D's just a few feet away they can also go to the toilet and grab a quick refreshment!

So this is an apology, as it turns out you housed one of my top five gigs ever,

Forgive me

Seleena

I don't know what it was, a culmination of things, knowing what was about to happen, being with a bigger gang of friends, being able to see the stage more clearly than last time already, but I was super stoked. So much so that when they large screens started showing the amazing MCR stills I thought I was gonna wet myself.

The lights dimming and the start of Dr Death Defying and the crowd chanting along nearly made me wee, I could feel something a little special happening (know it wasn't a warm liquid in my jeans). the curtain was about to drop and I screamed before it even had, like a teenager at a concert in the 50's, baby boomer is booming!

Rocking out to Na Na Na I realise I can see every member, I can even see their feet, I AM SUPER EXCITED. Give Em Hell Kid kicks in and Gerard tells everyone to pick each other up during the song. After the song has finished he tells everyone to look after each other, it was during this song something clicked, I realised London was nothing compared to this, the band weren't quite there like I thought they were, Gerard was on top form (Manchester does this to people, It's The Smiths*) the whole band were enjoying it more and I knew I was going to enjoy it ten times more......

I will not bore you with the minute details, just my highlights.... More stage talk. yes Gerard did start singing The Smiths (if I had a pound for every American band that mentions the Smiths at a Manchester gig, i would be rich). Frank and Ray rocking out, Frank proper old school. Mikey taking pictures of the crowd and band in such a humble way. Loving songs, old and new that I previously had not loved that much before, Our Lady Of Sorrows and Summertime. I missed the part where Gerard said we were all magical like Harry Potters as I was telling some kids they cold push past me if they kept going. THE CROWD! the response for the new material was sooo much better in Manchester than London and I don't think I've ever been to a gig where I liked the crowd so much. At first i was stood next to a guy who was loving the new stuff, we proper had a dance to Planetary (GO!) like we were at a disco, fancy footwork and everything but then I felt bad because I stood in front of his friend (he was such a good dancer though) so then I was stood next to a mother and daughter combo. From what I could gather the Mum had been into MCR and got the daughter in to them, Mum was loving OLOS and at one point the daughter hugged her and said thank you so much mum, yes I did cry!

The only people I didn't like was this couple as the girl didn't seem to have a clue who MCR were and stood there bewildered and in front of me and she was taller. It's OK I went mad to Hang Em High and she soon shifted.

I got a little over excited for DESTROYA. I got a little over excited in general. Even Gerard's 90s looking top and dancing!

Gerard asking the crowd if any of us went to see Rob Zombie last night and then starting a Rob Zombie jam (Nickie's personal favourite highlight). Gerard screaming with the mic lodged in his mouth.

The crowd making the hands into heart shapes (eat that Daily Mail) and Gerard doing it back, making him "Misty Eyed". telling us this was the best gig so far and us believing him (mainly because we felt it better than London and later proof a girl who went to every show said Manchester was the best!). Gerard's kicks.My epileptic dance moves. FISTS IN THE AIR! The fact the band looked like they were having as much fun as us.

They Ended on Cancer, I realised Party Poison had been missing and realised this was altering the set a little. It seemed Cancer won us over! They came back on stage and discussed with each other and knocked out BulletProof Heart, live debut folks!!I felt bad because I told Nickie they finished on Vampires Never Hurt you (a fact running through the crowd as it was the end song for every set) but the selfish person in me loved it.

Then it was all over.......

But for once we weren't all doom and gloom like the big emos we are, we were all super excited and happiest we'd ever been! So this is the fabulous life of a killjoy!

Next stop Lemonade and dissecting the gig, which was mostly squeals, ohhh's and ahh's and wondering if MCR were watching Take Me Out, with Paddy Mcguinness face of Greggs,on mute, like we were.

I just want to say I really love this band, i haven't been this excited for a band in a long time. They make me excited about music, life and art, want to dance, sing, cry throw my fists and legs in the air and geek out with my pals and they seem to be a right genuine bunch!

*I am not a fan of The Smiths, but I must thank them for making most bands I like instantly like Manchester, oh and if any of these bands are reading, Morrisey is like my uncle or something you know, shall we be friends?!

**photos taken by Nickie, video stolen from you tube.

West Is West...Nickie on the radio!

So the other day, my all round dead good, awesome, killjoy of a pal Nickie got me in to the Manchester premiere of West Is West (the follow up to East Is East). It was great, I laughed I cried and we tutted at the naff questions asked after in the Q&A.
Today on WFM (Wythenshawes local radio) Nickie aired, for the first time her radio show!
Talking abut what she knows best, films!!!
Not only about the work of Om Puri and an interview with West is West writer Ayub Khan-Din she gets to play some top tracks too!
Check it out here !

Pistachio & White choc biscuits.

So yesterday I fancied something a little sweet to eat. I also had some pistachios that needed eating, so I knocked out these biscuits, using a few biscuit recipes that were stored in my head, mixed them all up, mixed this all up, unsure of what they would taste like, but they were damned nice.

You will need:
-4 0z margarine
-3 oz caster sugar
-6 oz self raising flour
-desert spoon of ground almonds
-desert spoon of golden syrup
-handful of pistachios
-50g of white chocolate chunks
-a dash of milk
-(and as always a pinch of salt!)

Light the oven to gas mark 4/180c. Grease a baking tray. Makes around 15.

1. Cream the margarine and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add a pinch of salt.


2. Stir in the self raising flour. Mix well.


3. Add the ground almonds, golden syrup, pistachios and chocolate chunks, mix in and add a little milk to give it a dough like consistency.


4. Grab little chunks, roll into balls, and flatten onto a baking tray.


5. Bake for around 15-20 minutes. Leave to cool on a wire rack and enjoy!!


6. They give the M&S Pistachio biscuits a run for their money!!

Let's have a ROLLER DERBY!!!

This is a brief history of me, myself and roller skating.

I was an active child, possibly too active, dancing around, riding my bike, pogoing all the usual things kids did before games consoles were a household staple.One thing I never managed to master was roller skating. Yes I had a pair of those 1-2-3 Fisher Price roller skates that everyone had, you know the ones, yellow orange and blue, expandable to fit your child for a number of years, 3 settings, walk, half skate, full skate?!?! I think it's fair to point out now that I have that Taurean trait of 'If I can't be the best, or one of at something, I don't do it'. I wasn't the best at roller skating, I don't think it was through lack of trying, it's because I got the fear instilled in me. Karen Peart lived across the road, she had an Alsatian dog and a downstairs bathroom, I'm pretty sure when I was young she told me if you fall over on roller skates you become down Syndrome (I shit you not( she also once broke this clay jewelry dish I made for my sister, my sister went ape shit!)). This may sound utter ridiculous and I'm not 100% sure that's what she told me, I just know after she said something to me, I was so scared of falling over I never moved on from setting 1. That's the setting where you push your feet across the floor as the wheels don't rotate. I don't even think I let go of the windowsill.
It's safe to say I hung up my skates for a while.

I picked them up again when I became a Teen-C loving teen, being all cool and retro and wacky I bought a second hand pair. This never amounted to more than posing in them and skating up and down the back yard. Early twenties I tried them in the park a few tines and tired myself at at a Ladyfest Roller Disco in Leeds.Some people I know who are in London Roller derby team are there. I know I'll never join as my roller skills are NOT THE BEST!

Skip to 2009 where We go skating in Oaks Park Portland. I'm still pretty shitty at it, but I love it and the more I can round the better I get. then a super cute awesome 8 year old girl tells us we are great at skating (Nickie is by the way, a born natural!). We have a quick chat to Portland's Roller Derby team outside, we tell Nickie she has to join a team when we get home.

It's then 2010, and I can't believe I didn't document this on here before. Kandy and Nickie organise me the most super birthday ever, RENT OUT A ROLLER RINK!!! we all turn up shorts clad and skate around to my favourite tunes, I bloody love skating. the skates at the rink are far too heavy for me and I tire after two laps, but I'm getting there and I feel nuff tuff.
It's a good few months before I skate again, just the other week, after deciding maybe we should try out roller derby, we go to the nearest rink, where roller derby practise is held. We go for the free skate, my brother got me some roller skates that look like Reebok Classic (those ones everyone bought in the 90s to do aerobics in!) I'm totally styling and Nickie says my skating has improved loads.We hang around to chat to Manchester Roller Derby, they all seem super nice, we just missed the first lot of beginners training sessions.
A week later I go to help Kandy set up a stall at a roller bout in Sheffield. the atmosphere is super exciting, I don't get to stay as I have a train to catch.

A week on from that Kandy, her sister Rosie and Nickie and I attend another bout, in Manchester, Wonderbrawl IT WAS SO GOOD!

I got sucked into the whole spectator, the only sports events having witnessed before (aside form school related ones, sports day, volleyball) were baton Twirling competitions (yes it's a sport!!)I loved it. The ohh's the ahhhs, the cheering and shouting.
The first bout of Birmingham Blitz Dames vs Tiger Bay Brawlers was on the edge of your seat viewing.Nuff tuff girls, no one taking the lead by a lot of points, in the end The Tiger Bay Brawlers nailed it, only just!
The second bout of Manchester Roller Derby vs Hot Wheel Roller Derby (Leeds) was also great, but mainly because MRD whipped Leeds' ass!

I haven't been skating since, but hopefully go this week. I will hopefully have a shot at roller derby.

I will definitely form a roller gang. You mark my words!

KILLJOY CONTAMINATION: 50% COMPLETE.

So I arrived in London, Saturday afternoon, to be greeted by Nick and Holly sporting the Party Poison masks I made them and Fun Ghoul bandanas. The levels of excitement reached new heights!

We hopped on the Bus back to Holly's after grabbing chips and onion rings from Ed's Diner. a quick Killjoy change and off to Zone 4 (Wembley Arena) TO GET CONTAMINATED!

Here's where it turned a little sour. It seemed London didn't want us to get contaminated. We jumped on the bus and it wouldn't take my oyster card as the first journey somehow cost me £7. London ate my money! Then we got stuck as some kind of accident had taken place on the Jubilee line. Eventually we got to our destination, but it took like 2 1/2 hours!

We perused the merch (I got a t-shirt and pondered getting some pencils). We ate a hot dog, we complained about the support bands (we were still in the food area at this point!) I had a cup of tea to try and clam myself. We scoped out the Killjoys. Saw a girl with Ramona Flowers hair and an ace Scott Pilgrim back pack. A mum and her daughters, one of about 8 with her backpack, pleather jacket and body warmer, my favourite Killjoy of the evening. I was excited and nervous. never having seen MCR in an arena (my first time was at Manchester Apollo in 2005, my second and last time was aslo at the Apollo last October, I missed the whole of The Black Parade Tour, for reasons i can only put down to stupidity!). We then decided to go in.

HUMID is not the word, it was so hot and the half hour wait seemed like an eternity. Until the big screen above the stage started showing screen shots and slogans, getting everybodies attention, cheering. making me nearly do a wee.


The curtain came down, the lights went black, the Dr Death Defying's intro blasting out. Wembley Arena shouting back louder. NA NA NA kicks in, curtain drops and I scream like a child! (I earlier stated I was going to scream like Kathleen Hanna at the start of her career!).

I won't go into too much detail, I have friends yet to witness this. But I will say this. Despite the fact the only props were the helmet and a flag and that I was hoping for them being lowered in in the trans Am. IT WAS THE BEST EVER!


No props, no outfits, just them and YES!


The lighting was spot on, from spotlights, colourful back drops, party lights and epileptic inducing flashes sound tracked with bombs. It worked.

I sweated to death almost right up to the closer (Helena) and tried to carry on for the encore of Cancer(not my fave) and Vampires Will Never Hurt You(by this point I was stood near a bunch of fans who were going nuts for this, opposed to earlier on when no ones knew the words to songs from Revenge and I looked like a mad woman!).

The other song from Bullets was Lady Of Sorrows and non single Revenge tracks were Give 'Em Hell Kid and Hang Em High. The choice of new tracks was spot on for me. Vampire Money was too early in the set, I wasn't ready. I think I really like Sing now, especially when the whole crowd shout KEEP RUNNING. Party Poison, Planetary (GO!) and Destroya had me dancing like a mofo. Summertime was a welcome treat. I enjoyed Kids... and The Only Hope... more live.

I was also pleased with the choices from Black Parade, replacing I Don't Love You with Mama and everybodies favourite anthem Famous Last Words.

The highlights for me were Helena, just to see Ray Toro rocking out Frank style. And Teenagers. I cried during Teenagers. Now Teenagers is by no means one of my favourite MCR songs. But just before the song a girl threw an awesome jacket she had made on stage Gerard picked it up and said it looked good and thanks (Frank was looking totally jealous by the way!) and went to put it down until Wembley erupted into a chant of PUT IT ON PUT IT ON. to which he did and kicked into Teenagers. The camera (for the big screen) was on the girl who gave him the jacket (who Holly informs me was one of the girls who got on stage to sing OLOS at the last London gig). It was her face that made me cry, her shock and utter happiness at witnessing Gerard wear her jacket. I'm soppy!

All in all, the boys total delivered. I now love this band more than I ever did (if that's possible) and I can't wait for complete contamination on Friday.


KILLJOYS MAKE SOME NOISE!

......

Mirror Mime.....

So my first road trip of 2k11 was to Yorkshire Sculpture Park. This was at the very start of January (at the very start of my gammy eye!) and was an all round awesome grrrl gang day out, despite the cold. We enjoyed walking the grounds, posing with sculptures, looking at art and eating a pub lunch (scampi and chips, YES PLEASE!)
The art we saw was that of Zara Wood (Woody) - Mirror Mime exhibition.

You might recognise her work from a Topshop range a while back. Her work is illustrated sweetness, featuring doe eyed girls, Pierrots, harlequins, bandits and birds. In the exhibition were tiny pieces of jewelry, china cups and saucers, farmed work and a huge illustrated window.

It left me wanting great adventures with my pet owl on ships sailing the rough seas!

Good Grief!

Sugar paper zine is now available to buy in Good Grief!, all round awesome zine shop in Soup Kitchen Manchester.

Good Grief! is ran by all round good egg David Bailey.
On Sunday we took a trip to The Cornerhouse to take a look at The People You're Not exhibition.
I would recommend a visit, it feature's many works, including David's recreation of George Cruikshank's The Worship Of Bacchus, using known alcoholics as proposed by Harry Hill. All set within a Victorian style theatre!

The world will keep turning...

...As long as Zombina And The Skeletones keep playing!

Hollaback!!!

I am a Hollaback Girl!

(should think about starting an northern chapter).