"Look, it's an article about haunted hotels in NYC. Goo'd Times." - H1.
"Umm, no. I don't want to know about them because I won't be staying at any of them." - Or 2.
"No? You think something will follow you home?" - H1.
"Well, did you forget about Scotland?! I got knicked in the 'ead by a ghost!" - Or 2.
"Ahahahahahaha. You knicked yourself! You know who knicked you? It was Char Kar." - H1.
"That bitch..." - Or 2.
It is apparent that this knickin' bidness is becoming a yearly tradition. I don't like this. I don't like this at all.
Showing posts with label Scotland. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Scotland. Show all posts
Monday, September 17, 2007
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Goddamned Scots, Speak Some Goddamned English!
It was a flashback.
Please come flashback with Or 2.
Let's go back to November 2006 to that weekend in Edinburgh when Char Kar, Battler and I were surrounded by a bunch of Scots and had our lives depended on getting directions from them, we would have been dead.
Even the Japanese have a better sense of the English language than the Scots!
Now flash forward to last night at the Roseland Ballroom where Beetchie and I saw The Fratellis.
It was like 2006 all over again.
If perchance The Fratellis had to issue a warning to us concert kids that we needed to clear out the venue due to the chaos that went down in NYC on Wednesday, once again, the situation would be bleak.
And so begins Or 2's tale of Wednesday, July 18th, 2007.
After some heavy rain that fell the night before that managed to downpour into Wednesday morning, slowing down the metro system - The HOchies trudged to work. When I heard that thunder at 5 AM, I really wanted to stay in bed but alas, I have to make up some kind of hours requirement at work, so to work I trudged.
It was an uneventful day and then all hell broke loose.
The disaster/misadventure of the day all began right after I met up with Beetchie for the concert. A coincidence? Ummm. Beetchie and I would rather be mum about the incident. We always know something's going to go down yet we still seem a little bit surprised...
Luckily H1 managed to get a train out of NYC before it hit but a steam pipe exploded near 42nd Street/Grand Central Terminal causing a whole lot of hell I didn't find out about until much later.
Beetchie and I ate, and went up to the Roseland Ballroom to see her pick - The Fratellis.
The line was long but we still managed to get a great spot on the floor with the magical number for me, third row from the front.
We waited amongst some rich, surprisingly really young kids, poked fun at them because they were annoying, drank a yager bomb and watch the first support band fiddle on the stage while setting up their equipment. More to come on Illinois, that support band after this post.
After Illinois, The Switches took the stage.
Oh. Goodness.
I went there not loving them and came out not loving them. They weren't bad but they weren't outstanding either. They performed two songs that were semi-decent but meh. Meh.
They can be classified under "The WTF Moments of the Night I".It's not that it was all bad but yeah, wtf:
1. Here's the lead singer that cracked me up some. Beetchie couldn't stand to look at him:
Notice the bad Flock of Seagulls' hair? Yeah. I don't ever want to hear about how Matt has bad hair again, as I told Beetchie.
2. The bassist who smiled not once during the entire set. Beetchie enjoyed him:
3. As for me, I enjoyed the little keyboardist, who I don't think is even part of the band but probably only accompanies them during live performances. He smiled the entire time and even smiled at me when he realized I was taking a picture of him. Awww, he posed until I got my shot. Cutie:
But sorry Brit dude. I'm already going after two other Brits. Maybe when you join a better band? Ahhhh. I keed.
4. This thing which Beetchie was trying to explain to me. Good picture you took there, Beetchie. Please explain its situation again:
After their roadies cleaned up their stage (wow, they had roadies!), we waited for a few for The Fratellis to show up.
And show up they did. Looking a little hard on the eyes...
They took the stage at 9.20 PM and when they began playing, H1 came to mind. They started with her favourite track or at least the one that she enjoys terrorizing me with...
The 7/18/2007 The Fratellis "Costello Music" Tour Set List:
Baby Fratelli
Everybody Knows You Cried Last Night
The Pimp
Vince the Loveable Stoner
Whistle for the Choir
Flathead
Doginabag
For the Girl
Cuntry Boys and City Girls
Pretty Like a Girl
Henrietta
Ole Black 'n' Blue Eyes
Got Ma Nuts From a Hippie
Encore:
Johnny Come Last (acoustic & solo) - (also cool was the fact that this was the first time this song was played for anyone, as the lead singer put it. At least that's what I think he said...)
Creepin' Up the Backstairs (acoustic)
Chelsea Dagger (the song everyone was waiting for - it's the hooligan anthem of 2006)
I came to this concert not totally loving this band. I, like I'm sure many others were, got hooked on "Flathead" when I heard it used in the Itunes commercial months ago. I was curious to see what the rest of the album was like because they're quite big over in the UK. I was also very wary of them because like The Caesars's "Paper Tiger", and I know I mentioned this before in a previous post, Itunes commercials sometimes feature really good songs from bands who may be under the radar but as I discovered with The Caesars, I liked the commercial song but not the album.
As it turns out, I took a chance on "Costello Music" and ended up not liking it that much. I will give them credit for being the kind of music you'd like to hear in a stadium before a football game in the UK, or at a pub as so nicely displayed in "Hot Fuzz" but for me, the album has never been in constant rotation, nor did I care enough to learn the lyrics before this show.
Simply put, Kenna's "New Sacred Cow" is still to this day, the best $9.99 album I've taken a chance on.
I thought that seeing them live wouldn't be a tragedy because they do have that fun kind of comradery going down and it wasn't but it really wasn't that fun either.
The highlights for me were my favourite songs, "Flathead" and "Henrietta" and I always enjoy a good breakdown of adding extended versions of kick ass music to a song so "Got My Nuts From A Hippie" was cool as well. I mean, they are no MUSE when it comes to riff adding but it was a decent attempt.
For Beetchie, I think her highlight was the bassist, Barry Fratelli. She loves her a bassist and he was in perfect bassist stance.
Sadly, I felt their performance was more bad than good though.
They slowed the playing down which threw me off as the album's so fast but not only that, they weren't very in-sync.
That's number 1 "WTF Moment of the Night II":
1. The Fratellis... It's okay to slow things down some. I mean, maybe not really because the music's fast on the album but I'd applaud you if you at least, played in time with each other. Tsk tsk.
2. The kids in attendance at this show. Those annoying fucks with their poor dancing was horrendous. They also were delusional and thought this was the greatest concert ever. Clearly they've never been to a concert before and would have nothing of high quality to compare it to. Stupids. Also, why were they all European?
3. The surprising young age of the crowd. H1 thinks The Fratellis should be embarrassed.
4. I couldn't understand much of what the lead singer was trying to say to us when he was talking to us. All I got was the ocassional mention of "New York" that he would make. Ah, Scots. Those hooligans slay me.
5. The Drummer Mince Fratelli's bare back! Well he wasn't actually. That was some effed up wife beater he was wearing under some effed up light show. Ahahahaha.
6. We almost got a guitar pick and the drumsticks from them. Alas, I was once again assed out by two blonde bitches.
7. Frontman Jon Fratelli's hair. This, I'm sure, is a 'WTF' for Beetchie, as it should be.
WTF Moments of the Night III:
As mentioned before, NYC was in a state of chaos on Wednesday when an old steam pipe exploded. We did not know the extent to the damage and as per usual, after the show ended I ran (and dragged Beetchie with me) all the way to 42nd Street and Madison only to discover that things were indeed REALLY bad.
Grand Central was closed off and some idiot cops, wrong and strong with the yelling at us for their not doing THEIR job, directed us and others to an entrance that didn't exist.
On the way I almost broke my foot, which is scarily becoming a norm when with Beetchie for me, by slipping on a piece of paper. I missed the train at 11.10 but luckily caught the one at 11.20 to Croton.
Beetchie was not as fortunate.
Beetchie had to catch the train back at 49th and 6th because we totally didn't think that if Grand C. was closed, that the subways weren't running.
It was a mess.
Please come flashback with Or 2.
Let's go back to November 2006 to that weekend in Edinburgh when Char Kar, Battler and I were surrounded by a bunch of Scots and had our lives depended on getting directions from them, we would have been dead.
Even the Japanese have a better sense of the English language than the Scots!
Now flash forward to last night at the Roseland Ballroom where Beetchie and I saw The Fratellis.
It was like 2006 all over again.
If perchance The Fratellis had to issue a warning to us concert kids that we needed to clear out the venue due to the chaos that went down in NYC on Wednesday, once again, the situation would be bleak.
And so begins Or 2's tale of Wednesday, July 18th, 2007.
After some heavy rain that fell the night before that managed to downpour into Wednesday morning, slowing down the metro system - The HOchies trudged to work. When I heard that thunder at 5 AM, I really wanted to stay in bed but alas, I have to make up some kind of hours requirement at work, so to work I trudged.
It was an uneventful day and then all hell broke loose.
The disaster/misadventure of the day all began right after I met up with Beetchie for the concert. A coincidence? Ummm. Beetchie and I would rather be mum about the incident. We always know something's going to go down yet we still seem a little bit surprised...
Luckily H1 managed to get a train out of NYC before it hit but a steam pipe exploded near 42nd Street/Grand Central Terminal causing a whole lot of hell I didn't find out about until much later.
Beetchie and I ate, and went up to the Roseland Ballroom to see her pick - The Fratellis.
The line was long but we still managed to get a great spot on the floor with the magical number for me, third row from the front.
We waited amongst some rich, surprisingly really young kids, poked fun at them because they were annoying, drank a yager bomb and watch the first support band fiddle on the stage while setting up their equipment. More to come on Illinois, that support band after this post.
After Illinois, The Switches took the stage.
Oh. Goodness.
I went there not loving them and came out not loving them. They weren't bad but they weren't outstanding either. They performed two songs that were semi-decent but meh. Meh.
They can be classified under "The WTF Moments of the Night I".It's not that it was all bad but yeah, wtf:
1. Here's the lead singer that cracked me up some. Beetchie couldn't stand to look at him:
Notice the bad Flock of Seagulls' hair? Yeah. I don't ever want to hear about how Matt has bad hair again, as I told Beetchie.
2. The bassist who smiled not once during the entire set. Beetchie enjoyed him:
3. As for me, I enjoyed the little keyboardist, who I don't think is even part of the band but probably only accompanies them during live performances. He smiled the entire time and even smiled at me when he realized I was taking a picture of him. Awww, he posed until I got my shot. Cutie:
But sorry Brit dude. I'm already going after two other Brits. Maybe when you join a better band? Ahhhh. I keed.
4. This thing which Beetchie was trying to explain to me. Good picture you took there, Beetchie. Please explain its situation again:
After their roadies cleaned up their stage (wow, they had roadies!), we waited for a few for The Fratellis to show up.
And show up they did. Looking a little hard on the eyes...
They took the stage at 9.20 PM and when they began playing, H1 came to mind. They started with her favourite track or at least the one that she enjoys terrorizing me with...
The 7/18/2007 The Fratellis "Costello Music" Tour Set List:
Baby Fratelli
Everybody Knows You Cried Last Night
The Pimp
Vince the Loveable Stoner
Whistle for the Choir
Flathead
Doginabag
For the Girl
Cuntry Boys and City Girls
Pretty Like a Girl
Henrietta
Ole Black 'n' Blue Eyes
Got Ma Nuts From a Hippie
Encore:
Johnny Come Last (acoustic & solo) - (also cool was the fact that this was the first time this song was played for anyone, as the lead singer put it. At least that's what I think he said...)
Creepin' Up the Backstairs (acoustic)
Chelsea Dagger (the song everyone was waiting for - it's the hooligan anthem of 2006)
I came to this concert not totally loving this band. I, like I'm sure many others were, got hooked on "Flathead" when I heard it used in the Itunes commercial months ago. I was curious to see what the rest of the album was like because they're quite big over in the UK. I was also very wary of them because like The Caesars's "Paper Tiger", and I know I mentioned this before in a previous post, Itunes commercials sometimes feature really good songs from bands who may be under the radar but as I discovered with The Caesars, I liked the commercial song but not the album.
As it turns out, I took a chance on "Costello Music" and ended up not liking it that much. I will give them credit for being the kind of music you'd like to hear in a stadium before a football game in the UK, or at a pub as so nicely displayed in "Hot Fuzz" but for me, the album has never been in constant rotation, nor did I care enough to learn the lyrics before this show.
Simply put, Kenna's "New Sacred Cow" is still to this day, the best $9.99 album I've taken a chance on.
I thought that seeing them live wouldn't be a tragedy because they do have that fun kind of comradery going down and it wasn't but it really wasn't that fun either.
The highlights for me were my favourite songs, "Flathead" and "Henrietta" and I always enjoy a good breakdown of adding extended versions of kick ass music to a song so "Got My Nuts From A Hippie" was cool as well. I mean, they are no MUSE when it comes to riff adding but it was a decent attempt.
For Beetchie, I think her highlight was the bassist, Barry Fratelli. She loves her a bassist and he was in perfect bassist stance.
Sadly, I felt their performance was more bad than good though.
They slowed the playing down which threw me off as the album's so fast but not only that, they weren't very in-sync.
That's number 1 "WTF Moment of the Night II":
1. The Fratellis... It's okay to slow things down some. I mean, maybe not really because the music's fast on the album but I'd applaud you if you at least, played in time with each other. Tsk tsk.
2. The kids in attendance at this show. Those annoying fucks with their poor dancing was horrendous. They also were delusional and thought this was the greatest concert ever. Clearly they've never been to a concert before and would have nothing of high quality to compare it to. Stupids. Also, why were they all European?
3. The surprising young age of the crowd. H1 thinks The Fratellis should be embarrassed.
4. I couldn't understand much of what the lead singer was trying to say to us when he was talking to us. All I got was the ocassional mention of "New York" that he would make. Ah, Scots. Those hooligans slay me.
5. The Drummer Mince Fratelli's bare back! Well he wasn't actually. That was some effed up wife beater he was wearing under some effed up light show. Ahahahaha.
6. We almost got a guitar pick and the drumsticks from them. Alas, I was once again assed out by two blonde bitches.
7. Frontman Jon Fratelli's hair. This, I'm sure, is a 'WTF' for Beetchie, as it should be.
WTF Moments of the Night III:
As mentioned before, NYC was in a state of chaos on Wednesday when an old steam pipe exploded. We did not know the extent to the damage and as per usual, after the show ended I ran (and dragged Beetchie with me) all the way to 42nd Street and Madison only to discover that things were indeed REALLY bad.
Grand Central was closed off and some idiot cops, wrong and strong with the yelling at us for their not doing THEIR job, directed us and others to an entrance that didn't exist.
On the way I almost broke my foot, which is scarily becoming a norm when with Beetchie for me, by slipping on a piece of paper. I missed the train at 11.10 but luckily caught the one at 11.20 to Croton.
Beetchie was not as fortunate.
Beetchie had to catch the train back at 49th and 6th because we totally didn't think that if Grand C. was closed, that the subways weren't running.
It was a mess.
Friday, November 24, 2006
Or 2's The Famous Edinburgh...Sheep - DAY 3.7
Chapter 3: Haggis, Sheep, Heighlan' Coos and Scratchy Ghosts
Saturday morning saw us up at 5.15 AM to catch a 7 AM train to Scotland.
The train ride was nice. We saw lots of sheep but it was quite difficult trying to snag a picture of them since everytime I put the camera down, there'd they be with their painted asses. The multi-coloured sheep asses were quite funny.
We didn't make it to the Highlands but this photo from the train was as close as we got:
As soon as we got out of the train station at Edinburgh we could hear bagpipes. There was something very disturbing seeing very old buildings on cobblestone streets housing and littered by stores such as the gap.
Char Kar and I went to Edinburgh Castle which we got to by climbing a really steep hill. I guess it wasn't steep enough though because if I could climb it then the Brits truly had no problem invading the damned place. Har Har.
The Castle was pretty cool but Char Kar thought the King's Dining Room was not as impressive as it should have been. I liked the prisoner barracks and was impressed by the view of the city from the cannon view point:
After running around the castle, I had to go try some haggis. Sadly, I didn't get the real deal because I was starving and didn't want to chance buying an entire meal only to waste it if I didn't want it (hey, this trip was expensive as all hell) so I got a Haggis and Drambuie appetiser. It was deep fried and GOOD times. MMMmmmm, nothing like some sheep insides:
I had the lamb for dinner which was really good. It was very unlike most lamb I had as this was incredibly smooth to the point where it was melting off the bone. It was good times also but meat usually is.
After dinner, we walked around the little city but for some reason the whole place ran amuck with damned partying teenagers who were interested only in clubbing and drinking. Ignoring the lot, we walked and visited little shops that had the strangest things. I felt as though I was in Chinatown because we happened upon one of those cheap ones that sold lots of hello kitty stickers and stuff. I was incredibly unimpressed until we passed by the Castle at night.
Char Kar and I parted ways with Battler and went on the Death and Torture Tour at B's suggestion. It was very cheesey and fun walking along the cobbled streets, hearing about some of Edinburgh's dark history. Our Tour Guide, Fiona was pretty cute too. Then we went to three vaults discovered in the old city back around 1996. The vaults are supposedly haunted and being kind of sensitive to paranormal activity, I definitely felt there was something to that place. Here's the picture I took that confused me some:
For the most part, I laughed at how scared everyone else was but I guess the joke was on me. The next morning, I went to the bathroom to discover I had a bit of a scratch/gash on my forehead. Yes. I was scratched by an entity. Alright, so it may be possible that I did it to myself in the night but I can't be certain. In any event, it makes for a good story.
What doesn't make for a good story was the little prison cell we slept in at the Hostel. It wasn't that bad though save the fact there was a co-ed bathroom. Needless to say, Char Kar and I went stinky that night without a shower because there was no way either of us wanted to come out of the shower only to encounter some crazy drunk and drugged up kids.
I didn't actually get to see an Heighland Coos but I bought one the morning after at the gift shop for HOchie 1. She loves him and has named him Apappa.
The ride back was much of the same and involved Battler and I trying to capture photos of the stupid sheep and our miserable failures.
Quotes of the trip:
On Sheep -
"When it rains, do you put them away?" - Char Kar
"Yeah. Put them in a box." - Battler.
"Some of the sheep have colours on them. Are they marked for death?" - Char Kar.
"I could take one home." - Char Kar
"Yeah, box it up. Shear your own." - Battler
"They don't look very soft." - Char Kar
"Yeah. They're wooly. Literally. God didn't front when he made the sheep." - Battler
On Pigs -
"Look! Pigs! It's like {Or 2's} dreams come true!" - Char Kar
"Yeah...awww, piggies. Awwww, bacon." - Me
"Come on. That's just shameful. They're still alive!" - Char Kar.
Saturday morning saw us up at 5.15 AM to catch a 7 AM train to Scotland.
The train ride was nice. We saw lots of sheep but it was quite difficult trying to snag a picture of them since everytime I put the camera down, there'd they be with their painted asses. The multi-coloured sheep asses were quite funny.
We didn't make it to the Highlands but this photo from the train was as close as we got:
As soon as we got out of the train station at Edinburgh we could hear bagpipes. There was something very disturbing seeing very old buildings on cobblestone streets housing and littered by stores such as the gap.
Char Kar and I went to Edinburgh Castle which we got to by climbing a really steep hill. I guess it wasn't steep enough though because if I could climb it then the Brits truly had no problem invading the damned place. Har Har.
The Castle was pretty cool but Char Kar thought the King's Dining Room was not as impressive as it should have been. I liked the prisoner barracks and was impressed by the view of the city from the cannon view point:
After running around the castle, I had to go try some haggis. Sadly, I didn't get the real deal because I was starving and didn't want to chance buying an entire meal only to waste it if I didn't want it (hey, this trip was expensive as all hell) so I got a Haggis and Drambuie appetiser. It was deep fried and GOOD times. MMMmmmm, nothing like some sheep insides:
I had the lamb for dinner which was really good. It was very unlike most lamb I had as this was incredibly smooth to the point where it was melting off the bone. It was good times also but meat usually is.
After dinner, we walked around the little city but for some reason the whole place ran amuck with damned partying teenagers who were interested only in clubbing and drinking. Ignoring the lot, we walked and visited little shops that had the strangest things. I felt as though I was in Chinatown because we happened upon one of those cheap ones that sold lots of hello kitty stickers and stuff. I was incredibly unimpressed until we passed by the Castle at night.
Char Kar and I parted ways with Battler and went on the Death and Torture Tour at B's suggestion. It was very cheesey and fun walking along the cobbled streets, hearing about some of Edinburgh's dark history. Our Tour Guide, Fiona was pretty cute too. Then we went to three vaults discovered in the old city back around 1996. The vaults are supposedly haunted and being kind of sensitive to paranormal activity, I definitely felt there was something to that place. Here's the picture I took that confused me some:
For the most part, I laughed at how scared everyone else was but I guess the joke was on me. The next morning, I went to the bathroom to discover I had a bit of a scratch/gash on my forehead. Yes. I was scratched by an entity. Alright, so it may be possible that I did it to myself in the night but I can't be certain. In any event, it makes for a good story.
What doesn't make for a good story was the little prison cell we slept in at the Hostel. It wasn't that bad though save the fact there was a co-ed bathroom. Needless to say, Char Kar and I went stinky that night without a shower because there was no way either of us wanted to come out of the shower only to encounter some crazy drunk and drugged up kids.
I didn't actually get to see an Heighland Coos but I bought one the morning after at the gift shop for HOchie 1. She loves him and has named him Apappa.
The ride back was much of the same and involved Battler and I trying to capture photos of the stupid sheep and our miserable failures.
Quotes of the trip:
On Sheep -
"When it rains, do you put them away?" - Char Kar
"Yeah. Put them in a box." - Battler.
"Some of the sheep have colours on them. Are they marked for death?" - Char Kar.
"I could take one home." - Char Kar
"Yeah, box it up. Shear your own." - Battler
"They don't look very soft." - Char Kar
"Yeah. They're wooly. Literally. God didn't front when he made the sheep." - Battler
On Pigs -
"Look! Pigs! It's like {Or 2's} dreams come true!" - Char Kar
"Yeah...awww, piggies. Awwww, bacon." - Me
"Come on. That's just shameful. They're still alive!" - Char Kar.
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