The beginning of the end

Good evening! It seems that I have lost touch with my blog of late. I would like to give a really interesting tale, and up date you as to how exciting and busy my life has become. Alas, this couldn't be further from the truth. Instead I've been doing a lot of nothing, mainly trying to keep warm in this bitterly cold and uninviting weather, which has been a great feat might I add.

A major advantage to this weather, however, (excuse the rhyming couplet there, totally unintentional) is that I get to dig out all of my great winter clothes. When I say clothes, I really mean coats, and when I say coats, there is one garment in particular that will not leave my back. My fur coat! I know it seems a cliche, and many people have jumped on the band wagon over the years, but I can't help but drag it out each year!

The Russians certainly know how to dress for the weather, and boy, does it keep me warm!

There's something about the way you look wearing fur that's enchanting. It oozes warmth, suggests style and screams fun! For all those animal lovers out there, hold the phone to Peta, it's fake, or 'faux' to use the correct terminology.

The reason I love this coat so much, isn't just because of the many fantastic qualities I've suggested previously. But because of how much of an absolute bargain it was. A gem at £3.00, I dug the beauty from the local car boot sale and it's the best part of £5.00 I have ever spent! It certainly makes me look forward to winter, and even more so as we are coming to the end of another year, which seems to have flown faster than ever before!

How is it that as you get older, the years get shorter? Maybe we try to squeeze so much into those 12 short months that we subconsciously rush our time away. Saying that, when I reflect, all nostalgic on the last year or so, many of my accomplishments seem a lifetime ago. Which I suppose is a good thing as I can reminisce and smile to my self with a sense of achievement.

Once again I have hinged off on to somewhat of a tangent. I have a knack for that, you may have noticed. Before I start sounding like an after school special, I will leave. Until the next time, goodbye, goodnight and god bless!

The X-Factor

Why do things get so complicated when there's an ex involved? It's bad enough when your date spits out this blasphemy on a first encounter, but when it prevents you from moving on with a potential mate, there is definitely no room for lift off.

If you read my last post, you may have twigged that I am of course talking about my recent romantic encounter. Or not so romantic as it turns out. I left you in somewhat of a dilemma, not knowing whether I should swallow my pride and contact my date after 24 hours of silence, or to play the waiting game.

Well seeing as though I've never been good at games, I went for the previous. I text my date on Tuesday asking when we should next meet, seeing as I hadn't heard a peep from him since Sunday afternoon. Usually I wouldn't have run the risk, after all what's the point in building yourself up to then be bitterly disappointed, but I blew caution to the wind and did it.

After all he was giving me all the right signals, up until Sunday, texting me as soon as the date was over, arranging another date. He seemed keen, and then just sort of fizzled out. So it was curiosity more than anything than urged me to initiate further communication.

You know what they say about curiosity.........well, they are right. I received a brutally honest response. Something on the lines of, his ex being back in touch with him and not wanting to make any arrangements with me that he may have to break. At least I got some form of reply, but it got me thinking: When is ever a good time to date when there is an ex still lurking?

As far as I was concerned, he told me it was over for a good 5 months previous to our meeting, and it was him who was chasing me. From personal experience, sometimes it's hard for the other party to let go. But if you've already let go, then that shouldn't be an issue. So I was clearly a rebound date for this boy to decide whether or not he was truly over his old flame. Obviously the torch was still being carried, and me, I was just left to burn out in the dark.

For my first date in a year, this doesn't bode well for future encounters, and for the time being, just for the record, I am completely off men!

A trip to Boots and an Irish Coffee

Look at me, I'm posting for a second time today!
After my rant about the parking ticket I forgot all about the interesting things that have happened to me recently.
I went on a date on Saturday!!

I may not have mentioned it much, but I am currently single, and have been for some time now (1 whole year, not that I'm counting) so the whole dating scene is relatively new and my flirting skills are rusty to say the least!

So how did this occur? For a little pocket money I work at a local bar at the weekend, last Friday was like any other. I finished my day job, went home, had a nap and off to work I went. The job is OK I suppose, it's really easy and the tips are great. The night was dragging and until about ten, between three of us, I think we had served something like 10 drinks combined...

.........And then like one of those scenes in those romantic films, the boy appeared. I'm sure 'Wet, wet, wet' were playing in the background.
I knew I had to serve him. I made a B Line for him and even forgot to give the previous customer their change. This may sound desperate, but come on, I was bored and it's been a while.........
Anyway very surprisingly, he asked me for my number. This was a strange occurrence, as apart from only attracting men in their winter years, I never seem to get much attention. And I have to say the guy was HOT!

So we exchanged pleasantries and numbers, of course, and left it at that. Ever the pessimist I didn't think that he would ever get in touch. But surprisingly he called the next day. I never know what to say over the phone, especially to a good enough stranger. Somehow we managed to arrange a half date. We decided to go into town and have a potter around, maybe go for coffee.

This came into fruition, and we bumped in to each other in Boots. Of all places! As if my nerves weren't in tatters enough, we continued to look around the store aimlessly until I found the escape route, sorry, door.

After some small talk, and an Irish coffee, I found that this boy was a model once. And quite a successful one at that. Modelling in I-D and Drapers I might add. Clearly he is out of my league.

After the date we kissed and he texted me shortly after, arranging another date the following day.

However as it happens, this never materialised and after texting him to try and resolve some dignity and boost my ego he responded with a really blase response asking to meet up during the week, I text back confirming this plan and it was left at that.

But what do I do now? Its been a whole 24 hours. Was the date really that bad? What is the etiquette when it comes to contacting a potential mate? Do I wait for him, or do I act all new agey and ballsy and take the plunge? Obviously these questions will never be answered as still, no followers.

I suppose I will just have to keep my fingers crossed.

That's not fine

Since I passed my driving test at 19, I have four times been a victim to parking wardens and their sadistic fetish for fining people when parked, as they describe it, illegally. My first parking ticket was fair game as I was over the time limit by two hours, it still didn't prevent me from shedding a tear and trying to find someone to justify my actions to. My most recent brush with the 'law' was two weeks ago, and in my defence, it couldn't be helped.

On the rare occasion that I bring my car to work, on this particular day I was running late so it was a convenience that I had to take, the car park was full so I had to meter feed. Which only allows parking for a period of 2 hours. In which time I had been dragged in to a very important meeting that could not be disturbed (it was about the works Christmas party and whether we were to have a free bar or not). As I say, every minute had to be taken.

I came out of the meeting in a frantic panic with cold beads of sweat dripping from my forehead as the realisation sunk in that I was over by........10 minutes.

Maybe I would be lucky enough to escape the evil clutches of the meter man this time? I ran to my car and there it was, staring back at me, with a smug little grin stuck right in the middle of my windscreen. The yellow and black ticket that would rip me off of £25.

Why are they so sticky too? I discretely tried to rip it off without any one seeing, but the little bugger just wouldn't shift. Not only was it an eyesore but it was to leave my window with a tacky rim. Anyway I paid the fine today. So I am still a little bitter. As well as lighter in the pocket.

I sometimes Drift off

I often use my bedroom window as a vent for daydreaming. Sometimes the sky reflects my mood. So I suppose the below picture tells you that my mood was in a state of blissful ignorance. Just happy to be sat looking at the pretty colours that nature can conjur up.

Pretty Colours.......

The View from my bedroom window, Idyllic

A Little Bit About Me

This is me trying to be vaguely cool at Bingley Festival

(wearing blue trousers)

OK, so I thought I would take a different tact on the whole blogging thing. Relatively new to the whole idea, I feel I have neglected my page, with the rare 500 word outburst of bits of things that I have done for other people, its still looking embarassingly sparce. As you may have guessed, if you frequent my site, I am an aspiring journalist. From the fact that I currently have no followers, it seems I have someway to go, should I want to etch some form of career into my life.





I was thinking how I could fix this and make things happen, to hopefully get me some recognition. And my answer was, make my blog more personable. Afterall, journalists are supposed to connect with their audience, so i suppose you would need to know a little more about me. Other than the very vague and not so poignant snippets in my profile.





At the moment I am in a little bit of a cross roads in my life, I graduated last year and went straight into a job at my local newspaper. Ideal! You may think. It would be, should I have landed on my feet as a fully fledged roving reporter, fresh faced and naive to the big bad world of newspaper journalism. Alas, I should be so lucky, instead I work in the advertising department as a business development staff.





Don't be fooled by the fancy job title, it's basically an embelishment to avoid being referred to as a 'salesperson'. Long story short, I have to sell advertising space. Which in our current financial demise, is not easy. The job doesn't suit me, and despite having free roam to the internet and an endless supply of free tea and coffee, I find it mind numbingly monotonous. And the pay packet at the end of the month does not make up for it.





I innocently applied for role thinking it would be a shoe in to become part of the editorial staff, and after a brief stint of work experience, my dream still hasn't been realised. So I now write some freelance stuff, for free, for various fashion blogs, which will hopefully make me rich with experience if anything.





So stuck in a dead end job, and still living with my parents at the age of 22, I wouldn't exactly class my self as Britains answer to Carrie Bradshaw, but slowly but surley I will get to where I want to be. Hard work is something I am not afraid of, which is lucky as I am not the type of person who tends to land on their feet on a regular basis.

AUTUMN TRENDS 2010
The weather may be getting cooler and nights longer, but there‘s nothing doom and gloom about this seasons new trends. With sandy hues, feminine hem lines and animal print dominating autumn’s key looks it’s hard to ignore some of the seasons major power struggles.

Girly Vs Boyish

Louis Vuitton

Plunging neck lines, synched in waists and full skirts are what this seasons’ vintage trend is all about. Fashion takes on all things 50’s, from gloriously floral retro skirts to corseted bustiers, this trend is a romanticist’s dream which has been favoured by Louis Vuitton, Prada and Marc Jacobs.

Tip: Add ladylike accessories, like this seasons elbow length glove, to complete the look.

Margaret Howell

http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/show.aspx/full-length-photos/id,8772/Page,2

High buttoned shirts, tailored trousers and mannish shoes are the tomboys retreat to the aforementioned trend, it‘s the awkward adolescent who grew to be the 50’s siren. Brogues teamed with cigarette pants create an understated charm that can be seen reflected in Margaret Howell, Chloe and Daks’ collections.

Tip: Pair with knitted socks to make the look more studious.

Camel Vs Colour Block

Chloe

http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/show.aspx/full-length-photos/id,8881

Even though summer is but a distant memory, there is still one colour that has made the seasonal crossover from beach to body, and that’s camel. Wear it as a stylish cover-up, a neutral accompaniment to a statement blouse or, for those who just can’t get enough of those sandy hues, head-to-toe a la Chloe.

Tip: Invest in the seasons must have item, the camel coat, for a timeless look.

Isabel Marant

http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/show.aspx/full-length-photos/id,8848

Contradicting the catwalks love for all things beige are the playful blocks of colour adorning it. From deep emerald to burnt red, autumn gets a splash of colour in the form of block heels, shift dresses and handbags. Statement heels worn with contrasting socks add a childlike charm and colour clashes as seen in Marni’s collection bring a hint of fun to the look.

Tip: Wear colour splashes with a LBD to draw extra attention to the feet.

Ruffles Vs Minimalism

Chloe

http://ris.fashion.telegraph.co.uk/RichImageService.svc/imagecontent/1/TMG7413181/p/Valentino-3-epa_1594005a.jpg

Pussy bow neckties, bellowed sleeves and frilled fastenings inject a touch of the 70’s glamour puss to a plethora of black this season. Sheer fabrics draped exquisitely add quality to autumns more flamboyant trend by enhancing the silhouette and creating effortless class, as beautifully displayed by Temperley.

Tip: Team with a Shearling Jacket to up the 70’s anti.

Stella McCartney

http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/show.aspx/full-length-photos/id,8874

Slim fitting trousers and divine tailoring bring an elegant tone to tame many of the more playful trends this season has to offer. One thing that this trends rival shares with its sleek nemesis is the celebration of superlative quality. Although with neat hemlines and fuss free collars, this trend forfeits over the top glamour for understated key pieces, much favoured by Balenciaga and Celine.

Tip: Wear boyfriend fit trousers to give the look a more casual feel.

Print Vs Texture

Moschino

http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/show.aspx/full-length-photos/id,8901/Page,2

It may have risen to infamy by the promiscuous antics of soap siren Bet Lynch, but leopard print is one fierce trend that Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci and Farragamo have dug their claws in to this season. From head-to-toe to feline hints featured in shoes and handbags, this is one look that stands out from the crowd. Another print to pounce on this autumn is polka dot to keep the look chic.

Tip: clash polka dot with leopard to be bang on trend.

Erdem

http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/show.aspx/full-length-photos/id,8791

Rippling cascades of crushed velvet and opulent gold embellishments nod an Avant-garde salute to one of Britain’s most respected and missed designers, Alexander McQueen. Tassels are worn with ruffles and leather with the most exquisite silk to create an anything goes approach to this season’s most experimental trend. Missoni, Betty Jackson and Ralph Lauren all weave this trend into their pieces.

Tip: accessorize with a fur gillet over a sleek velvet dress to give warmth and style

Sex, Drugs and Retro clothes

Sky scraper platforms, lace-less doc Martens and the understated Stan smith, all footwear of the musical icon, these fashion statements have adorned the foot of many a rock legend and triggered the trends in fashion decades over. Pioneering the direction of fashion year after year, music is a key inspiration of many a fashionista’s look. Whether it be the ironic motif t-shirt of the indie teen, or the tight skinny jean painted to the legs of students, infiltrating cities across the country, there’s no escaping the influence music has to our wardrobes.

Since the 50’s, Rock n’ Roll and all that goes in-between has been a lure, enticing its followers by its rebellious image, even from Elvis Presley and his ‘Blue Suede shoes’ music has given the youth culture a way to vicariously live on the wild side and express their own sense of musical tastes and attitudes, through what they choose to wear.
Music, rock especially, has that effortless cool that everyone attempts to encapsulate, whether it be the band trying to emulate guitar solos that could only be matched to Hendrix or the street wise stylist imitating the flamboyant frills and tight jeans glorified by Mick Jagger. We all have a desire to become our idols, through fashion and styling, we are able to look like them and in turn have a bite in to the cake of fame.
Even when rockers were uniformed in their styling, they were still setting trends and causing a stir upon their fervent followers. In the 60’s Beatle mania and all that went with it took a grip on Britain and transformed the way we styled ourselves. Male teens were donning the iconic mop top and strutting the streets with their crisp Pierre Cardin suits, while mini skirt cladded girls were throwing themselves on stages at their concerts, the bands signature was written not only in our autograph books but in the pages of history.
With their rocker rivals, ‘The Rolling Stones’, a culture war set apart the mod’s from the rockers. The rockers adapting the more individual style that allowed each band member to express their own individual personality, often teaming leather pants with feminine shirts. A controversial statement at the time, coinciding with their more evocative lyrics and riffs, their rocker audience latched on to this bad boy image. Looking rough around the edges has become a staple in the sex, drugs and rock n’ roll diet.
Of course, any dedicated follower of music and fashion would be perfectly aware that even today the Beatles, and that decade, still have their stamp firmly imprinted on the way we choose to dress. With the new en vogue style being everything that is retro and vintage, it has never been cooler to look like our idols.
Lucy Conroy, owns a vintage clothes and home-ware shop in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, she knows only too well the influences and importance of music to fashion, and sells a large variety of styles of clothes from several different decades and eras.
“We have clothes here dating further than the 40’s, I don’t know much about how music influenced the style then, but the style of dress was very lady like and floaty, they went to dances and balls so I suppose the music they danced to influenced that style of dress, it was so elegant and ladylike. There’s definitely a change looking at the styles from the late 50’s early 60’s, everything’s a lot more quirky. Obviously rock n’ roll was in full swing. ”
Dressed head to toe in vintage attire this girl is a walking advertisement for not only her quaint boutique but also her other sideline, music. Adopting the same name as her shop, ‘Lucy and The Caterpillar’, her band produces modern folk music compared to the likes of ‘Regina Spectare’. Wearing 50’s day dresses and fashioning a white pixie crop her music has a definite influence to the innocent image she flaunts.
“I don’t think I’ve gone a day dressed in anything but vintage, not since I can remember any way... It’s all about the image, it wouldn’t look right if you saw me dressed like this on stage and I came out with some death metal roars.”
Fashion definitely gives bands their authenticity. The threads that our idols wear prove to us their status and in turn dictate some aspects of the style of the era. Take the 70’s we’ve all seen the bell bottoms and extreme platforms, made popular by glam rockers, and ABBA of course. Glam rock in all of its glory had a highly stylised and eccentric approach to fashion, drawing from the unconventional outfits glorified by ‘Ziggy Stardust’ and ‘Gary Glitter’.
A glaringly obvious link of music to fashion later on in this era is, of course, punk rock, the anti-establishment trademark, ironically, has become a fashion in itself. In 1976 Punk rock exploded, we were thrashing the streets of mainstream London, dressing in anything but clothing. Bin liners would be wrapped round safety pin studded bodies, the Doc Marten found itself on the foot of the most unlikely of owners. The music of the punk rocker being almost-three minute war-cries identifying everything wrong with society, an idea that was latched on to by Vivienne Westwood, known for her original fashion designs.
Causing a stir definitely leads the way when it comes to music; it’s this that makes us remember them. The 80’s wouldn’t be the 80’s without ‘Boy George’s gender bending looks, or ‘Duran Duran’ with their rolled sleeves and frosted hair. Even though most of us wouldn’t like to admit it we have all, at some point, taken some fashion pointers from those in the industry. No matter what era we hail from.
The more underground the music the more diverse the fashion, take the New Romantics, where boys were wearing make-up and girls double breasted suits, echo’s of Fade To Grey pouring from the Ritz on the streets of London, this image reinforcing the themes that came from eerie whines of the genre. This look is still evident today, with the staple of the party season wardrobe being the oversized blazer, and lace being the only thing to be seen in.
‘Modeliste’ are a band from Luddenden Foot, also in West Yorkshire. They are a three piece, whose trademark sound mixes funky riffs with rock-styled vocals. They know only too well how much the music they play influences their dress sense.
Ben Adey, the bands lead vocalist, recalls their influences, “We try to look as individual as possible, we’re not into wearing all the same thing, we don’t like to just stand there and not move, when we play we are really animated and rock it out like wild bears, ‘Queen’ influenced us a lot, they didn’t take themselves too seriously and wore some crazy stuff at times, this is how we like to dress.”
Clearly rockers at heart ‘Modeliste’ each have their own persona on stage in their gigs. “We enjoy the occasional dabble with make-up, eye-shadow usually, we dress a bit out there. There are bands out there now who have amazing style. ‘MGMT’, ‘Hot Chip’ and of course ‘The Kings of Leon’ are our favourites.”
Wearing a tight T-shirt and even tighter pants Ben has the archetypal look of the modern day rocker, especially when teamed with ‘Ray Ban’s and winkle pickers. His influences are apparent, on and off stage, “We don’t copy off anybody’s style really, but we do wear stuff that matches the music we play, it comes with the territory, we’ve got to look good. Our music is really energetic and our clothes represent that.”
“We wear a lot of clothes influenced by the 60’s, the retro look is pretty cool but we like to combine it with modern classics as well, red skinnies have crept in to one or two of our wardrobes. I know it’s been done before, but it takes a confident man to wear them and look OK’ in them...trust me.”
Admittedly we all want to look different; drawing from figures in the music industry adds a quirk to the way we look, take grunge. I bet the bands of the grunge era didn’t premeditate that the week-old jeans and tatty oversized jumpers they threw on would become a fashion trend. The mellow moans of ‘Nirvana’ made it cool to look unkempt.
When we look back on all of the trends that have gone before, there’s always a soundtrack to go with them in our minds. Today, we see this more than ever, as retro is as popular as ever we see people not only dressing like their modern day icons but their icons’ icons. You only have to flick the pages of Vogue to see the key trends that have been spurred by our rocker muse’s. As each genre becomes more commercial the more we see its influence infiltrating high street clothes stores.
Traipsing the streets of any big city, it’s easy to see music’s influences in all of its glory. Subcultures have developed and become so ingrained in our lives that we could probably take a stab at the type of music a certain individual may be into just by looking at their outfit.
We have developed names for these groups, have you noticed most fashion trends are named after the genre that influenced them? Take ‘Emo’, ‘Nu Rave’ and even ‘Hippy chic’, we have all bought into music’s’ influence, whether we realise it or not. This will happen as long as music is fashionable, and I don’t think that’s going to change, not for a long time anyway.

Far From 'Glasto'

What do you get when you put Glastonbury, a working toilet, cheap alcohol and Ten Bears under one roof only big enough to swing a cat? A bloody massacre of inebriated carcasses? No, probably one of the best days out this summer has seen. Faye Banham explains.

Yes it’s that time again, when you delve deep through your winter wardrobe, through the puddles of knit wear and mounds of thermals to dig out your summer attire. The usual suspects come out to play; denim shorts, plaid shirts, straw hats.... oh and don’t forget the wellies of course (we can’t expect too much from good old British weather). These are all essentials in any aspiring festival goers back pack.
Glastonbury, Carling Festival, Download, Gatecrasher... I could go on. We’ve all seen the huge crowds turn out. Where the pilgrimage of adoring music lovers pitch their tents strategically between the porter cabins and the beer tents and traipse through muddy fields, past the groups of new age hippies to finally reach their Mecca, the main stage.
And what do they see when they get there? Nothing, Other than a sea of elbows thrashing the air, sweaty pits brushing their faces and the odd glimpse of a topless girl shouting “I love you” to the lead singer of the band they are unsuccessfully attempting to get a peek at.
Doesn’t sound like my idea of a good time, in fact, sounds like a perfect nightmare to me. Call me prissy or un-cool, but I can’t think of anything worse than being covered in other peoples’ bodily fluids, living without a shower for four days and drinking nothing but cheap lager.
So I am faced with a predicament, do I have to sacrifice my love for music in order to have a perfect summer full of tranquil baths and large G&T’s? Or will I have to brave the grime and face the music to well....face the music?
This is the dilemma I have faced every summer, year after year, and I haven’t even started on the astronomical prices that are expected to be paid in order to experience such a ‘pleasure’. That was until, this year of course when I found something right up my street, and it was right on my doorstep, quite literally.
Over fifteen bands, free flowing cheap beer, glorious sunshine and a fabulous crowd of cool cats, scene kids, indie boys and rock chicks... doesn’t seem anything untoward. Not from what you would usually expect from your average summer music festival. So imagine my delight when I realized this was the theme for a beer festival at my local boozer, and it was completely free of charge.
Some may argue that the atmosphere wouldn’t be quite the same, and I must say I was rather dubious at first, but what did I have to lose? With no entrance fee and nothing to do on May bank holiday, I thought it would be worth a try.
A quaint village called Sowerby Bridge, on the outskirts of Halifax, posed the location. Equidistant from both Manchester and Leeds I could have chosen a more cosmopolitan place to spend my long weekend. But with the sun blasting and beer flowing nearby I didn’t see any need to travel any further than my front door. How convenient!
The venue deemed a quirky little pub named ‘The Puzzle Hall Inn’, which sits parallel to the River Calder. With a stage outside ready to be bombarded with the foot taps of the bands ahead, and a beer garden, it seemed a perfect place to soak up the sun, absorb the music and gulp the odd tipple.
However the inside is a different story, even though eccentric in decor, its bottle neck corridor to the bar and toilets pose difficulty in desperate times. The queues were out of the doors, trailing on to the street, at the busiest point of the evening. Obviously this was one aspect that bared some unwanted similarities to the conditions while camping at a festival. But at least these toilets had toilet roll, and I didn’t have to bring my own.
Festivities began at 2‘0’clock, and instead of having to organise transport, decide how many pairs of sunglasses to pack and overload my bag with toilet paper, I alternatively donned the proverbial summer frock a pair of tatty boots and off I went, with the rest of my festival-phobic mob, of course.
On arrival the atmosphere was indeed lacking, and with few people there my excitement turned into an ambivalent anticipation. It seemed that the only people there were groupies for the first band in the line up, who did nothing for my growing doubt.
The line-up of bands was a diverse mix ranging from funk to punk, soul to metal. A genre for all audiences and as the hours passed by, so did my hesitation. Two more bars were even set up to cater for the over spilling hoards of music/beer lovers. Things were picking up!
Four bands that out shone the rest were ’Modeliste’, ‘Little Tremors’, ‘Far from the dance’ and ‘Ten Bears’, all of which had differing sounds from each other, providing a gloriously diverse following of beat junkies. With the scorching sun shining down on the sea of way farers and aviators that made up the crowd, as well as a vast array of alcoholic beverages on tap, this event deemed everything I want from a festival.
‘Little Tremors’ were the first to hit to the stage, the lead singer was stunningly beautiful, no wonder they had such a large male following. And with an eerie hint of ‘No doubt’ about them they paved the way to get people in the mock-up mosh pit, and start dancing. And even though it was just 4.00pm, the once dismal crowd was rammed.
‘Modeliste’ a good old favourite at ‘The Puzzle Hall Inn’ paved the way in funky vibes. A three piece funk band from the same neck of the woods, they looked perfectly comfortable in dominating the stage and grabbing everyone’s attention, and I must say the atmosphere was incredible. They played a half hour set and kept everyone entertained throughout.
Dressed in skin tight jeans, tighter vests and bright eyewear they seemed every bit the indie band, but once they played their first track ‘Hot Love’, a well known tune amongst regular Puzzle patrons, it was obvious their image is every bit an oxymoron as the location of the venue. Reminiscent of an early ‘Red Hot Chilli Peppers’ track, punters sang along as if a summer anthem.
‘Far from the dance’ had a much more unique style, their image similar to that of the ‘Motley Crew’ and a lead singer who looked suspiciously like Sid Viscous. The sound that came from them was completely different, yet again, it was almost indie based like ‘The Stone Roses’ they had an un-championed energy and an even bigger entourage.
It’s obvious that the organisers of this event were aiming at a young audience. The music was effortlessly cool, and the drinks were relatively cheap and high in alcoholic volume. However, that didn’t stop the locals of this usually quiet Inn from having a good time; some even had a dance.
‘Ten Bears’ another funk based band, had just finished their small tour of Yorkshire and popped in to do a small set, they are a Manchester based five-piece and were absolutely amazing, there wasn’t a still person in the whole place, they really know how to pull in a crowd, even though this one was quite easy to get going given our inebriated state. Their offbeat riffs and whiney vocals really made you want to dance as though nobody was watching, and that’s what we did.
As all of this action took place outside, people with a more reserved taste were welcomed inside to an acoustic set, almost like the different types of tents you would get in your conventional music festival. But after listening to indie, punk, metal and funk, who would want to sit and watch a guitar yielding whiner? Especially after all of that gin.
After all of the dancing, a well deserved beverage is always needed and this is where the disadvantage of being in a quaint pub kicked in as it took an age to get served, and when they started serving food they soon ran out of onions and cheese to add to the barbequed burgers and hotdogs. But this was the quintessential boozy feast and at £2.50 it was a steal.
My quest for a mud free, clean living and alcohol swigging festival is obviously not an un-accomplishable feat. The bands proved as good as, if not better than, those you would pay to see at a club never mind on the stage at ‘Glasto’, and the weather well, even though a stroke of luck, over exceeded my expectations of British festival season.
If this paves the way for future local events I see no reason to leave my back yard, never mind my home town.
No ill equipped porter cabins, no riotous crowds and no mud, now that’s my kind of day out. And when the temperature drastically dropped and the booze got too much for everybody, I wasn’t dreading getting into a sticky beer stained tent nor was I dreading attempting to get to sleep with the rave tent blasting right next to me.
Instead I looked forward to going home, stepping In to my PJ’s and slowly dropping off to sleep with no disruptions, well I may have had ‘Little Tremors’ in my dreams......

Zzz

Everyone dreams
I once dreamt...
I awoke.
The dream was spent
Now I live to break it.