balti-pie

This is the thing about military training - its designed to turn people into ruthless, thoughtless killers, who do as they're told and don't have any empathy in case that effects their ability to carry out their orders. Good soldiers don't make for good people, because the point of their training is exactly that. We can't then be surprised when people leave the military and are massive unthinking unfeeling arseholes. A mate of mine joined the navy a few years back, and he said pretty early on in basic training there's a fair bit of indoctrination towards 'others' - gypsies, minorities, asylum seekers - as not contributing, not really being part of society. That kind of ideology stands out to me, as a pretty leftist 'love all' type, but it's at odds with my already formed societal suppositions. If they're taking on board young 18yr olds, and filling their heads with all sorts of 'different isn't good, don't feel bad about sinking a bullet into them' ideas, then well . . . that's just hideous.

No, because Dead kennedys - california uber alles exists.

Nothing controversial about that whatsoever, thats music 101 as far as im concerned 👍

thats an extremely good reason! she was nice but not 'convert your whole sexuality' nice 😄

This isnt anything to do with anything really, but my old flatmate at University shagged three members of Menswear, which almost unbelievably didnt involve the lead singer. She was a strange girl.

i have, but i have a knobhead mate who knows it annoys me. Its become a self-perpetuating circle of hell and i'll only realistically break it by killing him. OR snapping his guitar strings . . .

initially i'm broadly in agreement, and i'd like one of the most important parts of your thesis to feature annoying gonks on guitars at parties playing 'wonderwall'. And while Weller is the obvious one to blame for Wellend haircuts, we can DEFINITELY blame britpop for the inexplicable resurgence of mop-headed Wellends over the last 25 years or so.

i did what i had always planned to do when the lineup/clashes came out, which was to catch the first 5-6 songs of Radiohead and then head up to the Park for the Flaming Lips with a nice fresh pint or two - there were a fair few people doing the same, walking past an irate woman shouting at her boyfriend pointing at the stage with Radiohead yelling 'two bloody hours of this, Matthew?' which never fails to tickle me, and still gets used by me to punctuate long boring things 😄 flaming lips were ace, but ive seen them perhaps ten times so i know what to expect - and bringing first timers to see em is a great thing!

i bloody love the Flaming Lips. And i like that at this point of their career, they really can do absolutely anything they fancy and itll be a) released b) at the very least, be interesting. I really liked the Kings Mouth album, its not as radio friendly as Soft Bulletin or Yoshimi (very obviously!) but there's no other band i can think of that just bung their ideas out so fully formed and fleshed out. Quite literally embedded in gummi skulls!

they're a lot of fun live. I think you could go straight in and enjoy it without a doubt, but having an idea about favourite songs ahead of time would be a great thing too. I gave 'come play the trees' a real good listen before seeing them, but for some reason i havnt had a bash of the latest album - might rectify that today. Quietly tempted to get over for that gig too, i'll hit you up if i do, i'm sure i owe you at least one pint for your ticket malarkey!

i dont mind Arcade Fire, they seem alright enough, they just remind me of Flaming Lips without all the ridiculousness - and let me ask you, what is the point of less ridiculous? i want MORE ridiculous.

Amon Amarth didnt get good until their seventh album (twilight of the thunder god), but heavy bands get a bit more creative leeway and time to develop themselves i reckon.

nine! my next will be my tenth, so officially grizzled glasto vet status, with the ability to stand on any corner i choose and bore the people around me with tales about how it just isnt as good as it used to be . . .

if the Earache mob are running a stage again (and i hope they are, cos its my favourite bit of the festival) then try and send them some info - im sure youre familiar with Earache records! they put some stuff on the Truth stage, and they have their own stage too - the timings were quite idiosyncratic last time, bands starting at 3 and 4am - its great for us night owls who dont like dance music . . . .

namedropping time - i had a chat to Gary Numan outside at a Rammstein gig a few years back. He is a really lovely fella. I know thats not anything to do with anything really, but i do like reporting good things!

first went in 2005, been every year since apart from the following: 2007 - went to Thailand, couldnt afford both 2011 - best man at my mate's wedding in the caribbean, again couldnt afford both 2013 - went to SE asia, couldnt afford both 2015 - my mam's 60th birthday so since then, i've vowed to myself (and my mam, sorry Mam, but your birthday has to be a moveable feast!) that ill go whenever i can, and just try and sort the money out because watching on tv is a hideous torture. I worked for Oxfam last festival, and while i do another event for them in the same year, i get priority and can come back yearly guaranteed. Its a lovely little number with camping/parking/showers/passes, just for three shifts over the five days, so thats always going to be there as long as i maintain it - theres parts of it thats better than being a standard ticket bod!

After years - probably decades - of thinking that id probably like Type O if i gave em a bash, about six months ago i gave them that much-promised bash and i absolutely love them - you're 100% right in that theyre hilarious and truly great 👍

dumb fun. Happily saw them once, cant imagine ever really needing to see them again

Just about to split up with my girlfriend of nine months, so feel a bit shit. But yknow, if you dont love someone, then you shouldnt take up any more of their time - thats how i feel about it. I suspect she'll not be too happy but i dont want to lead her on. So i feel like im simultaneously a terrible arsehole, and someone doing the right thing.

i got my first speeding ticket in the last month, too. Been driving for 15 years, am a resolutely slow driver and stickler for the speed limits, and am kind of amazed that i got one - but there we are, i've got one. If i'm getting tickets, when i'm fussy about doing decent speeds, then i can only think there's something wrong with the bit i got zapped in! Ridiculous, but there we are. I'll take me awareness course and thatll be that.

yes! that, followed by the Dead Kennedys at the Truth stage, made for a fantastic night

if youre putting one up by yourself, then the popup ones are absolutely magic for this; no pissing around with poles and impossible little lines to put them in, its just peg down the back - pump up the poles - and wallop, you're sorted. They're absolutely great things.

that gif (which is one of my very favourites) is him grooving to some Rihanna, no? i can definitely see him giving it to the lass. Sign her up on a lucrative, late-career short contract, and hope for more Djorkaeff style and less Mario Jardel from her