Rock. And Roll. And everything in between.

We are very good parents, in that we gave our son a good private school education, a chance to go toUni and live in the halls of residence, and we encouraged a great love of music, we bought him a guitar and an amp and then a bigger amp and a subscription to "Guitar Monthly" magazine, some strings, guitar picks and let him listen to all our old vinyl and taught him his New York Dolls from his Iggy, his Bowie from his Mott the Hoople and a whole lot in between.

Well yesterday he taught us a little bit about rock. 

Which brings me to be sitting here, with a bit of Slayer playing in the background, typing this and thinking what a funny world we live in.

For Christmas we bought Curt and Fin tickets to Big Day Out - Fin got sick and couldn't go (but we all went anyway), and they both wanted to go to Soundwave, so I duly bought us all tickets for that too.  Well, I had to supervise, didn't I???

What a totally awesome, fantastic, rocking day!!!!  I really thought there is no way I would enjoy any of that shit, but hey, I will go and have a look, having one band that I really wanted to see (which Curt had introduced me to) but I really wasn't interested in much else.  Funny how forking out nearly $700 can make you a bit keener to get value for money, so I started researching some of the bands that were playing - and I don't profess to be a total metal head although I do love my music loud and thumping.  So next thing I am downloading Slayer and the guy from Slipknots new band and before I know it, I am humming "Reign of Blood" or whatever it is called and playing air guitar on the vaccuum cleaner.

Anyway, Festival Day dawns and we take a very cool, old person approach and rock up later in the afternoon, but as soon as I set foot through the door the old heart rate inched up a bracket.  What is it about loud pumping music that makes your insides churn and your normal reserved demeanour fly out the window???  We held it together nicely in the big stadium watching some rather cool bands (mr red haired ranger man from Stone Sour I think you are just fucking marvellous) but take me to a small, sweaty, intimate stage and leave me there, because I forget I am forty, I forget I have a job and a mortgage and I forget that I have any kind of responsibility at all except for ENJOYING the music put before me - and I let the whole experience engulf me and I become someone else.  Fuck knows who, I just forget everything and it is one of the most bloody awesomely marvellous experiences you can have.  So that's just a band that are good and I don't know.  But I have to say, I died and went to heaven when my FAVOURITE band Coheed and Cambria finally got their shit together to play a few tunes, and when I realised they were playing Gravemakers and Gunslingers I suppose it was the music equivalent to an orgasm.  But then they played A Favour House Atlantic.  And then Welcome Home.  I could have just died happy then.  Fearfully awesome, me, forty years old, yelling the words, dancing away and grinning like a great fecking eejit.  Fuck it was MAGIC!!!  Seriously, I had a forty minute smile on my face, reminiscant of someone not quite right in the head. 

But there were other highlights.  Gang of Four.  Old dudes from England that John remembered from our days hanging around punks in Belfast - and I thought they would be shite.  They rocked!!!  In fact, we had planned to leave after 2 songs  but stayed for about six, we were entranced.  Anberlin rocked us.  Murderdolls rolled us.  Slash played Paradise City.  Someone else did a cover of Billy Idols White Wedding.  Bullet for My Valentine did Advance Australia Fair.  It was just good times.  We finished off with a serving of Iron Maiden - who doesn't love The Number of The Beast?   Although I always thought it was "Whoa to you oh Earth"....when it is really "Woe to you oh Earth"....slight difference..  Whoa is wayyyyyy better!!!!!

Came to work Monday morning smiling like someone not quite wise, wanting to tell eveyrone and anyone about our marvellous experience in various moshpits....still grinning like someone let out for the day.  Love my music.  Totally love it!!!!!