I just wanted to quickly apologise for the lack of posts on here lately. As I run my main blog Zombies Wear Eyeliner, this one has fallen into disrepair due to my complete lack of time to organise both. My ideas to schedule posts for specific days of the week fell flat, and I seem to have lost the motivation to keep two blogs alive. However, I'm hoping the inspiration will come to me soon and I'll get back to posting on here as soon as it does. Until then, feel free to come and join me over on my main blog, as I've just posted about the Eurovision Song Contest 2013... if that doesn't get you excited, I don't know what will.
So again, I'm sorry for the absence of Band Shirts, I should be back up and running this summer. It's less than a month until I see the Pet Shop Boys at the O2 so no doubt I'll be reviewing their set and supports and so forth.
As I mentioned in my previous post, for the next 26 Tuesdays, I'll be giving you a little insight into my music library, what bands appear under every letter of the alphabet, and which of their tracks are my favourites. Of course, I don't have a band for every single letter of the alphabet just yet, but as the weeks go by, I intend on filling the gaps by finding a new band, say under the letter Z, and I'll let you know what I've discovered about them in the process.
The first week, of course, is letter A. What bands begin with A in my music library? Without further ado, here goes...
The Academy Is...
Let's not be pedantic about the 'the' in the title, shall we? The Academy Is... were the first emo-style band I discovered as a teenager, and my favourite song remains to this day - Skeptics And True Believers. Although I never really ventured into their material beyond the Almost Here album, I was quite gutted to hear they'd split, as I suppose we're all a little heartbroken when the bands who transformed us in our teenage years go their separate ways.
ACDC
Call me all the names under the sun, I'm not a massive ACDC fan. I'm afraid Angus Young's school uniform always put me off, I just can't take anyone seriously when he's wearing that.
As for my favourite track, however, I've loved Highway To Hell ever since I properly discovered ACDC through the movie Little Nicky.
AFI
Ah my beautiful boys who are making their comeback this September! AFI were a gigantic part of my teenage development, and Miss Murder became my anthem to 2006. And got me a little too attracted to Davey Havok. I forgot how good this video was!
Aiden
I'm so so glad I got to see these guys live back in the Nightmare Anatomy era, wiL Francis is one of those unstoppable artists that we'll probably still see for many many years to come, he takes his music so seriously and it shows with Die Romantic, the one song I wouldn't have lived without as a teenager, it gave me so much strength I didn't have before.
Alesana
Admittedly, I've not given these guys enough of a chance, but Congratulations, I Hate You is the kind of track I live my life by.
Alice Cooper
This is the big one! If you've seen me on Twitter, you'll know Alice Cooper is my idol, my inspiration, and most importantly, my identical twin. Problem is, I can't remember how exactly I got into his music, I just remember buying his CDs in my early teens and every one of my friends looking at me like I'd lost a marble or five. I can't describe what Alice brings to my life, this kind of confidence in how I look, listening to his music is my way of venting any degree of anger and I'm left feeling empowered yet calmer. Choosing a favourite track was a difficult task to say the least, but Hey Stoopid always appealed to me as a kid. And yes, it took me until last year to realise that the other voice singing with him was my other idol Ozzy Osbourne. I put that ignorance down to never actually expecting Ozzy and Alice to have worked together. But now I know, my life is complete.
Alkaline Trio
Anyone else who grew up on the Tony Hawks games for the PlayStation will know Alkaline Trio as if they're their best friends. Armageddon was the perfect soundtrack to aimlessly skating around and causing a video game character numerous irreparable injuries.
All Time Low
I maybe should've spent more time listening to this band, but I will soon, I'll do it For Baltimore.
Andrew WK
I've turned down so many opportunities to see this man live and I'm still kicking myself for it. While there's so many favourites to choose from, I can't dislike a single track Andrew WK makes, but the one that makes me want to party hardest is Totally Stupid, now there's actually a good reason behind this. Back when Ryan Dunn passed away, I needed some comfort in fan-made YouTube tributes to the Jackass movies, and I stumbled across this montage set to the tune of Totally Stupid, and in light of Ryan's passing, I cried watching it.
Anthrax
In a similar vein to ACDC, I wasn't greatly keen on Anthrax when I first heard them, but as you come to appreciate the eras their music has lived through, you begin to understand their style, and The Devil You Know is a good example of just how well their music can adapt into today's metal atmosphere. I'm quite gutted I missed these guys at Download 2012 now.
Asking Alexandria
I'm sure regular Kerrang! readers will be screaming at the mere mention of these guys, but their best track has to be The Final Episode (Let's Change the Channel) in my eyes.
So that was chock full of A bands! So if you were stuck for what to listen to on this (somehow sunny) Tuesday evening, I hope this post has given you something to keep you occupied!
There are uneventful weeks, and then there's this week. You might have seen from my Instagram that I've been making frequent updates on my antics on GTA San Andreas, I've been so bored. Tell you what though, I've never found standing outside a girlfriend's house so much fun, I waited there for two days and she still didn't come out. I can't think why.
So as I've had a boring week, I've returned to my old music favourites to keep me sane.
The Used - Shine
Similar to the comeback we've seen from Fall Out Boy in recent weeks, this later track shows the transformations that The Used have gone through over the years. In places, they're just as heavy as they always were, but their new album Vulnerable is so much more versatile, energetic and positive, those of us who have grown up with The Used firmly planted in our hearts welcome this optimistic approach.
You, Me and Everyone We Know - Livin' Th' Dream
If you've never heard of these guys, then you've missed out on the best of pop-punk. Imagine Andrew WK with a more revengeful, Panic At The Disco twist and you've got You, Me and Everyone We Know. They didn't last long together which isn't good because I love their style, their songs really empower you no matter what mood you're in. I even persuaded my friends to sing their song Happy Birthday to me on my 18th birthday, for some reason I liked the lyrics...
Happy birthday, you're 18, the only thing that means
Is you're old enough to strip, still too young to have a grip
On the high cost of each dollar, the impact of your father
On every shitty guy you'll date
Every piss poor decision you'll make...
Falling In Reverse - Pick Up The Phone
If Ronnie Radke phoned me, I'm pretty sure I'd pick it up. This is pure FIR, and it gets stuck in your head within seconds. If you don't want to be imagining Ronnie naked all night, don't listen to this.
Escape The Fate - Issues
Ronnie Radke's ex-band Escape The Fate, in my eyes, improved when he left, but that's only because I love Craig Mabbit's vocals with a passion akin to the fires of hell. This is one catchy anthem to teenage angst, but as you can tell from this week's playlist - angst is back in fashion.
So what have you been listening to this week, eh? Let me know in the comments!
If you're heading off to a festival this year, I hate you. Nothing personal, I'm just jealous. I went to Download festival last year, and as it was my first festival, I had no idea what to expect. Unfortunately, I'm out of funds this year, so I won't be able to rectify the things I got wrong the first time. So in sharing my regrets from last year, I hope I'll be able to help you enjoy your weekend if you're going to a festival this year you lucky bastards!
Packing
Pack light!
This is top of my list for a very, very good reason. Now, everyone that was with me at Download last year will be screaming at their screens 'HALLELUJAH, SHE'S SEEN THE LIGHT', because I ruined the entire festival because I simply didn't pack light. I'd never been away for the weekend by myself before, and I'm also the most indecisive person on this planet, so I had to take more clothes than I needed, just so I had the options available to me for the three days. I packed enough for at least a week. More's the point, I packed it all in the only case I had big enough for it all - a wheely suitcase. Not a hiking bag like all the sane people, ooooh no, that common sense is beyond me. I even had to make my then-boyfriend drag said deadweight suitcase through the mud on the way in. I apologise profusely if you're reading this. That bloody suitcase ruined the entire weekend.
Take a comb to backcomb that dirty hair, girl!
This time last year, I was using a heat wave styler to make my hair a little tousled, and the waves were so loose, they'd be lost by the end of the day anyway. So in a situation where I couldn't wash my hair, it just looked and felt disgusting by Monday morning. I'm a person that can't go a day without washing my hair, so that was half of my problem with wishing to be detached from my mop after one night in a field.
Take a megaphone!
My fondest memory of Download 2012 is waking up one morning to the sounds of Rick Astley echoing from a nearby tent. I sat right up and joined in, singing every horrendous note in my half-asleep state. Next time, I fully intend on being that tosser that wakes everyone up with the catchiest and downright most annoying tunes when they've had zero sleep anyway.
Buy an extra phone battery!
I took very few photos at Download purely because I was so scared my battery would run out when I needed it most. I never bought a backup battery because I thought they were just too expensive, but now I see they're worth their weight in gold if you actually want to remember the weekend.
Take a bigger mirror!
As you can tell by the photo, I painted my face like a different member of KISS every day, and as such the task of putting on the face paint was a nightmare in a very small compact mirror. As too was the removal of said face paint, as I discovered in the service station toilets halfway home when I noticed the big black streaks down my face that I was earlier convinced I'd wiped off.
Activities
Brush your bloody teeth!
Chewing gum might tide you by during the day, but there's nothing worse than that 'oh shit I haven't brushed my teeth since I left home' feeling. I brought a toothbrush and paste, yes, but I couldn't bring myself to use the sink troughs, the bacteria were screaming at me from a mile away.
See more bands, don't sleep in or give into pain!
We were all ridiculously achy and tired all weekend as none of us had really gone to a proper festival before. We were by no means prepared for the 2 mile walk from the car to the campsite and the mile long walk to the arena. Our feet arrived virginal and left positively hookers. But as a consequence, we missed so many amazing bands because we were just too tired, for example Corey Taylor and Ghost, the latter a decision that I still bitterly regret. Although we never had the problem of sleeping in, because we didn't get much sleep at all, we didn't leave the campsite early enough because we were simply too exhausted.
Accept that bands will overlap!
I ruined many a time at Download because I just wouldn't stop complaining that I was missing another equally good band that were playing at the exact same time. My heart was beating for You Me At Six who played on second stage while I was made to watch Metallica on main stage. On reflection, Metallica were amazing and I'm so glad I saw them live, but I should have shut my mouth and enjoyed them, which I didn't.
Buy merch!
Goddamnit this may just be one of my biggest regrets, I'm seething just thinking about it even now. I spent the entire weekend walking straight past the merch stands - I'd decided what I wanted, but I thought to myself 'nah, I'll get it tomorrow'. Alas, I never did. And now I'm severely regretting not just taking the plunge because I was simply too busy/tired/wanting to save my money in case I needed food the next day.
Go out at night!
Another big regret was that we were just too tired to do anything in the evenings. We were so close to the village that we heard everyone going out at night, enjoying the funfair and coming back at 5am bellowing 'FENTOOOON', but we really missed out on a good environment at night because we missed the comfort of sitting on our fat arses.
Most of all... enjoy the ride!
On the way up to Derby, I was so tired and scared of the quagmire we were about to face that I completely forgot to enjoy the ride. It was a 4 hour journey and it was the furthest north I've ever been, so I really should've paid more attention. Although I will say I enjoyed the last hour of the journey because we were lost on our way to Donington so I became the resident navigator wielding an A to Z. Which surprised me considering I lose my bearing the minute I leave a shop.
Not only should I have enjoyed the journey there, but the (seemingly endless) journey from the car to the campsite, from the campsite to the arena - every single step. I took too much for granted.
One thing I don't regret?
Buying this baby from Poundland. This torch/glowstick was invaluable to us, from taking muddy wellies off at night to finding our elusive mobile phones in the pitch black. So if you're heading off to a festival this year, buy one of these, you will not regret it.
So my questions to you are - are you going to a festival this year? Who are you most excited to see? Or if you've been to a festival before, what was your biggest regret?
I'm so sorry I forgot to get a Playlist For The Week done last week, I chose Sunday as the day to start (and finish!) an essay, and this post completely slipped my mind. I'm sure we've all felt that kind of void when all your work is done, you just don't quite know where to put yourself. For me, the hardest decision has been what side of the sofa to sit on.
Sadly, this post is not exhilarating, as I've been listening to the entirety of Fall Out Boy's new album all week, I've not been very varied in my listening, so apologies for the following four tracks. But if you've never heard them before, perhaps this is a chance to discover something new!
Fall Out Boy - Alone Together
As I mentioned in my post yesterday, this is one of my favourite songs from the new album. It's certainly my most played, anyway. It's catchy, it's summery, but it's in-keeping with FOB's old style to a degree. It has to be heard to be believed really, but I can see this becoming a good summer anthem.
Forever The Sickest Kids - The Way She Moves.
Okay, this is a very corny song. FTSK are quite corny in general but I just love them, when I can't be bothered with songs with super deep meanings, when I just need a bit of optimism, I reach for their tracks and I instantly find myself in a great mood.
Vains Of Jenna - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.
One of my favourite Elton John covers, Vains Of Jenna are actually fantastic. Ever since they appeared on Bam's Unholy Union, I fell in love. This cover is very similar to the original, with a slight alteration in the mood of the vocals, it's a bit more revengeful and glam. Of course, this Elton phase has been brought on by his astounding contribution on Fall Out Boy's new album, so if you haven't heard that already, then here it is...
Fall Out Boy - Save Rock And Roll feat. Elton John.
I won't ramble about this because I've already given you an ear-bashing about it in my post yesterday, but this could very soon become my favourite Fall Out Boy song.
So that's what I've been listening to this week, apologies again for the boring playlist, what have you been listening to?
