Shows

I have seen people talk about how hard it is for new people to feel welcome into a music scene. Some people usually are thinking about what are the reasons that this person is here. Sometime negative reasons come out first, sometimes it's positive.

I am slowly become part of the Hardcore scene in Malmö. Facebook and Google have been helpful in finding out about shows but by going to shows I have found more about the scene and people here. I am the outsider, this guy from Ireland but the sense of community is unreal. I feel welcomed.

First show I went to was the Social Circkle show in Utkanten. That venue is amazing. It was a really good gig and although the turn out was around 50 people (maybe a few more) they made it better by taking the equipment off the stage and playing on the floor.

Check out Pretty Whores and Commitment Crew. Social Circkle don't have a myspace but you can check them out here: http://www.nowayrecords.com/ 

Unfortunately at the next gig I was at in Utkanten, We Live in Trenches had to pull out, which is a shame

because I was really looking forward to seeing them live.

Skitkids (skit is kinda sounds like quit when pronounced, it mean shit) and Symptom put on a great show regardless. The turnout was really good for this show and included a good variety of people, it'd be nice to see that variety at home sometimes.

From that show I got talking to a few people that have been able to tell me about whats going on and where. Because of that there would have been no way I would have found out about the Punx Only show. This is in a Tattoo Studio that the lead singer of Sista Sekunden works in/owns(I'm not sure if he owns it). The place is tiny. With 50 people the place would be jammed I think there was closer to 80! It was amazing. All the bands were so good, Sista Sekunden have so much energy and a great presence. I was wondering how could anyone follow them but Beyond Pink have the skill to take a crowd for themselves. They don't take any prisoners.

Following Beyond Pink was Big Hands. I had been drinking with the guitarist/vocalist and the bassist for a good part of the night, the guitarist had been drunk since Wednesday. By the time the were playing I was also pretty drunk. Big Hands were awesome as far as I remember (swedish beer is working to destroy my short term memory).

This week I had my first out of town show. Considering that Sweden is huge, out of town shows will probably be more often than in Ireland. So far I'm not sure if Hardcore shows follow the same town playing format as in Ireland, for example if

Stockholm = Dublin then

Gothenburg would = Galway and

Malmö would = Cork and maybe

Uppsala might = Belfast BUT

there's Jönköping, Linköping and Norrköping, in theory they could be Westmeath/Carlow but seem to be much more active than Carlow. I will be going to see Ruiner in Jönköping instead of Gothenburg for two reasons, I'm flying back from Ireland that day and Jönköping is better apparently. Now as far as I can tell Malmö Hardcore and Jönköping Hardcore seems to be the most active but I haven't really got a good gauge on it because this week was my first and second out of town shows.

This was also the first time I was in Lund on purpose.  It's a University town and is pretty close to Malmö, kinda like Maynooth is to Dublin. The town that I briefly saw is really picturesque.

Hemgården is a youth centre that has a venue (small venue,  80 people comfortably full) computer access, a cafe and I have been told a recording studio. It's a great set up. This gig was free but you could donate to help the bands out.

This was an EP launch for Jönköping/Malmö Big Deal and to start a two week euro tour. Vicious band. Values, another band from Jönköping. I had been hanging out with the singers from both bands the week before and both of them took me by surprise when they hit the stage. I can't wait to see both of these bands again. I was really happy at this gig as well because Malmös Beyond Pink had been added to this show, they really know how to have fun on stage and enjoy playing. The also did an awesome cover of What's my age again.

The second gig again was in Lund and in Hemgården. I had gotten to it late because I had gotten a lift to Hemgården (community) for the Big Deal/Values show and had gotten the bus for this show. I had no idea where I was going. So unfortunately I miss the first two bands and only got the last few songs of Balance's set. I really wanted to see Balance, so a bit pissed I missed their the start of their set. They are now on a four day tour with Hårda Tider who also played this show. Hårder Tider are an amazing band, the singer gave me the lift to Lund for the previous show and again completely blown away once he hit the stage. Vicious band that just destroy all in their way. Also this gig had the diversity that the Skitkids gig had, many of them left after Hårda Tider though. Shame.

Pressure were the last band for the night. I was told that Broken Distance and Critical Point pretty much had the same 7 guys playing whichever instruments for each band. Good since they all from Faro, Portugal and on tour. The only configuration I saw was Pressure, who had some good tunes but the in between song chat of saying loads but saying nothing, for me was their downfall.

Again thanks to that community aspect, the singer-guitarist of the Pretty Whores gave me a lift back to Malmö, via another gig, Deportees from the great heights of Umeå are great musicians, soulless songs though. They looked like they had feeling but there was no feeling, everything that they played went in one ear and straight back out.

I'm in Ireland next weekend and I can not wait for this! See you there.

Meh

Meh has become a key word over the last few months. My sister uses it to answer questions. Generally when she is being asked what her thoughts are on anything. It's pretty much how I feel today. Didn't really want to do anything today. Haven't done anything. I could have gotten the Flu Vaccine today, decided against it. A friend got it yesterday and has spent all day today sick, not into being sick even if it is only a small side effect. I haven't had a flu vaccine before so I think i'll keep it that way.

Today wasn't all unproductive, I did try to get my network to have open NAT settings. I have a strange set up. I have a usb dongle from Telenor to connect to the internet, I also have a Phillips router that is connected to my mac by ethernet. My internet is shared from the usb connection to ethernet, so then my Xbox can connect to Xbox Live and Connect360 which is a great program, if you have a Mac and a Xbox get that program. But although I have all the settings correct it still has Moderate NAT settings. the routers homepage hasn't got an option for "Open, Moderate, Strict" NAT settings. It's annoying but I can connect to Xbox Live so that'll do for the moment.

I am trying to not spend all my time playing Xbox though cause I do need to get a job. I got another "Thanks for your application but we're going with someone else" email today. Nice of them. So far they have been the second company that has replied to my application. I need a job because I'm getting really bored of looking for jobs. The Google translate translations aren't as funny as they were. Handing out CV's is ok, I'm guessing my complete lack of Swedish is what is holding me back, or my previous work experience sucks.

I have been granted an exemption for the entrance requirements for the computer programming course I applied for in September. So I'm guessing I nearly have my place in the course which I should have anyway cause the course is done online. Waiting. Always waiting. I have Wine installed on my computer so I can run windows programs on my Mac however it may have not been properly installed the first time, maybe because I lost patience with it the last time. The Wine package comes with various Windows software which it is installing (for the last 4 hours) the ones that I have selected from the list. Some may come in handy for my college course. I have been messing around with my Mac, in between hunting jobs, for example installed Ubuntu Linux on a partition and on a spare external hard drive. Neither seems optimal so reinstalled Snow Leopard. Unfortunately there seems to be something wrong with the external hard drive that I was using because now it tends to freeze when in use. There's nothing on it but it won't format properly either. I might have to put it back into Cinderella (my old PC) and try from that side.

I really need to play drums. I have the snare from my practice kit in my room. The rest of the kit is in storage down in the basement. I forgot to bring the muffle skin for the bass drum so it's not going to work well in an apartment. Hopefully will get something going band wise. Would be great to just play a kit for a bit. Guitar Hero world tour just doesn't cut it. I've been to a few gigs here which have been good. The venue that they put shows on is awesome. It's in a building which is in an Industrial estate. They call it Utkanten, which kinda means outskirts. It's a gig venue and has gym equipment and computer stuff and a bicycle repair workshop and a kitchen. It's a DIY activity centre. Check out it's page and if you can't read Swedish go to Google translate.

Day 10 of Novembeard. Not as itchy as other have been complaining about. I wish I wasn't cockeyed sometimes.












Meh.

SNOW

It just started snowing! I fucking love snow! Strange though cause I was told it probably wouldn't snow here that much cause it's so south. Don't care. Probably going to have the same battle as at home of "is it going to stick?" at least for this week anyway!

I got my right of residence the other day so, now I can be put on the waiting list for the free Swedish for Immigrants course that I want to do. I was told I'll be waiting till January. Not good.

I might try the adult education place down the road and see if I can get a course there. I need to get a job and I think it'll be hard without any Swedish. Hopefully the places I applied in Copenhagen don't mind an English speaker, but then I might have to learn Danish!

I applied for a computer programming course that is due to start in January and it's now in it's preliminary evaluation of my application so thats looking good I think.

And Novembeard/Christashmas has begun, it's day 4. I should smile.