Welcome Home

On Friday morning we got into town about 6:30 in the morning. We were lucky and got the emergency exit seat, so some room to stretch the leg. I noticed though there was more space in the first class area, they could have upgraded us to there, then we would have been really lucky!

An easy flight though, we had some storms as we left Bangkok, but we got flying and came into the airport on time. We are now going to spend a week in Sydney, staying with my Grandma, to keep things on "holiday mode". No point in going back to work immediately, I also saw on the weather yesterday, it was -5 in Canberra. That would be a bit too much of a shock to the system.

It was very cold when we arrived back in Sydney. Cold and freezing, holding nothing. We got the train, which is the biggest rip off in the world. Why pay $15 for the same train, that takes you to Campbelltown or wherever else. By the time we got in it was peak hour, so there's no space to sit down. What a deal.

It was nice to get back to Grandma's and get a good rest. It was my birthday on Friday so we caught up with some friends and got a mean steak at the Landsdowne. The next day we went to "Bastardfest" at the Sando in Newtown. We saw Ignite The Ibex, they were on first up. I put a link to a story I did about them in BMA last year.

They were good, with a pretty strong response for the 1pm timeslot. We went for a bit of a walk and caught up with our friends Viv and Bret. We will stay with them a while once we get back to Canberra. Hopefully by that time, the weather will have warmed up a bit.

We got some mexican for lunch, and had a dessert in a bookshop/cafe. By the time we got back to the Sando, Bane of Isildur were playing. They sounded alright. They were your typical warpaint wearing metal gurus.

My friend Paddy told me later on he had been sitting in the back room while these guys were getting their faces on, and old Kelly, the sometimes 4th guitar player of I Exist, sometimes Blunt Magazine guy, was playing some Grinspoon songs on the acouy. I said the best part would have been if while the blokes were putting their paint on they started singing along....since since, since since you went away, I hope you had a better day. Tried to call round the other day, instead I had a go kart. Go Kart.

I Exist were next up, playing on the smaller stage where we had seen Ignite The Ibex earlier on. I linked to an article I did with them in BMA a while ago too. They had a good showing as it's not so often they play at purely "metal" shows, even though they have a very metal sound. Although Extortion were also on the bill. This fest, Bastardfest was probably the closest thing in the last few years to the great Metal For The Brain events, which were always a real highlight of the year.

There was certainly a similar amount of sweaty long haired blokes, and I think the scent of all these packed like sardines into a room, was probably not good for my health. Remembering that I was in hospital just one week before, I was feeling not so great, so decided to give a miss to the rest of the evening. We had paid good money, but the main bands I wanted to see had already played, so why not just go home. Most of the other bands I had seen before anyhow.

So now we are here in Sydney. We have bought a weekly ticket, so we might as well stay around for a week. We had a nice walk today, through the gully behind Grandma's house, down to the Gore Creek reserve which eventually flows into the harbour. This was a good test for my ankle, and I think a success, so we would be able to do some more walks throughout the week.

So far from home, with the sound of the waves crashing below me

Break Even, one of my definite favourite bands of the last few years, have put up a new song from their next album. It's a bit of a different sound, and from the self proclaimed experts on hardcore I talked to last night, they are disappointed in what they're hearing.

Personally I love the new sound I'm hearing, but after listening to the song over and over again on repeat, I don't think the sound is particularly removed from The Bright Side. Particularly the song "October 27th". If you were to replace the lines "so far from home", with that refrain of "shine bright, baby shine bright", in all honesty it's not that far off.

I hear a lot of people saying it has too much of a "Triple J rock" sound and that they expected Break Even to go heavier. I'm not sure if it's because I read an interview in the new issue of No Heroes that predicted a bit of change and the possibility of disappointment, however after Young At Heart, Break Even's work I guess had more of a punk sound, rather than a Miles Away-lite sound that they were renowned for on their earlier works.

I don't really think it sounds like bands like The Butterfly Effect or Karnivool, if this was the "triple j rock" sound people were describing. I have enjoyed the new song "Hells Gates" and can't wait to hear some more tracks. Maybe tomorrow, when Break Even play alongside 4 Dead and I Exist...seriously, what a lineup.

Straya in a week

It's getting close to the time where I pack it in from Australia for a fairly extended period. A while ago, I got a Jetstar credit card, which entitled me to a free one way flight within Australia. I connected some deals, and had myself a bit of a tour around Australia, a whirlwind one at that but the basic plan was:

Canberra>Sydney>Hobart>Melbourne>Canberra>Sydney>Hamilton Island>Airlie Beach>Brisbane>Sydney>Canberra.

I think it was maybe 9 days in total I took off for that, but it was a pretty good time all around. Pretty well everywhere I had been before, but they were just places I had a good time in, but wanted to visit again.

My trip kicked off with a bus trip, then I met my friend Kelly for beers in Sydney. I had an early flight so I couldn't have a real rager.

I was up pretty early, I decided to cut down on costs and walk to the airport. I was already staying in the city, and it's only 6km to the airport, a distance I regularly walk. Though my 6km track normally takes me along the bottom of Mt Ainslie, my main companions being kangaroos...this trip took me through the highlights of Redfern...

No troubles though, and I got to the airport and straight on the plane. It wasn't too long and I was contemplating walking to the airport in Hobart. There was a big ad saying YHA members got half price on the bus, so I jumped on that opportunity.

I went in to the YHA. It is a very quiet season, so there was actually nobody there when I went. I headed down the road and got some lunch, then wandered a bit more, and end up playing footbag for about an hour down by the wharf. Once I came back there was someone to check me in, and I pretty well had the entire place to myself.

I was doing Sticky's Target 168 Challenge and that day was the last day to do it. At that stage I hadn't started, so I got a wriggle on, printed off some pictures and headed for Officeworks. Except I walked about 3km in the wrong direction...

The cutting, pasting, folding, sending process took a bit longer than I expected, and entries need to be at the Post Office by 5pm. At 4:59pm I had my postmark, I was in business, I had the night to explore.

The first thing I wanted to check if the TV worked. This is not really something I would normally do, I don't even have a working TV at home. However, the Raiders had a rare channel nine appearance, which was being shown on delay at midnight.

After checking that I headed down to the wharf where I had been kicking earlier. I was meeting with Jeremy, another Footbag player as well as his girlfriend. I first met Jeremy back in 2002, when we had a "NSW Championships" at Homebake. Radio Birdman played that too, it was a pretty awesome day actually.

Anyway, I met him for a beer. We started at a trendy bar which was not really our scene at all, so we quickly moved on from there. For dinner we stopped by a fish and chips place, which was not really better or worse than most other fish and chip places, nothing to write home about.

We headed to another bar a few blocks back from the wharf, where another friend of his was having a farewell do. They also sold pints of Bluetongue for $5. I was sold on that.

I got talking to a guy in a Lagwagon shirt who was pretty excited about the Propagandhi show that night. I admitted that I had kinda come to Hobart for that, but I didn't buy a ticket. Maaaaatttttteee was his original reaction, he was some kind of tradie, I think a plumber. We got talking about punk rock and adventures and after a few more Bluetongues we walked up to the show together. I didn't really have a plan, but he told me there was a front bar and I guessed I would be at least able to hear from there, and I was going to see them in Canberra a few days later anyway.

So we wandered up to this bar, The Brisbane Hotel in Hobart. It was a pretty good pub actually, I liked it, if I was back in Hobart I'd probably pop in there for a few pints, maybe a few less than I had that night.

When it came time for Propagandhi to take the stage, I had myself a nice perch, just outside the band room, but in direct line of sight and hearing of the band. I had no troubles in watching, and midway through the set they just opened up the doors. So that all worked itself out very well.

The show finished just before midnight, so I dashed back to the hostel to catch the Raiders match, where they finally won a game. That was great to see, I was yelling and screaming as if I was at the match, but from the comfort of a nice bed.

The next day I woke up with a fairly severe hangover. I had agreed to have a kick with Jeremy and Lotus, another veteran of Australian footbag. The play and busk at Salamanca Markets every Saturday.

We played for a few hours, and had some people interested in the kicking but the guys said they usually do better. I hit some good tricks, but struggled to keep up the fitness levels. This can be heavily attributed to the large number of pints of Cascade Pale Ale the evening before.

We had a quick beer after the kick, but I definitely wasn't in the mood for anymore, or even so much for the first one. By the water the day before I had seen something about riding a bike to MONA, the Museum of Old and New Art. So I decided to do that. The guy gave me a bit of a weird look and told me I would be only able to go one way.

It was about a 15km ride, mainly flat, though I did take a ride over the Tasman Bridge (oops). This was a good opportunity to see a little bit more of Hobart, as the ride to the gallery in itself is not really all that interesting (mainly flat through industrial areas and suburbia).

I got to MONA about an hour and a half before closing time. Obviously this wasn't going to be enough time to see everything, but even the setup there is impressive. The basic concept is that it a super rich guy's own private museum, so he can show anything he wants. There are some things that are a bit, I guess you might say eye-opening, but the big thing is the variety, and the quality of the content.

There are no displays on the walls, so you use an IPhone like device to navigate your way around, and there are a few different options about what you want to read. To go into the museum you actually descend into a giant staircase, the building is actually carved into the cliff.

To come back, I jumped on the ferry. I only had a t-shirt on, but I really wasn't too cold. I had another early flight, so it was time to take it easy. I just grabbed a pizza for dinner, then had an early night.

Next stop was Melbourne, I was there by about 10am the next day. After my feats of walking in Sydney, I was thinking about a repeat. After consulting Google maps I realised I wouldn't have to walk down the motorway, so there must be a chance for me to get into the city.

I could see the city a long way off in the distance, but the weather was not looking up. After walking for a fair while, I had reached Airport West, and the clouds opened up. Time to seek an alternative, a tram came by soon after and it was definitely the right move to get on that.

I stayed with my friend Chris, who I went to school with. Since my first visit back in 2005 when I came down for Nationals, I have stayed with him a huge number of times. So many that his pet bird actually treats me as if I live there.

I didn't really have too much planned for my stay in Melbourne, it was more of just a transition to get me to the next place. The first night I think we played a whole heap of NBA Jam on the PS3, that was a lot of fun, we were both right into it and improved a lot over the course of the night.

The next day I got to catch up with a few friends, but it was all pretty low key, and I was home by midnight. It wouldn't be too long til I would be visiting Melbourne again, so it wasn't a big deal. Thinking of it now, we spent a lot of the night playing darts. Old men...

Tuesday was my day to leave and I left the apartment with my bag packed, thinking there was a good chance I was going to walk to the airport. My first stop was the Vic Markets to get myself a couple of bargain Borek, then I had a walk through Carlton and Fitzroy, checking out some bookstores. I didn't really want to carry anything more, so I didn't but any books. I continued along my way up through North Fitzroy, then I decided to follow the Merri Creek trail for a while. This trail starts at Dights Falls, where I actually used to spend a bit of time when I lived in Melbourne, that was some moons ago now too.

Once I got to Coburg I got off the trail and started making my across. And across, and across. All up I think I walked for about 30km, but I got to the airport, and my flight hadn't left yet, and I hadn't paid any money to get there.

I saw a couple of friends in the queue at the airport which got things going a bit faster. The Tiger flight was changed to a 6:15 takeoff instead of 5:45. I think when they're not running too late, they just change the time, rather than admitting they are late. The rest of the boards flashed up "cancelled", "delayed" so it was good to get on the plane.

It was just after the last bus, so I took a taxi into the city. Met my dear wife for some dinner, left my bag at work and wandered over to the Propagandhi show.

I Exist were on first and I hadn't seen them for ages, they were in great form, with their new album just about to come out. The long walk was taking its toll on me though, I spent a lot of the night having a strong desire to sit down somewhere. Propagandhi were great again, funnily enough I was probably further away from the action than I was at the Hobart show!

The next day we were up early, more travels were on the way. By the end of the day we would be kicking back in Airlie Beach, but there was a lot to do before getting there. First we had to drive to Sydney. We parked at Kelly's place then took a taxi to the airport, ate some food and jumped on the plane to Hamilton Island. I was glad to notice that things were running smoothly with the flights, booking a whole heap of cheap ones can lead to disaster when things go wrong. There were a number of crying babies and annoying kids on the flight, but it wasn't too big a deal.

Once we got to Hamilton Island, we just had to wait a short while, then we were on a ferry into the town of Airlie Beach itself. I spent about 6 weeks working up there over Christmas/New Year at the end of 09, so it was good to go back there in a non-work capacity.

The Origin was on that night. I was first looking for a place to watch it, but after having a good time watching the game by myself on the previous occasion, I thought that sounded pretty good, so we got some beer and I turned it on in the room. The Blues went down, but only just, a typical Queensland late minute Billy Slater try sealing the deal.

The next day we were off on Ocean Rafting. We had done this before when we were both up there, so we knew what to expect, but it was still a lot of fun.

Hill Inlet Lookout, with Whitehaven Beach in the background. Below is a picture of us on a previous visit...

On Ocean Rafting you get to snorkel, have a good feed, take a bushwalk on Whitsunday Island, then hang out on the beach for a while. We took the south trip, though I think the north trip is better, as you get a second snorkel instead of staying at the beach longer.

It was a fairly quiet night that night we returned to the Down Under Bar, who had a good deal involving a pint of beer and a steak for $10, can barely go past that, then we just hung around the hostel. Before dinner I did play some footbag, and had some good runs. I had returned to my little spot by the lagoon where I put in a lot of hours, and an incredible amount of sweat over those six weeks I was staying in Airlie Beach.

From Airlie we took a bus to Proserpine, and we were accompanied by these most annoying of American girls. Just shut up, hey. It was a pleasure to get off the bus and not hear them anymore.

We had a while to wait for the flight, so I was going through my routine a bit, it was starting to come together a bit more. The Proserpine airport is one of the worst, and it was actually under renovation, so only half the things there were available.

I had a window seat for a great view over the coastline. Last time I flew, the guy sitting in the window seat was snoring away instead of admiring the view.

Brisbane was the next stop, we took a fairly long walk around the city, and we came across a freestyle football player in the Gardens near QUT. Francisca noticed him, and she said to me "I saw that guy taking his pants off, he must be a footbag player or something". Luckily he was not some kind of weird pervert, and we had a kick of the ball. I have a lot to learn in freestyle football, but I have a few tricks up my sleeve.

That night we went and saw Fires Of Waco, who were playing a free show at Fat Louie's. I also got to meet Crispy, who made the Rock'n'Raider zine, one of my favourites ever. We've been talking online for about 4 years so it was good to meet him. The worst thing about that venue though, was these crazy queues for beer. I was pretty keen to have a bit of a loose night, but the idea of the queue just really put a dampener on that one.

The trip was coming to a close, with just a couple more days remaining. The next day my friend Josh cooked up a storm, we went over to his new place, it's pretty awesome, but a bit close to the train line. They invited us to a party later on, and I have been to Brisbane so many times, that I knew most of the people at the party too.

The next day we finally had a flight delay, it had to be on the last one didn't it....but we got back to Sydney, then from there it was a long drive home back to Canberra, then back to work the next day.

One from the vault

Julian just posted up the long lost Condorcet cover of the Slowburn "classic" Take A Swing.

I decided I should put up the interview that I did with Sean, who also played in Condorcet, and now plays in Loveshy.

Most of the other guys who were in Slowburn play in I Exist, who you can scroll down the page slightly to see the interview I did with them a couple of weeks ago.

(I changed some stuff in the questions like "this year" became "last year"-sean)

1) To start with, who's in the band and what do they play
Aaron Drums, Sean and Sam guitar, Dave sings, Petey plays bass.

2) Slowburn has played with some really big name acts throughout last year (eg Terror, Mindsnare, Internal Affairs etc). Has there been a particular highlight in the Slowburn live experience?
Sean: For me our set with Miles Away at The Jamo was a favorite. I think mainly due to the atmosphere, for some reason all the lights were off so we were playing in almost darkness. Multiple circle pits and kids screaming along. I also really like playing house shows and sweating a whole lot during them.


3) When you changed the name from Top Gun to Slowburn, did this reflect a change in the original objectives of the band, to more of a serious project
Sean: The idea at the start was to play really short and fast youth crew inspired music. We had maybe 3 songs of that sort of stuff done pretty poorly. After that we branched out a bit I think while still playing hardcore. The name Top Gun was just a sort of silly name that Dave came up with as we needed a band name. We were getting sick of the whole top gun "omg like the movie?" thing so we changed it. I think we have always been a serious project, it's just that we wanted to change the name.


4) Your fan base has grown strongly in Canberra, and you have played a few shows outside Canberra... how have you been received being an "out of town band" when playing these shows
Sean:We haven't really played many shows at all out side of Canberra. Our first show in Sydney was a bit crap I remember. However the out of town show's we have played so far this year in Melbourne and Sydney have been much better. I think when your playing to people who don't know you it's kind of exciting and you just run yourself dead onstage maybe make an impression. Playing down the south coast is lots of fun to, it's pretty much an extended Canberra scene down there.

5) So you've recorded some songs for an EP...how is it sounding and what are the plans for its release?
Sean:It sounds really good to me. I really really like all of the songs on it, and it's pretty diverse. We did rough recordings of the songs before hand and I wasn't so siked on some of them, but after recording them properly they have come out sounding so big. Recording in a real studio is a new thing to us so it was kind of strange to us at first but the lady who recorded us was super at her job and put us at ease. Not sure exactly when it's going to be released but hopefully soon, it's all a matter of money and we are all really poor.



Here is the video to the song Sleepwalker.

6) Do you think the band is always improving, as this is the first serious band for most of you guys?
Sean:Well I think we have improved in bounds since we first jammed as all bands do. Me and Aaron have had a bit of experience with being in bands, but I think the way in which we operate and how things are going is a first for all of us. I definitely think that with each recording we have improved in song writing.


7) You've had a lot of opportunities this year with international supports etc, do you think if you were a band outside of Canberra you would get this opportunities at such an early stage of a band?
Sean:Probably not, if we were in say Sydney, I doubt that we would of got some of the international supports that we have. When we first started there was seriously only two or three bands that loosely fit into the hardcore category in Canberra which meant that there wasn't much choice if you wanted a local support. It's good to see that there are a few more now, it's not like there is a huge scene but it's definitely picking up.


8) Canberra has always had a serious problem with venues, why do you think the problem always continues and can you see any solution to it?
Sean;Well maybe not so much a problem with venues but all ages venues or licensed all ages venues. It is really frustrating to be under age and miss out on seeing bands, when they play an overage show that isn't attended as well as it could of been if all ages. Under age kids are what keep the scene thriving and it is vitally important for there to be an all ages venue that is hardcore friendly. I remember being so bummed when I was underage missing out on shows purely because of my age.
In Canberra we need someone with a clue and commitment to set up a medium sized allages venue. Sound Underground had so much potential for this but unfortunately the guy who ran it (while being a really nice guy) didn't have much of an idea how to operate a business. Jamison inn, while used as a venue for hardcore shows a lot in 2007, became increasingly hostile towards hardcore shows. And now the place is getting knocked down, so it's a no go anymore.

9) What are the best bands going around at the moment (international and Australian)?
Sean: Australian wise I am currently really into Pisschrist, Extortion and SJN. These bands are being just so much more hardcore that most pap out there. The emerging 'screamo' scene of bands like Eucalypt, Majorca, James Dean etc. has gotten me really siked on screamo in australia which was just about dead for sometime. Internationally, because I'm a heaps fruity dude, I have been getting heaps into Canadian indie like The Arcade Fire and Tegan and Sara.


10) Anyone to thank or anything else to add?
Thankyou Dan.

I put this interview in Issue #2 of Capital Eyes. The interview was dated, Feb 13, 2008.

BMA interview with I Exist

Here is an interview I did with I Exist, which came out in yesterday's BMA.

http://bmamag.com/articles/features/20110614-i-exist/

You can also check them out on Tumblr

http://iexistmusic.tumblr.com/

Their new album will be out very soon (possibly today actually)

We're into a new year.

The first day of 2011 it sounds like I've turned into a super keen fitness fiend. One of my resolutions was to exercise every day. However, we kicked things off well today.

Francisca and I walked up Mt Majura, then swam some laps at Dickson Pool. Just to complete the day, we kicked a soccerball around once it got a bit cooler in the evening.

I honestly couldn't tell you a top 10 of albums that came out in 2010, the quality just wasn't there, or I wasn't looking for it.

I did like

The Amity Affliction- Youngbloods

The Gaslight Anthem- American Slang

I Exist- I: A Turn For The Worse

Alexisonfire- Dogs Blood (EP)

How about a top 10 shows that I attended for the year...that will be easier to complete.

1. Polar Bear Club, Break Even, The Gifthorse @ Rosies, Brisbane

2. Polar Bear Club, Break Even, The Gifthorse @ The Fort, Brisbane

3. The Ghost Inside, Break Even @ Underworld, London (UK)

4. Machine Head, Hatebreed @ Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide

5. 4 Dead, Hoodlum Shouts, Boonhorse @ Bar 32, Canberra

6. Ruiner, Hopeless, I Exist @ Bar 32, Canberra

6. Alexisonfire, Comeback Kid, Anti Flag @ The Forum, Sydney

7. Alexisonfire, Break Even @ UNSW Roundhouse, Sydney or The Palace, Melbourne

8. Dangers, Graf Orlock, 4 Dead, Vera @ Bar 32 Canberra

9. Slowburn last show @ The Jam Factory, Canberra

10. Elysian, Ignite The Ibex @ The Basement, Canberra

2010 was a great year personally, easily the best ever. 2011 will definitely be an adventure, a big year ahead. I should have a new issue of Capital Eyes in the next few days, with interview from Elysian and Yoko Oh No.

I would have really liked to have seen this at Hardcore. I Exist playing with 4 guitarists. Photo by John Hatfield

Ruiner, Hopeless, I Exist @ Bar 32- April 20, 2009

So last night I went to see some bands. Ruiner were originally going to play Canberra on their tour, then it fell through, then they were going to add a show at somebody's house, that fell through too. Then Bar 32 came up with the goods.

Yet another venue is out of action, The Warehouse in Fyshwick didn't last long at all. I wish someone with some big money would buy up all the empty shops in Civic and turn them into venues. There's a lot of room for it to happen now.

If I was rich the old Impact Records (later JB), the recently closed Dick Smith, Cafe Macchiato/Bourbon Bar and The Akuna Club would all be "happening" places. Places where bands can play, all people welcome, etc. For now they lie empty. An ugly opening to a visitor's Canberra experience. These are all on main corners, they shouldn't be empty shops.

Unfortunately. I am not at all rich, far from it as a matter of fact. One day I'm going to do a zine about all the venues that have popped up in Canberra and then disappeared soon after. Even since I've lived in Canberra I've seen the rise and fall of Ground Floor, Green Room, Sound Underground, Jamison Inn and a few more. There'll be plenty of material for that one.

Ok, back to the show. It was only ten bucks to see an international band, Hopeless from Melbourne, and I Exist, who are becoming bigger than God these days.

We got there just a few minutes before I Exist started, got a good position at the edge of the bar, something to lean on. Unfortunately the sound levels for I Exist were way off, they were turned up to loud, the sound was not clear at all. They were pretty good still. New guitar player Josh (Pod People, Bloodduster) brought his metal element to the fore, throwing a few horns for good measure.

They played some new tracks, things are sounding a lot more metal these days. They are no longer this metal influenced hardcore band, they are really just a metal band. They are a band that is going to go far, they've gone a long way already in such a short time.

Hopeless were up next. They played a bit of a mix of old and new stuff. I only know the songs off "Dear World", which is a great album. They played a fair few songs off that to a fairly unreceptive audience. The audience was mainly people with arms folded, maybe a brief head nod every now and then. It probably reminded Hopeless of their hometown, Melbourne.

This was really a show I expected people to be going pretty crazy at, but it was fairly quiet all night. I don't know if it was because it was a Tuesday night, can't go to hard on a school night, or an unfamiliarity with the bands, but each band had a much better reception the last time I saw them in Canberra.

Ruiner took a while to kick off, but it was still before 10pm when they started. Once again, I only knew one album (What Could Possibly Go Right?), but they played a lot of songs off that. There were only 3 or 4 people who were really getting into, that was the biggest surprise to me. Ruiner are a band that is conducive to mic grabs and pile-ons, that kind of thing, but it really just wasn't happening. However the few people really getting into probably would have made it worthwhile for the band.

At one stage I jumped from the flashing light dancefloor, onto Jake (I Exist)'s back and got to have the mic grab. That was pretty sweet. Probably the highlight of the night.

So many people have told me the new Ruiner is subpar, but the new stuff they played seemed just as good as the rest of their songs. It wasn't as good for me, as I didn't know it. I wish I hadn't bothered listening to the knockers, and actually had a listen for myself. However it's too late for that now.

I did a good deal, I swapped a bunch of zines to the guys from Hopeless for a t-shirt. You can grab a copy at their Sydney shows in the next couple of days. I also did an interview with Rob and later went to Transit and did an interview with Jon Dangerous of the mighty 4 Dead.

I had a good chat there with Jon, another bloke Gav, his brother used to be in Lawnsmell, it was a great night all round for me. I also picked up "And The Boat Sails On" a little magazine about the last Ruiner tour with Break Even. I'll go more into that in another post.