G'day Groovers, let's get on with it.
Last weekend I was fortunate enough to go to Geelong with my mates Toddo and Too Tall. We were there for the Cadel Evans ride and for a weekend away. Toddo and I got the 125km ride done despite the heat and the hills. There are a couple of very, very steep climbs right at the end of the course and I'm pleased to say that all my training did indeed pay off. I rode them with (relative) ease although I may have tried a bit hard going up Challambra and I almost had a spew at the top. It's a great event and, apart from one doofus who kept running red lights and a recumbent rider who wanted to service his bike in the middle of the road, it was tops.
Iron Maiden - Blood Brothers - https://youtu.be/7KV56kwxiHg
Too Tall and I got to go and have dinner with my Dad and his partner, Denise, and that really was the icing on the cake for a weekend away. Geelong is about 9 hours in the car each way (including stops) and that certainly adds up. We'll do the event again but maybe not next year. Our next ride is in Mudgee. If you're a cyclist and you haven't done the Mudgee Classic then you are missing out.
Angus started a new job this week. Dads are meant to be proud of their kids and I certainly am. Angus, sadly, couldn't keep going fulltime as a remedial massage therapist due to an injury he has to manage. He could've dropped his bundle and thought, "woe is me", but that's not how he operates. He started as an apprentice electrician today. Hopefully he can come and install a heater in my bathroom before winter ha ha! Seriously though, Angus is such a hard worker and an impressive young man.
Zoe reports that she's been in training to qualify to drive the cars that the Ambulance Service has (she can already drive the actual ambulances of course). She'll soon be spotted travelling, at speed, around London in a wider range of vehicles!
I've been looking for holiday options for later in the year. I need to postpone my UK trip until 2024 and I really can't wait that long to take a decent break. I'm not really a tourist; it doesn't interest me that much. I need something active to do and if I see some cool stuff on the side then that'll work. At the moment I'm looking at a combined yoga and hiking retreat but if you know of anything similar that includes a decent level of physical activity (and NO CAMPING) then yell out. I'm open to suggestions! I'd prefer that it was on this side of the world too.
My goal of trying to listen to new music most days is working out pretty well. I can combine it with my weights/yoga/pilates routine or even making dinner. It also means that the TV stays turned off and that's a good thing.
Black Flag - TV Party - https://youtu.be/psUOyXGacL0
Many of you will have read that Elton John's concerts in Auckland, New Zealand were cancelled due to the very serious flooding. I do think that evacuating a concert venue about twenty minutes before the main act is about to start and after the support (Adele) has played in the wet just shows poor management. Realistically the show should never have even started. My heart goes out to everyone that missed out but we need to remember that people have died and been made homeless in these floods.
Elton John - I'm Still Standing - https://youtu.be/ZHwVBirqD2s
Green Day have released an anniversary version of their album, Nimrod. You get the remastered album, another disc of demo versions and a third CD of live tracks. The Grouch is from this album and is one of my favourite tracks from the band. It's a bit funny, a bit sad and I treat it as a cautionary tale. There's a language warning on this one.
Green Day - The Grouch - https://youtu.be/0xKI8s0Zn3w
Many years ago I saw The Poor as the support act for AC/DC. At the time their drummer was a relative of Malcolm and Angus. Their debut long player, Who Cares (1994), is a really good Aussie hard rock album. Sadly, the band didn't really do too much straight after that. They have, however, been back together for a few years releasing a couple of records and playing shows. I've maintained an interest but whilst I've enjoyed their more recent output I always felt that it was missing something. Until now. The Poor have a new single out and an album coming too. And this single really rocks. Even if you find the lyrics a little cliched it's hard to imagine this song not going down well at a gig. I have my fingers crossed that the mojo infecting this tune carries itself through the entire album.
The Poor - Lover - https://thepooroz.bandcamp.com/track/lover
Sticking with Australian music for a moment, Sydney heavy metallers Temtris have a new single out and an album to be released in March. Personally I do get a little annoyed with months and months of pre-release messages but that's marketing I suppose. The single showcases this band so well. I saw them live, with DJ DJ, when they supported Geoff Tate in Sydney a couple of years ago. Genevieve's voice really stood out that day and I must say that it's so strong on this single. Quite often I hear metal bands and they play well, have the art of recording downpat but either their lyrics are dreadful or the vocals are decidedly average. Temtris may just have hit on the entire package here; this rocks!
Temtris - Khaos Divine - https://youtu.be/9EtD_gKm3jY
In the olden days, the album cover was very important. Often it gave us an insight into what we might expect from the music on the record. This approach to purchasing music certainly meant that I ended up with albums that I may not have otherwise bought. Band names matter too and trying to stand out from the crowd as well as pushing an image is a challenge. So, yesterday when I saw the next band's name I just had to listen. It really could've been anything.
Lolita Pop - Tarzan On A Big Red Scooter - https://youtu.be/dXmoivYdWNg
With a little bit of bloody mindedness I have managed to hit the 1500km mark for my January cycling total. It's been a long time since I put that many kilometres in my legs and I feel pretty strong at the moment. I built up over November and December and also added some longer rides into the mix. I can assure you that without the weights/yoga/pilates session that I do three times a week that I might not have got there. I found that particularly useful during the weeks that I did the 130km and 150km epics. The other upside is that I've had to work hard on my diet. You simply can't be riding about 350km a week and not fueling your body.
I think that's enough for this episode. Don't forget to smile; people will wonder what you're up to!
The Woozle.
"There'll be a change in the weather and a change in the scene.
Last weekend I was fortunate enough to go to Geelong with my mates Toddo and Too Tall. We were there for the Cadel Evans ride and for a weekend away. Toddo and I got the 125km ride done despite the heat and the hills. There are a couple of very, very steep climbs right at the end of the course and I'm pleased to say that all my training did indeed pay off. I rode them with (relative) ease although I may have tried a bit hard going up Challambra and I almost had a spew at the top. It's a great event and, apart from one doofus who kept running red lights and a recumbent rider who wanted to service his bike in the middle of the road, it was tops.
Iron Maiden - Blood Brothers - https://youtu.be/7KV56kwxiHg
Too Tall and I got to go and have dinner with my Dad and his partner, Denise, and that really was the icing on the cake for a weekend away. Geelong is about 9 hours in the car each way (including stops) and that certainly adds up. We'll do the event again but maybe not next year. Our next ride is in Mudgee. If you're a cyclist and you haven't done the Mudgee Classic then you are missing out.
The Living End - Roll On - https://youtu.be/c_-q-KodhAI
Angus started a new job this week. Dads are meant to be proud of their kids and I certainly am. Angus, sadly, couldn't keep going fulltime as a remedial massage therapist due to an injury he has to manage. He could've dropped his bundle and thought, "woe is me", but that's not how he operates. He started as an apprentice electrician today. Hopefully he can come and install a heater in my bathroom before winter ha ha! Seriously though, Angus is such a hard worker and an impressive young man.
Zoe reports that she's been in training to qualify to drive the cars that the Ambulance Service has (she can already drive the actual ambulances of course). She'll soon be spotted travelling, at speed, around London in a wider range of vehicles!
I've been looking for holiday options for later in the year. I need to postpone my UK trip until 2024 and I really can't wait that long to take a decent break. I'm not really a tourist; it doesn't interest me that much. I need something active to do and if I see some cool stuff on the side then that'll work. At the moment I'm looking at a combined yoga and hiking retreat but if you know of anything similar that includes a decent level of physical activity (and NO CAMPING) then yell out. I'm open to suggestions! I'd prefer that it was on this side of the world too.
My goal of trying to listen to new music most days is working out pretty well. I can combine it with my weights/yoga/pilates routine or even making dinner. It also means that the TV stays turned off and that's a good thing.
Black Flag - TV Party - https://youtu.be/psUOyXGacL0
Many of you will have read that Elton John's concerts in Auckland, New Zealand were cancelled due to the very serious flooding. I do think that evacuating a concert venue about twenty minutes before the main act is about to start and after the support (Adele) has played in the wet just shows poor management. Realistically the show should never have even started. My heart goes out to everyone that missed out but we need to remember that people have died and been made homeless in these floods.
Elton John - I'm Still Standing - https://youtu.be/ZHwVBirqD2s
Green Day have released an anniversary version of their album, Nimrod. You get the remastered album, another disc of demo versions and a third CD of live tracks. The Grouch is from this album and is one of my favourite tracks from the band. It's a bit funny, a bit sad and I treat it as a cautionary tale. There's a language warning on this one.
Green Day - The Grouch - https://youtu.be/0xKI8s0Zn3w
Many years ago I saw The Poor as the support act for AC/DC. At the time their drummer was a relative of Malcolm and Angus. Their debut long player, Who Cares (1994), is a really good Aussie hard rock album. Sadly, the band didn't really do too much straight after that. They have, however, been back together for a few years releasing a couple of records and playing shows. I've maintained an interest but whilst I've enjoyed their more recent output I always felt that it was missing something. Until now. The Poor have a new single out and an album coming too. And this single really rocks. Even if you find the lyrics a little cliched it's hard to imagine this song not going down well at a gig. I have my fingers crossed that the mojo infecting this tune carries itself through the entire album.
The Poor - Lover - https://thepooroz.bandcamp.com/track/lover
Sticking with Australian music for a moment, Sydney heavy metallers Temtris have a new single out and an album to be released in March. Personally I do get a little annoyed with months and months of pre-release messages but that's marketing I suppose. The single showcases this band so well. I saw them live, with DJ DJ, when they supported Geoff Tate in Sydney a couple of years ago. Genevieve's voice really stood out that day and I must say that it's so strong on this single. Quite often I hear metal bands and they play well, have the art of recording downpat but either their lyrics are dreadful or the vocals are decidedly average. Temtris may just have hit on the entire package here; this rocks!
Temtris - Khaos Divine - https://youtu.be/9EtD_gKm3jY
In the olden days, the album cover was very important. Often it gave us an insight into what we might expect from the music on the record. This approach to purchasing music certainly meant that I ended up with albums that I may not have otherwise bought. Band names matter too and trying to stand out from the crowd as well as pushing an image is a challenge. So, yesterday when I saw the next band's name I just had to listen. It really could've been anything.
Lolita Pop - Tarzan On A Big Red Scooter - https://youtu.be/dXmoivYdWNg
With a little bit of bloody mindedness I have managed to hit the 1500km mark for my January cycling total. It's been a long time since I put that many kilometres in my legs and I feel pretty strong at the moment. I built up over November and December and also added some longer rides into the mix. I can assure you that without the weights/yoga/pilates session that I do three times a week that I might not have got there. I found that particularly useful during the weeks that I did the 130km and 150km epics. The other upside is that I've had to work hard on my diet. You simply can't be riding about 350km a week and not fueling your body.
I think that's enough for this episode. Don't forget to smile; people will wonder what you're up to!
The Woozle.
I'm gonna start wearing leather and change my routine.
I'll wear dark glasses, maybe a toupee,
I'll get down and boogie and become risque...
Nobody wants you when you just play guitar.
There'll be some changes made tomorrow."
Chet Atkins & Mark Knopfler, There'll Be Some Changes Made, 1990.
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