Tag: BloodstockOpenAir

Why’s it so hard to just get out of the house these days ?

AOR, Depression, Health, Mental Health, Music, Nature, Photography, Travel, Uncategorized

Well it’s been a while since I posted, so here’s a little update on the oddities of life in 2022. Although many have been saying that the Covid Pandemic is over, and don’t get me wrong, I can’t wait for it to be finished, it’s definitely not and is still affecting life in general.

Over the last couple of weeks a few more gigs or Tours have been cancelled because band members have contracted the virus, have seen the same across Europe and the US, it doesn’t take much for smaller bands to have to cancel or postpone things when a date or two are going to be missed out on. There’s bound to be some issues for venues too with regards to staffing.

This week sees the start for me of getting back on the train with regards to going to and shooting gigs, tomorrow night I have Dark Tranquility making their very long awaited Irish debut. Then at the weekend I have a trip planned to the HRH Blues Festival in Sheffield, all going well, with Bernie Marsden and Wilko Johnson Headlining each night.

Between working from home full time, health issues and the added problem of Depression over the last 10 months it really has been a messy couple of years, and it’s taken a toll psychologically. I did get away to the Uprising Festival in Leicester last year, but that was it, and have struggled to get the motivation to get out to things locally over the last couple of months. Leaving the house isn’t a problem, still walking regularly, and building up the distances again to 10km a walk, so that’s good, but for sanity and the soul I need to get back to gigs. Photographing tomorrow night and at the weekend, so that should be motivation enough, and a lot of additional work to do, but it’s worth it.

Hasn’t just been a lack of motivation with regards to getting out and about, it’s massively affected writing anything, review wise, for so long now. it’s a real struggle to finish things off, and you’d thing that would be the easy bit sometimes. But I’m trying to work on it from a different perspective and we will see how it goes.

This could well be the last year I’ll be able to do multiple UK Festivals, even for individual shows it’s getting more and more expensive to travel and get accommodation in the UK from here. At the moment I think travel anywhere is expensive, but it eventually reaches a line where it becomes just too much. Checking prices for later in the year and it’s much more than usual, when it starts costing as much as a family holiday it really would be too much. The cost of living generally is going to make things more difficult anyway, so when you have additional costs for everything travelling becomes less fun. So I’ll go out with a bang this year and hit as much as I can, along with the Indoor Summer Festival in Hamburg which I’m looking forward to immensely, will hopefully be a very exciting and interesting few months ahead. With gigs still getting announced every week it looks like you won’t be able to walk out of the house without hitting one, and it’s great to see pictures of full venues for shows with small or large capacities.

Not too long now until the outdoor Festival season either, so bring it on. Bloodstock for sure, maybe a day or two here and there aside from that…. would love to get over and bit a farewell to KISS at Download, even if it was just for the Friday night. Aside from all that we will be doing another staycation this year, trying the beautiful South West this time around to cover off another part of the Wild Atlantic Way. There will be day trips here and there and I need to get back to the Botanic Gardens soon.

Wishing you all a very happy, interesting and safe year to come, and Rock it .

Difficulties travelling as I get older……..

Mental Health, Music, Uncategorized

One thing that I am finding it amazingly difficult to get my head around as I get older is the fact that I am honestly getting much worse at travelling, which makes no sense. This is especially true when getting early flights. Having always been a person that travels on the redeye to the UK for gigs and Festivals, it was really second nature to get up and to the Airport for 5am and grab whatever Airlines 6:30am flight to various destinations, no problem, always arrived at the gate in plenty of time, and then this year as I hit 49 everything changed. This time around I was better prepared though, Tablets split between bag and case, essentials too, chargers, laptop, hat all with me, case locked keys split between key ring and bag, so not too bad I think.

Today has probably been the worst of a number of stupid trips in 2019, left a little late but bag dropped off and still an hour to boarding, Security was very light until an elderly gentleman in front a couple of places had every item removed from his bag to be thrown out, all over 100ml liquids and gels, took ages, then his bag was brought back as there was a scissors in it. Right now I am running late, but the most stupid part is to come, checked the boards for my 6:30am Birmingham flight and somehow I pick the Ryanair gate ahead of it and start moving rapidly to the other end of the Airport, of course checking Birmingham in the boards on the way and just thinking it’s an oddity that an Aer Lingus flight is from that Gate, then I see the Ryanair sign and a massive sinking feeling with a sick stomach, IDIOT. Not sure if it’s getting older or just too much going on with work, home, looking after mam, just everything, but next trip I will leave early and wear my glasses. The stress is certainly unwelcome when already feeling a bit off and tired, and definitely already stressed the last few weeks.

So I head back across to the other Terminal certain I had missed the flight, wondering how I get my case back, gotta sort out another flight etc…..everything goes through your head. So back past the travelators, back past T1 security, all the way around to T2 and much to my surprise the girls are still at the gate, they are expecting me, I’m massively embarrassed and then where the hell is the plane, 5 mins walk down the tarmac, so I get on, very apologetic that I may be holding everybody up, but am seated and ready to go with 12 mins to go. You see there is a difference with the first flight out, the plane is at the Airport so no need to be late leaving, walking down the aisle of the plane it’s only one third full, but I am very sorry for the delay if there is one, pumping sweat and very relieved it’s time to start this pilgrimage to Bloodstock Open Air once again.

Going to be an interesting weekend, lots of great bands on the bill, some I have not seen for many years, some never before but more than enough to have me running between the 4 stages most of the weekend, Bring It On 🤘🤘

Thankfully today doesn’t start till 5ish but it’s always better to be there in time, was going to camp, but treating myself to a Hotel this time around so get there hopefully check in a little early, shave shower feet up for an hour and onwards. This is the easy day, 5 bands, culminating in Irelands very own Ten Ton Slug and the mighty Rotting Christ from Greece. This will be a nice holiday from work and stuff but will of course miss the family a lot over the guts of 5 days. Will eat breakfast each morning, probably live on chips and Toasties while at the Fest, but in reality will eat better than I have been the last few weeks, which have been hectic to say the least.

Whatever you are up to this weekend have an awesome time and make some great memories. Will be bumping into lots of friends this weekend so going to be great.but at this stage with everything in life can’t say that this won’t be my last full weekend Bloodstock, much as I love it 5 days is a lot to take away from stuff just for my own pleasure.