Quiet weekend

[mrph]

Cash and exhaustion meant that I didn't get to go see Chaos Engine after all. Shame, as I really like them live - and I'd also like to see Action Directe, who were one of their support bands, again, too. Ho hum. Next time.

The weekend's other event, Blyth Power @ the Earlsdon Cottage, didn't go quite to plan, either - there was a distinct lack of BP and, instead, Cat and I found ourselves listening to the "Uncle Remus Rockin' Blues Band". Who were actually quite good (it's been far too long since I've been to any pub blues nights - not since the Hope & Anchor stopped them, years ago), but weren't what we came for. So we listened to their first set, then slipped away in the interval and headed to Whitefriars, where the usual cluster of goths had taken up residence. Not a bad night, after all.

As for the rest of the weekend... it's just been me, a mug or three of Green & Blacks hot chocolate, the Playstation2 (I finally completed Onimusha...) and one of the new Pratchett books ("The Amazing Maurice And His Educated Rodents" - much fun...). It was all pleasantly, relaxingly, antisocial...

Oh, and it was also a chance to mess around with audiogalaxy. I don't really have moral objections to downloading songs that I can't find to buy on CD (especially when I will buy them, sooner or later), so I've downloaded some XIII Stoleti (Polish goth-rock), some Lucyfire (the Tiamat side-project) and most of Shriekback's impossible-to-find "Go Bang" album. All well worth having.

The Lucyfire stuff ("Pain Song" and "Thousand Milllion Dollars In The Fire") is memorable, catchy and has a definite Western twang to it. Not in an apocalyptic Nephilim way, more in a "sitting in a boxcar with a harmonica" style, if that makes any sense. Anyway, it sounds damn fine. Now, if I could just find the album over here...

XIII Stoleti is perhaps not a million miles away from Killing Miranda - so I can see why Phildo raves about them. The vocals take a definite second place to the guitars (probably just as well, given that the lyrics aren't all in English, are a bit repetitive, and are a bit high on the cheesy vampire stuff...) - but the songs work. I'm hoping they end up playing a German festival in the next year or so - they strike me as a band who'd sound seriously impressive live. My only complaint is that the two songs I've got ("Elizabeth" and "Nosferatu Is Dead") are a bit too long for clubplay - 6+ minutes each.

Comments

The amazing Maurice

[purplerabbits.livejournal.com]

... is truly awesome. I kept having to look at the blurb on the cover to remind myself that, yes, this was supposed to be a book 'for young readers'. So much of it is really dark and heavy that I wonder if parents will realise what they're letting themselves in for. Not that this is a bad thing - too much kiddy it is either fluffy and lightweight or trying too hard to be dealing with 'issues', and this is definitely neither of those.

Re: The amazing Maurice

[mrph.livejournal.com]

[Avoiding all details, as that's preferable to the sudden bloody death that awaits me if I spoil the plot for imago or drivenapart... :)]

I'd agree. I liked it much more than "Thief of Time", and it certainly didn't seem much 'nicer' than, say, "The Truth". I think it benefits from a cast who change a lot as the book progresses - and a broader central cast than some of the other Discworld books.

I'm still unsure about how "The Last Hero" will hold up (my copy's lost in transit, so I've not seen it yet...) - it has one of my favourite characters (Cohen, who was probably the best thing about Interesting Times), but also, allegedly, has one of my least favourite characters (...), so...

Re: The amazing Maurice

[mina-laury.livejournal.com]

I'm (a) in an unPratchettlike mood (I read too many back to back over the summer and started seeing the jokes a paragraph ahead) and (b) expecting one or both of the books for Christmas from one relative or another, so you may have to contain your plot discussion for a while...

Re: The amazing Maurice

[drivenapart.livejournal.com]

I must say, I really enjoyed "Thief Of Time" (thanks Morphy! *grin*). Looking forward to book so any plot development here will be swiftly followed by gratuitous spoon death (best not think about that too hard, it's quite nasty).

Must say though, most books with Rincewind have usually proven a bit of a disappointment. Never liked him, never gave a monkey's about him.

Funny you should mention Rincewind...

[mrph.livejournal.com]

...I agree completely. The thing with him is, he doesn't change. Pretty much everyone else has - Vimes, Carrot, Death, Susan (even Granny Weatherwax!). Especially the one-book-only characters. Whereas Rincewind starts and ends every book the same way. Although usually on a different continent. Twoflower got some character development in Interesting Times, as did Cohen. But Rincewind? He's a plot device on legs, I'm afraid.