Like most people, I massively over-pack when I’m going away but I have had to learn to cut back A LOT when going abroad for a gig and only having hand luggage to take my clothes and things I need. Check the weather And don’t underestimate the temperature as I thought I would be ok in November in Helsinki and seriously didn’t put on enough layers. I had 3 layers on, but it was nowhere near enough, it was so cold that I had to keep walking around and still got cramp in my thighs. What I should have done was have my super thick hoodie, extra vests and a few pairs of thermal leggings as I could have worn the hoodie on the flight and the whole time I was outside so it would never have gone in my hand luggage. Get thermals for super cold weather I love my thermals, since I got them, I have worn them out in some really cold weather and barely felt it. Thermals are meant to be worn under clothes but if you wear them for when you are in the queue for a gig, there are 2 ways to wear them. Under your clothes and you run the risk of them making you really hot during the gig or over your clothes so that once you get into the gig, it will take you 2 minutes to get them off so you don’t overheat during the gig. Having thermals will also save you packing multiple pairs of leggings, jeans or trousers. Sometimes I have even just worn my thermals instead of wearing them under jeans or leggings and they have still kept me warm. Plus, hand warmers are amazing, get a few packets before you go. Get little toiletries bottles You can easily get these from Amazon and they are just the right size if you are going away for a few days. Just fill each one with your shampoo, conditioner or shower gel and you don’t need to worry about going out when you get to your destination to buy toiletries. Just remember that you need to keep them under 100ml and to write on the bottles with a sharpie to say what is in them. You can also get mini versions of toiletries from Amazon or at the airport if you would prefer and they are usually under 100ml. If you have absolutely no room in your bag of bottles, you can always buy them in a shop near your hotel once you get there. Check the airline bag regulations There have been a lot of changes recently in regards to the size of bags you are allowed on planes so make sure your bag is within the measurements or you will be looking at extra bag charges. The airlines are so strict, do not chance it. When measuring your bag, include the wheels and if the bag extends out. If your bag does not fit in the example box, even by the smallest amount, you will get charged. One example of new bag regulations is Ryanair, the standard bags are just to go under your seat, you can not have a handbag as well anymore. If your belongings don't fit in the under seat bag, you will need to pay extra to have a 10kg that will go in the overhead compartment. When I flew to Cologne in April, there was a person in the queue a few people in front of me and his bag would not go in the example box because the front of his bag was extended out. I don't know how much he got charged but he was not happy. Be super strict If you don’t need it, don’t take it. That top that you kind of like so you aren’t sure if you are going to wear it, don’t take it, you aren’t going to wear it. Do you really need 6 shades of lipstick? One pair of shoes I am the worst for this as I have my gig shoes and I have my normal day-to-day shoes, but if I go abroad, I only take one set and that is normally my gig shoes. My gig shoes lately are my DMs, I have finally worn them in enough that they are extremely comfy to walk around in all the time and for jumping around like a crazy person at a gig.

There was a new Download announcement last week and as well as announcing more awesome bands, the organisers have put the bands into their days so I feel a little more organised now haha. Thursday Alter Bridge - Fuck Yes! I have not been able to see these guys for quite a while now so this is super exciting for me. I just hope they sing at least one of my favourite songs, I would go to bed happy that night if I get to hear Metalingus live again. Five Finger Death Punch - Never seen them before so quite excited to see what they are like live. Halestorm - I seem to keep missing Halestorm when they are touring so it will be good to finally see them live. Caskets - These guys have come highly recommended and I like a few of their songs so can't wait to see what they are like live. Friday Architects - Never seen them live, really looking forward to this. Evanescence - Super super super excited!!! Never had the pleasure of seeing them live and I just need to hear Going Under or Bring Me To Life and I will be happy lol. Within Temptation - Always wanted to see them live and now I finally get to! Pendulum - I haven't seen them in about 12 years and last time they were AMAZING!! Forget the comfy-festival shoes, I'll have my jumping around like a comfy-jumping-around-like-a-loony shoes for Pendulum. The Blackout - Another band that has come highly recommended to me to see, will make sure I go along to see them. Saturday Disturbed - Some of my favourite songs are by Disturbed so there is no way I am going to miss them at Download. Placebo - Another band I haven't had the chance of seeing before but I'm going to make sure I get to see their set to check them out. Simple Plan - Been listening to their Harder Than It Looks album lately and a few of their older songs and getting a real feel for them so can't wait to see if they are as good live as they are on their records. Ice Nine Kills - Love INK and they were brilliant last year so can't wait to see what they do this year. Bad Wolves - Love love love Bad Wolves, can't wait to finally see them live! Sunday Slipknot - When I heard the rumour that Slipknot were playing, I knew straight away that I would be going to Download, there was no way I would be missing them. I have been listening to them since I was 16 years old and still love them! Ghost - First time seeing them but I have heard so many amazing things about their live performances that I feel like this is going to be one set that I shouldn't miss. The Distillers - I like a few of their songs so would love to hear them live. I Prevail - I'll be seeing them a lot in March but still really excited about seeing them at Download too. Electric Callboy - Only seen them at gigs, not seen them at a festival so really looking forward to seeing what they can do. Blind Channel - No shit right? lol my favourite band plays Download so I will definitely be seeing them. I've never seen them at a festival either so this will be a new experience for me. Bloodywood - Only recently got into Bloodywood but I am excited to see what they are like live. The Indian/metal fusion is awesome listening to the song on Spotify, I have a feeling it's going to be even better live. There is still going to be another announcement as we get closer to the festival so my line-up can only get better and better.

Is your favourite band playing multiple gigs and you want to go to them all but you aren't sure if it will be worth it?? My advice is to do it because it will definitely be worth it! There is a lot of planning that you need to do to make sure it all runs smoothly but it just adds to the excitement. I did 6 gigs in 6 days to see Blind Channel and Lost Society in the UK in September 2022 and had the best time. I was seriously tired but it was still amazing!! Doing this tour was something I had to really think about because I didn't want to get too tired on the tour and end up wanting to go home so I had lots of awesome chats with my tour buddy Roxxi and we came up with an awesome plan so that everyone stayed happy. So here is the breakdown of the miles I put together for the tour from Google Maps, which is from one city to the next. Date From To Miles ​ 11.9.22 Kent Bristol 150 ​ 12&13.9.22 Bristol Glasgow 371 ​ 14.9.22 Glasgow Manchester 214 ​ 15.9.22 Manchester London 209 ​ 16.9.22 London Nottingham 127 ​ 17.9.22 Nottingham Birmingham 51 ​ 18.9.22 Birmingham Kent 169 ​ ​ ​ Total 1291 ​ I know, crazy right? According to my Google Maps, it tracked 1304 miles when I had it on but I think it was actually a bit more than that in the end due to diversions which is when we turned it off because it was completely useless haha. The first gig was in Bristol on the 12th so I decided to drive to Bristol the day before and have a really good nights sleep in a hotel. I picked up Roxxi from Bristol train station and then due to the main bridge being cut off for construction, we spent a good half an hour trying to work out the roads in Bristol to find our hotel. Google Maps seemed to think that we could fly as it kept telling us to park and then fly over the river lol. Seeing as Bristol to Glasgow was themost miles out of the whole tour, we decided that the best thing to do was to hit the road straight after the gig to try and do as many miles as possible before I felt sleepy. I knew that if we had done the trip in one go on the day of the Glasgow gig, I would be too tired and end up seriously moody. Plus, driving at that time of time meant that there was going to be less traffic, in fact, we barely saw any other cars and just a few lorries. We ended up driving until 4:30am but this was mainly because there were diversions on the motorway that had us going in circles for an hour and then we couldn't find a hotel with any rooms available for another hour. This meant that we only managed to get When we finally did find a hotel at a roadside services, we just got in the room and fell straight to sleep. But this was the only time that we drove after a gig as the rest of the gigs were shorter driving distances. We had a couple of hours left to drive to Glasgow and didn't need to check into the hostel until 2pm so we took our time on that drive, we even stopped once so I could lay down on the back seat of the car and have a half hour nap. It's so important to make sure you are well rested when driving because nodding off, even for a second, could end up getting you and everyone in the car killed. This is why I'm quite glad we took breaks and I had naps. (Yes, I know this is making me sound old lol) I loved that it was mainly driving on motorways as I hate driving in towns that I haven't driven in before, it sets off my anxiety so bad thinking I will get lost. Thank goodness for Google Maps. Something to keep in mind is where you are going to park your car for the gig and overnight. When I was looking at hotels, I was looking for ones really close to the venue and had parking so I only had to park the car once and not worry about having to park somewhere for the gig. We only had one gig where we drove to the gig and that was the Nottingham gig, the hotels with parking near the venue were just too expensive so we decided to stay just outside of the city and drive in for the gig. It just worked out cheaper that way. For hotels, I mainly use Booking.com as you can compare so many awesome hotels, the venues come up in the search so when you are looking for the nearest hotel, it's not going from the wrong end of the street. There aren't just hotels on there either, there are holidays homes, b&bs and hostels so you get a good selection. They also have the option on some hotels to pay in advance or pay when you check-in. Paying on check-in is usually a bit more expensive so pay in advance where you can. My thoughts on hotels for gigs is basically just a base to get sleep, get ready and eat before moving on so I don't like paying too much, the cheapest I have paid for a hotel is £37 for a double room. It was quite nice as well so felt quite lucky. We had to be careful with petrol prices, it was when prices were quite high, I think the most I paid was £1.99 a litre when we got caught low and had to top up at a motorway petrol station. I just put £20 worth in the car to get us to the next venue and then topped up somewhere cheap the next day. DO NOT GET CAUGHT OUT! Haha One top thing you need for driving a lot is a good front passenger buddy. I had Roxxi for most of the journeys, I had my friend Joules for 2 journeys and only 2 journeys to do on my own which were fine because they were during the day and wasn't far but the rest of the time I am glad I had someone with me. They made sure I stayed awake, looked after me opening food and drinks, helped with navigation, was the car DJ and kept me entertained. I think I would of hated all the driving if I had done it all on my own. I must admit that I was a bit naughty, I eat a lot more fast food than I should have. I am gluten and lactose intolerant which can be a pain sometimes but seeing as Subway now do gluten free bread, I eat more Subways than any other fast food haha. We were mainly getting food for motorway services because we would wake up, get ready and drive to the next city so we didn't really think ahead about where we were going to get food from. If we were hungry after a gig, we would order food off of Just Eat so that was never healthy haha. I did buy fruit to eat but only had half of it, the rest of it died in the car. I was good at drinking lots of water which I think helped me lose 8lbs in that week! The jumping around in a sweaty venue helped as well but the water definitely helped haha. The most important thing though is to look after each other, make sure everyone is eating properly, drinking plenty of water, resting and having an amazing time every day. At the time of publishing this article, I am preparing to do another 6 gigs following Blind Channel around the UK but I have 3 gigs, a weeks break and then another 3 so not as intense lol.

I went to see the Kris Barras Band at The Forum in Tunbridge Wells on their "My Parade" tour and they were BRILLIANT!! My husband and I had work during the day so we got changed as soon as we got home and then jumped in the car to go to Tunbridge Wells. It's only a half hour drive from our house so we got there at about 7pm, we hadn't had anything to eat so we decided to go to Framptons over the road from the venue to get something to eat. We went into the venue just as the support band was finishing. I have never been to The Forum before so was quite blown away by how small it was. I looked it up online and it holds 250 people, definitely looked like it was meant to hold less but it was a great venue. I started off standing near the merch stand as I had a great view until 3 very tall people decided to stand in front of me so I moved round to the bar and got a great spot there instead. One thing I was surprised about was that I felt like one of the youngest people in the crowd, which doesn't happen often lately haha. I was a little annoyed that hardly anyone in the crowd was dancing to the songs, it looked like it was just me, one guy a few rows in front of me and the people right down the front that was getting into it. I pissed the woman off next to me because I was cheering at the end of the songs, not sure why she was pissed off but she gave me some seriously dirty looks when I was cheering. Now, I had an awesome time, dancing around, singing along to the songs, really enjoying myself but one thing that did annoy me a little bit was that there was a lot of guitar solos, I'm talking nearly every single song. I get that musicians want to show off their skills and I am all fine with that as these guys are amazing, it just got a little dull a few times. There were even people who left the show not long after it started. My husband Sean was outside as it was really hot in the venue and he said he heard people making comments about the band "not being as good as they used to be". I've only seen them twice before this gig and I thought they were brilliant but maybe these people had been following them for years, afterall, a bands style and sound can change over the years. Anyway, the gig was amazing. I loved hearing the songs from the "My Parade" album as that is the most recent one that I have been listening to. In fact hearing "My Parade" was phenomenal, Kris got in the crowd getting us all to sing in sections. Loved it so much! They came out singing my favourite song "Hail Mary" so the gig started off amazing for me haha. There was a few songs that I didn't know as they were the older songs but I still got a good vibe from them and had a little boogie. Kris sang a beautiful song about his dad called "Watching Over Me". He said that he used to be a Muay Thai and MMA fighter and retired in 2014 but his dad who was a musician and influenced Kris musically, never got to see him play in the band because he passed away. So Kris wrote the song about him and it is a truly beautiful song. It brought tears to my eyes thinking about my own who passed away a few years ago. If you are going to listen to it, make sure you have tissues! They did an awesome cover of "Rock And Roll" by Led Zeppelin, I didn't realise they did this one so it was a nice surprise. I was quite sad when it ended, I'd had such a good time and I can't wait to see them again.

**Warning, my inner fangirl comes out a lot in this post, especially when the drummer Tommi is involved. Sorry, not sorry haha. I got tickets to these gigs way back in April 2022 when it was just a rumour that Blind Channel would be supporting I Prevail on their tour. A lot of the gigs were either sold out or had a low ticket warning so me and Roxxi got what we could which was Portsmouth, Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester, Nottingham and London. So for me, this part of the tour started at 4:30pm on Thursday the 16th of March when I finished work. I got straight into my car and drove to Portsmouth as I just wanted to get there and chill out the day before the gig. Although I didn't do much chilling out because I got to the hotel and found out that Blind Channel were staying in the same hotel. Que a bit of fangirling which was me trying to look cool but freaking out on the inside. I went up to my room, got changed and heading down to the bar where I sat working on my website while waiting for one of them to go to the bar so I could buy them a drink (which didn't happen while I was there). Friday the 17th of March - Portsmouth The next day I got up and started ironing the t-shirt transfers that I had got printed for my vests for the gig, only to find out that they were complete and utter shite. I ironed them on 3 times, even timed myself to make sure I did it for the right amount of time and they still peeled off. This led to me calling round to every t-shirt printing shop in Portsmouth until I got through to Vintage Pig who saved the day. The shop was only a 10 minute drive away so I jumped in my car and went to have a chat with Chris who printed 2 vests with my Blind Channel designs and then put my logo on the back of my cardigan. What also didn't help my anxiety levels was that I found out one of the other guests had their car broken into in the night and the staff member's response was "it happens every couple of days". This led me to re-parking my car where it could easily be seen from windows and my room. I went back to the hotel and my fellow gig buddies turned up. We had had a little catch up, went to the venue ( Portsmouth Guildhall ), which was only a few minute walk away from the hotel, thank goodness. We were the first ones to queue for the gig from about 12:30pm, at the surprise of the venue staff who wasn't expecting anyone for hours. We were a little confused at first as the Guildhall is a huge public building which has offices in it so we were unsure on where to queue. The gig security staff were soon there putting out the railings for the queue and they helped us out with where we needed to go. There was one guy called Paul who took me inside the venue to show me where I needed to go to get into the hall because I said I had never been there before. He was lovely, every venue needs a Paul. Before we knew it, it was time for the doors to open. We got our tickets scanned, bags checked and then made our way (we ran) into the hall to get front row. The only place I wanted to be was in front of Tommi's drums so that is where I headed haha. I was quite happy to hear the lead up set list still had some super classic songs like Linkin Park - One Step Closer, Slipknot - Before I Forget but two new ones, Neil Diamond - Sweet Caroline and the beginning of Ring Of Fire. I must admit that I didn't quite realise how excited I was to see Blind Channel again, the last time I saw them was 6 months before this gig and I went a little bit crazy when they came out haha. The set was amazing! It was a short 30 minutes that was over way too soon but I loved every minutes of it. This gig was the first time I heard their single "Flatline" that the lads had released shortly before this tour. They have this little (sort of) dance routine that they do to the song. It's basically thumping your chest to the beat and headbanging but straight after the 5th thump, you do a flatline with your arm across your chest. This video will explain better haha. I had missed their gig energy, no matter how many gigs these lads do, they are still going crazy on stage, jumping and dancing around. It's infectious and you can feel it go through you like electricity. Believe me, the amount I move at their gig is no where near the amount I move around in real life in about 3 days haha. What made it that bit extra special was that the bass player, Olli, was throwing his guitar picks out into the crowd at the end of the show and I got one! Well, it flew over Roxxi's head, bounced off the chest of the guy behind her, landed on the floor and got picked up by the girl next to Roxxi. Lucky enough, she was the girl we had got talking to and we had agreed to let her go in our places at the front when Blind Channel had finished their set so she gave the pick to me. Blind Channel was one of the support bands and was on first so as soon as they left the stage, we pulled the girl who gave me Olli's pick and her friends in front of us and then made our way through the crowd. Joel, Blind Channel's singer, had said they were coming out to the merch stand so we went there and camped out in the lobby until Niko and Aleksi from Blind Channel came out towards the end of I Prevail's set. I loved this as there wasn't many fans and we all got to have a nice chat and a picture with each of the lads. I have a "Don't Fix Me" tattoo on my left arm and in order to get it finished, I decided that I was going to ask each member of the band to write a line from the song, sign it and then I would get those tattooed around the one I already have. I had all the lines printed out so that they just had to pick which line they wanted to write. Niko did "I don't need your medication, no" and Aleksi did "You can keep your love and roses". Saturday the 18th of March - Otherwise Known As "Did That Just Happen Day" - Bristol The craziness of this day still makes me stop and wonder if it actually happened sometimes. It started off as a normal gig day. Me and Roxxi got up, got dressed, went for a Wetherspoons breakfast with Flo and then we all got in my car to drive to Bristol. Just so you know, unless I absolutely have to, I will never drive in Bristol again. Just frigging no. We got checked into our hotel and then went to the venue which on this day was O2 Bristol. We found our "Paul" for this venue who was a lovely lad called Mags. If you go to the O2 in Bristol, say hi to him, he is honestly amazing. Our friends Luna and Carman were already there in the priority queue, well, they were the queue. We joined them and then they went to check into their hotel and get something to eat. This was the first time I had been to an O2 venue and had to queue so wasn't 100% on the whole priority and general admission thing. When I went on the Sick And Dangerous Tour, I had VIP tickets for the gigs that were at O2 venues so was in a separate queue all together for those gigs. Carman and Flo are on O2 and can get 3 people each in with them so we were all covered to get in first and together. Any hoooo. We are sitting outside the venue, Roxxi goes to the loo in the pub opposite and when she comes back, she says she saw Blind Channel in the pub near the ladies loos. After kicking myself for not being brave enough to buy them drinks in Portsmouth at the hotel, I decide I'm going to buy them some shots. So I pulled up my big girl pants, walked in the pub, find out exactly where they are sitting and then order tequila and sambuca shots at the bar. I couldn't quite see who was sat at the table so I got 10 shots, figured this would be enough and someone wasn't going to complain about having to have more than 1 shot haha. The barmaid put them all on a small tray thank goodness and I slowly walked round to their table. I'm going to be completely honest, I saw Niko and Aleksi as they were on my left as I put the tray down, I saw Tommi who looked me right in the eyes and I have absolutely no idea who else was at the table because I just kept looking at him. I did stay calm though, no idea how much I did. I said "I wanted to do this the other night in the hotel but didn't, these are for you guys, thank you so much for being awesome, love you guys". I blew them (Tommi) a big kiss, they said thank you, I walked away. Not going to lie, my legs felt like jelly and I flopped onto the floor as soon as I got back in the queue but felt proud of myself haha. Ok, so that was thing 1 of "Did That Just Happen Day". Thing 2 was me and Roxxi needing the loo some time later, walking into the pub and the band were still there, still sat next to the ladies loos. This was never going to not look like us stalking them but we did genuinely want to go to the loo. In the queue for said loo, a girl came up behind us and said "can I go in front of you, I'm in the queue for the gig over the road". Which we replied, "so are we". She then said "but I'm in the priority queue", and can you guess our reply?...... "so are we". Never have I heard a gig queue being used as an excuse to cut into a toilet queue before. Just as we were going into the cubicles, this girl says "oh, my boyfriend just said they are letting people in". I have never gone for a wee so quick in my whole life!!! We rushed outside only to find out that the venue were just getting people to line up that needed disabled access as they go in before priority and general admission. So there was no need to rush afterall. When we did get let into the venue, we were in the front row again and I was right in front of Tommi....again.. Thing 3 of "Did That Just Happen Day". Flo had been saying for ages that she wanted one of Olli's picks and she had even made a sign to hold up asking for one. She had been trying to get Olli to see her sign during the gig but he kept looking in the wrong direction. So (que Wonder Woman music), I grab her sign, wave at Olli to get him to look at me and he sees the sign. The cheeky sod grins at me but doesn't move so I do prayer hands at him, he walks to his mic stand, takes out one of his picks from the stand and throws it to me. Unfortunately it landed on the floor, but Olli tapped the security guy on the shoulder who was in front of him asking to pick it up and give it to me. The lovely security guy gives me the pick and I give it to Flo who was super duper happy. Thing 4 of "Did That Just Happen Day". The lads didn't say they were going to come out to merch so we waited around a little and then saw some of them walking out to their bus. We thought they weren't coming out so we went to the pub, had a drink and a sing song before I turn round and see Niko, Olli and Aleksi walking back into the venue. We rushed out to go back in the venue, I was the first one there and I explained to the security guard that 3 members of my favourite band had just walked in and I wanted to meet them. At first he said no because you can't go back into a venue once you leave but then a supervisor came along and said that only I could go in. Only thing was, when I got back in and looked around at merch, the lads were nowhere to be seen. I waited and lucky enough, they appeared. I talked to Olli about my "Don't Fix Me" tattoo and he picked the line "I thought f*ck it, it's just rock and roll". Because my friends were all outside waiting for the lads, I told them that there was people outside waiting for them and they said they would stop on the way back to the bus to speak to them....and they did! Thing 5 of "Did That Just Happen Day". We were all standing around in groups talking when Niko said to us "I'm going to go and get something to eat, you guys needs to work out what bar we are going to. I'll be back in 30 minutes". Me, Flo, Roxxi, Luna and Carman wasn't sure if he was joking or not but decided we would take him to a Wetherspoons, can't get more English than a Wetherspoons right? We are all standing there looking at Google Maps when Niko cames back off the bus about 10 minutes later and says "they had pizza on the bus, so where are we going?" This led to a night of shots, dancing to Abba, telling Niko how much we love him, Niko telling us how much he loves the Wetherspoons app, me telling Niko that his girlfriend is fit, everyone talking random shite and having the most amazing time haha. It was amazing. We managed to get him onto the tour bus 10 minutes before it left to drive to Birmingham, he wasn't in the best of conditions but we all had a great time so it was worth it. Sunday 19th of March - Birmingham Waking up and remembering the night before was so frigging weird. There was a lot of chatter in the car on the way to Birmingham haha. I had booked us into an Ibis hotel that was less than a minute walk from the venue, which was another O2 venue. In fact, we could see the hotel if we stood on the pavement outside the venue, it was that close. We got checked in and walked round to get into the queue which was 2 people. There wasn't any set queues for priority or general so we all just sat in 1 line until the staff came out and told us where we needed to queue. It was such a cold day that we all huddled together. I was a little miffed at this venue as I had my camera with me, the same one that I have been taking to gigs for the last year with no issue, was taken off of me because the staff said it was a professional camera as it had a detachable lense. It is a Sony A6000 which is about the same size as a normal compact camera but has some nifty features and yes, a detachable lense but definitely not a professional camera. This annoyed me so much as I have always got some really good shots with that camera and other venues were more than happy to let me in with it. I got it back at the end of the gig but seriously annoyed me. The videos and pictures I got on my phone were great but they would have been better on my camera. Just like the previous 2 gigs, I was in the front row, right in front of Tommi. I feel this is my permanent spot in a crowd at a Blind Channel gig now haha. I was feeling a little emotional as this set of gigs was coming to end, I wasn't going to see the lads or my friends again for a week and had had such a great time that I didn't want it to end. This was the first gig where I actually paid attention to Trash Boat and I Prevail and that was because the merch stall was in the big hall with the stage. Me, Roxxi and Flo were all sitting up by merch so got to see the rest of the gig. I was very impressed and have a lot of respect for how both bands put on a live show but they just wasn't my sort of bands. I found out that I knew 2 songs from I Prevail but have no idea how haha. Joel, Olli and Joonas came out to see everyone at merch after this gig. We asked where Niko was and we got told he was locked away in a hotel because he had got so wasted the night before haha. I told Joel and Joonas about my "Don't Fix Me" tattoo so they had a look at the lines that were left. Joel picked "I'm dead inside and it's alright", this shouldn't be a surprise to anyone who knows him haha. Joonas picked "Maybe I was born to be broken", he said that he picked that one because it nearly wasn't in the song. We stood talking to Olli and Joonas for a little while, they were so lovely to talk to. Then the venue staff told us we had to get out so we had to leave. We left on a high from the awesome gig as we had all had such a brilliant time but sad it was the last gig. We were so sad that me and Roxxi treated ourselves to pizza that turned out to be so spicy we couldn't feel our lips anymore haha.

With festival season coming in hard and fast, I thought I would put together a little guide for anyone who was heading off to their first festival. Read the festival rules. Don't be that person standing at the front of the queue complaining because staff are taking something off of you that you shouldn't have. Most festivals don't allow you to take in any food or drink and they usually have a limit on the size of bag you can take in. Always check the festival website to check their rules. Check the weather forecast. The last thing you need is to wear the wrong type of clothes at a festival as there isn't anywhere for you to change unless you go back to your tent if you are camping. You don't want to end up missing your favourite band because you got heat stroke and end up in the medical unit like I did twice because I didn't learn the first time. I passed out 10 minutes before Iron Maiden came on stage at Download 2003 and then in 2007 when I was pulled out the crowd before Korn took to the stage because I felt really light headed and then passed out. Not done it again since though so I did finally learn from my mistakes haha. Be prepared to spend a lot of money on food and drink. The sooner you realise that you are going to spend upwards of £6 a pint at a festival, the sooner you won't begrudge buying anything. Little bottles of fizzy or water are sometimes £3 or more and cans can up £2 or more. There is a huge range of food available at festivals but it can be expensive so take your time to have a look around before buying food. If you are going to Download, it is worth opening a Barcleys bank account to get the slightly cheaper prices. If you don't drink alcohol, look out for stalls that do deals on drinks, I've seen a Pepsi stall before that did £4 for a pint of Pepsi and then £3 if you went back with the same cup. Take a fold up poncho If it rains, you have something to keep you dry, if it doesn't rain, you have something to put on the ground so your backside doesn't get dirty. Win win Don't automatically think you will get signal. I have found that sometimes at festivals, I have had a brilliant signal and then others I have had nothing. Remember to tell people who may try to call you while you are there, it will be easier if they message you so you can call them back once you have signal. Arrange Meeting Points If you are going with a group of people and you know you aren't all going to see the same bands all day, arrange a meeting place for the bands you are going to see together so that you don't spend half your time trying to find each other. You could pick one of the food trucks, a bar, the sound desk for the stage you are going to, anywhere that you will all remember and make sure you set a time as well. This is great just in case you are at a festival with no or little signal. Plan your day. Make sure you know what time your favourite bands are on stage so that you don't miss them. Most festivals have an app where you can pick your favourite bands that are playing and it will tell you when they are going to be on stage. They also send you a notification when they are about to start their set. Take a camping chair If you are ok with getting up and down from the ground or standing around for ages then this doesn't apply to you but if you aren't ok with it, take a camping chair. It's so much more comfy to be able to sit in a camping chair, plus, they have drinks holders so you don't have to keep holding your drink. Another win win Get a power bank If you are like me and like taking lots of videos and photos, your battery is going to go down quickly, so invest in a power bank so that you can keep your phone topped up throughout the day and be able to capture your special and fun festival moments. Take sun cream As most festivals are in the summer months, there is a very good chance that it is going to be sunny and hot, make sure you have sun cream so you don't get sunburnt. I like getting the small bottles of sun cream spray as it fits nicely into my bag and I prefer spray as it's easier to apply. Drink plenty of water I'm not saying to just drink water, although that would be the healthy option, I'm saying that you need to drink some water to stay hydrated. Drinking alcohol is fine but every now and then have some water. No one wants sun stroke. To save some money, take an empty bottle that you can fill up with water at the water stations. There are some great collapsible bottles you can buy so they don't take up to much room in your bag when you don't have water in it. Know how you are getting there Seems like a simple one but not fully knowing has caught me out before. I got a weekend parking pass for Download in 2022 thinking the car park would be close but it wasn't. It took us an hour and a half to walk from the car to the arena, that was not fun and it was the last time we parked that weekend. The rest of the time, we got a taxi to and from the festival because the walk from the drop off point was only a half hour walk. There are separate car parks for camping and arena only so make sure you check the festival website to know which one you need to go to. Take wet wipes At festivals it can be dusty so having wet wipes can be quite refreshing. Plus, if like me you are a messy eater, it's good to have one to clean up haha. There are some great small wet wipe packs you can get for festivals that are super handy and are small enough that they don't take up too much room in your bag. Check out the marketplace I have found some serious bargains in the marketplace at festivals, like my alien and predator rings that I think you will agree are super frigging awesome!! There is some things that can be expensive but there is some seriously good stuff too. It always amazes me what you can buy in the marketplace so take your time to walk around and I am sure you will find some bargains. Ask people that have been before People that have been to the festival you want to go to are your best source of information. They will be able to tell you things that caught them out and if there is an alternative. Some festivals have a forum that you can join and you will be able to go through loads of threads of questions, tips and general festival chat. Be yourself A festival is the perfect time to be who you really are. I love going to Download and seeing everyone dressed to the extreme because they look so amazing! The outfits and make-up are outstanding and I am so jealous because I don't think I will ever have those make-up skills. Wear what you want, be as crazy as you want, just don't be a dick haha. And last but not least.... Have an awesome time 😀

I knew that was going to go to Download 2023 while I was attending Download 2022. It had been a good 10 years since I had been to Download and I didn't realise how much I missed it. Getting to see loads of my favourite bands all in the same place, hanging out with my friends, enjoying the sunshine, being surrounded by like-minded people, seeing the effort some peopel go to with their outfits and make-up as well as the people who must of lost a bet because they look like a 3 year old dressed them haha. Althought 2022 was the first time that I didn't camp at Download, I have issues with my hips and back so camping was definitly going to be a no no. We got an Airbnb instead which was nice as we could have hot showers every day and sleep in a proper bed. My friends and I were talking about going to Download 2023 before we even left to drive home. We were thinking of doing VIP camping but that is super expensive and had to be paid in one go so that was another no no. I was waiting for the first announcement when the legend that is Corey Taylor unofficially confirmed that Slipknot would be at Download so in my mind, it was a done deal. Slipknot will be there and so will I. When the announcement came out, my favourite band Blind Channel were confirmed and my brain basically screamed "GIVE THEM YOUR MONEY!!" There was no way I was going to miss Blind Channel being at Download for the first time, plus, I haven't seen them a a festival before so it's going to be a whole new expierence for me. At first I was going to go on my own and meet my friends up there as my husband, Sean, has some medical issues that caused him enough issues before so he said he was going to sit this one out. Then a week after all the weekend tickets sold out, he said he really wanted to go. Changed all my plans including the hotel, worked out how we were going to work everything out for him....... 2 weeks later after a day out that basically crippled Sean, he decided it would be better if he didn't go. This made me very upset as I wanted him there with me, but after a long chat, we thought it was the best thing to do. Luckily, my sister Fran agreed to come with me as she has never been to Download before and she lives a 15 minute drive from Download so everyone wins. Sean is still coming with me but he is going to be our taxi service to and from the festival. I like to be well prepared for festivals so my packing started about 3 weeks before Download haha. I wanted to make sure that I had all the clothes I wanted to take. I also wanted to make sure that I had the right gear to mount my phone as I was going to use it to take the videos and pictures for my blog. I couldn't see anything on the restrictions about the stuff I was taking so I basically have my fingers crossed that I will be able to get it with it all. I love dying my hair for gigs and festivals so I have gone pink and purple with a little splash of blue. It makes it easier to spot me in pictures and videos as well as being easy for my friends to find in a crowd haha. We have our plan for getting wristbands, as I have a camping ticket because I couldn't get an arena only ticket, we are driving straight to Donington on Wednesday so I can go in and get my wristband and then go to Fran's. Then on Thursday, I will line up with Fran as she has an arena only ticket, get her sorted and then we go in. The first band I want to see aren't on until 4:40pm so we can take it easy, walk around, find people and check out some of the other bands that are on. Thursday is going to be a nice chill day haha. The Download app is going to be a god send with notifications but I am wondering if it's still going to work during the festival as last year I had little to no signal so I'm going to set alarms on my phone for my favourites just to be on the safe side. Better to have 2 notifications then none at all and then missing a band I really want to see. I am super excited, I just know this is going to be an awesome year at Download. Wednesday 7th of June Well, today can go and suck a big hairy sweaty ball sack. We set off mid morning as we weren't in a rush and all was fine until we got close to Donington and the traffic was horrendous. We ended up in very VERY slow moving traffic to get to Download, we moved just under a mile in an hour and half. I can't complain too much though as there were people on buses that did a mile in 3 hours. We got into the camping car park, which was a massive MASSIVE field, and managed to drive all the way down to the camping queue which had hardly anyone there by the time we arrived. I went in, got my wristband and got back out in 15 minutes haha. It felt good to finally have it and get back out onto the road to my sister's house. It was quite nice just being up there amougst the other Downloaders, I remember back in the day when we would camp and it would feel like forever dragging all our stuff from the van to the campsite, getting it all set up and then just chilling out. I wish my back and hip were better so I could camp.

Today was definitely an experience, there was a lot of traffic going to Download again as there was still people turning up for camping. We got dropped off near the day ticket entrance, there was lots of people but it didn't take us long to get through once the gates opened. We got Fran's wristband and then did the short walk round to the arena. I've never been at Download so early before so it was weird to see it so empty before everyone arrived. It was quite nice to pick out a nice spot to see the main stage as we had a while before there was a band we really wanted to see. I'd selected to get the 20th anniversary packet with the program, lanyard and pin and seeing as I wanted to be able to check the set times without having to keep checking the app, I decided to get in the queue for click and collect. 2 hours later after trying to navigate the fact that there was 3 queues for click and collect, 2 members of staff serving people and my skin burning in the sun shine, I had my pack and I could go back to my poor sister who had been left on her own while I was in the queue. I found my friends Luna and Carmen in time for us all to go and watch Punk Rock Factory. These girls are my Blind Channel sisters, we have been to a lot of gigs and always have the best time together. Carmen had the best stood ever! It was a telescopic stool that collapses down into a nice little portable case that's easy to carry. I saw a few people with them, it's a lot easier to carry round with you than a camping chair but the only thing that would put me off is that it doesn't have a back to lean back on. Punk Rock Factory These guys were amazing! I haven't seen them before and they were so much fun, they started off singing the Power Rangers theme song and they ever had people dressed up as Power Rangers on the stage!! My favourites that they played were "Under The Sea", "You're Welcome", "Mamma Mia", "We Don't Talk About Bruno", "Spongbob" and "Pokemon". I loved the happy party vibe that everyone had for this set, everyone was just having such a good time dancing around and singing at the top of their lungs. One thing I love about this band is the Disney covers they do, even if you have never heard one of their songs, everyone knows the words because we have all seen the films. Halestorm I missed the beginning of the set because of seeing Punk Rock Factory and then needing to get something to eat but Halestorm sounded awesome on the main stage. I only know a few songs but they put on an awesome performance. I heard them play "Back From The Dead" and "The Steeple" which were amazing to hear live. Alter Bridge OMG Alter Bridge were amazing!!! I will admit that I didn't know all of the songs that they played as I'm not a die-hard fan but they played 2 of my favourites which are "Black Bird" and "Metalingus" and hearing them live was just out of this world. Myles said at one point that he has been at Download quite a few times now with different projects and he's now at the point that he feels so comfortable playing at the festival because it feels like we are all family. I just love this so much because it is true, everyone is just so lovely to each other, we are all there for the same reasons and that is to listen to our favourite bands. We don't feel the need to fight or be dicks to each other, we dance and sing together. Hearing Myles' golden voice ringing out over the crowd was just out of this world. His voice is one of a kind and While we were waiting for Metallica to come, a guy goes to walk in front of us but stops, he has 4 pints in one of those cardboard trays and it looks like the tray was going to fall apart. I get up and agree to help him take his drinks to his friends as there was no way the poor lad was going to make it. He took 2 pints, I took 2 and we started making our way through the crowd. He couldn't find his friends so he phones his friend Lee only to find out that his friend had gone off to the toilets. So, to keep the story short, I ended up adopting this lad (his name is Gareth), who came with me to find Fran and Carmen as Metallica started and I ended up having Lee's pints. It was quite good cider so wasn't going to complain haha. Ok, I'm going to admit something that some of you won't like....... I'm not a fan of Metallica. Yes, yes, how dare I and all that haha. I repect them as a band as there is no doubt that their contribution to the music industry hasn't been huge but I'm just not into them. I like some of their songs obvisiously, there's not a chance that there are many people who don't know the intro and words to "Master Of Puppets" or "Sad But True", "Nothing Else Matters", "For Whom The Bells Tolls" or even "Enter Sandman". We stayed for about an hour and Metallica hadn't played anything that we knew so we decided to leave. This kicked us in the arse though because as I was getting changed to get into bed, I heard "Master Of Puppets" as clear as day haha. I couldn't believe how clear I could hear it and all from the comfort of my bed.

Single Review - Friend Or Foe - Common Tongue From the opening notes of this song I liked it. The fuzz drenched guitar, being joined by either bass, or another guitar and drums. A dense sound from just two members. It doesn’t seem that long since I reviewed their last single, so they are chucking them out thick an fast, but even though there is quantity there is still quality. Their influences are Muse Queens Of The Stone Age and Biffy Clyro, but I also hear some 70’s metal influences in here too. The overall result is powerful. I’d like to see them live. Make sure to check out Common Tongue's website for upcoming news. Single Review - Friend Or Foe - Common Tongue

EP Review - Call Me Amour - Call Me Amour Call Me Amour is a hauntingly immersive journey into the depths of dark electronica, blending pulsating beats, brooding atmospheres, and chilling vocals to create a mesmerizing auditory experience. The opening track, "Eclipse," sets the tone with its relentless, throbbing basslines and ghostly synths that feel like a heartbeat in the void. Layers of textured distortion and whispered vocals creep in, drawing the listener into a soundscape that feels both intimate and otherworldly. EP Review - Call Me Amour - Call Me Amour "BLOOM" the second track (Featuring Scott Kennedy) takes a sharper turn into industrial territory, with grinding beats and staccato rhythms that mimic machinery in decay, makes it a standout piece that could easily find its way onto a dystopian film soundtrack. The highlight of the EP is arguably "DREAMS" a slower, more melancholic piece at the start with a sharper choruse. It's as emotional as it is unsettling, striking a perfect balance between fragility and menace. The band announced they'll be the opening act for Set It Off on their February 2025 tour in the UK. 20.02.25 - O2 Ritz, Manchester 21.02.25 - Boiler Shop, Newcastle 22.02.25 - Project House, Leeds 24.02.25 - SWG3 Galvanisers, Glasgow 25.02.25 - O2 Institute, Birmingham 27.02.25 - SWX, Bristol 28.02.25 - Electric Ballroom, London 01.03.25 - Electric Ballroom, London EP Review - Call Me Amour - Call Me Amour

Album Review - Big Canyon Rock is dead!!! Oh yeah? According to who exactly? Because from what I have been hearing in the last few months rock is very much alive. Its just been taken back from the mainstream and put into the hands of people who really appreciate this kind of music, instead of posers and wannabees, all fawning over the latest trend. Well, rock ain’t no trend, it’s a full on way of life, and bands like The Black Vultures, Ryder, Rattleback, Loz Campbell and here in all their glory Big Canyon.are all waiting to take the crown from the ageing and dying old guard of rock, and I include all the NWBHM bands in that sentence. Move over Rover and let the young guns take over. This is NNWBHM – the new new wave of British heavy metal So Big Canyon have been around for a few years, honing their craft to perfection. They released, as a three piece, a mini album in 2020, but now hit us with a ten track self titled new album and a new member in Andi Meacock on vocals. And that was a great move. Andi looks like Robert Palmer, but screams like a banshee. He has the voice to take this band to a higher level, in conjunction with full on riffmeister guitarist Ben Williamson, with outstanding rhythm section of Julian Palmer on bass and Leon Ashley on drums, who pounds those skins in a very John Bonham kind of way. They have already released two singles form this album, Rescue Me, and Falling, but the rest of the tracks are equally appealing and bombastic. Except for Beautiful Mind which is an acoustic track,showing off the bands more tender side, and a chance for the listener to catch their breath before diving back into the mosh pit with Captain Of Your Soul. The album starts on a Zeppelin kinda groove with Rescue Me, and ends on a Black Sabbath kinda groove with The Things You Do, with all other essential rock ingredients in between. This band look the part, sound the part and definitely have my vote. If you are a rock lover check them out – they RAAWK!!! Like muvvers.

Single Review - Different Kind Of Woman - Leoni Jane Kennedy Man, what a sultry steamy smoky soulful vocal delivery Leonie Jane gives on this little nugget, Different Kind Of Woman. The backing track reminds me, in its feel, of Allanah Miles’ Black Velvet. It soon breaks away from this and has a great build up where some nice Hammond organ swirls in the background, and Leoni lets rip on her PRS guitar. I couldn’t work out at first what the song was about, but then it became clear that she is talking to a friend possibly about her man wanting a different kind of woman, and really she should get over it, until the last line when she reveals she is that different kind of woman, Naughty. A clever different take on forbidden love. This the first of seven singles to be released from her forthcoming debut originals album ‘Synthetic’. Her debut debut album was an acoustic Rush covers album in 2023, which gained her massive respect throughout the music industry, and if this single is anything to go by, this woman is just going to go from strength to strength. Single Review - Different Kind Of Woman - Leoni Jane Kennedy