Archived News

Saturday 20/10/2007

Zoe's birthday is on Monday November 26, so I have just booked flights for the weekend (24th & 25th) to Venice.

We were very close to booking a weekend in Brugge, but the temptation of Venice was just too good to pass up (and it was the same price).

Even though we won't be there for very long, I am really excited about Venice! View Photos.

Tuesday 16/10/2007

Well, after a very busy week in Sydney, I am now back in London. The weather is bad, the food doesn't taste as good, and shop assistance look at you like a freak if you say hi.

It was really good to see everyone, even if it was just once or twice. Look forward to seeing everyone again, although I have no idea when.

Photos can be seen on the Sydney photography page.

Saturday 29/09/2007

I had been looking forward to this for a few months, so I was really excited on the way to The O2 (formerly known as the Millennium dome). I have been playing hockey since I was 11 so seeing my first live NHL game was a special occasion for me.

After a delayed start to the game, we were treated to 3 periods of NHL action, however until the 3rd period I wasn't really impressed by the standard of the play. It seemed a bit slow, and lacked the big hits and fast pace that the NHL is so famous for. In the 3rd period though, the Ducks seemed to realise they were 3 goals down and decided to put some effort in. They really should have got the game back, but some great goal-tending held them to 4-1 at full time. The Kings 4th goal was scored on an open net.

Overall I had a really good night. We had great seats and went to Ping Pong for dinner afterwards which was very nice.

Friday 28/09/2007

On Friday night, Zoe, Kit, Charlie and I went to Wembley Arena to watch Gwen Stefani in concert, supported by CSS.

Even though Gwen Stefani is far from my favourite, she put on a really good show, and seemed very genuine with her performance. Also, I was surprised to find out that No Doubt are going to release an album... That will be interesting.

CSS were good too, always entertaining...

Tuesday 28/09/2007

What a weekend!

We flew out of London on Friday morning and arrived in the afternoon. After dropping our things off we got off to a good start by heading to the Augustina beer hall.

The following morning, we were up bright and early (6:30 AM) so that we could get prime position at the Hofbrauhaus tent for the opening of Oktoberfest where the mayor of Munich taps the first keg. As soon as the formalities were over, the beer started flowing and everyone in the 3000 person capacity tent had a stein of beer in front of them or swinging in the air. Later in the night we were on the rollercoaster's which was a strain on the stomach, but nothing came up! On Sunday we went to the Lowenbrau tent, and did it all over again.

Apart from the beer, there were rides, great food, and some very friendly people. Imagine the Easter show, but everybody is very merry and not walking as straight as they should be.

A FANTASTIC weekend, which I would love to do again.

Tuesday 21/08/2007

Well today is Kurt's birthday, and our birthday present to him was a ticket to see Tool @ Brixton Academy. Tool is one of Kurt's favourites, so he has been looking forward to this for a while.

On the way in, I was made to check my camera into the cloakroom - no cameras allowed in tonight at the bands request. What load of bullsh*t. luckily, they played very well and put on a very good show. It was nice to show Kurt a concert at Brixton; it really is a special place to see one of your favourite bands.

After the concert we had a few birthday drinks on the way home, my head hurts!

Kurt will be leaving London on Friday, and will head back to Groningen for a month. After that he is going back to Australia with a souvenir, his girlfriend Floor.

Sunday 19/08/2007

Ben, Zoe, and I left Heathrow on Saturday morning and arrived in Groningen that evening. We met Kurt & floor at the train station and went back to their place to drop off our stuff and have some dinner before heading out for a Saturday night on the town.

The rest of the week was spent checking out the sights of Groningen and meeting Kurt & Floor's friends. We did some really cool things like a canoe ride around the canals, bowling in a really old alley, and a reggae night at one of the local bars which was really fun.

On Saturday morning we made our way to Amsterdam so that we could have a night out in a town that is hard not to love. Amsterdam is certainly somewhere I could live...

On Sunday morning, we made our way back to Amsterdam airport and we were tucked into bed early that night for some much needed catch up sleep.

Friday 10/08/2007

I really love Frogstomp, but they didn't play one single song from it. Sure it was 10 years ago, but all of us were very surprised we didn't get to hear some old favourites.

Nothing to rave about so I won't write much...

Photos:

Wednesday 01/08/2007

While Kurt, Dave, Ben and I were travelling last year, Kurt met a very nice Dutch girl named Floor, who he has since been living with in Groningen.

Kurt has been at us to come and see Groningen for a while. and recently he told us that in September he & Floor will be heading back to Australia (probably to make babies), so Ben, Zoe and I decided to go and pay him a visit before he goes. In just over a week we'll fly to Amsterdam and then catch a train up to Groningen to stay for just over a week.

Friday 27/07/2007

After having my Digital SLR camera stolen I decided to get something a bit more compact and travel friendly. After quite a bit of research I was sold on the Canon Powershot G7.

It's quite small for the amount of features it offers, and feels very solid in my hands.

I will certainly be getting another Digital SLR, but not in the near future. My aim is to get another one when I do more courses.

Saturday 28/07/2007

This morning I was informed that my photo that had been short-listed for the Schmap Hamburg Guide was selected for use in the guide!

I am quite proud of this achievement, especially because I didn't even enter any competitions. It was just picked out of my Flickr account.

Thursday 26/07/2007

What a great night...

Ben and I both bought 2 tickets each so we decided to sell the extras for a bit more and recover the cost of our tickets, so in the end we saw The Hives for free. The venue was just a small pub/club that had a small bar out in the back room so the atmosphere was amazing. At one point we had the singer standing right in front of us in the crowd in the middle of a song - that was pretty surreal.

My head hurts today.

Wednesday 25/07/2007

Today Ben, Zoe, and I booked our accommodation for Oktoberfest.

This is going to be fun!

Tuesday 24/07/2007

Well it's not a secret anymore...

The Hives have announced a one-off secret show tomorrow night at Hoxton Bar and Grill in Shoreditch. I nearly missed this one, but managed to get my hands on some tickets.

Come back on Thursday to see how it was.

Friday 20/07/2007

When checking my email this morning I got the following message:

It was a bit of a shock seeing as I didn't enter any competitions. However the photo was picked up via my Flickr account. It looks as though the photo will be used to promote Hamburg's Erotic Art Museum.

This is the photo that has been short-listed:

Tuesday 17/07/2007

On Amber's last night in London, we took her to see Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesties Theatre.

It was pretty good, but nothing to rave about. Some of the sets were really impressive and there were glimpses of brilliance in some of the performances.

Nothing much planned over the next week or two which is a welcomed change. Zoe & I really need to get a few things sorted out after having our house burgled.

Sunday 15/07/2007

One of the things Amber wanted to do while in London was visit Madame Tussauds

After waiting for over an hour to get in, I violated Jennifer Lopez, Beyoncé Knowles, Britney Spears, Marilyn Monroe, John Howard, and Saddam Hussein. Amber got Shane Warne's number, Zoe picked Tom Cruise's massive nose before being interviewed by Opera and both Zoe & Amber got it on with Colin Farrell.

Friday 13/07/2007

Well I really had an unlucky Friday 13th...

I got a call at work on Friday afternoon informing me our flat had been robbed. Our laptops, cameras, ipods, and various other sentimental things were taken. Luckily my external hard drive with most of my travel photos was left behind. Unfortunately Zoe had returned from a trip around Europe with her sister the night before and half of the photos they took were on the memory stick inside one of the stolen cameras.

Most of the items should be covered by insurance. Will just have to wait and see.

Thursday 12/07/2007

After just over 2 weeks away, Zoe and here sister Amber have arrived back in London. They visited Paris, Barcelona, Milan, Rome, Mykonos, Santorini, and Athens. Both agreed that Santorini was their favourite destination.

Amber is in London until Wednesday. There is a good chance that we are going to do some sight seeing with her over the weekend, if we can get her away from the shops.

Thursday 12/07/2007

I just received an email informing me that Jose Gonzalez will be playing a show at Union Chapel in Islington, which is no more than a 5 minute walk from where I live.

I don't think that Jose Gonzalez is very well known by name, but if you listen to his album Veneer, I'm sure you would have heard his music. His songs have appeared on The O.C, One Tree Hill, Friday Night Lights, and the Sony Bravia commercial with all of the bouncing balls.

While his music is very soft & mellow, I am really looking forward to this concert. Should be a great Tuesday night out.

Wednesday 11/07/2007

One of the things that Zoe really wanted to do while Amber (her sister) is in London is see a West End Show.

They went to see Wicked before they left for their trip, but weren't overly satisfied, so we are going to take Ambs to see Phantom of the Opera next Tuesday, the day before she leaves to go back to Australia.

Zoe & Amber arrive back in London tomorrow night after visiting Paris, Barcelona, Milan, Rome, Mykonos, Santorini, and Athens.

We are also going to be taking her to the Ministry of Sound nightclub on Saturday night.

Saturday 07/07/2007

On Saturday Ben & I went to Live Earth at Wembley. Live Earth was billed as a monumental music event that would bring together more than 2 billion people to combat the climate crisis.

We got to see a pretty impressive line up: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Beastie Boys, Metallica, Pussycat Dolls (mmmmm), Snow Patrol, Damien Rice, Duran Duran, Black Eyed Peas, Genesis, James Blunt, Kasabian, Razorlight, Spinal Tap, Bloc Party, Madonna. In between sets there were some celebrity hosts like Neve Campbell, Geri Halliwell, and Chris Rock.

For me the best was easily the Foo Fighters, they were fantastic. Madonna put on a really good show too. I know she's old enough to be my grandma's grandma, but she really did put on a good show.

The most disappointing was the Chili Peppers. No old songs! Still list them as one of my favourite bands, just wish they would stop making new albums.

Next concert... Silverchair at Brixton Academy on August 10. No doubt something will pop up before then, and if it does… I'll let you know.

Tuesday 03/07/2007

1 week ago, Ben and I made the 2 hour train journey to Brussels to visit one of the highlights of our backpacking trip from last year, Rock Werchter.

We arrived in Belgium on Wednesday afternoon and had a stroll around the city before coming across a great little bar that we visited last year. We had such a fun time last time, so we decided to have a drink which shortly turned into yard glasses and what will surely be a surprising phone bill.

On Thursday morning, we made our way to Leuven, the home of Stella, to get the festival bus to Werchter. We made our tent and some shade and then met some nice Belgian friends, before Kurt & Floor arrived.

We have been spoilt with access to great bands/concerts/festivals in London, but in my opinion, Rock Werchter takes the cake. This year I had the pleasure of watching Marilyn Manson, Bjork, The Beastie Boys, Muse, Kaiser Chiefs, Bloc Party, Lily Allen, Queens of the Stone Age, Arctic Monkeys, Pearl Jam, Snow Patrol, the Killers, Peter Gabriel, The Chemical Brothers, Cold War Kids, Interpol, Incubus, Damien Rice, Metallica, and Faithless.

The highlight was definietly Pearl Jam, their playlist was great with minimal new music. Other highlights for me were Kaiser Chiefs, Damien Rice, The Beastie Boys, Muse, Queens of the Stone Age, and Cold War Kids.

After saying goodbye to Kurt & Floor, we made our way back home to London. Fantastic festival... Again. See you next year Werchter.

Saturday 29/06/2007

This weekend Ben & I will be going to Wembley Stadium for Live Earth, London.

The Line-up includes: The Beastie Boys, Madonna, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Duran Duran, Damien Rice, Bloc Party, Genesis, James Blunt, Razorlight, David Gray, Foo Fighters, Black Eyed Peas, Snow Patrol, Spinal Tap, Metallica, and the Pussycat Dolls.

Website Description: Live Earth is a monumental music event that will bring together more than 2 billion people to combat the climate crisis.

Tickets were sold in a ballet system which I missed out on, and refused to pay 3 times the face-value which they were being re-sold for. Fortunately, I was able to get some tickets which had been reallocated. Woohoo!

Monday 25/06/2007

This morning, Zoe got up nice an early to go and greet her little sister, Amber at Heathrow airport.

On Thursday morning, they will depart for Paris, Barcelona, Milan, Rome, and the Greek Islands... Lucky devils!

Don't worry about me though! In the meantime, Ben and I will be heading to Belgium for Rock Werchter.

I have to give a big public thank you to Amber for bringing me 2 of my favourite things in the whole world... Oporto chilli sauce and Cottee's Coola cordial.

Saturday 23/06/2007

Zoe and I have now moved house. Previously we were living in Acton, but we have recently made the move to the north London suburb of Islington.

We had a bit of an impromptu house warming party on Saturday night.

Update: We have 2 new flat mates, Eoin & Stephanie. They are a couple from Ireland & Scotland.

Tuesday 19/06/2007

Last night, Ben and I went to the Shepherds Bush Empire to see the Smashing Pumpkins. We arrived early to try and get a good seat to find the line was already stretching around the corner. The asking price of a scalped ticket was £150..

We got inside at 7:30 to see that most of the seats on the 1st floor balcony had already been filled, and the best seats had reserved for "friends of the Smashing Pumpkins" signs on them. We went right down to the front of the balcony to test our luck, and our luck was kind - we got the best vantage point in the theatre.

They came on stage at 8:00 and played until 11:00. Such a fantastic show with all of their best songs (excluding Ava Adore). Like Daft Punk on Saturday, it is hard to explain how good the show was, it was one of those experiences where you just had to be there... The music was loud, the crowd was really into it, and it went for 3 hours!

My ears are still ringing!

Thursday 14/06/2007

Ben & I had an early mark from work today and went to Hyde Park to see the Queens of the Stone Age and The White Stripes at the 02 Wireless Festival.

The weather wasn't great all week, so we weren't expecting any better today, just praying for no rain. Our prayers were answered, as the rain held off, but as a whole I would say that the afternoon was a bit of a disappointment as both The White Stripes & Queens of the Stone Age were a bit flat.

Hopefully Queens of the Stone Age are a bit more exciting at Rock Werchter.

Saturday 16/06/2007

In the morning, it was raining on and off and getting progressively worse. After taking bets of whether the day would be called off, Zoe and I set off to Ben's house and we all made our way to Hyde Park. The weather was holding off apart from the odd small spit of rain, but we had a feeling we were going to get very wet... Things were getting slippery too. Ben decided to wear his jandles/thongs/flip flops and nearly had a big fall down some stairs. It was great that he didn't fall, but it was funny watching him slip and slide.

To our fortune, the sun came out and the bands were fantastic. We arrived late so we missed out on Datarock, but we did get to see CSS, LCD Soundsystem and Daft Punk.

CSS were great. They were very lively, and had quite a few people there to see them. The lead singer stripped down to a sequence bodysuit, and proceeded to get the whole crowd warmed up with their lively music.

Afterwards was LCD Soundsystem.. Although very good, I'd have to say CSS deserved to be pushed up the order.

Last and certainly not least was the headliners of the day, Daft Punk. Probably one of the most iconic dance acts of my generation and for good reason. These guys put on an absolutely fantastic show, and everybody went crazy for it. No words can describe how much fun we had...

Tuesday 05/06/2007

Since moving to London, Zoe and I have been living with 5 others in a 4 bedroom house. Although it's fun and not too crowded, we have decided to move into the heart of London.

We are moving into a 2 bedroom flat on Essex Rd in Angel/Islington which is in zone 1. Both Zoe and I very excited because we will have a tube station, countless bars & restaurants, a cinema, a shopping centre, and supermarket within a 5 minute walking distance.

I am really happy to be moving away from Acton. It's an area of London full of Australians an kiwis and at times it's easy to forget that you're away from home.

Friday 01/06/2007

This morning tickets for the Smashing Pumpkins went on sale at 9:30. I couldn't get through on the phone, the internet wasn't accepting my order, and I was starting to panic!

Ben to the rescue though. He managed to get through and get us tickets. We're going to see the Smashing Pumpkins! Can't wait.

Monday 14/05/2007

I am now the proud owner of a Macbook Pro. It has a 15inch screen, 2.33GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, with 2GB RAM and a 120GB HDD.

There are a few things to learn, but that shouldn't take long. Very easy to use, intuative interface, and it looks great too!

Update: This was stolen when my flat was burgled. Ordering a new one soon.

If the scumbag who robbed us is reading this with his/her shiny laptop and camera collection: I hope you get cancer!

Update: Laptop has been replaced.

Friday 04/05/2007

After putting it off for years, I have decided to finally have my wisdom teeth out.

I have set a date of next Friday. Going to be sedated and wake up feeling pretty sore I would imagine.. Can't wait. Bring on the ice cream and jelly!

Update: Teeth have been removed. I had no problems at all, apart from getting sick of the taste of blood and being a bit tired. Couldn't have gone better! I still ate plently of ice cream, and demanded lot's of sympathy...

Wednesday 18/04/2007

I have just purchased tickets to see Tool on Tuesday 21 August at Brixton Academy.

They will be playing only 1 show in the UK, after a very successful tour in February which I didn't attend.

This show is on Kurt's birthday and this is one of his all time favourite bands, so I have offered him 2 tickets. Hopefully we will see him in London again!

Wednesday 18/04/2007

I have just purchased 3 tickets to see Silverchair on Friday 10 August at Brixton Academy.

I am really looking forward to going back to Brixton Academy. It's a really cool place to see a concert (have been previously to see Massive Attack).

Going to see quite a few good shows over the next couple of months. I have tickets to Day 1 of the O2 Wireless Festival (June), all 4 days of Rock Werchter (June), Hilltop Hoods (May), and Gwen Stefani (September).

Friday 06/04/2007

After a late night out last night Zoe and I struggled out of bed for our 6:00 AM departure to Amsterdam. We arrived in Amsterdam in the afternoon after driving through FRance and Belgium, and immediately left for a moonlight cruise through the canals. After the cruise we made our way to the famous red light district for a look around. We had a great (and very late) night walking around and taking in some of the more risqué sights.

Saturday 07/04/2007

There were no tour related activities happening today except a dinner in Volendam. Zoe and I decided against the dinner to have a full day and night in the city. We started the day relatively late and made our way to the Van Gogh museum. After a few hours we made our way to Anne Franks house, but we didn't stop there because the queue curled around the block. We decided instead to come back later and try our luck. From Anne Frank's house we walked to the sex museum and had a look around there. It was a bit of fun and we had some good laughs there.

Sunday 08/04/2007

On Sunday we had a day filled with planned activities. The first was to visit a little place in Volendam that specialised in cheese & clogs where I bought myself a pair of clogs as a souvenir. Afterwards we went for a bike ride through the village which was really nice. Next stop today was a trip to the Keukenhof Gardens tulip festival. We didn't have very much time here, but it was really nice to see a different part of the Netherlands than a big city like Amsterdam or Rotterdam.

After arriving back in Amsterdam in the late afternoon, Zoe and I seized the opportunity to go back to Anne Franks house. This time the queue was much shorter so we went in and had a good look around. This was Zoe's first visit to Amsterdam, and this was something very high on her list of things to do so we were both glad we got the opportunity. Zoe bought the diary of Anne Frank as a souvenir.

The last group activity planned was for a "cultural experience" which was a live sex show at a theatre in the red light district. Everyone that has been to Amsterdam will know what I'm talking about, and I don't want to ruin it for anyone so I will just say that I raised my eye brows a few times and was doubled over with laughter at others. Afterwards we again enjoyed a late night in the city.

Monday 09/04/2007

We got up early after another very late night and trudged onto the bus. Most people had a late night so it was a very quiet day heading back to London. We got home at 4:00 PM at made our way home for a nice home cooked dinner and an early night..

I was very hesitant to do a Contiki trip, but it was a very affordable way to travel which offered some really good activities that you don't normally think of while travelling. Don't think I would be interested in a long tour, but a weekend break is recommended.

I have spoken to quite a few people about my trip the general consensus is that Amsterdam is a place for sex and drugs, I have even spoken to people who have not gone there for that reason but it has to be said that this is one of the best places I have been. Sure it is filled with tourists who flock straight to the red light district and coffee shops (not that I am any different), but the thing that is hardly mentioned is that Amsterdam is a beautiful city filled with lot's of great bars, restaurants, clubs, history, museums, parks, and sights. The vivbe is very relaxed and the Dutch people are friendly.

No matter what you're into this is a city that everyone should see. I will definitely be going back, next time I'd like to hire a boat!

Thursday 05/04/2007

Last night Ben and I went to Fulham Broadway to watch Chelsea play Valencia at Stamford Bridge (Chelsea's home ground).

It was a very good game. It was great to see some big name players in the flesh and to wtach a truly entertaining football match. There weren't many dull moments.

Have a look at my football photos.

Tomorrow morning, Zoe & I will be leaving to spend the Easter long weekend in Amsterdam, so come back next week for photos and a review.

Thursday 05/04/2007

After telling BT of my intentions to leave, I was presented with an offer which was simply too good to pass up, so I have decided to stay with BT.

Thursday 29/03/2007

Today I received a job offer from Feelingpeaky that I accepted.

Feelingpeaky is a London based independent design & marketing agency that specialise in online media, internal communications, corporate identity and branding collateral, print communications and marketing.

I will be working as a Project Manager. I'm really looking forward to starting at the end of April.

Wednesday 28/03/2007

This coming Easter long weekend Zoe and I will be travelling to Amsterdam.

We left making plans to the last minute, where everything is either fully booked or seriously expensive. Luckily, we got these tickets from a couple who were unable to make the trip they booked.

This will be my second time in Amsterdam, and Zoe's first. We are both really excited.

Stay tuned for photos and a review.

Thursday 22/03/2007

Today I managed to get some tickets to see Chelsea play Valencia in the Champions League quarter final. The game is on Wednesday 04/04/2007.

I've never been a big fan of football, but it's hard to ignore when living in London. I have been to see 3 Everton games as Ben supports them, but I have really been wanting to see a Chelsea game because they have quite a few big names and play exciting football.

Saturday 17/03/2007

I took just under 3 hours for Ben, Zoe, and I to get to Liverpool by train. We left in the early afternoon, checked into a quiet little guest house and made our way into the city to celebrate St Patrick's Day.

The most noticeable difference between Liverpool at London were the accents, Liverpool has a much more cockney sound, and there was hardly any foreign accents, very different from London. The city itself was very nice. Lot's of cool old buildings.

We made our way to the Cavern club. This is where the Beatles made almost 300 appearances between 1961 and 1963. The club was very crowded and drinks were being served in plastic cups. Not a very nice place if you ask me, and there was memorabilia every where which made it feel like we were having a drink in the gift shop.

We left the Cavern club after only 1 drink to find somewhere a bit more exciting. We made our way outside and we were all happy to sit back and watch the crowd go by. There were all sorts of characters out that made for some very interesting viewing. The women in Liverpool are amazing - no, not that kind of amazing. They are amazing because they were all wearing belts (really short mini skirts) in freezing weather.

Sunday 18/03/2007

It was very cold on Sunday (especially when you leave your jacket on the other side of the country on a day that snow is predicted). The snow started early in the day, but was very patchy. The weather went from freezing cold, to gale forced winds, to nice & sunny.

We had a few hours to kill before the football, so we decided to go and check out the Beatles museum. We made our way through the rough winds to the museum, only to find that there was a £10 entry fee. We all decided not to go in as none of us like the Beatles. Instead we went and had a nice lunch in a cool restaurant/bar nearby.

Football

This was my 3rd Everton game (pretty good effort seeing as I don't support them). I had seen them play Arsenal at Emirates stadium and draw 1-1. I have seen them lose at Fulham 1-0, and now I have seen them win 1-0 against Arsenal at home.

Arsenal were missing some key players (Henry, van Persie, Eboue, Adebayor) and Everton are without Tim Cahill for the rest of the season. It wasn't the most exciting game, and we didn't see a goal until injury time in the second half when Andy Johnson picked up a loose ball inside the box to seal the game. It was really good being behind the goal for the game winner.. Some very happy fans. The last 15 minutes of the game was played as snow fell on the pitch.

Have a look at my photos from the game.

Thursday 15/03/2007

Today Ben bought me a ticket to 1 day of the O2 Wireless Festival.

It is being held in Hyde Park which will be really cool. Going to work most of the day and then walk from work (Hyde Park is about a 5 minute walk from work). The only 2 bands mentioned on the website for Thursday are Queens of the Stone Age and The White Stripes.

I'm going to Liverpool this weekend to watch Everton play Arsenal in the football and to do a bit of sight seeing. Photos will be online early next week, so stay tuned. I've also started looking for tripods so check back for some night photography shots of London in the next few weeks.

Wednesday 14/03/2007

The rumours have been floating around for weeks, but today it was confirmed. Queens of the Stone Age will be playing at Rock Werchter.

I saw QOTSA for the first time at Splendour in the Grass at Byron Bay in 2005. They were fantastic so I am really looking forward to seeing them again. They have a new album due out this summer.

There is a good chance that I will still go to see Queens of the Stone Age and The White Stripes in Hyde Park at the O2 Wireless Festival.

Monday 12/03/2007

The Anaheim Ducks will be facing the LA Kings in London to start the 2007-08 season. The teams will play two games Sept. 29 and 30 at the O2 Arena (formerly the Millenium Dome).

I really can't wait for this game. I have tickets to the Saturday night game sitting in the yellow sqaure marked in the seating plan. Ben and Zoe will be coming with me.

I'm a Red Wings fan, but I am going to support the Anaheim on the night.

I have been wanting to see an NHL game since I started playing hockey, and I have finally been given the opportunity, and it surely won't be my last.

Wednesday 07/03/2007

The Killers have announced that they will be playing at Rock Werchter 2007.

More bands are being announced soon. 50,000 tickets have already been sold to the festival... Can't wait!

Sunday 04/03/2007

Last night we braved the rain to make our way to Shepherds Bush to see the Kaiser Chiefs.

I first saw the Kaiser Chiefs at Rock Werchter in Belgium last year, and they put on a fantastic show so we got some tickets and made our way to the Empire at Shepherds Bush. The show reminded me why I had such a good time at Rock Werchter last year. Everyone in the room was delighted to be there and was enjoying every minute of the night.

I am going to Rock Werchter again this year, and the Kaiser Chiefs are confirmed, so I'm really looking forward to that.

Thursday 01/03/2007

Today, Ben and I purchased our tickets for Rock Werchter in Belgium.

The plan is to hire a Wicked Camper and drive there from London. It is approximately 400kms to get there. Last year the heat and lack of shade was a bit harsh so this time we plan to do it with a bit more comfort.

It was a tight competition between Rock Werchter and Glastonbury, but in the end Werchter won. The line-up for Glastonbury isn't announced until tickets go on sale, but from the leaked information, the bands aren't that great. Tickets are more expensive, and the people we met at Rock Werchter last year were so good to us, that it is enticing to return.

Some of the bands confirmed so far:

• Air
• Arctic Monkeys
• Beastie Boys
• Bjork
• Block Party
• Chemical Brothers
• Damien Rice
• Faithless
• Incubus
• Interpol
• Kaiser Chiefs
• Maralyn Manson
• Metallica
• Muse
• My Chemical Romance
• Pearl Jam
• Queens of the Stone Age
• Razorlight
• Snow Patrol
• Tori Amos

Monday 26/02/2007

This popped up on Ben's radar a few weeks ago, and after seeing the price tag and that it was on my birthday we thought it too good to pass up.

Ben, Cameron, Rhiannon, Zoe, and I went there without expectation and were very taken back by the size of the venue. There was probably about 200 - 300 people crammed into a small pub. It was really fun to see some good live music in such a small venue.

Everyone had a good night and was tucked in bed by 11 for work the next day.

A very pleasant birthday. Thanks to everyone from Australia who sent their wishes, it was much appreciated and made me just a little bit home sick.

Friday 16/02/2007

Zoe really wanted to see the Cat Empire, so we organised some tickets for their Friday night show and met up after work for some drinks.

It was a very festive concert. Everyone was on their feet dancing and having a great time. Next time you have a party, put on one of their albums...

The highlight of the night would have to be a very overweight guy taking his shirt off to dance.. Luckily we didn't eat right before the concert.

Wednesday 07/02/2007

Ben excitedly mentioned that Massive Attack tickets were on sale for a concert at Brixton Academy in December, so we bought tickets immediately.

I don't know much about Massive Attack, but I really like the style of their music. Unfortunately, this wasn't the case at their concert. It was very flat, and didn't offer much excitement. Additionally, the support bands weren't very good and there was political bullsh*t (against Israel's occupation of Palestine) echoed throughout the night. Excellent venue though, probably the best venue I have ever been to.

I'm going to be going to a few more concerts in the next few weeks, going to see the Kaiser Chiefs, Cat Empire, and Josh Pyke in coming weeks. Also trying to decide which festivals to go to this year. Glastonbury is a possibility, and Rock Werchter is also looking promising. I had such a good time there last year, that it would be silly not to return.

Saturday 24/01/2007

Zoe scared me this morning when she yelled "Oh My God". I jumped out of bed only to find that she was suprised that there was snow outside.

We had heard that there was snow due this week, but I didn't really think twice about it.

Saturday 30/12/2006

With hardly any rest since returning from Paris, we were boarding a bus to Edinburgh for a 4 day tour for the Hogmanay celebrations. The trip took 10 hours and was very loud because the tour allowed moderate drinking. I didn't do much, but there were some people on the bus who were off to an early start.

Upon arrival at our hostel, we got our bed in a 38 person dorm and dropped off our things. We then went out to a welcome party that the tour guides had organised.

Sunday 31/12/2006

Early in the morning we were back on the bus on our way to the 3 sisters bar. Here we celebrated the NZ, Sydney, and WA New Year.

At about 5 PM, we found out that Hogmanay was cancelled due to rain and strong winds, so it was back to the hostel bar. We spent the night here with the rest of the people on our tour, and had a very late night. Getting home was easierr than it has been for the past couple of new years. I just has to walk upstairs and I was in bed..

Monday 01/01/2007

The next morning, Ben, Zoe, and I walked throguh Edinburgh. It is a very beautiful city. Even though the weather was grey and rainy we were able to apprecate the scenery.

That afternoon, we visted Sterling Castle. Again it was very cold and rainy, but that just added to the atmosphere of the castle.

Tuesday 02/01/2007

Today wasn't too exciting.. 11 hour bus trip back to London, and then back to bed to rest up for work the next day.

Saturday 23/12/2006

Ben, Zoe, and I left London at 11PM and arrived at Julia's apartment in the heart of Paris by 8AM the next morning. Julia (Ben's sister) had returned to Australia for Christmas so we had the place to ourselves. Kurt and Floor (Kurt's girlfriend) arrived at 4PM so we made our way out on the town so we didn't waste any time.

Our first stop was Notre Dame. Big churches get boring when you have seen as many as I have in the past 6 months, but Notre Dame lit up with Christmas lights is magical. We went in during mass and had a look around. It was nice and warm... Afterwards we went to a bar in St Germaine to catch up with Kurt and Floor, and then made our way to a nice little Greek restaurant where we started with some escargot (snails).

Sunday 24/12/2006

We got up nice and early and did some Christmas shopping. We all bought a present for each other so that we wouldn't feel homesick on Christmas Day. We then went and bought the ingredients for Christmas Dinner.

It was Saturday night in Paris, so we decided to brave the cold weather to walk across the city to the Eiffel Tower. It took us nearly 2 hours to walk there, but it felt like 20 minutes because the scenery is so spectacular. You can see the Eiffel Tower from nearly everywhere in Paris, so we could see it getting closer throughout our walk. We were walking behind some tall buildings for 10 - 15 minutes, and then we were right under it. The tower is so impressive, it is so tall and looks so beautiful at night. Without a doubt the best view of Paris.

We lined up for 30 minutes and then caught the lift to the top. Zoe was scared in the lift, and then when we got to the first platform she was too scared to go to the edge. I pretended I wasn't bothered by it, and took her to the edge. It made me so happy to see how impressed and happy she was with being on the Eiffel Tower. We got in the lift and went right to the top of the tower. It is soooo cool up there - gives you a very special feeling which I have only felt a few times throughout my travels.

Monday 25/12/2006

My first Christmas away from Australia.. We started the day with some nibblies, music, and laughs. We then started our Christmas Feast:

Entree: Fresh prawns
Main: Turkey
Dessert: Apple crumble + ice cream
Drinks: beer (Kronenburg 1664), red wine, white wine, French champagne (Moet), and Tequila.

I was given a calendar from Zoe, a soccer ball from Ben (we bought it for each other to kick around on weekends), some Dutch beer from Kurt, and a Dutch cheese slicer from Floor.

To finish of a very nice day, we watched Scarface.

Tuesday 26/12/2006

Floor is a big Doors fan, so we went to see Jim Morrison's grave (again)... Not such has changed since last time.

In the afternoon we caught the train to Chateau de Versailles. It was very nice, but would be much nicer in spring or summer. Stay tuned because I will be going back. Afterwards we wanted to warm up so we stopped in at a local pub. 1 drink turned into rushing to the train station to make sure we made the last train home. Zoe ran the whole way thanks to the biggest servings of wine I have ever seen. Never seen her so drunk. Very funny!

Wednesday 27/12/2006

This morning we went to enjoy the second best view in Paris at the Sacre Coure. We walked through Montemarte and had a look at the Moulin Rouge, then through a craft market before reaching the Sacre Coure. It is not a very big church by European standards, but it is certainly the most impressive.

We then made our way to the Louvre. You would need days to get through this impressive building, but we only had a few hours. We saw the main attractions like the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo. I can appreciate art, but I wouldn't call myself an art lover. What I really appreciate about the Louvre is the architecture. Every room is so different and spectacular.

Afterwards we walked up the Champs Elysées to the Arc De Triomphe. By this time it was pretty late, so we didn't go to the top. We did stay there for a while watching traffic. Didn't see any accidents but there was about 658 close calls. Anyone who has been will understand how crazy the traffic is there. No wonder no insurance companies offer insurance to anyone who drives around it.

Thursday 28/12/2006

Kurt and Floor left early to go back to Groningen. Ben, Zoe, and I cleaned up Julia's apartment and then made our way back to London.

Great holiday, fantastic city, fun company, and a well enjoyed Christmas...

Have a look at my photos from Paris.

18/12/2006

One of my house mates was silly enough to bet me that England was going to win the Ashes, so I thought I would spend my winnings on a ticket to see Snow Patrol at Wembley Arena. It is really easy to get concert tickets here, you can just show up and buy them from a scalper at face value 10 minutes before the concert starts.

Snow Patrol put on a really good concert. I would recommend seeing them if you have the opportunity.

I will be adding at least 1 of their songs to my Hottest 100 vote next month.

25/11/2006

To celebrate Zoe's birthday we met everyone at a bar in Soho for pre-dinner drinks and cake. After a few hours, we made our way to a Thai restaurant for some dinner.

We had a bit of drama with our table that resulted in 2 free £20 bottles of wine. I was told the food was really good, but all Ben and I could taste was fire - we had Jungle curry.

After dinner, we went to a nightclub called 24. Zoe's friend Charlie had us on the guest list, and Zoe was really excited about going because it is known as a regular for London's A List. It was easily the most pretentious club that I have ever been to. It was so pretentious that the first cocktail Zoe ordered when we arrived had one of it's ingredients listed as expensive champagne.. There wasn't much of an A List, the closest it came was one of Bob Geldof's daughters dancing on a table wearing, well.. not much!

Although it was pretentious and expensive, the music was fantastic, the dance floor was in full swing (ask Ben "Travolta" Wilson)... Zoe had a really great night.

21/11/2006

Oh what a night.. We went to Wembley to see one of my favourite bands, Muse.

I got to see Muse in July at Rock Werchter. They were good then, and even better now. Ben, Zoe, and I really enjoyed the concert. Getting home was a breeze too. We got a bus from right outside the venue which stopped about a 2 minute walk from our house.

16/11/2006

On Guy Forbes night, we let off quite a few fireworks in Cameron's backyard. Afterwards, we decided that we should all organise to go and see a West End Show. The following week, tickets to Chicago were booked for a Thursday night.

Definitely not as good as the Lion King, but still an entertaining show... 3 stars.

04/11/2006

Ben got some tickets to this game Ben, his dad (Jack), and I got on the bus and made our way over to Fulham. We got some great seats right behind the goal. Unfortunately, most of the play was at the other end of the ground, but we still got to see some good football. There was also plently of Australian's in the crowd cheering on Tim Cahill.

Only a few hours later, a 2nd ticket release was announced and we got some immediately so on Tuesday 21 November, Ben, Zoe, and I will be staying up late on a school night to see one of my favourite bands at Wembley.

Final score: Fulham 1 - Everton 0

Have a look at my photos.

Yes I am calling it football, but I promise to switch back to calling it soccer when I come back to Australia. It's just not safe to call it soccer here.

28/10/2006

Cameron got some tickets for this game as he is a Gunners member. They were intended for Bem and Cameron, but fortunately for me, Cameron was on holidays in Ireland so I got to go to Emirate stadium with Ben to watch the game.

Tim Cahill scored the opening goal off a corner, and then Arsenal equalized early in the second half. They were unlucky not to score again, but Everton managed to hang on for a draw.

Final score: Arsenal 1 - Everton 1

22/10/2006

This is really good because nobody like Dave.. No Dave's!

On a serious note, it was really good to have Dave with us on our trip. He started missing Liz like crazy after about 2 days, and now he has gone home to marry her. Conratulations Dave. Might see you at Bucks night II in Australia, although Bucks Night I will be impossible to beat.

20/10/2006

Well Dave is going home on Sunday 22 October, and we may not see him again until he is married so we threw him a bucks party.

The rules of a bucks party prohibit me from saying any more, other than that we all had a great night..

19/10/2006

Zoe and I were celebrating 4 years together, so we thought that there was no better way to celebrate in London than going to have a nice posh dinner and seeing a show on the west end.

We went to a nice little French restaurant, and had a 3 course meal and a bottle of wine, it was great. Afterwards, we made our way to the Lyceum Theatre to see The Lion King. It was a really good show. I have heard nothing but good things about the show, so I was expecting it to be good - but nothing could have prepared us for how beautiful the theatre was. It was not very big at all, and the amount of detail put into the architecture was amazing.

We had a really nice night.

19/10/2006

Ben's parents have come to Europe to visit both Ben & Julia.

They are going to be here until Ben's birthday and they are staying at his place.

13/10/2006

After last nights show, we decided that we would try and get tickets to Little Britain. Found some from a guy who could no longer make it, and made our way out to the London Apollo Theatre at Hammersmith.

It was everything I expected it to be. Some really funny sketches with some very good improvising.

12/10/2006

Cameron went to see this earlier in the week and said that we definitely shouldn't miss this one. Dave, Ben, Zoe, and I got our tickets and make our way to Leicester Square.

We started the night with dinner at a nice little Indian restaurant. Afterwards we made our way to the theatre and took our seats. The theatre was really small, which was certainly a good thing. The show was really funny. Well worth the money.. We all had a great (and late) night.

Summary:

Sam's thinking about going home... Maddie's thinking about Dan... Dan's thinking with the wrong head... and Eddie's not really thinking at all... Gemma's facing the biggest decision of her stay in London... and Jane just wants the toilet bowl to be clean...

If you've ever shared a flat, lived in a big city far from home or just wondered why your snot turns black in London then you are going to enjoy this show.

08/10/2006

Zoe and I got up early and made our way over to see the Tower of London and Tower Bridge.

We started the visit with a guided tour, which was really cool because we got to hear about all of the myths and stories. We then went off on our own to see the crown jewels, artillery room, and main buildings which were all amazing!

Afterwards we walked across Tower Bridge and took some photos.

07/10/2006

Over the weekend I have been doing quite a bit of sight seeing. On Saturday, Ben, Zoe and I went on a tour to see Windsor Castle, Stonehenge, and Bath. It was a really good day. Windsor Castle was probably the best of the 3, but all 3 were all very impressive for their own reasons.

19/09/2006

I have no idea why, but finding a single bedroom in London is pretty hard at the moment. Kurt decided to go and stay with Floor for a couple of weeks, and after that he is going to be heading back to Australia.

We were all really sad to see him go so suddenly.. Good luck Kurt!

18/09/2006

Ben has been temping for the past couple of weeks, but now he has a 6 month contract.

Today he started working for the Royal Bank of Canada.. In London.. Go figure.

08/09/2006

After a few days in London, Kurt decided to go back to groningen (NL) to stay with his girlfriend Floor again. Today he came back to find a place to live and work.

05/09/2006

Zoe has arrived to join my London adventure. I had to get up at 4:30 this morning to go and meet her at Heathrow, but seeing her walk out of the gates made it all so worthwhile.

After taking her back to our place and introducing her to our new house mates, I went to work for the day and arrived home to a really nice dinner.

30/08/2006

The subject says it all. I moved in on a Friday night after work.

No words can explain how good it is to have a bed!

25/08/2006

Last week I had an interview with BT for a Web Interface & Design position. The interview went really well and I found out today that I got the job, and start this Thursday!

I am really excited about the job, because I am going to be learning a lot of new things and refining some of my methods.

I have found a place to live in North Acton. Zoe and I are going to be sharing with 5 other people. It is a really nice new place with all the facilities we need to be really comfortable.

We are 2 mins walk from Cameron's house, and 5 mins from Ben.

I am moving in on 31/08/2006.

After a week in Croatia, Kurt and I have arrived in London. The weather has been pretty nice so far.

It has been really good to catch up with Cameron, Rhiannon, Mark, and Dave.

I have settled in London after 2 months of hectic travelling. I have now seen:

Dubrovnik	Muncih	Prague	Krakow	Auschwitz
Berlin	Hamburg	Amsterdam	Rotterdam	Rock Werchter
Paris