That being said, I'm still looking for bloggers and contributors.

Gimmie an email interderby at yahoo.com if you want to write full time, or just would like to submit an event, bout recap, press release, news coverage, ANYTHING.

So what's been going on while I was away?

Rollercon took place, the ultimate getaway and meet and greet for international rollergirls. Leagues from all over the world came and there is no longer a Team World vs USA, oh no, with all the leagues springing up everywhere there was actually enough attendees to do Team UK vs Team Australia or the Farkin' 'Elles vs Cor Blimeys as they named themselves, with Team UK coming out on top 43-28!

Canada fielded two teams, East vs West, with East skating their way to victory.

London Rollergirls are hosting the first European tournament July 18-19th 2009. Open to all European teams, but all roller fans are welcome to come watch and/or help out! Stay tuned for details on that!

They also have their first intraleague bout with their BRAND NEW teams coming up Sept 27th. It's gonna be the Ultraviolent Femmes giving some lashes to the fearless SuffraJets for the first one. The other team, yet to debut, is the Steam Rollers!

And my own team London Rockin Rollers are set for another border crossing adventure to take on the Stuttgart Valley Rollergirlz in Stuttgart, Germany, also on Sept 27th. A year after our first game and defeat, we are back in a bout aptly named Time For Revenge!

            This strip club is indeed a rare gem of a club that you have to know and experience correctly in order to truly appreciate what this club can offer.  This club is not your stereotypical strip club full of negative stereotype garbage.  This club is a true positive entertainment value that won’t drain your wallets with in one hour of walking through their front doors.  You get to learn and respect the ladies and other workers here and even establish some good friends as well.  All of this something you just don’t find in many clubs out there at all.  So while I am very far from being a superb sugar daddy, and believe me ladies, I wish I could; I can only repay back this great club the best way I know how, being your positive influence, best positive rocking out customer, and writing up a tribute to get people to see the real value that Creekside brings compared to every other club that is out there.

            For me, Creekside holds more than some cheap thrills of seeing some ladies naked.  The obvious outside of this club being entertaining, it is also very friendly, you will find someone here who will take to your side, which by the way is my biggest draw towards this club.  You will want to hang out at this club.  You get to know people here personally and even want to support them, besides all being beautiful in each their own rights.  The atmosphere is very positive and warm.  Their new bar looks great and the waitress staff adds to the welcoming to this club.  Plus all of this wrap up in a whole, has even pulled me out of some very bad depression states of mentality from time to time.  That is something you just don’t get or hear when thinking about attending a strip club.

            How can I not want to brag about the warmth and greatness this club has to offer for doing that much for me?  I may as well tell my stories about this club also.  I got plenty of stories for being a decent regular for almost three years now, on and off. 

            Yes, where does the time go, I don’t know.  I’ll feel old later.  I may as well start at the beginning on what made me want to come back for more constantly.

            It will be tough to give you all the importance this club has become without giving in a little personal detail of myself, since I do prefer to keep some of my anonymous status while typing this out.  I’ll just go into the basic enough detail facts you will all hear about anyway.

            My very first trip here ever, I was coming out of a bad state in my life and getting a feel for the different clubs that I knew about.  This is when Creekside was nude, with no bar being b.y.o.b, and a 20 dollar door fee open but 4 days of the week, Wednesday through Saturday.  It wasn’t a bad outing, not the most impressive of outings; some former dancer there who was just using her name Mandy I believe at the time described their VIP room to me.  I’m wasn’t sure how to take that VIP room, since my knowledge of spending that level of money is usually with the oriental “massage parlors” and not at a strip club.  I’ve learned to wait a little before getting any dances in, so I can get a feel fro the place, plus I was use to the idea that clubs usually just want to milk you out of your money before you get to enjoy the place.  I cannot recall much about my first experience here ever beyond this.  It was my second and third outing that began my faithfulness to coming out to this club.

            Her name here was Barbie.  She is a cute blonde hair woman who introduced herself to me and ended up taking to my side, has a warm personality, and was quite respectable to this club.  Basically it got to the point that when I entered this club, she went straight to my side.  This is just beyond amazing to me.  Here is where that personal detail comes into play.  My dating experience is very sub par.  Simply put, I practically have none.  So any woman going to my side like she did will easily win me over.

            So I’ve ended up a Saturday regular, coming here to see her and even braving the VIP room, after finally figuring out how that was paid for.  I didn’t realize at the time that the VIP room was paid for in the regular lap dance room, which confused me for a couple of times.  So after having that explained to me correctly, I had my first VIP room experience, which was nothing like the “massage parlor” experience I was misleading to believing.  Granted at this point the only difference between the lap dance room and VIP is touching and getting a half hour of time verses but 5 minutes, not touching.  Which even now still seems just a bit strange, but the whole no touching seems to be some county law or some nonsense as such. 

            I’m going to spare the whole falling in love/not really dating/life goes on/lesson learn part of all this.  Barbie was released from the club and our communication to each other did go cold.  Which is sad, but still, no matter whom I am and will be as a person, I can not force others to be with me or do what they don’t want to be doing.  I believe in people having a free will of their own and capable of making their own decisions in life, even if they seem to be bad ones.  We had our fun moments and she got me into seeing a local cover band that I still go out to catch up with from time to time.  No ounce of life is ever lost without its meaning.  Life still goes on.

            I had my time away from the club for a little bit, and slowing decided to go back again from time to time, seeing who would pick up enjoying me there.  I enjoyed my time with one of Barbie’s best friends Joey, who also eventually moved on as well, yet another great spirit of a woman and personality, but she can become expensive on a man.  Probably the only quality she had I didn’t really like.  Other than that, she is still a fun individual and someone worth hanging out with.

            One of the down sides to having favorites here is the other ladies tend to stick with their own favorites and don’t mingle quite as well.  Doesn’t stop my presence in being here being important.  During all of this I got to be known by my nickname as Rockin’ B.  “B” of course is representing my first name.  DJ Christopher being the one giving me the nick name in the first place and I just let it stick and use it while here ever since.  I have the tendency to rock out to some of the songs being played here and I make sure I am always cheering on the ladies on stage at the time making them feel good.  Some of the regulars who work here, even thought they may never really spend time with me, prefer me being in the crowd from time to time.

Destinee is one of those great long time regulars.  Probably even a strong leader presence in this club.  She was the first to even tell me to not worry about getting dances and just do tips, because she at least would rather I come in and cheer her on and just not show up at all.  You just don’t hear of this out of a strip club or stereotypical stripper.  So I took her advice and basically for just a little bit do just that.  Since my dancing focus was usually always around one or two ladies here, Destinee not being one of them, she mentioned to me how she was longing to have me get a dance in with her.  I made my next visit in with a 20 dollar bill set aside with on the bottom part I wrote in pen, “for Destinee.”  I got in my dance with her, she was practically in tears.  I still smile even to this day for her and am supportive.  Once in a while we will talk and get caught up, but she’ll still take to her other favorite customers and is one fabulous woman to know.

            Another great thing about this club is someone will always bound to take to your side.  Once in a while I end up being the only customer here, period.  So being who I am, and pointed out that I am not a customer but Rockin’ B, the ladies will keep relax and just have their fun, get in some pole practice and not worry about doing their dance sets, since it’s just me being there.  Hopefully I am not messing anything up by saying this either.  So I had a little fun with the ladies one time, doing some of the synchronize dances that are out there, like the electric slide, etc.  Then I’ve met Cheyenne for the very first time.  While the rest of the ladies decided to sit around and have their cigarettes, Cheyenne just smiled and had her wheel around fun in a chair and we started talking to each other.  So now with a few favorites no longer being here, she picked up nicely where other ladies left off. 

            So at this point in time my favorites became Joey, Vega, and Cheyenne.  They kept me wanting to be back again at this club.  Joey eventually moved onward to do waitress work elsewhere.  Vega ironically enough moved on to being a second DJ to this club.  I find her interesting but lost out on some of our chats from time to time now she is being a DJ.  Cheyenne even left the club for a while and came back.  It just seemed like my favorites were dropping like flies.

            So I’m up to about mid October of last year with all this ins and outs from Creekside.   I saw a new woman’s routine here for the first time ever, she is still at this club and is called Scarlette.  I found her split walk to be very interesting.  I mentioned that I go to see a local cover band when I can.  Well, in all irony, I actually saw her, joining up with Joey amongst others at their show twice before I saw her again eventually working back at the club.  I think it was three trips later I FINALLY got to see her working at Creekside once again. 

            So I am a fairly easy dude to impress and it really doesn’t take much to win me over.  I like how awesome of a warm and positive personality that Scarlette has proven herself to be.  I’ve never really met someone who always has nice things to say about everyone.  I find her positive energy to be quite enjoyable to be around.  Always smiling, always fun, and now of course my biggest favorite currently at Creekside.

            Granted I’ve learned my lesson from my Barbie days here, but like anything in dealings with a true love, at least this time around I got a better solid head about me.  She is more than welcome to ever be by my side.  Even if there is no dating that would come from this, she has a good friend for life.  As does anyone who is working at this club as far as that goes. 

            You don’t get such a strong welcoming sense without knowing how to be a regular here and enjoying what the true worth is from this club.  So my dating status hasn’t really improved much, that’s beside the point.  I would just as soon invite this club to any party I would host, help change a flat tire for any of them, go out of my way (with in reason of course) for anyone here, be a shoulder to cry on, be someone to listen to what needs to be said, and  I will even go as far as helping anyone here by talking to them to stop them from making any regrettable decisions in life and do what is needed to stop them going to jail or even help keep them from going back to jail.  Not that I have any inkling as if any one here ever was.  To error is to be human.  Since this club has even help me regain my own humanity and sanity, bringing me back to a positive outlook in life, I would do just that and then some.

            Granted forking over hundreds and thousands of dollars would be nice, and I would do so, but I do seem stuck in a world that doesn’t like paying me such levels of money so I could spread the wealth.  This is coming from a gentleman who would be handing out 600 – 100,000 dollar checks from 60 million dollars just like that, because I would.  Let’s just say I would love to stick it to the greedy in this world and show them all how to really boost and economy, not slap it in the face as some joke.

            So I’m not the best of financial gainers and spreaders of wealth.  What I lack in money and love, I make up for in the personality department in life.  This apparently becomes more important to some people.  Even Scarlette has told me to not feel oblige to tipping or dances.  Being there and just being that warm and cheerful presence can be enough for those here.  To me, this club has won that much respect out of me, and deserves it to for working such a wonderful winning formula to being a very successful club.

            I’ll mention but a couple more stories or moments and wrap this up. 

            I’ll finish my greatness along the lines of favorites by talking about Aries just for a little bit.  She has basically a twin personality just like Scarlette.  Aries has a very warm and positive, very realistic and supportive towards others.  I ended up being her first lap dance ever and gave her a critique on how she did, since she wanted to know.  I ended up becoming her lap oasis, considering where I sit all the time when being here at the club, and I can’t wait for even her to return back to Creekside.  She took time off to do a college course.  Sadly she seemed to be in a car accident and is injured from in, being in a neck brace at least.  So I hope you have a healthy and speedy recovery dear Aries.  You are well missed.  I also got your ninja stripper poem for you as well.

            Yes I write poetry and that is a whole different personal blog or article for elsewhere.  I’ll let you all in my Ode to Creekside poem after this article.  I’m going to turn my attention to the web site known as Strip Club List.  Basically this website is all the strip clubs everywhere where people can give their opinions, reviews, and message board thoughts for any of the clubs out there.  I tend to always post something positive now and then and say nice things about my favorites and those who made my outing to Creekside enjoyable.  Gia, who went from being a waitress here with the new bar installed to a dancer, was recently bragged about being a little jealous.  So I accommodated, like the good guy that I am.  Someone has to keep the gentleman in gentlemen’s club.  I’ll be adding her to my list of favorite to see here no problem.  So you see Gia, you got mentioned on Strip Club List and now my article as well.  Feeling special yet?

            Getting back to Strip Club List, just like any message board, you got people who are just acting like scum of the earth.  This club just isn’t your stereotypical club where you think your forking over hundreds of dollars will get you laid by one of the ladies working here.  Well, one time this message board type chat was getting out of line.  To keep the story short, some random who knows whatever’s, decided they were going to be there with plenty of money, but not do dances and such, kind of forcing after hours for any of the ladies here to earn such money by that whole prostitution garbage.  Not going into that Craigslist exotic disclaimer you may see of time/money/consent of adults political correctness law loop hole crap.  Anyway, you have some small handful of guys who were going to be asses about all of this.  I stepped up to the plate, being anonymous about it, mentioning how the undercover detectives of Montgomery County are thankful for such input.  That put an end real fast to that inappropriate messaging.  You are welcome Creekside.

            I can care less what people do in their spare time, don’t go out of your road to force people to make decisions they don’t deserve to be making.  I know the ladies who work here don’t deserve or need such, and if you have to be so obsess with that prostitution nonsense, you got Craigslist you can turn to, and there are those “massage parlors” you can always attend.  You won’t get such behavior out of this club.

            So falling short of just working for the club itself; that is my basic story on why I am proud to be a positive regular to this club.  From old favorites who no longer work here, such as Joey, Barbie, Snow, and someone who called herself Honey, who was quite interesting in her own right.  To the long lasting regulars here such as Destinee, Ivy, Marilyn, Marlene, Star, and Victoria.  For those who come and go from time to time to all my current favorites, I got nothing but the greatest respect for you all.  From DJ to security, those working the bar to house runner, you got a good friend for life in me, Rockin’ B.

            I did mention being a poet.  So here is my little sample advertising for you all.

You can take it from me, Rockin’ B!

This club will be the only club you will care to see!

So make your way over to Colmar, P-A!

The only true place to play is Creekside Cabaret!

            So there is my tribute to the greatest club around and the only club I care to ever go to now.  I rather be here than any massage parlor or even other strip club.  Peace be with you all.  Be good, be strong and be safe.

            From one of your best customers ever, who will be busy dreaming of good times with Gia, Cheyenne, Aries, and Scarlette.  *wink*  à Yours truly, Rockin’ B!

I'm curious to know why the dream was so rockin', but it was really odd that he felt the need to text me that.

We now run with as much as a 100% more regeneration than Paladins and Shamans, while Druids also get an extra notch on their Bat-belts (they can now afford to put Regrowth into regular play). Even our shadowy pals get some love since Blizzard decided that their DPS tier sets needs spirit as well, in turn yielding a longer-lasting battery for our mana-hungry DPS powerhouses: Warlocks.

Mages are unfortunately left out it in the rain since no one in their right mind is going to sacrifice the points from Icy Veins and Emp. Fireball just to go balls deep in the PvE suck-fest that is middle-tier Arcane.  Sorry guys.

Music Jam T-Shirt

the Music Jam T-Shirt is available at the Plaza

Maracas

the Maracas are available at the Cove

Music Jam '08 Merchandise (Available Only To Members)

the Music Jam Merchandise is available to members only and is at the Snow Forts, the merchandise consists of 6 Music Jam T-Shirts and a Back Stage Pass, back stage passes are limited so get your's right away. If you have a backstage pass you will be aloud to go into the V.I.P Room at the Dock (in the V.I.P Room there is a special music catalog also available to members only)

Music Catalog (Available To Penguin's That Are A Member & Own A V.I.P Pass)

once in side the V.I.P Room you will see a box full of instruments for sale! Walk over to the box to view the catalog (instruments available to members only).

Music Catalog Cheat

click the dot above the "i" for the Red Electric Guitar (975 coins). Well that's all the cheats, free items, and member items for this party! 

Penguin Band

check out the Penguin Band now performing at the Iceburg!!!

DJ3K

the new game DJ3K has arrived at the Night Club! The point of the game is to make music and beats, once your done "X" out and collect your coins (the longer you play and the more music you make the higher amount of coins you get, the game is really fun though)! Well that wraps that up, movin along.......

Decorated Rooms and Extras

Dock-

Theme- Main Stage

if you have a Back Stage Pass head over to the dock and into the V.I.P Room!

Dojo-

Theme- Giant Instruments

stand on one of the colored squares and it will play that instrument!

Snow Forts- 

Theme- None

waddle on over to the Snow Forts and buy some Music Jam Merchandise including a special limited V.I.P Pass, you have to be a member to buy the Merchandise though.

Ice Rink-

Theme- Rock Rink

Forest-

Theme- Country/Western

Beach-

Theme- Pink

Lighthouse-

Theme- Viva Club Penguin/Blue

click the red button (outlined in red square, see pic above) to shoot blue and white confetti onto the stage!

Cove-

Theme- Mexican

Free Item- Maracas

V.I.P Room

Theme- V.I.P

Catalog- Music Catalog

you can only access this room if you buy a V.I.P pass that are only available to members at the Snow Forts.

Pizza Parlor-

Theme- Music Hall of Fame

Game- Pizzatron 3000

Iceburg-

Theme- Rock The Iceburg

head over to the Iceburg with you map to watch the Penguin Band play!

Extras

• Applause button- Click the red applause on the right side of your screen next to the chat bar to applause
• V.I.P Room glitch- I think there is a glitch were non members can get into the V.I.P Room, all though I'm not sure. I would test this glitch if I were a non member! lol
• Stage's Light Up-The stages only light up and play music when you or a other penguin is on the stage

there is still much much more to this wild and rockin Music Jam '08 party, so head over to http://play.clubpenguin.com and check it out immediately!!!

~Lux1200 President~

 The band came about in late 1969, the result of the breakups of two other great groups. Steve Marriot left The Small Faces (going on to form Humble Pie with Peter Frampton), while Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood departed The Jeff Beck Group and joined the remaining members of the former: bassist Ronnie Lane, keyboardist Ian McLagen, and drummer Kenney Jones. While Rod's renowned gravelly vocals and stage antics gave Faces a certain presence, I've always felt that Ronnie Wood's dirty and distinct guitar truly defined the Faces sound. And his slide work? My god...crank the song "Around The Plynth" and see if you're the same person five minutes later! Stewart and Wood are one of the great rock duos at this point in time, 1970-75, right alongside Jagger/Richards, Plant/Page, and Daltrey/Townshend. 

Faces released four albums during the first half of the seventies, and toured worldwide much of that time. "A Nod Is As Good As A Wink (To A Blind Horse)" is probably the best of the studio efforts, but all of the disks contain several gems (not hits, gems!). Their official live album, Coast To Coast, Overture and Beginners was widely criticized for shabby sound production, but I feel really catches the Faces romping-good-time live sound. Better yet, the recent boxed set Five Guys Walk Into A Bar contains all sorts of never released numbers, both live and "outtakes". It's one of the better boxed sets I've come across(and one of the few worth the money.)

Faces final chapter? Seems it was Rod Stewart's growing solo fame (along with the attendant ego problems within the band) that finished them. As you know, Stewart went on to long solo career that today includes fans like my 85 year-old mother as he reinvents the songs of the 1940's. Woody joined a band called The Rolling Stones, where he's never equalled the sound he gave Faces. Jones took over as The Who's drummer in '78 after the death of Keith Moon. And we recently lost Ronnie Lane after a long battle with Multiple Sclerosis. <To hear Ronnie at his best, check out his collaboration with Pete Townshend called Rough Mix>.

But wait! Faces final chapter?? Rod Stewart announced in June 2008 the intention for Faces to reunite for a possible album and tour. It's a popular way to go these days, but I can't think of a reunion I'd rather see/hear.

dve mpls mn

shimmyin’ and shakin’ me into trance-like-coma-state of reflection

rockin’ me rockin’ me rockin' me down to the vacuity of the deep

far so far far away from the contagion of disenchanted

Chuck Billy&co au ajuns inca da la ora 8:30 AM pe aeroportul clujean. "Am venit din California pana la Sibiu, unde am cantat o ora, iar acum asteptam sa zburam spre Munchen, de unde vom lua o alta cursa, spre California. Am fost treziti de la hotel la ora 5:30 AM si am venit aici, in cel mai mic aeroport pe care l-am vazut vreodata", i-a spus Chuck Billy unei Fane. ;)

Ce credeti ca au facut baietii in aeroport? Au citit din Biblie, au conspectat din Kant sau o dezlegat rebus? No, no. no. Au baut bere (multa Carlsberg) si si-au cumparat din oras sacose cu hamburgeri din aia, americanesti, care mancati in mod repetat te fac sa ajungi la peste 100 de kile, precum Chuck Billy.

Dupa cum stiti, TESTAMENTarii au cantat ieri, 12 iulie, la Festivalul Rockin Transilvania din Sibiu.

* * *

Later edit:

TESTAMENT au fost premiati, luna trecuta parca, de revista Metal Hammer cu un Golden God, pentru ca au zamislit albumul anului, “The Formation Of Damnation”. Asta o stie toata lumea.

Mie mi-a atras atentia faptul ca afalti la Londra, Chuck si gasca au fost atrasi intr-o capcana: in redactia “Playboy” din capitala perfidului Albion. Dovada sta in aceasta poza luata de la sursa.

Acum imi explic de ce TESTAMENTarii s-au dedat la alte lucruri, mai pamantesti, decat sa citeasca din Biblie, sa conspecteze din Kant sau sa dezlege careuri, fie ele tematice. ;)

More to come!

The new clothing catalog was added to the Gift Shop today and there's lots of new stuff to check out! Do you recognize any of it from the sneak peek earlier in the week?

It's hard to decide what I like best, but the Sunburst Acoustic guitar is definitely at the top of my list. What about you? There's a couple new wigs too--I'm definitely a fan of The Messiness. 

4TRESS & The Stinky Gypsys. (If you go to my myspace @ www.myspace.com/filsmythe u can check these great acts out for yourself.)

It was a huge night, and now we're playing Ruby's again for an early Sunday night show. We're using a strategy of 'getting our sh*t together in the outer reaches of Melbourne's East, before heading into town' to take on bigger audiences, and it's really working for us. We're able to set ourselves on a consistent progression upwards & onwards. New songs have been added to the set, and there are still two tracks from 'All Things Considered' which haven't been tackled yet!

Very soon we'll be heading into a studio to record 4 new songs for a CD single, so keep yer eyepatch off for that one. The Realistics and I are having a fine ol' time right now, and we'd love for you all to join us.

So contrary to my earlier post about toobing the Guadalupe, apparently people go to other places than Rockin' R, including me. This weekend we went to River Sports Tubes and it was a great experience (although they don't tell you about the long walk you must take carrying toobs to get to the river ... it was brutal for the guy carrying the cooler). We ended up meeting up with TWO other groups of friends who all used River Sports, so that was super fun (and kind of amazing). So I'm rescinding the notion that "everyone" uses Rockin' R.

We went to eat at Daisy Duke's afterward, and while it sounded like a great idea, it was not. The food was mediocre at best, the service was not good at all, and my appetizer potatoes came out twenty minutes AFTER everyone else's entrees. I mean, I was with tons of drunk people and no one had a positive thing to say about it! So here's what I learned this weekend: Gristmill is worth the drive.

Also as part of my recap, I'd like to mention that the Austin Sports & Social Club party barge was a total hit, despite the party barge's engine breaking down and us getting towed in. It's just the right combination of people--the athletic crowd that also likes to play on the river! Devil's Cove, where the boat docked for around two hours, was so full it looked like a marina, so it was a great place to hang out. All-you-can-drink-beer (unless you're the DD), time on a party barge, and the chance to meet 149 other like-minded people is pretty much a bargain for $25.

Welcome again to Rockin Friday! Today a discussion on one of the most famous metal bands in history. Above is a picture of their frontman James Hetfield (before he grew his crazy beard O.o)
Anywho, Metallica are one of the best selling metal acts of all time, second only to bands such as Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden. They are definitely the best selling and most widely known bands of the later generations of metal, which would include such acts as Slayer, Megadeth, Pantera etc etc.

After their first four albums, which includes what is seen as the best metal album of all time by many: 'Master of Puppets', they broke into the mainstream with 'Metallica', otherwise known as 'The Black Album', fronted by the single 'Enter Sandman', which is absolutely brilliant song. Since then, they have changed more and more into a hard rock group, becoming even bigger, but, as some see it, even more mainstream (and, therefore, shit. Depends how you look at it :D )

This spiral culminated in the '03 'St. Anger', which personally I think is a pile of crap (the single that is. Haven't heard the album.) Basically, I believe they were going for the sound of a band jamming in a garage to try and bring their music back to the basics. While you can definitely feel the raw energy of the band, the downside is that it sounds like band jamming in their garage. I'd much rather listen to the polished music of a properly produced album. If I want raw, I'll listen to the far rawer and polished sound of a band like Machine Head.

Back to the point, this led to great uproar among the people who'd consider themselves old school fans, as it saw a departure from their old thrash style into completely hard rock/nu metal. Which, for most metalheads, is considered rubbish.

Because of this, their new album is being widely anticipated, and hoped to be, a return to their old style and form. Recently, underground videos of their album in production have surfaced (considering what happened with Napster, I doubt Metallica would be too happy with this :D ) Anyway, this means you can judge for yourself. Are Metallica returning to what made them great in the first place?

There are a bunch more floating around as well.

Anyways, that's all for this week. Enjoy!

Rock on \m/

Hello again, and welcome to another edition of Rockin Friday!

It's been a while, and unfortunately not a whole lot of underground stuff for you today. Next week I think I'll look into how to rip iPods and whatnot, but for now just a bunch of random stuff.

Now bear with me American readers, as I will talk about two British music festivals. The first of these is Glastonbury, which is so famous it may even be known across the Pond. But otherwise, it is an annual festival, mainly populated by indie bands although it has plenty of other acts too. It runs for 3 days, and attracts a massive crowd every year, being the biggest greenfield festival in the world. This years festival has sparked some debate by announcing a certain rapper as the main headline act.

There we have Jay-Z wearing a wonderful pink sweater. Now, of course, announcing a rapper as the headline act at an indie festival is going to cause some issues, and many people have vowed to boycott the event. While I don't blame them for not paying for an act they wouldn't want to see, some of the fuss people have been making is a bit OTT, and in fact some people have been calling them up for prejudice and racism. Perhaps that's reading a little too much into it, but they certainly have a point about them not being open-minded enough.

Now, my next festival is a perhaps less well known rock festival called Donnington Download. (It used to be known as Monsters of Rock if that's more well known). Now, in their own words, it is a punk rock/heavy metal festival (I may have paraphrased slightly), but in all honesty it's a primarily heavy metal gig. So imagine the furor when last year MCR and Linkin Park were announced as headline acts besides the legendary Iron Maiden. Now, both bands were bottled and booed, as both are understandably tagged as 'emo', which is, of course, a major offense to all things heavy metal. Now don't get me wrong, I personally have nothing against the two bands, and in fact enjoy some of their songs. I think it was wrong of the organisers to have them as headline acts when you look at the calibre of some of the bands supporting them (Megadeth, Machine Head, Slayer, etc). But what can you do? Throw piss at them? I'd rather enjoy the show to be quite honest.

This year, alongside the equally legendary Kiss we have Lostprophets and the Offspring, two bands which I actually thoroughly enjoy. But in similar fashion, this has kicked up a major fuss, what with Lostprophets being 'emo' (Listen to their first two albums and tell me that!) and the Offspring not really being a metal band. Ah well, some people are blinded by their prejudice, be they gansta wannabes, indie kids or metalheads, and they're unlikely to change soon.

(Lostprophets in full swing at one of their more recent shows)

That's all for this week. Next week I'll hopefully have something a little more underground for you, in fact I have something in mind. But otherwise enjoy your weekend and this fairly old song I recently rediscovered!

Rock on! \m/

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Originally uploaded by hipposarefabulous.

This past weekend was great, it was full of music and the smell of Guinness. Oh how I miss me some Guinness.

Anyway, the weekend started with meetings and other boring things but quickly turned fun when we went to see a friend's band play in Raleigh. The band is Lost Soul Armada, they are a metal hardcore band and yes I love that kind of music.

I ended up taking some great photos of them and had a blast getting hugs from old friends and seeing the look on their face when I held my my home made sign declaring one's hotness.

All around it was a great time and I can't wait to see them again, I think I may need to make a full back patch for a denim vest because they are oh so very metal.

The photo is of Jim, he's the singer for Lost Soul Armada and I've known him since he was just a wee lad or well a kid in Jr High I believe. I'm getting old and my memory isn't what it used to be.

Now I need to get back to work because these custom orders aren't going to fill themselves.