Thursday 5th July

Get your groove on, New Shiny Shoes On!!!

Well yet another Thursday rolls around again, and as it was a quiet night tonight (Get Well Soon Tina!) we did manage to get to do a few song's. It did pick up again towards the end of the night, but yet again the curse of the holiday season has hit us, with it seems, quite a few people on their hol's. So as I promised a few blog's back, this week I'm going to fill you in on a few upcoming gig's in the now 2007 Year and not just Summer of gigs! It's been hectic so far, and with a few possibles on the horizon, I'm looking to make this the year that I see the most band's live that I can, of course as long as the wife allows!!! So before we get on to the karaoke, here is the updated gig's list.

• 21st August O2 Arena London - Rolling Stones All done on this one now, tickets coming soon, and just to decide on bus or train to get there.
• 4th September Carling Academy B'ham - Chris Cornell Looks like a defo for the ex Soundgarden frontman after his Hyde Park showing.
• 29th September Regent Theatre Hanley - We Will Rock You The West End comes to Stoke with the Ben Elton Queen inspired musical coming for a run at the Regent.
• 23rd October Wolves Civic Hall - Bowling For Soup Could be a good one with the band on tour with Bloodhound Gang
• 27th October Carling Academy B'ham - Ash Last time I saw Ash they supported The Darkness and were brill, very tempting
• 11th November N.E.C. B'ham - Stereophonics Last time I saw the Welsh rocker's was the last time I saw Aerosmith, and they were just starting out then!
• 13th November Carling Academy B'ham - Biffy Clyro Dubbed 'Just Noise' by my mum and dad, who have seen them twice now support The Stones. Would like to see them again after their great performance at Download.
• 22nd November Carling Acadeny B'ham - Thin Lizzy Would be nice to see the band, even if without Phil Lynott, God Rest His Soul!
• 27th November Wolves Civic Hall - Thunder A defo on the list. Not seen them for years now, and they are always guaranteed to be brilliant, Rock God's
• 8th December N.E.C. B'ham - Status Quo As it's not likely I'll see them at Trentham, due to being on my hol's, good chance to see the wrinkly rockers, and a great way to end the year off!

Now I'm not expecting to have to bore you with gig reviews of all the above on the list, but I at least expect to get at least four of them in. Of course that is dependent on other factors! Like if anyone else fancies any of them! Nudge Nudge Wink Wink! But joking apart these are pretty much all going to be great nights, and who knows it may educate the old Brit Rock non-believers.

Anyway then on to the nights songs. As I was informed by Shaun earlier on in the night, The Stones were just two songs behind the most different songs by an artist stat with 9 [Elvis and The Beatles are on 11] so with that in mind I was determined to make them top tonight. So without further ado my song choice's tonight were 1. King Of Emotion by Big Country (SFMW888-03) 2. Mixed Emotions by The Rolling Stones (SC8820-13) 3. You Got Me Rocking by The Rolling Stones (SC8820-09) and finally 4. Wild Horses by you've guessed it the Rolling Stones (SC8964-13).

King Of Emotion by Big Country link

I was so glad when this one came out on the latest sunfly most wanted disc. These were a great band in their time, and were probably one of the loudest band's I ever saw. I watched them at the Victoria Hall in Hanley in the late 80's and they were so loud I thought my head was about to explode, and it felt like my ears were bleeding! Not bad for a Scottish Folk Band. This was one of the bands biggest hits and were well known for their other tracks like 'Look Away', ' In A Big Country' , 'Peace In Our Time' and 'One Great Thing'. Sadly the groups main songwriter and frontman Stuart Adamson committed suicide on 16th December 2001 in Hawaii. The most interesting fact about the band is despite the heavy Scottish influence, not one member of the band was born in Scotland! Its was a good song to start off with, nice and easy to get to grips with, despite not a lot of practice. on the night rating 7/10

Mixed Emotions by The Rolling Stones link

First of three from the band tonight, and Hayley's and the Hotels Stones education gets a huge Stones boost tonight. This is a real rocky effort from the band, and is one of the band's biggest U.S. hits to date, getting to number 6 when it was released in 1989. Taken from the album Steel Wheels, the tour of the same name, established the band as the biggest touring band on the planet. It was a 115 gig tour, including 5 nights at Wembley. On the last night of the tour on 25th August 1990, Bill Wyman played for the last time on tour with the band just before he left the band to go solo. It's a great rock/blues track and is pretty easy to sing. One of the better later Stones tracks, but not done as often on tour now. on the night rating 7/10

You Got Me Rocking by The Rolling Stones link

Second Stones track tonight, and another rockier track by the boys. This song was taken from the Voodoo Lounge album, and was one of the song's played at the first time I saw the band at Longchamps in Paris on 1st July 1995, and I have been hooked ever since. In fact it was that good when I got back I went to buy tickets to see them at Wembley on the 15th July! It is one of the few later Stones track that is done on tour still today, being sang 50 times on the Bigger Bang tour. The song was a U.K. only release, reaching number 23 in the charts in 1994. Apart from the ad-lib bits on the karaoke version it's a great Stones track, and proof again the band still produces some of the best guitar riffs around. on the night rating 7/10

Wild Horses by The Rolling Stones link

Third and final Stones track tonight, and one of my favourite's to sing.This track is one of the most covered tracks by The Stone's, being covered by no less than 18 artists so far, including Sheryl Crow, Gun's & Rose's, Alicia Keyes and Deacon Blue to name but a few. It was taken from the 1971 Sticky Fingers album and is a firm favourite of the band, being performed at most of the live shows on the 40 Licks tour. It is one of those great songs that sounds good being performed by a male or female vocal, hence the number of female singers covering the track. Its a song about the emotions of splitting up, so I suppose that's why it works so well as a male or female vocal. Very easy to sing and by far my best song of the night, even though the pub was empty by now! on the night rating 9/10

So another week done , and the Stones are back on the most songs by an artist list, taking back the lead from the unknown Elvis and The Beatles! We were a little thin on the ground this week, with Tina not well and Louise in London, so they didn't get to sing of course this week. Hopefully next week we will have a full squad, and I have a couple of new song's I am itching to have a go at.

Now as the Simpson's movie is fast approaching, the Simpson's movie website has placed on it a 'Simpson Avatar Creator' which is easy to use, and allows you to create yourself as a Simpson! See what you think of me and the wife below!

This was great fun to do and found completely by accident! I mean it's not like I trawl the net looking for this kind of rubbish! D'oh. Anyway have a click on the link and have a go yourself and E-Mail them to me at treaclez@yahoo.co.uk. I look forward to seeing your efforts! Anyway until next time folks arrivederci i miei amici.

[Homer taking a bath trying to remember what he forgot]

Homer : What the hell was I supposed to do?

Homer's brain : Pick up Bart, pick up Bart, pick up Bart.

Homer : Who the hell is Picabar?

Homer J Simpson