JANUARY
January 1st: 1.15 : Seems like we been here before don't it? Well its fucking pissing down outside bringing great omens for the future 12 months. I spent my last dime and im quietly contemplating what this years bag of tricks has in store. I ain't expecting a great deal never had but I know I'm gonna have to change my lifestyle if I wanna reach some of my goals or just to basically survive. Aahhh aint it a shame for poor unfortunate little me??? I think I'll take each day as it comes. What I do know is I've got Penetration playing locally on the 17th so that should be VERY good, i'll have a camera ready to capture the event for posterity. Heard nothing but good reports from this reformation compared with others doin the rounds. I've got my paint splattered overalls on and I'm doin a spot of improvements round the site starting with this diary. I quite like the contrast from white to black, it's remarkable what you can do with an ink splattered tatty bit of paper. What do you think of the latest Don't Care snap (hey whos fuckin laffin?), cheers to Joey Bondage from Narcoleptic Youth for providing me with that unique (in the UK) Barbie doll head t-shirt......1.20: Fuckin hell don't believe it, my brother has just invited me to the pub for a drink, well It looks like I'm gonna start this year as I left last........see ya later.
January 5th: YESSSSSSSSSS! Wolves 3 Newcastle 2.... who's callin the TOON now!?
January 15th: Been to a funeral today (my condolenses go out to Spruce and his family), first of many I suspect. Spruce was on a camera course and had Torcha Shed as his guinea pigs annd is responsible for all the good Torcha Shed shots your likely to see online if you can find any. I dont like dwelling on doomy subjects but it always makes me think who the fucks next...? Also the fuckin church was freezzin cold and the priest was a cunt! I hate priests who dont give us even a half hearted sermon on the person whose died, they're fuckin goin through the motions. The bastard better do a better job when my numbers called. Had a good drink (didnt get wrecked) afterwards, and seeing my old mate ain't about to die just yet made it more fun. Wolverhampton stinks though, if you want fun, intrigue and entertainment on a Wednesday dinnertime don't come here. I'm just geering meself up for Fridays PENETRATION gig, heard Stourbridge is a shithole aint been there for 15 years, but hey its a new port in a storm. I'm doin some long lost zine reviews too, you have to be cruel to be kind!
January 17th: Seen Penetration tonight for the second time in 25 years! And they didn't dissapoint! All the reports were true and they're very professional, nothing old or stale about em. Got an old 77 Vortex flyer signed by Pauline. Full review 'n' pix will be up shortly. Cheers to Dave DTM for the lift home, nice one mate!
January 18th: Woke up this morning with 'Lifes A Gamble' by Penetration running through my head! Had a great CD (AngrySamoans unboxed set) through the post today from Welshy... cheers guvnor!
January 29th: Just discovered life on the shovel never gets any easier!
FEBRUARY
February 2nd: First major gripe with Tripod today. They took down the 'Images Of Punk' gallerys for 12 poxy hours!!! I can live with 2 hours... but 12!!! Are they trying to tell me something? It seems the 'bandwidth' whatever the fuck that is?.... is over stepping its mark? I really must get the Angelfire gallerys up and running soon just for the sake of a bolthole and emergency accomodation.
February 7th: Just heard news of a debut UK tour by Scandinavian kings of sleaze the highly impressive TURBO NEGRO. They play Brum on May 10th and Nihilism On The Prowl will be their to capture this event!!!!!!!!!! GET IT ONNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!
February 15th: More gripes with Tripod. Apparently the reason they keep pulling down the 'Images Of Punk' gallerys and what bandwidth means is... coz its basically getting too much traffic!!!! Fuckin ell you'd think they'd be glad of the custom viewing their abomidable adverts but seems not. I'm gonna spend this weekend trying to devise an alternative gallery space coz 24 hours is taking the piss!
February 21st: Looks like Geocities is gonna be my next expansion space. Angelfires HTML code is just too time consuming for lazy sods like me and online building is money. So for the sake of a pop-up banner it's the fastest and easiest so far. Hoping to get the Punk Couples gallerys back online this weekend.
February 25th: Instead of a time for celebration (my Birthday) I get bad omens today from the powers that be who pay my giro. Starting from next Monday I gotta go on an intensive Jobsearch program for 13 fuckin weeks (if I last that long) it's the equivalent to being sent to a Russian Gulag only difference being it's situated in Willenhall and they bore you to death. All my spare day time will be taken up stuck in some backstreet room with these cunts. What a fuckin waste! It's like going to work for some cunt except they don't pay you. Anyone who said life on the dole is easy is grossly misinformed. Jeeeeeeeeezzzzzzzzz seems like everything comes at once, first Tripod giving me aggro now this grrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!! And to top it all a tapes just got clogged up in my stereo!!!! Does this sound like a feel sorry for me day (snigger). Still hoping to catch Antidote this Saturday.... but it's looking iffy??? Oh yeah before I forget if ever the frontpage section of this site gets pulled heres the alternative portal which will have links etc installed hopefully not long after. At least it'll let anyone know the current state of play regarding this site.... www.geocities.com/nihilismontheprowl/ (adresss now gone)
MARCH
March 1st: What could've been a great gig turned into a fiasco as far as my momory goes. I don't even remember seeing Antidote??? I knew i was wrecked coz when i checked my camera id only took 12 photos and about 6 bands played. Well I hope these pix refresh my memory???? Oh yeah missed my last train and had to sleep outside Birmingham station till they opened up in the morning. Hope this ain't gonna turn into a regular ritual... it was fucking freezing!!!!
March 2nd: Discovered how to get that neat 3D look on geocities. So no reason for the new location of pages not to look as good as on Tripod.
March 9th: Grrrrrr...razamfazzum!!!!!!!!!!!!
March 17th: Blind stinkin Drunk!!!!
March 23rd: Been a strange week indeed. I was in full time employment for 8 hours by Tuesday mornin before being informed on Friday afternoon my contract was finished grrrrrr! Agencys are cunts but what are bigger cunts are site agents called Jason!!! Then Tripod out the blue reinstall the frontpage which I ain't complaining about!!! So it's still swings and roundabouts in my life at the moment. Gotta re-sign back on the dole this comin Monday.... I'm sure that'll produce some bollocks but I won't tempt fate just yet. Wolves won 6-0 yessssssssssssssss!
March 26th: Been slacking lately as far as site updates go, but now I'm back on track without those niggling outside distractions, that should be a thing of the past. Just added a classic Sid Vicious interview if anyones interested go check it out? I'm also currently reading a great zine called Defiant Pose which covers the LA Punk scene, probably the best edition yet, review up soon!
APRIL
April 5th: Got a tape of Turbo Negro's forthcoming 'Scandinavian Leather' CD In today (cheers Welshy) and well it's definitely going in a Rock direction. No 'Apocalypse Dudes' classic in the making that's for sure, but not bad it gets better with more plays. Review up soon!
April 7th: Restart back at Nova today....ten fucking weeks of this!!!!!!! aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarghhhh!
April 10th: Went to Macca Harrison's funeral today....massive turnout...inevitably got blitzed!!! He was a bouncer on the infamous Sex Pistols 'Spots' gig in Wolverhampton and a picture of him appears in Englands Dreaming book.
April 13th: Started work on a massive 'Women In The 80's' punk section of the site. This will cover as many outfits, individuals as I can find. This will be a new revamped more indepth feature than the one that first appeared in The Suffragette fanzine back in 1998. As always donations of info will be greatly appreciated.
April 15th: Had to miss tonights Dead Kennedys show in Birmingham... I'm SKINT grrrrr! Any reviews are welcome with open arms.
MAY
May 2nd: Got a webcam today for the knockdown price of a fiver!!! Beware some gruesome webshots may appear when you least expect em!
....CUT...hmmmm!
May 11th: Witnessed Turbo Negro tonight and they fuckin ripped!!! Great sound and pure entertainment. For a bunch of fuckups they
reproduce their sound perfectly. Anthems, raised hands and lots of sweat... my ears are still ringing. Emptied a camera on em so
hopefully some live shots and a full review up soon. Catch em now before they implode...highly recommended!!!
May 14th: Cardiff here we come.... "ONE WOLVERHAMPTON THERES ONLY ONE WOLVERHAMPTON!!!! "
May 26th: 19 YEARS, 13 DAYS , 22 HOURS, 20 MINUTES......yessssssss!!!!!
May 27th: It never fails to amaze me what motivates some actions in this thing we call life?
May 31st: Can anyone lend me a thousand pounds????
JUNE
June 17th: Looks like im going to the Morecambe HITS festival this Friday!!!...and it's all thanx to my old mate Pauk K. from the Bristol contingent for pulling a few strings (much appreciated mate). I should hopefully be giving this site the full rundown on the event as seen through the bleary eyes of my Wolverhampton outlook, just as soon as I get back... plus pix (HOPEFULLY). Can't say any one band really sets my pulse racing this year, but i'd like to catch The Boys, Angry Samoans, The Adicts, Antidote, Pork Dukes, Expelled, Deadline, Resistence 77, and T.S.O.L. just to satisfy my curiosity. If any Nihilism On The Prowl! readers are in attendance just gimme a nod....and mines a Carling by the way!
June 25th: Finally starting to recover from the massive HITS session. Seen only one of the bands I wanted to see but also witnessed a few suprises too. Full review and pix up soon when i get the film developed, but don't hold your breath. I think most of the shots won't be too focused after consuming numerous pints of crappy lager and the size of the venues, but who knows? Hey Paul if your reading this cheers for the experience mate much appreciated. Gotta start pulling my finger out on site updates as ive been slacking lately, but that should change as im now a "free man" after finally escaping from the 13 week clutches of Nova Training.........Still need that airfare to my destiny... fingers crossed!
JULY
July 1st: Just heard from Gnat (PukenVomit Records) that Torcha Shed's posthumous release 'Nihilism On The Prowl' EP has sold 200
copies already!!! Maybe a bit of hype or a bit of optimism, but not bad for a band who no-ones heard of, doesn't exist no more and were
a bunch of cunts at the best of times. But being as they're the official IN-HOUSE band here at Nihilism On The Prowl it makes me
amused and quietly proud.... but don't dare tell no-one ok!!! Oh yeah it may give me some inspiration to get this Torcha Shed up and
finished so you can read what proper bunch of cunts we really were!
July 2nd: Things never seem to go how you want em too especially when your skint and need to get somewhere.
July 3rd: Dejected!!!!!!!
July 8th: Had a load of zines just come in, so some frenzied reading is in progress. Also look out for a Stench piece in next years early
80's punk book 'Burning Britain: A Riotous Assembly' by Ian Glasper. Just bought a neat pair of creepers off Andy Oxo for only £20,
they underwent the Don't Care customisation of course!
July 26th: Got a cheapo digital camera today no back viewfinder, very basic but with a flash does the job I need for the gigs.
AUGUST
August 8th: Go over Brum for a rare gig it was fucking red hot. Heard Dead Wretched are refoming which will be an interesting
concept. Think I drunk too much this weekend in fact I know I did!
August 22nd: Go for a job interview today (don't all laff at once). First one since I was about 16. Anyone would think I was applying
for a post in the secret service not a shovel technician on a building site!!! What the fuck happened to the interview in a bar that's
what I wanna know???....(Adopt Irish accent) "What you like on the shovel?"..."Sound!!!" ..."right you got the start Monday morning outside the George!....and mine's a Guinness!!!!"
August 23rd: The Fucking Wolves are turning this trip into the Premiership into a fucking nightmare!!!!! Man U. and Chelsea next!!!!....fuck knows whats gonna happen there? I'm scared....VERY SCARED!!!!
SEPTEMBER
September 4th: Looks like my spell on the 'dole' is gonna continue...didn't get the job!!!
September 6th: Goin to today's Punks Picnic in Brum to see what looks set to become a good mix of old and new punk acts. Review and pix will be up soon!
September 7th: Lose all last nights gig pix grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!
September 10th: Yet another job interview! This one don't fill me with GLEE it's a fuckin Agency (boo hiss). Finish burning a mammoth order of CD burns
today only took me 2 months!!!
OCTOBER
October 10th: Finally get hold of a CDRW and install it on my PC (well that ain't quite true, my brother installed it while I just watched and made wise
cracks at his expence). Don't worry he's used to it and a pack of Drum is heading yer way! My CD burning won't be quite so much of a chore now yippeee!
October 17th: Sick as a dog!!!!!!!
NOVEMBER
November 1st: Got confirmation today that another old mate Jonah (see picture from 1981) has died. He was a good kid always up for a laff and a good grafter,
but sadly the drink 'n' drugs took it's toll and he ended up on the skids. I seen him in town about 6 months ago and bought him a drink before he went to sign on
at the Police station for something? Like so many others, he probably died in total obscurity somewhere? I bet his estranged kids will miss him. I still got one
of his old charge sheets here too...Another Wolverhampton Punk bites the dust!!! See ya Idris!
November 12th: Been trying to publish the latest site updates for 5 times but with no luck!!! Seems the hassle I had with the publishing glitch has reared it's
ugly head and come back even stronger. I'm considering moving away from the Trellix sitebuilder (very reluctantly) and heading lock stock 'n' barrell to
Geocities. I'll give it one last shot tomorrow when I've got more patience coz at the moment i feel like chucking the fucker out the window!!!!
November 19th: Seem to have over come the publishing dilema for now.
November 25th:Tripod are fucking up big time again, they apparently took off the publishing tool for 48 hours while they carried out maintenance work! I
can live with that, but that was on the 21st and it still ain't back online!!! I'm slowly accumulating a queue of page updates waiting for em to sort out their
shit! The sites still up and functioning but no updates can be carried out at this moment in time. I think it's time to move the entire site to Geocities
don'tcha think? Some very good news today though...Chelle's got a new job!!!...yipppeeeee!!!!!!
DECEMBER
December 1st: If by a stroke of luck your reading this, things are back online. However if your reading this in the near future on December 2nd: Gotta wait
till Thursday for the final decision duh!!! Jeeezus 5 fuckin 1 AGAIN!!!!
December 4th: Well its make or break tme im just gonna publish this page for probably the last time to see if Tripod are still recognising Trellix
sitebuilders????....if your reading this as usual it's worked.... if not your on Geocities so ...."alright mate/mrs, how ya doin!!!?"
December 14th: Looks like Wolves have really blown it this time!!!!
December 15th: My mate Kev's mom's funeral today. A great woman with a heart of gold, will be sadly missed!
December 16th: Cramming in some last minute reviews... records, zines and maybe a book?
December 23rd: Happy Birthday Trinity!!!!
December 27th: Yesssssssssss!!!!!! 3-1
December 31st: HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!! See you in 2004....
2003