2007
JANUARY
January 1st: New Year, same old situation! Back on the rock 'n' roll for the time being AGAIN. In fact I sign on tomorrow oh what fun but im ready for em! Last year like the previous flew past just like the rest of them, but at least it ended on a high unless you were Saddam Hussein. Yet another cold, wet, grey start but I really do need to buy a load of stamps for all the mail outs I promised people which somehow got side tracked due to work committments and something called Christmas. But here at Nihilism central we kick off with a new impetus and new year gusto, so wonder how long that will last? Before I fuck off do you like my new blood splattered diary backdrop? ...IS THAT AN OMEN?
January 8th: So much for the Doles Rapid Reclaim system when its manned by incompetants of the highest degree and they had the nerve to gimme a bollocking for being 10 minutes late grrrrr!
January 12th: Looks like this week just got worse after i downloaded a poxy spyware programme to check if i was being spied on which in turn crashes my computer leaving me no way to even switch on correctly. So it was bite the bullet and lose the last 6 months worth of information as i resort to the recovery disc option. Could've been worse i spose, coz if i hadnt saved everything to disc 6 months ago id really be paying the price right now!
January 13th: All systems go again ahhhh the relief. Didn't realise how many discs i needed to download to reach my PC comfort zone again. Also the first few records of the new year arrive!
FEBRUARY
February 4th: I've joined thousands of others and become a WARCRAK addict!
February 25th: Don'tcha just hate being middle aged!!!!!
MARCH
March 2nd: Wow this is a blast from the past! I get an e-mail off Jennie who I used to hang around with back in the
early 80's and she supplied me with some rather fetching and long lost Stench shots plus some shots of various p
punks in and around Wolverhampton in those drunken crazy times. I'll be adding these soon to Wulfrunia, so Nice
one Jennie! Now if anyone else has any old punk pics from Wolverhampton's early 80's era particularly of Stench
live or just making the place look untidy, please lemme know coz they just might end up on an album cover one of
these days and you'll get full credit!!!
March 6th: Got to Zac's funeral today ....see ya mate!
March 12th: Forced to start another Government scheme for the jobless idlers (I think thats me?) who live off the
back of this system. This one like the last 2 I've been on lasts for 3 months. Only this time they make you work
for your dole in one of their slave labour companys they call 'placements' where everyone else earns a full time
wage while we the jobless underlings get an extra "tenner". for our trouble! Is it gonna find me a job? You bet your
life it aint!!! Is it gonna punish me for paying NI contributions when I was working errrr yeah! Sort of community
service for ppl who ain't committed a crime apart from being unemployed!
March 18th: After 6 months finally get the Stench demos ready for some kinda aural abuse! DD deserves a months
worth of drink for services rendered.
APRIL
April 7th: Just confirmed there will be a limited edition (300 copies) of STENCH recordings out later this year on
an LP released by Pure Punk Records in Italy. This long lost collection of 14 sordid anthems of nihilism is gonna
be called 'Cult Status'. The artwork is currently being put together and hopefully it will come with a lyric insert and
on a wonderfully sickly green vinyl.
April 8th: Happy Birthday Lucy
April 28th: Welcome to planet Earth little Laila.
JUNE
June 15th: At long fuckin last finish the poxy 3 month dole course!!!! YIPPPPEEEEEEEEE!!!!! Should (fingers crossed) be left alone for 6 months at least but I won't take that with a pinch of salt. Now maybe I can really start to
work on more important things like the Stench album artwork and Nihilism On The Prowl! Do I sound optimistic or wot?
June 24th: Wolves football egend Derek Dougan dies of a heart attack in his Wolverhampton home.(RIP).
JULY
July 28th: First gig of the year for me, which is embaressing for a punk running a website. But I gotta say I was only really tempted to hit a GIG perhaps 3 times since last September and in each case every time I was either skint or couldnt make it. So here i am in Brum to check out Harlow's Antibodies who are the best UK punk band around at the moment with a scorching new 45. Review is now posted HERE.
AUGUST
August 1st: Went to London for a few days made me realise why I hate motorway travel so much, fuck touring gimme a train anyday!
August 17th: Finally get all the Stench LP artwork (Covers, Lyric/collage insert and label) finished and posted off to Italy.
Hope it gets there this time. I might as well show you whats goin on the cover its the Columbine school shootings from
1999. Cheers to Kim Misery for putting me onto this trail. The two young killers blow their own heads off after killing a
load of their school friends and teachers. I thought this shot was probably the Cult Status image I was looking for after
Lady Di's car crash and probably perfect for a Stench cover...Oh and before I forget we are still mixing tracks and could
quite easily fill another album. In fact some of the latest tracks would've made the album if we'd had more time to mix
but thats life!
August 20th: Found this funny piece in tonights local paper. So now we know whats been dogging Wolves performace
all this time in the Championship?
August 22nd: Been busy in the promotion race and thanks to Sid from Nuneaton who steered me in the right direction
finally found a FREE DIY video editing package that even I could get my head around and produced this album PROMO.
I reckon more Punk bands on little labels with live or studio footage in their grasp should try it.
August 26th: Went to see the Only Ones tonight disappointing!
SEPTEMBER
September 21st: Go and see the Misfits/Briefs gig at the Wulfrun Hall and witness another giant killing by the Briefs
who are sadly on their last tour for quite a while as various members move onto other projects. Full review n pix HERE.
OCTOBER
October 5th: Happy Birthday Fayne!
October 8th: Just been informed by Pure Punk records the Stench album will be delayed due too the shouty mob
Career Soldiers record label? I somehow don't think the world is ready for this album just yet!
October 10th: Gawd my very first Scanner which has served me well over the last 6 years has finally bitten the
dust due to my own blunder and coz its so old can't connect it up to this PC GRRRR!
October 20th: At last some good noose, get a call from Royal Mail informing me due to the recent
strike action they will want us in work a month earlier.... yippppeeeeee! Maybe I will go to the ball
after all!
October 22nd: Just been informed (cheers Mark) that Paul Raven of Neon Hearts/Killing Joke
has died. There's a piece in tonight's Express And Star. Rumours that Torcha Shed used his bass
guitar to record the Nihilism On The Prowl EP are totally unfounded.(do you really think Vile Ending
could handle such a weapon). What is true is it was left in the Wolverhampton Magic Garden
recording studio while we were recording our tracks. Apparently Mr Raven had dropped some
bass tracks down the week previous and was coming back to do some more.
October 23rd: Gawd more bad news Paul Fox of the Ruts has lost his battle with Cancer!
October 30th: Looks like Halloween has come early this year for me, just got me hands on a
reissued 'Never Mind The Bollocks' album by the Sex Pistols complete with poster and
'Submission' 7 inch, which I missed out on first time round. Looks fantastic and well worth
the dead cheap £13.45 costs. Big cheers to Paul from Bristol for doing the honours, a drink
is on its way mate!
NOVEMBER
November 3rd: Town gets invaded by Skinheads and punks from all over Europe here to catch the
sold out Cocksparrer gig at the Civic Hall. But it was the football hoolies out for the Wolves v Bristol
City match which caused the bother. My mate Paul and his Mrs are up from Bristol to see Sparrer
(he's a Rovers fan by the way). Tried to show em a good time inbetween drunken shenanigans and
dodging local hoolies but they enjoyed themselves in the end despite everything. I get barred from
McGhees for being drunk or was it stoned can't remember grrrrr!
November 10th: Head to Brum for a Psychobilly bash as guests of the highly recommended
Devilish Presley. Turned out to be a great night just a pity my camera decided to die on me and my
document of the event was lost. I drunk way too much lager too and ended up catching the wrong
coach back home. Spent an hour walking round the deserted ring road of Telford in the freezing cold
before finding a taxi which cost me £30 quid to get home grrrrrrrrrr!
November 25th: Goodnight, god bless Auntie Kathy.
DECEMBER
December 14th: News from Pure Punk Records is the Stench album will be released in
January 2008.
December 20th: Get offered a 3 month contract for Royal Mail starting January 7th 2008...best and
only present this Christmas!.
December 21st: Break up from work relieved and tired but happy. Got two weeks to pile into these
outstanding reviews and updates!
