Dirty Royal Live @ Amsterdam

Time for another Dirty Royal show guys.  Come down to Amsterdam tomorrow night and say hi.  Music starts at 9 and entrance is free.  Yay.  More details here.

Dirty Royal Live at Cool Runnings

Looking for something to do tomorrow night?  Come check out Dirty Royal and Ard Matthews live at Cool Runnings.  For more details, check out the Facebook event.

Bout Night Awesomeness

Okay, so I finally have some photos from bout night to share...Yay!  For those of you who don't know, I skated in my very first roller derby bout on the 16th of November and it was amazing.  It also happened to be Durban's very first bout which made it a doubly special event to be a part of.

The Pink Ladies before the bout

If you had told me at my first fresh meat practice that I'd be competing seven months later, I would've laughed in your face and then fallen flat on my ass (because that's how unstable I was)!  At that point, I wasn't even sure if roller derby was something I wanted to be a part of yet.  Fast forward to the end of September and my first bootcamp.  I knew that they were picking eight girls to skate in the bout but I was pretty sure I wouldn't be one of them.  I did my best but in the back of my mind I kept thinking "it's okay not to be picked, it's okay not to be picked." Confident right?  You can imagine my surprise when I saw my name on the list the next day!
From the beginning of October, we started skating with the open level girls and we doubled our practice time to make sure we were up to scratch.  The fact we could all skate out there and hold our own with more experienced skaters is the result of tons of hard work and sweat and I am so, so proud!

We didn't win but I think my facial expression in the photo below sums up how I felt about the night in general: 

There is another fresh meat intake in January and, if you are even remotely curious, come and check it out.  You won't regret it!  For more info, give Durban Derby a like on Facebook.

All the photos in this post are courtesy of Jethro Snyders and Almost Famous Photography.  I highly recommend checking out his Facebook page and his full album of derby pics. 

Durban Derby presents Grease!!

Guys!!  Durban's very first roller derby bout is taking place on the 16th of November at Hillcrest Primary School.  The bout is Grease themed and I am skating with the Pink Ladies.  So much excitement...

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Check out the Facebook event for more details!!

Rock Ignition Episode VI

Come and hang out with Dirty Royal on Friday night for the last Rock Ignition show at Amsterdam.  As per usual, the music is good and the entrance is free.

Check out the Facebook event for more information.  Hope to see you there!

Rock Ignition Episode V

Hey guys, its the beginning of another month and that means it's time for another Rock Ignition Show.  Join Dirty Royal live @ Amsterdam for Rock Ignition Episode V:

Entrance is free, the company is good and the music is awesome.  Check out the Facebook event for more info.

Fresh Meat: Week Eight

This week's Fresh Meat post is a little late...sorry about that.  I haven't been a very motivated blogger this past week, hence the late Sunday evening catching up.  Anyhoo, this week we got our first taste of what skating in Durban's hot and steamy summer is going to be like.  There was a major cold front making it's way towards us so Thursday was exceptionally warm.  Needless to say, things were very sweaty...ugh.   I am going to have to invest in some comfy shorts in the next few weeks to ensure I don't pass out from heat exhaustion!

On to the skills!  We started off with warm up laps as per usual.  I am slowly starting to get the hang of skating in the opposite direction although I did find myself going right off the track a few times.  I am still battling with the crossovers but after practicing crossing over our feet while standing I almost nailed it on our next set of laps.  Definitely feeling like I need to be putting extra practice time in just wish I had more time to do it!!

Tonight was the first time we learnt how to do pushes and whips.  The push is pretty self explanatory.  You skate up behind your teammate and give them an extra boost by pushing them.  A whip is what the movie Whip It takes its name from and it involves transfering your speed to your teammate through a series of different movements.  Here are some examples:

Obviously it's really important to warn the person that you are going to push them or use a whip because otherwise there is a chance you'll both go flying and not in the way you intended!  I need to learn to lean forward more in this case because I nearly feel on my ass twice!!  I think they'll be a lot of fun once I get more used to the sudden burst of speed.

We finished off the night with a pace line.  I like these a lot.  It's fun to be able to practice weaving in and out of other people and to learn to regulate your speed when there is more at stake (aka crashing into the person in front of you and thereby setting off the domino effect).

I am looking forward to next week a lot.  We have our normal Thursday practice and a special Bootcamp on Friday night!! Yay!!

Things I Love #50

Happy Sunday!  It's a beautiful warm morning here in Durban which is a sure sign that Summer is coming.  I'm kind of looking forward to this week actually. My essay is due on Tuesday which means it'll finally be off my back and work is shaping up to be quite an interesting week too.  Good interesting I think.  Also, Thursday will be exactly one month to my birthday!  Yay!!

I am going to start with something serious this week.  If you live in Durban, you would've heard about Thursday's horrific truck accident on the M13.  This is an intersection I use daily and I've seen just how badly the trucks drive in this area.  Please check out the Ban Trucks on the M13 Facebook page and sign the petition.  It's time they do something about this.

Take a trip back in time with Old Punk Flyers, my new favourite Tumblr.

Animation Master Hayao Miyazaki Retires from Feature Filmmaking.  Now this is not news I love at all but it's news all the same...sigh...

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Now, to make yourself feel more cheerful, check out these Miyazaki reaction gifs.

If they were real, I would buy every single one of these Monty Python and the Holy Grail Lego sets.

Haruki Murakami is releasing a short story called Samsa where the main character wakes up as Gregor Samsa, the protagonist from Kafka's Metamorphosis.

And, Murakami is currently the favourite to take home this year's Nobel Prize for Literature.  Yay!

I just love this Dancers Among Us photo series by Jordan Matter.  The photos are graceful and in some cases, hilarious.  Look out for the guy in the shower.

How adorable is the BMO knit craft special from We Love Fine?  Must. Have.

Okay, this is a very long and a very academic read BUT it basically says that our yawns are not only contagious to other humans but also our dogs!  Cute!!

Here is a first look review of Salinger, the JD Salinger documentary that I only heard abut yesterday!!  There seems to be a fair amount of negativity around it but I remain undecided.

Angry Birds turned into Angry Brands.  This made me laugh.

Here are some amazing Muppet/Superhero mashups from Comic Book Resources.  My favourite is Animal as Wolverine.

And speaking of mashups, here are the X-Men drawn as Star Wars characters.

Also, how cool is Grumpy Ratchet?

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And finally, the AV Club has an awesome series called Gateway to Geekery that provides entry points to different fandoms.  Here is their articles on the music genres of my youth Emo and Screamo.

Seen anything you love this week?  Let me know in the comments:)

Rock Ignition Episode IV

Wondering what to do this Friday?  Come and check out the next installment of Dirty Royal's Rock Ignition parties at Amsterdam.  Entrance is free and the music is awesome!!

Check out the Facebook event here:)

Rock Ignition Episode III

If you're looking for something to do tomorrow night, come down to Amsterdam for another super awesome Dirty Royal show:

There is no cover charge and I'm not just being biased when I say that these guys are really, really good.  You won't be disappointed.  Check out the Facebook event here and the Dirty Royal page here.

Things I Love #41

What a cool weekend it has been - mexican food with friends, two awesome dogs to play with, the Durban July and Wakaberry with Sam!  All that goodness makes it just a little bit harder to go into work tomorrow *sigh*  Anyway, after 3 weeks (I think) of no Things I Love, I have quite a collection of links/pictures/randomness to share with you today:

Today I had Wakaberry for the first time in months!!  They had peanut butter flavour and speckled eggs which is officially my new favourite combination.

How beautiful are these abandoned places?  Out of all of them I'd choose to explore Nara Dreamland in Japan (#30), the Maunsell Sea Forts in England (#14) and the fishing hut in Germany (#6).

The Decline and Fall of the English Major.  As an English major and now an English Honours student, I found this rather interesting.

22 Things Poncho the Pug is Better at than You.  Isn't he just the cutest?!?

Boston Shoes is an amazing project that asked anyway involved (running, responding or simply watching) in the Boston Marathon bombings to submit a photo of their shoes.

So did you know that there is a Russian Criminal Tattoo Archive?  Me neither!!  Check out some pics here.

The Militant Baker shared some of the most amazing writing advice I have ever read.  Seriously.

WTF, Evolution? is my new favourite Tumblr.  Funny and truly bizarre.

Okay, We Love Fine officially have the best leggings in the business!  Marvel, Sanrio and most importantly...ADVENTURE TIME.  

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Speaking of Adventure Time, I honestly want ALL of this Adventure Time art from Mondo...so beautiful!

These high speed photos of exploding lightbulbs filled with objects are super awesome.  And colourful.

This slide show of adorable dogs enjoying summer is exactly as promised...ADORABLE! 

I may not be British but this list of 30 Very British Problems kinda describes me life.  You can also find them on twitter. 

The Fiction show at the Modern Eden Gallery features portraits of literary characters that are breathtaking!  I'd love to be able to see this in real life...

The Little Free Library is possibly one of the best ideas I have seen in ages.  I'd love to be able to set one up somewhere some day!

These sci-fi author portraits by Megan Murphy are too cool.  Edgar Allan Poe is my favourite.

I may not be super sciencey but this 3D Printed Subatomic Particle Jewelry is gorgeous!

Honestly, I am kinda desperate for a local convention to appear so that I can dabble in cosplaying.  These Hipster Disney Princesses and Mermaid Avengers are not helping.

And finally, Poko the Cockatiel wants to sing you the Totoro theme:

Seen anything you love lately?  Let me know in the comments:)

Things I Love #39

Its been a pretty slow week for me so I'm afraid I don't have too many things to share on this week's Things I Love.  Unless you have a strange desire to read journal articles on the diaspora and the difference between exile and migrant writing?  No?  Are you sure?  Okay then, moving along:

Humans of Durban is a photo collection inspired by Brandon Stanton's Humans of New York blog.  It's a pretty nifty way to see all the different people that make up my home town.  Check out their Facebook page here.

Iceland is one of my dream destinations.  I love how it looks so raw and unfinished.  A real work in progress.  Killian Schoenberger has some breathtaking landscape pictures of Iceland that make me want to go tomorrow!!

Dirty Royal played another gig at Amsterdam on Friday night.  Here are some photos:

So rumour has it that there is a Fables movie in the works.  Not too sure what to think about that to be honest.  I only discovered Fables last year when my friend Clare kindly lent me some of hers and i'd be devasted to see it done poorly.  Same goes for the rumours about the HBO adaptation of American Gods!!

I love these photos of Hunter S. Thompson just sitting around.  He is one of my favourites.

PowerUp Collage makes art from upcycled comic boooks and it's fantastically cool!  One thing that has always endeared me to comics are the awesome sound effects so I'd love to own a few of these.

Please, please, please can someone send me these Stars Wars Light Up Lightsabre sunglasses?  Too cool and if Hot Topic didn't require me to sell a limb to afford their international shipping, I'd buy them this instant!!

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Excel is the bane of my existence.  Seriously, when people at work come and ask me for help with their spreadsheet or worse, to create an Excel template, I want to hide under my desk.  That's why I find this Excel artwork by Tatsuo Horiuchi so impressive.

I love these pictures of Rain Frogs on Buzzfeed.  I feel like they capture the way I've been feeling this week perfectly!!

I am in love with these birds illustrated on vintage envelopes by Mark Powell.  Just gorgeous.

And finally, here are 8 seconds of pug awesomeness.  You're welcome:

 

Seen anything you love this week?  Let me know in the comments:)

Dirty Royal @ Amsterdam

Looking for something to do tomorrow night?  Dirty Royal is live at Amsterdam Bar for their third birthday.  Come and say hi:)

Check out the event details here.

Things I Love #36

So, tomorrow I have my last lecture of my first semester back at university!  Crazy right?  June is going to be full of essays and studying and exams so I am going to make the most of what's left of May!  In other news...I have no other news really so here's this weeks list:

Here's a rather old Time interview (2005!!) with Neil Gaiman and Joss Whedon.  What a great combination.

These Angelique Houtkamp necklaces are so, so beautiful!  I just wish they were more within my price range because then I would have this one, this one and this one.

Have you read Angeline Jolie's NY Times op-ed yet?  I totally support her choice and I think it's an incredibly brave move especially in light of what she does and what she represents.

I love this variant cover for Brain Woods' new X-Men series...just perfect!

The Mary Sue got an exclusive look at the covers for Adventure Time Candy Capers #2 and they are super cool!  They also got a sneak preview of Fionna and Cake #5.

And speaking of exclusive looks, Bleeding Cool have an AWESOME preview of the first issue of The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys.

Dirty Royal played their first show at Live - The Venue last night and it was awesome.  They opened for Dance You're On Fire who were pretty great as well:



So you can take a look at F. Scott Fitzgerald'a ledger online and it's as awesome as it sounds.  From the site:

"F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Ledger is one of the richest primary source documents in existence for any literary author. Fitzgerald began recording information in this business ledger sometime in 1919 or 1920 after leaving the Army and moving to New York to begin his professional life as a writer."

Also, here are 16 things that F. Scott Fitzgerald doesn't want you to worry about.  Taken from a letter to his daughter.

How The Internet Destroyed the Middle Class.  A super interesting interview on Salon.  Lots to think about.

How awesome does a Cake Batter Martini sound?  Definitely need to try one of these!

This floating cloud couch is too cool for words.  It looks like the perfect spot for a nap.

Check out these fan made posters for Star Wars VIII.  I like the first one the most.

On the subject of Star Wars, who wants to make these Jabba the Hutt cookies for me?  I will make you coffee in return and we can have a Star Wars coffee party...or something...

Loving these Post-Punk/New Wave Super Friends by Butcher Billy.  Such a great combination!

Now you can type with cats courtesy of Nekofont.  Man I love the internet!

Seen anything you love this week?  Let me know in the comments:)

Dirty Royal @ LIVE - The Venue Tomorrow Night

Dirty Royal is playing at LIVE - The Venue tomorrow night.  If you are in Durban you should totally come and watch.  Check out the Facebook event for more details and while you're there, give their page a like.  You won't be disappointed.

Dirty Royal @ Splashy...Some Very Delayed Photos

So, I mentioned awhile back the Jason's band Dirty Royal was playing at Splashy this year.  Well, Splashy came and went and the show was super awesome.  In fact the whole night was awesome.  Anyway, I meant to post these photos from the show the week after Splashy but then you know, life, essays and stuff.  Better late than never right?  My proper camera died about 2 minutes in so I had to make do with my phone.  We were right up close to the stage and although I thought I got an awesome video of the second and last songs, it’s too distorted and full of background noises (aka me screaming enthusiastically) to be worth watching.

It’s been interesting to return to the band wife role – carrying guitar cases and holding cigarettes and assorted other things not wanted while on stage.  That said, watching Jason on stage has always been one of my very favourite things to do so I'm not complaining in the slightest:) There are some shows in the pipeline for the next few months and if you are in the Durban area, you should come and check them out.  In the meantime, go and check out their Facebook page to stay updated.

Beware the Normans!!

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Last week Friday night,  Jason and I decided to get cultured and go to the theatre.  We saw The Rise of the Insanity League and I cannot recommend it more.  Staring Aaron McIlroy, Ben Voss and John Van De Ruit, the show is a hilarious collection of comedic sketches that detail the workings and members of the Insanity League.  Here is the write up from Computicket:

“A comedy movement, comprising comic actors Aaron McIlroy, Ben Voss and - in a welcome return to the stage after an absence of a decade - John van de Ruit. The trio have teamed up to deliver a sketch comedy show which pokes, provokes and tickles in all the right places on a nationwide tour.

The Insanity League was conceived early in 2012 after too much caffeine and not enough fresh air. An inspired conversation led to the frantic scribbling-down of comedy sketch ideas and a plan for nationwide domination was hatched. Now, in 2013, The Insanity League will bring their more than slightly left-field ideas to theatres. The show promises to be more than just a random selection of sketches - the team is preparing a comic study on insanity unlike anything ever seen on the stage in South Africa before. An inspired set is taking shape around their manic ramblings, with Director Greig Coetzee carefully crafting the trio`s comic performances.”

For me the highlights were Brian’s Brain, the Under the Sea skit and the skit with the SAPS.  If you can, go and see it.  You’ll leave with your jaw and stomach muscles sore from laughter and who couldn’t do with more laughter in their life?  Tickets are available from Computicket for R160 a person.

Currently...

Feeling:  A little overwhelmed actually.  When I first started my honours they told us how, around the time of the first essay, things get a little intense.  You are reading to keep up and reading for an essay and there is just so much reading.  I didn't believe them at the time but boy, were they right!  In my mind I have Dory's Just Keep Swimming playing except I have replaced swimming with reading!!

Watching:  Old James Bond movies.  James Bond is one of my very favourite characters.  Sean Connery is my ideal Bond and Daniel Craig is my worst.  What about you?

Reading:  A lot!  Right now I am finishing off By The Sea by Abdulrazak Gurnah and I am about to start The Exploded View by Ivan Vladislavic.  I am also rereading parts of The Unbearable Lightness of Being for my essay.  I am wondering what all this extra reading will mean for my 10 Books this year...will I even have the time?

Thinking About:  This is a tough one to answer.  One thing that I really appreciate about studying again is that it's got me thinking about all sorts of things that I usually gloss over - the language in a book, the politics in an article or the references in a movie.  Sometimes it means I over think things but mostly it's just opening my eyes that little bit more to the world around me.

Eating:  Toooo much junk food.  Really, all the holidays and events of the past month have done a number on my diet.  Time to start eating better ad taking care of myself again.

Looking Forward Too:  Jason and I have tickets to The Rise of The Insanity League on Friday night.  I haven't been to the theatre in awhile and I've heard some very good things about this show.  I'll let you guys know what it's like.  Also, the Russian Ballet will be here in June!!  I've missed them the last two times they were out but I am going this time come hell or high water!

Making Me Happy:  Cooler weather, Rum and Raisin chocolate, finding a place with a Monday Macaroon special, watching Jason on stage again and making new friends.

These Currently posts are inspired by the ones over at Sometimes Sweet.  You can see her latest one here:)

How We Survive is What Makes Us Who We Are

From the official Rise Against Instagram

That is a line from one of my favourite Rise Against songs.  One of the songs that I was lucky enough to see live last week Friday night at RAMfest.   Can I just jump the gun here and say what a totally awesome show it was?  All the bands were outstanding, the turnout was great and the vibe was awesome.  RAMfest, you HAVE to come back to Durban next year.  And please bring someone equally awesome!

Anyway, moving along.  We missed most of Lowprofile's set because we got there just a little bit late.  They were still playing when we arrived but between standing in the queue, greeting friends and getting drinks, they kind of got lost in the noise.  Speaking of friends, Collette and her new husband made Durban RAMfest the end of their honeymoon which made the whole evening even more awesome.  I don't get to go to many concerts with Colli anymore because she lives so far away so it was super cool to have them both there.

Pestroy was the next band up and even though I don't know them that well, they were incredibly good.  Apparently they have been around for 15 years now and their experience and confidence showed. The performance was tight and you could see they were feeding off the enthusiasm of the crowd.  I forgot my proper camera at home but here is a blurry iPhone photo of Pestroy in action:

Next up was Bring Me The Horizon.  Again, I was sure what to expect from these guys but they are so, so good!  I had been listening to them on SoundCloud occasionally to try and acquaint myself with there stuff before the show but it didn't prepare my for how they sound live.  They are very heavy and honestly, I think they sound better live.  Oli Sykes also has some AMAZING tattoos.  Seriously.  Alas I was too far away to get a proper look at them.  Random aside about BMTH?  They are named after the last line in Pirates of the Caribbean where Captain Jack Sparrow says "Now, bring me that horizon."

The Bring Me The Horizon set list was:

Shadow Moses
Chelsea Smile
Alligator Blood
Fuck
It Never Ends
The Sadness Will Never End
Diamonds Aren't Forever
Blessed with a Curse
Antivist

There was about an hours wait between BMTH and Rise Against and we used that time to try and get as close to the stage as possible.  One of the hazards of being short is that no matter how close you manage to get to the stage, there is still someone taller in front of you!  I was determined to at least stay in the front for one song to experience the atmosphere which was growing by the minute.  When Rise Against eventually came on, I had a perfect view of Tim McIlrath from between two shoulders.  Here is photographic proof:

The crowd went off for that first song and the mosh pit was absolutely insane.  I had to move further back after the first song because it was just too much and I wasn't wearing the right shoes to tangle with the bigger guys.  Note to self:  never, ever wear flats to a punk show ever again...what were you thinking???  Anyway, once we moved further back, I had an excellent view of the stage and could enjoy the show without fear of mangled feet.

I don't have an exact set list for Rise Against but here is what I think I remember hearing:

Chamber the Cartridge
Life Less Frightening 
Collapse (Post-Amerika)
Re-Education (Through Labor)
The Dirt Whispered
Help Is on the Way
The Good Left Undone
Long Forgotten Sons
Prayer of the Refugee
Survive
Satellite

Ready to Fall 

Acoustic:
Hero of War 
Swing Life Away

Encore:
Make It Stop (September’s Children)
Give It All
Savior

There are so may of my favourite songs in this setlist it's unbelievable!!  I couldn't have asked for better!  I spent the whole night, shouting their lyrics back at them, jumping around like a mad person and just generally loving life.  I also managed to get an awesome video of Swing Life away which I unfortunately couldn't upload here.   

For more photos, you can check out the Durban RAMfest event page on Facebook.  There are some really great pictures.  Where any of you there or at any of the other shows?  Let me know what you thought.

It's Here! It's Rise Against Day!!

I can't even begin to describe my level of excitement right now.  Rise Against is one of those bands that  I never, NEVER imagined I'd be able to see in Durban.  They defined my life at one point and to see them live is pretty freakin' awesome!  Anyway, Rolling Stone South Africa managed to get an interview with Tim McIlrath at RAMfest Cape Town last weekend and I thought I'd share it here:

As you can see, the guy conducting the interview got removed from the video.  Apparently he was drunk/unprofessional or something along those lines.  

Are any of you guys going tonight?  I'll be the one practically peeing myself with excitement:)