#antfft

Blog, Awaken! #corbynconverge

Man, I have not written here in a LOOOONG time. Life took me by the neck and said ‘Live, LIVE you bastard’. Who am I to not listen. Now it seems I am getting back the time and the inclination to write about that life. So much has happened, and I will need to write a longer entry about everything that did – including trips to Prague, Sweden, Belgium, plenty of Berlin shenanigans and visitors,…

Around 3 months ago, a friend and work colleague drew my attention to a small, blacked-brass square set into the cobbled street. He explained that the inscription it bore was the name and information of a person, someone who was a victim of Nazi persecution. They are laid by the persons home, or other significant place, and are know as Stolpersteins. Many of these people died, some did not. Most…

The final, massive, heart-wrenching, blood-seething chord of Palm Readers ‘Unabridged’ hits at the exact moment the wheels hit the runway. Lost in a world of epic hardcore, this single co-incidence is, to me, a symbol of all planets aligning for a purpose; that my life is worth being alive for.

Sussex is drenched in sunshine. I am hot, overdressed and sweaty by the time I arrive in my digs for the next 3 days, having traversed the great Brighton mountain of Albion Hill on route to Kemp Town. The flat is sparse, only having just been taken on by a good friend, who has supplied the keys and mattress use as desired (I guess within reason).

I have traveled once more from Berlin to the stomping ground for Mammothfest – a venue based metal festival in Brighton. Last year I was part of the organising team. For the 2015 edition, I contributed the designs for logo’s and tees – this has earned me entry and the chance to see a lot of friends in one place at the same time, with the added bonus of headbanging away to that most glorious of musical styles – Heavy Fucking Metal.

Music is music – but metal is METAL. No other music makes me feel this passion. No other music makes me feel such a part of something bigger. Metal is a community, a lifestyle, a tribe. It is, in a lot of cases, not a choice – It chooses you. It is cathartic, releasing in people an energy that at times just needs out. It is our escape from the world into one of our own creation. It is misunderstood by those who don’t get it, a fact that those who do really don’t give a shit about. It is all things and none of them, and much much more. It is basic and complex, real and fantasy, aggressive and accepting – all at once. I love it.

Mammothfest featured 3 days of gigs over 4 venues.The Haunt held the opening Friday night with a thrash edge, featuring headliner Onslaught as well as a reunion show by former tour mates of yours truly, Terrathorn. We threw down. Oh, and only one of the best bands EVER to come out of Brighton opened the show – the simply must be bigger than they are King Leviathan.  The event continued on Saturday and Sunday at Sticky Mikes Frog Bar, The Albert, and, Mammothfest’s now spiritual home. The Green Door Store, where the sound was massive for every band that played.

Bands that impressed: Conjurer. First on the list and getting their own mention because they literally redefined intelligence, intensity, performance, songwriting, technical ability and passion in metal for me that show. Your band is never going to beat that. Others included Widows, Murder Mile, Deal Was For The Diamond, The Darkhorse, Hang The Bastard, King Goat, Hades Lab, Stormcast, Sea Bastard and Stone Circle. Sunday headliners Hang The Bastard (a band name I feel is always pronounced with the wrong inflection) were pipped as second best of the weekend by the mighty Slabdragger, as heavy as you can imagine from the moniker. The metal community was out in force – merch stalls featuring Blackstar Amps and Double Slit Guitars, Severed Hand Clothing, Moomin Merchandise and Audio Empire as well as band tees, patches, stickers, vinyl etc provided a focal point (other than the bar, of course) for conversations and catch ups. Lost In Brighton, Metal Temple and others were there to capture the event for press – loads of photographers like Ajit Dutta and Greig Clifford snapped away to give us memorable images to last.

Broken and happy I crawled into bed on Sunday night after a blur of a weekend. Alongside the festival there were: crushing rugby defeats followed by consolation drinks; pirate parties at Apocalypse Brighton including whiskey fights on podiums and chants of ‘Bullshit’ when they were playing Lady Gaga (it’s a bloody metal night, Trewin); emergency bacon when needed without asking; lots of catch up conversations, heart to hearts and talking nonsense. All round, a really really good weekend.

Metal is family. Family is also family (and so therefore metal? discuss), so before flying home trips ensued to London and Farnham. Mi Abuelo estaba dormido, and I had not the Corazon to stir him, as when he sleeps he is out for hours and needs it. Onward to Farnham saw more lively responses from my sister, niece and nephew. A couple of days of torrential rain did not prevent us from playing in puddles, playing at giants, and generally mucking about in what is a really peaceful town, a place it seems my sister can settle and be happy. It even has a castle, so it’s a good place in my book.

This is the last UK trip lined up for a while. I do not know when I will return, a notion that unsettles me slightly. However, with winter on-setting, there will be plenty of new things to experience at home in Berlin. The bitter cold for one thing. As I leave, I reflect on this, and become excited about my journey again. Regarding our subject,

As usual, our story ends on a plane…

Palm Reader is back on repeat for the train journey to Gatwick, but it is ‘Silent Graves’ by Hollow Earth that fuels my tired flight back to Germany. This band has been discovered as my own band, Seek Nothing, has our first show (with me on bass) supporting them in Berlin on 30th October. Can’t wait. Check out the event page HERE, and a couple of Seek Nothing Tracks HERE. Metal is everywhere in Berlin – lots of venues, touring and local bands, bars and opportunities. It is a scene of which the surface is but scratched by me, but this gig will give a sweet further introduction.

Hailing from the states, Hollow Earth combine a hardcore edge with metal savagery and it’s delicious – and absolutely perfect to get you home.

It is cold in Berlin when I land. The change of seasons is bringing mostly sunny days with a crisp edge. When night hits, the temperature drops sharply, a sign of bitter things to come.

If I sound reflective, like the lake-moon, it is because a journey is coming to an end. Not the flight I am on, nor my time in Berlin. This week, BIMM Berlin enrolls our first cohort of students. It is the culmination of the hard work put in by a brilliant team, the reason we moved here 6 months ago to experience all I have detailed in this blog so far.

The physical journey that ended in the cold was a return from Brighton, from the second of three consecutive weekends there. Last weekend was all about rugby, with a night at a friends to watch a match or two and see their new born mini-cooper. Come morning, The Best Fry Up I Ever Ate (mostly because I am deprived due to ease of acquisition in Germany) was followed by a raucous day at The Amex Community Stadium for USA vs Samoa. I was able to walk Brighton’s streets for the first time in a few months, checking out some new (to me) street art before meeting familiar faces and chatting utter crap into the night.

As a side note, I can already hear at least one person say ‘you could always make a fry up’ or ‘you can get them at such and such’. No. The first is not the type of fry up I need, and the second is possible, but so far not there when I need it. At least you read my blog, oh commentator.

A week then ensued back in Berlin – more of the standard flow of work, seeing friends and band practices (now a regular thing with 2 projects on the go, but more of that for a later post I reckon). Then, round 2, the trip from which I now return, a weekend of family and lasagna, an awesome wedding at Duke of Yorks Cinema that looked like the cast of The Soprano’s had all become metal-heads (SO many beards), and a birthday that turned into a homemade Sunday roast and more rugby, but I guess less of the RWC from this weekend the better. Bloody Dragons.

Which brings me back to this crisp cool air and visions of a sunken orbit. Not so much a blog to tell of what I have been doing, more to express how I feel moving forward from here.

I have another trip to Brighton to come – for Mammothfest 2015. This is a chance to get metal neck drunk with my mates from the Brighton metal scene and beyond. I know it will affirm again how I now view the city, and how I now view Berlin, a sentiment that those of you who may have read any of these posts before will know – it is about the people. I wish all my mates from Brighton could just be here with me, because Brighton as a place no longer feels like home. Berlin does. I never thought I would say that.

Once this week is over it will be like the closing of a book. The sequel is still a pile of notes, awaiting a final edit before putting to pages. The story thus far has been an epic, a comedy, a thriller and a romance all in one – and I for one am eager to savour the opening lines of part two.

My last post sent us traversing the world of current politics and human catastrophe. I believe that my blog will change over the coming months, it will become less about my experiences of Berlin and more about thoughts, reflection and information on all kinds of things, albeit, of course, very Berlin focused. I believe this for a couple of reasons:

The longer I spend here, the less ‘new’ everything is

My initial working contract to establish BIMM Berlin is coming to an end on 1st November. If I stay here, then the ‘Brighton to Berlin’ format will have served intended purpose

I don’t think many people really read this anyway

I don’t think those of you who do read this give much of a shit about what I write about – as long as it is relevant to me, you and life in general

With subject expansion in mind, lets bring it back to intention.

Berlin Zoo (The Zoological Garden in West Berlin, not the East Berlin Zoo, which I still need to go to) is amazing. Usually, I find animals in captivity something of a dichotomy, being needed conservation and education on the one hand, and an terrible mistreatment of life on the other. Bristol and London Zoo’s have, whilst admirable in their own ways, both left me with a feeling of disgust by the end of the visit.

Not so Berlin. Amazing. Really well kept environments, healthy animals (save one distressed Anteater to be fair) and staff who really seemed to love their jobs and their wards. The place is massive, with supposedly the most species of creature kept in one place in Europe. They have all the big animals you would expect, primate house, aquarium, aviary, a nocturnal world (ALL the Bats), kids petting zoo etc. Of note is the really very bloody good reptile and insect house. Black Widow? Check. Awesome lizards? Check. Insane bugs? Check. Wicked Snakes? Check Jungle hot enclosure filled with Crocodiles that I wanted to live in? Check. Couldn’t see the Gladiator Spider in it’s tank though – shame, that was always a favourite.

Going to the zoo was part of a visit from family – Auntie Susie and Uncle John, who are, to coin their own phrase, ‘the best of peeps’. Their stay also took in the TV tower, usual and other tourist spots, good restaurants, lots of Bier and, one night, and excessive amount of Tequila. They overlapped a stay by our good friend Scottish Bob, which ended up including more of the same, plus some proper Berlin night life experiences (IE getting turned away from most of the clubs we tried before saying fuck it, let’s go to Tresor – side note, Tresor is wicked). But for now, especially because I am looking to be more active on this blog again with smaller posts about more stuff, lets stick to the zoo, and the usual photographic evidence that I am not lying when I say I went there. Although I am not in any of the photo’s. So, yeah.

Berlin Bear

Wolfie

Monkey Butt

Spider Man

I’M BATMAN

Big Fish

Lurker

Crocs

Snake, Snake!

Lizards Slumber

Alert

He’s Cool!

Lethargic, stretched out and chilled, no particular goals for the day. The sun is shining as we have come to expect and want. Over the last couple of weeks, it has hit highs of 37 degrees C. There has been beaches, naked swimming, birthdays, hotbox gigs, sun-burn, ice-creams, epic thunderstorms and a fair few sleepless nights, where the sweat has made you swim on your sheets.

Yes: naked swimming. Last weekend, yours truly turned the venerable age of 33, and to celebrate we did what has become a Giles weekend favourite  – to be fair a Berlin weekend favourite – and, you guessed it, went to a lake. Denied our first choice of Liepnitzsee, further outside the city then previously ventured, due to S Bahn closures, we landed at Flughafensee, a large lake near Tegel Airport. Early on, a quiet spot gave us time to relax, have lunch and swim – with this birthday boy suiting up as 33 years ago on that fateful day when I first hit the water, so to speak. Germans are not shy about nudity, not shocked and prudish like the English, especially on hot days spent in water like this one. Might as well join in. Oddly, it kinda reminded me of the first and only time I ever wore a Kilt – liberating and, er, fresh.

That’s enough of that. Back to being British.

CAKE!

Bday Boy

I’m not naked in this one

We then hit the beach area where there were hundreds of souls vying for sand space and sun spots. To be fair, we spent a bit too much time baking – and we were not the only ones – evident later when several people announced they had mild to medium sun stroke/sickness and a big birthday night out became a night in, and allocated hangover days became 3 days of pure flat related chill time. But hey, wouldn’t change a thing. Especially the love shown by friends old an new, plus evenings sat on the balcony while the heat/air pressure became a maelstrom of lightning, thunder and rain – some of the biggest I ever saw. Oh, and if you have never had a Pickle-Back – try it. I had 6. In an hour. It was by Birthday after all.

We had adventured aplenty the previous weekend. Despite my affinity with the noble Kilt, I had never been to Scotland before, but an opportunity arose to visit Edinburgh for a few days as a holiday. A good friend of Ami’s named Kyle had traveled there from South Africa to graduate from university, and we crashed the party for a few days, staying in a small B+B in Linlithgow, and hanging out with his family who were also over or who live there. For this trip, I am mostly going to let the pics really speak from themselves. Let’s just say that the South Africans know how to party. They were all so welcoming to me, a neewb in the group. The trip included the following highlights: Homemade biltong, pub crawls (the Scottish really know how to do a good public house), haggis (first try), battered haggis (AMAZING), castles, palaces, loch’s, wearing a t-shirt with a giant bear on it in a gay bar, having a man juggle knives and fire whilst standing on me and Kyle (!), whiskey tasting, and several banging curries all at once. For more photographic evidence, have a pop here: https://goo.gl/aookNO

Star and Garter

Whiskey Shop

Castle

Piper

Volcanic Rock

Death Juggler

Linlithgow Palace

Loch Swept

Having the chance to travel has been a major part of the reason we have come to Berlin. I am, however, starting to settle into the mode of living somewhere with job and responsibilities rather then just being on an extended holiday. This is a new experience all over again. Trying to keep it exciting has become about making the most of your time outside of work, not allowing yourself to just ‘be at home’ but realising that outside there are still so many more things to see and do, more people to meet, more adventures to have.

This is now taking the form of getting back into live music after a couple of months of ‘other stuff’. There are so many shows coming up – H2O, Judge, Devin Townsend, Brujeria, Less Than Jake… the list goes on over the summer. We want to meet more people in the rock/metal community here, starting tonight by going to our first show at legendary SO36, to see the equally legendary band Napalm Death. We also check out more local bands. A friend and I have also started one, which will help.

Speaking of gigs, last week saw a show by Steve Von Till –  Neurosis front-man and solo artist/gentleman extraordinaire. Neurosis are a band that captivates me. I admit I have not experienced Von Till’s own material much before, but this gig and the advance/subsequent album listens have been an inspiration. He is truly an artist who shows it is possible to make the music you want to, straight from the heart, no pandering to convention or popular trends. From my online post the following morning:

‘It is rare that you hear a musician who is so able to express those feelings that we all have but find it tough to communicate. His honesty appears absolute and his lyrics cut through, with songs that are purely music he wants to make – no attempt to conform or reel you in. Melancholic, at times depressing – and utterly, utterly beautiful.’ ‪

It was so damn hot at that show. And we were all just stood there, absorbing.

New Album

Live Shot

Me and SVT

The weather has cooled now, clouds rolling in since starting to type. I look forward to the night, the storm after the calm of the day, where intense grindcore metal shall be our thunder, Napalm Death our Thor.