UK/Europe 09

[Mark]

Ok, further info from a friend who lives near Camden. He notes that eBay has shrunk a lot of 'specialist' store's markets. Anyway:

"There's Metal Militia on Camden High Street along with the Music Exchange. There's also a fairly good record stall in the market at Electric Ballroom but that's only there infrequently. On Berwick St there's Selectadisc but they're mostly back catalogue and rare issue. You've also got Reckless Records and another Music Exchange, and then there's always Beanos."

Metal Militia: http://www.myspace.com/metalmilitia_londontown
Beanos: http://www.beanos.co.uk/ (This is in Croydon, in south london, but you can get there by train - about 25 mins)

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Awesome guys thanks for all the info! I will go through it all later and check out those links etc. Much appreciated!

I would definately go see Blaze that night, only I am going to see Depeche Mode at the O2 on the same night! Lame! Instead, I was planning on seeing him in Manchester on the 18th of June, though now it has been cancelled, so I will catch him in Birmingham on the 20th. I was hoping to drop through Birmingham for a day anyway just for the historic metal factor. I don't expect to see much there in terms of touristy stuff though, so will only be for the night of the gig methinks!

That is interesting about Amsterdam Trent! I have only been there for one night, and stumbled around the place quite out of my mind. Thinking back, it is probably a good thing I wasn't mugged or taken advantage of in any way haha! Will be heading back there again this time for a more in depth look around the place, will have to be more cautious this time!

 

[Mark]

I think Blaze would get a better crowd in Brum anyway, so good planning on that

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Ahh good to hear! I am sure his crowd attendance would vary greatly from show to show.

 

[TRrEiTxIxRiE DTrash]

I was also stumbling around out of my mind in Amsterdam which is what led to my double-mugging. I don't regret it though! Got out of it all for 20 Euros and a great story! Haha. Pretty scary at the time though!

I remember going to that record stall in Electric Ballroom one day, didn't see much there but went to Metal Militia as well, they seemed to have quite a bit of cool vinyl. I only looked briefly through it though because I knew I couldn't really buy any anyway, didn't wanna have to carry vinyls around for the rest of my trip and have it crushed in my luggage.

I saw Tigertailz in Birmingham and it was a surreal experience to see a band that I associate as a live band with their Bezerk tour video with their big arena show, playing to no more than 30 people at The Asylum, even with only 10 Pounds entry too. Tiny crowd, but they played like it was to a packed arena and were AWESOME!

 

[Mark]

By "better" I mainly mean more enthusiastic It's his home area, and he has (or had) a good fanbase up that way.

Other gigs: Forbidden playing the Underworld on June 1, and Aborted playing on June 4. http://www.stargreen.com/ always has good listings for gigs in London

 

[Winmar]

I got mugged in Amsterdam too! And stuck in the apartment of this gay bloke who put on a porno and asked if I wanted to root him. Interesting times!

 

[Spiff]

How long did you think about it, Winnie?

 

[Winmar]

Hahaha about as long as I spent considering changing to Melbourne Storm when they joined the NRL.

 

[TRrEiTxIxRiE DTrash]

Woah now THAT'S a story! I think I'd have preferred just a 2nd mugging though to being in *that* situation!!

 

[Winmar]

Haha it wasn't much fun! Both incidents happened on the same day too. The apartment was a couple of floors up and I sized up the situation and decided that I'd rather jump out the window than be arse-banged. I managed to talk my way out of there in the end though.

Then no fucker would pick me up at the hitchhiking spot either, so I didn't get to Hamburg and decided to go back to England instead. I'd be hardier if I was in the same situation now. Oh well.

 

[Mark]

Ah, so he wanted to root YOU, not the other way 'round? These details are important.

 

[Winmar]

Correct! He just talked about sex with him though, so he might have been greedy and wanted it both ways.

 

[Blitzkrieg]