A DAY TO REMEMBER LIVE AT PORTSMOUTH PYRAMID CENTER

A Day To Remember
Portsmouth Pyramid Center
March 15th 2010
Support: Your Demise, Architects

The last time A Day To Remember played at the Portsmouth Pyramid Centre, it was to a crowd that belonged to Sheffield metallers Bring Me The Horizon. ADTR are a million miles away from that now as the popularity surrounding the band has more than exploded, causing many of the dates on the tour to sell out, leaving fans begging for spare tickets outside the venues.

By the time many of the fans had got into the venue, support act Your Demise were already making lots of noise while hurling themselves across the stage. Unfortunately on this night, bad sound quality and at time inaudible vocals meant that ADTR’s crowd were not so enthusiastic about this band and they barely moved through the entire set. It wasn’t through lack of trying on Your Demise’s part, but the crowd didn’t seem to get into it.

Brighton based metal act Architects managed to work the crowd up into a sweat as there seemed to be a good portion of the crowd out to support them. Small circle pits ensued and the flurry of audience members that didn’t know the band too well were won over by their solid, powerful performance.

After bursting into spontaneous chants from ‘The Downfall of us All’ while queuing outside the venue, it was clear what the fans expected the band to play first but ADTR surprised everyone by bursting onto the stage to the sounds of ‘Fast Forward to 2012.’

The band played a decent amount of tracks from their first two albums ‘And Their Name Was Treason’ and ‘For Those Who Have Heart,’ which much of the crowd was thrilled to hear. But it was tracks such as ‘My Life For Hire,’ and ‘Welcome To The Family,’ from the band’s most recent album ‘Homesick’ that really got the crowd singing along and going wild in the pits.

Slowing things down a little, the band unexpectedly performed their cover of The Fray’s ‘Over My Head,’ which features on the latest Punk Goes Pop 2 album. Singing like pros, the cover sounded as polished and well performed as it does on the CD.

After the initial burst of excitement, things wound down rather a lot within the crowd and their support for the band wavered after softer track ‘Have Faith In Me’ was met with an almost silent reaction from the crowd, causing the band to claim they have to perform softer songs “for the ladies.” The band themselves seemed to notice the quietness of the crowd and reacted to it with funny quips but as someone who was part of the audience, it felt extremely disrespectful to the band.

Thankfully though, things picked up again as the band performed huge favourites such as ‘Homesick’ and ‘You Should Have Killed Me When You Had The Chance,’ but it was the set’s encore that really injected the crowd with huge enthusiasm and energy as they had been waiting to hear the power filled ‘The Downfall Of Us All,’ since they began chanting it’s intro outside the venue. Surprisingly, ADTR opted to perform ‘The Plot To Bomb The Panhandle’ as their closing track of the night, proving that the band have made it big thanks to their entire discography and not solely on their latest release.


Review by Cherry Pullinger

This is why I hate summer..

You may think I am completely mad but I genuinely don't like summer. I don't mind it being hot, but I can't bare it when it's overly boiling and I'm sweating like a pig. I'd much rather stay inside, but don't get me wrong, I enjoy the sunshine and the relaxing beside the seaside etc etc but what I hate hate hate is summer clothing.

I like looking at the cute shorts, sunglasses, dresses and strappy tops but I physically can't wear any of it. Personally I believe it stems from years of bullying but I have completely and utterly zero confidence in myself, I hate my legs and showing off my shoulders which is why you'll always find me wearing a cardigan, leggings/tights and trousers.

I always buy things with the intent of wearing them, but I never will. I'll put a cardigan over me or put on a pair of tights. This is why my wardrobe is full of tshirts with sleeves, jumpers and jeans and why I hate summer. Looking at people enjoying the sun in a pair of shorts and a strappy top is something I'm really jealous about and sometimes upset about because I just won't and can't do it.

I guess that to really overcome it I just have to get on with it and wear these sorts of clothes but the thought of it is quite scary. Other than that I'm not quite sure how to get over it. I love the days when it's not so hot so I can dress in what feels most comfortable to me.

I'm not sure why I wrote this. Probably because I'm sick of people asking me if I'm hot or why I'm wearing a cardigan in the boiling hot weather and because I'm sick of feeling like this every summer.

This is what the weekend is for..

It's raining outside so I'm sat in my chair with my slippers and my hoody on, watching This Morning, contemplating what to have for lunch. I pretty much have my day planned out..I'm aiming to write a review and then watch the Harry Potter film on TV later. And that's it!

Yesterday I had a small shopping trip, though most of it wasn't even for me. My main aim of the trip was to find my dad a birthday present but there was NOTHING! There are no good shops for men or shops that sell presents for men, most disappointing! I had to get it online in the end, so I ended up buying a few bits and pieces such as body sprays and a present for Vince.

Last night I went to the Student Union to watch Vince's band play. They have a new drummer so were worried about their first gig together but it went so well! I suggest you all visit their MYSPACE page and FACEBOOK PAGE

My New Years Resolution to see more gigs is certainly happening, unfortunately I had to miss the HIM gig in Bournemouth though. I managed to get a guestlist place but they only confirmed it about an hour before it was supposed to start! How silly. Never mind..hopefully there will be more gigs to come! :)

Inspired

I'm probably going to sound like I'm gushing a bit in this blog so do forgive me. Yesterday my University arranged some guest lecturers to come in and speak to us. There was a writer for Kerrang!, a band publicity guy and a photojournalist. Obviously, for anyone that knows me you'll know I've been reading Kerrang! for years and that it is ultimately the magazine I want to write for in the future so the Kerrang! writer was certainly the reason I went along to the lecture.

It was so inspiring! He told the story of how he wanted to write for Kerrang! since he was a teen and how he eventually got into it. His job sounds amazing. He gave some really great advice, insider knowledge of the industry and some great stories about bands and his articles. I asked him what advice he would have for me as I want to write for Kerrang! also and although he seemed a bit shocked by question because it was quite direct, he kindly gave me his email address and said he would look at some of my work! I've just this minute sent off an email to him full of my writing so I'm pretty nervous to hear what he has to say about it.

After hearing his talk, I felt even more inspired to be a writer and to keep going with everything I'm doing.

It lasted about three hours and the band publicity guy was also really interesting. He's worked with Nirvana, the Foo Fighters and the Arctic Monkeys and had some really great stories to tell. PR is also something I've looked into as well as jobs within record labels due to all the music related work I do.

Unfortunately not many people turned up but I guess they missed out on a great talk and the chance of making a contact so too bad for them.

I think I can relax now..

..only for a few days but as my Portfolio for Life As A Freelance sits complete on my bed, ready for hand in, I feel a bit more relaxed. It was quite stressful to do, seeing as I had a printer that wouldn't cooperate and I realised I had forgotten some important pieces which I had to do at the last minute; and can I just say how frustrating it is trying to get freelance rates, editorial lead times and advert rates from magazines. No matter how much you email or phone, everyone is so unhelpful. Don't they remember how it felt to be a student? When I'm a big high-flying Journalist, I will definitely remember to help out the students!

After yesterday's phone call, I feel a lot happier about what's going to happen after University. When I come back from the Easter holidays I'm going to start packing up my stuff and moving it into Vince's room. Though that is going to need a BIG spring clean before I'm even setting foot in there! I need to get rid of a lot of stuff..mostly clothes I don't wear and DVDs I've only watched once. My collection is ridiculous.


Last night Vince and I went to see A Day To Remember at Portsmouth Pyramids. It was absolutely brilliant! I will admit that Vince was right about where we were standing because I had a really good view and the band themselves were great. The support bands weren't really to my tastes and we were quite disappointed with the merch but because it was the last date of the tour, they pretty much had nothing left. :( I saved us both £12 on ticket prices as I managed to get a guestlist place in return for a review so I should probably work on that either today or tomorrow.

As for the rest of the week, I don't have much planned. Uni on Wednesday and Thursday and possibly watching Vince play another gig on Friday and then a nice relaxing weekend ahead! I can't wait to go home now! I'm trying to save for my shopping trip to Bristol but I currently only have £30. I'm also meeting my friends for an evening of Curry and the rest of the time will probably be spent working at the holiday camp. :) I am definitely looking forward to a nice holiday, hah.

P.S - A £25 ASOS Voucher giveaway at Sitting Pretty

So frustrating!!

I got a phone call this morning about an Online Fashion Editor Internship that I applied for yesterday. The woman wanted me to go to London this week for an interview and emailed me the details over..but I had a sneaking feeling that she didn't realise I was in University until May..I was right.

So frustrating!!!

The good thing is though, that she told me to email back in April so it could possibly happen after all, just a few months later!

I have no idea how I will afford to be in London for six months but I guess I'll cross that bridge when I come to it!

Work and work and work

Wow I haven't blogged properly in a week, I keep opening the website and going to blog and then going completely blank and not knowing what to write about. I still don't really know what to write about but I'm hoping it will come to me as I type. As you can see in the post below I wrote a review for some make-up I recently purchased. I've got another product that I want to review but I'm not sure if I should or not?

On Monday I worked..on Tuesday I also work but I went out afterwards for my housemate's birthday. It was knackering having to spend 6 hours at work and then go out but yay for free champagne and cheap drinks! I wore the heels I got for Christmas and as I'm not really a high heels sort of girl, they nearly killed me! I'm sure I pulled all the muscles in my legs and ankles because of them!

It's not long now until we break up for Easter, I realised recently that I haven't been home in 3 months, which is really weird! So it will be good to get home and I'll appreciate it a lot more than usual, but after about a week it will probably start doing my head in again. My sister and I are planning a shopping trip to Cabot Circus in Bristol on the 28th and although I won't have much money, I do want to look for a fitted blazer, preferably with no shoulder pads. I also want the skirt below from Urban Outfitters:

The only thing stopping me buying it right now from the website is the fact that it's £25, which is ludicrous for a skirt! It's so pretty though..

I have a weird habit of trying on clothes, really like them and buying them but then never wearing them. I think I just like the idea of owning them but I need to start wearing them! I have so many clothes in my wardrobe that I don't wear..so I need to be really ruthless and get rid of the things that I haven't worn and probably never will..I don't think theres any point in putting things on eBay anymore because clothes never really make that much.


I'm feeling like I really want Uni to be over with now. I've just had enough of it to be honest, fed up of the work and being looked down on by lecturers. I had a presentation yesterday which went loads better than expected! I didn't feel nervous at all so I guess Uni has helped a lot with confidence. :) The current Life of a Freelance unit is going OK I suppose..my lecturer did give me a lot of help with my Pitches and it took me ages to find another case study but luckily I did and it's all going well. Just have to write the features now..

This weekend I'm planning on doing lots of Uni work and then on Monday Vince and I are going to Portsmouth in the afternoon. We're going to have some dinner somewhere and then watch A Day To Remember at Portsmouth Pyramids. I can't believe the swimming pool I used to go to now holds gigs aswell? It's too weird.

Make-Up Review: Urban Decay Loose Pigment in 'Gun Metal'

Although I purchased this item from eBay, it was in a brand new, never been used condition. I just got it a lot cheaper than you would from an Urban Decay outlet.

In the UK, the Urban Decay Loose Pigment eyeshadow would cost over £10 which, for a good quality make-up product, is definitely worth the money.

The Loose Pigment I brought was in the 'gun-metal' shade and can be mixed with other dark colours to create a brilliant smoky eye effect. It can also be worn on it's own, which still gives your eyes some drama. The powder has small pieces of glitter in which makes the eyes more noticeable while not being too over the top.



Many other loose powder eyeshadows I have tried have not stayed on for the majority of the day but I found that the Urban Decay Loose Pigment stayed on for most of the day, with only a little fading.

The pigment comes in a stylish little pot but I was disappointed to find that only the bottom quarter of the pot actually holds the pigment, the majority of the pot is empty so it can contain the brush. The brush itself is soft and easy to use, you do get a lot of the pigment falling onto your cheekbones so I would advise you use a piece of tissue to catch the loose pieces, otherwise you will have glitter all over your face!

The end result is a subtle, slightly glittery and smoky eyeshadow colour, you can even mix it with other colours to create a coloured smoky eye effect.

Should prescriptions be free in the UK?

Yesterday I was midly apalled that I am now not allowed to get free prescriptions on the NHS, because apparently I earn too much? I do 6 hours a week at work...which is too much according to the NHS and I can therefore more than afford my prescriptions.

I have to get new inhalers around every month to two months. For both inhalers it costs about £15+ and when my Rhinitis starts to play up I have to have some nasal spray and tablets to get it under control..but I have yet to find out how much they are.

£15 every month/two months for the rest of my life..well that is a LOT of money. Prescriptions are free for everyone in Wales, will be free in Northern Ireland by 2010 and in Scotland by 2011.

The BMA has accused the government of supporting an "outdated" system in England which can harm health, saying that charging can put people off paying for the medication they need.

This is definitely true, if my inhalers weren't necessary for keeping me alive, I probably wouldn't bother with them. The list of people exempt from paying for prescriptions can be found here and as you'll see, those are some pretty serious conditions, which makes me wonder why they don't include Asthma in the list of serious conditions. If I don't take my inhalers for just one day I start to feel the effects of it and it's inevitable that I will have an asthma attack, so what would happen if I couldn't afford the prescription?

Asthma is a life threatening condition therefore prescriptions should most definitely be free. I don't mind having to pay for my other medication but a lifetime's supply of inhalers is going to cost an absolute bomb when you work out the exact amount. The prescription system in England is very outdated if you ask me they need to rethink who pays and who doesn't pay for their prescription.

Jacket Potatoes do not make a fulfilling meal

Today is supposedly the first day of Spring and while it was nice to wake up to the sun blaring through my curtains, it was still quite cold outside.

I've spent most of the day doing Uni work, apart from the quick trip to the Library and to town to pick up 'essentials' such as a new nail varnish. I did however stop myself from going into Topshop so I deserve a treat! I usually go straight to the Barry M nailvarnishes but since I've got most of the colours, I decided on a Miss Sporty sparkly black colour.

I managed to finish off my 'Influential Artists' piece and my Diamond Head live review as well as transcribe my interview with the guitarist of DH. It's such a time consuming thing to do and you have to keep rewinding it and going back over the same bit you've heard about a milliong times. Frustrating! But it's all done now so I just have to work it into some kind of feature!

I haven't been home since Christmas and I'm starting to want a nice cooked meal and a warm living room to snuggle up infront of the TV in, I can't wait until we break up for Easter! I'm going to get some serious shopping done with my sister in Cabot Circus and meet up with friends. I'm not going to work during the first week so I can get some Uni work done and then hopefully there will be a job waiting for me for the remaining two weeks or so. And what is to come when we come back from Easter is something I just don't want to think about yet!

I need some help. I am looking for a new scarf, one of those ones that you fold into a triangle and wrap around you. Well I want a new one, with a cool pattern on, maybe some skulls? Does anyone know where there is one on a UK website or shop?