Little Nicky (Without the speech impediment)

nice_pie @ 2008-04-14T09:54:00

2008-04-14T09:33:44Z

Well, I finally heard back from Edge Hill uni about their rubbish interview...big surprise, the email I received just repeated what the feedback form had said, and nothing else. Not only that, but it was the most badly written email I've ever seen. I mean, it's easy enough to set an email out to show which bits you're replying to at specific points. Instead I had to read through my whole original email to find the bits of his reply that were hidden away in between the sentences...I suppose that makes me feel better about not getting on the course, if they can't even write an email they're hardly going to be able to teach a whole course!
I didn't get into John Moores either, but I'm on the waiting list. That means that if someone drops out before september or doesn't get the requires grades, I might get in. If not, I'll have to wait til september to find out if I've got a deferred place for next year. So the job search starts soon :/
I don't mind not getting in there. I was in the last round of interviews, and there were 25 people trying to get three places. My interview went well, and I got a positive response from the tutors, although I haven't had a feedback form yet.
I've been doing a placement in a school for the last few weeks, which is going really well. It's a 'disadvantaged' school, as they say...I actually went there for a few months before my mum took me and my sister out. There were loads of things that weren't so good about it but it was decided one day when (after repeatedly getting top marks in all our class science tests) the teacher asked me a question, I didn't know the answer, and she told me to stop wasting her time. My mum told the teacher she should be working in tesco. She's still in the school now though :)
It's actually a lot better than when I went there, and most of the kids are ok. I've been doing little bits of work with small groups, but part of what I have to do is take a whole lesson by myself (with the teacher just being there in the room if it all goes horribly wrong). Most year groups are working on a 'capital of culture' project for an exhibition in town (thats a whole other story.....), or exam work, and I don't really want to interrupt what they're doing, so I'm faced with the task of teaching about 30 first years. Should be interesting.

So I'm thinking of trying to get a job as a classroom assistant in september, and reapplying for uni if I don't get a deferred place. If I get in on the first round of interviews next time, and have more experience, I'm pretty confident I'll get in.
I really can't wait to finish my degree now. I'm bored of college, and fed up with feeling like I'm being marked down for experimenting and trying to find an original way of working. In the first year, all I did was make abstract paintings from natural images. I spent the first two terms making pictures of the sky into squares on photoshop, then painting them. They turned out really well, but it's not what I want to spend my life doing. I got a 2:1 for all three terms. In the second year I started to get a better idea about what I was doing. My subject matter was there (dreams), but I didn't know how to deal with it yet. Towards the end of the year I began to find my own way of painting. I got a 2:2, I think that was pretty fair. When I started the third year I had a much clearer idea of what I was doing. I was working with a neutral palette, to concentrate on mark-making and finding a way of painting that suited me, without having to worry too much about colour as well. I explained all this. I made some good work, which I clearly labelled as 'experimental' or 'works in progress', but didn't have any finished pieces. We were told this didn't matter. It did. I got a low 2:2. I haven't had an assessment for my core module work since then, but I just had my drawing elective assessment. I have always been able to draw well, that's not being big headed, it's just a fact. My tutors have all said it, to the point where they tell me to bring my drawing into my painting as much as possible. Bear in mind that most other people on the course had only just started making a sketchbook for the drawing elective two weeks before it had to be assessed, and some had no more than about 20 large drawings. I handed in 12 sketchbooks, at least 30 large drawings and collages, and various other pieces including an altered book, all with a good standard of drawing (not the best in the world, but good), with experimentation and originality. My work also stuck to a theme (two themes, animal drawings and portraits), which informed my core work, which was a big part of how we were marked. I really thought I'd get a high 2:1. I got a low 2:2. Everyone I've spoken to thinks that's unfair, and not in that pretend-sympathy was that we all do when we think someone's being dramatic! I haven't seen my tutors yet to ask them what it was that got me a 2:2.

So...yep. I'm fed up of this course. Now I don't see the point in working hard for this last term. I might as well take my time to work things out on my own instead of worrying about deadlines and modules and all that rubbish. We're expected to know exactly what it is we want to spend our life doing, and have the technical ability to do that, at 21/22. How many artists knew that at our age? It's also ridiculous how we're expected to come up with at least three finished works by the end of a term. Sorry, but artists don't work like that. I'm not going to rush to make a canvas by christmas if I don't think the imagery is strong enough. What's the point? Isn't it better to present experimentation at assessment then take this further in the nest term, rather than rushing and completely burning yourself and your ideas out in the space of a few months?
Anyway. Enough. It's done with. I've just got to get my paintings finished for the exhibition in june, then I'm done. I can spend my time more constructively.

I've pretty much moaned non stop, haven't I? Actually, apart from that, everything's been pretty good lately. Not that I've really done much...but it's been nice. I'll end on a happy note, then.
A list of the good things since whenever the hell I last posted:

I saw the Meteors, yes, they were good.
So were Blue Demon.
Bat for Lashes decided to play Liverpool in a few months time (still need to get a ticket).
I half-planned (in theory) our trip to Bradistan for Doom Metal Inquisition (get the bloody tickets on sale)
I bought my first ever pair of high heeled shoes. They hurt. They're worth it. I feel all grown up.
I am grown up. It was my birthday. Liam bought me 'The Day the Country Died' DVD (anarcho-punk documentary) and a book, 'Pagan Rites and Rituals', which hasn't turned up yet, but is on it's way.
I've had a few commissions for horsey portraits, and I've also started working with Tobacco Pat, which looks to be a long term thing. (http://www.myspace.com/tobaccopat)
I'm going to FINALLY see WITCHCRAFT on wednesday.
Then I'm quite possibly going to a burlesque night in the magnet on saturday...if I can spare the moneys :/
I'm sure there's more...

nice_pie @ 2007-12-11T22:29:00

2007-12-11T22:34:54Z

So...who's coming to see Primordial in London on the second of February? And who wants to share a four-bed dorm with me and Liam so we don't end up with some loonies (or even worse, Americans)?

...anyone?

Ooh! I was just about to post, then I heard on the telly (Room 101) this daft thing they used to show in our school to teach kids about spelling and grammar and stuff. I don't think our year ever watched it, but I remember the year below did.
Did anyone else see "Magic magic E"? (Being that this was early-to-mid 90s, the idea of magic E's is pretty funny)
Then it just went off into some idiotic song about "Kit...flies a kite with me..."

nice_pie @ 2007-12-11T00:17:00

2007-12-11T00:17:28Z

I stole this, cos it was funny.

Go to the Wikipedia home page and click random article. That is your band's name.
Click random article again; that is your album name.
Click random article 15 more times; those are the tracks on your album.

Look, I've even linked the articles, some of them are actually worth reading.

BAND: Aimez-vous Brahms? (I really wanted the featured article, 'The Brown Dog Affair')

ALBUM: Fulledge Recreation Ground

TRACKLISTING:
1. Maramangalathupatti I think this must be some kind of instrumental psych-out intro track, which then fades out into the mellower, Kraftwerk-influenced...
2. Wireless Router Application Platform
3.Negafibonacci
4.Eddie Money is apparently a a tribute to a shit album from 1977.
5.Acacia xanthophloea (Fever Tree)
6.Babblewick Hall Circulus rip-off?
7. Alfa (rocket)
8.Nachandupatti
9.Pollegio
10.Western Australian Charity Orchestra
11.Gladwin Hill Misleadingly, this is a person, not a place.
12.KHOC
13.Anthony Bleecker
14.Rogers, Arkansas (I like how if you put the last two together they're a bit like 'Debbie Does Dallas'
15.Kentucky Route 2048 (Obviously the drawn-out too-long outro...)

I like my album.

I have no news. Or, at least, no news that I can type in the short amount of time before my modem dies, again :/

nice_pie @ 2007-11-22T16:10:00

2007-11-22T16:36:22Z

You lucky people...

This was too good to link. It was the first thing I took a photo of, is that quite sad?

Some from inside and around the Giardini, one of the main venues for the Biennale. It's a big garden with lots of pavilions, one for each country that's being represented.
water
street
pigeons
lamp
The canal that runs through the Giardini
Me in some art.
Tadpoles!
Leaves

Our hotel room
Notice how close together the beds were :/
Bad Italian game show

This man needs his own heading, I just haven't thought of what to call him yet.

And more pictures of streets/canals/the general area than you could probably want (with unoriginal titles). Don't worry, there's only one of gondolas.

Canal
Street
Street, again
bridge
Cat!
Outside the Arsenale, another venue.
More water
And more
Alley
Angels with iron halos
I took one inside the church before I realised that you're not meant to. Maybe I shouldn't post that!
Gondolas
Pigeons attacking the bird seed woman
Ice cream.
A boat with a tree on it.
Some steps
Budgie
Enobar. Obviously.
Bob Marley Wine? Che Guevara Wine? I couldn't pick just one...so I left them there.
Masks. Cos, like, it's Venice.
And more.
HUGE pizza
A protest about something...none of us knew what. I think whatever it was would seem more credible if they hadn't been playing 'Fight the Power'.
Police
Which reminds me of Free Bag Man. We were walking back to the hotel on the last day, and he came up to us asking if we wanted a bag. Then he says "for free!" My friend Emma, joking, says "Free? Ok then." He starts saying "Quick, round here, away from the Police." We left the free bag...

nice_pie @ 2007-11-03T15:28:00

2007-11-03T15:46:01Z

Arg. October has been ridiculously busy. In the five weeks or so since I last posted I've managed to:

-Go to

This place is so good. Now I'm even more disgusted by some girl in town who was kind of seeing one of the Cribs once and said "Oh, he lives in Wakefield, there's nothing there except sheep."

-Get

sat in a gallery waiting for a suitable exhibition to come up for them to go in. It's a small gallery and they like to promote local artists who might not have professional experience, so I went with three people from college and they took a couple from each of us. I have no idea when they're going to be showing, but it's still quite exciting.

-Go to Damnation Festival in Leeds. Leeds is good. I don't know if it's just because it's a change from Liverpool, but it just seems like a really nice place, and really clean in some way. Oh, and it's full of goths. Proper full-on ones, too :)

-See Warning. I'm not even going to try to describe how good this band are.

-Discover my new favourite artist,

, and also discover how difficult it can be to find useful information about him that I haven't already found somewhere else. He died in february this year. I was quite upset by that actually. My tutor wants us to start talking/writing to professional artists, which is a bloody scary idea, but I think if I was going to write to anyone it would have been him.

So. That doesn't really explain why I've been so busy.
I have no idea where the time has gone, but anyway...I'm going to Venice in two days, so expect lots of photos of boats and water and stuff.

I apologise for bad spelling/general rubbishness...I'm rushing off again :/

nice_pie @ 2007-08-29T15:02:00

2007-08-29T14:10:38Z

You know what I hate?
The way all the news/people's opinions/everything else around here about Rhys Jones seems to focus on the fact that he supported Everton.
Ok, mention it. Once, maybe twice, so we have an idea what he was like, but PLEASE don't keep referencing the fact that "Awww 'e loved everton 'e did."
There are myspace bulletins going around saying things like "RIP little blue/little toffee". What the fuck is all that about?
IS IT JUST ME?!?!?!
Or does anyone else seem to think this is some kind of big thing from Everton supporters to be all "one of US has been killed and look how supportive WE'VE all been, us, the EVERTON FANS"
Someone I know posted her own bulletin about something that's being played at anfield in rememberance, and she actually said "Lets hope all the kopites dont ruin it and realise it is for Rhys".
This is not some kind of publicity opportunity for your team.
Someone was killed.

nice_pie @ 2007-07-09T22:49:00

2007-07-09T21:52:19Z

My old school's just been on the news.
Apparently, "Fazakerley High School has gone from below average performance to above average in the last ten years."
Er, yep, only cos I was there.

I was meant to be in bed, reading, about an hour ago, but then a band on myspace decided to have a 'competition' (except you don't actually win anything) to design their logo, and I got distracted. I think my logo's great though...

nice_pie @ 2007-07-03T12:47:00

2007-07-03T12:15:32Z

It's all a bit mad at the minute, isn't it? We've been flooded, we've been almost bombed, everyone's gone daft about the new Prime Minister, and none of it has really affected me at all. So with not a lot to say on those matters...

I finished college. I got a 2:2 (or a Desmond, if you want to use dull, not-funny-any-more student terms), which is ok, for now, considering I didn't really get going until the end of term. I'm back on track now, I think. I've got some ideas for what I want to do next year. They involve bricks, and cave paintings.
I got myself a commission, of sorts, from a cafe next to the college. I'm doing three big square paintings (like this one), in red, orange and yellow. I won't be paid for doing it, but I can sell the paintings through the gallery, and I can take them away whenever I want, so they're still mine. I'm looking forward to doing it.

I went charity-shopping in Birkenhead last week, and bought six books for £2.50. I got two that I'm going to use for collage/altered books (one about dreams, and one called 'Seven Painters', which is one of those really boring looking art books, that doesn't even have pictures of the paintings it talks about). I also got 'Filth' by Irvine Welsh, 'Tropic of Capricorn' by Henry Miller (I think you're meant to read '...Cancer' first, but for 30p I couldn't just leave it there), 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time' (it's one of those 'everyone else has read it...' books), and one called '50 Ways to Kill a Slug' (Cally, didn't you say you had a squirrel book? I think it's like this...).
I don't have time to read any of them, though, or the four others I have sat around waiting, because I'm spending all of my time (...writing on livejournal, obviously, but mostly...) searching through the tate online art collection letter by letter, in order to find some artists I don't already know, and who I like. I'm half-way through 'B' so far.

With that, I think I should go and trawl some more...

nice_pie @ 2007-06-18T16:30:00

2007-06-18T15:31:31Z

I watched (some of) Braveheart the other night...now, I'm no expert on Scottish history, but I'm pretty sure at least some of them should have been riding Highland ponies...

nice_pie @ 2007-05-16T18:41:00

2007-05-16T18:25:43Z

Well, I'm back from London.
And it's kind of depressing.
On monday, on the way home from the station, there was a fire. Yesterday one of the horses at the stables tried to jump out of the riding field and cut his leg up. Today is just...crap. It started out badly, anyway. I walked into college pretty much dreading my drawing elective tutorial, even though my tutor, Paul, is like the nicest man alive. Then Vinny just HAD to be there, waiting with a million questions along the lines of "What are you doing?" "Where is your work?" "Have you been painting?" "Have you done enough?" "Why haven't you been in college?" I almost screamed "BECAUSE YOU'RE HERE!!" Anyway, my tutorial went well, and Paul thinks what I'm doing is good, so that made me happier.

We'd decided to give Michael's Guest House another go, because it's cheap, and fairly close to where we needed to be. If we'd thought about it more carefully, we probably would have realised that we could have stayed in the Camden Travel Inn and spent less money on getting around.
The room was fine, but on saturday night someone decided to bleed all over the bathroom, and not clean it up. Really, it was everywhere. I imagine if I'd lifted the bin lid up, there would be a head in it.
So that put us off the place a little bit, but we were there, and we got on with it. Nothing else happened.
We spent friday afternoon wandering around Camden, and discovered for a second time that there really isn't that much to buy there, unless you want to be some kind of out-of-the-box punk or goth, or you're into vintage woolies.
In the evening we went to see Orange Goblin, who were really good, but finished by half past ten. So we wandered down the road and came across a black metal band who looked like they really couldn't be bothered, but at the same time took themselves far too seriously. Liam put it best - "What's the point of black metal without corpse paint?!"

In the pub, before the band came on, this man walked in, absolutely covered with toys. You can't see him well here, I was trying not to draw attention to the fact that I was taking a photo of him. Not that I think he'd mind. He's probably come to expect it.

On saturday, we woke up early and decided we were actually hungry enough to risk the free breakfast. We survived.
We went to the Natural History Museum, and the Science Museum. This is where I get very British. They were both so disappointing. Maybe there wasn't much there that we hadn't seen before...I don't know. There are a lot of museums in/around Liverpool, so I think we're pretty lucky in getting to see lots of interesting things at home.
The Natural History Museum is such a good building, though. Monkey architecture!
The T-Rex was pretty funny, too.

Then it was onwards to the Tate Britain. The Chapmans' installation was odd, and good. I also like the pyramid of oranges (I forget the artist), which by the time we saw it had become just a few yellowish looking oranges on the floor, because visitors were invited to take one. One man obviously didn't realise this, though, and was running around after his little kid shouting "Put them back!"

On saturday night, we saw 'This is England'. It started out really funny, and became more and more horrible towards the end. Trust scousers to ruin everyone's fun. Liam said, "Keep your voice down so no one hears your accent, they'll kick our heads in!" I don't think it was quite that bad, but you never know how people are going to react to a film like that.

On sunday we did some more wandering around the markets, and then went to see the Hidden Hand, who were also good. Liam met their singer, Wino, afterwards. He's like his dad or something!
Oh, I forgot to mention the fact that it rained on us ALL DAY on sunday (and most of saturday), but as soon as we went inside to eat, the sun came out.
This was amusing. I think I imagined it to be further away.

I did so much walking over the weekend, if I didn't lost weight, I don't think I ever will.
There's one last photo, just because I think it's nice-ish. Here.Aww.

I'm sorry if this seems all over the place. I'm trying to write this and think about all the work I have to do at the same time!

nice_pie @ 2007-05-09T18:49:00

2007-05-09T18:39:20Z

I went to have my hair cut today. The woman said, "How much do you want off?" I said "This much," and showed her. She held my hair at the right length to check with me, and proceeded to cut my hair. Only she didn't stop cutting. She took twice as much off as I wanted, but thankfully, it looks quite nice. It's just kind of shocking. Well, I was saying the other day that I wanted something different doing with it.

It was Flirty's 13th birthday last week, so we gave her a party.

Especially since it was followed up on the Southern Lord forum with ms-paint variations, including Flirt "blee-orging" (spewing) on Liam.
My mum even made . Just to see if horses would eat jelly. They wouldn't.

We've got another geegee coming at the weekend, to complete our little herd. She's called Holly, and she's got/had laminitis, like the rest of ours. She's in pretty much the same situation as Sequin, where her owners can't find anywhere to turn her out without grass, and they only live an hour away, so she's moving down here. We'll look after her, but they'll pay most of the costs, and they can visit whenever they want to.
We went to see her last saturday, and then to visit her owner's friends, who have their own bit of land. I say bit, it's actually about 20 acres of hillside, which they rent for SIX POUNDS a week. It's got streams and trees and all kinds of things. I want it.
I won't be at the stables for Holly's arrival, because I'll be in London. I can't even do my college work because I'm looking forward to it so much. Tomorrow is going to be a long day, I think!
Why, though, when I'm going to London, does my Tietze's disease (it's not as bad as it sounds) start to get worse? It started before London last time. Is this some kind of sign?

Did I ever mention Smigger? I'm sure I did. If not, he was a local "gangster", who I knew when we were both little, and he was shot not long ago. He was an idiot. This is his memorial video.

Similarly, here's Joe Cassidy's memorial. I don't know who he was. Apparently he killed himself. Not to take suicide lightly but GOD, if my life was like this...

Anyway. God. Stop it.
Here's something better. I looked for this ages ago, but couldn't find it. A lovely person on myspace put it in a bulletin.

Now, I feel it's my absolute purpose in life to point people in the direction of 'Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme' by Simon & Garfunkel. I've only recently discovered it, although I knew a few of the songs from my mum's old 'best of'. Really. 'For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her' is one of the most beautiful songs ever written. I have to be in a really super-hyper-happy mood when I listen to it, or I cry. Even then it's hard not to. 'The 59th Street Bridge Song' (what is it with long titles?) always reminds me of the old-ish man I saw walking through town, singing "Slow down, you move too fast..." Just wandering around in the sun, all happy. He made me happy, too.

Finally,

nice_pie @ 2007-04-10T22:57:00

2007-04-10T22:41:20Z

I've had a long birthday-weekend.
I went out on saturday night, danced to (amongst other things) Rod Stewart (urg!), and spent a long time talking about Paris with Liam's friend Dave, about art and music with someone I've never met before, and about things I can't even remember with Liam (they're the best kind of conversations). Sunday was my birthday. I got an Easter egg :), bath stuff, incense, and almost £600 (I know...). So I'm pretty much sorted for going to London.
I spent sunday in Rivington with Liam and his family. His mum kept telling me "Go on...have a drink...it's your birthday..." which became slightly annoying. I'd politely explained that I'd had quite enough to drink the night before, and that I don't like drinking during the day because it usually gives me a headache, but obviously "IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY! GO ON! HAVE A DRINK! IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY!" overrides all of that. It was like Mrs Doyle...
Anyway, aside from that, it was a nice day. I particularly enjoyed finding hidden in the trees.
On sunday night I went for a curry with my family (it sounds so common, I know!). I'm pretty sure the music that was playing was just Indian-style cover versions of pop songs. I definitely heard 'A Whiter Shade of Pale'. I could have sworn I heard 'Tristan' by Patrick Wolf, but maybe Liam was right, and I'm just obsessed.
I came home to see the end of The Passion of the Christ, which was pretty grim.
I spent most of monday sitting about in bed, then went to see Sunshine with Liam, his brother, and his brother's girlfriend, who doesn't talk. It was ok, but I think I expected more from a Danny Boyle film.
Then again, it seems to me like his earliest films were his best.
Shallow Grave was amazing, Trainspotting obviously was too, Twin Town, which he was involved with, was great, A Life Less Ordinary was just ok, and who's even heard of Alien Love Triangle? 28 Days Later was good, but Sunshine just left me feeling a bit 'meh'.
Wow, that's a lot of italics.
Tomorrow I'm going to visit the man about my tattoo, which is my present from Liam.

Two things annoyed me today.
1. There's this little field on the edge of a council estate that we pass on the way home from the stables. There are three horses in it, and signs on the fence saying "do not feed the horses AT ALL. By ORDER OF THE VET". People decide that it would be a good idea to completely ignore the signs, and feed the horses carrots, sweets, and whatever else they have with them. I know that not everyone understands that sometimes there are reasons why a horse can't be fed certain things, but I know that if I see a sign saying "by order of the vet", I take notice of it. The horses are not underfed. They're in good condition, on a field with plenty of grass. LEAVE THEM ALONE OR YOU WILL MAKE THEM ILL. The man who owns the field has a shop next to it. He said that people used to come in, buy bags of carrots, and feed them to the horses. Whenever he spoke to them about it, they gave him abuse. He also said that the horses were rescued, so there are genuine reasons for the owners concerns. People are stupid.

2. On radio 1 there was this phone/text/email thing about students, and ways to save money/make your money last longer. Some clever person texts in to say "Why not stop tax dodging and get a job?" I can't even begin to explain the stupidity of that. I don't think I need to. It's so blindingly obvious. That's even aside from the fact that the girl who originally phoned in did have a job as well as going to Uni.
People are EXTRA stupid.

One thing amused me slightly. I heard a news report about the fights that were starting to break out near Manchester Utd's ground tonight, after all the stuff that went on in Italy last week. The reporter said "This is exactly the kind of violence we didn't want."
What kind of violence did you want, then?

There are four weeks and three days left til I go to London. I'm excited.

nice_pie @ 2007-04-04T18:05:00

2007-04-04T17:31:33Z

There's been some weird stuff on telly over the last few days.
Louis Theroux, for a start. I'd never heard of the Westboro Baptist Church before, and now I can't work out if I wish I still didn't know they existed. It wasn't just that they were saying some ridiculous and horrible things. It was the way their leader, Fred Phelps, refused to actually answer any question put to him. When asked how many children he had (good question...there were only about two men in the whole place, aside from the kids, and everyone looked suspiciously like everyone else), he was told he'd wasted a good opportunity for an interview. When Louis Theroux asked him some things relating to their beliefs/the Bible, he said something like "Asked and answered, move on" something along the lines of, "You're too stupid to understand/you're obviously going to Hell" and didn't answer anything. I don't understand how people get caught up by someone like that. You hear about cult/religious leaders being charismatic people, coming across as very intelligent, which is why people follow them, but this man had nothing.
Anyway, I'm going to try not to think about them too much. It makes my head hurt.

Moving on...
'Sleep Clinic'. One person on this was told he might have nocturnal epilepsy. He'd been jumping up out of his bed, wandering around his room, and once jumped out of his bedroom window. He was a student, and every time he moved into a new flat, it got worse. He had to go back home for some tests, and while he was there, his friends (who all know about his condition) had moved into their new place. When he arrived he found they'd left him with the attic room. Great for someone who jumps out of windows. It also had a steep staircase leading up from the door, just waiting for him to fall down it. They're supposed to be his friends, and look after him, and they go and give him the most dangerous room in the house. Did they think it would be funny?! It made me so angry!

Last night I saw a programme about haute couture.
Is Karl Lagerfeld even human? He used to look like the blobby one from Hellraiser, but now he defies description.
The women on it were all mad, every one of them...
It was kind of disappointing to see Patti Smith at a Paris fashion show.

I haven't spent all my time watching bad telly. I actually went for a walk in the woods, and a day out to somewhere near Leeds, both being quite pleasant and requiring no rant.

nice_pie @ 2007-03-31T13:35:00

2007-03-31T12:51:55Z

OK, I'm going to Hell. In town the other day I walked past this woman and a girl I assume was her daughter. She said "Would you like a leaflet..." I paused slightly... "...about Jesus?". I didn't mean to, but I laughed at her. I don't know why! It just sounded really funny at the time. I'm not an impolite person!
Anyway. Then I went off to see the Cooper Temple Clause (again). I've got an ear infection, though, so I had to stand near the back with all the oldies. I've never seen so many middle aged men chew so fast. I hate chewing gum anyway, but this was horrible.
I was stood on my own for a bit while Liam went to the bar, and this man/boy/whatever came up to me and said, "I don't think they're very good, do you?" I said I'd seen them 11 times, they must be alright. Long pause..... "What's your name?" "Nicky." .......loooooooooong pause. "Do you want a drink?" "No." "Fair enough" Then he hung around RIGHT BLOODY NEXT TO ME without actually saying anything else until Liam got back.
Here's the thing...if you're going to try to chat me up/be my friend, don't ever tell me that the Cooper Temple Clause are not very good. Do I look like one of those snotty girls who wear leggins and flowery dresses in an 'ironic' way, who make a point of going to see bands just so they can tell everyone how bad they were? I don't think so. I'm not one of those girls. I go to see bands I like. I definitely wouldn't pay £12 to see a band I didn't really have a clue about (I mean, it's not like they're completely different live to how they sound on record, so he mustn't have been familiar with them). Also, even if I was single, I wouldn't go to see a band to pull someone. The five men stood in front of me are fine, thankyou very much, I don't need some sappy boy loacking in personality, conversation and looks! GO AWAY!
Liam thought it was hilarious. The ten minutes I was on my own were the longest ten minutes of my life!
The Cooper Temple Clause were very good, by the way.

So. We're planning another trip to London in May. We thought we'd give it another go, when it's a bit warmer, and we know our way around a little bit better, and we have more money. We're seeing bands on the 11th and 13th, so we just need one on the 12th, and we'll be all set :)

nice_pie @ 2007-01-19T23:32:00

2007-01-19T23:32:08Z

So. Dentists. I never had a problem with seeing the dentist until last thursday, when I had a filling. I got there fifteen minutes early, so she had time to do whatever she needed to do. So I got the needle and went back to wait for my mouth to go numb. Five minutes later she called me back in and asked me if it was numb. I said not completely. So she gave me another needle (going on about how I have a really bony jaw or something, as if it could be helped). Me: "Should I go back out to wait?" Her: "No, just wait here."
So anyway, 30 seconds later, she started gathering all her evil pointy things, and I was thinking, "Maybe this is as numb as it's going to get." So I just let her get on with it. And it was bloody awful. I could feel every little movement she made and every time she scraped with that horrible scrapey thing, which I've never really liked anyway. It was over pretty quickly though, and after paying thirty eight pounds (I would have had to pay more if I wasn't a student. I nearly died. Next time I want to put myself in pain for money I'll get a piercing), I left and got the bus to college. At which point, my mouth started to go completely numb. Really helpful.

Talking of piercings, I took Liam for his first one the day before. I got him a voucher for christmas, to get his ear done. It's rather nice.

nice_pie @ 2007-01-08T16:05:00

2007-01-08T16:05:19Z

Christmas seems like a long time ago. I got lots of nice things, including leopard-print socks, a ticket to see Patrick Wolf, and lots of money. Some of which I used to buy a rather lovely leopardy coat, kindly

New Year was quiet. Bad weather, and having been out the night before to see the Eighties Matchbox (who were very very good), meant we went for a curry, then went to Liams to watch the Father Ted Christmas Special. It was a bit of an old persons New Year, and it was nice.

I hope I'm not becoming one of those students I always moan about. The ones who run out and spend all their money on pointless things in the first week then whinge about how poor they are til the next lot of student loan comes in. In a week I've bought a new camera, new phone, new Dr Martens, a bike, and an ipod for Liam. Oh well :/

At least I'm back to my start-of-term-being-inspired-artwise mood. I know what I'm doing. Now I've just got to convince my tutor of that, and get him to stay out of my face.
Is it normal to really despise your tutor?
I think maybe I should get a new one.

This entry is far too bitty.

nice_pie @ 2006-12-18T22:27:00

2006-12-18T22:27:20Z

Today I went to be an extra on Hollyoaks, which involved a lot of sitting around waiting. The woman from the Casting Factory told me to "go as punked up as possible," so I did, bearing in mind that it was Hollyoaks, and they're not really going to expect Sid Vicious. I still don't know exactly why they wanted someone dressed in that way, because the scene was in a doctors waiting room. Me and Punk Number Two got the impression that we were evil druggies, because we were talking to two girls who I think were meant to look like scally types in tracksuit pants. Anyway, I didn't need to do much to make myself look ill, because I'm dying of some kind of cold at the minute. I was even worried yesterday that I wouldn't be able to go because I was too ill, and it turns out to be a room full of sick people. They did a close-up, and no one had given me any make-up other than what I was already wearing, so I'm going to be so pale and horrible.
Anyway it took about an hour film something that will take about ten seconds on telly, and my backside was completely numb from sitting on the corner of a table (God knows why you'd do that in a waiting room, maybe it's to show how very punk I am), but the people were friendly and I'll make some money from it, so I can't complain. I would have been happier if one of the people there wasn't quite so friendly, though. The scene was something about a girl getting the results of a HIV test, so obviously there were lots of posters about various other diseases...which started this one off about his genital herpes. Really. No one needs to know. No one cares. He was just a little over-confident...I guessed he really wanted to be an actor but just wasn't getting there at the minute.

nice_pie @ 2006-11-30T21:00:00

2006-11-30T21:00:05Z

Liam, yesterday: "I like your shirt. It reminds me of birdseed."

Also, Patrick Wolf is going on tour, and this time he's coming to Liverpool.

Short entry. I have nothing left to say.

nice_pie @ 2006-11-13T13:50:00

2006-11-13T13:50:36Z

So, my Halloween was spent in London.
Two nights and two days doesn't really give you a lot of time when you're in such a big place, but we managed camden markets, and the Tate Modern.
Camden is HUGE. Every little side road leads to another massive market area. It's ridiculous. There wasn't actually that much I wanted to buy there, though. I think you need to have a lot of money to spend to make it really worthwhile, but it was nice just wandering about looking at things. Everyone wanted to feed us, too. You can't move without chinese people hanging over their counters pushing forks at you. Some of the shop owners were a bit weird. It's like they think they have a right to be snotty because they have a shop in Camden.

Our room was stupidly cold. There was a radiator, but it wasn't actually on/working. So we spent as little time there as possible, which was a shame, because the

was lovely

On Halloween night we went to see some bands - Olde Crone, who were good, Sourvein, who weren't, but had a who seemed not to know that he was camp, and Church of Misery, who I'm pretty indifferent to, really.

The Tate Modern wasn't great. Obviously there was lots of good art but the building was horrible, and too busy. We didn't even get to go on the slide!

We both decided that we didn't really get on with London that well. I think it's too big and busy. We both had a really good time, but I think a couple of days was enough.
I think the look sums it up pretty well.

nice_pie @ 2006-10-26T22:58:00

2006-10-26T22:59:49Z

I dyed my hair

on saturday. I now have a funeral to go to...

nice_pie @ 2006-10-26T10:48:00

2006-10-26T10:45:32Z

So...
Last night I saw the Cooper Temple Clause.
I wasn't really looking forward to it, because I had to go on my own. I'd arranged with someone off the message board to meet outside so he could buy my spare ticket.
He said "Will you be there early? I wouldn't mind seeing the support."
I said "I'll be there when the doors open."
Opening time was 7:30, but obviously in his head that actually means 8. So I was standing in the pouring rain for over half an hour, because I even got there a bit early, just in case. I did him a favour, too, selling it for less than the price on the door.
Anyway, I finally got in, took my soggy coat off and watched the support band, Battle, who were ok-ish.
Coming up to 10 o clock, the roadies put up gold sparkly curtains. More bands should have them. Unfortunately, not being close enough to the front, I couldn't get any photos.
Then...and I'm not sure if anyone can understand the importance of this...the band came out, and Ben was wearing a t-shirt and not a silly shirt and tie. We all knew t-shirt Ben had to come back at some point. It was only right. Tom, for some reason, was wearing a bowler hat (or something similar), and even though he was sweating ridiculously, he refused to take it off. I think he's getting a bald spot or something, which, lets face it, must be quite upsetting when you're that pretty.
On that note - why is it so hard to find a photo to prove my point?!
So they played lots of older stuff, and lots of new stuff, but they still didn't play 'the Devil Walks in the Sand'. Me and them Coopers will be having words.
I don't think I've actually said anything about how they sounded yet...well they were better than ever. They're not missing Didz at all, since he went to join his more fashionable friends. It works so much better on a small stage. They should be stopped from playing anywhere bigger, really, it's only fair to the fans.
What's not fair is having to wait til the end of january for a new album. They were full of apologies, though, about how long it's taken, which was quite nice.

I've started thinking now though. I've got a load of their old singles just sitting there, that I'm probably never going to play...maybe I'll have to investigate ebay. Although (I know it's silly) it would feel wrong to sell them! We'll see.

nice_pie @ 2006-10-23T15:49:00

2006-10-23T14:56:50Z

Oh dear me...
I shouldn't watch MTV2, it only annoys me.
The Enemy?

I don't even know what this band sounds like. I was too busy ranting inside my head to listen.

Also, a note to all video directors: I know people can't really help it if they're covered in acne, but PLEASE, we don't need close-ups of their face...it's off-putting, you know? It's not nice!

I'm supposed to be writing an essay at the minute, but it's just not happening.

nice_pie @ 2006-10-21T10:19:00

2006-10-21T09:20:15Z

This is the best/worst video ever made.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOVajiocC4Q

I've just downloaded the album...

nice_pie @ 2006-10-20T21:19:00

2006-10-20T20:41:20Z

This week I have been mostly listening to:
My tutor, talk about my work.
He seems to like it, which is a bit surprising. Last time I mentioned H.P. Lovecraft in relation to my work he might as well have ran out of the room, but now he knows I can actually paint, and that I don't want to paint wizards and fairies, he's ok with it. He couldn't really be not ok, as I've spent the first half term on it.
Anyway, I seem to be all inspired art-wise lately. It makes a nice change. Last year I really struggled at times to make myself work but now it seems like I've got so much to do I can't work out what to do first. My tutor gave me some direction, though.
Talking of college,

The flying cat thing is actually something I'm painting, so at least I'm doing some work...

I'm doing lots of research on folk-art from various places, and I've found some really evil looking Indian stuff. isn't the most evil, but the suns look pretty deranged.
Another source of inspiration was watching 'Watership Down' a couple of weeks ago. How scary was that for kids?!

I remember thinking the black rabbit was really horrible, but it actually wasn't, it's quite friendly, but still scary.

Our puppies are getting pretty big now. Even though they should really only be coming away from their mum at this point, they've decided they're too old to stay in a pen, and they should be playing with the big dogs. We've had to make the kitchen into their area so we know they're safe through the night (our house is full of safety gates now). This means that making breakfast can be quite a challenge.

Next week is the Cooper Temple Clause, for the tenth time.
Then Circulus, for the fourth time, two days later.
And on the 31st, London.