Falling asleep...

Well...it's wednesday. 15th June. Laurence's birthday. Happy Birthday!!!

Weekend update:

Friday's concert was amazing. I got down to the dual-carriageway at 7pm and a 63 bus arrived immediately. I wasn't going to get it and then I remembered that it was one of two buses that go down to the RDS - very handy. When I got to the Main Hall, there were loads of people already up at the barrier and it became apparent that I wouldn't be able to see very much. So I moved over to the barrier beside the pit access, and I could see the stage no problem. So there I remained for the rest of the night.

Shadows Fall started shortly after I arrived at 7.30pm and played til after 8pm. They were really good and got all the kids going mental. Waist-length dreadlocks, and a kind of semi-stage dive later, and the crowd were warmed up.

Around 8.20pm or so Helmet took the stage. Their image is so clean-cut but their sound is so heavy, yet tight. No manic screaming lyrics...just heavy rock. The kids got bored after about 2 songs but I really enjoyed them, moreso than Shadows Fall. Plus, it became apparent throughout their set that members of Slipknot were up on the balcony and the kids were more interested in that!

Finally around 9.30pm Slipknot took to the stage. No Clown, or drum risers, or side-screens but what a show! Corey had the crowd eating out of his hand, and Chris really worked the crowd from the sides. Sid was as mental as ever...jumping up and down off drum kits. Paul, Jim and Mick paced the stage like wild animals...those guys are crazy! I couldn't see Craig from where I was but every-so-often, I could see his spikes head-banging away in the corner. Joey was obviously a crowd favourite, and although he didn't do his solo, he helped Corey work up the crowd, especially during Spit It Out (with Jump the Fuck Up). It's insame seeing a couple of thousand people crouch down in a venue and stay down til Corey tells them to jump up. Madness. Set finished just before 11pm and when the lights went on, you could literally see the steam in the room. It was crazy. The show opened with Prelude 3.0 being piped through, and ended with Danger-Keep Away being piped through. During Danger...Corey came out with the Irish flag that had been thrown up during the gig, with a Slipknot tribal S on the white part, and held it up. Major crowd cheer. Then Joey came down and draped the flag around him. As Joey wandered off, Corey held up Clown's mask on a stick. Then Sid came out and did likewise. Corey mentioned Clown alot during the concert, so it was good that he wasn't forgotten in all the madness! Excellent show.

My only complaint was all the kids that were there...I'm not talking about the teenagers, I'm talking about the pre-teens, under 10 club, who were there with their Dads, two of whom obviously were not into Slipknot at all and just paced the pit area, and frequently got in my way. The kids were ultra hyper at the start and by the end of the night, they were obviously wrecked tired and dehydrated. And many of them spent ages up at the water point, just drinking bucketloads of water and messing. A Metal/Rock concert is no place for pre-teens. They do not belong. Glad to hear Slayer played over 18s gigs. Slipknot have a young fan-base, but do these kids actually know what some of the lyrics mean?

I was at home by 11.30pm but I didn't get to bed til 2am or so...I was wired!!!

And at 9.30am I woke up on Saturday! Doh. I spent the day shopping and I caught Sin City at UGC. Very enjoyable movie. Violence, cannibalism, dark humour - a lot of fun.

On Sunday I was awake at 9.30am but I managed to go back asleep. I was up by 2pm, in town by 4.20pm and in Balbriggan by 5.30pm. Food and lots of walking later, I was on a bus heading into town at 8.30pm.

So, a busy weekend.

It's been a quiet week so far. I've been tidying - both at home and in my office. Roll on the weekend.