I couldn't sleep last night. This has become a recurring theme in my life, and after a few hours of tossing and turning I thought I'd at least try to be productive. After an hour of failing to get the motivation to do coursework I ended up just listening to music. I ended up listening to songs I've not heard in a while, songs that bring back memories of times gone by. I've always regarded music as a catalyst for emotion and evoking the nostalgia for the past. Music is with you every step of your life and can help put into words what you're feeling or going through when you don't know how to. So I decided to do a post on the top 5 musical moments in my life. Really it's just another excuse for me to ramble on shit about music, and spend an hour or so procrastinating.
1. Aiden
I can't tell you the first Aiden song I listened to, I can't tell you where I was, how I felt, or that in the moment it instantly changed something in my life. But I can remember seeing they were playing in Aberdeen, and getting a ticket to go, more because a band was playing in Aberdeen than anything else. That's when my love affair with Aiden began. I started listening to them after buying that ticket and I got obsessed. I remember meeting them at One Up on Belmont Street before the gig, getting my already wrecked jeans signed (they've still not been washed...) and getting a photo taken with Angel, 'cause I was too shy to ask Wil Francis. I remember being right at the front of the gig, where there were no barriers between the floor and the stage, and Francis saying there was no need for the security staff acting as barriers. And the best part, I remember Francis taking my camera (this was back when cameras on phones were shit) and taking a 'selfie' with the crowd in the background. I lost the photo when my old laptop broke. I never backed it. I'm sure there is a way to get it back, but I'm technically challenged. It was true love after that gig. A couple years later I went to Glasgow to see them again, and it was just as magical as the first time. And in January I will be seeing them for the last time, and hopefully this time at the VIP meet and greet I won't be too star struck or shy to function. But probably not. Thank god for alcohol.
Check out Aiden's website where you can get their full discography as a free download, and for full tour dates.
2. Sixx AM/Motley Crue
I do remember when I first hears Sixx AM. I was surfing through the music channels back in the day, like you do. I stopped on Kerrang! where the video for 'Life Is Beautiful,' was playing. Something about the song made me stop and listen. And I was hooked. I immediately bought the album, then the book, then started listening to Motley Crue. And if you've seen any of my previous posts about Sixx AM or Motley Crue there isn't really much else to say.
3. Motorhead
I grew up with Motorhead. My dad is obsessed. Motorhead has always just been there, a constant in my life. It's one of the things I can remember always being there, much like my mums obsession with Meatloaf's 'Bat Out Of Hell' album (I know all the words to all the songs from childhood car trips) Motorhead was a staple of life. I was around 14 or 15 when my dad first took me to see Motorhead with him. It was one of, if not the first, proper rock gig I had been to. And I loved every minute of it. I'm not entirely sure how many times I've actually seen Motorhead now, I think it's around 6 or 7 but I could be wrong. After experiencing the atmosphere of an amazing live performance I was left craving more, and this is when I really fell for live music.
Motorhead are touring the UK at the start of next year.
4. HIM
I can't remember which song I heard first, but it was the release of the 'Dark Light' album that got me. So I'd guess it was 'Vampire Heart,' the first track on the album. 'Dark Light,' was the first album I bought that wasn't cheesy pop music. And it's the one that started it all. Probably one of my dads proudest moments too. That album changed my life, in regards to my taste in music. I would still regard it as one of the best, most influential albums I've ever bought. It might not be one that will stand for the test of time, or even be the one they are remember for, but to me, it will always hold a special place in my heart. I remember feeling like everything made a lot more sense. It woke the true music fan within me, and that's stayed with me since.
5. Guns 'n' Roses
If you've read my blog before you'll know I'm not a fan of Guns 'n' Roses post Slash. I can remember 'borrowing' my dads 'Appetite of Destruction' CD (my dad now still borrows CD's from me..) and it clicked. It was like with HIM, it just felt right. I appreciate that Axl Rose is a talented musician, I can appreciate that what remains of Guns 'n' Roses are still making good music, but I just don't like it. The early music is brilliant, and deserves all the praise it gets. Sometime around 2006 I think it was I was reading Kerrang! magazine and saw the tour announcement, Guns 'n' Roses were playing in Glasgow with Bullet For My Valentine. I was excited. I loved Bullet at the time, so off me and my dad went. It was one of the worst atmospheres I ever experienced at a gig. Bullet were fantastic, but the majority of the (older) crowd didn't care, they weren't there for a support band they'd never heard of. It was a strange atmosphere, with a blatantly obvious mentality people were there for the main act, and the main act only. Two hours and near riots later Axl finally got on stage. By this point I was already over it. They put on a good show, but my heart wasn't in it any more. And this when I first realised that music could be a let down. When the band stops caring about the music and the fans and more about the money the magic is lost.
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