All Tomorrow’s Parties, Butlins, Minehead 2009

This year I was invited to the ATP’s The Nightmare Before Christmas festival at Butlins in Minehead, or as I read on a recent tweet “the bearded guy in Skinny jeans and trapper hat festival". I have always wanted to go but for one reason or another have never made it to any of the events over the last ten years.

I can honestly say that I am gutted that this was my first one because it was right up my street. Known for its alternative approach to a music festival, it takes over the out of season holiday camp with a single band or artists choice of music. This year was a special tenth year celebration and is being held over ten days. The festival kicked off with a long weekend curated by My Bloody Valentine then you have the opportunity to stay for the in between days to watch various bands playing in the smallest venue and to 100 or so people watching, starting up again on Friday for another long weekend with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Mudhoney and Sunn O))) to name a few of the fortyish bands playing.

My highlights of the last weekend was the good banter in the chalet and lovely vegetarian food cooked up by Karen, we had a good crew of ATP buddies including Josh and myself, Lee, Bev, Kerry and Karen. We also hung out with Dave and his chalet full of Thanetonians.

On a musical note we started off with WITCH that I enjoyed and has J Mascis (Dinosaur Jr) drumming for them. That night we watched My Bloody Valentine and let’s just say they were loud, very loud.

Other bands that stood out for me were Lightning Bolt that are famed for their gorilla style gigs as in they set up on the floor with everyone around them.
A Place To Bury Strangers, who are quite possibly my new favourite band.
Sonic Youth who were my old favourite band.
J Mascis and the Fog that had Kyle Spence (from Widespread Panic) on bass that I watched on my own while everyone had dinner back at the chalet and they were excellent.
The Buzzcocks playing hit after hit and some might say blew MBV off the stage.
Plus a band called Fucked Up from Toronto, Canada that finished off a night with a blast of lead singer Pink Eyes punk rock excellence.
Also, surprisingly for me, I enjoyed Harmony Rockets - Performing Paralyzed Mind of the Archangel Void, a single 42-minute ambient noise piece.

To sum up I had an enjoyable long weekend that I will be attending next year and possibly in New York this summer my fingers are crossed while I type (Hint, Hint Nicole big birthday coming up).

Oh and if anyone would like to take over my Christmas duties this weekend so that I can nip down for the ten years of ATP shows, I would be forever grateful.
KK

Are you to old for skateboarding?

My daughter has recently taken up skateboarding and every week I take
her down to Revolution Skate park in Broadstairs for a two hour lesson
that she loves. The thing is I am so jealous of my little angel and
really want to join in. The problem I face is I haven't been on a
deck for around twenty years plus, but surly its like riding a bike.
Right? Also it's gunna hurt as a teenager falling off was no problem.
However, 13 stone (Okay 14 stone) of 39 year old man bones hurtling
towards the ground after a misplaced Ollie is a scary thought.
Well I'm always up for some stupid idea or another, so I think I will
give it a bash, although I am gunna look a right tool in the safety
gear!

KK

No beer for a year!

Captain dog has recently posted that he is to abstain from the
delights of alcoholic beverages for a year.

I must admit I too have been feeling the wrath of the binge drinking
Gods a bit to much recently.
Therefore, I am accepting the challenge with my canine pal.

So, its no beer for a year then! More importantly this means we will
be so fit and healthy on next years Yomp, that we will be able to star
jump the thirty odd miles round or with all the money we save we could
employ people to carry us round on cushioned platforms.

KK

Strange gizmo

I have to wear this strange gizmo for twenty four hours, that reads my
blood pressure every half hour.

This has all come about from the fact I need a nose job (another
story) and the hospital won't operate on me because on the pre op my
blood pressure was to high.

The fact of the matter "I believe" is that on the morning of the pre
op, I took delivery of eight railway sleepers that got dumped on the
road leaving me no option other than lifting them all into my garden,
then already running late for the appointment I got into some verbal
road rage with a fine example of Ramsgate's taxi fleet only to be
stuffed in a hospital waiting room with dog eared copies of magazines
that no self respecting metro sexual wannabe would dare to hold. Then
with nowhere to run or hide I mistakenly and unintentionally partook
in a one sided conversation with a hospital cleaner, She gave me an
hour long lecture about the state of Thanet's housing market for gods
sake.
Now you might think that's it, but no. This was followed by a middle
aged but very hot nurse asking me questions about my general health
and bending down with a very low-cut top on to take my blood pressure.
White coat syndrome! I shit it, try a morning like that to get ya
heart racing. Anyway.
I finally get sadomasicism now! It's like knowing when the pain is
coming but you find yourself sitting and waiting for it with a sick
longing, that only goes away briefly after the gizmo has very nearly
severed your arm off with its sick and demented huffing and puffing.
Gunna be a long night! Me thinks...
KK

2009 Thanet Yomp. Done!

We did it again 25 odd miles in 8 hours a bit of mountaineering and
only two beer stops along the way. As ever the conversation was
enjoyable and we all got a few rants off which were recorded by the
distance they lasted. This year the rant champion was SAS Steve with
his impressive half a mile rant from the sea cross country towards St
Nicolas at wade.

The dog poop count was unbelievably high and we decided that if dog
owners can't pick it up, then we will as a civilised society will have
to exterminate all dogs and force the ex-dog owners to have cats or
hamsters on leads instead as all cats in Thanet Poop in my garden
anyway. Thus leaving the public walkways clean and as for hamsters,
their poop is not quite so offensive to the foot as dog poop is.

We also discussed the Royal Marine Commandos final test the infamous
thirty miler in eight hours.
From the blisters on my feet and aching limbs I take my hat off to all
Marines as we were quite a bit behind them in distance and time plus
they don't even get beer breaks on route.

For the photographic diary of the 2009 Thanet Yomp please have a look
at my fellow yomper Captain dogs blogg www.captaindog.blogspot.com

Also I can report that the Christmas house on the way to Westbrook
from Margate still has its decorations up. Who says Margate hasn't
got any character.

KK

The 2009 Thanet Yomp.

The Thanet Yomp has come upon us again taking place this coming Saturday.

No clues as of yet as to which way round the island we will be going,
just see how the wind takes us I guess. Although, I enjoyed last
years route but this probably has a lot to do with the first years
crippling blisters.

I am looking forward to a nice slice of home-made carrot cake from the
café in Cliftonville as we pass by and there have been preliminarily
talks on having beers after we finish, which will take the meaning of
staggering home after a few to a whole new level.

The first year we counted the islands coastal walls racist graffiti,
the second we noted the homophobic graffiti. So this year for a nice
change I think I will be counting the dog crap that people have
forgotten to pick up after their mutts have defecated on public foot
paths.

So god speed fellow Yompers Captain Dog and SAS Steve and if you see
three bumbling wrecks hobbling past your place in Thanet raise a hand
and give us a cheer.

KK

Ceiling Rose

Today I am going to attempt to put up a new ceiling rose and fit a new
combination fan and light. If I succeed my triumphant pictures shall
follow. If I don't, Its been a good life and I regret nothing . KK