Food Shopping?? No no no! Rock Gig?? Yes yes yes!!! lol

Play List:      The very excellent Thunder & rockin Skin


Well last night was a surprise! lol. I got in the car expecting to go food shopping for My Love's parental visit only to be find out I was indeed heading out to Rock City..a fantastic rock music venue that I have spent a large portion of my life visiting....be it just for the night club or watching many of my favourite rock bands...so many hours spent dancing like a loon, drinking copious amounts of Jack Daniels and singing until my throat bled! lol. Ah my misspent youth..I wouldn't change a thing. I have many fond memories tied up with Rock City...so many! 

The Legend that is Rock City ~ Nottingham

With my health being...well..not good...I struggle to gig like I used to. It's a very big shame as live music makes my blood zing like nothing else on earth. My Love chose to surprise me because last year I had a horrible experience at a gig in York where I made it through the support act but two minutes after The Union came on stage...I collapsed and had to leave shortly after. Very humiliating and very annoying...and I missed out on a fantastic gig. Dammit. I have been resistant to even try thinking about gigs since then and the thoughts of even trying brought me out in cold sweats. But My Loves plan worked and we got there in good time and the queue to get in moved fast and before I knew it I was inside the venue and had a seat and was excited and nervous...I was giddy with happiness at the thought of seeing two of my all time favourite bands again. 


Thunder are my all time favourite band. I have followed them for 20 years and if they keep going I will follow them for another 20! They are a good old fashioned rock band that have an amazing lead guitarist called Luke Morley who is also the song writer. His lyrics are poetry and his music is amazing. He is my all time favourite musician. Danny Bowes is the singer and his voice is strong, melodic and just plain awesome and his voice has gotten me through many hard times. He eases me. So the two of them together...well I'm a happy camper!! lol. To me they are what rock music is about. Not metal, thrash or any of that...good quality rock music. 

Thunder ~ As they were in the beginning...lol

They burst onto the stage last night and lifted everyone up and kept us there until they left us. They were fantastic...so together and every song was divine. I don't care if I sound like a mad fan...because I am. lol. I was up dancing, singing, smiling and nothing was going to stop me. Not my useless body or any of the people around me. I wrung out every second of the gig and was still smiling in the car on the way home! lol 

Thunder ~ As they are today...a little greyer but still as awesome!

Thunder 'retired' in 2009 after 20 years together but still get together to play the odd gig. I was really sad when they announced their retirement. Mr Morley has formed a new band called The Union and it's a more bluesy rock feel to it. Also very good! But both My Love and I agreed on the way home that watching Mr Bowes take command of the audience and his fantastic voice...how could he even think about retiring...he is too good to retire. His voice is still strong and he can still hit the notes and as a showman he still has 'it'! I'm just glad I was there. Thank you guys...

Thunder ~ Couldn't resist one more pic. lol

Skin I have enjoyed many hours listening to their music and attending their gigs...but many years ago. I heard through Classic Rock magazine that last year they were doing a 'farewell' tour with their greatest hits. I was very sad to be too ill at the time to attend. I had followed the tour online and felt very old when photos of the guys came up. Had we all aged that much? lol. I was very happy to be seeing them again last night and was excited to hear that they weren't over and they were releasing a new album so the farewell tour obviously went very well..lol. The front man Nev MacDonald has always been Skin to me. If I was writing a 'rock god' character in one of my stories, they would be based on him. He oozes rock from every pore. He is tall and buff...he has long dark curly hair...a killer smile...cheeky laugh and his voice is deep and powerful. When he is onstage he is puppet master and the audience is his to control. And he still has all of those qualities and I enjoyed every second of it. 

Skin ~ Back in the day

Skin like Thunder have a good mix of meaningful and thought provoking songs and good rock ballads. But also a good mix of cheeky rocking songs..like Look But Don't Touch and House of Love. As I was watching the guys do their thing a memory of being up dancing on a table at a gig many years ago...so much Jack Daniels was responsible for that! lol. Honest! Ahem! lol 

Skin ~ Serious rock faces lol

So I look forward to Skin's new Album and hope that they tour again although I think My Love would be more than happy for me to go with someone else...I think Skin are a little too Rour-ock! But that's ok...we have very different musical taste...very different. lol. And I hope that Thunder keep doing these last minute surprise gigs...it was so very good for the soul to see them live again. 


Although I wasn't Jack fueled like back in the day, I managed to dance, sing and scream through the entire Thunder set and most of Skin's but then my body started to signal that it was ready for a rest. Very frustrating but I had the best time and had a 'coat hanger' smile the entire evening and all the way home...so I'm told. lol. 


So thank you My Love for a lovely surprise...I needed that evening. It reminded me of how music is a necessary need for me...more than a passion. It fuels me and I had forgotten that simple fact. And today my body is hurting and I have a lot of kitchen work to get through...I shall be playing my albums very loud and probably will still have that silly 'coat hanger' smile....this aging rock chick is a very happy chick today! lol 


~R~