Prayer request/answer to prayer:

This is a copy/pasta from an email I sent out today to my homegroup, but I thought I'd share it with the Brainshare it as well:

It was great to see everyone at 18-30's & I thought I'd bear my heart at the moment. This was a vision which I've been unable to shift this from my head, so I thought I'd share it:

"I felt adrift, like an ancient mariner caught in the middle of the ocean with no wind or compass to get to land & out of trouble."

I beleive this feeling has come from not being able to find a youthwork position which I have been able to fill, even after getting a degree & youthwork qualification & being experienced for many years working with young people etc. etc.

However, the positive form this is that people are really rallying round for me - I've now started applying for more vacancies in youthwork & am not limiting myself to any particular geographical location - in fact I completed an application form last night for Leicester, & for an eccumenical organisation - all based on a recommendation from a former classmate.

I now feel that with a little direction, this lost man might finally find the shore, but please pray that I can finally get there!

Six out

Silversuns Live Again - UK Tour coming up

Quick posting to let y'all know about the coming tour of the great Silversun Pickups. Check out this link here for full details or this map here. I'm head to Oxford's Carling Academy in July with a bigger crew this time - 10 so far!!

Six

Classic R.E.M. ftw

You Twitt

Having seen all the hype about Twitter, I finally succumbed & joined up myself. As a total shock I decided to be called Pikachuind, so check me out & follow me here.

Basically, for the uninitiated, it is very similar to the status updates for Facebook & it follows that it is known as an online social network. However, it is much simpler than other site, like Facebook, myspace, etc. because it's not geared up for a certain age bracket, but for 'everyone'. The idea is that you follow people & other people follow you.

It's quite addictive & also, there's less onus on you to do anything, it's really just a mini-blog. This sense of minuscule-ness is further heightened by the fact that you only have 140 characters to tell the world something. Also it's not just for us mere geeks, apparently celebrities use it as well, the most popular being Barack Obama, Stephen Fry, Jonathan Ross & Britney Spears but there are loads of others a well, including my favourites Bill Bailey & Eddie Izzard - theirs are classic.

My advice is to go check it out & see what some of your friends & some stars are up to!

Swoon-ing

OK, OK, I promise this is the last Silversun's blog today!

I ordered my copy of their new album - Swoon from good old Amazon, it's already been dispatched, so it should be here this week...expect a review later on this week, when I've given it a good caning!

Silversuns Live Part 5 Setlist

OK here's the set list as far as I could work out:

New song*
Well Thought out Twinkles
New song* (waiting raving falling?)
Little Lovers so Polite
New song* (right in your way)
Future Foe Scenario (brilliant!)
Kissing Families (awesome)
New song* (with a killer riff!)
Lazy Eye (amazing & awesome pedal work!)


*nooo idea what it was called, but always sounding good.

Unfortunately we both had to go (so Maddie to get back to Canterbury) so we missed the last parts of the set - d'oh!!

Silversuns Live Part 4 - The main event

Now we come to the good stuffs - the Silversun Pickups themselves.



I have to say I was properly excited about seeing them live, after how much time I had given over to listening to them & how much of an impact it made on my last year - it's good, happy, feel-good music & very melodic. What was great was that the crowd were all fans & really there to see Silversun's perform live or regulars there to check out a new band.

Their set list (more on that later) was packed with great songs from their EP & album, but sandwiched between these gems were selected tracks from their new album (Swoon, out today from amazon or via iTunes).

They were great, funny & Brian (the lead singer & guitarist) kept playing even when one of his pedals failed. All the songs were similar to the album versions, but there were some good 'live additions' between the song & you could see that they had really nailed down how they were going progress through their set. I decided that I really do want Brian's guitar - it is awesome (Epiphone Sheraton 2 from a previous blog)



Overall rating for the gig would 5* out of 5 - it was a great venue, great crowd, great warm-up band & awesome main act & to top it off I didn't have to sell my kidneys just to get a ticket! I'd give it 6*'s but the parking sucked (£1.50 for 15 minutes 24/7, I think not!!).

Finally, given the chance to see a small & intimate gig like this, with a great band like this again, I would literally jump at the chance & will certainly see them again next time they're within 100 miles of Oxford!!



P.S. Check out Lazy Eye live here

Silversuns Live Part 3 - The Support Act

Before the Silversun Pickups were on the stage, they had their support act - The Joy Formidable.



I would describe them as a little band with a BIG sound. They are a 3-piece setup - female fronted & lead guitarist, a mad bassist (with the volume up proper loud) & a very accomplished drummer.



Their style was similar style to the Silversuns, very melodic & well put together, loads of power chords & distortion.



The bass-lines were loud - a good thing & the vocals were hauntingly beautiful & very different because of the female lead. The bassist also sang & offered really good harmonies to the mix. Overall this band demand to be played loud - it suited their style & pulsing sound.

Finally, they also offered part of their EP/Album as a free download & for those who indulge, here is their myspace page

Silveruns Live Part2 - Teh Venue

The Venue was The Borderline appeared really small (not much bigger than the Cellar & made the Oxford Academy look like a stadium) with a small stage. However, there were really good acoustics & a massive sound system - it said something about the place with the amount of people that had ear plugs in - a good sign of things to come.

"The Borderline is a few minutes walk from Tottenham Court Road tube station. It is a cosy and atmospheric underground bar and venue, with a capacity of 275." apparently

Silversun Pickups overload!

OK, now for something a lot more recent - the Silversuns. This going to be a multi-part review, otherwise this will be an epic single posting!



So, where to begin?! This up-and-coming band, who have previously supported the Foos & Kaiser Chiefs on their last tours,few people have heard about & they are still relatively unknown to the majority. This suits them, however, as their gigs are more smaller, more personal & rather more fun!



I called them my band of '08 & I was really excited when Ents24 told me that they were coming to London!

They had 3 dates & I went for Borderline & got 2 tickets for me & Madd for a very reasonable £8.50 each & excitement began!

Coming up, the Venue, Support Act & Main Act & a picture or 2!

We continue...

Blogs to write this week

Going to do several updates this week,

1. Silversun Pickups Gig report from last week
2. Life/Ministry update
3. New book report - Mike Yaconelli collection - Getting Fired for the Glory of God

Hot Chip Gig Report

This is from what seems like a very long time ago...oh wait it was!! Way back on 23rd October [2008] in Southampton Guildhall.

The gig was of course Hot Chip & my accompanying crew were Madd, Doodles & her friend Hols.



As a general setup, the Guildhall was pretty good, it looks like an old cinema or theatre & had a good vibe about it. There were about 8 strobes & there plenty of studio lighting, rather than effects (a la Lemon Jelly) or anthing.

Here's their setlist:
One Pure Thought,
Bendable, Posable,
Shake a Fist,
I Was a Boy at School,
Hold On
*Alley Cats (New Song),
Over & Over,
Wrestlers,
*(New Song),
Ready for the Floor,
Made in the Dark,

Encore:
*(New Song),
My Piano.
No Fit State

Finale:
Nothing Compares (Cover)



The support act was terrible, so bad in fact, I'm not going to say anything about him! Hot Chip, however, were great - they really know how to rock the crowd & their set was packed with great tracks. Also their performance was really passionate & they worked really hard.

Overall I'd give it 4* (out of 5*), they lost one with that shocking support act!

For an alternate review, check out what click music had to say.