The Lost Years

So this morning, my girlfriend, my sister and I all met at 5am to watch the finale of 'LOST'. Full of excitement I didnt really know what to expect. I knew with only two hours they wouldnt 'answer' all the silly things and that it would all be wrapped up very fast ending with some meaningful metaphor.

What I didnt expect is that they would just end it with sloppy and lazy writing which left most people frustrated that they had watched for so long to only to be told they had been stuck in purgatory and are now off to heaven.

I have read a few people saying they were happy with the ending and have enjoyed the show throughout. I guess I am with them, but I do feel dissapointed that the double episode was let down by the writers having to squeeze too much in and still leaving massive gaps in the story, even the continuity of events within the episode were confusing..... How did ben get out from under the tree?

I really hope there is more to Lost than just this finale, maybe a prequel and sequel movie series?

Personally I would love to see a history of dharma spin off mini-series.

As when all great tv shows end its a sad times but see it as a journey, its not the destination that matters its the getting there.

FUN FUN FUN

So for ages I have been talking about starting a new video project.

Over the last month I have been building some launch content for a new website that will hopefully launch in May/June

Whilst doing this I am also doing some video work for various companies/pr agencies/record labels/websites

Here is the first video interview I have done in a long time. It's with the band .fun, they are a punky/indie band with ex-members of The Format. The interview is quite comical and worth a watch even if you dont know/dislike the band. Let me know what you think!



Look out for the new website soon!

Face To Face

Face To Face are touring in Europe this April. I really want to see a headline date of them but all dates are either festivals or support slots for The Dropkick Murphys.

come on FACE TO FACE.... please realise their is a demand for some headline shows!!

My top 10 records of 2009

So I have included 1 extra. Deal with it. Not in any order.

Rancid - Let The Dominoes Fall
http://www.myspace.com/rancid

Return to form for the punks from the east bay. Now they just need to come back and play some decent size shows in the UK.



Dear Landlord - Dream Homes
http://www.myspace.com/letslynchthedearlandlord

First time I heard this I was hooked. still play it daily. SYKED for the uk shows in May.




Nofx - Coaster
http://www.myspace.com/nofx

Best album since So Long And Thanks For All The Shoes




The Arteries - Blood, Sweat & Beers
http://www.myspace.com/thearteries

Easily best new band in the UK. This album will go down as another Household Name Records Classic.



The Lawrence Arms - Buttsweat and Tears
http://www.myspace.com/thelawrencearms

Best EP by far, only complaint is that it isnt an LP




Broadway Calls - Good Views, Bad News
http://www.myspace.com/broadwaycalls

If there had to be a no.1 this would probably be it. Great follow up to the hit-tastic self titled first album.




Classics Of Love - Walking In Shadows
http://www.myspace.com/classicsofloveband

Jesse Michaels of Operation Ivy new band. Hard Girls are behind the instruments. looking forward to a full length from these guys.



Cheap Girls - Find Me A Drink Home
http://www.myspace.com/cheapgirls

Ian Graham's vocals are nothing short of brilliant. Hopefully these guys will be back over in the UK during 2010



Pearl Jam - Backspacer
http://www.pearljam.com/

This was played constantly during my holiday in Australia this year, so great memories of an amazing trip with a superb soundtrack.



Mariachi El Bronx - El Bronx
http://www.myspace.com/thebronx

Finally got a proper release. Weird that I probably wouldn't buy any other mariachi music though.



The Gallows - Grey Britain
http://www.myspace.com/gallows

Fuck the critics, fuck the majors, fuck what you think. I love this record.

here we go again...

so predictions this week again come from myself and Mike. For those that are interested should go check out his blog/tumblr - http://miketreat.tumblr.com/

here are the score predictions for the weekend of 9th/10th May 2009

MINE

Saturday, 9 May 2009

Blackburn v Portsmouth, 15:00 1-0
Bolton v Sunderland, 15:00 2-1
Everton v Tottenham, 15:00 3-1
Fulham v Aston Villa, 15:00 2-1
Hull v Stoke, 15:00 0-1
West Brom v Wigan, 15:00 0-3
West Ham v Liverpool, 17:30 0-3

Sunday, 10 May 2009

Arsenal v Chelsea, 16:00 2-1
Man Utd v Man City, 13:30 3-1


MIKE'S

Saturday, 9 May 2009

Blackburn v Portsmouth, 15:00 2-1
Bolton v Sunderland, 15:00 1-0
Everton v Tottenham, 15:00 2-0
Fulham v Aston Villa, 15:00 1-2 (sorry)
Hull v Stoke, 15:00 1-0
West Brom v Wigan, 15:00 0-3
West Ham v Liverpool, 17:30 1-3

Sunday, 10 May 2009

Arsenal v Chelsea, 16:00 2-2
Man Utd v Man City, 13:30 4-0

Last time we did dreadfully, lets hope we are abit nearer the mark on these ones

Heroes

Two of my idol's in one picture, taken by me.

Predictions

I know its near the end of the season but something i may and try make a regular event for next season. Me and a friend give our predictions for that days/weekends games

Score predictions for 25/04/09


Dave McManus (me)

bolton vs villa - 1-3

everton vs man city - 1-1

fulham vs stoke - 1-0

hull vs liverpool - 0-3

man utd vs spurs - 2-1

west brom vs sunderland - 1-2

west ham vs chelsea - 0-0


Mike Hemsley (not me, Hassle Records, founder of MEGA LOLZ)

bolton vs villa - 2-2

everton vs man city - 2-0

fulham vs stoke - 1-0

hull vs liverpool - 1-1

man utd vs spurs - 3-0

west brom vs sunderland - 0-2

west ham vs chelsea - 1-0

Swollen

My ankle hurts quite abit, playing football isnt all that good for your health afterall.

Still will be back out on the pitch in two weeks time for the next round.......errrr i mean game of soccer.

In the meantime check out The Swellers, they are pretty damn amazing.

Something to Remember

This song has been stuck in my head for the last month, and that is no bad thing!



go check out A Day To Remember's latest release 'Homesick' on victory records!

Some Very Awesome Things Coming This July No.1

TREE HUGGING!!!

Dear BJA...

Dear Billie Joe.

Stop hanging around with Bono, he is a cock and his bad music making abilities are spreading to you.

speak soon
Love Dave

tonight and tomorrow night this is happening!

(the next one is US only!)

My Top 10 Records Of 2008

This is my first year on a 'blog', so my favourite records of the year list usually goes on my myspace. This year its a DCOP exclusive. Enjoy - and please check out all the bands.

Broadway Calls - Oregon
The Fad - Kill Punk Rock Stars
Lemuria - Get Better
H2O - Nothing To Prove
The Steal - Bright Grey
Pinhead Gunpowder - West Side Highway (EP)
The Shitty Limits - Here Are The Limits (EP)
The Fabulous Penetrators - The Fabulous Penetrators (EP)
Mike TV - Mike TV
The Bronx - The Bronx III

There are a few others which should be mentioned but i wont, will make another blog on another day on ones that didnt make it.

Dear Santa....

I really need a speaker system for my living room. I have some of the worst speakers known to man. They sound like someone is playing music through the speaker of a walkie talkie then redirected over a 2001 era Nokia. dreadful.

What is needed are these bad boys. The Steinway & Sons Model C Music System is brilliant looking and I was lucky enough to get a demo of these last week, Slipknot never sounded so good.



So if anyone knows Santa personally or has the $148,000 to stump up for them, then help me out. Failing this I might look at a Bose setup in the new year. anyone got any suggestions?

check out the wired blog on 'Steinway and Sons'

xSTAYING_INx

Today I have moved from my bed to my sofa, with the duvet. Its pretty awesome.

Laying here, wearing my baggy MOSH pants & H2O tee while talking to a friend about Sick Of it All, I wonder why I don't do this more often and why all bands don't have melodic beatdowns that the kids who cant windmill, can dance to.

Not saying I lead a hectic lifestyle and I am out all the time, I just don't spend too much time by myself chilling out. I enjoy hanging out with friends (wont quote Big D today..) but sometimes it is nice to stay in and be with one's self. So from now on I am going to try and make more of an effort to make time for relaxing and nights in.

Doe's it sound like I am getting old yet?

H-2-Old - GO!

Let's Do This!

Pretty excited to be filming Cancer Bats tomorrow night. Show should be pretty narly.

Cancer Bats on Myspace

Ticket for the show

Hassle Records

You know Its X-Mas When...

You hear this for the first time in a year...

Embed, Share And Mobile Viewing With Joost

So I have been working for Joost for quite a while now, hopefully you should know who we/they are. Its all pretty awesome web-video/tech stuff. If not check out the many links on google or the website.

The last couple of months have been exciting times with the launch of the new website using the in browser P2P plugin player then moving on to the current Flash based player.

The last couple of weeks has seen the bar risen by our brilliant player team and our biz integrations with how content is discovered and displayed outside of the Joost website. Here are a few of my favourite examples...

Embeddable Player



Facebook Share


Joost iPhone Player app (get it here - App Store)


Please go check out all three of these, and if you havent yet the website. Let me know what you think and please ask questions if any!

www.joost.com

Here Are The Limits

'Yeah, I Heard You On The Radio And Hated Your Song!'

The Shitty Limits have been going a fair while, which is a surprise seeing that most bands coming out of the Guildford Youth Centre scene usually last anywhere from a 1 incomplete band practice to the dizzy heights of putting out a poorly recorded 7". This is the charm of the GYC scene though and one of the few things I miss of my hometown.

Having now released several 7"s the band have announced they will be releasing their first CD/LP via Boss Tuneage Records (CD) and La Vida Es Un Mus (LP) sometime in the new year. This will be a collection of all the 7"s for those that werent quick enough off the mark to get the original releases.

The bands recordings are really good, but no way near as good as what they are live. This band surprise me that they are so tight, but yet get away with sloppy errors (Ellis had never played bass before starting this band, and still to this day, Lous the singer has to tune up for him... bless) and the energy which is excelled from the performance makes up for the ever decreasing lack of talent.

Check the band out live and lookout for the upcoming LP. do it!

Also all their 7"s are up for download (but for how long??) on their myspace

http://www.myspace.com/theshittylimits

Fake Problems, Real (good) Band

This band are going to be massive!

I had the pleasure of seeing Fake Problems play at The Brixton Windmill in South London tonight and I was blown away by the energy and talent of this band. They take everything i like about early Against Me! stuff and make it sound 100x better!

If you get the chance to check them out anytime soon then do so, before they get too big to be playing these small venues. They have a few releases out now and have an EP and a LP coming out early next year on SideOneDummy Records. Check their MySpace for more details

It wouldnt be fair to not mention the other bands on the bill tonight, who were all great as well.

Fake Problems were/are tour supporting Smoke Or Fire, who played their melodic EpiFat style punk rock so well that it makes me wish it was still 1996!

Also supporting on this evenings show was You Me And The Atom Bomb, and The Arteries.

I have never been a massive fan of YMATAB but tonight they had me bopping and will be digging out their album tomorrow to give it another chance.

The Arteries are the latest find from Lil and Kafren at Household Name Records, fresh off a tour with Strung Out these guys will go far and rightly so. The vocals makes this band stand out from the rest though. So brutal but so melodic at the same time, mix that in with the extremely catchy skate punk hooks this all ends up making a perfect blend. Looking forward to their debut album which should be out on HHN early 2009!