August

Watch this space - I'm exhausted but will summarise August's gig-fest and be back later with some photos and a much better blog.
Started wonderfully with As Friends Rust at Camden Underworld (19th I think). I can't begin to express how excited I was about this though I was also apprehensive in case they had suffered from not playing for 6 or so years. They hadn't. It was fantastic. The atmosphere was super-charged, everyone was there like it was the only gig in the world ever and I think I've still got the grin welded to my face. Gutted it was a one-off tour but I'm still living in vague hope.
Then was Leeds festival but to be honest I've forgotten most of it. I'm tired. The Kills were great and I did enjoy the daftness of Tenacious D on the Friday. Saturday, QOTSA were way better than they have been the last few times I saw them and Rage Against the Machine were every bit as explosive as the last time I saw them (1996/7?). Still part of me wished to be in Stoke watching As Friends Rust. I was gutted at the loss of my duck umbrella, but pleased to see how ace the VIP loos were and very glad not to have to go in the ordinary campsie. I'm a complete lightweight. Sunday was capped off nicely with Manic Street Preachers, though I was deeply peturbed by the lukewarm response to Little Baby Nothing - it's a classic, you idiots!
In between all this, we had a lovely weekend with friends in Brighton, a trip to Lille to ruin my insides with cream and egg-based foods and beer and a visit to the Burke clan in Sussex to celebrate my niece's 18th. That made me feel old.
I've 5 weeks and 2 days till the next foreign jaunt and far too much to do before then so I will go and prepare with a big sleep. I will do a proper blog soon, I promise!