TomTom - On Games.

Interview with William Donegan - taken from SweetFFA.com

2011-09-12T09:21:00.001Z

Video games are evolving as are the technologies used in the controller, Look at what the Wii has done for social gaming. Xbox and Playstation have moved from the in depth gamer market to cover the social aspect of gaming. However we can take all this for granted and forget that not everyone who loves video games can easily take part. From accidents at work or playing sports, to disability from birth some people find that the world of games and gaming is not accessible to them.

This, however, is changing. SpecialEffect are a charity that help a range of people access gaming from PC to Console. William Donegan is from the charity and has taken the time to join us here at SweetFFA amidst the hectic run up to the EuroGamer Expo. Thanks for taking the time to join me today. I had not heard of SpecialEffect until we had Tom Champion from EuroGamer join us. We got all the information relating to this year’s event and that included SpecialEffect.

William can you please let me know how you first got involved with Special Effect.

Initially, like most SpecialEffect’s staff, I started by volunteering for SpecialEffect on the Roadshow projects when the charity very first started about three years ago. In this project we took equipment to clubs and groups where disabled and abled people met and set up games and hardware for people to try out. For many people they didn’t know that there were ways in which they could play video games. When the charity moved into our offices, my dad (SpecialEffect’s Founder and Director Mick Donegan) asked me to come work for the charity.

Can you please let me know a little bit more about Special Effect?

We are a fairly young charity based in Charlbury, Oxfordshire, but who work throughout the UK directly with individuals and groups. Our focus is on giving access to computer games not just for ‘gamers’ but for anyone who wants to be able to ‘play’. We have three main projects at the moment which all involve the support and lending of equipment. Everyone we work with is different, so the expertise we have as a team combines well to help find solutions for each of them, whether it is simply recommending the right game or creating or adapting a new controller.

[gallery]

How easy is it for people outside the Oxfordshire area to get involved? I live down on the South Coast but may want to get involved, what can I do?

Many of our volunteers work remotely. Due to the seemingly infinite numbers of games being produced, from boxed copies to small flash games, we need as many eyes and ears looking out for potentially useful games as possible. Simple things such as information on whether an FPS game has re-mappable controls or a racing game has assisted braking is all useful information, which we can add to our review site www.gamebase.info and pass on to others. If you have a tip off about a game, please do contact us through the site.

How many different disabilities do you work with?

We work with a wide range of people. The charity’s strap line is ‘Game On for EVERYONE!’ No matter how severely disabled someone is we’ll try and find a way for them to play. Some people we work with have acquired an injury which has left them unable to play games, whilst for others the condition they were born with has meant that they never thought that they could play computer games. A lot of what we are about is letting people know that they can play games and showing them how.

Do you work with many schools in educational development or alongside charities that do? I can see a lot of the technologies you mention would be great for that sort of thing

We are currently doing a project with Great Ormond Street Hospital School, but we are focusing on giving access to leisure and fun to the students rather than to education. Like you say lots of the technology we use can be used for general computer access for things like work and education. We try and use that technology for fun as well.

Do you find any games that are just not adaptable?

Sometimes if you find the right hardware for someone it can open up every type of game. For example, if we setup someone with a one handed controller for their PS3, it is likely that after some practice they will have no problem playing any game they like.

For some, very simple in-game features could help enormously, for example being able to switch a button around which you have trouble reaching can be the difference between a game being playable, or not, by someone.

With something like using eye-control for instance it is more limited in the games you can access on your PC, as essentially you only have control over the cursor and mouse buttons. We can create software which lets people play more games, but playing Call of Duty for instance using eye-control alone is just not possible at the moment. We will keep working on these sorts of problems however.

SpecialEffect offer free advice to developers who want to make their games playable by a wider audience. We also have a wish list of general features which can be added to games to make them more accessible: http://www.gamebase.info/magazine/read/wish-list-for-accessible-game-design_531.html

How many developers are working with you to produce more content for kids with disabilities?

We give advice to a lot of independent game developers on small tweaks they can make to let more people play their games. We have also given advice to some larger developers. As people are hearing about us, more and more people are interested in what they can do to improve the accessibility of their games.

We also work directly with developers to create games for those who there is nothing mainstream or existing which they can play, for instance simple eye-control games for those who can’t control an on-screen cursor.

We also work with people to create bits of software to allow existing games to be played using new control methods. For example, we have recently worked with a volunteer developer to create a piece of software which changes mouse cursor movement into cursor key presses, which allows racing games to be played using cursor movement alone. Therefore, people who use a way of controlling a mouse cursor as their input method (using eye-control, head control etc) and can’t access a keyboard or gamepad can potentially play any racing game they like using this free bit of software.

What more can be done in helping bring games to more people?

Part of it is the realisation that there are ways for people games no matter what their disability, by more people hearing about SpecialEffect for instance and contacting us.

Another is what developers can do by making some, sometimes small, changes to their games.

What sort of technologies are you implementing to help gamers with a disability?

Sometimes we match cutting edge technologies with the right games, such as eye-control, whilst at other times we need to create or adapt a piece of hardware. We do a lot of adaptations in house but also work with others such as a company called Evil Controllers who have been really great at working with us to adapt Xbox controllers for example by adding buttons, moving control sticks, creating in built re-mapping and toggle etc

Something we are keeping a close eye on is the potential of brain control. Our Director Mick Donegan, is an adviser on user requirements for a European project on brain control. It’s all looking very interesting!

You have mentioned eye control and from the videos I have seen it looks very impressive. How easy is it to learn to use? And do you find people prefer it to a standard controller?

It all depends on the individual. Some of the people we work with have had an injury or illness which has affected their eyes and the use of eye-control can take a lot of work to get it working correctly. We are fortunate to be in the position that we can dedicate as much time and effort that is necessary to get it working if it is the right solution though. If not we will try something else. For others, however, it can be picked up instantly. We demoed it at Eurogamer Expo last year and were amazed at how quickly everyone picked it up. Many also said they liked how relaxing and immersive it could be.

Do you think that with mainstream controller like the Wii and PS3 Move, then the full body interaction with the Kinect, that there is the potential for new technologies to become more accessible for a disabled gamer and for one piece of kit to the future for every gamer?

Many of the people we work with don’t have the movement to play motion controlled games. The removal of the controller doesn’t necessarily mean the removal of a barrier to gaming, as it is creating a new one for some. The ideal situation would be if motion controlled games had dual controls and could be played either with a standard controller or with body movement.

Are you still surprised by what some people can achieve? I saw a video on your site of a chap playing Fifa with his mouth and beating the interviewer, it highlighted to me that perception is a big issue compared to the reality of the human spirit.

A lot of the people we work with amaze us with how they instantly take to new technology and new ways of playing. Once you find them a way to access games, they just get on with it. It’s just a different way of playing, but once they are in, it is a level playing field.

You are going to the Eurogamer Expo, what can we expect to see from you on the day?

This year we are going to try and raise awareness and the profile of the charity to gamers by holding two record attempts over the duration of the Expo and hopefully resulting in entry to the Guinness World Records Gamers Edition 2012. The two attempts are the fastest lap time in a racing game using only eye-movement sensing controllers and by participating, all guests will also become part of SpecialEffect’s second record attempt; the greatest number of people competing in a videogames tournament using only eye control technology. I don’t think anyone has attempted either before! Either way hopefully it will lead to more people hearing about SpecialEffect.

You can read more about SpecialEffect at their own website http://www.specialeffect.org.uk/

Interview with Tom Champion - taken from SweetFFA.com

2011-09-12T09:19:00.002Z

I am writing every so often for www.sweetffa.com. This was my interview with Tom Champion.
We are lucky enough today to have Tom Champion from the team behind this years Eurogamer Expo join us. Tom has somehow found 5 minutes to answer a few questions for us before getting back into setting up this years awesome show.

Tom, thanks for joining us here at SweetFFA as I expect you are busy at the moment with setting up the Eurogamer Expo. Just as a little bit of history how long have you been working over at EuroGamer? And how did you get involved?

No problem, thanks for having me! Yep, it’s super busy at the moment, we’re just six weeks away from the start of the event and there’s still a tonne to do!

I started at Eurogamer in May 2009 and while my main role is working on the expo, I’m also Eurogamer’s community manager.

The story of how I joined EG is long and a bit boring. To keep it brief; I found myself at a loose end in Brighton in 2009, the EG guys happened to be looking for someone to help with the expo and they offered me the gig.

The Expo started in 2008 so it is still a fairly new venture but you seem to have grown at such a rate, what do you think led to such a quick growth?

Yep, the growth has been rapid and really encouraging. The reason behind it, without being too arrogant, is that each year we’ve put on a really good show and each year we've managed to improve it from the previous year.

Publishers are confident that we’re able to put on a great show and that encourages them to support us and show their games every year. In the same way, gamers who come to the expo have a great time and always want to come back for more.

Do you think American shows like E3 help with the demand for similar events in the UK?

I think it helps as the profile of events like E3 gives gamers in the UK an idea about what to expect from the expo if they haven’t been before. However, we've never particularly liked comparisons to E3 as our event is a consumer show for gamers; E3 is a trade show aimed primarily at the press and other industry folk.

We like to compare ourselves a bit more to something like PAX in the US which is a large consumer event a bit like ours.

How do you go start planning such an event? And do you find that having organised the expo for a few years now it gets easier each time?

Good question! We start planning very early, normally as soon as the previous year’s expo has finished. There are two of us at Eurogamer who work on the expo full time but we also have a great events company who help us by talking to various suppliers who build our stands, provide the electricity etc. All the boring stuff! There’s so much stuff to think about I’m always worried we might forget something vital. We have some brilliant partners who help us with other parts of the show; Replay organising our retro area, David Hayward with the indie arcade etc.

I’m not sure it ever gets much easier! We put a lot of pressure on ourselves by upping the size of the show each year and adding more features. In 2008 we had a few thousand visitors over two days. This year we’re at Earls Court with 30,000 visitors over four days with something like 750 consoles and PCs. It’s a huge difference!

What’s the hardest part of the set up, day one of planning or the day before it all goes live with gamers?

The period we’re in now is the toughest time for me. We’re six weeks away from the start of the show and all our deadlines are arriving at once! We’ll get everything done that we need to do, it’s just pretty stressful. Actually, I really enjoy the show when it’s on. It’s exciting to see everything come together and it’s a great feeling when the first few people come through the doors.

Does being a fan/gamer as well as an organiser give you a positive attitude to the inevitable problems or do you find it sours what you used to love?

Hmm, interesting question. I don’t think anything could put me off games but during the show I kind of stop seeing them as games and just view them as potential problems. I think every year I end up playing about one game because I'm more interested in making sure that our attendees are having a great time.

What stand are we most like to see you at this year?

You’ll see me all over the place! I’ll be the guy roaming around the venue with a radio and a stressed look on my face. There are some games I’m really looking forward to seeing though; Battlefield, Arkham City, The Old Republic and Rage in particular.

How much time off do you give yourself at the end of all this before you have to say, here we go again?

I had half a day off after the expo in 2009. Last year I took a week off after and this year I'm going to Greece almost straight after we wrap up. Every year I seem to take a little bit more time off. Almost like each year the show is a little bit more sapping. :D

With games like Batman Arkham City and Battlefield 3 on offer which games might surprise us this year? (and why)

Well there are some massive games on show this year as well as a few lesser known titles. I'm a bit of a SEGA fanboy so their line up is interesting to me particularly as it features new IP (Intellectual Property) like Binary Domain, Renegade Ops and Anarchy Reigns. I'm super excited about the new Sonic game too. I'm also looking forward to checking out Dark Souls as it’s the sequel to Demon’s Souls and Saints Row 3. I was a huge fan the first two games, they were amazing fun.

Fifa or Pro Evo?

Ah! Well for ages I was all about PES (or ISS as it used to be called) but when this console generation kicked off the Fifa guys really picked up their game. I did, however, play a lot of PES 2011 and from what I’ve seen of PES 2012, it’s going to be a big challenge to Fifa this year.

And finally if you can, what are you 5 top games and why?

Well, I've been playing games for 25 years now so this is a pretty tricky question! I used to love (and still do) god games like Settlers and Theme Park so both of those would need to be in there. Football Manager as well; I've spent hours of my life on that game and it keeps getting better.

Space trading games appear to be a dead genre (apart from EVE) but they were absolutely brilliant. I spent a lot of time exploring in Frontier: Elite II and so that’ll be in my top five, despite the bugs.

Finally I’ll go for something a bit more recent; Saints Row 2. It was raw fun in a way that GTA IV wasn’t.

Thanks very much for your time.

No problem, thanks for the questions!

You can find out more from the Eurogamer Expo on Twitter @Eurogamer_Expo or from their own site http://www.eurogamer.net/expo/

Say What You See: iPhone. SWYS Books to Films

2011-05-19T07:00:00.002Z

My wife found a great little game called SWYS (Say what You See) and the free one was American TV Series.

We then downloaded the Books Made to Films one and it's pretty tough. However I know I have one right but the spelling tells me I am wrong. That is annoying! OK So I just got it right and it was my spelling!

Still.....

I was thinking about posting up the answers, but not sure I will as I know there are a few online anyway.

Insane Portal Tricks. The man they call Schro.

2011-05-03T14:47:00.003Z

This weekend I went to Manchester with some of the guys from http://www.sweetffa.com it was a great night out, even though I wimped out early. I am not a big drinker and frankly I finished a bottle of wine in the time it takes to give controversial goals in a London Derby match.

While this was all going on Andy (God and ruler of SFFA, nice guy too) kept updating us on our mate Schro's new video going viral around the web.

Not sure what I am talking about. Check it out.

Portal 2 is a new game from the makers of Half Life. The first one was a small game as part of the Orange box, and was a hit. People loved it. So they made more.

Now there are people out there like Schro (who can be found on a few youtube channels and at Sweet FFA) making videos of crazy and amazing Portal stunts, tricks and walk throughs.

I have a hard time getting my head into the logic of portal. But the videos are amazing.

So kudos to my online friendly, Schro, for making a video people want to see and can be found almost trending around the web.

Part 2 I am told is on the way.

Practice

2011-04-21T08:19:00.002Z

So we had band practice last night and we had fun. A new song to be worked on, and finding out we have about 3 more in the pipe line. Plenty of work to do.

Today is the Thursday before the long bank holiday and my birthday. Weather is lovely and going for a few beers after work with Rich, Tom, Johnny and Jerry. Should be a good day!

Filming our life away

2011-04-20T14:45:00.003Z

Some lucky fan wins the Foo Fighters to play in his garage.
Now he will (and his friends) enjoy that moment for ever. With the advent of technology we can make sure we capture this.

Watching the video, a fair few people are recording the event. Which means they are not getting mental to the band. Are we recording moments that we should be enjoying?

Are we capturing the moment on film to prove we were there. Are the stories no longer enough, a photo after?

I have been to a few gigs and found myself watching a song through the screen of a mobile as I try to record the song. Missing the point that I am there. They are playing this song now, not just on the record.

I get the feeling of hundreds of others enjoying the same thing I do.

What should we do? Well I am not sure we should do anything, but maybe we need to enjoy our own lives when they are happening and not try to film them to remember later....

Lack of Reviews.

2011-04-20T12:54:00.003Z

I know no-one is reading this but I am apologising to myself for not sticking to my reviews.

I have not really seen anything recently that people won't have played or watched long before me.

I have been getting back into Skate 2 which is a nice surprise. That is until in annoys me again with some of the stupid challenges it expects you to be able to do.

I am also into the arcade game Full House Poker. I bought it by accident. I was trying to quit the game and impatiently pushing the buttons. Before I know it I have bought the game and am down 800 MS points. Bollocks.

Well it turns out it's quite a fun little poker game. Well designed. Easy to play. Seems to not want me to win.

It is almost my birthday.

So more films and CD's on the way.

I hope.....

Review 3 - The Mechanic

2011-02-10T19:40:00.001Z

Thanks for watching. This is my review of the new Jason Statham film, The Mechanic.

Review 2 - Triangle

2011-02-07T09:10:00.003Z

As this video review is quite short and useless I thought it best to write a better review as well.

Triangle.

This film was made in 2009 and was written and directed by Christopher Smith. You may know him from his film Creep, set in the London underground and is about a creature that lives down there.

Triangle is a much better film than Creep. While Creep sticks to fairly standard horror themes and conventions Triangle plays with them. I am not sure I would even class it as a horror film. It is a psychological thriller with horror tendencies. There is a little blood, and a scary mask (this is not a reference to Scream though and does not even try to be.)

Triangle stars Melissa George who acts the part perfectly. It follows her decent through madness very well.

The trouble with reviewing this film is it is clever. I don't want to ruin the plot and it's twists and turns and eventual conclusion.

I can say that it is crafted beautifully and you really feel for the main character. You are drawn into her anguish and pain and it flows well. It leads you through her experience and out the other side.

Now there are a few "holes" I could mention and a few questions I would like to ask, but with the fact it would spoil the viewing for others, I will leave it.

The story, in it's loosest form is about Melissa Georges character as she leaves her autistic son to go out for the day on a sailing trip. The yacht they are on capsizes and the are rescued by a large cruise liner. It appears deserted and as they explore the ship people start mysteriously dying.

I will leave the story there as I said before any more could ruin what is a great ride through the feelings of one character.

I would recommend this film to horror fans but would also say, if you are not a fan of horror don't think of it as that. It is a thriller. You may jump a few times but I don't think they have made it to be particularly jumpy like a tradition horror.

I would say this film fits with its contemporaries well and it may not have had a huge release or be as known as many films that came out in 2009, but it is one that you should watch.

Review 1 - Monkey Island

2011-01-25T10:30:00.001Z

Music and 2011 - Christmas and X-Factor

2010-12-16T08:23:00.006Z

The Christmas number one race is now on, with the X-Factor hopeful I really couldn't give a crap about I had a thought. At this time of year people try to buy a single to topple the almost guaranteed number 1. So far only Rage against the Machine have done it (2009). The year before Alexandra Burke had a hit with Hallelujah and Jeff Buckley (considered the best, although a cover in itself) came a close 2nd. It looks like the same may happen this year in 2010.
They have chosen a cover of a Biffy Clyro song. That is currently 6th in the iTunes chart with the original version. The song at the number 3 spot is The Trashmen - Surfin Bird. Which is also trying to do the same as Rage did last year.

Someone made a valid point to me the other day however, do you care about the chart and who is number 1 all year round? No, is the answer. So why worry now?

I also had a thought as there is also a song in the charts by Ellie Goulding. "Your Song". Originally by Elton John.

What we should be doing is a year long event. Anytime some talentless new idiot tries to cover a classic, we all buy the original song, so that at the very least in the charts we have an illistration to the youth of today the songs being fed to us now are not new, or edgy.
There are still bands that write music of their own (good or bad) but the music industry has seen what it is like in England for music.
People would rather go to a pub with a covers band because they may know the songs than try to get out there and find new artists.
I am in a band and getting people to shows is getting harder and harder, Money is an issue. To see original bands you tend to have to pay a cover fee, for a pub covers band you don't.

Now this won't work from one mans rant. And I know I don't have a huge web following. However if you see this blog, and agree please re-tweet it, Facebook it, spread the word.

In 2011 we are going to kill the covers from artists who don't/can't write their own music.

(I will add a few exceptions here, for instance Newton Faulkner did a cover of Teardrop by Massive Attack. You know he played it, you know he wrote his album and he is a great musician! There will be covers from good bands as well we can let that slide if they are still writing great songs of their own too.)

Happy Christmas everyone.

From the now clean shaven Tom.(see the November Blog)

Edit.

Posted a tweet to a few people one being @DaveGorman (thanks for reading and replying.) I may have missed the message I was trying to put across.
I am not trying to stop the crap music charting (it's going to happen) but I want people to know that there are real musicians out there who work hard at writing music. Work hard at getting somewhere. If the state of music carries on more venues playing the music we like will disappear and all we are left with is the chart music we don't want. (OK I maybe over stating it, but I see first hand how hard it is for good musicians to make a name for themselves based on music alone, Now you have to have an image or style that means by 25 you are too old!)
Here is a great example.
Saw a band supporting Wheatus a long time ago called Relish.
They had an album called Wildflower and it had some great songs on it.
Rainbow Zephyr was one of them.

I heard the riff one day on VH1 and thought, they made it!! Good for them. Nope.
This had happened.

Movember - Day 30 - The Final Day

2010-11-30T08:34:00.002Z

It's the last day before I can shave and I have to say I am glad I did it, but not sure a tash is the way forward for me!!

Thanks to every one that supported me.

Tom

Movember - Day 29

2010-11-29T15:23:00.000Z

Movember - Day 28

2010-11-28T10:53:00.001Z

Movember - Day 27

2010-11-28T10:50:00.000Z

Movember - Day 26

2010-11-26T08:21:00.002Z

Movember - Day 25

2010-11-25T08:48:00.002Z

Movember - Day 24

2010-11-24T08:01:00.002Z

Movember - Day 23

2010-11-23T08:26:00.002Z

Movember - Day 22

2010-11-22T08:14:00.000Z

So we only have a week and 2 days left, and I must say I am glad.

While it is fun taking the photos, my lips are sore because I keep fiddling with the tash (I know it's now will power)

However it's for a good cause.

Movember - Day 21

2010-11-21T15:16:00.002Z

Movember - Day 20

2010-11-20T12:00:00.003Z

Movember - Day 19

2010-11-19T08:30:00.001Z

Movember - Day 18

2010-11-18T08:47:00.001Z

Movember - Day 17

2010-11-17T08:18:00.002Z

Movember - Day 16

2010-11-16T08:00:00.002Z

Movember - Day 15

2010-11-15T08:05:00.002Z

Movember - Day 14

2010-11-14T11:56:00.002Z

Movember - Day 13

2010-11-13T16:28:00.002Z

Movember - Day 12

2010-11-12T07:59:00.002Z

Movember - Day 11

2010-11-11T08:09:00.003Z

Movember - Day 10

2010-11-10T08:08:00.003Z

Movember - Day 9

2010-11-10T08:07:00.001Z

Movember - Day 8

2010-11-08T08:42:00.002Z

Movember - Day 7

2010-11-08T08:41:00.002Z

Movember - Day 6

2010-11-08T08:40:00.003Z

Movember - Day 5

2010-11-05T07:56:00.004Z

Movember - Day 4

2010-11-04T07:49:00.003Z

Movember - Day 3

2010-11-03T10:36:00.011Z

Movember - Day 2

2010-11-03T10:36:00.010Z

Movember - Day 1

2010-11-03T10:33:00.004Z

So I am taking part in Movember for charity.
You can read all about it here
I am doing it with a bunch of guys from Sweet FFA (The Gamers Forum) and you can read all about that over on their site.
So here is day 1.

Football Manager

2010-07-07T08:40:00.002Z

So I have not been on the Xbox for a few days,

I played some Top Spin 3 on the PS3 and it still frustrates me so that is going soon.

I have however been playing Football Manager 10.

Now I know its an ironic thing as you may have read before, I don't like football!!

However I don't mind playing the games, or actually going outside for it.

So my review of FM10.

It is as good as ever. (That was short)

It is a well thought out and very tactical game and can be played to most skill levels. I only play the game to a small percentage of its capacity. I know that it does more than I understand.

You can choose to manage and nearly any level or any nation but will need to consider that playing lots of leagues will cripple your computer. The more databases it has running and more data it has to crunch the slower it all gets. That doesn't mean you can't still buy players from other leagues you aren't running.

Some nice touches to the new version are the fact that when you set up about you and your age you can choose what reputation you have as a football manager, did you play at international level? Are you as new as you look?

The in match screen is great and lets you see the match really well, but also offers up a range of views and stats should you want to see that.

I was playing as the England Manager and in the World Cup and got to the quater finals against Spain, I played the match 4 times and every time they would win. Last minute equalisers, what ever formation of range of players I played. I felt it a little bit of a fix!

Overall this is a game for people who a) Like football or b) Like Stats games or c) (like me) just have no idea why you like it but find it addictive as hell.

I find I can watch a film on my other monitor and play the game, so I can multi-task.

I play in waves with this game, I get addicted for a while. Then forget it for an age and then some how really get back into it.

I am sure I will have a great weekend, sat around playing games. (I think the wife is away all weekend.....)

The Graveyard Shift

2010-06-25T07:40:00.002Z

Good morning.

Well what a lovely week it has been, and it is set to stay that way for the weekend! Which is a first.

Tonight I have a gig with the band at the Joiners in Southampton which is looking to be a good night.

Anyway.....

This week I have had a few great games with the Graveyard Shift. If you don't know what I am talking about then check out www.sweetffa.com

TGS (as they will now be abbreviated to) are a bunch of people from the forums that get on-line about 10pm and play till the sun rises.....Well near enough.

They also have a blog which can be found through the forums.

Now I don't consider myself a true TGS member, but then I am not really in any one group. I float between the hours I can play and the regularity I can do it....(please!)

The good thing is no-one is elitist so you don't feel left out if you are not a regular player, you just get to join in and have fun.

This week I have mostly see THX1138, Schrogeek, allinthegame, smellmych33se, richard1875 (sorry if I am getting the names wrong, but it's from memory) JuniorSimms.

It's be a mixture of all these guys and more through the week.

Playing MW2 I have set myself the challenge of getting a nuke. However I have trouble getting the kill streak to get a UAV....With Hardline on!!

My closest yesterday was on a FFA before TGS came on, and I got to my harriers, and then I died. I don't know how some people get the streaks I really don't.

In the last game of the night, Schro gets a nuke for us to win despite losing on the official points. Now if you want to waste a few hours, check out his youtube channel. It's a list of great games where he gets a nuke, alot! I just don't know how. I watch the videos and go to the areas that I see him (and others use) and I just can't do it.

Setting your goals high is a good thing but sometimes you have to concede that they are just not achievable.

OK leaving that behind, we played a few ground wars and the lag was pretty bad. Although not as bad as some I have seen.

We also got to play the new system of stripped games that mean no Kill streaks.
I must say from my POV I didn't notice the difference. I die alot anyway. It was still fun though and one to play a few more games on.

It's going to be quite a busy weekend so I think the XBox will be off until Sunday.

The World Cup

2010-06-16T13:29:00.002Z

You can't escape it, everyone is asking....Did you see the match last night? Well the answer here is NO.

I just don't care. I (like many) hate football and what it does to us every day, week, month and worst of all every 4 years. Although that is wrong too. It's more like every 2 because of the Euro stuff.

At the moment I am in a Fantasy Football league for the World Cup and am sitting joint 2nd and know nothing about it. It's frankly quite funny!

I always route against England. It's what I do, and for two reasons. When they are out the level of national normalcy do become slightly more reset (after the inevitable crying and feelings we were robbed, (If you give some one a present they are not robbbing you!!))

The second is comedy value, it riles people up and they can't see why I can't care just a little bit because it's my nation.....Well, yes it is, however for football I claim Wales. (I have a Welsh mum and a very Welsh Grandma) Rugby, I will support both and I had a real heart in mouth moment when England played Australia in the World Cup a few years ago. That was a great watch.

I, for the same reasons that people wonder how I can't love the beautiful game (What Ice Hockey), wonder how people get so involved and so swept away in football.

I just get bored.

I have seen 2 live matches. One was years ago and was Woking Vs Runcorn in the Autoglass trophy at Wembley. The 2nd was Portsmouth Vs Birmingham (about 3 years ago) and it was dull game. Even the Match of the Day presenters said it was bad. It was like watching 11 year olds run and chase a ball. Yet these people are paid a fortune.

The World cup, like Big Brother takes up too much TV time and gets people too involved in such a waste.

(OK Big Brother is no where near what it used to be, but it still takes up too much time)

The excuses people give at the end of it, why England did badly, The real answer is they are crap.

Spin it how you want.....

The Blog, A New lease of life.

2010-06-16T08:57:00.002Z

Good Morning,

I have decided that because I had stopped using this blog page for anything useful I would transfer myself into a new way of thinking.

This page has sat un-loved and unused for a while and I have deleted a whole load of posts. Maybe that was a bad idea. I mean I could have just restarted from that point, but really they just sat there reminding me that I had tried to lose weight before I got married 2 years ago and that, not only failed but actually has now gone the other way. I am not unfit, I walk home with a stride and am happy to do so. I went swimming in the sea the other day as I attempted surfing for the first time. It was great fun. Something I will endeavour to do again, and at this point it was probably a good thing I had a little blubber around the bones, it was cold. I occasionally do bike rides (that do kill me) with a few friends and I try to push on for the entire ride, however I like eating. I like eating crap. To be precise chocolate is a particular weakness.
I also love computer games. So this is where I am taking my blog now. Into the realms of gaming (on any format) and review games I have played, games I want to play and linking to videos and sites that interest me.

So with that in mind the first port of call is http://www.sweetffa.com
This is a forum set up by a chap called Andy who built it out of necessity. After a few of the members got banned from another forum, they set up a renegade operation of abuse and Xbox gaming.

It is a fun place to meet like minded gamers who don't want to be harassed by the wave of 12 year old campers and idiots that frequent Xbox Live. However you need a thick skin and sense of humour. The language can be choice, but no offence is ever meant.

It's also usually directed at people who know how others will take it. New members are not derided on their first outing, unless of course you wade in and start throwing smack talk at people there.

So come check it out and see what you think.

Another site you have to see if you like gaming is Zero Punctuation
This is a fantastic reviewer that has to be watched to be believed. I won't spoil the surprise but I will just say, watch.

So I will leave now saying thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy my ramblings as I start playing some more computer games and giving you a review from time to time.

The games won't be new, infact quite the opposite. It's more likely I am picking up games from a while ago because it has come down in price.

So the next review is frogger on the amiga.......;-P

Selling My Car

2007-05-09T10:33:00.001Z

I'm Selling my car!!!
Tom's Car on Ebay

Bank Holiday

2007-05-08T07:02:00.000Z

Well the weather has been changeable all weekend, but what a great weekend it was.
On Friday night we got an early night because we had to be up at 4 in the morning to drive to Birmingham to pick up Ian then drive up to Lincoln to stay with Chris for the weekend. It was great fun, Chris was a great host and we had everything we needed. Food and Drink mainly. We got there and met his little Jack Russel called Rattie who was adorable and had a thing for eating the cat. Who kept trying to fight back but in the end just sat on the fridge.
We took Rattie for a walk around Lincoln Cathedral which is lovely and had him running around and i think we all got more tired than the dog.
We wandered into the city centre to look around. And met "Steep Hill" They were not lying. Its an arse of a hill. And we did twice. Once in the afternoon and the once drunk on the way home from the pub.
We had a lovely BBQ with Pork Chops and a rack of ribs and burger and sausages and beer. Its every boys dream.
After this we took a trip into town for a few more drinks and went to the Jazz bar which had a love Jazz band and it was a fantastic evening.
At about 11:30 everyone was tired but I think the 4am start had finally hit us, and the walk back up steep hill nearly killed me. Not because of the "being able to do it" but my back at the top was aching. After lying on the floor for a while back at the flat this was sorted out. Chris offered everyone top rate brandy, however, no one seemed ready to drink through the "Zone" and into a state of pain.
Sunday started with bacon rolls and another walk with rattie, and some Ice Creams on the way. Lincoln has a range of great shops from the Ice Cream Palors to a Meat Pie shop.
We then had the drive home, so after a pub lunch and a final walk along the river, we set off at 2:40 and made it back home for about 7 after again the Birmingham stop for Ian.
It was a great weekend, Just a shame it was only 3 days long......

LOADS.....

2007-04-26T13:20:00.000Z

Well since the last post its all been going on.
I had my Birthday and went out for drinks for a joint celebration with the lovely Alexandra. I got cool presents and money and can't wait to use it all.....(New Acousitc here I come)
I went to Disney land with Alex (my B'day present to her) for 2 Days (in the park) 3 days in Paris ( basically around Disney). Here are a few photos.

Me eating a hot dog covered in Ketchup and what we can only pretend to call cheese....

Alex very excited to be in Disney.......

And Alex finally getting the hug she always wanted from Eeyore....There is a nice story behind that, She had been trying to get a photo and kids kept pushing in front (Alex was about to cry) when a little girl having a hug saw Alexs T-Shirt and pointed Eeyore in the same direction. He then pulled Alex in for the Hug of her Life (how can I compete...) She was thrilled and indebited to the little girl who saw her T-Shirt.

Ohh yea I also asked Alex to Marry me and the stupid girl said yes......

Just Joking This pic is me sad to leave Disney.....(not about her saying yes.)

America, Guns and Violence

2007-04-18T06:57:00.000Z

It's a tragedy of monumental proportion. Another High School shooting. This time at a Virgina based University. Although the location could be considered irrelevant for the waste of human life.
I would like to offer my sympathy to the grief striken and friends of anyone who lost some one that day.
However the reason I am writing today is because of news I have seen here in the UK. From the interviews I have seen from pro gun Americans in light of this disaster.
The arguments these people throw back at the news teams from the UK is that a ban is a bad idea. It infringes on our right to "self-defence". You have shootings and gun crime in the UK but no-way to protect yourself. Part of that is true. If someone came in to my office now with a gun I could not defend myself. However the chances of someone in the UK bursting into my office with a gun. The smallest percentage. You see while guns are avaliable over here on the black market I can't walk into Tesco/Asda (whoever) and buy a semi-automatic pistol. Nor can millions of others. Yes criminals will get there hands on these weapons for crime but even then gun crime is still a very small percentage of the total UK crime. Facts about UK Gun Crime. At present I can't find any current statistics to show how we stand in the world of gun crime but taking this from 1994 and applying an increas across the board (granted some with have gone up some down)

Here are gun-related deaths per 100,000 people in the world's 36 richest countries in 1994: United States 14.24;
Brazil 12.95;
Mexico 12.69;
Estonia 12.26;
Argentina 8.93;
Northern Ireland 6.63;
Finland 6.46;
Switzerland 5.31;
France 5.15;
Canada 4.31;
Norway 3.82;
Austria 3.70;
Portugal 3.20;
Israel 2.91;
Belgium 2.90;
Australia 2.65;
Slovenia 2.60;
Italy 2.44;
New Zealand 2.38;
Denmark 2.09;
Sweden 1.92;
Kuwait 1.84;
Greece 1.29;
Germany 1.24;
Hungary 1.11;
Republic of Ireland 0.97;
Spain 0.78;
Netherlands 0.70;
Scotland 0.54;
England and Wales 0.41;
Taiwan 0.37;
Singapore 0.21;
Mauritius 0.19;
Hong Kong 0.14;
South Korea 0.12;
Japan 0.05.

Like I said these are old figures and trends change I am not that naive but still, these pro-gun arguments of self defence are just wrong. Places that have a ban on guns are safer to live in than places where guns are easy to get hold of.

Now this morning they were saying that the student who got the guns had passed the background checks and waited the month per gun before buying another. The campus had a ban on guns but he walked in and started shooting. Now the argument was no-one could defend themselves because of a ban. What should happen is that a ban recalls all guns from service. They are right if you have a ban and everyone keeps their gun it is an unfair balance but this is the problem they don't see that if they had no guns at all there would be no need for a gun in the first place.
I think Chris Rock says it just about right here.

The other problem though is recalling millions of liscenced and unliscenced guns. Its just too big to happen so a ban would make no difference at the moment. It does need addressing but I have no idea how to solve such a large problem. If you could get the guns off the street maybe you could impose a ban that would work but until then we will see the rise of gun crime and the waste of such young life because one person is pissed at the world.

I do hope they can find an answer but with so many people now owning and claiming self-defence in the US the answer won't happen soon.

Help Menu from iSquint

2007-04-13T12:13:00.000Z

Help Menu from iSquint
Originally uploaded by jakebm503.

This is great, Someone has a sense of humour!

Virgin, What nice people

2007-04-12T15:37:00.000Z

Well I took a DVD I bought a Christmas back to Virgin today (april I know) and they said. "I don't think we do that" I said "You did a christmas" and they very kindly let me do the £9.99 trade in for a few more films.
Miss Congeniality 1+2 have gone back (these were presents for Alex) as she got double of it. Now we have Fun with Dick and Jane, Blade Trinity (£3) and Pretty Woman.....

Also today, Alex C, has picked up on my praise of his recent efforts. Well so its balanced and people don't think i am
a) Getting paid
b) Sleeping with
c) Blowing smoke up his arse
He is a fat, smelly, blob....;-)

My work Computer keeps throwing stupid error messages at me, if you can help please do. It happens in the folder with Premier Pro 1.5 files so thats video and and saves but in my other "just video" folders I get no such message.
I have no idea why.
You got to hate computers really.

Alex (G/F) is organising a friends Hen do so I have to keep making trips to the bank to pay in all the cheques coming in. Makes the account look healthy for a day ;-)

Well till later.

Life is a game......

2007-04-11T13:37:00.000Z

So we all have our parts to play.
I have a friend I will mention alot Mr Alex Cameron
Why I hear you cry.
Well frankly this man is just incredible. He lives his life on the web and by that I mean he blogs, writes and develops his life through the power of a computer.
It is such an interesting tale that I am glad to know him for what he is doing. I am glad that when the time comes he will know that I am not after his money (just his Cream Eggs...see his blog) but that he would always help his friends.
He is open, but guarded. He knows bullshit cause frankly you can't bullshit a bullshitter. And I don't mean that in a nasty way. Alex has this power with words to keep people interested. He Will always find an answer if there is a question and does not mind asking for help or admitting he is wrong because usually he will take that knowledge and make it so next time he is right.
So where do I fit in?
Well I have known him quite a while and he has always been very complimentary to me about my voice of reason and diplomacy. I like to think that I can help provide advice that is not forced but offered when asked. I am a good listener but can talk should I need.
Alex has just turned down a multi-million pound/dollar (who cares) job because he is confident in his own goals. Maybe that is why they offered the job. In some ways it could be to stop his projects from making their mark. (I am not in possesion of all the facts) But for whatever reason he is sure he can make his own millions in less time and have his dream realised.
Well good luck Mr Cameron.
You know that I am always keen to hear about your next venture and frankly when you are making money hand over fist I need a new guitar......car......House.......Record deal ;-)
Nahhhh Cream Egg will do.

New Photos

2007-04-11T06:58:00.000Z

I have just set up a Flickr account. It would seem the rest of the world knows about it already, so I won't dwell on the matter. Just give you the link to my Flickr page.

For what we are about to recieve

2007-04-10T09:41:00.000Z

Why are holidays too short.

2007-04-10T09:31:00.000Z

Well a very happy easter to you but as always they seem too short. It was 4 days off and the sun was out but it just felt far too quick.
Well I had a lovely time despite the feeling of it being rushed away.
On Friday my lady and I just watched films and tele and did nothing. That is until the evening where we went to a friends and had duck ragu. It was so tasty.
Saturday was the day I went to London with my friend Mark where we went to watch Spam-a-lot (it was a Christmas present) and it was brilliant. We also looked into some guitar shops and lusted over guitars. (Its what we do). The show however was amazing and I am so glad to have gone. It was very well done and makes you think you should watch more theatre.
Sunday we spent some of the day with Alex's parents and had some roast Pork. It was divine. (Do you see the food theme). We watched Happy Feet which is a lovely film. Then went for a walk on the beach and used our new camera to take some photos. (Will post them up soon).
Then on Monday we cleaned and filed. I did the washing up, shopping and cooking while Alex filed all our bank, and other boring paper work bits into new folders. I happily do other chores to miss out on the paper work.
So it was a lovely weekend.
Just too short.

The 4 day weekend

2007-04-03T09:35:00.000Z

So its coming, Easter is here (well at the end of the week) and we get a 4 day weekend. I know we should not be so shallow as it would appear for many to have lost its true meaning, much like christmas. However I can't help thinking it will be nice to have the time to enjoy spending it with family and friends.

Talking of family, For her birthday I gave Alex tickets to Disneyland Paris. We are now counting down the days. 20 real days 12 working days. She has created an inventory and plan for the 2 day Disney trip (3 day trip in total) It should be loads of fun. We now have a cool little digital camera. (For a geek I am kinda slow on the up take) Its a small 5mpix Kodak camera that will do for the next few years until I can be bothered to spend the real money on a proper SLR-D. However there are too many other gadgets that I want first.

However I am not allowed gadgets till Alex and me are engaged, apparently I agreed to this. I have no recolection but she does.....Suprise really.

I just have to get over my fear (wrong word) of weddings.

I have no idea why I hate them so much I just do.

That aside I have plenty of other things to do in that time.

I think I am going to set up a flickr account as these are good for putting all your photos on. When I do I will publish it here.

What more can I say

2007-04-02T15:50:00.000Z

Alex has published a rant the I wrote to him, part of me wants it there because (if you read it) you will see it involves a friend and I don't think he should have to put up with that kind of shit. However I know he is a private guy and would not want dirty laundry aired.
I think I will leave it the world to figure out.

So Its been a while........

2007-04-02T14:47:00.000Z

I almost forgot I had this space and was suprised that it was still here!!!!
I have a few more friends who are now posting blogs and writing more on the web so I thought I would get back into this. See If I can get a following ;-)
First remember to look at wibbler.com, Thinkingfortuesday.com and azcameron.co.uk
So Since I was last on blogger I have been kicked out of MY band but have started a new one called Thinking For Tuesday and we are doing well for the short time we have been together.
So lets go through the past year:

1) The band: Induna are no more and it was not through choice, however I think it has worked for the best in the end. I am not that bitter but some days do get a bee in my little bonnet about the way it was done. Now before I continue I am still in contact with Chris (singer) from the last band and we have a joint gig coming up in June so the feelings are not as angry as I may put down in the next few paragraphs. However that being said. When I was kicked out of the band I had started, Some of them had the gaul to say, you can start your own band where you can do what you want to do, and frankly that is what I thought I had done here. Apparently not.
They kicked me out for a number of reasons. It started with the fact I wanted them to do covers. Now this is true in one respect. My friend had asked us to play his wedding so we had to learn a good few covers so to alienate a wedding audience. We had done it for Chris's friends wedding and that had been fine. Then once I had cleared that up (about a week before the wedding) the fact that my mate had wanted our own stuff as well as covers (they had gone behind my back to ask my friend if he had wanted covers and being the laid back guy he is was "I want your music, you know do what you like" He was drunk and frankly they took it as gospel despite months earlier he and I had set down a list of ideas for covers. Now I am not angry at my friend, but at them for not asking me earlier before they had got angry by the whole thing.
The other arguments they had raised were also bullshit. I was always out of time, out of tune and everyone at the gigs thought so,
Well 2 points here, my friends were really the only people that ever came to the gigs and if I was out of time/tune they usually told me on the night and made me change before we started a set. The fact was all my friends thought that the weekest link in the band was the other guitar and drummer, but hey. They band decided they wanted to go down a more technical route that I was not good enough to follow. Fair enough, I admit I am not a great player but what I do is write catchy, short songs that get people going. Not trying to be too clever and alienate a larger section of the crowd. Again this is why I am glad it kind of went the way it did. I have a new band....;
2) The New Band:
We are called Thinking For Tuesday and we try to write catchy songs and so far people are loving what we are doing. We have melodic and heavy songs and our vocalist Karen is powerful and has a kick arse attitude and frankly everyone loves her (well almost everyone.)
We are new and for the 6 months together think we are doing OK. We have to work hard but we will.

So what else....

3) Alex Cameron - This man was someone I had been good friends with at college and we had lost touch. However since that day we are now in contact again not least through the blog on his web site. azcameron.co.uk He writes what he thinks and you get to follow his work, personal, social and frankly life on the web. Its a great read and even if you don't know him personally you will grow to love his writings.

4) Still with the good lady although not married. I just can't seem to ask her. I hate weddings and the compromise between my sign the bit of paper and go and her fairy tale dream are yet to be realised. Its not that I don't know I will be with her for a very long time (like ever....) but I hate weddings, but I think I mentioned that bit.
However we are going to Disneyland Paris for her Birthday present (her birthday was yesterday and she loved it) and we are going for 3 days to Paris with 2 days in the park on its 15th Anniversay year,

I think for now I am done but I hope to keep up with this more.
Till then.

Take Care

Tom

Generally an Election

2005-05-06T10:36:00.000Z

OK so Yesterday was the day to vote in a new Government, which didn't happen. But its much closer and more accountable to everyones views, basically from what I see nothing can get railroaded through parliment.

For all the best politcal bee's wax check out http://www.bbc.co.uk or for other views why not look into http://www.wibbler.com (I can't wait to see what the wibbler has to say on all this) as well as http://www.backingblair.com These guys will be annoyed.

Politics is a fun thing to watch but never really understand, I kinda get some of it but lots of the time, they are all just spouting what we want to hear and it makes no odds who is doing it. However I know that with the Tories in the 80's the economy was in a bad way and Labour have pulled it out of the gutter but now they are not as formidable because of other problems they have created.

Its all a big game really, and I am a definate spectator rather than a player. I can barely manage my own money let alone that of a nation, but Tom for PM has a ring to it......

Vote, Listen and Party

2005-05-04T14:11:00.000Z

Hey, Its a general Election 2moro, and while I have no idea how the band will vote, I know I will be putting my piece of paper in the ballot box. Politics interests me because it all effects us, but how much can we really change?

OK as a band we have slowed a little on the gig front, which we only have ourselves to blame because we need to get off our arses and do it. However a manager would be great, we want to play but dont have all the time in the world to organise as much as we would like.

Ohh... And have a great weekend.....

A Long time Coming

2005-04-10T18:52:00.000Z

OK so this has taken a while to do, I'm sorry. I had my girlfriends birthday to plan.......

However all went well then and it was good fun.

We as a band had a blinding gig at the Star in guidlford on the 8th, Nothing like back promoting it, But it was good and Even After and The Oracle supported us and it was all great fun and some really good music.

We played better than we have done for awhile and everyone seemed to think so.

What is really nice is Mark J from Even After has asked us to play his wedding, with requests for Breaking the Line and other favs of his and Emmas, So thanks to them and we all wish them the best.

SU

2005-04-10T17:56:00.000Z

Ohh and the Southampton Gig was great too. About 100 students, which was a record for us with out any promotion,

You have to love the SU scene

Another Big Gig

2005-03-16T10:10:00.000Z

Ok I am sorry I have been so quiet recently but I have been else where. Work has been busy and the band has just been getting back to writing new material and remembering the old stuff.

I am looking forward this week to playing at Southampton Institute Student Union, St Patricks Day no less.

If we can get some pics that would be cool, remember to check out http://www.induna.net for all that kinda blurb.

The Day after The night before.

2005-03-01T12:29:00.000Z

So Induna were asked to play a gig at the New Cross Inn, in New Cross (well Duhhh),
Chris had a throat infection, which would be fine if he was the drummer, but he is the singer. So that was fun.

The venue looked nice, but the sound was pretty poor. The tech did not have much of a clue and the feedback was nasty. We played OK, but it was not our best gig to date.

We played to the other bands and the bar staff, which after a while can get demoralising. But a gig is a gig and it was certianily an experience.

Remember to keep up with all the official Induna mumblings @ induna.net

Been and Gone.

2005-02-28T14:58:00.000Z

So the weekend has been and gone and we are all back to the working week. It was however a great weekend with drinking and the 100 greatest cartoons. Hen's band were good on Saturday night but Will, Andy and Myself enjoyed the pubs finest ales and dart board where Andy really just left me and Will behind, Hey it was fun.

So Induna have a gig tonight somewhere in London. I forgot to ask where, Maybe I should find out. Heck Adam's driving, I'm navigating, what could go wrong.......Alot of things.

So we shall see if it goes well, people are more "healed" from the last gig, but we are expecting a quiet night. What can you do......

Anyway till later....

The Weekend.............

2005-02-25T12:04:00.000Z

.......Can't come quick enough. Its not been a bad week at all but there is a few good things on this weekend so, hey I want a drink with a few mates at a gig. (not ours this time.) but Suki's Wish.

So I will let you know about the weekend very soon......

Washing with a twist

2005-02-23T10:12:00.000Z

OK so last night I washed my mobile phone. It had my life, well contacts on it. I saved the sim card which works in my old mobile but I have all the contacts on the phone. They were not saved to the Sim card. Or if they were, they got washed away.

Its my own fault.....and before you ask.........

I need to wash my PJ's so I would have a clean pair for the morning (unable to use my Boxers at the mo) and I thought I'll wash my jeans as well, they need a clean.

I emptied the contents of the jeans onto the bed and was about to remove my Jeans when I thought, I need to give the rats a run around and I don't want them walking or peeing on my other PJ's so I'll do it afterwards.

I then got the rats out for an hour and when finished I just took my jeans off and shoved them in the machine with all the other washing.

In that time I must have put my mobile in my pocket and forgotten I did it. It took only 5 minutes to work out but by then it was too late. The sim works for making calls but the screen on my nearly new Sony Ericson K700i is screwed and no longer does anything.

I will keep trying and letting it dry, but I don't hold much hope for it.

Here endeth the lesson......

The Archway Tavern

2005-02-18T15:06:00.000Z

So Induna had a gig at the Archway Tavern last night (17/02/05) and it was good fun, except we were all falling apart. Geoff (lead Guitar) had sliced the top of his index finger while chopping Onions the day before. Si (drums) had a stinking Cold and Me, well I have just had an operation, that while not being life threatening, it was in a sore place, and meant that I was reasonably fragile. I tried to dance around as much as possible but movement was limited.

We had a great time being there, and a huge thanks to all the other bands and to everyone who came down and watched us play and for those people who stayed around who didn't know us.

Remember to check out all the Induna gigs at induna.net in the gigs section

See you all soon

Tom

Please Help Us.

2005-02-17T11:13:00.000Z

OK Induna have a gig tonight here:

Archway Tavern
1 Archway Close
N19 3TX

We need 19 people to make a small impression.

I know its Thursday and I know its a pain, But please come and support us and help us if you can.

Thanks

Tom

Getting Things off my Chest

2005-02-15T10:37:00.000Z

OK, Its been atleast a week since I have written any thing for the hallowed interweb, but I have an excuse. And that excuse is, I was having an operation to make me walk like John Wayne. However I am now back at work and slowly healing in all the right places.

So to really kick this off I need mention band things. We have a few gigs coming up, which need to be mentioned and we need people to turn up. Our future reputation depends on it. We need numbers and a following would be nice. You try to play gigs and venues and you get a good response but people have an apathy and done seem to want to come back for more. Its a shame I know but what are we to do. And how do we rectifiy it??? I will keep you posted.

Also I just want to make a short mention for a good friend. He is much better at this "blogging" than me and has a very pretty site called http://www.wibbler.com and he also wants people to know about this http://www.backingblair.co.uk/ so read up and if its your cup of tea, then try and help if you can. I cant say I completly agree with all their reasons for doing it, but we all have a cause to fight.

The trials and tribulations of Self-Promotion

2005-02-06T02:26:00.000Z

So the gig was set and the line up agreed. Thom Stone, (He is great-from what we heard) Temple Sounds and Us.
Well we got to the gig and sound checked after the delay for the Rugby. (Wales Won - I had worn may Wales T-Shirt in anticipaiton)
Thom Sound Checked first and sounded great, however, the Management came round and asked him for ID and would not let him stay.
It was a shame we could not compromise and let him play and then leave. But we understood his position and theirs. It was just a bad piece of Luck.
Brain of Jade filled in, with an improptue slot, followed by Temple Sounds who were pretty cool.

We then took to the stage and played a full Hour set. The crowd was great. A full hair, head banging session was done and it was great fun gig to play in the end,

Thanks to the guys who took all the photos. And thanks to every one for dancing and cheering all the bands.

A big thanks to Hen from for stepping in to do the sound at the last mintute.

I cant wait for more full gigs to large crowds.

The Archway tavern on the 17th Feb and the Southampton Institute Students Union on the 17th March.

I look forward to seeing everyone at the gigs,

Tom

Millenium Club

2005-02-04T13:59:00.000Z

So here is me and the guys, playing the Millenium club in London. It was good fun, but the decor was, Interesting.

I am the one on the right, Chris is the Singer and Adam is the bassist.
Simon is drums and Geoff the lead (you cant see here in this pic) but for more of everything similar Check out
http://www.induna.net

Induna @ The Star

2005-02-04T12:23:00.000Z

So the weekend is coming and Induna are playing the star in Guildford, It should be a great time, with 2 other acts. I am really looking forward to seeing what Thom Stone is like but he has alarge following so maybe we can steal a few of his fans!!! ;-)

After this week I am off for the week holed up after my Monday Operation. Glad it is monday, get it over with and I get a week to recouperate.

Its nothing major, I just dont think I will be up to walking far.

See you all that the gig and Induna will be playing for a wonderful hour all the songs they know all the way through.

First things First

2005-02-03T00:30:00.000Z

Well this looks like the first in a long line of things I will post up here. I decided to "blog" and customise an old web space.

I thought I can catalog all my own thoughts and ideas, be it about the band or life in general and see what comes out.

So welcome to Me, Tom from the band Induna