SURFING TAKE TWO //

A year or so ago myself, Carwen & Ruth headed down the coast to surf. We had signed up for a weekend of lessons and spent about 4 hours in the water per day. The thing was that I was very ill - I had the cold to beat all colds and add the issue of my back wwwww, and the quite bad sun burn, it didn't go too great. Despite the fact that I couldn't do much surfing over that weekend I still love surfing and still really want to learn. Luckily then that my uni has a surf club which go on regular trips to Cornwall and abroad where you can learn. In a few weeks the club is heading down to Newquay, Cornwall for the BUCS Surf weekend and it looks pretty awesome - watch competitions, learn to surf and live music. Perfect. 

NO INTERNET IN THE HOUSE!!!!

'Sup. Just a note to say that I have not abandoned you all, it's just that I have no internet in the new house at the moment - it is arriving next Wednesday. So I can only look on the tinterweb and my blog when I'm over at my friends' house our in the library where I am right this second.

This week has been sort of a relaxed week so far. I think we're all appreciating the calmness and the stress-free feeling before second year lectures begin next week. Although, I sorted out my time-table the other day and it looks like I won't have many days in lectures at all but I know we'll have Everest-style-mountains of reading to do when we're at home thus I think I'll be spending most of my time in the library - too many distractions at home!

Myself and Hollie have been trying a few new sports this week as we try and decide which one we'll join. So far we've been to Lacrosse & Basketball sessions and I think lacrosse is going to be the victor. Neither of us had ever played before but we seemed to pick up the just of it quite quickly so that's all good but by no means are we good at it yet! Since last year's back fiasco I can no longer play rugby and it looks like lacrosse is going to take rugby's place in my sporting life. Yay. I'm also going to check out the surf and snow club soon because they do (relatively cheap) trips to the Alps and Portugal etc. and they sound awesome - we'll have to wait and see.

Now I leave you with a little photograph of myself in the library where I should actually be doing some work as I wait for my next seminar :)

SUPER SUNDAY SONG // TEENAGE DIRTBAGS

A few weeks ago I downloaded the Teenage Dirtbags pop-punk-rock compilation album and wow it is pure awesome from start to finish. The whole double disk album is like the soundtrack to my childhood. I grew up on Blink 182, Sum 41 and Alien Ant Farm as my brother and friends used to listen to them constantly thus this album is insane for me. Bowling For Soup, OPM, The Dandy Warhols along with numerous other bands make up this album but the one song that stood out for me as it was a song I used to listen to over and over again when I was child and one that I hadn't heard in a while was Papa Roach's Last Resort.

Even though I hadn't heard this song in about 10 years I could still remember almost every single word. A great song and an even better album. A cool version of Tainted Love by Marilyn Manson anyone? Yeeeees!!

NEW HOME & AN AWESOME CYCLE

On Tuesday I officially moved in to my new house ready for the start of second year at uni. By the time I arrived everyone else had moved in so the house already felt quite homely. I really like my room, even though it's big it doesn't feel too big and cold if you understand what I mean. I'll do a little post on my room soon once I've sorted everything out in there but for now I'll just update you on what's been going on since Tuesday. Owen & Eve drove me all the way from home down to uni with a car load of stuff and once we'd unloaded that car, gone Tesco and come back up my parents arrived with another car load of stuff. They had just come back from holidays that morning (they went to the South of France - Nice, Monte Carlo etc) so they stayed the night in my new humble abode before making their way home.

I live with four other people - 2 girls & 2 boys and so far everyone is getting along fine! Our friends live right next door as well so we can just pop over to see them whenever we wish :) After doing the things that needed to be done such as doing the food shop and unpacking we decided to go on an bike ride around Virginia Waters (the park is literally 5 minutes away). It was one of the best hour or so I have had in a very long while. Cruising around the lakes, going through woods finding some water falls, riding passed polo clubs and you get to do some exercise as well - bonus. Since my racer bike got stolen last year I've bought a really old bike that I had at home up this term. It's a bike that I had in about year 5! So yeah, it's incredibly old but hey it does the job even though there seems to be one hell of a time delay with the gears!

Cycling is one of my all time favourite sports to participate in and when you add in the views of Virginia Waters then you have one hell of a successful recipe!

KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES - PEACE

Kids In Glass Houses were supporting the Stereophonics when I saw them in Cardiff City Stadium a few years back (I think it was 2010) and after that gig I began to listen to their stuff but over the last year or two I haven't really heard much from the Welsh band and started listening to them less and less. This however has now changed with the release of their new single Peace. Very rarely does any song grab my full attention on the first play and that's probably true of most people but something about Peace did. It's not an out and out rock record it's very much more pop but it'll still sound great on the main stage at Reading and Leeds. With an incredibly catchy chorus that I'm sure once you'll listen to the song you will be singing along to it for days in your head, this new single and it's album of the same name (released on the 30th of September) will surely get KIGH the recognition they deserve after a few quiet years in the charts. It will by no means become a classic that will be placed on all compilation albums from now until the end of time but who cares because Peace is an awesome song with a great tune and, quite frankly, a tidy key change at the end. I really love it and I've probably listened to it over twenty times since it's video was released last week and I'm not tired of it yet so that's a good sign!

AUTUMN FASHION // COATS

I have been a reader of Teen Vogue for years and have been a subscriber to the fashion magazine since 2007 (I was 13/14 years old). I remember the first issue I ever picked up was the massive September issue that had Anne Hathaway on the cover and ever since that day I've had every single issue (from sept 2007 onwards) arrive through my post box at the beginning of every month. It's a magazine that I don't think I ever want to unsubscribe to, even when I'm old and frail - a magazine that every girl should have in their lives. It has everything from fashion, music, films, beauty and current affairs squashed in its pages. This October issue which featured young Oscar-nominated actor who achieved world wide fame in her role in True Grit - Hailee Steinfeld on its cover and it had a particularly fall spread that took my eye - coats. I love a good coat and specifically a cool tailored one - one colour, sharp lines and quality. Beautiful stuff.

HELLO AUTUMN & WELCOME

With the temperatures cooling down I think it's fair to say that summer is over and to be honest I think we had an OK one this year weather wise. I mean, we didn't see any caravans floating in rivers that were once campsites now did we. But even though I think it's great that we've had some sun over the summer months I'm more of an Autumn person myself. Autumn is a time when the leaves turn brown, gold and yellow, a time when you wear big coats and go on long walks. It's also a time when you can hear the rain lashing outside but you're all comfy inside watching a film under massive blankets in front of the fire. There are downsides like I can't go out on the bike as often because it gets so windy, rainy and dark and . . . well, I can't really think of anything else at the moment. Also, even though I hate scary things - I seriously can't even watch a scary advert, Autumn makes me look forward to Halloween. Oh, and who could forget bonfire night - sparklers, fireworks, mulled wine and toffee apples. Scrumdidlyumptious. This is also the season when rugby comes back in to our lives and a time when you discover a whole load of new things such as music, books and food on the days when you are forced to stay inside because of bad weather. Hello Autumn & welcome. 

These photos are from a little walk that Alaw, Hendrix and I went on at the beginning of the week. 

KAISER CHIEFS ABERYSTWYTH 2013

Myself and Nicola have been to see the Kaiser Chiefs four times now. There is just something about them live that not many other bands can achieve. More often than not when we tell people that we're going to watch the Kaisers their reactions is almost always the same - "Kaiser Chiefs? Oh, OK" but believe me they are superb when you go and watch them in the flesh. Our Chiefs journey began back in 2007 when we made the 200 mile round trip down to Cardiff to watch them on their Yours Truly, Angry Mob tour and we have never missed a tour since.

 My most memorable Kaiser Chiefs moment and come to think about one of my most memorable moments ever was when we were front row in the CIA (now Motorpoint) in Cardiff back in 2008, myself and Nicola had a huge poster that read 'We Love Peanut' (the band's keyboardist) and throughout the set we could see various band members looking and laughing but then it happened - Ricky Wilson (front man) ran towards me and hugged me, said something in my ear which I couldn't hear and carried on with the rest of the show. Magical guys! After the show finished we asked one of the crew if we could get the poster signed by the band and after having to run backstage I got my poster signed with the signature of each band member on it  - one of the best nights ever!

Last night we saw the band in a smaller venue - Aberystwyth Arts Centre - and it was amazing! Before we headed to the front barriers where we would watch the band play from about 4 feet away, Nicola went to buy some dinner only for us to find Peanut buying dinner as well and after some awkward eye contact and a smile we sat down and prepared ourselves for round four of the Kaisers. When we were stood right in the front we could not actually believe how close we were. Both of us have seen acts in the venue before - Paolo Nutini, Jools Holland etc but never had we been so close to any band before and it was Awesome!

Heavyball were supporting and wow, they were awesome. Support acts can be a bit hit and miss but Heavyball did not disappoint. With a rocky, surfer vibe their music was right up my street and if you haven't checked them out before I urge you to do so and I will definitely be buying their EP Hands Up asap.                                        (go on, have a little listen) 

The men from Leeds opened the show with Na Na Na Na Naa which instantly got the crowd going and the rest of the set got better and better with hits like Modern Way, Ruby, Angry Mob, Everyday I Love You Less and Less, Everything Is Average Now Days, I Predict A Riot . . . the list goes on. The set also included some songs from their 2011 album The Future is Medieval and even some brand new songs. The new songs that had not been released yet sounded really great - it sounded like some of their best stuff for a while. With Ricky Wilson sitting in the middle of the crowd, Oh My God finished their fantastic set and once more the Kaiser Chiefs managed to put on one hell of a show. See you next time guys.

Oh, and can I just say how awesome it is to have bands like the Kaiser Chiefs and Heavyball performing in Aberystwyth because just because we live in the middle of nowhere in West Wales does not mean that we don't like music! Even though Nicola now lives mostly in Cardiff and myself in Surrey it's still really cool to see bands that we love performing close to home.

A LITTLE BIT OF INSPIRATION TO BETTER YOUR DAY

Sometimes you need that little pick-me-up or you just want a bit of help continuing with your happy mood so I've put together some pictures that have made me feel better today in the hope that they will do the same for you. Despite everything that is happening in the world right now (syria etc) the World is still a pretty great place although some of its people aren't. I have been obsessed with Camera Caleb's vimeo, blog & Insta feed for a few months, if not over a year now (if you check it out you'll know why) and just looking at his pictures make me want to put on my boots, climb some mountains and take in the beauty that surrounds us all (I know that sounds cheesy but it's the truth!). Even though I can but barely surf or skate I just love the vibe of both sports and aspire to live my life like those athletes. There is inspiration to be had in every corner of our little world and I think I'll collect some of my favourite inspo pictures once every now and again on this blog to share with you what I'm currently feeling with a hope you'll feel it too :) 

all photos from Pinterest 

SUPER SONG SUNDAY // READING TOP 5 PLAYLIST

I saw so many great acts in Reading festival it was hard to do a top 5 but alas here it is. If you enjoy listening to these 5 acts as much as I enjoyed watching them last month then I'm sure you're having a great time :)

#1 Biffy Clyro

I was expecting Biffy Clyro to be great, I mean why else would they be headlining one of the biggest festivals in the world but they were so much more than great. I have been a fan for a while and after missing out on tickets to see them in Cardiff earlier this year I was looking forward to seeing them live even more. From the moment they came on stage to the very last chord they were incredible. From Different People to Biblical, Bubbles to a beautiful acoustic version of Machines and a resounding version of The Captain which ended in a crescendo of a flaming guitar. It was fitting that the Scottish rockers finished their headlining set with the song that sky rocketed them to the top of British rock 'n' roll - Mountains. As Simon and the band headed offstage with arms around each other all of us headed back to our tents speechless while trying to get our heads around what we just witnessed.

#2 Green Day

I discovered that Green Day were headlining after I had purchased my tickets and I was so happy when I found out that the American punk rockers were to grace the stage at Reading and I'd be there to witness it. After the release of American Idiot almost 10 years ago I have been massive fans of Billie Joe Armstrong and the band so It was a big understatement to say that I was excited to see them live a few weeks ago. Kicking off with 99 Revolutions before pulling a fan onstage to sing the final chorus of Know Your Enemy, the band went on to play the whole 1994 Dookie album as well as performing crowd pleasers such as Boulevard of Broken Dreams, Wake Me Up When September Ends and Welcome to Paradise. American Idiot and the marathon Jesus of Suburbia made up the encore before BJ Armstrong was left on the stage holding an acoustic guitar leaving the crowds to go back to their tents with the sound of Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) ringing in their ears.

#3 The Strypes

I had been looking forward to watching this young Irish band for months - since I heard them back on Jools Holland's show back around Easter time and they most certainly did not disappoint. I just don't understand how they can be so cool - that is an accomplishment in itself -  and their performance was one of my personal highlights of the weekend. Playing both rhythm and blues covers as well as their own stuff from their new album Snapshot which is released on the 9th of September (tomorrow). Blue Collar Jane, What A Shame and You Can't Judge A Book By It's Cover are some of my favourite tracks off the their debut album. Expect great things from these Irish guys in the next few months/years.

#4 Imagine Dragons

I was admittedly quite late jumping on the Imagine Dragons train but thank God I did. I was mostly looking forward to hearing Radioactive live and even though it was amazing live, the whole set was great - miles better than what I expected. Cha-Ching (Till We Grow Older), Amsterdam and Tiptoe all of which are off the band's debut album Night Visions all got the overflowing tent singing and jumping in unison. A great set with incredible atmosphere.

#5 Nine Inch Nails

I had been thinking about listening to some of the legendary rock/metal band material before heading to Reading because I had heard that there stuff was great and that their new album was superb but because of certain things I didn't quite get around to hearing some of their music. However, this did not stop me from loving their performance on Sunday night as we stood waiting for Biffy to come onstage. Even though their stuff is quite heavy I found listening to them incredibly relaxing and despite some of the things the band's front man, Trent Razor, stated in the press I've become a fan of their stuff and I look forward to discovering more of their music in the next few months.

GOOD MORNING WORLD JUICE

When I arrived home from Reading and V fest there was a new blender in the house which I was very happy about because our old one could barely blend a leaf let alone an orange. Also, living off peanut butter sandwiches and the occasional apple while sleeping in a cold damp tent for 7 nights isn't great for your immune system - as my cold later made clear to me. So, a revitalising juice is exactly what the doctor (me) ordered and here is one I put together last week. Even though it looks a bit funky with its vibrant green colour, I can assure that it was absolutely yummy and I had it for breakfast two days in a row. Oh, and it is also so easy to make - you'll probably finish making it before your toast has time to pop up. 

 This recipe makes about a pint and a half worth of juice. 

V FESTIVAL // TOP 5 PERFORMANCES

At number one we have the Stereophonics. Their performance was epic and when they finished their set with Dakota the crowd went mental. I have seen the Welsh rockers live twice before but they just seem to get better and better each time, thus I am very excited to see them live in the O2 in London later this year. I was very surprised to find out that they have only headlined V once before despite playing the festival since 1997. They were so awesome and it was great to have a rock band play the festival as V, which started out as a rock festival all those years ago, has almost completely turned in to a pop fest. Nothing beats a good old guitar solo and a thumping drum.

Coming in at numero 2. are the mighty Kings of Leon. One of the main reasons I went to V festival this year was to watch these American giants and they did not disappoint. Caleb's lead vocals were incredible and the band did not seem to put a foot, or chord, out of place. I was not surprised to see that the crowd was far from overflowing to watch one of today's best rock bands because the V fest crowd is very young (15,16 years old) so many of them went to watch Calvin Harries on the 4 music stage - which is slightly disappointing because the KoL deserve as big if not a bigger crowd than Beyoncé who's crowd was huge the previous night. They opened with their new single Supersoaker which definitely got the crowd pumped up and of course they finished with the crowd pleaser that is Sex on Fire but the set was filled from top to bottom with classics. A big highlight in my life :)

Seasick Steve has to be in my top 5 because his music is right up my street so that is why I'm putting him in at number 3. The folky, bluesy rock 'n' roll that he plays is one of my favourite types of music. The fact that he performed his whole set with a member of rock 'n' roll royalty (John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin) just adds to the American's fantastic performance. He made my day. I sat on a slope, looking down to the stage as the sun shone - it was heavenly. If you like rock 'n' roll then I urge you to go watch the master live or just watch some of his videos on youtube. I mean, he's a farmer turned rock star who plays guitars made out of tractors - what is not to like!

The Script sit in the number four position as a result of their very energetic set. I saw the Script in Cardiff a few years back and they were very good but when you stand (crushed) in the middle of tens of thousands of people singing The Man Who Can't Be Moved as a sort of incredibly large festival choir there is something very special about it. Danny, the band's front man worked the crowd so well and managed to hold them in the palm of his hand. As the lead singer introduced Labrinth (who I had seen previously that day) on to the stage to duet on Hall of Fame the crowd who were already hyped reached fever pitch. The Irish band have gone on from strength to strength in the last few years and they look as if they are loving each second of it and so am I.

Last, but by no means least, in my V festival 2013 top 5 are The Fratellis. They were very low down on the line up (they opened the main stage on Saturday) but that made no difference because they were great. With chart toppers such as Chelsea Dagger and Henrietta they were sure to get the fresh festival crowd going and that is exactly what they did. They were my surprise of the weekend.