Simply scary

If you scroll down the blog a couple of entries, you will see the scary kid with the marines helmet and INCOMING! message.

Well if that wasn't scary enough, have alook at what this application can do to it here.

Diet Coke and Mentos

Well, what a combination apparently. I saw a Metro laying on someones desk today, it could have been from any day over the past week, but it had an article in it about 'experiments' with a 2 Litre bottle of Diet Coke and a pack of Mentos (Mints or Fruits). The pictures showed a 16 foot jet of Coke spray coming out of the open bottle. Now things get even more interesting. They added an address of a website where they experimented with over 200 litres of Coke and over 500 Mentos, to create their version of the fountains outside the Belagio casino in Las Vegas, and it is amazing. You can try for yourself at www.eepybird.com. I would have linked it here, but the site is pretty slow at the moment on account of all the people looking at it, so give it 5 minutes or more to load the video.

On the site it also linked to "Pepsi Girl" (reminds me of Pepsi and Shirley, remember them? but I digress as usual), who tries the experiment on herself. Try not to watch this with anything in your mouth please. You have been warned and Progster inc. can take no responsibility for damage or cleaning bills suffered as a result of view said video.

New prog incoming . . . . .

Those nice people at Sonicbond music are just soooo efficient. I ordered a few CDs and a weekend ticket for the Summers End festival on Friday night (late) and they arrived today (Monday).

I now get to listen to Darwin's Radio - Eyes of the world (sounding fab right now), Credo - Rhetoric and Flamborough Head (from Holland) - One For The Crow. All 3 are playing the Summer End festival.

Reviews coming soon(ish).

What a wonderful day

Isn't it incredible, that on probably the best day of the year so far, half the country choose to sit inside and watch TV? Amazing the pull of Dr, Who isn't it? You just have to see what happens to the Dr, Rose, the Ood and old Mr 666 himself don't you. Gotta admit, I'm hooked.

On that other TV phenomenon though, the World Cup, it's nice to see the BBC offer an 'out' with the choice of setting a cookie to opt in or out if the whole thing. Pity it only applies to the BBC home page, and not in general. I've been looking around for the best deal on a Roland Fantom XR, and can't believe how many big stores are having a World Cup Special. Now colour me stupid, but since when was there ever a link between World Cup and music stores? OK, forgive the few digressions of the popular single buying public when they buy copies of "Were on the march with Ally's army", "Three Lions" or "Vindaloo", but the whole country seems to have gone stark raving mad. Can you believe there are actually 35, yes THIRY FIVE singles released to support the England world cup campaign? Don't believe me? Look Here.

Look at Turnkey . .

Digital Village . .Even Sound Control that started in Dunfermline are in on the footie act . . .

Sorry to not be hanging on every report of this injury or that, and the 3 day build up to the next game, and it's nothing to do with the country of birth either I might add. I went to a school where football was compulsory, and almost no other sport was offered at any time, and you were called a Poof if you couldn't play or didn't like it. Now give me a rugby World Cup, and I'm there watching every match, it's just football isn't my game. Label me all the wierd sexual inuendoes you like, you won't be the first, and it won't change anything. Anyway I know I'm not alone in this non-compulsion for football, and that is a pleasing thought ;O). Now in my defence, I have to say, I was in Japan 4 years ago on a short business trip when the world cup was on, and had a great time in a beer bar in Tokyo with some locals watching the semi-final between Korea and Germany. The atmosphere was great, and the beer was pretty good too. I think I got back to my hotel room at 6am with a 7:30am bus to catch to the airport. I found that day that given a choice, I much prefer ending a long flight tired and the worse for drink than starting one.

Anyway, let the beatings begin . . .

Free Fall - Thrown

I've mentioned previously the fantastic debut album Milliontown from Frost, featuring Jem Godfrey due out in July. Well, being the inquisitive, nosey, need to know everything kind of guy I am, I managed to track down a CD released by Jem's previous band Free Fall on Lazy Gun Records. At 5 quid plus a pound postage, I wasn't exactly mortgaging the house to hear what it was like. Recorded in 1991 by the second lineup of Free Fall, it features Jem on Keyboards, and Johnny Boyes on guitar, who also appears on Milliontown. Jem's brother Simon provides the drums, with Paul Worwood on bass, and Jean Paul Orr on vocals. Now the lineup is kind of guesswork here, since this was the 1990-1991 lineup, but the band credits on the CD are all pseudonyms like Steeller Jewel and Lowden Clear. It could be the Wurzels playing on here for all I know.

The CD has a cottage industry feel, with the printed insert and printed CD label, but at least you know it comes with a personal touch. A couple of emails from Robert Ramsey apologising for the delays maintained that personal touch.

Anyway, the music's the main thing of interest here. Overall it is worth a listen, if even just for the 2 or 3 standout sections. By far the best piece on the album is the keyboard based instrumental on It's Just a Game, which I think it's called Hellstate, just before Summerhouse. This moves from a nice slow pad section into a rousing passage with a blistering solo by Jem, and is the piece most like some of the Milliontown sections released so far. I say think it's called Hellstate, because it's track 3 on the CD, but there are only 4 sections of this track named on the CD cover, and it goes over 5 tracks on the CD. Go figure.

Vocal wise the performance is mixed, at times working well, and being reminiscent of Kansas on Goodbye Legion, which I feel ties for the best song with Summerhouse. Sometimes it gets in the way of an otherwise good instrumental performance. The style of vocals and keyboards at times reminded me of Curiosity Killed the Cat, but I mean that in a good way ;O). Johnny Boyes (if it is him) is kind of understated in the mix, and even the guitar solo in Goodbye Legion is extremely quiet, with the drums dominating in many areas.

Overall, a good effort, given most of the band were still teenagers when this was recorded. Certainly worth a listen if you want to hear a few good examples of where the Frost sound started 15 years ago.

There is a bit of a fun outrun on the CD, referring to kangaroos and bacon, which I'll leave to your imagination or listening pleasure should you buy the CD. All I'll say to end with is "Is your name Derek?"

Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp

Well, I've seen everything now. The land that brought you Summer Camps for the kids, with chainsaw wielding maniacs, and dodgy councillors, now brings you a camp for adult rock fans!

Imagine 5 days in the company of the likes of Jon Anderson, Joe Satriani, Dr. John or Roger Daltry. Jam within various bands including the pros. Get councilling from a list of well established rock artists. Perform in a battle of the bands on the last night in a venue like BB King's in New York.

I'd never heard of it before, but apparently it's been featured in episodes of Ellen and The Simpsons. So forget about the hair loss, the expanding waistline, the sagging butt and the one or two additional chins aquired along the way, you'll fit right in with some of these old geezers. It's time to revisit your youth and take air guitar to a whole new level.

This can all be yours for a mere $8,499 PLUS your hotel and flights for 5 nights. Register here to go to rock and roll Disneyland with Mr Olias of Sunhillow himself Jon Anderson, and Joe Satriani in August in New York.

A Touch of Frost

On account of the new Frost forums starting up! In advance of the full website going live on 6th June, Jem has opened up the forums to a rather rousing response so far. With 3 of the band members contributing already it's quite a party over there.

Grab a beer and join in here.