Live The Rewind: A SingleTeer's Odyssey

I went to see Muse with Matt and Mike at the O2 Arena in London and it turned out to be one of my top 3 gigs of 2009... amazing!!!

P!nk performed her Funhouse show at Birmingham's National Indoor Arena on Halloween night, 31st October 2009. An excellent show with superb vocals, great music and awesome visuals from the screens, the trapeze, high wire and ballet dancers. Fantastic :)



You can also see photos of the day at...

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=333536&id=634935430&l=32b481f0cd

Enjoy :)

Coldplay at their headlining Wembley Stadium gig on Friday 18th September 2009. They were supported by White Lies, Girls Aloud and Jay Z. I hope you enjoy...




You can also see photos of the day at: -
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=315099&id=634935430&l=035a729091

If you're interested in seeing photos and videos from some of the U2 concerts I have been to, then I hope you enjoy this post...

I saw U2 on their 360° Tour 2009 at: -
- Croke Park Stadium, Dublin, Ireland (D)
- Wembley Stadium, London, England (W)
- Hampden Park Stadium, Glasgow, Scotland (G)
- Don Valley Stadium, Sheffield, England (S); and...
- Millenium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales (C)

That's FIVE gigs; in FOUR Nations; THREE not in England; to see U2; for ONE crazy, crazy fan!


Photos –
U2’s Dublin Concert where I was sat high in the clouds but still had a great widescreen view –
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=285313&id=634935430&l=311e3d8b70


U2’s Cardiff Concert where we were six feet from the band in the INNER CIRCLE… right in the action –
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=299258&id=634935430&l=c3ae75ba9e


Videos –
I filmed a lot of videos... there’s effectively an entire set list worth of material (33videos I filmed :) from all 5 concerts that I attended. If you want to see them at YouTube's site, then click on…
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=speed294&view=videos


or to view a complete, continuous playlist, see below...





For information, the setlist was: -


- 1/ Intro (Space Oddity/ Kingdom) & Breathe (C)
- 2/ Breathe (D)
- 3/ No Line On The Horizon (W)
- 4/ Get On Your Boots (G)
- 5/ Magnificent (D)
- 6/ Magnificent (G)
- 7/ Magnificent (C)
- 8/ London Calling (snippet) / London Bridge Is Falling Down (snippet) (W)
- 9/ Beautiful Day / Blackbird (snippet) (C)
- 10/ Mysterious Ways (S)
- 11/ Elevation (W)
- 12/ Stay (Faraway, So Close!) (C)
- 13/ I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For / Movin' On Up (snippet) (W)
- 14/ I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For (with U2 banter) / Movin' On Up (snippet) (S)
- 15/ I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For (with U2 banter) / Stand By Me (snippet) (C)
- 16/ Stuck In A Moment (And You Can't Get Out Of It) (G)
- 17/ Unknown Caller (G)
- 18/ The Unforgettable Fire (G)
- 19/ City Of Blinding Lights (D)
- 20/ City Of Blinding Lights (S)
- 21/ Vertigo (G)
- 22/ I Know I'll Go Crazy (If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight) (G)
- 23/ Sunday Bloody Sunday (G)
- 24/ Pride (In The Name Of Love) (S)
- 25/ MLK/ Walk On / You'll Never Walk Alone (snippet) (W)
- 26/ Where The Streets Have No Name (D)
- 27/ Where The Streets Have No Name (C)
- 28/ One (D)
- 29/ Ultra Violet (Light My Way) (W)
- 30/ With Or Without You (S)
- 31/ Moment Of Surrender (G)
- 32/ One (C)
- 33/ Bad/40 (C)
- 34/ Moment of Surrender (C)
(with Manager Paul McGuinness signing my ticket and U2 coming off stage right next to me!!!)


These were five very, very beautiful days :)

Enjoy,
Adi

I went to see Elbow. They were fantastic... never seen them before. Check out their album "The Seldom Seen Kid" and one of their top tunes, "One Day Like This".

To see photos, click on the following link...
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=167384&l=f6b81&id=634935430

Here's a video of them performing "One Day Like This".



Elbow comprises lead vocalist, guitarist and lyricist Guy Garvey, guitarist and back up vocalist Mark Potter, keyboardist and back up vocalist Craig Potter, bassist Pete Turner and drummer Richard Jupp.

I went with my brother, Shaleen, to see Heather Nova for the 2nd time ever, at the Shepherds Bush Empire in London. I first saw her in Newcastle Upon Tyne in December 1998 so it was a decade later and she's still as good as she always was.

To see photos, click on the following link...
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=167198&l=fb27c&id=634935430

Also, some vids to enjoy!!









If you're interested, check her out... albums include Glow Stars, Oyster (Amazing!!!), Siren and Storm... live albums include Wanderlust. Standout tracks include Heal, Island, Walk This World, I Have The Touch, Doubled Up, London Calling etc etc etc...

Heather's band for the night were: -

Heather Nova: vocals, guitar, keyboards
Berit Fridahl: guitar, backing vocals
Bastian Juel: bass, backing vocals
Geoff Dugmore: drums, percussions

If you are interested, I thought you might like to see some photos from my trip to Dublin... while I was there I made new friends in Chuck, Connie, Jackie and Devora and we hung out together seeing sights and sipping Guinnesses. I also met up with DaraLynne whom I had met and travelled with in Xian, China, back in July 2006. It was great to see her again.

Album 1 - http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=159184&l=9bb6d&id=634935430
Album 2 - http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=159188&l=3c43e&id=634935430
Album 3 - http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=159198&l=93c28&id=634935430

Enjoy…

Also, before I forget to mention... On Sunday I went to see the last showing of La Clique as part of the Dublin Fringe Fest. We weren’t allowed to take photos, but here’s a promo from YouTube that’ll give you an idea of what the show was like… kind of an adult cabaret, circus thing. Very cool, very fun and occasionally very weird.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWTukJW9MI8

On the theme of Ireland, I hope things are greener where you are :o)

Live The Rewind... it never ends :o)

I went to the Netherlands in May 2008 to see my Dutch friends I met whilst travelling... Janneke from Nijmegen, Willemijn from Rotterdam, Wendy from Amsterdam and Maaike from Hoorn.

To see pics of the trip, click on the links below and enjoy... captions will be updated at some point.

Nijmegen
- http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=151140&l=3469e&id=634935430
Rotterdam plus surrounds…
- http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=151145&l=419aa&id=634935430
Amsterdam plus surrounds…
- http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=151150&l=79463&id=634935430
Hoorn plus surrounds…
- http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=151156&l=ad8b7&id=634935430

Where and when I met my Dutch friends

I travelled through Vietnam meeting Janneke in Hoi An and we travelled together to Hue, Halong Bay, Sapa and Hanoi. Janneke continued on to Laos and I returned to Ho Chi Minh City.

Ho Chi Minh City is where I met Maaike briefly for the first time.

I continued, alone, from Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) to Phnom Penh (Cambodia) and met Willemijn on that tour. Whilst in Phnom Penh, I hung out with Willemijn and we met Maaike again. Me, Willemijn and a couple of other people then travelled Cambodia from Phnom Penh to Siem reap to Sihanoukville and then entered Thailand ending in Koh Chang where after a few days, I said goodbye to Willemijn.

I continued on to Chiang Mai and Bangkok where I met Janneke after her Laos trip. We travelled Bangkok to Kanchanaburi to Koh Tao. I said goodbye to Janneke and 2 days later in December 2006 I was in Australia.

On my last couple of weeks in Australia in January 2007, I met Wendy between Adelaide and Melbourne on the Great Ocean Road tour. I then met her again briefly and said goodbye to Wendy in Sydney before flying to New Zealand.

Whilst in Queenstown, New Zealand, I met Maaike again and we spent 4 days travelling the South of the South Island together. I said goodbye to Maaike in Invercargill, New Zealand.

#Deeper than deep you took me on a trip baby#

I just logged in to say that it's been a year... yes, it has. a year since I returned from Toronto, emotionally bruised upon my return, with the sudden sights, smells of England... or rather, Heathrow. There's no perfect end to how a major trip like mine ends, and it took me a few weeks getting used to being back.

The initial weeks of boredom, unpacking, late nights (no plans), reviewing photos, holding on and then slowly the process of moving on...

I turned down job offers including one from McLaren... I accepted an offer to work for Jaguar/ Land Rover in Coventry last September. I stayed with them for 10 weeks before being "poached" by Tata Motors. A great career move as it takes me at least two steps further technically and had a great package to suit. I also get sent to India (Pune) once every few weeks. I've done 4 trips so far...

And on the work front, it has been good. I feel like I have made a difference and continue to do so.

On the non-work front, it's not so bad. I have a few friends locally who I try to catch up with often. they keep me sane... which I tell you is a hard job. I try to get back to see family and friends... so much so that I have been in Coventry since mid September 2007 and haven't spent a whole weekend in Coventry yet.

I've been to Scotland, Germany, Holland and Canada in the previous year... of course, India too... I've given friends advice on where in the world to go see... and what to do.

I've written stuff for the first time - I mean musically. I'm not great, but that isn't the point... It's a joy that the experiences I had while travelling are a catalyst for such creative energy both lyrically and musically. Maybe some of that might see the light of day. As a writer I like once said, "The song belongs to they who listen. You have to already want to listen to my ’songs’, so to speak, in order to hear them."

Anyway, let's not stray too far...

I still have so many travel tales to write on my blog... it's all still vividly clear in my head, so there's no fear of forgetting... ;o)

And through it all, life goes on. More babies are being born, more birthdays come and go, more engagements and weddings... and separations. And occasionally, well... you know... the goodbyes.

So here's to not only living the rewind, but living now... and looking forward.

There'll be more blogs on some of the trips I've made recently... stay tuned. Until then,

My very best.

Adi in 2008 Just a current pic of me for those of you who haven't seen me in a while... Adi

I just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas...in a video message!!! :o) I'm not sending any Christmas cards this year and the attached Christmas Video Message from me also explains why...



2006-2007 was an amazing year for me, as most of you know, because of my round-the-world trip that I completed in July 2007. I am now back in the world of work and reality, and those days are a fond memory - that include many friends I made / met and the unforgettable places I have seen, the "adrenaline pumping" things I have done... plus a whole lot more.

I hope to see all of you - family, friends and the casual acquaintance - some day again... until then, I wish you my very best for this Christmas and the fast approaching new year. I hope your dreams come true in 2008.

Adi