Two Faced Serenade - I'm pretty proud of you

Hi Guys,

Today I am Going to focus my blogging attentions to a group of people who I am extremely proud of. If you hadn't guessed it by the title, that group of people is pop-punk band Two Faced Serenade.

Now here's a little background for those of you who don't already know; Two Faced Serenade are the band I manage, comprised of four very special, very talented people.

Two Faced Serenade went from a group of talented guys who rehearsed a lot and had some amazing, catchy tunes, to a band of talented guys who have a rapidly growing fan base, an EP, shows with bands that I've been following for years and more recently, an EP review in Hit The Floor magazine and airplay on AmazingRadio in what feels like the blink of an eye.

These guys have achieved so much in the past year, and I don't think my heart has ever been so ready to burst with pride in my life. Two Faced Serenade have worked their asses off to get to where they are and they are so incredibly dedicated, enthusiastic, open-minded and ridiculously talented. They have come so far since they started, rehearsing in a little studio and having some fun, to playing festive-all and releasing an EP that sold an incredible number of copies in the first instance.

When I started managing the band, I thought they'd probably get sick of me telling them what to do and tell me to fxck right off after a few weeks, but they didn't. I'm so grateful to be able to work (if that's what you want to call it ;)) with such incredible and talented guys who always make me feel like part of the team, even when I feel like I've done nothing to deserve it.

I'm so damn proud of everything they've done and how far they've come so far. It makes my heart fill up with stupid amounts of joy to see the number of people who support them and turn up at shows, buy the EP and the posters and watch the twitcams. To know that so many strangers are willing to take a chance on the guys because of their incredible music and talent (and yes probably their looks too) is a particularly weird, but also heart warming thought.

So, here comes the probably very soppy bit. A note to each of you:

Ryan: 
Oh dearest brother of mine, how far you have come. It seems like only yesterday you were going with dad to pick up that drum kit, bringing it home and playing it as if you'd been playing your whole life.. Okay well not quite. You're most definitely a natural drummer, but the very first time you played that kit was a terrifying moment (nah, just kidding). With that being said, you have worked your ass off over the past few years, honing and shaping your talent into something that is now a part of you. I still cannot quite believe (a bit like Mr Timn) how you have so much energy in you to be able to keep up with the pace of your own drumming for as long as you do. I'm so proud of you. I know I've said it a few times, but to see my little brother doing so incredibly well and making such a difference with his music is something incredible. I'm also so proud to see how you've grown as a person, how Past Ryan really is a thing of the past on most days, and how grown up you are now. Thank you for letting me be a part of this experience and for once actually listening to what I say.

Jack:
Well hey there pal. You may be the newest member of the band, and I may have only known you a few months (must feel like years to you by now ;D) but I have never seen someone walk into something and commit to it so fully in all my life. When you joined the band, it was obvious that you just fit in so well, and the four of you just clicked and gelled so well that it was like you'd been there all along. It was evident straight away that you belong with this band. Your musical skills are tremendous and it's obvious that you love what you do, and that makes me so happy to see, because whenever you have an instrument in your hand (lol) you just look so happy. I'm so glad to have met you through this band and I'm so grateful for all the times you've been there for me. You're a marvellous person and an incredible friend. I'm so proud to see how far you've come with the band so far, and I'm so excited to see what comes next.

Dylan:
Well, you're quite a funny soul young man. You never fail to make us all laugh with your sarcasm and your off-hand comments and that is something that I definitely value in another human being. I'm so proud of how far your vocal has come along since the band really started to kick off. It's obvious that you've worked at it, and to see how that pays off is incredible. You're an incredible guitarist and to be honest, I don't think I'll ever understand how guitar works, which is why I should probably leave it up to you professionals ;). I'm so glad that you've accepted me as part of the tfs family, thank you for making me feel welcome.

Ellis:
Bloody hell, right, here we go. ;)
You're last, but definitely not least. I figured I'd probably end up writing about four million pages for you so I should probably make sure there's room. I'm always going to be biased (wheyyy) when it comes to you, we all know that. It was probably a year and a half, nearly two years ago now probably that I met you one random day when Ryan introduced you as what was then Seeing Other Sides (lol) new guitarist. I've told you many a time that I was incredibly intimidated by you that day, but I still couldn't explain why. That's definitely not the case now, if it were I don't think we'd be where we are, would we? Anyway, you and your genius, talented little self were a godsend. Your songs brought the band to life and gave everyone a chance to really show their true potential. You know I'll always be your number one fan, but what you don't know is that I was your number one fan long before we really got to know each other. Every time I stopped by a rehearsal, every time I heard the band playing one of your songs, it would get stuck in my head for days at a time I just couldn't shake it. It was then that I knew you had something special. It's not just a talent, or dedication that makes you as amazing as you are. It's a gift. Your ability to write songs that are so catchy and so relatable whether they are fast or slow is something I've never seen in another person. Watching you sit and play guitar and come up with a new song there and then is something I have admired since we became close and something that still mesmerises me to date. To see how far you've come with the band, to see how far your enthusiasm and optimism stretches is a wonderful thing to witness and to hear your song on the radio, or see your songs being written about makes me insanely happy. I'm so proud of how hard you've worked on your vocal, and how far it's come, and I'm so proud of everything you've achieved so far, not just with the band, but as a person. We've had our ups and downs, both alone and together, but we've always come out of it maybe better. I am so grateful to know you, I am so grateful to have you in my life and to be able to share the things and experiences that I get to share with you. I'm grateful for all of our stupid, private jokes, I'm grateful for the songs we've written, the moments we've shared and I'm grateful for all the times you've pushed me to reach my full potential when I don't think I can. I'm so proud of everything you've done and everything you are. Thank you for everything.

Two Faced Serenade:

I love the bones of you boys, I'm so proud, I'm so grateful and I'm so looking forward to standing by you while you reach new heights, not only as a band, but as individuals too.

Thanks for reading.

(Un)happy go (un)lucky and the snoozer of the alarm.

Hello my loves,

I'm in class right now and it would probably benefit me to be doing something other than blogging, but anyone who knows me will know that when the writing bug strikes, I must bow down to the urge.

I have had the unluckiest morning.. You know the ones I'm talking about.. Where everything that can go wrong does? Well, let me begin by mentioning that I had a crappy nights sleep and I have no idea why but it does mean that I currently have more bags than Tesco's under my eyes.. Now I'd say that this lack of sleep was what caused me to over-snooze my alarm, but I'll be honest, and some of you know this already; I am an alarm snoozing fiend. I can snooze that alarm anywhere from twice to fourteen times in any given morning and it's quite a ridiculous and very bad habit to keep.

Due to my snoozing, I managed to get up approximately nineteen minutes late and discovered that the leggings I wanted to wear were still damp (cry) so I had to pick up an incredibly thin, worn pair that definitely would not keep me warm for the day. From here my bathroom routine went pretty well, I thought 'hallelujah! Things are looking up, I can brush my teeth without running into danger!', but then came the attempt to straighten my hair. I began to glide the tongs down the length of my glossy hair (thank you Alberto Balsam, you genius), only to realise (eventually) that I never actually turned my straighteners on. I corrected the mistake and was actually pretty proud of how straight I managed to get my unruly hair to go. By this point I realised I had ten minutes left before I had to leave and still had my Pj's on. I'll skip the next ten minutes as long story short, I had to skip breakfast and we all know how cranky I get when I don't eat.

I left the house only to be met with a cold shower from the heavens above and rushed to find shelter so that I could retrieve my umbrella, which is a pile of shit. The arm thingies (you know what I mean) on my umbrella bent out of shape as I opened it and I was definitely not impressed. I tried my best to hold that horrible piece of not-very-waterproof material over my head as I trudged to the train station, but the cars and buses that drove by me and watched as I struggled only wanted to add to my pain and torment by driving through the puddles at the side of the road to soak me in the muddy ice water that lurked there.

By the time I reached the station, I was cold, I was soaked through and I just wanted to cry, but the man in front of me at the ticket machine still decided that he wanted to fumble with his change and cancel his tickets four times before he actually managed to buy his tickets and leave me enough room under the shelter so that I could buy my tickets in the dry.

By this point I was fed up, and so I thought to myself 'what will make this day better?' and I took my luck into my own hands.

The day has lifted slightly now, owing mostly to my seemingly ever-present saviour and his ability to make me smile even if we only see each other for a few minutes, the promise that lunch time will be great and the fact that my one to one tutorial went well this morning although there was one pressing point I didn't get to mention which has worried me slightly, though I'm sure I can probably find a way to deal with that next week hopefully.

My first lecture is an hour and ten minutes away from ending and I've been tapping away at this blog surreptitiously for nearly two, so I suppose it's probably time for me to wrap it up. At least my lecturer has decided that my work is worthy of more than a few words now anyhow.

Thanks for reading you beautiful creatures.

Girls like hands.

Hello my loves,

Today's post is about a subject that is very dear to my heart; hands. Now bare with me while I explain that I'm not just completely mental and that the constant upbringing of the subject of good hands between me and my girl mates has encouraged me to write this blog trying to explain what it is about guys hands that we love so much.

Let me begin by mentioning that when it comes to hands, I'm sorry lads, but size does matter. Us girls, or at least me and my friends anyway, enjoy large hands. There's just something about them that makes us crazy. We love the way your long fingers wrap around the glass you're drinking out of or loosely hold your phone as you scroll your facebook feeds, and yes, musicians, we like the way your fingers move as you play guitar, hold a mic or drumsticks etc. We even like the way you hold the play station or Xbox controller as we pretend to understand the game you're playing. We really don't mean to be weird, and we certainly don't mean it in a dirty way (at least mostly), we just enjoy your hands. It's like our brains are wired to notice these little things and we really can't help it, we promise. All we ask is that you're careful how you use those weapons of mass soul melting, because quite frankly, if you're not careful we find ourselves suddenly jealous of inanimate objects, and don't pretend you didn't notice, because you then pick up those objects twice as much, making sure we're watching.. Or at least some of you do.

Maybe writing this post and alerting the male population to our cryptonite wasn't my best plan, but please bare in mind that this blog is subject to opinion of a small group of ladies and does not necessarily apply to all women. This blog was a lighthearted piece of fun, so please don't read too much into it (punny, right?) or get offended by my confession that some of us girls shamelessly ogle guys hands.

Thanks for reading ;)

Friendships to hold dear.

Hello my loves,

I'm really getting back into blog writing recently, but as usual, there is no continuity between my posts.

Today I was going to write about the summer, but after almost completely finishing the post, I decided to write more about the friendships that were formed over my summer instead of just that vague topic of 'summer'.

I recently said that this past summer was the best of my life, but it wasn't because the weather was good or because I did anything particularly life changing, it was because I somehow ended up forming one of the best and craziest friendship groups consisting of myself, my brother Ryan, his girlfriend Lily, and his best friend Ellis. At first, I'll be honest, I did think I might end up being a bit of a fourth wheel or the odd one out, but that didn't happen at all, in fact, I can safely say that I now proudly call Ellis my best (guy) friend and that I actually probably spend more time hanging out with him than I do with most other people. I don't know how or why it happened, but we just seemed to click, we get each other and now we even say the same things at the same time and probably finish each others sentences.

This summer taught me that you can form friendships in the most unlikely places and that those friendships can become the very thing that hold you together when you feel like your whole world is falling apart. We did a lot this summer, from bowling, to bathtub shots, to camping, to just hanging out and watching movies, and when the summer ended, that didn't end. Our bond as a group only gets stronger, and our bonds within our separate friendships only grow stronger too.

I'll keep this short and hopefully a little less sweet as I'm far too sentimental to begin with, but more than anything, I'm glad that this summer gave me the opportunity to experience such an overwhelming love for another person and for a group of people that will hopefully be in my life for a long, long time.

Thanks for reading,

Alie :) .xo

Lime Crime Velvetine: Red Velvet Review | HeyyItsAlie

Hello my loves!

I decided to do something a little different today as usually I just rant or fret or talk about music, but I thought why not post a review? Some of you may know that I post beauty videos amongst other things on my youtube channel (www.youtube.com/heyyitsalie - shameless plug) so I thought why not review a product that I've had sitting around for months and not had a chance to use?

I'll start with a little back story: I originally got the Lime Crime Velvetine Red Velvet lip stain for christmas last year (2013 for anyone reading this quite far into the future) and although I've worn it a couple of times, I haven't really had a chance to give it a full outing, until last night that is. I decided I wanted to at least try to impress someone, and so as I stared into the jumbled mess that is my lip box, my eyes fell upon Red Velvet, sitting not so innocently in it's gorgeous packaging, daring me to give it go, all for impressive purposes of course.

Outer Packaging.

Tube.

I started off by applying a cheap drug store lip pencil in a similar colour so that I could get the true outline of my lip shape. Next I went in with Nivea's hydrocare lip balm which is literally one of my favourite inventions on this earth, and then I finally began to apply Red Velvet. I'll add here that less is more with this product. From previous experience I knew to relieve the applicator of most of the product otherwise it just goes everywhere and you tend to just give up and go with a regular, boring and quite frankly less sexy lippie. Anyway, I followed the shape of my lips and filled in the blank space and after a few moments of tidying the edges, I was pretty much set.

Right before I left, I decided to add Nivea's hydrocare lip balm over the top as well as underneath as the product felt quite drying and I was paranoid about it flaking or cracking throughout the night.

Once dry, Red Velvet feels silky smooth to touch (I did a survey ;)) and looks gorgeous on. It is highly pigmented and shows no signs of shifting throughout the night, even after a cheeky maccies and a few nervous lip bites.

Over all, I actually adore this product. It's sexy, light and actually smells delicious too. I probably wouldn't chance it without some kind of lip hydrator either underneath or over the top, but the staying power is absolutely amazing, and if I gave it a rating it would be 9/10/

Life saving Nivea hydrocare lip balm.

Red Velvet with hydrocare underneath

Red Velvet with Hydrocare underneath and on top

Red Velvet with hydrocare underneath & on top + cheeky insta filter.

Thanks for reading!

Alie :) xo 

All is fair in love and war but really I can't take much more.

I don't know where to begin really. I haven't posted a rant or a personal blog on here in a long time, but I just feel as if getting back to blogging might be nice.

Recently I have been conflicted, once again. I really don't know what to do for the best. I have a situation, and like with all situations, it is a complicated one. I just don't know where my head is at or what I should be doing. I know deep down that what I want to do is get my brave on and just shout how I feel from the rooftops, but an unfortunate thing happened a few years ago and now I find myself terrified to utter the words. I don't personally think they'll do any good anyway, but then again, my apparently very low opinion of myself could possibly adding to the anxiety I feel when I contemplate biting the bullet and just going for it.

Now you've probably figured out what I'm talking about by now, so I'm not going to elaborate through fear of being found out, but I really needed to vent and get it out. Quite frankly, in my own head I feel as if I can't compete and that is another thing that is definitely getting in my way. To myself, I feel as if I am not good enough to even attempt what I want to attempt, and I find myself in a vicious circle where I constantly end up getting myself hurt because I was either too brave, or not brave enough. I wish things were easier. I wish that for once, the thing that I want would just come to me instead of me having to fight tooth and nail for it like I've had to my whole life. Deep down, I just want things to go the way I want them to go because if they do, I'll be the happiest girl alive.

Thanks for reading my ridiculous ramblings,

Alie. xo

Two Faced Serenade @ Chinnery's 12/09/14

Hey Everyone, 

I know it's been a while and I've completely neglected this blog as of late, but to be perfectly honest, I just didn't feel like I had anything much worth saying, but now I do, so here it goes. 

Please brace yourselves as the following blog may contain small traces of fangirl. 

So of course I would kick-start this old blog with a post about music, but this post is more than just a review of a band or a gig for me as the band it is about is one I am very heavily invested in (you kind of have to be if your little brother and best friend are actually in the band). 

Now, readers, if any of you still even follow this blog after I so rudely neglected it, this band I want to write about today is called Two Faced Serenade (there will be links below so please make sure you check those out). Two Faced Serenade have been described as many things, the most recent of which being 'energetic edgy punk' and I really think that term is probably the best I've heard so far. As someone who has the rare privilege of tagging along to rehearsals once in a while, it's easy to grow used to seeing the music played 'live' as such, but what rehearsals don't prepare you for is the sheer brilliance of a band when under the spotlight. 

Last night (12/09/14) Two Faced Serenade played at Chinnery's in Southend and my god was it good. The other bands on the bill were all brilliant which is a rare thing for me to say about a gig with more than a couple of artists, but I could hardly contain my excitement for the last band on; TFS. The night rushed by in mostly a blur for me as I hung out with my pals and waited for the big moment where I would see my friends up on stage. I'll admit, I went a little overboard getting them to sign pretty much anything that was sign-able and I'm sure the home-made T-shirts we made to support them went down an absolute treat, but no part of the night compared to the moment when the guys went up on stage to set up and the rest of the posse, including myself, went to stand at the very front so we could get the perfect view.

As they started playing the first song I could hardly contain myself and the fangirl squeals that were rising in my little throat. From that moment onwards, TFS's set was a whirlwind of energy, jumping and down-right brilliant music. The songs are catchy and completely unforgettable, sticking in your head like you wouldn't even believe, and the new songs also sounded freaking awesome, even if one of them was almost completely off-the-cuff. TFS managed to get every single person moving right from the get-go and were one hundred percent on form throughout their set. They interacted with the crowd, played their hearts out and it was completely obvious that they were having the time of their lives which is always lovely to see. Their songs are full of heart and life and sound incredible with a crowd clapping along and screaming for the band afterwards. 

I may be biased but I'm giving those guys a Freaking-Incredible-Out-Of-10 for their performance, energy, musical talent, charisma and of course, songs. 

Make sure you check out the links below to follow the band on twitter, like them on facebook, sub to them on youtube and whatever else, and definitely look out for their Acoustic EP which should be coming out soon. 

https://twitter.com/@Official_tfs_
https://www.facebook.com/TwoFacedSerenade/info
https://www.instagram.com/twofacedserenadeofficial
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq4FZZZ_Zw3bjyp5SOQjG2w

Thanks for reading,

Alie xo. 

ATTENTION WATTPADDERS :)

Hi everyone,

I know it's been a long, long time since I last posted a blog, but I'll be honest, the past year or so had been hectic. I used to post here regularly, and now I don't post at all.. I know, I'm terrible.

So I'm writing today to ask everyone and anyone who has wattpad to please, please, please go check out my stories. I'm so passionate about writing, and I love feedback, but people just don't seem to want to give feedback or have a friendly chat about the characters in the comments any more.. So, if you're a fellow wattpadder, and fancy reading something new, please check out my work and let me know what you think.. If you follow me, I'd be more than happy to follow back and read your stories too, because I love reading and I'm always looking for something new to read!

That being said, here are the links to my wattpad page/books, and I really hope you can find the time to check them out and possibly even enjoy them ;)

Profile: http://www.wattpad.com/user/StarGirlLou95

Perfect Sunday: http://www.wattpad.com/story/1307823-perfect-sunday-wattpadprize14-fully-edited
Addi James is a girl with a dream, and a secret past. When an unlikely person breaks her tough shell, she finally reveals what's been keeping her in a rut. A weight lifts from her shoulders and her life begins to fall into place, but will an unexpected tradgedy affect Addi's new found happiness? A story filled with music, romance, comedy, drama and tradgedy. Watch as Addi's life unravels and unfolds into an adventure she'll never forget. You: http://www.wattpad.com/story/11327936-you-wattpadprize14 Nick Lacey is a good guy. If his life were a comic, he'd have played the nerdy superhero with the secret side of badass and the secretive past, but when a fiery beauty moves to Ravens End, he begins to realise that there's more to life than just getting by, sometimes you just have to live. Sasha Santiago has been the damsel in distress, and she wasn't fond of it. She's passionate and imaginative, and for some reason, those traits just seem to draw people to her. One of those people just happens to be dependable good guy, Nick. What will happen when the hero and damsel cross paths? BRAND NEW STORY - PROPHECY: http://www.wattpad.com/story/17355284-prophecy In a highly superstitious town full of supernatural creatures, Aarin Chase is an ordinary witch, but when a handsome stranger rides into town on an obnoxiously loud Harley, everything starts to change. Why? Because Mr. Tall, Dark and Dangerous just so happens to trigger the beginning of the fulfilment of a long forgotten prophecy. Nothing is as it seems in willow-oak any more, and before anyone can blink, their world is turning upside-down.

Thanks a million to anyone who so happens to stumble across this post and give my writing a chance, as I said, if you follow me on wattpad, I would love to read your stories :)

Alie xo

The third tattoo: an explanation

So I got a new tattoo yesterday, and I've been asked several times 'why?', 'what is the meaning?', or 'what is the relevance?' and well, I just wanted to explain.

This tattoo, is a lyric from a song by an incredible band called Rumours, but this lyric, it means so much to me in so many different ways. I didn't go into this with a half thought out plan to get some words on my wrist, I fully sat and thought about it, and designed and designed until I was one hundred and twelve percent happy with my idea. If I wasn't one hundred and twelve percent happy, I never would have gotten it.

This tattoo to me, is more than just words. This tattoo is one hundred memories, all captured in a quote. When I look at it, I see all of those times when I was euphorically happy, all of those people that made me that happy, and all of the times in the future that are going to make me feel that way too. I never want to forget that feeling of being so happy that I could just shout it to the world, and that is what this tattoo means to me.

I truly believe that even if we aren't musical geniuses, we all write out own metaphoric soundtracks and melodies as we stumble through life, and 'our melodies lit up the night' to me, isn't just about the amazing music that does light up my nights, or the inner soundtrack that I have going.. It's a way to describe those amazing moments that lit up and light up my life.. Those nights standing out under the stars, waiting for a wish, those nights outside venues talking to incredible bands, those days just chilling with my best friends, and those times when only family can make you feel better. This tattoo reminds me of all of those things, of how music warms my soul, and how certain amazing people light me on fire. I never want to forget those feelings.

So when I'm older and my future children are asking: 'what does that tattoo mean?' I can explain to them that it means the world, and I can explain to them how amazing those nights under the stars, outside venues, with friends or with family were, and when my grandchildren and great grandchildren ask, I can tell them the same, and when I'm ninety, and looking down at my wrist and see those words, I can remember what it was like to be so amazingly happy that I felt like my heart was going to explode, and I can also remember the people who brought those words into my life. I can smile and remember those guys that didnt treat me like an annoying idiot, those guys who treated me as an equal, and who wrote incredible, amazing and inspirational songs. I can remember how they were all amazing and always there if I needed them, and hopefully, by some beautiful little miracle, they'll still be in my life in all those years.

Thanks for reading.. I'm not quite 90 yet.. So for now, live for the moment, get excited about the future, live your own life, follow your own path and adventure and just be happy.

Thanks for reading,

Alie :)

Rumours 30.05.13

Okay,

So I've written about them before, by this point, I think it's certain I'll write about them again, but this blog is going to be and short and sweet one about Rumours.

So they played in Camden last night, and well, without ruining my entire point, they were incredible.

I can't even describe how those guys just capture every ear in a crowd by how purely amazing they are.  Their songs are well thought out, intelligently written and purely from the heart, and that's what makes them just so relatable and soul capturing.

The vocals are heavenly, sending chills down any listeners spine, the songs are catchy and get stuck in your head so easily and just know you're going to be singing them for days, but I think the thing that made everyone enjoy their set so much, was purely and simply that you could see that the guys were having so much fun playing, and playing together. They fit so well as a unit, like a driving force that's getting music back to where it should be.

These guys are lovely, kind, inspiring and amazing people, and are literally my heroes. I have no doubt that they will be yours too one day.


Thanks for reading,

- A very orange armed Alie.

Lets settle this once and for all.

Right, I'm not even going to give this post an introduction.

I've always been my own person. I've always been who I wanted to be, and I've done that at great emotional expense to myself sometimes. I've never strived to be popular, or wanted to be in a clique, and I'm more than happy with the company I keep these days.

I'm sorry if I don't please you. I'm sorry if I'm not the kind of person you want to hang around with or be associated with, I'm sorry if my music tastes and the fact that I read don't fit in with your 'image' but quite frankly, the way I live my life stopped being your problem a long time ago. We don't even talk anymore and it's not like I'm cramping your style, so do you know what? Just leave it.

I'm happy with the person I am, and I'm not going to change just because you want to say crap and act like I'm the leper of the century.

So I don't go out on the piss every other night, and I don't make a huge show of my private life. Maybe I do post pictures of me at gigs, but at least in those pictures, I'm with people I care about, and at least when I'm at gigs, I'm doing something that I'm happy doing.

Music, Art and Literature the things that make up my life. I'm sorry that your lifestyle doesn't fit into my routines and hobbies, and I'm sorry to anyone who finds my personality too big, or offensive or whatever, but plenty of people don't mind me being loud and energetic and just a complete idiot half the time. Some people like that I have some life in me, and that I'm not moping around, because if some of you remember, there was a time in my life when everything was dark, when I didn't want to smile and when it seemed as if I'd been broken in half. To some people that know me, they'll have seen this happen twice, and you'll be expecting it to happen again in the next couple of weeks, but do you know what? I'm happy right now, I've got people in my life, old and new, who I care about a lot and they like who I am, so no, I won't be quiet, I won't hide away, I am me, and I'm proud of that. You can cut me down, you can say shit about me, and you can tell me that none of my friends care about me, and maybe some of them don't, but I have a good few people in my life that I can count on, and I'll be damned if I let you drag me down.

So lets settle this once and for all. I am me, I'm not changing, I'm sorry if you don't like it, and I'm sorry if I don't fit in with your lifestyle, but here it is; I fit into my own lifestyle, and that's all that matters. Say what you like, but I'm going to love the friends that I love, love the music that I love, and live the life that I love.

That's all.

Rumours first gig.

asdfghjkl oh ma god.

I couldn't find a good way to start this blog, purely because the feels had to be let out. Now that's out of the way, lets get down to business. 

Last night, I travelled to Bristol to see a band called Rumours first gig. Now, before anyone calls me crazy for travelling a long way to see a bands first gig, I would like to point out that I most likely am crazy and also that I would never, ever have missed that first gig for the world.

I was pleasantly surprised when Rumours started playing.. Not because I wasn't used to the music they were playing, but because they were playing music similar to the music I grew up listening to. Rumours music took me back to my roots, and back to where my love of music all began, and I felt this musical void inside me just fill up with beautiful songs and the warmest love I've felt for a band in a long time. 

Until Rumours played their first song, I had no idea how much I missed Rock music, and now I just can't get that feeling out of my head. That feeling of being complete for the first time in a long time. 

The songs that Rumours played were all heart-felt, honest, pure and relatable songs. Songs that have been missing from some music for a long time. At one point, during a song called 'meet me half way' I did feel a little prick at the old tear ducts, because that song is just beautiful in so many ways. 

I could bang on about the purity and beauty of each song for days, but I think, once you listen to Rumours for yourself, you'll hear exactly what I'm saying.

I can't wait to hear what Rumours have in store for us, I can't wait to see them live again, and I can;t wait to see them again in general. These guys; Alex Mcmain, Neil Oliver, Dan Mur & Jamie Hadley, are four of the loveliest, sweetest, incredible, amazing and inspiring people I've ever met.

I wouldn't change last night for the world.

I'd like to thank Rumours for being so absolutely and incredibly amazing last night, and I'd like to thank them, from the bottom of my heart, for bringing the music that I love back into my life, but with a new, unique and fresh take on it.

I know for a fact that I won't stop smiling for weeks, maybe months to come, and neither will anyone else that was there. 

Rumours are going to change the world.

Thanks for reading, I'll put all of Rumours links below.

Alie :) x

________________________________________________________________________________

Rumours links:

https://twitter.com/rumoursofficial

http://www.facebook.com/officialrumours?fref=ts#!/officialrumours?fref=ts

http://rumoursofficial.tumblr.com

ForeverYoung:  http://www.facebook.com/officialrumours?v=app_178091127385&app_data=eyJjb250ZW50LnRyYWNrIjoiMjAzMjEyMDA3NTc3NTA5ODg4In0%3D

Teaser: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPFjrGIYcxs

                                              

Rumours

Well well well, this little gem popped out of nowhere, didn't it? We all had our suspicions about who would be in Rumours when the twitter account appeared, shadowed profile picture included, and we were all exremely excited to see what the enigma that was Rumours had in store for us.

 

When the big unveil finally came about, everyone was ecstatic for the next big thing. It was like, in a time where some pretty bad things were happening in music, an amazing thing came along to counteract it.

 

I'll be honest, I couldn't imagine a better lineup for Rumours, all the guys are lovely, and incredibly talented, and they're all in it for the music and the love of that music, you can see that just by the way they talk about their new band, and Forever Young just backed up this point pefectly.

 

Forever Young is a song from the heart. You can hear that immediately in the lyrics. This song is something that has been felt and lived, and it's easily relateable, too. The vocals are beautiful, the lyrics are catchy and the guitars are stuck in your head for days, and that's just the acoustic version. I for one, cannot wait to hear the song in its entirety. This song is already making an impact on people, and I imagine it will for years to come.

 

I expect big things will come from Rumours, and I cannot wait to hear and see what they have in store for us. I think this band is just what people needed to restore their faith in music, and I have a feeling that Rumours will be taking the world by storm.

 

I have a suspicion that my obsession with this band will grow, and that so will everyone elses. I genuinely think that Rumours are going to be big, and I can't wait to see where their music takes them.

 

Bands have changed my life before, but I have a feeling that Rumours are going to do more than just change it. I think Rumours might just fill that musical void that's been missing for a long time.

 

Thanks for reading,

 

I'm sure I'll be writing about these fabulously amazing, inspiring and incredible human beings again, so watch out, and watch out for them :)

 

Alie :) x

 

___________________________________________________________________________________

 

Rumours links:

 

https://twitter.com/rumoursofficial

 

http://www.facebook.com/officialrumours?fref=ts#!/officialrumours?fref=ts

 

ForeverYoung:  http://www.facebook.com/officialrumours?v=app_178091127385&app_data=eyJjb250ZW50LnRyYWNrIjoiMjAzMjEyMDA3NTc3NTA5ODg4In0%3D

 

Teaser: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPFjrGIYcxs

                                              

I complained to Mcdonalds.

So, while I was in Mcdonalds with a friend, I experienced some unacceptable customer service.

Here is the complaint I sent to them:

"Dear Mcdonalds,

I am quite furious with the lack of respect given to me by a member of staff in your southend 2 restaurant.
I bought a chicken mayo and small fries to have as my lunch during my college break, and I had with me my own drink. I did not have enough money to buy a drink in your restauraunt, as I am a student without a current job.

As I was finishing off my meal, I took a lemon slice from my bag that I was about to put into my pocket to eat on my way back to college. As I was retrieving my lemon slice, a member of your staff came to my table and told me to leave. I was perplexed at this and asked why. The staff member told me that I would not take mcdonalds to a cake shop and that I should leave the restaurant immediately, despite me spending the only money I had on food in the store that pays her wages. I got up and left without another word, too angry to even give the woman a second glance.

I am very dissapointed in the rude behaviour of this member of staff, and upset that I cannot simply remove a lemon slice from my bag without being kicked out of your store.
Thanks."

I'd like to add that I sent this complaint over an hour ago, and have not yet recieved a reply.

 

Infuriated Alie.

Angry.

I am so genuinely angry and upset right now.

I can't tell you how hulkish I am.

So basically, and I don't often rant about people in particular, but basically at college we have a final major project. For us music tech students, that project is to record and mix an album. At the start of the year we had to get into groups of four or five, my friend and I were left with people who didn't really want to be in a group with us, and who wanted to actually work for their grade even less.

Last week, we heard murmerings that two of the members of our group were leaving to create their own, and then this week, we've heard that the other member of our group is leaving too. The thing is, none of the people in our group have actually told us that they're leaving. Find this perculiar? Me too.

I'm so anrgy that these people who at the very least are our peers, feel that they have the right to leave us in the lurch in the very most important project we have to complete here. They still haven't bothered telling us that they're leaving.. I doubt they even will, so that's just great. What if we'd have gotten to our next recording day and they'd just turned around to us sayign "oh yeah, we left three weeks ago" what would we have done? because I'm telling you it wouldn't have been good.

I can't even type properly or begin to describe this all right now, so I'll leave this here.

I'm anrgy, I'm upset and I'm betrayed.

Later,

Alie.

Something that bugs me.

First post of 2013 I believe?

Okay, so here's something that really bugs me; people who sit around ridiculing you and the things you like just to get some small amount of self satisfaction. Something that makes this worse, is that 90% of the time, these people are completely wrong in what they're saying. They state 'facts' that aren't even facts at all and walk around acting as if they are the almighty rulers of the earth. These people go around thinking that they are the absolute definition of perfection when in reality, they're nothing but a spec of dust on the ornament that is the world.

Many of us understand that in life, we start off as nothing and gradually build ourselves up to something in order to get where we want to be in life, but some people grow up believing that they are destined to be the almighty, and spend so much time with their heads stuck so far up their own gold plated arses that they don't realise that they are going the complete wrong way about getting what they want. These people, are the kinds of people that sit on their computers telling everyone they're right via their sad little keyboard wars, while the rest of us are out there in the real world living our lives and trying to get somewhere. So yeah, we all spend a lot of time on the internet these days, but the kinds of people I'm talking about are the kinds who sit behind their screens, ridculing other people, telling others that they're wrong and wasting their lives beliveing that riches will just find them without them lifting a finger for it to do so.

I'm so sick of people like this telling other people that they're wrong, but what I'm also sick of, is the same kind of people sitting behind their screens, trying to justify themselves by saying "oh well, I don't want ultimate riches, I'd just like to be a millionaire or something," well too bad my friend, because millionaires pretty much do have ultimate riches.

I think what I'm trying to put accross, is that I wish some people would just stop for a second to think about the things they say and do. I'd love it, if people would research something before they sit and tell the world that it's the 100% truth and fact.

Anyway guys, I'm out of steam, please leave comments if you agree or even if you disagree, don't be afraid to comment, I don't bite!


Thanks for reading!

Alie :) x

Goodbye 2012!

So it's the end of 2012 and I just wanted to post a little blog to see the year off.

This year has had some of the highest highs, and the lowest lows. There have been times this year where I've just wanted to give up on everything completely, curl up into a ball and wallow in all my own sorrows, and there have been other times where I've wanted to climb to the top of the tallest mountain and scream to the world about how happy I am.

My life has been up and down and round all of the bends this year, I've had the hardest struggle, medically speaking, that I've ever had and I've been in the wars a few times, walked around with slings and bandages, sat in a'n'e for hours, had x-rays and blood tests and physio and god knows what else, but I never let that define me. I never once let anyone tell me I couldn't do something I wanted to do, I didn't let one scratch or bump ruin what I've wanted to do.

I spent as much of my time as I could at gigs this year and I had the best time just being there and letting the music and the atmosphere take me away. I met amazing people, people who will always have space in my heart and hopefully, in my life too.

I met my best friend for the first time in person, and I couldn't thank her enough for how amazing she's been. She's become an honorary family member, someone who will always have a place in all of our heart, even is she does live 232 miles away.

So, it's true, I did lose a couple of amazing friends this year. We're all growing up now, and we're growing apart, but even though I miss some of those people, even though I wish things could go back to their perfect clarity with those select people, at the same time, I believe that everything happens for a reason, and if I hadn't drifted apart with those people, I might not ever have met these new, life long friends that I spoke about in the past two paragraphs.

I'm so looking forward to all the amazing things that are going to happen in 2013, and although I'll be greatly worrying about Uni and fretting over things to come, I know that I'm going to have a great year next year, because I'm going to make it great, and some very amazing people will help me make it great, even if they don't happen to stumble upon this blog, even if they never know how much they've changed my life, they are going to make it the best year so far, especially in April.

We've all been through a lot this year, but the world didn't end, so from me, to you, I wish you all a very happy new year, and I hope all the best things come to you in 2013

Thanks for reading,

Alie :) x

Know it all's.

Finally, I'm sick of getting viewed as 'dumb' or 'stupid', 'quiet' or standoffish and the butt of every joke.

I'm quiet in most places because I don't find it easy to socialise with people I don't know, and sometimes I don't know how to react with the people I do know. If you know me well, you won't think I'm shy. You'll think "Alie never shuts up, she's a loudmouth and crazy." If you don't know me, you'll think "Oh, that Alie girl is quiet, she always looks bored and standoffish etc" and if you're in the middle, well, you'll probably think I have a lot of mood swings.

I don't know why I find it hard to talk to some people, and why I talk wayyy too much to others, but a lot of it comes down to nerves and awkward silences, or maybe I'm just comfortable with you. If I talk too much, it's not because I'm trying to give you my life story, it's because I'm nervous, and I'm uncomfortable in silences. If I don't talk enough, it's because I don't know how you'll take the things I say.

People take all of this as me being 'weird' or something. Yeah okay, I am weird, I'll give you that one, but I'm not weird because I don't know how to act around every single person that happens to cross my path.

I talk about bands a lot, I like one genre of music more than I like others, and I'm not going to change that because other people find it funny to take the piss. I listen to a wider range of genre's than most people even realise. Just because most of the songs on my phone are of my favourite genre, doesn't mean I don't listen to others. Everyone is entitled to choose which songs grace their own ears, right? It's just like bookworms who like fantasy over scifi, or film addicts that prefer romcom over horror. It doesn't mean they don't read other books or watch other films, it just means they have a favourite. So back to where I was at the beginning of this paragraph. I talk about bands a lot, and the honest truth is, I talk about them because music, bands, and fanbases are what I know. 'Band world' as some call it, is the only place I feel I fit in fully. There are so many others like me there, that it doesn't even matter if I'm a little awkward or quiet at first, because the chances are, they're feeling the same, or similar, and then we mostly acknowledge that and suddenly get on pretty well. Of course there are arguments and people who like people less or more, and it's still a relatively catty place to be at times, but fanbases are like families, and talking about bands and music is something that actually brings the real me out of her shell.

As for intelligence, people constantly think I'm stupid because I don't speak up. They think I don't know my stuff because I don't come out with a lengthy speech about the subject at hand. I don't see the point in being a know it all, when I could quite happily keep my knowledge to myself and put it all into an essay. I don't take a lot of interest in politics, and I don't often read newspapers because I have an awfully hard time trying to learn about things that don't interest me, and that's a huge flaw of mine, but what I lack in those subjects, I make up for in things that actually interest me. I could spend weeks researching a subject. I love it. I've created and printed projects before that weren't for school or college, purely because doing that pleased me. I've scrolled through countless databases and archives looking for information on things like Phantom cat sightings in the UK and I even started looking at Australia when I was done with the UK. I created a 74 page project about the Dangerous Wild Animals act of 1976, I later used that knowledge in my year eleven English exams. I put my mind to things that interest me, I write books, stories poems, only a few end up on wattpad, but it doesn't mean I didn't write more. I write songs, I sing, I used to act. I was cast to play Sandy in a stage performance of Grease that was cancelled on opening night. I played Violet Beauregard in a small stage show of Charlie and the chocolate factory, despite the fact that I hate the film and the book. I was level 6 at horse riding before I quit, and I was published in four different poetry books, but why should everyone know this? Why do I need to tell people these things to prove that I'm not entirely clueless? Why do I have to spend my life explaining that I'm quiet because I don't like to toot my own horn?..

I'm fine with my friends acting high and mighty, go ahead, be better, be worse, go to a uni on the other side of the world if it makes you happy,  I'm going to a uni close to home, you know why? I have medical issues. Something you seem to forget. I've accomplished a lot for someone who has a condition that puts them in constant and never ending pain, I've done a lot for someone who has to take four different medications four times a day, but guess what? My condition doesn't define me. It doesn't make me less or more of a person, and I'm sick of being taken for a ride just because I'm one thing, QUIET.

I'm constantly walked over. People pick me as the butt of the joke 90% of the time, and I usually don't care, but this time, it's gone too far, because guess what? It finally broke me, so you people who talk shit about me, call me names, say you "hate" me when you don't know me, you need to leave me alone for a bit. I need to recharge. There's a reason I don't use people as the butt of my jokes unless they're fully aware that I'm joking, and it's because all of these years that you've taken the piss, it's been boiling under my skin.

So what if I'm not the same as you, not everyone can be the almighty god of socialisation and know it all-ism.

To all those people that know me, get me, understand me, and only use me in joke because they know I know it's a joke? I love you. Never change, carry on joking with me, about me, and I'll carry on doing the same with you. You people who do it maliciously? You people who do it because it makes you look good? Fuck off, none of us underdogs need you and your god given gifts and talents. Some of us work for everything, and we'll do it until the day we die.

If you reached the end of this rant, congrats, gold star, love and hugs all round. The people that did reach the end, you should know, one person tipped this over the edge, one stupid comment, and it all came flooding out. I'll rant like this in another ten years. Anyone who feels the same, you're not alone.

Thanks for reading,

Alie x

Do I even know you anymore?

Do we ever really know someone? 

People are so volatile. They change every day, hour by hour, second by second, so do we ever really know anyone? Do we every really know ourselves? 

Recently, I’ve realised that there are a lot of people in my life that I really don’t know anymore. We might have been close once, but now? Not so much. Most people would say “so what? Get on with it, people change.” and they do, but that doesn’t mean that it upsets me any less when I lose a close friendship with someone. 

Why do people change? What makes them become someone you don’t know? Issues, problems, life changes, things that go on. Is it so wrong that I want to know the reasons for people changing? Is it so wrong for me to want to just be there for them unconditionally? 

Well, if I’ve said it once, then I’ll say it a thousand times, I am always, always, there for the people who need me. I have ears, I can listen. I have eyes, I can read, I have a brain, I can give advice, but some people just won’t believe it. 

If you’ve changed because something’s going on, if you’re distancing yourself from your friends because you don’t think they’ll understand, try them. Tell the ones you can trust and let them be there for you. Let them understand, because if you don’t, you’ll lose them. You’ll alienate yourself, and you’ll also leave them wondering what they did wrong.

So, rant over, 

Alie x

Just a little babble.

Guise! I haven't posted in a while, huh?

This makes me a bad person I know.

So I have an extremely busy December, and I can't understand how. I know it sounds weird to wonder how you've got a busy month, but I started working recently, and it's on a bit of a touch and go basis really. I get called in if they have work, and I don't get called in if they don't, but i've found myself having to say I can't go in a lot lately because of the plans I already have.

I've never been the sort of person that likes to go out very often. Of course I enjoy it, and I like spending time with other people, but a lot of the time, I just end up going to their houses, or they end up coming to mine, unless of course, I'm going to a gig, which is actually my main sense of a night out. I'd rather go to a gig or a few gigs and hang out with people more like myself, than spend a night out in a pub (when I don't even drink) with a bunch of drunkards. That's not to say that I don't love the drunkards when they're not drunk, but being the only one sober when the rest of your friends are seeing life through beer goggles makes an evening a little less enjoyable, especially if they like joyriding on mobility scooters or something.

Back to the point, this month, I've actually got quite a lot of plans, and I took a look at the calender, to see that I actually only have a few days free in december, whether I'm doing something with the family, at college, out with friends, or at gigs, I'm busy almost everyday, and I've had to let my new boss know this, and although he told me that that's absolutely fine as he's only a starting business and isn't getting an awfully large amount of clients, I still felt extremely bad about having to let someone down, and now here comes the paragraph that would make it seem as if I need a psychiatrist. I don't, really, I don't.

I have an awfully large problem with letting people down. I'll kick myself for a week if I'm two minutes late to class, and it takes months to forgive myself if I have a day off college, when days off are unavoidable for me with my illness. It's almost like I get angry at myself for letting someone down just slightly, and even if that person tells me it's fine, it's okay, I still have that small fragment of doubt in my head that tells me I'm letting people down, and I can't stand it.

Anyway, thanks for reading the first babble I've had in a while.

Alie :) x