My first ever driving playlist for Key Domino.

So, I bought a car right. It cost me a fortune to learn to drive one, a fortune (and a lot of heartache and stress) to buy one and a smaller, but still considerable fortune to insure it.

My car is called Key Domino.

But it's my car and therefore gone are the days of having to endure other people's music. I'm really impatient so like to skip tracks before they've ended. Actually, I just like the intro and possibly the first chorus on most songs and that's enough for me. Doing this, makes me a 'coke DJ' apparently. But for the first time ever, I've been able to make a playlist full of songs that I really like and not worry about anybody else liking them (if they didn't, they're in my car so can either a) get the hell out of my car or b) shut the fuck up) or not.

The songs are:

Ready for the weekend by Calvin Harris.

I used to really fancy Calvin Harris. Combination of him being a bit good looking and the fact that he replied to me a few times on Twitter before he turned into a massive wanker. I think it was 30% good looking, 60% Twitter. Actually, 20% good looking, 80% Twitter. So this song is just really catchy, the thing I like about it is the chorus. By listening to the voice, I like to think it's one of those big, black soulful women who warble over pop songs and dance songs. It's just a simple, catchy little pop song that makes me feel happy.

Football Season is over (Utah Saints version) by Bring me the Horizon.

Ok so I'm not really a fan of Bring me the Horizon but I love the whole cut up album. I don't usually like mash up stuff but this is just a really ace tune that makes you want to make those dirty sex faces and throw your arms about when it gets going. The cut up vocals of the singer just add to it, rather than detract and it never fails to win me over.

Opiate the Masses by Dälek

This reminds me of Graham. It reminds me of waking up in the morning at his old house knowing I had to go to work and not wanting to, I remember the sunshine coming in through the curtains and waking me up so although this song is some kind of out-there experimental hip hop, it will always remind of being happy waking up.

Late for the Kill, Early for the Slaughter by Soilwork


I love Soilwork as they're like a slightly less obvious Killswitch Engage. They're a really good metal band to party to. Some would say they're a bit 'metal chump' which may be true but I don't mind that. It makes me feel like I ought to be at a festival in Europe in shorts and sunglasses with a bottle of lukewarm cider in my hand singing along half cut at about 5pm. Plus, it always makes me laugh as Graham insists on singing the chorus in the voice of either Ren or Stimpy, so some central American accent.

Pressure by Skindred


I think Skindred are a band who really are unique. I've seen them a few times before and they've always put on a really good show. I'm not a massive fan of anything that's not on Babylon and this is one of the finest on there. I don't really like Ragga but this has enough to make it awesome but not so much that it's overkill.


Unison (Knife Party remix) by Porter Robinson


Porter Robinson is new to me but I love this song because it has a lot of bass, it's catchy and there's a drop in it that would probably frighten my mother half to death.


Fucking Hostile by Pantera


I love a bit of chuggy metal, as much as the next person. To be honest, this could have been any Pantera song. And who does chug better than Pantera?


The Scenic Route by Panacea


Panacea are new to me and when I got one of their albums, this is the only song that really appealed to me. I know it's a bit mainstream and a bit 'Jurassic 5 a là 1996' but I love the chords and the way it makes me feel. I want to drive in the sunshine to this and play it loudly. I want to wear sunglasses, shorts and my Clark's Originals sandals and drive around the countryside with my friends in the back of the car. I


Jaded by Open Hand


I'd never heard of this band until the boyf introduced them to be and from what I understand this one album is the only one that's actually of any cop really. Out of the 13 songs (I think) on this album, I adore about 6 of them. That's quite a high hit rate. It's just beautiful with a really lilting vocal line. I just need to remember not to focus on trying to hit the high notes when driving round tight corners.


Split the Atom by Noisia


I rarely experience it anymore but there's a feeling I get when I've had a certain substance and a few drinks and I'm out in a club with my friends and a banger of a tune comes on. It's a dirty little number that makes you hold your wine glass in the air, pout your lips and do your 'sexy dance' whilst giving your girlfriend the 'you know you want this' eyes that you'd prefer to be giving to your boyfriend if he wasn't there. This song reminds me of that coked up sexy feeling. Some of you will know what I mean by this.


Epitaph by Necrophagist


Cos everyone loves pretending to be the (air) drummer in a technical death metal band. It's just a shame that hands and feet are vital when operating a tonne of moving metal.


Katharsis by Nachtmahr


Oh man. Nachtmahr, I love Nachtmahr. I'll stop talking about Nachtmahr but I really love Nachtmahr.


Whiplash by Mr Scruff


Mr Scruff, ace tunes but miserable bastard. I like the adjectives that way round. I like the bass in this song, it makes me almost want to buy one of those sub woofer things that would take up the whole of my boot. But then I'd have no room for multi buy toilet rolls that I bought on special offer and I am, after all a Yorkshire woman at heart.


I Just Can't Stop Loving You by Michael Jackson


I love singing along to it. Car or no car.


I Need Air by Magnetic Man


I love everything about this song. Even that all the lyrics are obviously about giving head to someone. I love the triplet beat and the harmonies and the vocals. Everything. It's one of a few of my 'spacey' songs. Typical by MuteMath being one of the other.


Internet Friends by Knife Party


Trashy, I know. But it's funny and now I've hit the ripe old age of 27, I can have a laugh. The riff when it kicks in is dirty and you will throw down to it.


Something Kinda Ooh by Girls Aloud


This is probably about as bad as my musical taste gets. The ultimate in guilty pleasures.


8 Bit Superhero by Excision


Everyone loves 8 bit or chiptune and I can't drive to DJ Scotch Egg.


Pull me Under by Dream Theater


Don't tell anyone but when I was younger, I was a bit of a music snob and therefore liked Prog Rock. Thank the Lord I've managed to get my massive head out of my massive arse and open my (now poopy) eyes - there's loads of great music out there. Just cos Lames Labrie doesn't warble along to it, doesn't mean it's not good. But I still can't help but like this song.


My Own Summer by the Deftones


This reminds me of being about 19, in clubs in Leeds with my friends dancing like nobody could see me. Of course, I was wholly aware that everyone could see me and was probably judging me but 10 ciders, great music and my friends meant that I really didn't care. I still dance like a broken helicopter - just think of lots of random jerking about and broken propellors blades sticking out at jaunty angles. Yeah, I perfected that dance to this song.


Be Quiet and Drive by the Deftones


Because one Deftones song is never enough.

Resistanz Festival

We came back today from a festival.

It was a two day festival held at Corporation club, Sheffield and included amongst others, the following acts:

• Grendel
• Nachtmahr
• Soman
• Memmaker
• Straftanz
• Ultraviolence

These all roughly fit into the Industrial / EBM / Hard dance kind of genre which is good as I really like this kind of music. 

So the hotel was fine, the travel was fine, the bands were fine but the only things I had any concern about were my outfits and possibly being seen to 'not fit in'. I didn't care about being shitfaced or dancing like an idiot, I actually did both of those two things purposefully on the last night and had a whale of a time. I think  because some of the outfits were so considered and extreme, I felt like I ought to be keeping up with the others in order to fit in.

There were a lot of wild and crazy outfits. There was more than one very tall, very thin man dressed in whale net nights and a tiny skirt with much eyeliner on and those cute little backpacks. There was more than one woman in a low cut latex top. There was more than one man in a kilt bounding about the place to the tunes the DJ was playing nearly taking out people and their drinks but nobody minding as he was having such a good time. There was more than one person dressed in the military uniform of Nachtmahr There was more than 1 pair of New Rock boots. In fact, I'd bet money on there being more than 200 pairs of New Rock boots at that festival, actually.

I decided to go with the Nachtmahr uniform which I suppose is making a bit of a statement as it ascribes itself to something very specific. Not just Goth or Cybergoth but one band in particular. But I really loved the outfit so thought 'fuck it', why not. I enjoyed it so much on the first night that I sacked off my second night's outfit and just wore the top half of the first night with some jeans.

We met so many cool people and had a really great time dancing and drinking. After a couple of drinks, I didn't care about fitting in or if my hat was straight  so I can't imagine anyone else giving a shit at all. 

I think the festival really made me think about my perceptions of myself and how others actually view me. To be honest, If I wore what I wore there to work then people would stare at me but that is to be expected. That's what happens when there is something different in a crowd of similarity. But it was quite refreshing to be just part of the crowd and nobody give you a second glance. I'm not saying I am the centre of attention all the time or that I ever want to be but I do seem to get a lot of looks in the street. It's not that I think I'm stunning and men fall at my feet, that's not what I mean. It's not that I get admiring looks, it's just looks. Perhaps because I'm brown but a bit 'alternative' so don't fit into some category or perhaps because I have a thin white boyfriend. Maybe it's cos I dress a bit differently but it's always been the same. So I guess it means I have a bit of a chip on my shoulder about it.

I loved Resistanz because nobody cared that I was there.