+ green lava lamp
+ box of trash bags
+ can of mace
+ these things
My boss is always finding random things around his house and then he gives them to me. These are speakers. They light up, make noise and change color.
At last. The boots I’ve always wanted. A love story really. These boots are vegan. The rest is made of meat and blood.
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Tonight I went out and bought 35mm film. I haven’t bought 35mm film in nearly a decade. I threw it in my old ten dollar camera. Replaced the old batteries with ones I found in my Walkman and a Tinkerbell lantern. Then I took a few accidental pictures trying to figure out if it still works. It seams to work but I won’t know for sure until I develop the film. I used up half The film. 24 exposures. I must choose my pictures wisely. This camera, it rattles when I shake it. Sometimes. I got it in 1997 or thereabouts. It’s been everywhere with me. Across the country with me once maybe twice. I brought along with me to Sweden. Noway. The Netherlands. Ireland. The picture above was taken in Ireland about 11 years ago. I like the special quality of this picture. This camera take special pictures. beautiful pictures. Real pictures. A tangible memory trapped in a box and then sealed onto paper. When I steal someone’s soul I want to be able to hold it in my hand.
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I only saw a few bands that night, but it didn’t matter cause they were a few of the bands I wanted to see the most. There was a thunderstorm just before Neurosis was about to go on. I can’t think of many things more awesome then seeing Neurosis play in a thunderstorm. Sadly that didn’t not happen and their set was delayed for what felt like an endless amount of time. I liked their set but I felt like I was too far away from the stage. Maybe I was just stoned or something but I felt like I was miles away. I want to see them again and try that one more time.
The last band of the night Marduk. I’ve been waiting years to see them again. They were gonna play MDF in 2009 but couldn’t get into the country. Needless to say I was quite happy to see them play again.
The club tried to cut their set short and turned the lights on. That did not stop them. They kept on playing. They didn’t come all the way over from Sweden to to get kicked off the stage before they even finished their set. I have to say watching them continue to play was one of the bestest moments of the the weekend. Friday was awesome bit not as awesome as…
Saturday was most awesome. Early in the afternoon Kelly and I got a few beers and then she started drinking this really strong rum and coke drink. I helped her drink it and then went and got another for us to share. When I returned she had abandoned me. I had to drink the whole thing by myself. That’s when things got fuzzy.
I knew I had to much to drink when I stared spending money I shouldn’t have been spending. I got a cool MDF t-shirt though and I took a lot of pictures.
I met Chicken Man. I sat down with him and lit up some herb. Before I knew it a bunch of friends joined us. We had a fun time smoking with Chicken Man. Next thing I know I was at the liquor store buying some Guinness. At that point I had enough to drink but oh well. Had a few beer at the hotel and then it was back and forth between the hotel and the club.
At some point early in the evening I was back at the hotel with Kelly. She made me a sandwich and then I decided to lay down for a bit. I ended up passing out for the rest of the evening. I missed every single band that played Saturday night. I woke up to a room full of people. Kelly told me that I told her to wake me up to party later if I passed out. She did and she even brought Tom back to hang out with us. Kelly is most awesome. We heading down to Sly and Kevin’s room at some different hotel I can’t remember the name of.
We hung out on the rooftop drinking beers and smoking herb. We stayed up there for a while and I could slowly see the sky starting to brighten. It was getting early. We eventually headed back to our hotel. Everyone went to to sleep and I hung out with Tom until the sun came up.
I saw Malignant Tumour. It was fun times for sure. Thanx to the MDF party brigade it was like mosh pit meets beach party. Lots of inflatable things flying though the air and silly folks just being silly.
I saw Orange Goblin for the first time ever and absolutely loved them. I’m just glad I was in the right place at the right time or I may have missed them.
I also saw Coroner. Never really listened to them much but I liked their set and I got some decent pictures of them as well.
Last band of the night was that trendy new band Ghost. Their songs were pretty catchy and easy to like. They were a bit theatrical, which I liked, especially the costumes. I didn’t think I would like them but I did.
Well there it is… Another fabulous weekend at Maryland Deathfest. It was one of the best ones yet. Every year I say I hope I can make it to the next one. This year is no different.
I had just taking a few really nice bong hits when I received a text message from Kenny saying he had just arrived in Baltimore. I started to feel as though we were a bit behind times. I had left my house at around 630AM and jumped on a train to Boston. Then I hung out in South Station for about an hour and a half, clutching my big giant bag for dear life as cops were walking everywhere with dogs sniffing around for bombs and God knows what else. It was the God knows what else that I was worried about. As I was traveling around with copious amounts of herb stuffed into the center of my bag. One and half hours of this went on, as I sat and wondered when did Boston become such a police state? I mean really. I used to work in South Station. It was never like this. Never.
At about 1130AM I arrived in Providence, met up with Sly and then Mike came by and picked us up. We hit the road at about 1PM. We drove straight though with very few stops. We got trapped in New Jersey or Mordor, as Mike so aptly put it, for about two hours. We arrived at the club at around 8PM, Just in time to catch Watain!
The past two years that I went I always traveled down with about seven or eight of my friends. This year nearly all of them backed out. All of them except Sly. Sadly, Snake didn’t go this year either. He backed out at the very last minute, disappointing all of us Snakenetters. Shame on you Snake! Shame on you!
I had hoped to be at the Venue much earlier. Still I was happy just to be there. After all I waited a whole year for this. After I caught the end of Watain’s set, I wandered around looking for the folks from Snakenet that I was sharing a room with. I finally ran into Kenny and he gave me the biggest, bestest hug ever. I stayed at the club for bit drinking beers then headed over to the Sheraton. We were in room 1412. It was really on the 13th floor, not the 14th though. I hung out at the room with my hotel mates for the rest of the night, trying my best not to fall out the big open window. Kenny gave me these really awesome Alice in Wonderland books. The books were most fabulous. It was a great day!
Saturday Afternoon I went with Jill, Dennis and Kenny to Little Italy to get a bite to eat. After stopping off at a few different restaurants it didn’t take long for us to realize we really couldn’t afford to eat at any of these places. So we found some crab and pasta place. I got French fries and veggies. The only vegetarian thing on the menu.
Then it was off to the club. I arrived at the venue to find they closed off my most very favorite room. It had very comfortable sofas. That is why it is my most favorite. Saturday and Sunday no one except bands where allowed in my most very favorite room with the comfortable sofas. This perplexed me to no end.
That afternoon I was able to catch some bands play. Incantation and Asphyx were a couple of the ones I saw. I really enjoyed Asphyx’s set. It left me wondering why I don’t listen to this band more often. I of course, could say this about many of the bands I’ve had the privilege of seeing at MDF this year and the two years before as well.
Towards the end of the night everything began to have a warm fuzzy glow, much like these photographs I took before we left Sonar. Only it wasn’t really the end of the night. There were much more adventures ahead.
Wandering around Baltimore we stumbled across this fountain. Apparently there was much going on over at the fountain. I kinda missed it all though cause I was distracted by the pretty lights on the trees. There were some who thought I took pictures of what was going on but really I just took about two dozen pictures of the trees.
We ended up in Jeff’s room at the Tremont. It’s nice that someone always has a room there. Out of all the hotels I’ve been to in the Baltimore area I found that the Tremont has the nicest rooms to party in.
One of my most favorite MDF activities is hiding in the shade from the blinding sun and watching the people stumble by and whirl around me. On Sunday I did a lot of that. Every year I go I run into so many people, folks I know from home, random people I met online, and of course all the the people I saw at this thing last year and the year before. I sit down on the grass, I sit down on the pavement or sometimes I just like to stand around. I like to observe. I look around at all the geeks, the misfits and kindred spirits and in my sloshy unsober mind I think These are my people and I love them all so much.
Out of all the bands that played I was looking forward to seeing Obituary the most. I haven’t seen them play in so many years. It was nice seeing them play again. I took a lot of pictures and I think they came out the best out of all the ones I took.
…And then it was over. They stated tearing down the one of the stages before we even left the venue. Walking out the gate for the very last time on the very last night is always so sad.
The very last picture of Jill below I took just for Snake. Even in a non-smoking world you can still find a place to sit back and enjoy a smoke.
I only went on Saturday. I wish I could have gone for the entire weekend. Kelly and I arrived at around eight. I took many pictures. I drank Guinness, spent time with friends and saw a few bands.
Becky and Blue, who is most awesome for putting this fest together
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Downstairs was Hell. There was a band playing. I got a beer and traveled though Hell and eventually out the fire door. There was a little courtyard filled with smokers and other folks. There was a bunch of steps leading to another club called Jerkys. I eventually made it up there for another beer. This place was much more swanky then Hell and more brightly lit. There was also a band playing.
Near the back door of Hell was this interesting fellow bathed in red. So much red that anyone standing near him was also bathed in red.
Everyone was drinking these two dollar local beers called Narragansett. I had a sip of Kelly’s beer. NOT GOOD. I continued to drink Guinness for the rest of the night till we got to the party and someone gave me a Narragansett. That was my last beer of the night.
They eventually shut Hell down for the night and the show continued on upstairs at the snazzy place with the black tin ceilings.
I saw a few bands and took more pictures.
There was a party after. I stayed up till daybreak and slept till noon in a really cozy bed that was out in the living room.
There are many more pictures here.
The first time I went to Maudslay was about ten years ago when I was living in Bradford. When I lived there I would try and go as often as I could. Since moving back to the area I still try and go as often as I can. It is one of the best places to wander about. I always stumble across the most beautiful and interesting things… gardens, fields, woods and a strange little pet cemetery. I find someplace new every time, and every time I go, I go looking for this most beautiful garden that is hidden away in the park.
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It has all these amazing spaces. Every time I am there I find the most fabulous flowers and things. I imagine it was much like this when it was an enormous estate and I can’t help but wonder what it must have been like to live there.
The garden is surrounded by a big open space with a rows of tall trees all around it. Between them are little doorways.
Meg brought sparklers. We lit them in the back yard.
Lara is a fire dancer. We all gathered to watch her eat fire.
It was beautiful.
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Throughout the night I offered Meg several different good beers to drink. She refused them all and insisted on drinking PBR.
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I made five dozen cupcakes.
They were eaten every one.
Every act of creation is first
of all an act of destruction.
-Pablo Picasso
