Tuesday, March 8, 2011

A New Day

It is indeed, because that's when happens when the clock strikes 12...
Life is winning. Got my new gadget. I'm loving my writing, if I can say so myself, my music is sounding fucken A! Everything just seems to be going awesome, and with that comes a burst of energy and productivity.
After hating looking for jobs, it was decided that creating a job would be easier. Watch this space. Many more great things will come!
Much love to you all!
C

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Ten Questions With A cool Person: Eric Morotti (Blind Witness/ Killitorous)

So I am trying to keep this thing as regular as I can... but it can be difficult to get hold of cool people.But this cool person was legendary on the communication front.
Ever since Blind Witness smashed their noise into my ears I have taken notice of this guy. He is one of my favourite drummers and one of the friendliest looking dudes I've ever seen. He was kind enough to answer ten awesome questions for us all, so have yourself a read and get to know about this awesome person!

Ladies. Calm down...

Cadillac (C): I've seen your videos, I've heard your bands, you shred! If drums had to magically be erased from the Earth, what would you be doing?

Eric Morotti (EM): Not much... haha. If drums were gone I guess I would just be skateboarding, or being normal, get a job, and all that jazz!

C: What is the one show/festival/tour you have to play before you die?
EM: Death Metal Europe tour with Lady Gaga! Haha.

C: How does it feel to tour with bands you grew up listening to?
EM: It's awesome of course! But you start to notice that they're all just people like us. But it is cool to share the stage with bands like Alexisonfire, who was an inspiration for me when I was younger, or being in the studio and having Dino from Fear Factory come in and check out the tunes is pretty awesome!

C: When you joined Blind Witness the sound changed in a great way. Was that mostly due to your handy work?

EM: Yes and no. Haha. I just showed the other members a different way of writing, different time signatures, poly rhythms and the proper way to blast and what not. They were kinda stuck in the metalcore style, and I brought out more of the deathmetal style because thats what I'm all about!

C: Tequila or bong?

EM: Vaporizer! Hahaha. But bong for sure! I don't drink.
C: How any questions about blasting have you answered?

EM: Haha. A LOT! It's always the first thing someone asks...

C: How are you enjoying your time with Killitorous?

EM: Killitorous is the shit! It's a band with all of my best friends and we just jam out and grind! Im really enjoying my time with these lads to say the least!

C: South Africa is slowly becoming a new on-the-way stop-over between Australia/Asia and the US. Have you considered it? We have great whites and lions...

EM: Hahahaha! Fuck sharks, man! They scare the poop right outta me. But of course, I would love to come to South Africa, man. I've only heard really good things of your beautiful home, and I very much look forward to blastin' in South Africa!

C: What's your favourite place in the world? Ever.

EM: Home.

C: Where to next for Eric Morotti?

EM: Always up to something! Haha. But big news for sure. I'm talking with Trevor Phipps and Buz McGrath if Unearth, and we've been working together recently, and we're going to see where it takes us!

Check out Eric's Vaudou Drums short film.

My Brain.

Today my brain is overloaded with online media strategy.
So much of it. So much so that I felt the need to just write shit and post it.
I believe that my slight neurological disorder may be having a larger effect on my life.
I love doing things, I just can't concentrate long enough at times... I suppose it's not the greatest
advertisement for me, but at least I'm for real....

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Ten Questions With A Cool Person: Frank Turner


So here it is, guys. The thing I was talking about... Ten Questions With A Cool Person. Today, we start
with (drum roll please) Frank Turner!

Since the day I discovered the mighty Frank Turner I could not help but listen to his albums and think back on life and say to myself, "I totally know what he's talking about".

His background of punk and hardcore hits many a soft spot with me, and his songs weaken the knees of even the strongest of ladies.

He has dominated festivals, toured with The Offspring and Flogging Molly among others, and has just been confirmed to headline the third stage at Download 2011. So if you're there, make a plan!
I was fortunate enough to get in contact with Frank and ask him a few things about stuff. And it goes a little something like this.


Cadillac (C): You started off with your band Million Dead. What brought on the decision to go solo and acoustic?

Frank Turner (FT): Well, the band came to an unceremonious end, so I had to figure out what to do next. At the time I didn't want to be in a band anymore, and I was a little tired of playing hardcore music, so I thought I'd try something very different on my own. Pretty quickly I felt like I'd found my niche in life, and I haven't looked back since.


C: Did you ever think that by going solo you would be headlining festivals and touring the world?

FT: Um... maybe I hoped, but not expected. I wasn't sure anyone would get it at first. I'm grateful every day that I get to do what I do.

C:Is South African an option?

FT: I would love nothing more than to play in SA. Know any promoters out there?

C: What was your reaction to The Offspring's offer for you to support them on tour?

FT: I was surprised but very flattered. It was a tough tour - just me and my guitar. At the time no one in the USA knew my music, so it was a challenge. But it was good to do, and The Offspring guys are lovely.

C: Your album Love & Ire Song is pretty much the anthem of every kid growing up - Everyone can relate to your songs. Do you write from personal experience?

FT: Yeah, everything is true stories, basically. I'm not very good at making stuff up. Haha.

C: Who is the Parisian girl?

FT: A now ex-girlfriend of mine. French girls are awesome, but can be a lot of work. It didn't last. But we're friends now, which is nice.


C: You come from a proper-English family it seems. How do they feel about you playing your "rebel's music" all over the place?

FT: Ha, my parents weren't over the moon about it at first, but they've really come round to it now, which is nice. My mum comes to gigs.

C: What would you be doing if you weren't playing music?

FT: I always fancied myself as being a history teacher actually - that's my other passion in life. Who knows....

C: What is your favourite place in the world..? Ever.

FT: Very hard to say. Toronto. London. The south downs in Hampshire. I love to keep moving, seeing new places.


So there it is. The first batch of Ten Questions With A Cool Person. Stay tuned for more!
If there is a cool person you'd like to see here drop a mail to ricki.allemann@gmail.com and I will do my best to hunt them down for you.


image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/frf_kmeron/4500949176/

Rad News!


Yes siree!
The bad news is that I can't tell you what it is until I post it. HA! So I'm just getting your eyes wet for what is to come.

I know I said I was going to write my entries by hand. But I run this bitch and I decided that I won't do them all by hand, only the ones I think of when I'm not at a computer. Sorry...


So don't stray too far away. All will be revealed.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Life As It Is


The past two or three weeks have been far from eventful for me. Aside from a few cool things here and there, nothing has really blown my mind with coolness or increased my love of life. And as one does is these situations, I began to think. I thought of the thing that humans have been trying to answer for millennia: Why are we alive?

I've had some time to think and talk to people, and I have finally come to a conclusion - We live to work and work to live. Yes, some people create amazing things that help humanity and the earth, but the average person has nothing to live for other than making sure they can live.

The "now generation" has been burdened with problems of past generations. It's now up to us to be Captain Planet and save the world - All while we're trying to earn enough money to be able to live and support ourselves, our families and our bad habits.
We have to be the best, and not that that's a bad thing, it's just difficult with the whole world relying on us to make their lives last longer. And why? So they can just not die as soon.
Life is fucking scary. If I had known it would be like this I would have stayed at school for as long as possible. You may be thinking, "Ah, you're just weak". But I'm not. I say this because I have learnt.

Work is this thing we do. We don't really know why we do it. Sure, we may not enjoy it, but even if you do, you work, go home and get some sleep, wake up and repeat. You work to keep a roof over your head. You work to eat. We all love holidays, but we have to work to be able to afford to have some time to yourself. You work to pay for petrol so you can go to work. You're being paid to pay to come to work. You work to be able to afford to pay your medical bills. Life should be free. But it's not... and that sucks.

In most situations being the nice person gets you far. But not in life. Be nice and you'll get fucked. That's not to say don't be nice. Be nice. But within reason. I have seen people that have been nothing but amazing to the people around them, and those people just take it and think nothing of it. Not once thinking: "Hey, maybe it's my turn to be nice now".
Through this I have learnt that you can only be good to the people that deserve it and give goodness back. The rest, they come and go.

I'm not too sure if anything I said makes sense to you. But if it doesn't it's okay. I understand it.

C.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Good Times…


So, you may or may not know that for the past year I have been sub-editing for heat magazine and it has been the raddest job I've. But like most rad things, it has come to an end. And the end is this week.

This post is more for the people who I worked with. They're the raddest team of people ever.

I started the job not knowing a thing about what the job was actually about. But I got a 2 week trial run in which I had to battle some other dude. I won. Most probably because I'm awesome, but I don't really know. I tried my best to do what had to be done and got it down.
Mostly thanks to everyone's awesome patience and willingness to help out when ever I needed it.

So a big, fat cupcake filled thank you to everyone at heat!
Thanks to Jo, Jen, Guin and Donnay for welcoming me into the family and starting the coffee club of awesomeness.
Thanks to Karen W for not ever flipping out at me. She's lank scary when she's angry.
Thanks to Andrea for never losing her cool when Walter and Craig crack stupid German jokes – And to Lameez for the same thing, but Arab jokes. You guys are champions.
Thanks to Melinda for being a killer boss.
Big high 5 to Kelly and Pam in fashion for keeping me company in the dark corner. And a special high 5 to Kelly for being ridiculously funny.
Thank you, Claire for not ever punching me because I constantly tap my air double bass.
Thanks to the writers for actually giving my work to do.
Thanks to the picture desk for always signing my shit.
And finally, a huuuge congratulations to Craig for letting me discover that it is completely humanly possibly to not smile for an entire year. Keep up the hard work, dude.

So that's me. Out.

Much love.
C

Monday, January 10, 2011

Mind fuck! Not really…


In a state of lesser soberness I thought of this riveting question.

Does time move a fraction slower on the top of a mountain because the distance it travels as the world rotates is further than on sea level?

Hah! Got you there!

I realise this might be the lamest thing ever. But I write this blog, not you.

C

Friday, November 19, 2010

A Skate Regeneration

Can you handle it? Two posts in the space of 2 weeks! Believe it, 'cause it's true!

Anyway, my dear friend and second half of my monster guitar duo Chase posted this video the other day, and it's awesome!

As teenagers, all boys go through a skating phase. Sometimes that phase comes back, especially with the invention of Skate for Xbox and PlayStation…

This is a short film that shows the awesomeness that this sport has evolved to. Not only is it a good show of skateboarding, but I think it's a brilliant piece of film.

Behold.


Monday, November 15, 2010

Some Of My Writing

I did this piece for a quick job assignment.
Have fun!

Are You Online?

Technology these days has become extreme to the point that people struggle to even live without it. Basic appliances aside, if you’re not changing your Facebook status, you’re Tweeting about your day or BBMing your buddies all in between driving, meetings, eating and sleeping. What happened to conversation? What once was an art form has been chucked out the window like dirty dish water.

We remember the days when there were office numbers, and there were home numbers. Home numbers were reserved for emergencies or to call your mother while you were out of town. Now we have a civilisation of people that have no real divide between work and play other than the places they go. They have at least a thousand friends on Facebook and Tweet about how well their new protein diet is going, just in case anyone was wondering. “This new mix is killa! Just had a heavy ab sesh, looking buff. TGIF Look out ladeez!”

What once were faxes that could only be sent to your office are now emails
that can be sent to your cell phone, the same phone that serves as your work number and your home number. The phone that you’ll use to check your Facebook page while you have a shit, because the Internet is faster than looking for a decent read… You can even get your emails sent to your TV! We’re all trying to live minimalistic lives, but how can we differentiate between minimalist and lazy?

Holidays have become semi-work trips, because someone might just call you for something. We all asking someone to do something for you is easier than doing it yourself. Besides, we already have enough of our own problems, right?

As with most things, there are some advantages to the whole social networking phenomenon. It’s a pretty good way of finding out what that chick you hooked up with last night actually looks like. You’ll most probably find pictures from any mood or occasion, so it’s a pretty good round up. But on the other hand, you could receive an email telling you that “it’s over” because she doesn’t know how else to tell you. And we thought sms break-ups were cheap.

Just when you thought grown-ups were bad, there’s a new breed of “I want that now” kids who will make their parent’s lives a living hell unless they don’t buy their kid the newest 3D, HD, nano-technogical communication device. Instead of hanging out at their charna’s house, they’ll stay home alone and stay logged onto MXit, just in case something exciting happens or their mother texts them to go outside for lunch. And the parents complain that their kids are fat…

When conversations do occasionally break, there will most likely be something about some dude’s lame status update, or the embarrassing pic someone was tagged in. It’s a vicious cycle that has trapped us like flies in a jar. Is it too late to escape? Is it even possible to regain enough intellect to strike up a conversation about something relevant or meaningful? Everyone knows that everyone’s “good, hey”, and that “work’s fine, just a bit hectic”, and that the girlfriend is “doing well”. But believe it or not, there are way cooler things to talk about.



C