`ArtistsForCharity if you haven't already heard about it is a place for DA artists to help make a difference. Subit a piece today to be sold as a print with proceeds going to charity. I submitted my Anxiety piece because it meant alot to me and didn't want to make personal profit from it. Please if you were interested in purchasing check it out and help raise some needed money for charity:




*edit* Looking for a new journal design, am still not good enough at CSS to design my own well enough, any good designers let me see your public work or if anyone knows anyone. Thanks!

Probably the most hyped band on planet. An audience so diverse it was crazy, metalheads behind me, footballers wives in front, most diverse crowd i have ever been in. But after tonight anyone there knows its not just hype.

We got there just as Biffy Clyro began their set. I really enjoyed their latest album, but their set was slightly disapointing for me. Apart from 2-3 really well performed songs the rest seemed muddled, and the crowd really wern't being warmed up at all, rather going to get a beer before Linkin Park came on. A great band, but without the crowd behind them Biffy Clyro seemed like they were just passing time, waiting for Linkin Park to push them off the stage.

Without Julien-K supporting it was only one support band, slightly disapointing, but the worst thing was to come. Biffy Clyro went off, what followed was at least a good 45 minutes wait as everyone waited for thje stage to be rebuilt for Linkin Park to come out. Yes eventually when the curtain fell it looked amazing, but with no warnings on how long it would be everyone just waited, and waited, only having some god awful music to keep them amused.

Eventually the real show began. Nice intro, curtain fell, and they churned out What I've Done perfectly, a really great opening song. The vocals from Chester were intense, and the audio was spot on, making sure all vocals were clear and could easily be heard over the rest of the band. Faint, Crawling, and a few songs from Minutes to Midnight soon followed, even a comical version of Rhianna's 'Umbrella' from Mike on the keyboards.

The show was lively, the crowd, as always at Linkin Park gigs, were intense, and of course as a huge Linkin Park fan it was great knowing every beat and word of every song, really good fun. After an hour of some amazing tracks, including an amazing rendition of Bleed It Out (Complete with Chester running into the crowd) the main set came to an end. Cue another wait. Eventually Mike and Chester came out. I was of course hoping for Pushing Me Away on keyboards.... Instead we got My December with just the two of them, simply brilliant. Best was still to come. Cue keyboard intro into Breaking The Habit, with the full band coming in halfway through and clips of the video behind them. An excellent and emotional rendition of a very rarely played live song, amazing (Yes amazing is over-used in this review).

Again cue a long, long, long wait, too long in fact. Half the standing crowd begin to walk out, and then eventually the band comes back, providing two of their heaviest songs too finish, Place For My Head, and then One Step Closer. Intense and incredible, made me wish i had been fortunate enough to get standing tickets, but how can you be jealous when you are stood with you best friend jumping around in standing seats with your other friends looking on, you can't.

Deffinately the best setlist i have ever seen it, obviously standing so near the front seeing one of Nightwish's last live concerts is pretty hard to beat, and watching Dream Theater being masters is also pretty tough, but i think the sheer fact i was singing for 2 hours, bouncing and jumping and loving every second means Linkin Park could have just gone straight to the top of my list. Can't wait to get my hands on the concerts live recording in a week or two now!!!

I may only have 3000 views but i still want to help in my own little way as she is an inspiration to anyone with a personal problem. She may have 100 times my pageviews but i still think i should spread the word of this beautiful photographer! So, Nina Larsen [=ninazdesign]:



So, coming from a sufferer of anxiety myself i am so happy to see people coming through such things and being so successful. Its amazing for me myself to see myself being happy sometimes, but it makes me feel much more positive to see someone who has battled through such things, become a success, and mainly feel happy with life. And its thanks to her in a way (after some kind kind words) that i started feeling more positive.

* Website: [link] *

Now, having found the joy of Macro photography, she creates some amazingly detailed pieces which really catch your eye and your imagination. Heres an example of this:



So simple, yet so eye catching, first piece i think i looked at and it really caught my eye. If you get the chance look through her entire gallery and you can see the various styles, really lovely. Anyway, enough babble from me, let her pieces do the talking, thanks for reading:






Stamptastic

Saturday 10th November

Hour and a half travel upto Wolverhampton to the Civic Centre later i am standing in the middle of a good few thousand people as the lights go out. Crowd goes crazy, and the epic intro kicks in. Two minutes later the epic intro is still going, and then BAM, Symphony X roll out, take numbers and kick some ass. Awesome riffs, immense sound and sweet vocals. Unfortunately they are only on for 40 minutes, which is a shame because they deserved longer than that, only fitting in 7 songs. *insert sad face here*

So, applause, an awesome little encore and Symphony X are gone. Now to wait. 20 minutes pass as the stage is prepared. Then, BAM (yes BAM again)..... ANOTHER awesome intro, except better with big screen and drum set the size of a caravan. They opened with Constant Motion, and it just got better from there, playing most of Systematic Chaos, three songs off of Scenes From A Memory (incidently my favourite DT album), various other songs including a Pink Floyd cover and a Marillion cover (i was reliably informed it was Marillion after the gig). My highlights were Dark Eternal Night, which was played nearly perfectly, Endless Sacrifice, In The Name Of God which was really immense, and Prophets Of War.

However my favourite part was the inclusion of 3 songs from Scenes From A Memory. The 3 chosen pretty much summed up the entire album. Strange Deja Vu to begin, then Through Her Eyes, and then finally my highlight..... The Spirit Carries On. One way to describe it. Bonechilling. Gave me goosebumps standing there watching its marvel, absolutely fantastic.

All in all i enjoyed it thoroughly. I suffered a bit as am not great when i go out, but i just about got through all those anxiety symptoms and watched an awesome show. Nightwish is still my favourite show i have been too, but this one came pretty damn close. Thank you Symphony X for being one of the only support bands who i have seen who were awesome, and thank you DT and its fans, made it a great night.

Rock on