A night of horrors with disastrous dice

I frequently reference the problems that Bryan and I have with dice that betray us to ruinous effect in our monthly Blood Bowl games. And this month is no different.

A suitably gloomy score marker 

In a match up between my team of necromantic horrors and Bryan's lizard-men, the clear winners were the cubes of chaos that caused both of us (but mainly me) considerable grief.

Team photo before kick off

The game started horribly. I had two attempts using one of my ghouls to 'secure the ball' on my first two turns. All I had to do was roll anything but a 1. I rolled a 1. Twice. The second fumble meant a skink could run in, pounce on the ball in the endzone and therefore score! It was the first time a lizard had touched the ball since the kick off!

Things got worse from there, although I did manage to knock over and seriously injure the lizardmen's kroxigor on turn 1. After that it was all downhill. Double skulls rolls. Having a player sent off for trying to foul. Failing regeneration rolls and having my zombie linemen unceremoniously dumped into the serious injury box. Pretty much any dice roll that could go wrong... did.

My dice rolls peaked on turn 1

Another skink score 

Skulking in shame after being sent off

Splatted zombies 

My one breakaway saw my werewolf star player, Wilhelm Chaney, quickly surrounded and dispossessed. That was the closest my team got to scoring. On the very last turn of the game, another skink, a chameleon, ran in the third and final score of the game.

This did not go well for the wolfman

This emphatic 3-0 victory means that Bryan claimed the Blood Bowl Ball of Triumph and it will stay in his possession until I claim it back.

VICTORY!!

At least we had some great snacks for this game including seasonal spooky tortilla chips!

Album of the Month: Peter Garrett, A Version of Now

 

Peter Garrett, the former front man of Midnight Oil, popped up in my social media algorithm and I had a sudden thought that I might own one of his solo albums. I checked the CD shelves. Cathy helpfully suggested it might be in with the Midnight Oil CDs and sure enough, there it was, ready for me to have a listen.

This album was released 10 years ago and, according to the sleevenotes, was a product of Peter Garrett writing his memoir of life as the frontman of one of Australia's best known bands and his subsequent commitment to environmentalism and land rights that led him into politics. 

Peter recorded this album shortly before Midnight Oil reformed for the Great Circle tour in 2017 (which we went to!) and it does feel like a warm up piece. Oils guitarist Martin Rotsey plays on it and both late bassist Bones Hillman and the other guitarist Jim Moginie helped co-write a track each. 

Peter's explanation for the origin of the album

So, with that level of involvement from his band mates, it's no surprise that this sounds very much like Midnight Oil Lite. The tracks are melodic, reflecting more of Rotsey's guitar style. It was also a family affair with Peter's three daughters all contributing in some way, including harmonised backing vocals on the opening track. 

Overall, this is a musically solid, reflective album with some lovely emotional tracks on. As a solo project (at least in theory) it stands up with the output of the band, which is unusual. Definitely one to listen to if you are a Midnight Oil fan, like me, or even if you're not, it's a very accessible collection of tunes that I think many people would enjoy hearing. 

Details

Year of release: 2016

Tracks: 9

Favourite track: Homecoming, which is the one co-written with Bones Hillman. It gave me a small sense of hirraeth.

Track to skip: There are only 9 tracks and the songwriting is very lean, so I haven't been skipping any. 

Gig review: Creeper (Tramshed, Cardiff)

I was absolutely delighted when Creeper announced their short autumn tour and my locallest venue was on the list. They are a band I have really fallen for this year and going to a gig that's walking distance from my house was brilliant.

Creeper's frontman William Von Ghoul promised theatrical vampire horror metal and we got it, along with a coffin, a guillotine and a throne decorated with skulls - several bulky props on the Tramshed's limited stage. 

Prepping the guilloutine

There were two support bands. I arrived shortly after the 7pm doors opening time to find one of the bands, Starburners, had started their set. I liked their sound, which was heavy gothy and rocky. 

Starburners

The second support act, Calva Louise, played Latin American inspired scream metal. They were alright, but either the mix was bad or my hearing wasn't up to it because it felt ragged. I wasn't as keen on their set as Starburners but I liked the lead vocalist who also played guitar and keyboards and talked to us about her move to the UK from Venezuela.

Calva Louise

Before the main event, a curtain was raised to hide the stage. Then we were treated to some back-projected theatrics as we were told that the show was being censored. This was greeted with loud boos until the censor was brutally axed to death.

The set started with Blood Magick and the crowd were into it straight away shouting "Drink the blood!" at the appropriate points. Incidentally, this is the first gig where I've been offered (fake) blood, from one of the many vampires in the audience. Some people went full on with the make up, other made do with a splash of blood on their chin.

The Mistress of Death appears

I had a decent spot right in the middle of the crowd, but during the third song a 'wall of death' opened up and I moved off to one side. The sound mix was unbalanced for me after that, which I think is a thing at the Tramshed. The sound is great right in the middle but deteriorates as you move to the side. 

I ended up quite close to the front so got a really good view of the theatrics that preceded Razorwire. The female vocalist, Hannah, who sings that song emerged from a coffin. I like that track, it's a burlesque lounge piece and Hannah was dressed to match.

I was surprised they didn't play the song Mistress of Death considering the Sanguivore theme is all about her. I also wished they'd played Chapel Gates off the first Sanguivore album. 

William got guillotined at the end of the set but reattached his head for the encore - three songs from their pre-Sanguivore days. The crowd's enthusiastic response to the early stuff seemed to genuinely move William who thanked us for a great night and said how Cardiff had given them some of their most special nights as a band.

And that was my first Creeper gig over. The vampires in the audience melted into the drizzly night along with the rest of us.

Cynhadledd meddwlau (Conference thoughts)

I spent most of Friday and Saturday last week at the Plaid Cymru conference in Llandudno. A few days on, here are some thoughts about it and, as you'd expect, some selfies!

It was my second visit to Llandudno in a couple of weeks as Cathy and I had a day there on our North Wales holiday in September. I'd had a late one on Thursday night, getting back from the HU's gig in Bristol. It was an early start on Friday, leaving Cardiff at 6am with fellow delegates Ben and Jose. 

On the way up we talked politics for a bit and about Warhammer for a bit, because serendipitously we all shared both interests. We got to Llandudno before lunchtime and in time for the big afternoon speeches at Venue Cymru, the large theatre and conference centre on the sea front. It was a bit strange being back there because I remember working a large NHS conference in Venue Cymru well over a decade ago.

Lovely Llandudno

This was my second Plaid Cymru cynhadledd (after last year's in Swansea). I was asked what I thought about it by Emily, a political analyst who was doing a "vibe report", and I said that overall I thought the vibe was celebratory without being smug. It was different to last year's, with Plaid Cymru now the party of (minority) government but it felt like everyone was very conscious of meeting the electorate's expectations.

I thought Rhun ap Iorweth's leader's speech was very good - managing that line between celebrating winning the election witb a sense of purpose and acknowledging the election only being the beginning of working hard for Wales. 

My favourite moments were hearing my friend Anna give her first conference speech as Minister for Education and the Welsh Language, and then hearing my chwaer calon Sara speak in support of a motion to give the Senedd more control over justice and equalities legislation.

Sara was also involved chairing a fringe meeting about improving nursing care. There were several similar thought provoking panels. One of our local Senedd members, Kiera, chaired a great session on youth mental health which included a powerful real life story. 

There was also a main stage session about social care that included an incredibly brave testimony from a care worker about the awful exploitative employment conditions many care workers are trapped in. She got a deserved standing ovation and I hope the campaign to improve things gains traction.

I voted on some motions, including an emergency motion for the party not to accept crypto-currency donations. I also voted in the party's internal elections and was very pleased when Sara was elected Director of Equalities.

In the exhibition I met Zahid from the Palestine Solidarity Campaign. A lovely man who was willing to spend time chatting.

On the Saturday there was a protest about Palestine outside. It was the only time I saw any police in Llandudno. I think they over-estimated the likelihood of trouble with over 20 officers and at least 3 vehicles deployed. There were no arrests.

The exhibition also had a display of Plaid Cymru history.

Conference also provides a chance to catch up with friends and meet new people. Along with the South Cardiff representation, I had encouraging conversations with former Grangetonian Huw, and also met Danny from the Rhondda. 

Jose, Paddy and me
repping South Cardiff with Rhun

Gyda ffrind newydd Danny

It also was a chance to meet people who were there for other reasons. I told journalist Will Hayward that I'd read his most recent book (reviewed here) and thought his summary of the problems in NHS Wales was spot on. I also met Ben (a different Ben) who was there in a lobbying capacity but who I hadn't seen in several years - a most welcome catch up.

The two days went by really fast, and soon we were saying goodbye to Venue Cymru. I took a photo of the marvellous dragon on their information desk before I left.

Gig review: The HU

The HU are a Mongolian metal band that fuses heavy rhythms with traditional instruments and vocal styles to forge something quite special. Having discovered them this year, I was thrilled to have the chance to see them live when they visited Bristol last week.

I hadn't been to the gig venue, The Prospect Building, before. Fortunately my friend Dave from Bristol was able to help me with some local knowledge about parking. He also came with me to the gig and was excellent company for a very loud evening. (He took a lot of the photos in this post!)

Pre-gig selfie

The venue was great, with catering and bar area outside, well-organised inside with helpful stewards, and a suitably post-industrial aesthetic for the main warehouse room. A nice high stage gave good visibility of the band, although the amount of dry ice and vapour off the crowd combined with some of the lights rendered them invisible at times.

The support act were a Nordic-inspired pagan metal act called SKĀLD. The band had three percussionists and included a variety of unusual instruments including what I think was an elk skull, and also using horns. One of the percussionists had a shamanic vibe as he leapt between different drums. I enjoyed their set and found the rhythmic set very soothing.

The HU came on to loud cheers, bearing a militaristic looking standard. They lean heavily into the Mongol warrior mythos in both their look and their lyrics. Being Mongolian, banter with the crowd was limited but we were told they loved Bristol and we were thanked for our enthusiasm. 

The crowd was nicely age-diverse. Several oldies like me, but a real mix of ages appreciating the music. It was very gender-diverse as well and around where I stood it felt like the women in the crowd were enjoying it most. One woman next to me passionately sang the Mongolian lyrics to Echoes of My Father, which was impressive. 

The setlist was mainly from their recent album, HUN, and their breakthrough album Rumble of Thunder (which I reviewed in February). I was disappointed they didn't play Triangle, as I love that song. At the end they stayed on-stage to soak up the applause and seemed genuinely affected by the affection being shown to them.

A rapturous finale 

I bought a t-shirt. I saw people wearing t-shirts with 'Mongolia' written in the style of 'Metallica' but those must have been sourced elsewhere as they weren't on the merch stand in the venue. I chose the shirt with the tour dates on the back as a memento of a memorable night of Mongolian metal.