Over a week without a post from me, I'm sure you've been pining.

[kat_lair]

O HAI!

I've had a week off from teaching/thesis work so actually opening the thesis chapter draft today counts for something, right? Granted, most I've done today is copy-paste some paragraphs around and feel detached about the whole concept of academia. Submitting PhD thesis before Christmas? Pfft, piece of cake. Presenting a conference paper that I haven't yet written in three weeks? Whatever, I'm sure it'll be fine.

This, ladies and gents, is what I like to call happy-go-lucky-denial. It's awesome.

It also leads to rambly updates.

So, I had a very relaxing week off. pushkin666 and I spent a rainy weekend in the country, drank wine, ate lots of awesome food, watched the Eurovision (I wanted Moldova to win, but was also hugely fond of Italy), and talked about writing (though did not get much actual writing done). On Monday we came back to Manchester, collected dreamersdare from the train station and spent the evening rocking out to Panic! At The Disco.


***

No, I cannot be bothered to cut, pull your finger out of your arse and scroll past if you're not interested.

Panic @ Manchester Academy, 16th of May

Dude. Duuuuuuuuuuude, it was amazing. Academy's refurbishment has paid off and the venue is so much better now than three years ago when pushkin666 and I first saw the band there.

Speaking of, this was a very... different gig than the one three years ago. A different band, yes, but what really stuck out for me was how different Brendon was. He fucking owned that stage. Yes, part of it is growing up I'm sure, gaining more experience and confidence, but I think it was more than that. Three years ago it felt like Brendon was playing a part in someone else's band. Now, it felt like it really was Brendon on stage, fronting his own band, not a role he put on. And damn, it was hot. I approve the braces and bowtie combo hard.

You know what else was hot? Spencer Smith with a microphone. Throughout the show Brendon kept turning toward Spencer and playing to him, showing off and seeking approval like a good sub which gave me lots of special feelings. Yes it did.

This person had the best quality vids of the show, so have I Write Sins as a taster, beautifully illustrating Brendon's attitude, Spencer's fiersomeness, and Dallon and Ian's willingness to indulge in some delicious stage-gay.

Brendon wants us to sweat together:

Watch on Vimeo

You should also check out her/his vids of Mona Lisa and Nine In the Afternoon. (Oh, and filmed by someone else, here's the cover of Billie Jean they did. )

I cannot, however, not post this one. As SPN fans, dreamersdare, pushkin666 and I were ecstatic that the boys played Carry On My Wayward Son as one of the encores. This is like 6 minutes of guitar porn. Check out also Spencer being hot stuff on the drums, which the rest of the band rightfully acknowledge.

Watch on Vimeo

Yeah, it was good for me too, believe it.


***

On Tuesday I poured dreamersdare and pushkin666 into their respective trains and then ambled over to the Northern Quarter to meet up with neppu and her friend who were in town for a gig. Got to introduce them to one of my favourite places in Manchester, Oklahoma cafe, and give tips of other places worth a visit.

Yesterday was at uni,  spending quality time with Turnitin software (plagiarism detection) and today I have pretended to do some work at home.

Tonight I have a poetry reading again and I'm currently trying to decide which of my old poems to read because haven't written anything new over the last couple of weeks. I've narrowed it down to either in babylon they laugh with broken teeth or Such Mercy, second opinions appreciated.

Right, enough of rambling. Later my beauties!

Comments

[katieupsidedown.livejournal.com]

Bandom groups playing covers of SPN songs will never not be funny.

[kat-lair.livejournal.com]

Heh, even funnier is watching 80% of the audience be totally baffled by the song.

[elle-dritch.livejournal.com]

Holy shit, that was ridiculously awesome! Were- were they doing backwards somersaults on stage whilst playing guitar there?

(Ryan Ross, you need to step up your game if you're ever going to woo me back after that, like 'playing the mandolin on a trapeze dressed in a ballgown' levels of stepping up.)

[kat-lair.livejournal.com]

I don't know exactly what they were doing there but a lot of writhing around on the floor was involved. They are all flexible boys...

What is RyRo doing nowadays? Last I heard he was sulking in Paris, living the hobo artiste dream or something... One only hopes cross-dressing is somehow involved.

[teithiwr.livejournal.com]

Yay for funtimes!


Also, Oklahoma Cafeeeeee. <3


You've probably already done the reading? I'd prob pick Such Mercy. Which one did you do?

[kat-lair.livejournal.com]

Funtimes were awesome. Now I need to have a weekend of worktimes for make up to it...

Hee, I love that place and will take all my friends there :D

I actually did Such Mercy and it went down really well, though one of the comments was "I don't understand it, but it's very powerful" which made me lol.

[teithiwr.livejournal.com]

"I don't understand it, but it's very powerful" which made me lol

Haa, but how cool that you made someone befuddled with the power of your poetry! :D

[snuffkin.livejournal.com]

Bowties are cool!

[kat-lair.livejournal.com]

They really are!

[insaneboingo.livejournal.com]

Omg, Panic gloriousness. *drools a bit*

It looks like you had a wonderful time, indeed. I am quite envious that I still haven't been able to see them. I'm going to try my damndest to go see them when they're here next month. We'll see how that goes. :)

Thanks for sharing everything! ♥

[kat-lair.livejournal.com]

ikr, they are some tasty, tasty boys.

I hope you manage to catch them alive. This was the second time I've seen them and it was awesome on both occasions.

[margaret-r.livejournal.com]

Wondered where you were*g*. Good to see you've had a marvelous week - we all deserve a period of denial;) Hope the poetry reading went well.

[kat-lair.livejournal.com]

Hee, I did post about being offline for a while. The week has been most relaxing, though I am having to try hard not to feel guilty about money I spent...

Poetry reading was good, and 'Such Mercy' was well liked again. These things are bad for my ego... :D

[moth2fic.livejournal.com]

Glad you had such a good week and that the poetry reading went well!

I'm off line a lot of afternoons and evenings because we seem to get thunderstorms almost every day which means power cuts, power surges, etc. so it's safer just to switch off. It makes me glad I have my Kindle so that I can still read fanfic!! Anyway, I didn't see this post in time to choose a poem but in any case I think I'd just have said to go with your favourite of the two.

Will admit this is the first time I've seen/listened to Panic. I prefer the second song of the two clips.

Enjoy your state of denial while it lasts, and of course your paper/speech will be fine!!

[kat-lair.livejournal.com]

It's been most relaxing and sociable. Now I have a week "off" to do thesis stuff before the next guest arrives.

It's been rainy here but no real thunderstorms. Glad you're not being deprived of fanfic though, that would be dreadful!

Hee, 'Carry On My Wayward Son' is a cover so not their usual style really.

I don't know if it's good or bad that I'm not feeling stressed about uni work at the moment... I'm just like 'lalalala, it'll be fine...'

[desfinado.livejournal.com]

So glad the show was awesome! I can't wait to see Brendon being all the Brendon he can be :D hopefully with more awesome covers too :D

Oh man, I know that happy-go-lucky denial SO well. LOL, I am the worst academic.

Good luck with the reading! ♥

[kat-lair.livejournal.com]

Brendon was definitely being all the Brendon possible. And then some.

I have managed some thesis work today so yay? I guess...

Thank you! Reading went well and I've promised to do more in the future.