Tuesday 13 January 2009

Show Your Support For Your Favorite unsignedAct Finalist.....And Go To The Final

Click here http://orangeunsignedact.competition-badges.com/ for voting badges, videos and photos and you'll automatically be entered in our competition!

Saturday 10 January 2009

Tommy Reilly at Proud

I'm a bit of a reality TV fan, at least I would be if I had the time to watch it nowadays. One show that I've been dipping in and out of is Orange unsignedAct. I like that the acts actually write their own stuff and seem to show some passion for music rather than fame, which is rare in reality TV. Don't get me wrong, talented people with some musical integrity do enter shows like The X Factor but we never get to see these artists truly shine on a show like that because they're singing songs chosen for them. Will Young has gone from strength to strength mainly because he showed a true talent on the show and then backed it up by writing his own material afterwards.

UnsignedAct showcases an artists full potential from the very start and I like that. One young man who has really done well this year is Tommy Reilly. He's a 19 year old Glaswegian with a very unique voice and singing style and an incredibly sweet character. This week I was lucky enough to meet Tommy at his gig at Proud in Camden and see him perform. Whether Tommy wins or not it doesn't matter, he a real star and is destined to succeed. He was extremely chatty, looked genuinely pleased to meet me and was hilarious in the most natural, interesting way. Telling me stories of his time working in Tesco (if you ever meet him ask him about Jaffa Cakes) and the manic pace of London that has him a little panicked. He was completely unfazed about performing and when it was time for him to take to the stage (at 11pm!) he was on great form both singing and chatting with the audience.

If you've not checked out unsignedAct this year then give it a watch this Sunday (there are three shows left) and take a looked here, there's definitely a nice mix of finalists this year. Here are a few photo's I took at the gig.


Thursday 1 January 2009

Goodbye 2008...

It's New Years day and I'm sick in bed debating whether to go to the doctors tomorrow or not...and I'm a little bored to be honest. I feel I've neglected my blog for a while so I'm going to try and get something down.

2008 was a good year for me, I'm not sure 2009 holds as much promise so far but then I am the worlds biggest pessimist so we'll see. "What was so great about 2008?" I hear you ask, well let me try to tell you.

First off things took off for me at work. I started at Band & Brown in September 2007 as an admin assistant and I can honestly say it was the best job I've ever had and I think I ever will have but in 2008 I got promoted to the CEO's Research Assistant, it was a huge leap for me and it's a role that has since opened a lot of doors for me and seen me take on yet another new role as a Project Manager for Brando Digital. After spending three and a half years in limbo living in Coventry and feeling I amounted to nothing 2008 really made me realize I could achieve something in my career. Plus I work in Camden which is home to me, I swear I spend more time there than I do in my own flat. On that note the Hawley Arms was rebuilt! After the terrible Camden fire in February the iconic pub's future was really uncertain but it reopened at the end of October and I couldn't be happier. All our friends are back and I can enjoy my favourite houmous and a pint of chips every lunch time again. I even managed to have my birthday party there and it was brilliant.

Secondly my favourite band, 'My Chemical Romance', had a quiet year for the most part which meant I had a lot of time to listen to new stuff. In April I found 'One Night Only'. Now I've said it before, they're not the best band in the world but they make me happy AND it's not just about them it's everything that goes with them. Through going to their gigs I've met some amazing people that I can't imagine my life without now. Friends that I now wouldn't dream of going to a gig without and that I spend hours talking to online and texting when I don't actually get to see them. I've also met friends that I can talk to about music and tattoos and share stuff with and I know they won't judge me, friends who have really inspired me and continue to try to introduce me to cool music. So through a band that nobody else seems to like I've really gained something in my life.

But I've not forgotten 'MCR' and I've had two new 'MCR' tattoos done this year that mean a lot to me. I think I'll write a post about the meaning of all my tattoos later but I just want to say that in a year where 'MCR' have been really quiet, doing their own personal stuff and just getting on with their lives they've still managed to be important to me, inspire me and keep me sane.

2008 saw some awesome films come out too. 'Dark Knight' was out of this world and I'm so gutted that we'll never get to see Heath Ledger play the Joker again. The Joker is the best villain ever...EVER, and I think I'll be getting a Joker/Harley Quinn tattoo at some point in the near future. 'Twilight' was cool too, although the books are a million times better. The film was a pretty honest adaptation and I think any flaws with this one will be ironed out in time for 'New Moon' which should be ace.

I never usually do new years resolutions but I think this year I may try. I'm going to try my hardest to move to Camden by April at the latest, this will give me more time to spend with my friends and loved ones rather than being sat on a train commuting. I'm going to lose a few pounds, the diet has started and my new tattoo on my ribs is the perfect excuse to get trim and toned for the Summer (not that I'll be flashing my ribs off, I stopped all that when I hit 21). I'm going to work my arse off at work to really try to prove myself and get the most out of having a career. Most importantly I'm going to stay true to myself this year, I'll stay the same little tattooed, pierced, obsessive little Camden freak that I've always been and not care what anyone thinks of me. Maybe 2009 won't be so bad after all.