g and tippers

Swim time people!

Posted on Leave a Comment

Hello all.

The time is almost here for me to swim the Solent. This Saturday at 10 am I will be setting off from Hurst Castle to take on 1.5 miles of 9 knot rip tides to make it back to my Island.

The reason I am doing this is for a very special chap named Lewis Mighty. He needs help to get treatment for a form of cancer called Neuroblastoma. This form of cancer mainly attacks under 5s such as Lewis. Please check outwww.lewismightyfund.org.uk for more information.

We’re trying our hardest to raise as much money as possible and any donation you can make will be greatly received. Simply click here to donate.

In light of this massive challenge, this Thursdays G and Tippers Show theme will be challenges & dreams. We want to hear about your biggest life challenges. Whether it be getting out of bed on a Sunday or climbing Ben Nevis. What do you find a challenge?

Also, we want to hear about your dreams. We want the weirdest, scariest and most sexually deviant thoughts that pass through your brain while you’re sleeping.

Tweet us at www.twitter.com/gandtippers or email gandtippers@vectisradio.com.

Peace. x

 

I am still alive people!

Posted on Leave a Comment

Hey all,

I’m sorry I’ve been crap on the posting front. I have been on holiday in Greece for the last little while. It was a nice little break that turned out to be more carnage than relaxing getaway.

I’m back now though and nearly recovered from all the 20 pint a day massacres. I now need to concentrate on the swim and getting myself ready for recording and the new football season.

I’m back in the studio with Guy Page and the lads on the 16th to start work on track number two of album number two. Adrienne is already recorded and mixed so that’s a positive start.

This record will sound very different to the last one but hopefully not so different that you won’t ‘get’ it. So much has happened since I released ‘It gets Worse At Night’ that to be honest, I hardly recognise myself. I am no longer that naive, positive, “everything will be alright” kind of character. I am twenty nine and am well aware now that it won’t be alright. BUT…that doesn’t mean I won’t give it my all to ensure it’s as near to alright as possible.

Positivity minus denial. That could be a good album title if I didn’t already have it chosen.

I stepped back in the pool for the first time since holiday yesterday and banged out a pretty rapid 50 lengths just to get myself warmed up and back into it. I swim on August 13th so the date is fast approaching.

I thought I’d be a lot more nervous than I am but I feel pretty calm about it. I am not taking it for granted and I am well aware just how difficult it will be. But I’ve beaten harder things than a 9 knot rip tide and I have no intention of becoming a failure any time soon.

Please check out the swim page and be as generous as possible. Click here.

I have my first pre-season friendly of the season tonight. I’m not sure 8 days in Stalis was great preparation.  I’ll whack some pics at the bottom and you can be the judge.

Also, I have a couple more shows booked so check out the Gigs page!

Peace. x

 

 

 

Album number two is underway…

Posted on Leave a Comment

Hello all,

I went back into the studio today for the first time in over 2 years. That’s a scary thought!

Since I recorded ‘It gets worse at night’, I’ve been busy touring, writing and setting up the G and Tippers Radio Show. I’d pretty much lost my way a bit and found myself being torn in a million different directions. A bit of a Jack of all trades, master of none sort of thing.

I have my head in gear now and have written the 13 songs that will make up my next record. Some mellow, some upbeat, some angry…all the typical emotions we all go through every day. Or in my case, every 15 minutes.

Today we got down about 90% of ‘Adrienne’. It’s a song about the fear of failure in your youth following you into adulthood. But it’s pretty upbeat and driving. I’m hoping you’ll like it.

I’ve been lucky enough to have Guy Page and Claydon Connor recording with me. They are a pair of seriously talented buggers.

Anyway, I best do my radio show now. x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A third placed finish isn’t bad…

Posted on 1 Comment

Hey all.

I hope you all had a lovely weekend.

I was over in Italy competing in the Cervia Beach Soccer Championships. We lost the first game 5-3 then won 7-3 and 4-3.

Sandown Sociedad in Italy...

In the final game we were 3-0 down before clawing our way back into the game. I managed to save two penalties in the final minute of the game to hold on. On a personal level I was pretty happy with my performance. Especially as I was competing against fantastic beach soccer players with a cracked rib. If it wasn’t for the painkillers, I’d have never got through it.

I arrived back in the UK last night to hear the news about Ryan Dunn dying in a car accident. Very sad news. The guy was a bit of a ledge really. 34 is no age. Still, it teaches us to live for the moment. We really have no idea what the future holds, if anything.

I’m clambering my weary body back into the pool today. With the exception of Beach Soccer, I’ve done nothing for weeks. I feel like I’m pregnant with a food baby. Plus, I really need to get my training back on schedule if I’m going to complete my swim of the Solent in August.

Remember, you can donate at www.gandtippers.com/swim. Any pennies you have will be greatly received.

Be safe all. x

Italy, Solent Swimming & Painkillers…

Posted on 1 Comment

Hello all,

I sit here at my desk, slightly bricking for a couple of reasons. I’m off to Italy straight after tonights G and Tippers Show to compete in the Beach Soccer European Cup. While that exciting on one level, on anther level it’s terrifying.

1. I am not a good flyer. How the fuck those things stay in the air is beyond me.

2. My ribs haven’t healed at anything like the rate I hoped they would. So my plan is painkillers and booze.

Syndol...Yuengling...

Painkillers and booze. Basically the staple diet of an 80’s hair metaller. Or ‘c*nt’ as I like to call them.

Cunts...

On the brightside, after Italy, I will be getting straight back on the swimming mission. Even if it kills me, I am not failing to swim the Solent. If I do, I have to walk down the main high street of my home town completely naked. That’s not something I’m paticularly happy about doing! Well, unless I have a fluffer on scene to make me look less like a child.

Yum...

You can donate to my swim attempt by visiting www.gandtippers.com/swim or by paying via Paypal to the email address garethicke@hotmail.com.

Check out tonights radio show on www.vectisradio.com. We’re on air from 7pm to 10pm British time.

I love using pictures for some reason. 🙂

Much love. x

A Rib Crippler…

Posted on 1 Comment

Oi.

I hope you are all well and smiling.

I am somewhat nauseous at the minute. It’s one of the main symptoms of having a nicely cracked rib.

I came back to Beach Soccer at the weekend for the first time in almost 2 seasons. It was great to be back and performed pretty well in two victories. 7-2 and 7-4. However, while diving at an attackers feet, I took a nasty knee to my ribs.

Because I’ve had so much surgery, my pain threshold is pretty high. I picked myself up and got on with the game. Unfortunately the pain increased over the following couple of days and a trip to A&E confirmed a crack.

My major problem now is that this throws almost everything into doubt.

I have two Beach Soccer games this Saturday, two Isle of Wight Festival slots the following weekend before heading off to Italy to compete in the Beach Soccer European Cup. That’s not to mention the fact that my Swimming/Gym training has now taken a Titanic style nosedive.

I am a positive person generally and I heal pretty quickly. So I figured I’d spend a couple of days reading through my book and changing a few bits before proof reading. That’s where the nauseous part comes in. I laid down for a 10 minute rest at about 2pm yesterday and woke up at half 7.

I’ve tried again today and managed to get through a couple of chapters before feeling too sick to concentrate. How annoying is that!?

I’m hammering painkillers and hoping I’ll be alert and on form for Tomorrows G and Tippers Show. We have Jason Perry from A on the show.

x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tomorrow Nights G & Tippers Theme…

Posted on Leave a Comment

Hello all.

I hope you are all very happy and smiling. In fact, I hope you’re all bouncing off the walls, overcome with sheer joy and emotion.

That sounded sarcastic.

Tomorrow nights radio show will feature myself and Tippers writing a song live on air. It’s not just any tune though. We’ll be writing the masterpiece with YOUR words.

Simply tweet us at www.twitter.com/gandtippers or email us at gandtippers@vectisradio.com with your lyric ideas. We just need a single line off of each of you and we’ll piece it together and write the melody live on air.

The show goes out on Thursday between 7pm and 10pm British Summer Time and can be heard at www.vectisradio.com. You can also watch us on webcam at www.stickam.com/vectisradio.

Get your tweets and emails in people!

x

A sad beginning to a very busy week…

Posted on Leave a Comment

Hey all,

Last night I got some very sad news. The poor puppy was born but didn’t survive. Poor thing.

This week is a crazy busy week for myself and the G & Tippers Show.

Today I get straight back in the pool after a couple of days off. I’ll get another kilometre under my belt as well as a gym session. Then tomorrow, my coach Serena is upping the anti and pushing me to 75 lengths of the pool. That’s 1500 metres without stopping. It probably doesn’t sound that much to some of you, but a strong swimmer I am not! Click here to read all about my charity swim attempt. It’s pretty dangerous.

On Tuesday I’ll be (fingers crossed) completing the 1500 metres and then hitting Tims to record a G and Tippers advert. On the show this week we’ll be writing a song on air. All we need from you, the listeners are the lyrics.

You can email a single line to gandtippers@vectisradio.com or tweet us at www.twitter.com/gandtippers.

Wednesday is International Missing Childrens Day. The Forever Searching Charity are doing a balloon launch from St Thomas’s Square in Newport, Isle of Wight. Check out the facebook group here for details.

Thursday is the G and Tippers show on www.vectisradio.com from 7pm to 10pm BST.

And then on Friday me and Tim are playing an acoustic Charity Show at The Wight Rock Bar in Ryde, Isle of Wight. Two Island girls are raising money to fly out to Malawi and help Aids victims by volunteering in an Aids hospital there. It is an excellent cause and well worth your help.

Check out the Shows page.

Be safe. x