isle of wight festival

Germany Treatment, Film Soundtracks & Isle of Wight Festival…

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Prost!

I don’t have a lot of internet availability in Germany, but I’ve managed to get some wifi for a few minutes.

I’m over in a town about an hour from Stuttgart getting treatment on my leg, and my spine.

Physically I’m a bit of a mess. When a woman that treats people that have been in wheelchairs for 30 years, looks at your spine, and says “Wow!”, you know you have issues.

I have/had vertebrae that were out of place and a spine as crooked as a politician. The ‘problem’ is, after years of playing through pain, and 5 surgeries, my pain threshold is through the roof. While that sounds like a positive thing, it isn’t.

Because I learnt to ignore the pain, I never did anything about is. Just got on with it. So 3 of my vertebrae, one rib and my sacrum have been completely in the wrong place for the best part of 25 years.

Yesterday I had all those vertebrae moved, and put back where they should be, while concious, and with no pain relief. If I had to describe the pain, it would be in BLOCK CAPITALS and contain quite a lot of swear words.

My back in agony, but my posture is correct and after another treatment today (that I’m dreading), I’ll be fixed and painfree for the first time in living memory.

Another thing, a bit random. When I woke this morning, I walked down to the hotel lobby to get tucked in to some food. I was quickly pointed towards the garden…where I saw this…

A leopard just pacing around the garden…

Just rolling about…

ANOTHER. NORMAL. DAY.

Yesterday, they played a film here in Germany. It was a film about the new technology they’ve been developing to regenerate spinal columns and muscle fibres.

The film features Windsurfing World Champions, Surfers, NBA Basketball players like Chicago Bulls Joakim Noah, and yours truly. Remember Who You Are was used as the main soundtrack of the film. Was pretty amazing to watch a film, in another Country, using your music. Very proud.

On the music front, I’ve been confirmed for this years Isle of Wight Festival. I’ll be playing on the Life’s A Beach stage again. As soon as I get the times, I’ll post them up.

I’m off to chill in the sun. The calm before the back breaking storm.

xxx

What a weekend…

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Hello all,

I hope you had a lovely weekend. The festival was great fun and despite the rain, it felt good to get back out there.

I even got a nice 10 second clip on Sky Arts. I don’t normally last 10 seconds so that was a record for me. Maybe it was all the cider I was consuming all weekend.

Isle of Wight Festival

I’m back to reality now getting ready for Italy next weekend. From boozy musician to European Cup standard Beach Soccer player in 24 hours. I’m not sure it’s doable!

x

New Album Recording…

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Oi.

I’m starting work on recording my second album on Thursday 23rd June. I know it’s been a long time coming and I am sorry for the delay. Hopefully it will be worth the wait!

I’ll be playing new songs of the record at this weekends Isle of Wight Festival. I haven’t confirmed times yet but it should be Friday and Saturday evening.

Peace. x

Frank Turner is turning me back into a musician…

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Hello everyone.

I hope you are all very well and happy and smiling and all that stuff.

I’m smashed off my tits on Codeine while listening to Frank Turners new album. That’s not me trying to be rock and roll. I’m genuinely smacked up on painkillers just to be able to breathe properly.

I stupidly played two games of Beach Soccer at the weekend and ended up back at the hospital yesterday. For some reason I believe I am immortal. It simply isn’t the case unfortunately.

I have been told that I’m not allowed to do anything for a minimum of three weeks. I have even been banned from sex by my doctor. I reckon he just threw that in there to piss me off to be honest. Maybe he isn’t getting any and so doesn’t fancy letting anyone else have any either.

“Oh that is a nasty nose bleed. So sex for three weeks”

“Eh?”

Seriously though, I’m not allowed to get out of breath. I wanted to explain that I don’t normally last long enough to lose my breath. But then I figured that since he was holding a pot of my urine, he probably knew enough about me as it was.

Checking my urine for kidney damage. I took quite a smack in the ribs people.

This weekend I am playing a few slots at The Isle of Wight Festival. All I know so far is that I’m playing Friday evening and Saturday evening. I’ll let you know exact times as soon as I have them.

I really should get rehearsing this afternoon. I’ve just done 75 pages of spread sheets in one day so I reckon I’m on a roll.

I might even write something new. Something happy. Something so not like me.

x

A Rib Crippler…

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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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Confirmed for Isle of Wight Festival…

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Hey all,

I’ve just been confirmed for The Boxfresh Beach Stage at The Isle of Wight Festival.

Boxfresh Festival

It is a brand new stage being launched this year. Imported sand, deckchairs, Mojitos and live music for the entire weekend.

I have a couple of slots over the weekend but haven’t confirmed times yet.

I will let you know as soon as I do. G