Oh dear.

Sunday afternoon. South East London.
As I didn't have much to do I decided to go to the cinema, where Greenwich Picturehouse do matinees for a fiver.

After the film (Shifty, excellent), I popped into the toilet for a cheeky piss. As there was virtually no one in the cinema, I was looking forward to the moment of quiet reflection one can get from standing alone at the urinal.

Or so I thought.
A noise which can only be described as a cacophony made itself known from one of the cubicles. Think the beach landing from Saving Private Ryan.

I paused for a moment. "Oh God, it's someone having a fit of internal combustion in the cubicle, and he doesn't know I'm in here, so won't show any restraint." I had to act fast, to let him know that I'm here. I softly reached over to the door, and pulled it open, letting it slam back against it hinges, denoting that someone had entered the room.

Silence.

Brilliant. It's worked, I thought. Now all I need to do is wash my hands before..."PLOP PLOP PLOP!".
Oh no, he's still doing it. He knows I'm here, yet he continues! Suddenly I becamse painfully aware of the sound of toilet paper being used, trousers being pulled up. I've got to get out of here. There's no way I can look the man who provided the sound effects for Platoon in the eye. But it's too late. The cubicle door is opening, he's approaching the sink.

Silence.

"Nice day today isn't it mate?" he pipes up.

"Yeah, nice and sunny I guess" I awkwardly reply.

"Nice and quiet after the Marathon"

You have got to be shitting me.

With that I was out the door, running down Greenwich High street in the vain hope that I'd find something to take my mind off things. You just don't want that on a Sunday Afternoon.

Skiving, no doubt.

This post is going to be somewhat brief, mainly because I'm bored at work and dodging the watchful eye of my manager as I write this.

Two of my friends have just left for America, meeting in the former hub of car manufacturing that is Seattle. I'm meant to be joining them soon, flying out to Toronto to explore the East Coast of America. Recently I've got the travel bug, and it's affected my outlook on daily life quite a bit. I love the sensation of strolling around, not knowing where I'm going, looking at the buildings around me. (This same sensation can be easily replicated if you neck 12 shots and then stumble round your local town centre, but never mind) There's something very liberating about travelling somewhere you've never been before. Maybe it's the sensation that you won't bump into any of the reprobates who happen to live on the same road as you, or just rediscovering the child-like sensation of the shock of the new. I'm beginning to be sick of London, having lived here for most of my life. It's nice knowing where everything is, how to best navigate the tube system etc, but it's become boring. I remember the first time I went to Boombox at Hoxton Bar and Kitchen, the amazing feeling I got that I was part of something innovative and exciting. Ever since I've failed to replicate that feeling, in a club or otherwise, London and it's personality have become predictable, much like that sinking feeling you get when a relationship no longer excites you.

So to conclude, I'm looking forward to seeing new pastures in America. Because you see so much of American life through a film lens, you're almost surprised when it actually turns out to be the same as it is "in the movies". Places like New York City take on an almost mythological status, because of the countless iconic films/photographs/books which have used the Big Apple as it's backdrop, and I'm pleased to say that I'll be a part of it soon.

Just let it be...

With all the recent media coverage about atheism and Richard Dawkins shtick, I thought I'd have a crack at making some sense of it.

I think the atheism movement, or "fundamentalist atheism" as I like to call it, has rather hit a brick wall. Their entire argument is the existence of God, rather, the lack of. So where do they go from here? Endlessly reiterating the same point does nothing to substantiate or progress the argument.

Before I dive headfirst into this, I'd like to say that I'm bringing a fairly neutral perspective to the table, in that I am fairly unsure myself as to the existence of a higher power. To me, the God/no God argument is irrelevant. I'm more interested in the basis for such opinions being formed.

On the whole, us humans object to someone stating the bleeding obvious. Being patronised, having something shoved in our face is the sort of thing we don't like. Dawkins and his followers of staunch atheists relish in ramming their beliefs down our throats. What other groups share this contemptible characteristic. Oh yes, fiercely religious sects of course. I'm just as pissed off when The God Delusion thrust my way as "compulsory reading" as when I'm approached by the Hare Krishna’s. "But they're a bunch of deluded religious loonies!" I hear you cry. Perhaps. But are you going to begrudge the fact that Christianity gave my late grandparents great strength when times were tough? Delusional they may have been, but to derive such cast iron will from religion to get through the worst of times cannot be mocked.

"Ah yes, granny and grandad going to church is fine, but what about September 11th?"

A lot of the war and conflict in this world is based on differing aspects of faith. Dawkins argues that religion is an evil tool in this sense. Let me put forward a comparison for you:

If guns were outlawed in America tomorrow, what would happen? Would crime cease? No. Criminals would go on using them, and now the general public would be defenceless. Guns have been freely available in North America for years, and a law isn't going to stop those with the intent to commit crime from using them.

Likewise, citing Islamic fundamentalists as a reason why religion is evil is pointedly short sighted and naive. That's right, I'm calling atheists naive. Whether organised religion was around or not, these people would still be out to cause trouble. Atheists seem to think that if they get everyone converted the weapons will be laid down. Are they really so arrogant that they think they can overturn belief systems which are based on thousands of years of knowledge? It's like trying to overturn the myth that everyone who went to Oxford is a sparkling font of intellectual power.

In a way, I almost want the Christian afterlife to be correct. That way I can have a good old chuckle in purgatory while Dawkins is forced to kiss the feet of a Christian Fellowship, a situation that surely takes on hellish proportions in his mind.

"We're in a world of shit"

There are no guarantees in life, but it is a sure thing that you will get back what you give.
If you give 100 percent of your attention, energy and time to something, you will get exactly that back.
Spending your time and attention focused on what you cannot do and do not have, assures that more of the same will come. When you concentrate on emptiness, weakness, fault, and blame, it is sure to become a reality.
Nobody has everything, but everybody has something. Use what you have right now. Use it wisely, freely, with love. Wherever you are, use your time, energy and talents to do the best you can right now. Give no thoughts to what is missing. Spend no time wishing it were better. Make sure you give all you have, to make sure you will get all that you need.

"It's like being in Japan"

So said Faris Badwan, frontman of The Horrors, in reference to the tepid crowd reaction to his band's first full live airing of songs from their forthcoming album, Primary Colours.

Be fair. Haven't the Japanese got a reputation for being wildly manic and vocal at gigs? The phrase "big in Japan" has become synonymous with the notion that no matter how unpopular a band becomes, they will always have diehard fans in the Far East. Anyway, I digress. Myself and two friends went to see The Horrors last night, at Bethnal Green's Rich Mix theatre/cinema complex. It was a bizarrely pristine venue that had the air of a record company shindig, and the audience who attended only succeeding in cementing that feeling. Amongst the plaid shirts, ironic knitwear and drainpipes one could pick out singer and performance artist No Bra, members of the Klaxons and S.C.U.M., as well as a rumour that Damon Albarn himself was in the audience.

Before I begin to delve into the band's performance, a small point about their audience. Is it really necessary for everyone who lives in East London/frequents the nightlife there to look at me as if I've crapped myself? Look, myself and the two aforementioned friends were dressed pretty snappily, so it can't have been a fashion related faux pas. Apparently smiling isn't allowed when one passes by Liverpool Street, as every time I cracked a grin at something one of my companions had said, I was frowned upon by others, as if I'd just set a flag of Stalin alight whilst in the Gulag. I'm not going to pretend to be interested in these people's projects, bands, dogs, whatever. It's just that when someone whose studio flat in Dalston is quite clearly trust funded by Momma and Papa has got the gall to turn his or hers nose up at me, it's galling that's all. Oh well. Rant over. Back to the music, man.

Not knowing the names of the new songs forces me to review the gig as an overall performance. Only playing two songs from their previous album, Strange House, they instead focused on new tracks. When they did play Count In Fives, it not only contained an immediacy that was sadly missing from many of the new songs, but also jarred quite awkwardly with the rest of the setlist, as did Sheena Is A Parasite. All that said, I did thoroughly enjoy the new material, though I think the name of the band is now no longer particularly appropriate, both in terms of stage presence (all members of the band, even to some extent, Faris, stood stock still as if it was an Oasis gig) as well sonically. The soundscapes being formed are much more complex than they ever were on Strange House, and the subtlety with which particular passages of music are executed can't help but be admired. A lot of the songs brought to mind some of Joy Division's more escapist and ambient work, something which I thought was showcased in set closer and new single, Sea Within A Sea.

On the train home, I queued up Public Enemy on my iPod. As Chuck D ranted and raved about the government, I thought of the contrast between them and The Horrors. Here is a seminal band, one which struck a chord with a generation, and whose witticisms, lyrical ability and production still sound fresh today. I would argue that The Horrors don't have this same aura...yet. For anyone reading this and shouting "How can you compare Flavor Flav to art rock from London". Well, you can. Besides the two genres of music being worlds apart, the impact each band has on a listener can quite clearly be measured. As they're only a mere two albums in, we'll forgive Faris & Co. They're not quite there yet, but I have the feeling that they're beginning to come into their own, and possibly develop a sound which is more unique and can be attributed directly to them.

Jolly good show.