2010 Review of the Year ! :)

Hello again this is the 2nd of 2 posts today. As i said before it is the last day of 2010 and so i think it is fitting to reflect on what has been a great year for me personally.

Well in the life of Fraser I have done a lot and accomplished a lot, here's a few things that need notable mentions!

1. Well i survived the first year of uni ! That had to be mentioned first but now i have settled into Strathclyde Uni and are now halfway through 2nd year...it is a scary thought indeed ! I have had plenty of nights out and parties to attend now that i am a fully fledged student :D but thats all part of the plan :)



One of the many good times with Uni folks :)

2. T in the Park - This year may have not been the best for bands but banter was in full flow. Notable mentions include (Special Thanks to Audrey Gillies in this department!):
''T in the Park? this is Hugh Grants Park!!'
''who the fuck are you?!?!''
''EVERYBODY!! CAMPERS!! COME AND SEE THE FIGHTING FETUSES!! THERES A RED ONE AND A BLACK ONE AND ONE THATS YELLOW!!''
''Look at they seagulls!! GET OUTTA HEEEEEE!! that wans no movin', it's a wide-o!!''
''Backscratchhaaaaa'''
''Madness! some call it madness!''
''andrex loo roll is like wiping your bum with a puppy''
''im planning my bands round shitting''

Oh to name a few !



After this picture was taken...Madness ruled (literally)

3. Blackpool 2010 - What a great time i had with the KFC crew (and Stephen!) in our wee caravan. Many an alcoholic beverage was drank and we visited many a place like the Zoo and the famous pleasure beach. Great week that came straight after T in the Park!



One of many drunken times in Blackpool...my Nelly impersonation

4. The Wedding of the Year - Nicola (finally) got married to Ross Ferguson on the 9th October 2010 and well the whole wedding was just fantastic ! Nicola having a dance routine for Ross with her friends and Ross singing "Rule the World" by Take That for Nicola. This wedding was uniquely theirs and will be cherished by all who witnessed.



What a great day it was ! :)

5. Leeds Fest - My first festival outside of Scotland and I loved it ! Saw some awesome bands and a lot of drink was drunk ! Oh and the day trip to York the next day was not too shabby either !!


First of many drinks from what i remember


6. Aberdeen - Trip up to Aberdeen to see Paramore was seen by most as mad but i called it dedication! After waiting 3 hours in the freezing cold we soon warmed up and were treated to fun...i mean the band called Fun. Then of course Paramore were exceptional...all in all a great couple of days :)



Nommy <3

Well I believe thats all folks this year ! All I have to say now is have a lovely new year and see you on the flipside (I say Flipside because i am cool! )

Happy New Year !!

Class of 2010 - Best Films of the Year

Merry belated Christmas everyone first !

Now as i am writing this is it is 31st December 2010 and tomorrow will be a new year :D
So in the first of 2 blogs today (because i was rushed into doing this) I will focus on the films that made me ooohhh and ahhh or even laugh throughout the year. Here are my top 5 films:

5. Little Fockers - This film is freshest in my memory as i went to see it only a few days ago but i thoroughly enjoyed it. The rapport between Stiller and Deniro is fantastic and it is full of laughs oh and Jessica Alba :)

4. Kick Ass - This film was just genius ! The cast was brilliant especially Nick "CHILLLLDDDD!!!!!" Cage and of course that guy who plays McLovin in Superbad/

3. Inception - A spectacular film with a superb story line. I had to go to the cinema twice to see it as it was that good (Plus i needed to get the whole storyline). The dream inside a dream idea was confusing by the effects used in it were brilliant.

2. Machete - "Machete don't text....Machete improvise!"
This film is classic from start to finish. The star studded line up of Danny Trejo, Robert Deniro, Michelle Rodriguez(<3<3), Jessica Alba and of course Steven Seagal made this an epic film. The Trejo gets all the girls in his 60s...that is impressive but it also had ridiculous stunts and scenes. Oh and Rodriguez in a very revealing outfit <3



My new found love <3

1. The Expendables - A close run thing between this and Machete but this has the Stallone factor. This film with heavyweights like Stallone, Statham, Lundgren, Jet Li, Mickey Rourke and cameos from Schwarzenegger and Willis just couldn't disappoint. With outrageous explosions and guns - including Terry Crews' massive gun which had me laughing hysterically- this film could not get any more manly. What a film...oh and roll on Expendables 2 !



Yes that is the gun !

Class of 2010 - Best Songs of the Year

So now ladies and gentlemen its times for the top 10 (yes i said ten instead of five) songs of the year. Remember, my music taste is extremely varied and many different genre will be covered !

10. Nightmare - Avenged Sevenfold
Just for the guitarwork and lyrics...great song all in all!

9. My First Kiss - 3OH!3 Feat Ke$ha
Such a catchy song from the boys of Colorado with the finished touch of the beautiful Ke$ha!

8. Playing God - Paramore
Yes, yes bias comes into play here, this song is one of my favourites of Brand New Eyes and now has significant importance in relation to the recent Paramore news...

7. The Captain - Biffy Clyro
Yeah it may have been out tail end of last year but hey ho am putting it in here. Why? The "HO!!" start of the song is an awesome opening and the chorus of "somebody help me sing !?!" makes it truly an anthem.

6. Watercolour - Pendulum
The lead song for Immersion and a fantastic track from the Aussie drum n bass boys. Such a great track to dance to and it gets ur feet tapping.

5. Club Can't Handle Me - Flo Rida & David Guetta
Final 5 ! I said i had a varying taste in music. Tbh this song always gets me grooving on the dancefloor it is soo damn catchy !!!

4. Love the Way you Lie - Eminem feat Rhianna
The vibrant mix of Rhianna's singing and Eminem's rapping skills make this song very much a highlight of 2010 in the summer time.

3. The Island - Pendulum
Second entry for Pendulum which shows how strong the album actually was in my opinion ! This is my favourite song on the album...the second part was indeed a "TUNE!"

2. Destabilise - Enter Shikari
The most plays on my iTunes?? Aye this deserves to be here. Its a great wee song with the added "shikari shuffle" and the added political meaning. TUNE!

1. Airplanes - B.O.B Feat Hayley Williams
Would you expect anything less. It has my hayley in it of course i am gonna love it ! Oh and part 2 with eminem is even better !!

Thats the top 10...comments guys??

Class of 2010 - Best Albums of the Year

Now that i have calmed down from my rant last night...time to continue my top 5s of the year. This time its all about albums released during the year!

5. American Slang - The Gaslight Anthem
Yes this band broke through with The 59' Sound and their followup album was just as good. With a blend of catchy songs and great lyrics. They are destined for bigger things.
Best Song - Stay Lucky

4. Nightmare - Avenged Sevenfold
After a rocky end to 2009 with the death of The Rev, M Shadows and the rest were very brave to bounce back straight away with this album. With very heartfelt songs about the passing of their drummer and very catchy guitar riffs it was a very good album.
Best Song - Welcome to the Family

3. What Separates me from You - A Day to Remember
Wow the final three, this was difficult to say the least. A Day to Remember returned with the follow up to Homesick and they did not disappoint. This album was filled with classic ADTR breakdowns and very catchy tunes.
Best Song - 2nd Sucks

2. Beneath it All - Hey Monday
I love love love this mini-album by the Florida band! Cassadee Pope's beautiful voice make every song in this album perfect in every way. Yes you can tell i am in love with Cassadee!
Best Song - Where is My Head?

1. Immersion - Pendulum
And yeap my number one is Aussie drum n Bass specialists Pendulum! Every song on this album is a tuuunee ! They are destined for greater things in 2011.
Best Song(s) - The Island Part 1 and 2

Paramore ARE a Band

I am going to break the cycle of my best of 2010 for one wee blog because i need to splurt out some stuff about big news.
http://www.paramore.net/blog/announcement/

Today it was announced that Josh and Zac Farro have left Paramore. It came as a shock to me especially only having seen them about a month ago in Aberdeen. But I look at the bigger picture... Josh is married now and wants to be with his wife and well Zac has been growing up on the road all the time...maybe he needs a wee bit of normality?

Through the sadness,i started reading comments on the announcement on Facebook and Twitter and everyone is saying "hayley will go solo" and "its all about Hayley in the band". This does infuruate me and hence the rant in the blog. This is why:

1. Yes you guessed it...Paramore ARE a Band...not just hayley
2. She hasnt sold out just because she was asked to do a track with an up and coming rap artist
3. The band as a whole are eternally grateful to the support they have gained for writing good music that have appealed to a generation
4. Hayley is a role model for many girls who have aspirations of being rock stars or being famous
5. The band were asked to do a track or two for twilight...the success of them made them bigger and more of a fan base...problem with that? No, not at all
6. You look at the big picture, the rest of the band are very quiet souls, just because she is the loudest does not mean that its all about her and the band
7. Finally, They are not splitting up, 2 members leaving does not constitute a break up. Hayley will not go solo. Paramore will continue as a band as they said for the South American tour dates and for the future!

Nuff said on this topic !

Adieu!

The Class of 2010 - The Gigs

Well as the year is coming to an end and it is time to close another chapter in the life of myself i guess i should do a favourites from the year. So this blog will focus on the best gigs i have been to this year. Since January i think i have been to about 30 gigs and seen verging on 100 bands (probably more) so here are my top 5 of the year:



5 The Prodigy - "Where are my warriors!!" is the line i remember as Maxim and the rest graced the stage in an electric set that shook everyone that witnessed it to the core. Light show, techno beats and the crowd going mental...prodigy are one of the best in the game for getting the crowd going.
Best Song - Smack my Bitch Up

4. Pendulum - The Prodigy's potential successor to crossing the rock-dance divide did not disappoint with a brilliant show that warmed everyone up while the snow and cold was causing all sorts of problems outside. With their mix of rock and dance they certainly know how to keep a crowd bouncing for the whole show.
Best Song - The Island part 1 and 2

3. Muse - Matt Bellamy is an absolute maestro and the T in the Park performance was just unbelievable. The three piece certainly deserve all the awards they get for being one of the best live bands in the business at this time.
Best Song - United States of Eurasia

2. Blink 182 - The return of "Mark Hoppus and the other two" was met by me with a massive amount of excitement. Their SECC performance brought back soo much memories of when i was younger and when i listened to them first. Oh and Travis Barker even threw in a massive drum solo woth a rotating drum kit...nuff said.
Best Song - Stockholm Syndrome

1. Madness - "Madness? they call it madness!!" Yes that quote was used a lot during that T in the Park Weekend and well Suggs and Co were exceptional. The crowd were up for dancing and jumping around and ska dancing...old and young ones alike. It was a massive party and easily one of the best bands i have seen in my years going to T in the Park. Oh and their return in November at the O2 Academy was not too shabby either.
Best Song - One Step Beyond

"I'm delighted to sign another deal at United. I've spoken to the manager and the owners and they've convinced me this is where I belong."

Hey world !

Captains Log: 22nd October 2010

Currently Listening to : That's what you get - Paramore

Well I haven't blogged in a good bit since the wedding and all that!

Things have been good tbh just getting on with Uni and stuff hence the lack of blogging activity.

However, I am gonna change things today with a look at a certain issue which has pissed me off recently. Two words: Wayne Rooney

Okay he hasn't had the best start to the season and has done the dirty on his wife and little kid. But why make matters worse for yourself by telling the world you want to leave Manchester United?


Football is full of overpaid players these days....

Yes maybe he wanted a new challenge etc but the amount of money that seemed to be involved in a potential move to the likes of rivals Manchester City (£300,000 a week in one paper) is beyond a joke. No one, not even Wayne Rooney, is worth that amount in the world. Football has turned into a total farce, just look at how much Cristiano Ronaldo went to Real Madrid and his sizeable wage package!

I was ready to accept that Manchester United were gonna let go of their biggest asset and become a 4th or 5th force in english football, I even sold him when I started playing Fifa 11 to Real Madrid!

The the total U-turn in decision today, he signed a new 5 year deal with the Manchester club, not the blue side. He has let me and many of Man Utds fans down with the events of the last week. It is now up to him to make it up by regaining the form of last year and previous years.

A disappointing start for the red devils....only way is up!

Thats all for today, was very brief and just a stop gap between Uni work for me.

Ciao for now !

Little less conversation...little more action please !

Listening to: We no Speak Americano (the tune of the wedding !)

Captains log 11th October 2010

Hey worrld!

Well...what a weekend !

It was of course the wedding of the year for all those people associated with the Shaws and Fergusons. The marriage of my lovely sister Nicola to Ross Ferguson.

Started early morning on the 9th October where the Shaw household was full of girls getting their hair and make up done....i just sat casually in my room and got ready in 30 mins in my dashing kilt :)

So my duties as an usher were very strenuous but i managed them okay...i think :) The wedding ceremony was lovely with emotions running high and happiness rife. Once the minister pronounced the couple were happily married the cheers bellowed throughout the museum where the service took place!

After all the pictures were taken and everyone wished the newlyweds their congrats Nicola and Ross Ferguson (still weird saying it!) hopped in the A-Team van, yes they had the A-team van, and we took our respective transports and headed to the Popinjay Hotel where the partying could begin.

The speeches were made by the father of the bride, the groom and the best man and we tucked into our dinner. Then the serious drinking began with the wedding reception starting.

The band were The Real Delmonte and they were superb, they added a real rock feel to each song and played songs that i did not expect to hear at a wedding. They played green day and feeder ! :):)

The wedding would not have been nicola's without a few suprises. Firstly a group of girls and nicola performed a well choreographed dance routine to Elvis' A little less conversation for the new groom and it was soo good.This was followed by Nicola and Ross singing I got You Babe by Sonny and Cher then Ross singing with his band Rio Calahan Rule the World by Take That. The reception was one big party and lets say i was very very drunk!

Well thats it all over now, one more thing to say now...

CONGRATULATIONS NICOLA AND ROSS FERGUSON !!!!!! <3<3>

We are young, we drink and we fight (8)

Good evening ! :D

Captain's Log 4th October 2010

Listening to: We are Young - 3OH!3

Wow so it is now October already !

Its a week or so since my last post so time to update y'all. This time last week i was in the Garage in Glasgow seeing the mighty 3OH!3 for the second time.

The support was a DJ band called L'Amour La Morgue with Ian Watkins (famous for being the lead man for Lostprophets) at the helm. They really got the crowd going with their own versions of songs like Sabtage by the Beastie Boys and Riverside. The the main event...the boys from Colorado blasted through a set littered with hits and album songs. Particular highlight was hearing House Party and them starting their very own "here we here we here we fucking go!" when the crowd started chanting it.

After the highs of Monday it was back to the grind on Tuesday with a return to University. It was good settling back in and seeing faces I hadn't seen since the end of April! HOLY CRAP AM A SECOND YEAR NOW!

Yeah it hasn't really sunk in yet that am not the bottom of the pile anymore!

So catching up with different folks i ended up going out for two lunches. One at the Ark Cafe and the other at Ketchup. The latter being the best damned burger i have tasted....ever !

So moving on to the weekend...well friday to be exact...i went to the West Bar's very own Oktoberfest where i sampled their german beer and listened to german traditional music :) It was all in all a good night with a lovely meal :)

Finally i bring you up to the present where i began working in Edinburgh again for Scotland Gas Networks one day a week and handed in my notice at KFC.

So an eventful week! Also congrats to the European Team on regaining the Ryder Cup in golf! Monty's boys did us proud !

Until next time...Ciao world !

"No wonder we dont get signal here, this is fucking mordor !"

Currently Listening to : Hello Brooklyn - All Time Low

Evening World !

Captains Log 26th September 2010

Well i have made it back from Aberdeen in one piece!

Had an absolutely fantastic time up there.

It all started 2 days ago on a Friday morning with a trip into town then a few drinks in a pub at Queen Street Station...the difference was our attire. We were dressed up as sporting legends. The looks we got were priceless! I went with John McEnroe because of my curly hair but we also had Bjorn Borg, Eddie the Eagle, Nigel Mansell, Ian Botham and many more. Of course the drink filled train journey wasn't completed with the stag being dressed up as an 80s women swimmer in swimsuit and wig! Fantastic !

So once we got our bearings around the town we got ourselves ready to go out. Of course we had a few drinks and then we headed to the Gentleman's Club...which was indeed an experience !

The night was completed with a trip to Tiger Tiger where we realised that it was Aberdeen University's freshers week. School Themed. We stuck out like a sore thumb and the club itself wasn't the best. The Hamilton Palace was better !

Day 2 and once our hangovers susided we went quad biking and go karting. The banter was brilliant as we battled out to be the best at go karting. Also the quad biking was muddy but a great amount of fun!

Then the final night out came along and we dressed in our fancy dress and headed for a chinese buffet then a mini pub crawl. Ross was getting the attention from being in the swimsuit and the booze was in full flow. The dancing came about and everyone was loving it ! A great night indeed!

So leaving day came along, and the great unwashed of ibroxtown rolled into our hotel for a few pints before the game in Aberdeen, Bringing their anti-IRA chants and sectarian drivel. I was glad i got out of that place before it ended up like Manchester.

So all in all a very successful weekend full of plenty of banter, babes and of course plenty of booze!

In the next couple of days i am returning to university so in the next couple of days i will update you :)

Cheers :):)

Stag Do

Captian's Log 23rd September 2010

Listening to: Love Gun - Kiss

Heyy world !

Well it has been a while since i last posted on this !

Well tonight i am preparing myself for a massive weekend in Aberdeen. My future brother in law's stag do :)

No doubt it will be full of interesting happenings, including the fancy dress part ! I am dressing up as John McEnroe which obviously is pretty relevant considering i have curly hair!

However, i am going to look into the main reason of this event going ahead. The wedding between my sister and her lovely boyfriend Ross Ferguson.

Heres the sentimental part...

It has been nearly 8 years now that they have been together and well that takes me back into the days when i had short hair and listened to rave music...changed days :)

Ross has always been perfect for our Nicola. Hes kind, loving and a real good laugh. Very good singer and always the centre of a party when he "whaps" out his guitar and sings hits such as Take It Easy and Sweet Home Alabama. He has basically been like a brother from another mother (haha) but very soon he will be part of our family in legal terms.

So thats the soppy pish over with and i will head to bed soon before the stag do antics and heavy drinking begins :)

See you in a couple of days !

kings and queens of promise

Heyyy guys :)

Captain's Log 25th February 2010

Well its been a few days since i last made an entry so here goes

Last few days have been spent at uni going to lectures and tutorials the usual.

However, in my last post i spoke about how i missed the train because buses were late...well yesterday...in the havoc of all the snow...the bus...was yes ON TIME! Someone tell me how that works.

I have now realised i have really lazy people in a group for a uni subject who do absolutely fuck all (excuse my language) work and believe that he really needs to kick them up the arse !

thats the rant part over. Now the good times :) I found a really awesome vid about two camels in a tiny car on youtube (Ray William Johnson look him up!) that made me laugh out loud ! I also moved some furniture today for my sisters because they were getting some new stuff and went for a wee driving lesson which went pretty well :).

I managed to dodge Jehovah's Witnesses on monday which i forgot to put in my blog then by hiding in my own bloody house, i felt like i was hiding from aliens or godzilla. Anyways, yesterday i was sitting at the bus stop waiting to get home, when a woman came along with a wee leaflet about giving a free bible, i just assumed it was a protestant church (i do live in larkhall :P) but no it was a jehovah....karmas a bitch eh?

Anyways, my last few days havent been the most busy for me but the next few will be fantastic. It involves, drink, parties and of course seeing my beloved Jared Leto( he is my man crush) and the mighty 30 Seconds to Mars on Saturday. Oh and watching the battle of the great unwashed at Sunday Lunchtime :)

Thats this blog entry wrapped up. Have a nice night world and will blog you soon !

Welcome!

Hey there everyone this is the life and times of fraser alan shaw :)

Captain's Log 22nd February 2010

Well today wasn't the most productive of days for myself. After missing the train into Glasgow for uni because of bloody buses I went home and just played FIFA 10 for a couple of hours.

Once i had my lunch (Pasta N Sauce FTW!) i sat down and watched some of the winter olympics and realised that jamaica actually has a winter olympic team although it wasnt a bobsleigh team, it was a skiier.

Later on in the day i just went on the laptop and listened to some Enter Shikari and Stereophonics and then went on msn for a wee while. Had chats with Clare and Lauren and a few other folks and gave my usual talks on how guys are dicks :P:P

Well today had its ups and downs but "Have a Nice Day" by the 'Phonics never ceases to cheer me up.

Today was particulary boring today like but i'm pretty sure i will have more to say in later blogs!

Peace out !

Fraser xxxxx