Woke with no quite as much sleep as I'd hoped for, but I'm on my way.
The trip has a 30 minute stop at Leeds. A girl I used to be seeing lives there now and we decide to chill for a bit. It's cool seeing her again, we were only together a week so we're still good friends, no bad blood, I guess I was too fucked up, the rare times I do get with someone I either close up or come on too strong, this was the latter. It's kinda, suffocate or be suffocated, I don't really know how to deal with that stuff.
Listened to FAR's, "Water and Solutions," for the Leeds to York section, what an album, what a band, had a few run ins with Jonah, at one point we'd took his bag, returned it when we found out like, but was funny anyway, should write a song about it, "Rob Your Idols," or something, I used to be such a little shit, taking bags, I'm glad I grew up in some ways, the important ways.
York is really something else, if it wasn't for the swarms of people, it'd be perfect. Found a Dr. Hook album for cheap on a cool little market, the guy was so grateful I bought something, Slow day buddy? These little market streets are so cool, looks like something out of a fabel, too cool.
In one of the art galleries, there's a piece by Jan Victors called, "The Butchers Shop." This painting totally blows my mind, it's fucking awesome.
Checking though this museum and there's one of those velvet rope deals, real fat cat in a suit horseshit, "Convention for the political party of some crap," the sign reads, over the rope I go.
Up the stairs and I'm in a room that links to the conference area, I can hear these suits discussing their hollow lives, living for the pay cheque and not going anywhere with it, new car? How about some experience and a soul, I dunno, I'm all up for making the benjamins, but there's something so false with the way these people do it, I dunno what it is. If I worked in an office, or for some political party, I'd show up for work in shorts and one of them fat guy Hawaiian shirts just to turn heads, have a bit more fun in an otherwise spirit-breaking workplace.
But wait! This room is filled with food! I find a couple of plates with "suitable for vegetarians" marked on them and fill my mitts. On the way out this security guard is checking me and my dinner with a look like, "did you just get that from.....?" "YEAH, MOTHERFUCKER!"
The next few hours was just hitting the castle walls, as cool as they are, all the sights are now blocked by shops, houses, shit like that, fuck civilization, Danny Kaye had it spot on.
Went to the main castle musuem, "Sir, we recommend 2 hours to see all of our attractions, you have about 35 minutes." Sounds like a challenge to me.
There's some cool stuff in here, the retro gaming section makes me laugh, simply because I still own more than half the stuff on show, super geek, I should have my own show, or shop at least. Another awesome part is the prison section, you can actually close some of the cells, well I did, not sure if you're allowed, so you can see what it's like in there, with music, books and a light, this place would be heaven, maybe a tittie poster too.
I see the exhibitions and I'm on my way, I just HAD to ask, "how long was that?" "About 30 minutes." Ha! Fuck you! And off I went.
It's about 5pm now and the whole of York is going on shut down, walking some castle walls again and there's a high vis serpico guy coming at me, arms a'waving, "can't go this way! I've locked it all up now!" So I hop off the wall and roll down a hill, wait til this guy's out of view and back up I go, can't go this way, just watch me.
I never fucking learn, a big arse metal fence, high as a room, blocks my way, but I can't go back, I can just imagine Mr. High vis jacket, with his high vis teeth, laughing at me, spit showering, "I told you so!" Fuck you. Over I go. I hit the floor with an almighty thud and find myself on a street, the family of four I nearly trampled pale faced and brown in the pants. Smile polite, then move on.
There's a huge church here, looks like Notre-fucking-Dam, everytime I go in these places I'm blown away. These buildings are immense, so detailed, who the fuck spent their life carving this stuff? Reminds me of the book, "Lords of Chaos," about the Norwegian black-metal scene, a bunch of dudes burned down these churches "in the name of Satan," and the real Satanists, the Anton La-Vey guys, get it in the neck. I think it's one of the guys from Emperor who says something like, "I think religion is stupid, God and all that, but I wouldn't burn down a church, they're beautiful buildings." He was much more articulate than that, but the point is, the guy really digged the architecture, was some super intelligent guy, polite and well spoken by the sounds of things, and because he wears a pentagram around his neck, is treated like a murdering thug. Fuck people, I like the Anton La-Vey deal. It's the same in the U.K. if not worse, the most hard working guy in the world could live here, but because he's foreign, I hear people telling him to "fuck off home," this is his home, and the majority of people saying this white supremacy horse crap are benefit whoring drug addicts, I think they should fuck off, like skin colour is so fucking offensive, instead of insulting the unfamiliar, why don't you pick up a fucking book and educate yourself about other cultures and beliefs instead? These guys, they do have a right to say what they want, don't get me wrong, that's one of the best things about living in the U.K. freedom of speech, but that doesn't mean it isn't bullshit. I could go on, but wow, rant there.
Anyway, everytime I'm in one of these churches I get this urge to scream, HAIL SATAN! and just watch the reactions, the extreme Christians nearly have heart attacks, you know, just for funsies.
It's night time now, and I've decided to check out some dark as hell alleyways, I must be dumb as fuck, a giant "mug me" sign would be less on top. These walkways are friggin' awesome though, really like late 1800's London. I'm just waiting for Jack the Ripper to jump out and gut me.
After a riverside walk, there's still about an hour to kill, so I go into some "Grand York Hotel" or something to cause some friendly trouble, the security here is so lax, I snooped through store rooms, conference rooms, executive rooms, the works, is anyone saw me, I'd just smile and they would too, I could be a terrorist, a serial killer, looking like I do, I dunno why I haven't been tackled to the ground yet, just smile and everyone's cool.
The coach back has an hour and a half stay in Leeds so I find a pub called, "the Duck and Drake" there's some rock 'n' roll/punk band playing, tried to find their name, it's one of three, "the proud," "the prowlers," or "the growlers," everyone is really into it but no seems to really know who they are.
On the coach home, fatigue is kicking in, Alkaline Trio's "Goddamnit" is keeping me rocking. In interviewed Frank Turner a while back so had his number and decided to text him to tell him what a great album "Goddamnit" is, like we're best mates, like he honestly fucking cares! I'm such a dick.
Back in Manchester at a punk rock night called "Refuse to Lose," probably the best night in the whole city. Against Me, Lawrence Arms, Descendents, Hot Water Music, Fugazi, this place plays them all. How fucking awesome.
