Gig Catch-Up

Oh man why do I even bother trying to blog when I forget to post everything? Haha. So a select few photos from gigs since November. Apparently I had good luck and got to the front for all three!


Jimmy Eat World back on November 19th in O2 Academy Bristol was a bit of a last minute one as it sold out the day tickets were released and I only confirmed that I had entry on the day of the show! The girl I bought my ticket from turned out to be really nice, and she even dragged my right to the front and centre so we had the best view possible even though we arrived late!


Skipping forward to 6th December at Cardiff Motorpoint Arena, we have Biffy Clyro.


I was a bit too close to get photos of the whole stage, but got some nice shots anyway! I wish they'd played more old songs, but at least they played Justboy (I think I cried a bit when they started playing it haha).


And lastly, Yellowcard, on December 11th at Bristol O2. Although I don't know their stuff very well, and have seen them twice before, this was my first time seeing them in a smaller venue...I couldn't even see the stage the other times! I'm glad I went along since it was their last tour and therefore the last chance to see them live.

The end of this year has been a busy one for gigs! And travelling too, I guess. Also went to Worcester to visit Sophie earlier this week, but I failed at getting photos so I can't really blog about it...epic fail!

BMC: The Devil Wears Nylon & Harry Potter

Halloween is always the big release for me as I just love Halloween themes! This year's offering was called The Devil Wears Nylon and while my wishlist wasn't so long as usual, it was only because the prices are so ridiculous that lots of things pruned themselves! But I still ended up with a sizeable haul.

Some of it took a long time to get me and then I was delayed in taking photos thanks to my tattoo, so apologies for this post coming so long after Halloween itself! And apologies for the poor quality of the photos as my phone got stolen so I'm using a super old one.


You know the drill by now, IOD always comes first! Invocation vs Haunted Graveyard Inside Out Dress allows me to get my hands on the Invocation print I missed out on when it was on a midi, although it doesn't look so nice on this shiny fabric. As for the other side, it looked a lot more blue in the site photos, but I prefer it more grey! It is a little similar to Haunted House which was on a previous IOD though.


Since I've been collecting the ouija pieces, the Ouija Board Black Boss Shirt and Ouija Board White BF Bomber were must haves! I'm still not convinced by BF sizing though, and the sizing of the boss shirt was a risk too and it does fit badly (bunches up so badly and gapes if I move my arms even slightly). Death By Disco PVC Skater Skirt is one I didn't intend to get but I got it to bulk up my third order since I loved this print the first time around! Need to make myself start wearing PVC, but it's just not very wearable, huh?


Trick or Treat Business Time Shirt was another risk in terms of sizing as it's a completely new cut, and I haven't tried anything like the Trick or Treat Pumpkin Cuffed Shorts before either. I maybe could have sized down for the shorts as I must be between sizes for them. I don't like the shirt when it's down as it's unflattering, but tied up like this is super cute!


Last but not least, the Voodoo Galaxy Scoop Skater Dress (you can tell this was my iPhone 6, huh?). I was so gutted I missed this print when it was on a boss shirt previously. By the time this was released I'd cooled off the print a bit, and the pastel bits are pixellated and cheap looking compared to the amazing quality of the galaxy background, but I do like it overall as the themes are very me.

I did have to change around my orders a bit, but I missed out on the Gone Batty Yoke Midi Skirt and decided that the Gone Batty Tee Dress would just be too long on me. I kinda wish I'd got the tee now though as I love that print! Two big wants I ruled out on the basis of price are the Voodoo Magic Harness Maxi Dress (so expensive it's over the upper customs limit, so there's no way I could ever have justified it) and The Choker Bralette that I now regret not buying. My only other want from the collection (other than the other PVC items which I really wouldn't wear!) is the Route 66 Skater Skirt, but it isn't limited (a rare occurrence!).


Not Halloween, but I also got the Great Lake vs Great Hall Inside Out Dress from the Halls of Hogwarts collection, and it arrived before 2 of my Halloween orders and blessedly without customs for once! I skipped the Ravenclaw Scoop Skater Dress as I think all those stripes that don't match up are ugly...they should have been designed like school or quidditch robes, damnit!

The release after those was the Marvel New York one, so I guess BM are really into the licenses right now. I guess Christmas must be around the corner, though!

Halloween

I somehow managed to skip writing about a lot of gigs (I've been to so many recently...and I don't think I wrote about Reading festival either?) but Halloween really can't be ignored.


I don't usually do anything for Halloween and hadn't planned to this year either, but then Bring Me The Horizon announced another London O2 Arena date. This wouldn't be particularly interesting...except Enter Shikari were to support as special guests. Um, yes please!


I missed part of Basement as they were on at 1830, which is when my lying ticket said doors were. I had been loitering around outside and checking out the merch tables! I only recognised one song, but they seem a pretty decent band and I would see them again at a festival, probably.


Next was Don Broco, who I have seen twice before. They were all dressed up as cowboys (like in their creepy music video) and put on the best show I've seen them do. They seem an odd choice of support being very poppy, but not complaining as they are a bit of a guilty pleasure!


Then the relief of not having to wait until next year to see Enter Shikari again! I'd be lying if I said I wasn't jealous of people with standing tickets as I'd have been able to get to the front with ease and couldn't see well from my seat at the back of the venue, but then again I easily had one of the best seats in the house and I finally got the chance to appreciate the stage set-up and lighting which is easily missed when you're at the front.


The set was 11 songs long, featuring 4 tracks from The Mindsweep, 3 from older albums, and 4 non-album singles including brand new Hoodwinker. Only thing I'd have wanted different from the set would be for it to be longer - can't fault the song choice at all, even if it wasn't all that different from their February tour set.


Now Bring Me The Horizon are definitely a guilty pleasure for me. I don't like their older stuff at all but do like the 2 newer, more mainstream albums. I have to say they completely blew me away this time! I've always enjoyed seeing them before, but the stage set up, lighting, and all that jazz were superb. They definitely deserve their arena tour, and I hope they do Cardiff on their next run!

The next day after a swift hangover recovery (sitting at Marble Arch with a book and a can of Monster for an hour until I felt human), I went for a half-hearted shopping trip along Oxford Street. I had intended to do my usual an have a nice long read at Jubilee Gardens at the other end, but I was so exhausted that I decided to rush back for one of the last super off-peak trains rather than giving myself another 5 hours to kill.


I didn't end up buying much at all this time! Though I stupidly forgot to go in the toy store and was too fed up of how crowded it was (and by google maps getting me lost) by the time I got to Forbidden Planet. BMTH shirt from the gig, necklace from Primark, the others from H&M (I'd be lying if I said my main motivation for buying that shirt was anything other than that it looked like something Rory C would wear). Err I was too lazy to take a photo sooo maybe I'll add it at some point later. I just realised I'd never post this if I didn't just do it before I forgot entirely haha.

BMC: State of the Art

Finally caught up! State of the Art as a collection did exactly what it says on the tin, really. There were a lot of gorgeous prints, but sadly literally everything was on cuts that don't work on me, so I kept it small (the exchange rate and BM's steadily increasing prices didn't help either).


My first order just had to be this - the Times of the Day Pocket Midi Dress. Mucha's art is so pretty, and while I was put off by the length, the release was midnight after my gran's birthday and I just KNOW she'd have loved this one. So I had to! And pockets are always a winner.


Unfortunately that means I missed my usual size in the Almond Blossom vs Starry Night Cap Sleeve Inside Out Dress. I was really worried about my shoulders fitting into the smaller size, and I must say I can't really lift my arms as it's tight across the back and the arms. However there's less wrinkling in the middle so I guess I should have been getting XS IODs all along, and I'm definitely glad I couldn't get S for this one as it's already so low cut! I'm not a fan of this cut at all! But I do like this side a lot more in person. The side pictured below I'm less of a fan of since the print makes it look like it's stained oddly when it's just paint texture haha.


I do regret passing up on the Winterscape Pocket Midi Skirt as it's stunning and perfect for Winter, but I just don't trust myself with white (especially since I live in the muddy countryside and it rains a lot here!). However I may be tempted by it again if it crops up in a future museum sale.

Halloween release will be the next to arrive, and I really can't wait as it was such a good release. And Halloween is always the best!

LDC: Yu-Gi-Oh!

I have a handful of Living Dead Clothing pieces already, but I've never been convinced by them and didn't intend on ordering again. However, I do love me a bit of Yu-Gi-Oh!, so I broke my promise to myself and ended up ordering both items as I couldn't choose between them!


I wasn't sure which size to go for in the Yugi Cosplay Tee as I don't like things to be snug on my hips. I went for the S as didn't see how I'd need the smallest size they make when I can't get my XS swim from there past my knees. However, it is pretty massive and I'd have fit in XS with room to spare! It's fine though as I do like things baggy and I can wear it as a dress easily. Bonus Coco assistance.


The Yugi Cosplay Skater is much more flattering than I had expected as the cape part of the print falls just right. The skirt part is more voluminous than BM does them which is great for swishing! The bust feels a bit odd though, and I think I need a better bra to stop the dress from making my chest disappear altogether. That said, I think it's good that it covers a bit more than BM's dresses do as in those I'm forever pulling the front up!

After this, I am tempted to go back for the Amethyst Cosplay Tee I almost got instead of the Yugi one, but I really need to save my money for Halloween things and all the gigs I have lined up! Hoping it sticks around for a while, although I'm not too sure how LDC's releases work yet. It's a shame there aren't Amethyst cosplay leggings to go with it, as I'd be all over those star knees!

BMC: Unicornia, Funtimes Friday, & Intergalactic

Another super belated post of July & August orders! I didn't have access to a mirror for a while as mum decided to move all of my things into the spare room where I usually take photos.

Today I'm covering Unicornia, a pastel explosion that didn't quite live up to my expecations. Also I finally made a Funtimes Friday purchase at last - this is when a piece is brought back or a sample is released, just for 48 hours. And finally, a small boost to my galaxy blue collection in gym release Intergalactic.


First up, Ride and Seek vs Hide and Seek Inside Out Dress and the Sporty Stripes Pink Hosiery. I'm not convinced about the hosiery as they're a bit bright for me, but since I missed the burgundy ones I jumped on them anyway! They were also available in indigo in this release. Still not sure why they make them in such small quantities when a lot of people would want them!


I absolutely adore the hide side as the colours and details are amazing. I'm less keen on the ride side as it's bit bright for me, but I love prints like this as you find something you didn't notice before every time you look!


Next up, Galaxy Rainbow Pocket Skater Skirt. Can't get enough of pockets! Plus since dropping a lot of money on the Rainbow Galaxy Spirithood, I keep buying this print to wear with it. Even though my hood turned out to be red and so it doesn't match anyway...but this one is really flattering and really boosts the hips!


Also the Galaxy Rainbow Sweater Dress for the same reasons. I'm not sure I like the cut of this though as it feels too snug, and yet isn't flattering at all haha. It's baggy in the middle & at the bottom which makes it frumpy, but is skin tight on my butt so you can see my ass cheeks a bit too clearly. I think it's supposed to sit higher up, so I guess I'm just too short?


Next up, the Gamer Purple Dress from Funtimes Friday! I'm thinking I ought to have sized up for it since I gained weight since I last wore a bodycon...oops! But couldn't resist this one, especially since I have that Skinnydip bag to wear with it! I hope they bring back the other colours some day too.


Onto the gymwear! This release was gutting as there were so many galaxy blue pieces but everything was limited and I wasn't able to get everything. But I guess I have more things to quest for now...but so frustrating! I did manage to grab the Galaxy Blue Raglan Crop (the fit is odd as the bottom is so loose but the top isn't so it sticks out haha), Galaxy Blue GF Bomber (I need to trade this for size M, I forgot that I usually size up for GF fit which is gutting as this has been my dream piece for ages!), and Galaxy Blue Combat Spikes.


I missed out on 4 pieces which means I now have 5 galaxy blue pieces to hunt down, but at least I got a full gym outfit! And these gym legs...the most flattering thing!

Bit of a wait now for State of the Art to arrive, but both pieces are cuts that I haven't tried before so should be interesting! And the Halloween collection, The Devil Wears Nylon drops on Monday. I'm super excited but my bank account is already screaming and I will end up screaming too if I miss out on the IOD!

BMC: Restocks & More

Yet another post I abandoned back in July, so here goes!


I finally caved and purchased the Sad Ice Cream Marilyn, and I absolutely love this one! I'm still not sure about the cut as I don't like exposing so much chest, but this print is so flattering. It does look kinda of pixelated up close which is a shame, but that doesn't detract from it too much.


I also repurchased the Disco Storm Tartan Marilyn in XS, and it fits so much better than the S but still feels a bit odd, so I guess it must be the fabric! Still need to sell the S one.


The Cold Shoulder Top was a last minute impulse buy as the fabric is so soft and lovely. Plus it will be handy for wearing with leggings in Autumn!


Was finally able to nab a Show Us Ya Tops Underbust Dress, and it's both cute and versatile! However the White Off The Shoulder Crop was a bit disappointing as I was expecting it to be matte fabric rather than the regular nylon kind. The shape of my bra shows through so badly too, aha!


I'm still undecided about the Matte Wood Chucks. They SUPER comfortable but it feels like you aren't wearing anything! Also fearing camel toe, but I'm sure to wear them a whole bunch with thick tights in winter.

Still haven't taken photos of newer purchases as I haven't had access to a mirror, but aiming to catch up as soon as possible!

SkinnyDip Sale

Back in July, SkinnyDip had a sale and I was a naughty girl...ahaha!

Small bags like the ones they sell are pretty much useless to me since there's no room for emergency food/drink/layers, but I figured I'd give them a try anyway.


The Nope Hannah Bag was only a tenner, and I liked the combination of black and pastels. However I am quite disappointed with this one as the pastel part is quite dull, and the clasp feels like it's abotu to break despite only opening it a couple of times! It's also tiny, but I was expecting that. I suppose it will be good for nights out, but I never go out!


Both the Cat-nut Case and the Bat Shit Cray Case were £4. The Micro Pet Key Charm wasn't in the sale and was expensive at £6, but it's so sparkly and adorable that I have no regrets!


The Petrol Satchel was £13, but I had expected it to be bigger. I will probably be selling this one. I liked the colour online but it doesn't go with anything I own and I have other small bags I prefer (I regret not just returning it!).


My favourite purchase by far is the Game Over Cross Body Bag which wasn't in the sale and was £28...but look at how adorable it is! I've even used this one already! The chain is even the perfect length which I was surprised by.

Overall I wouldn't be tempted by their sale in future, but if they release something else that I adore like that Gameboy bag then I would probably make another purchase!

The Cursed Child London

Near the end of June, me and Rob went for a short trip to London to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at the Palace Theatre. I'd never seen a non-musical play before, so I wasn't sure what to expect! We saw the parts on separate evenings, and I'm glad we did as I got restless enough as it was.


I'm not going to lie, I found the first part quite dull and spent the second half counting down the minutes until we could go get McDonald's. The magic effects were amazing though, despite some of the illusions not being so good for us since we were so high up (right at the back)! Can't really complain about the view though when it only cost £40 for two of us to see both parts.


The next day we walked to Oxford Street for a bit of shopping since we weren't able to book the Harry Potter Studio Tour. So sad they didn't have a huge Pinkie Pie like these Rarity ones, they were reduced to £50 and I definitely would have bought one (even though it would have been a struggle to carry it all the way back!).


We ended up having a late lunch/early dinner in a pub we found the day before before dropping our stuff back at the hostel on The Strand.


Then a quick change, and off to part two! Which was miles better, although it did feel a bit like bad fanfiction. Obviously I don't want to spoil the plot, but it centred on Albus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy and included lots of much-loved characters from the original series (including the sorting hat!).

We got badges after both parts, and the programme was a fiver. There were also house lanyards, stuffed owls, and a few other things for sale in the lobby.

The next day we had to leave before breakfast as our car parking expired at 8am, so we really didn't get much time in London at all. Somehow it took up 4-5 hours to get home, although we did stop for breakfast in a service station (where they tried to give me mushrooms which made me almost lose my appetite)!

Somehow I forgot to post this back at the start of July as I intended to add more photos, but eh just post haha.

BMC: Hot Little Goths

I was waiting for the Hot Little Goths release with baited breath. Would they mess it up? Would I want everything? It turned out to be a mixed bag - how are pastel roses or daisies goth? - as well as being a complete disaster of a release.

People were able to check out up to 5 minutes early, which meant I missed out on my top 3 wants (one of which wasn't limited, but the other 2 I will never get my hands on) and all hosiery sold out before the official release time aside from Evil Eye Stay Ups which I did get. Until they decided they weren't up to scratch so I got refunded and ended up losing my 4th biggest want too. Epic fail. At least one of my two packages escaped customs charges, so not a total fail.


The one mega-want I managed to snag, the Ouija Board Black vs Mermaid Bones IOD. I was actually planning to have this print on my next custom piece, so I guess I have to think of something else now! Sadly they seem to keep making IODs that are unflattering on me at the moment, unless it's just that my body became that out of shape (entirely possible haha).


I suppose I went a bit ouija mad, but I just wanted them all! So here's the Ouija Board Black Cropped Raglan Sweater and Ouija Board Black MF Leggings. I'm still not sure about the fit of the sweater as I think smaller would be more flattering with skaters, but I don't mind it a little baggy (wanted to make sure my shoulders fit in!).


I was super worried about the fit of The Lace Festival Crop after the one from the last release was so tight around the bottom, but I sized down for this one and that part doesn't feel noticeably tighter but fits a lot better overall (it is a bit too small, but bigger was too big so there's no winning, at least this will be fine for free-boobing!).

Black Flouncy Shorts are the only piece from this lot that I'm not happy with. I bought the smallest size and they aren't flattering at all, plus the belt is far too long to be useful for anything. The material is also rougher, stiffer, and noisier than I had expected, so I'm not sure 'flouncy' is the right name for them. At least I bought the plain ones though, as they'd be good to wear with everything when on a future holiday.

As for the items I'll now be searching for forever (they're SO overpriced on the resale market at the moment because the quantities made were stupidly small and the demand was huge - they were too expensive direct from the site, to be honest!), there was the Black Magic Harness Crop and the Voodoo Galaxy Boss Shirt. If anybody spots either for a reasonable price...ahaha.

Since the whole referendum disaster, I'm hoping that Unicornia doesn't bring too many wants, although I am awfully partial to pastels and I know there will be an IOD. But the exchange rate is awful! However I did manage to catch some restocks and went back for more from this release, so I guess I'll cover those when they all arrive in a few weeks!

Drownload Overview

Last weekend I was able to attend my third Download Festival. The line-up didn't look as good as previous years, but since Rob was going I figured I'd tag along too.


We ended up in the west carpark which sucked as it meant a long walk around to get to the entrance. However there was no queue to get in when we got there and we set up with some fellow Bathonians in black camp. The people we usually camp with were about a minute's walk away in pink, so that was good! It was stinking hot though, and I ended up by myself for a few hours while Rob went to help some of his friends get their bags so I just got burnt and read for most of the day!


The second day was just as hot! We had breakfast in town quite early, then there was a small sharkie meet-up in the afternoon. I got some very interesting tanlines in this outfit...fishnet thighs and panini shoulders. Ooops!


We had a chat outside the Sidesplitter for a while, then wandered around the shops and ended up with matching beaded bracelets with shark teeth on!

Spent the evening getting drunk and trying to watch a bit of Andrew O'Neill but neither me nor Rob were really feeling it and ended up going to sleep instead.

On Friday I was a tad too hungover for the long trek to breakfast the next morning so I chilled at camp with a can of spaghetti hoops until it was time to go see Alien Ant Farm, who were surprisingly good live!


Then Babymetal! And the most rain I've ever seen. It was just SO HEAVY, HUGE raindrops which soaked us straight through, messed up my camera, and delayed their start time by over half an hour. But was so worth the soaking! I wore my Babymetal outfit with tutus and stuff again, and once again didn't get a photo of it. They even converted Rob - when I asked if he wanted to see them at Wembley it was a massive "no", but now he wishes he had gone!


We stayed soggy for Killswitch Engage, who it turns out I really like. Will definitely be buying a few of their CDs and hopefully seeing them again somewhere drier. We did go back and change afterwards, although I kept on my tutus as they were doing a good job of keeping my legs dry.


Had intended on seeing Korn, but ended up heading to Twin Atlantic instead despite having seen them more times. It was just more fun! Somehow managed to get right near the front. We made quite a hasty exit though, which meant missing All Time Low.


But alas, we had to head over to the smallest tent for InMe! They were top of both our 'want to see' lists, so it had to be done. They were excellent as usual, I really hope their next tour brings them a bit closer to us! At this point my camera croaked though, so everything is blurry and awful. I have very few photos from the rest of the weekend due to this as my phone camera has poor zoom and I was worried about losing it in the massive mud puddles so I didn't risk it much!

The end of Rammstein's set ended our day. I'm sad that I always seem to miss most of their sets as they are a really good band, but eh there always seems to be something else I'd rather see on at the same time!

After breakfast in town on Saturday (with sweet sweet wifi), we wandered past Beartooth (too shouty!) for a couple songs of Black Peaks' set. I enjoyed them more than at NASS, but there were a lot of clashes so we left for a few songs of The Men That Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing on the other side of the arena before seeing Atreyu. We both realised this was a bad move, but we're more likely to see the former again next time they tour. There wasn't much on afterwards, I think we saw a bit of Sixx:A.M. but it wasn't very memorable.

Milk Teeth were very good and somehow Bree, a fellow lolita, ended up stood right in front of me so we had a little catch up before they headed off to Bury Tomorrow (who we caught the tail end of) while we went to see a really fun punky thrash band called Lawnmower Deth. They reminded me a lot of Evil Scarecrow from the previous year, and they were even joined by Kim Wilde during their cover of her song 'Kids In America'. Juliette and the Licks weren't doing it for us, so we wandered around and got more cider, I guess? I don't remember. Apparently I had 7 pints in the main arena that day ^_^'

Architects were the band I was most looking forward to seeing on this day, but they had to pull out a few days before and were replaced by Against The Current, which was a nice surprise. I get the feeling they're going to be a really big band some day, and they'll deserve it when they get there. Rob wanted to see Deftones and, while they're a good band, I got bored quickly as all their songs are kinda slow and samey so we went to see Skindred's set instead, which was good fun. Not very amused finding out how the singer acted towards Babymetal at the Kerrang! Awards, but luckily I didn't find out until afterwards or it would have ruined the whole thing for me!


We had no interest in Sabbath so we stayed for NOFX and they were also super fun! I danced a lot and they were definitely a highlight of the weekend even though I only know one of their songs (which, thankfully, they did play). Will have to dig out the CD I got for Christmas a couple years back and give it a listen at some point. I just find that punk bands are the most fun to see live, whether you know their music or not.

On Sunday we didn't have breakfast as we had to carry all our stuff back to the car, which we stupidly left a little late so we had to battle through all the people heading to the main arena (because they wouldn't let us take the shortcut through gold -_-). But once that was out of the way, we wandered around aimlessly and grumpily as there was nothing much on and we were tired and aching and couldn't sit down anywhere as the whole place was a mud puddle. Apart from the places that were literal rivers, anyway. Not enough straw, guys! Put some paths in next year! Jeez.

I went to see Muncie Girls (Rob had to go help Pat with his stuff and he wanted to see a bit of Periphery on the way, but I was just SO TIRED and felt a bit sick too after the huge portion of chips I had for lunch (they were out of curry sauce so they were just too...potato-y). They were good, but the songs were a bit samey since I hadn't heard them before. Caught a bit of Halestorm on the way past, and they sounded INSANE. It's not really my kind of music, but Lzzy Hale can WAIL. I'd have liked to see a bit more, but Japanese band One Okay Rock were on at the same time and they weren't bad either (so many pretty men though, haha).

Darted back for Shinedown but didn't catch any songs I knew, then back for Breaking Benjamin as I knew Rob would meet me back there. I wasn't really impressed with them as they kind of passed me by back in the day...should have stayed at Lemmy Stage...hurr. But after that, I FINALLY got to see Disturbed after a decade of wanting to. I wasn't expecting them to be any good live, but they were a real highlight of the festival. Their cover of "The Sound of Silence" was a real high point, probably the best part of the weekend. They also played a few more covers with some cameos from Lzzy Hale (of Halestorm), Blaze Bailey (formerly of Iron Maiden), and Ben Burnley (of Breaking Benjamin).

Billy Talent after that was a bit of a struggle as it was raining quite a lot and we were just so tired, but they're always a good live band. Nightwish sounded even better and I caught a few tracks I vaguely remembered from years and years ago, but we missed most of their set as Rob wanted to see Jane's Addiction. I really didn't like them, and they had scantily-clad women girating around the stage for good measure...just no.

At this point my hip and back had reached peak agony, we both had wellies full of rain, and Rob had a huge blister on his foot. So rather than wait around ages having no choice but to stand to see Iron Maiden...we went back to the car. I know, it's bad. I was wearing a Maiden shirt and everything! But we caught snatches of it between aeroplanes jetting past from the carpark, and we got to sit and use the nice carpark portaloos and soothed our aches. I do wish I'd gone back for a few songs at least, but I knew Rob really wanted to rest and he probably would have insisted on walking me back there so we just missed it all. Oh well. Their sound was terrible 3 years ago, so I'm just assuming the same held true this year...

Once Pat got back to us it took 2 hours to leave the carpark, and a further 6 or so hours to get home since we had to make 2 nap stops for Rob on the way. Harrowing. But then we got clean and dry and ate pizza and slept, so that part was good!

I do like Download Festival, but they really need to deal with the rain better. I've never been so wet in all my life. I literally had puddles in my wellies on more than one occasion. I'd definitely drag a chair into the arena next time if it would be that wet. Wish I'd done so on Sunday, and then seeing Maiden would have been no problem!

Wow, that turned into a real big wall of text. But yeah, the rain broke my camera! It has just about started working again now it is dried out, but it's still not quite what it was before (which, after 10 years of use, wasn't 100% anyway haha).