Wow, I really Have Left It A While This TIme...

I used to post here so regularly that it would hurt my thumbs (I joke), during my times at Uni anyway. I was so proactive. This year has sorta taken that out of me a bit, having so many restrictions. I still feel them now even as they are lifted. Things don't quite feel the same. I'm starting to feel my "mojo" coming back now. I can actually feel excitement again. Yesterday, my behaviour was very irrational but I must have been hilarious to be around, that or an absolute arse.

I've been working on Kill the Moon's website today. I always try to fix it up at least a couple of times a month. Try to find new ways to make it look better and stand out. We've been talking about getting a proper domain so we look all professional and may even get some google ads going. It's all hypothetical at the moment, but next year all being well.

Check it out here: killthemoonband.wixsite.com/killthemoon

We've been talking about recording a single too... shhh. We need to talk to our lovely friends at Labyrinth Studios Nottingham to see how much it would cost. This is generating a buzz for me too. Which song will we choose?

Things have been hard lately so this is a nice relief. August few by with a hazy neutral mist. I was mostly working and fuck I was working my ass off. I had two weeks working 5 days. Payday this week is going to be mega and I need it to be. I've brought a new power supply/distribution for my new pedaltrain calssic junior pedal board which arrived last week. I had to wait about two months for it and now I don't have the energy to set it up. It's coming back slowly though, once I get into it I'll be on a roll.

I've been delivered a guitar to fix up by family friend, Den. It's a fairly beaten up Hohner Countryman in green. I've just been told to make it playable. I'm going to give it a clean. Maybe pick up a small file as a part of the edge of the fretboard has broke of and is a little sharp. Another little fun project anyway... Quite excite to see it shine if that is at all possible!

I promise I'll try to post more regularly now. It's good for my head.

Catch up - It's been a while again...

As usual (at this point) I've left it a while since I last posted - mainly because I haven't had much to talk about that's all that interesting. The drama with work has settled for now. I put in an appeal which I won in February and Since early March my slate has effectively been wiped clean. I was even surprised to find I received my bonus. I wasn't expecting any.

We're still in lockdown so theres not all that much to do. No non essentials shops are open but kids are back in school. From the 12th this months we'll get our shops back, the ones that have survived anyway... I've mostly kept in contact with Chantelle and the band over these times, and Will occasionally. We've had a few adventures together. We even slipped off to Alton towers as a small group last year which was questionable. With things easing up, we had a few chilled drinks together too which has been nice. I had almost forgot was socialisation was, I mean I was always shit at it anyway - I didn't need this last year to make me worse.

I'm hoping we can start rehearsals next week, I haven't got one booked yet but even just a jam session in one of our gardens would be nice at the moment. We have plently of time until our first gig although we may squeeze some more in before that if we're quick at getting to work. Last time we rehearsed we were mainly toying with a few covers and started going over some of the originals. I'm open for a change to our sound at this point, it could be hard at first but I'm looking forward to all these possible changes.

I got my Sanrio Amiibo cards in the post today. I ordered them about a week ago and I'm just so glad I've finally got them to add to my collection. I should probably start collecting the main series again, but they are just so expensive...

YT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxMuhd-f7qI&t 

Kill the Moon - Gigs 2021

A Year Of 2020: Summary

I haven't posted much this year as I have't really had a lot to talk about. Due all the restrictions due to the pandemic, my field has been limited. Also, I realise, it really has been a while this time. The last time posted was mid-August which seems ages away. It's been a long five months and I've been struggling - If I'm really honest. My job security is threatened (retail). My industry is dying (entertainment, live music & performances) but on the plus side I've had my fair share of support.

I see myself as an open person - I mean I blog and often type reasonably personal things on here, or what some may consider. I knew something was wrong for a while, to the point that I've been dabbling writing about it at times already but when the first lockdown hit the alarm bells rang clear. Nothing really made sense anymore. For those few months I felt like my life didn't really have a meaning anymore. Everything I find pleasure in had been taken away. And yeah, I get it - everyone else had to go through the same thing but I was spending the majority of my time in my house playing Animal Crossing. (No shade on AC, it's a good game to help deal with this sort of thing) My point is, I wasn't really doing anything productive. I just remember feeling so frustrated by the whole circumstance - I mean, I still am to a lesser extent. I've felt so angry to the point that I've wanted to use violence (but haven't) and that's just not me. 

This year has just been super stressful and I never want another like this again. At the moment it's looking like "lockdown 3" is going to last until March time. That's another 3 months without gigs, without being about to make any plans without the fear of having to cancel.

Thankfully, I've still been able to see a handful of my friends over these strange times and hear from a few others. Those folk are the ones that have really kept me sane as well as 4 months of meds and a fair amount of counselling sessions. I need out of retail in 2021 - or at the very least out of a supermarket name brand. I've felt like just a number this year and it's absolutely shite. The lack of care is fucked. Make one wrong move through a rough patch and rather ask whats wrong they throw you under a bus. Twice. Yeah, fuck that. I need better for 2021 and I know I can do it. (...hmph) But no, really... I've been talking to a careers advisor and he's helping me realise my potential and give the polite kick up the arse I need. That's one positive at least...

Pumpkin picking in October must be one of the few highlights of the year. Oh, and maybe the time me and a few friends had a cheeky night out (when it was legal) and the sneaky trip to Alton Towers. There's were a few other highlights before the pandemic hit the UK hard. Pendulums Fall's penultimate show at Alberts, Nottingham. 

Watch here: https://youtu.be/iOQKEZLAKeQ

...Kill the Moons gig at The Chameleon with support from Desenitised, Alice's Ants and Red Puppets. Our final gig of the year at Grantham in March (takes the piss...)

I became quite an obsessive collector this year too. AC Amiibo Cards, Video Games - my fave to collect being 3ds & GameCube. Nintendo is my absolute bae this year. I see it as an investment though, maybe one year I'll lose intrest and have £££s worth of games to sell. I know there's a handful in my collection already that sell for way above originally RRP - Pokemon Soul Silver (£90), Majoras Mask 3DS Special Edition (£80?ish) - there's too many more to mention. In some way this is my positive. Not the most healthiest positive but it's also allowed me to restart my YouTube channel and reinvent it with some fresh content such as show casing my collection. I started a series called "Retro Games & Collectables" which I'm hoping to start to make on a weekly basis (since we're still in lockdown) who knows, if YouTube's algorithms pick it up it might be a nice little earner.

Retro Games & Collectables playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLu1IpTgNg0_KU67gmzjFkvJm3_RrW1QGa

I've been brainstorming a few other new ideas to use on my channel - I won't share just yet as I've not quite worked it out but it's one of the few things keeping me both excited and motivated, even if the views I generate for now are dismal with only 55 subscribers.

I promise to blog much more this year as it seems already that I will have a lot more to talk about.

Stay safe! - Kim.

Worst week of the year...

It's only Monday and I can already say this quite confidently, although I guess some of the problems started a few weeks ago. I've always been open here and that will never change as it writing posts like these help me work things out and figure out my next moves. I had a plan for ages that I've never fully executed but maybe now the timing is right. I'll be closing a few doors this week, definitely at least one anyway but maybe it will help me move forward. Maybe it's best.

The problem with instances like this is that there is no real telling what is the right thing to do, or what really would be the best move going forward. I feel like I have so many ideas yet not many real opportunities and most new work places demand experience over qualifications which is a ridiculous expectation of the young - something I'm growing apart from being. 26 isn't old but it's somewhere in that weird in-between bracket when no one really cares, or at least thats how it feels. I'm thankful that I have at least had some highlights for this year as I imagine many haven't really had any because of this damned global pandemic and the paranoia. That scares me more than the virus, everyone living in fear that they may catch it and allow it to spread. These are strange times. I feel like I've worked hard though this but now I'm facing a disciplinary at work. I guess I can finally mention it and talk about it a little more freely since my hearing is coming up. I'm not worried about my job. I was, I really was when the investigation process first started but now I'm not so sure as it's brought out so much upset and anger in me. I couldn't stop crying at first, it took me hours to settle down and I had no choice but to come home from work early. Colleagues have been asking about me, those that were there on that afternoon. I appreciate the concern because all leadership can say for themselves is that "it's only policy."

I feel so done in. I've had sleepless nights - last night was on of them. The funny thing is that I try not care too much but then I get angry with myself and make myself more upset, like I am doing now. As hard as it may seem I need to try to focus on the positives. I do still have other things planned. If I lose my job (which I doubt) I can look for another, sign on for a short while while working on new projects. I feel like everyone else has had a break except me (which isn't true, I know, others have worked throughout this shit storm of a situation) Maybe I have one thing to look forward to this Friday. A friend of a friend has booked me as a photographer for a car shoot. I'm not really sure how that's going to go but it will be a little extra cash for me. Not a lot, no doubt it will probably go into my games collection. I have moved on from Amiibo cards now, although I am still collecting them. I just can't bring myself to pay stupid money for a bit of card board, no matter how cute. I do have some that are valued up to £55 (eBay prices) which is mental but I could never pay that sort of money myself. I just can't justify it. It is another thing that makes me sad though, knowing I can't complete my collection just yet and I'm convinced that prices are only going to get worse.

About my games collection though... that's really coming along to the point that I now need a bigger bookshelf to store them all. For now, I'm just juggling them between different spaces so it still makes sense but I'm going to have to invest and build soon. My latest additions are Sonic Adventure 2 Battle NGC and Spongebob Squigglepants 3DS - which is basically a Warioware rip-off. Gamecube and 3DS games are my favourite to collect at the moment, although I've been playing my Gamecube games on my Wii as my original console is old and battered. I think it's the laser, that or the disc spin motor that's wearing out. My poor baby. I do have a weird connection to these things and they have been helping me lately, even if it is mostly to zone out and chill out - forget about all the problems in the world. Some of them I could easily repeatedly replay unhealthily. I'm not 100% sure why, I think it's nostalgia related but the first couple of Harry Potter games really hit the spot for me. 

No doubt, I'll give an update soon on the proceedings of this week. I'll have other bad news to announce formally later on in the week too but I can't really comment on it yet. Also, it's a little late but, happy 3 years Kill The Moon!

Good Luck Never Lasts

I got stupidly lucky last Friday and I didn't even realise until a few days after when I received a message from Guitar Gear Giveaway. I had entered into a competition to win a Boss ME-80, something I had wanted for the last couple of years. I brought two tickets which cost me £1.99 each. I think it was 250 cap ticket draw so I figured I had a good chance and so be it - I won. My prize was delivered from GAK a few days later. In fact it's arrived quicker than my eBay item that I won, that still hasn't arrived which is disappointing.

Me holding my prize, the Boss ME-80

 

I've only really had a few quick plays with this so far but from what I've heard I've liked, I'm most enjoying the tera echo delay setting - it makes my solos sound amazing. Not really figured out the wah control yet, it was set as volume control and I'm not sure how to change it yet. I think it's something to do with the dial right next to it but when I last tweaked that nothing changed... hmmm... I am very impressed with this unit though. It's certainly an excellent piece to add to my collection. If I ever find myself in a situation having to play an ampless gig, this has me covered.

As I mentioned I'm also waiting for another, this one is a Zoom GFX 707. It's the same multi-effects unit my dad brought me when I was first learning. I only got rig on my last as it was in poor condition. The one thats on it's way looked to be in good condition and the price was fair, hopefully this doesn't turn into something that I have to dispute with eBay or PayPal, although PayPal are supposedly really good at handling these things... I guess I might find out soon. I really don't want to have to do that though as I have enough to deal with this end as it is. I'm currently doing some "homework" for work but the copy of my handbook was published in 2011 - which is the one I received upon first starting in 2015 (o.O) I'm amazed - have learned today that I need to ask for a more recent print.

Bassey - A Beat.. (STKMY REMIX) Track Preview

OUT NOW! 

Stream the full album here... 

SPOTIFY 

https://open.spotify.com/album/4hhvYA... 

APPLE MUSIC 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/a-be...