Gig schedule update

New 2012 Rubicon dates added. Look over there >>>

New Audio Page!

Have added a new MP3 Audio page to 180268.com. The link is about two thirds the way down on the left hand side for those who can't be arsed to look ;-)

More content will be added as and when....

Meg's been busy!!!

For a dog she's getting pretty smart!! Not content with opening the bedroom door at 4am to sneak in and sleep under Mom and Dad's bed, she now has Facebook!

Find her at www.facebook.com/meggy.mumu

And when she's not hightening her online profile, she can often be found over at www.youtube.com/barrygwilliam!

We have moved!!

After a couple of years hosted at 123-Reg, www.180268.com has now moved home and is hosted by those lovely people at DataSphere.

A big THANK YOU goes out to Graham Iles for all the help with the smooth change over.

Another one bites the dust!

Ye Olde Black Cross in Bromsgrove is no more. Had one more gig with Rubicon booked there for this year, and three for next year. Sadly, these are now cancelled.

Look Mom! I found some water....

Meet Meg.... Our new pooch....

This is Meg, the latest addition to the family. She's a 6 year old Border Collie rescue dog.

Loves to play ball, full of energy, cat and chicken friendly and apparently likes yoghurt!

Caribbean Lamb Curry with Coconut Rice

New one for me! Was absolutely lovely, albeit bloody hot!!!
Give it a go!

Caribbean Lamb Curry
2lb lamb, cubed
4 tablespoons curry powder
4 garlic cloves, finely diced
5 thyme sprigs
1 teaspoon ground allspice
4 bay leaves
1 large onion, diced
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons butter
3 cups stock
1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes

1. Place the lamb, curry powder, garlic, thyme, allspice, bay leaves, onion and olive oil in a bowl, and mix together. Marinate in fridge overnight.

2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan, add the lamb mixture and fry over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

3. Stir in the stock and chilli flakes and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover then simmer for about 1 ½ hours, or until the meat is tender.

Coconut Rice
180g long grain rice
1/4 red pepper, diced
2 tablespoons dried chilli flakes
3 spring onions, chopped
40g creamed coconut

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a heated pan. Stir in the rice and cook for a minute, stirring until well coated in the oil. Pour in 1 pint of stock and bring to the boil.

2. Add the creamed coconut to the rice mixture. Season generously, give the rice a good stir, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes until the rice is tender and all the liquid is absorbed.

3. Add a little oil to a heated frying pan and tip in the spring onions and red pepper. Cook for 30 seconds or so until softened. Remove from the heat and set aside.

4. When the rice is cooked, remove from the heat, gently fluff up with a fork and fold in the softened spring onions, red pepper and dried chilli flakes.

formspring.me

Go on.... Ask me a question at http://formspring.me/thebazza.... I'm an open book!

Chickens!!!

New project: Chickens!

Got the chicken coup a while back, now started building the chicken run itself. 10ft x 8ft and 6ft high. All for 4 bloody chickens! Next stop.... A big-ass roll of chicken wire to slice my hands to pieces....

New Lodgers!

Meet Poppy and Lucy, they'll be staying with us for the next 2 weeks. It's great being a surrogate Dad!

Poppy

Lucy

Lucy helping with the washing!

WOW!!!! What a 3 months!

And what a 3 months it's been.

My stag weekend in Benidorm, our wedding at the start of June followed by our honeymoon in St Lucia. And then Mark's stag weekend in Magaluf to cap everything off!

Been a bit of a whirlwind and not really had chance to sort pics out yet.

But here's a few to wet the appetite :-)

My Stag Weekend: Benidorm, May 2011. A quiet few days with a few close friends!

Our Wedding: 4th June 2011. Life just got good!

Our Honeymoon: St Lucia, June 2011. Life just got even better!!!

Mark's Stag Weekend: Magaluf, July 2011. Just more of the same really!

Club Congleton cancelled

Tonight's Rubicon gig at Club Congleton has been cancelled due to the venue having no record of even booking us!! Nothing like a bit of organisation lads!! Won't be seeing you next year then!!!!

More new Rubicon dates added

16th Sept, The Sitwell Tavern, Derby
6th Nov, The Kingswood Tavern, Nuneaton
20th Nov, The Red Lion, Stoke-On-Trent

Rubicon gig list update

7th May, Bike and Hound, Hyde
29th Jul - Club Congleton, Congleton (moved from 15th)
6th Aug, Horse And Groom, Derby
7th Aug, The Red Lion, Stoke-On-Trent
26th Aug, No Bull Rally II, Builth Wells
27th Aug, The Kings Arms, Tipton
30th Sept, The Wishing Well, Bromsgrove
26th Nov, The White Horse, Harbourne

YOUFO lose drummer! Kind of careless really!!

Well, after a week of madness I'm no longer playing with YOUFO. Not going to bore you with any possibly libelous details, but here's a shortened version.

Shit went on behind my back. I got royally pissed off. Certain people refused to be straight or honest with me. Others suggested that things could have been handled differently by those people, and it all could have been avoided. This was followed by ignored phone calls and barefaced lies, and resulted in a stand-in drummer being bought in, despite certain members telling me they were no longer intending to continue with the band. Seems to me those members just refuse to work with me anymore, but don't have the balls to say so. But as they won't take my calls, I'll never know!

Olive branches were offered on my part, two fingers were received.

Shame, but hey! They do say.... It's called the music business, NOT music friendship!

Headway. Live at the Prince Albert, Wall Heath. 26th Mar.

Headway's first gig is this Saturday at the Prince Albert, Wall Heath.
Come and see a bunch of kids and an old man make lots of rock!!!

Click here for the Headway Facebook

Rubicon announce new frontman

The following was posted on the Rubicon Facebook page earlier today.

Is there a bigger word than ecstatic, cus if there is, we would use it to describe how Rubicon feel about our newest member, Mr Carl Wootton (frontman of Whitesnake UK, and a multitude of other great tribute acts). With his stunningly powerful voice, and wealth of musical expertise, he will add an extra dimension to the band...... LONG LIVE ROCK AND ROLL!!!!!

Come see Carl's first show with the band tomorrow night, 4th March
at The Longford Engine, Coventry.

formspring.me

More social network whoring!!!
Go on.... Ask me a question....
http://formspring.me/thebazza

The show must go on....

So last night's Rubicon gig at the Red Lion in Stoke was Eddie's last

show with the band. Well he can definately say he went out on a high,

the gig was a stormer.

So the search starts now for a replacement. Auditions are lined up for

Wednesday, we'll see....

Rubicon start search for new vocalist/frontman....

So, it's official.... Eddie has quit/left/retired from Rubicon. Not going to go into the full gory story here, as I'm sure everyone has their own version of events to tell anyways.

Suffice to say, a new vocalist/frontman is required, and I have one less wedding invite to send out....

Anyone who thinks they are up to the task should contact the band via their Facebook page....

Who'd have thought organising a stag weekend would be so bloody difficult?

You send 20 or so texts to mates giving them the opportunity of a pretty cheap "lads weekend away" in the sun, thinking most will jump at the chance.

All you're asking for is an initial yes or no, just to confirm numbers.

24 hours later and I'm having to chase responses! Makes you wonder really.... How busy must you be not to bother responding to an invite to a weekend abroad!
Or maybe they're a bunch of pussies and are scared of flying on Friday 13th?

New layout....

New layout (I'm still no web designer!) and updates to the Crash, Suspicion, Company of Fools, Love Junkiz, Hearbeat, Cover 2 Cover, Easy, StoneFish, Rubicon and YOUFO pages in the My Previous Bands section.

Happy New Year!!

Well here's to a stonking 2011 following a busy, and at times interesting, 2010.

Be good!!