Strange Things.

Been doing a lot of reading, looking and listening lately. I love taking in all sorts of art, but it also makes me feel terribly inferior at times too. I am not the smartest of people. I never finished school. I haven't any real training in anything. Always bits and pieces here and there. I get by though.

But I have been listening to a lot of music, and more than anything I want to write something that means something to people. I want to make a change. A difference. I can't hold a guitar, let alone play one. I can't actually sing. I have a pretty big voice on me, but not the kind I can use to express all of the emotions I want to get out into the world.

My wife sticks by me and supports me through everything though. She is my rock. She is so smart too. Learned and wonderful and inspiring.

I have been stressed lately about some things. My band has some shows coming up. I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little anxious about it all.

I want my hands to be able to craft something. Someone told me on Thursday that I had inspired them when they write lyrics, which humbled me greatly. I myself have been inspired by someone I never thought I would be, and now all I want to do is write some great music, with people who share my vision and want to work as hard at it as I do. All things are about change. We can't change change. It happens regardless.

Some of these feelings have been brought on by watching the NOFX series NOFX BACKSTAGE PASSPORT. They traveled to places they have never been and places that bands hardly ever go. They wanted to make playing shows dangerous and fun like it was when they started. The series has a real sense of excitement and adventure. I myself miss that playing shows, but not from being in a massive band and doing everything, but more so because of the people around me. There has not been a lack of venues for a lot of people going to shows in the last few years. I want to play more shows in places that aren't frequented. Places that don't often have shows (Venues wise). I want to play with strange bands. I want to play to as many kids as I can while i still have this passion in me. I don't want to lose it all yet.

I'll leave it there for now, before I sink into the depths of anger and despair and just want to bury my head in the sand.

cheers.
xclagx

Sleepless.

I wrote this as a comment to a mates blog but it wouldn't post for some bloody reason, so I decided I liked it enough to post it here...

I think that there are those of us destined to never sleep a whole night in our lives.
Sometimes it takes the extreme and complete mental and physical exhaustion to be able to sleep for longer than a couple hours a night, if at all, and even then we don't feel rested.
We sleep because the body will no longer function.
It is a shut down mechanism.
And to be honest, there are those of us that revel in it.
We draw from it.
We make our lives from it.
Clag.

Tribute to Damo, Andy and Josh.

I wrote this for an insert for my bands record, but it got scrapped from the artwork. Thought I'd post it.

Every single day the sun rises and the sun sets.
People go to work and you can see the looks on their faces as they drive past you in their cars.
They sip their coffee, check their phones and apply lipstick in the mirror at the traffic lights.
They live seemingly exciting lives while we stand aside and assess their mundane existence.
And the lights change.
And people go on with their lives.
What we do is different. This is how we’ve chosen to live.
Every single day we encounter people in our lives that move us to change.
One day she’ll be your wife.
One day he’ll be your brother-in-law.
One day they’ll be you’re best friend.
But one day they won’t be there.
The time we spend with each other is often taken for granted. Never thinking that ends come to those we treasure. Never knowing when that day will come.
So make sure they know that they’re loved.
Tell someone you care.
Buy someone a cup of coffee.
Eat lunch.
Share a cigarette.
Walk and hold hands.
Whatever you do, just be sure that you make it count.
Because every single day the sun rises and the sun sets.
But, one day the sun will only rise.
And then it’s too late.


Cheers.
Clag.

Introduction

It seems that everyone around me has started new blogs. Livejournal is fucking dead. Myspace blogs can suck pretty hard, so I decided to get in on the game. I am not here to post crap about how bad things are, I don't suffer from that anymore.

I live a wonderful and happy life. I have a good job, a beautiful and awesome wife, 2 rad dogs and a band that keeps me entertained. I'll post artwork, photos and shit like that. I have made the decision to make my life and household a drug free environment. For myself and for my family (and no, not "Family" like hardcore, but for when I have children).

I am terrible with punctuation and spelling and paragraphs, so it will often just be in point form or in big slabs.

Thats enough for now. Have a read. Maybe you'll like it. Maybe you'll find me boring. Oh Well.

Oh, and with the name, it is from a The Weakerthans song. It rings true: Make them remember me...

Clag.