'Just Go Away' - Working with Amberslide

Amberslide are a five-piece, Kent based band and they’re describing themselves as “…just a band like any other, making noise and trying to be heard” but I wouldn’t describe their music as just noise. For fans of rock/metalcore as a genre, Amberslide should be the next band to on your list. Whichever variation of the rock-based genre you find yourself fitting into, I’m sure you can find a track or two off their EP ‘Uneven’ to suit you.

My personal favourites from the EP are Spit On My Grave and Autumn Brings The Change.

After taking inspiration from a close friend’s daughter’s plight with bullies at her school, guitarist Tim Scrivens and lead vocalist Phil Washington have co-written ‘Just Go Away’ - a brilliant track inspired by entries of Ambers diary, detailing her feelings and miseries of going to school every day and seeing her friends turn against her; online as well as in real life. 

Having performed ‘Just Go Away’ at Scrivfest 2015, it was decided a music video was the next step for the track, and that’s where I come in. Admittedly I did put Tim’s request, of me being in their video, down in the ‘pipeline-dreams’ pile and forgot about it for a while, assuming it was just an idea that he’d had that would never come to fruition.
How wrong was I? Sorry, man.

A few short messages back and forth, I booked a weekend off work and suddenly it was a solid plan, penned in the diary for the end of November 2015.

Now, if anyone knows me I definitely have a penchant for things on the alternative side so when Tim talked me through the concept for the video I was immediately on board.
If you know my mother, you’ll know where I get my gothic tendencies from.
Dressing up like a goth for a weekend and being generally moody seemed like fun and 100% something I was capable of; I spent a large amount of my teenage years doing exactly that. 

When I met with Phil & Tim, morning of the first shoot, I was super nervous but tried to hide it and quickly settled into their company; Tim rattled on excitedly about the video and it quickly became apparent that this video and the band are his new baby. He’s been in touch with the S.O.P.H.I.E Lancaster Foundation, which if you read this blog post from 2015, you’ll know is a charity close to my own heart. S.O.P.H.I.E stands out for Stamp Out Prejudice Hatred and Intolerance Everywhere which the foundation implements by working towards eradicating prejudice and bullying toward the more alternative communities.

All money made from the single will be going back to the S.O.P.H.I.E Charity.  

Spending the day filming with the guys from the band, Duncan and the lovely Ash who plays the ‘frenemy’ was one of my favourite weekends of 2015. Multiple outfits, a hell of a lot of make up, and a lot of off-camera laughter made the nerves dissipate and I actually really enjoyed myself; I’ve missed the little adrenaline buzz that I used to get performing when I was younger.  

After reviewing the November footage, it was decided that the video needed more variety - some outdoors shots, which meant we had one more day of filming before the video was completely wrapped and ready to head into the editing process. 

We shot again in February, a cold beach shoot, which features a lot of trudging around in the rain and looking out to sea. The shoot in February was very different to the shoot from November, firstly it was bitterly cold and all the shots were outside. Tim & Phil had spent time scouting locations so we knew where we were shooting and we had a vague idea of what kind of shots they’d try to create. 

One more day of filming took place in April, just to really cement the storyline within the video; in this set up I got to be a bit more angry which I enjoyed and Ash was back as well, to see what all of her bullying and tormenting had turned me into.  

Through the process of making the video I’ve learned that  Phil, Tim & Duncan are perfectionists - but of course, why wouldn’t you be when creating something like this? Luckily, Phil & Tim seemed to be sharing the same creative brain when it came to the video; they’re so in sync that it’s scary but I’m sure it transfers well to film. Along with input (and final say so) from Duncan, they took on the role of co-directors and it’s been really interesting seeing their ideas develop, change and finally become real in front of the camera. 

Tim was the only member of Amberslide that I knew before any involvement in the music video, so I was consistently conscious of not letting him down; I didn’t want to screw it up and it come down on his head - this is the main reason I was nervous back in November I think. I was suddenly vastly aware that I had to prove to, not only the rest of the band, but also Duncan that I was the right recommendation for the video and that I could pull it off. 

Hopefully everyone is happy with the end product. 

It’s been a long wait for the video, but now that I've seen it I couldn’t be more excited. Tim’s been teasing us all releasing snippets of video here and there along with behind-the-scenes GoPro footage from the shoots, as well as pictures from the performance shoot that the band did last summer. The track is amazing and catchy as hell; it’s been stuck in my head for the last seven months, and I’m really glad to have been a part of something as awesome as this. 

S.O.P.H.I.E Charity has been a cause I’ve cared about for a long time and I’ve been wearing the silicone bracelet for longer than I can remember now. Buy the single, and the charity will receive the proceeds, or you can donate straight into the S.O.P.H.I.E bank account, or text a donation. I’ll leave all of the official websites for S.O.P.H.I.E below plus donation details. 

Lloyds Bank.
Account Name: The Sophie Lancaster Foundation
Sort Code: 30-11-48
Account No: 13881260

Text SOPH05 £(Your Amount) to 70070 

Click here to buy the single from iTunes.
Click here to (eventually) watch the Music Video.

S.O.P.H.I.E; Facebook, Website, Twitter. 
Amberslide; Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter. 

Rapunzel Rocks, Gravesend!

Well, twist-flap and clap-stamp. Rapunzel Rocks! 

I had the pleasure of seeing Wicked Productions latest pantomime venture on April 1st at The Woodville Theatre in Gravesend, Kent. Rapunzel Rocks is based on the story of Rapunzel/Disney’s Tangled; the show features not only subtle nods to the popular film, direct references too! 

Having heard nothing but good things about Wicked Productions and their man-in-charge Tom Swift, I was excited to see a pantomime for the first time since I left college - it’s been at least five years if not longer! Initially, I was unsure about the idea of a pantomime at Easter, having grown up in the UK I feel like we’ve been conditioned to associate pantomime with Christmas time and December festivities, but Tom Swift and company have proven it’s an all year round extravaganza. 

With rock voice Phil Washington as Strider, no-good thief turned handsome heartthrob with eyes for the Princess, the show was guaranteed to be a rockin’ one! 

Ant and Tom, comedy pairing on stage as Joey The Jester and his "slap head" older brother Silly Billy have such a connection you’d think they’d been performing together for years, but as far as I know that’s not the case. Something you can tell simply from watching the performance is that the cast of ten really are fast friends, whether they’ve known each other since childhood or met along the way. 

On stage chemistry ripples through the whole cast which really makes the whole experience; they're having fun and so are the audiences; feeding off the buzz. 

The meta ‘King's Song’ mocks various theatrical habits and the lyrical genius running throughout the show is slightly reminiscent of comedic Monty Python’s Spamalot, perhaps a PG version of Avenue Q. 

Wicked Productions have done it again with a fantastic show that keeps your children completely engrossed from the start to finish as well as making every audience member laugh out loud - no matter their age!

"Do the funky monkey, oh and dance like Cheryl Cole. Twerk like Miley Cyrus and move like Iron Man!" 

Fresh and enthusiastic, each performance feels brand new and uniquely special for the each venue and new audience, even though the cast will be performing up to three shows a day by the end of their run. The run isn't over for a week, so if you're free - it's definitely worth it!! You can check out the details for the remaining shows on their Facebook page, which I'll link below. 

If you’re looking for a true pantomime with modern stylings (which include a hilarious scene with a Segway, but that’s all I’m saying) puppetry, beautiful scenery, and a wonderfully talented rock and roll cast, Rapunzel Rocks is the perfect family-friendly treat this Easter.  

Wicked Productions are putting on The Little Mermaid next Easter, and if it’s even half as good as Rapunzel Rocks, I’d love to see it!
Check them out on their Facebook, have a sneak peek at their clips on Youtube here, or visit their Website!! 

Lipstick Courage

We’ve all had days where we wake up feeling a little less than desirable. Sometimes your hair isn’t doing exactly what you want it to, or sometimes you feel that crater of a zit brewing on your chin just to remind you how attractive you truly are - How do you save the day? 

I’m going to let you in to my secret; lipstick. 

I’ve recently discovered my love for MAC Lipstick. I’ve loved MAC for a while now and quite early on in our courtship I bought the MAC Chromacake in Landscape Green (that’s another story) but since that purchase, my forays into the world of MAC have been predominantly lipstick based. 

Ruby Woo came first and I remember exactly when, where and why I bought it. During my last year of University, we had our Great Gatsby themed Summer Ball - I went for a Jordan Baker type flapper girl, sporting mainly black, white and red. Ruby Woo with her super matte, reddish-blue tint worked perfectly for the occasion and the look I was going for. On a trip to London with my boyfriend at the time, I popped into MAC on Foubert’s Place off Carnaby Street and my first, real, grown-up MAC purchase was complete. 

Faux came next, from a slightly more comfortable-to-wear range, Satin by MAC. A mauve-pink toned lipstick that’s ‘my lips but better’. Perfect for those days where I don’t want to wear a lot of make up and I just need a little something-something. Faux gave me the courage to wear less make up whilst at the same time inspiring me to do more of what I want with my aesthetic - I know that sounds silly but this is where my ‘Lipstick Courage’ started.
Putting on this lipstick seals the deal for the day and just makes me feel ‘ready’. It might seem petty to some, but if doing something small like wearing a slick of lipstick makes me feel ready to take on the day, why the hell not… 

A little more daring with my next MAC lipstick, friends Hayley and Nikita chose me Taupe for Christmas. A little darker than Faux with more brown tones, Taupe inspired me to go for darker eye makeup and just generally makes me feel a little more badass. The perfect colour for grungier winter days, long sleeves and messy hair. 

I like the idea of having a lipstick for a particular occasion - like Ruby Woo for The Summer Ball. 

When this year’s Valentine’s Day rolled around, I got a little bit carried away, so it seemed only right to continue on with the theme and choose a lipstick from MAC. Craving, which MAC describes as a burst of plum in their Amplified range, when you first apply is fairly strong and really pigmented; I like that I can choose to wear it like this, or when it’s just dabbed on with a little less precision Craving works really nicely as a hint of pink for a perky pout. My friend Canadian Christine came with me when I picked this one out, and she has one of the opinions that I have learned to always trust; she’s golden that one. 

But now that I’ve wittered on about my favourite lipsticks, I hope that you understand the idea of Lipstick Courage. The idea that, on a day when you’ve been wearing just your sweats and not a scrap of make up, you can put on a little lipstick and suddenly feel a whole lot more comfortable watching The Voice with your boyfriends Mum (who you’ve only just met), even if you don’t look dramatically different. It’s amazing how much something small, like putting on lipstick, can change your attitude and confidence for the better. 

Occasions when it is appropriate to let your Lipstick save the day:

1. You spent too long on your hair, then it rained. 
2. You woke up feeling a little ‘meh’ - no rhyme or reason. 
3. You’ve just remembered that you’re still not Rita Ora. 
4. It’s only Tuesday.
5. You’ve got too much month left at the end of the money. 

Soft Launch at Waterstones West Quay Cafe!

Last week, I had the absolute pleasure of being invited to the soft launch of the brand new ‘book-cafe’ opening downstairs in my local Waterstones. They’ve ripped out their old Costa concession and put in a beautiful, little indie cafe and honestly - I couldn’t be more excited about it. It’s going to be my new lunch-and-writing spot. 

Sam and I arrived straight after work and there was already a large group, buzzing around the cafe. We were provided fancy, almond milk coffee and then glasses of wine, then a tour of the cafe - whilst it’s not a huge addition to the store in terms of size, the lower ground floor of Waterstones has completely changed - for the better. 

Booths that you can nestle away feature all the way along the far wall, each table sporting it’s own framed book-cover and table name. I spotted the perfect looking sofa tucked away in the corner for melting into when the day feels extra long that I’m quickly going to ‘bagsy’ as my spot, as well as a booth picked out for me by the lovely Alex; the perfect distance away from the kids section (which whilst beautiful, is obviously full of over excited children) but not too far away to miss out on perusing the vast section of cakes and snacks on offer. 

During the evening at the launch, Sam and I got to sample a bunch of different cakes all of which cater for some kind of dietary requirement, so if you’re vegan, gluten/dairy/other free, then this Waterstone’s cafe has got you covered, thanks to Nathan and the team for working to support local businesses by sourcing local ingredients and preparing most of the snacks in-house.
This is possibly one of my favourite things about the cafe; everything feels very ‘home-grown’. Nathan, the cafe manager, used to run their Costa concession so he knows exactly what he’s doing and it shows effortlessly in the way that the cafe is put together - far enough away from the monotonous Costa-way, whilst still professional enough to be business savvy and easily marketable. 

Plus, when you’re wandering around bookstore like hours for I am, surely all you need is a little sit down and some cake? Exactly. 

I’ve snapped some pictures so you can check out the cafe and the menu - hopefully you’ll be as excited about it as I am! 

books + coffee + good food + friends = Happy Lex :) 

You can follow Waterstones West Quay on Twitter, Instagram, as well as Facebook so head over and show them some love.

How To: The Best Guacamole (Ever)

Ingredients, based on one Avocado, serves two: 

1/4 Red Onion (finely chopped)
1/2 Yellow Pepper (diced) 

Tsp of Olive Oil

Two squeezes of Lemon (or one tsp, ish) 

Sprinkle of salt

Tsp of Garlic Puree

One Avocado

Method:
Mash avocado, and mix it all up together. Depending on the firmness of your avocado either serve as is or whack it all in a blender for a little. That’s pretty much it. 

The wonderful thing about this guacamole is that it’s actually super cheap to make. Today's post comes to you from a week in my month where I am very, very poor however I did manage to make hummus and guac, from scratch, and serve by only spending 55p on pitta bread and 30p on a lemon. Who knew Lemon's were so expensive!?

I know that some of you will be looking through the ingredients list with a judgemental eye, but trust me. Don’t judge it till you’ve tried it; with the bitterness of the red onion countered with the sweet yellow pepper - it just works. 

I like my garlic, so some people may prefer to add 1/2 a teaspoon but use your noggin and adjust these things to your personal taste. 

Time for Tea!

Deep in the winding streets of seaside Brighton, is the most perfect hideaway for the tea-addict within you. Many seaside towns can be described as sleepy or quaint - Brighton doesn’t fall into either of those categories. Brighton has always been fashionable and now more than ever. 

The Bluebird Tea Company is a small shop nestled into the North Lanes. It was there that I met, the absolutely lovely, Hannah and her enthusiasm for all things Tea related. Hannah is a teabird, or a mixologist in the Brighton store. 

Everything about The Bluebird Tea Company screams out to me with notions of things that I love; small, independent businesses who are succeeding and kicking ass in the mean time. The Bluebird’s website tells us that ‘they have so far built the company from scratch with little outside help, from packaging design to packing tea, everything Bluebird is developed by Krisi & Mike’s own hands…’ and this is so evident when you’re in the store - the store feels like a comfortable, safe place where you can marvel at the hundreds of Tea flavours, have your mind boggled by the staff’s vast tea-knowledge and learn about the stories behind the creation of all the separate teas. 

If Lush (where I currently work) were a Tea company, we would be Bluebird. Ethical, eccentric and easy going… 

One of my favourite things that I’ve learned from their website, is that they’re called The Bluebird Tea Company after the dreamy idea that a cloudless blue sky day is called a Bluebird day. Having tried their tea and been in the company of the staff, for even just a short period of time, I can say that the vibe transcends their creation and trickles right down into store. 

The Bluebird Tea Company & Mixologists - spreading happiness, one cupful at a time! 

Initially, my friends and I visited Bluebird simply to get a tea to-go, but soon after perusing their in-store menu I was intrigued. Having spoken to Hannah for a short consultation she realised it was our first time at Bluebird and was more than happy to talk us through some of her favourite flavours. 

“What’s your fruitiest tea, I think I’m more of a REALLY fruity tea kind of person?” I asked. 

The loose leaf teas are all kept in giant metal canisters up on the wall behind the counter and some  of the names could well have come from the inventive minds at Lush HQ. One of my personal favourites and I think slightly illustrative of me, was a tea called Dozy Girl (lavender and rose infused tea that helps you settle off to sleep at night - as if I need help doing that!) 

Every time Hannah suggested something new, I couldn’t help but gasp with excitement and hurry to give the tea a good ol’ sniff. In the end, I settled on buying some sample packs which come in at around 20g/about six cups of tea, I reckon and they cost me £3 per sample - or something super similar. 

I went for… (see if you can sense a theme): 

Candy Floss:
‘Join us at the fair with this sweet and scrumptious Candy Floss white tea…’
Ingredients; Chinese White Tea, Hibiscus, Apple, Elderberry, Rosehip, Pineapple, Sprinkles (contains Soya Lecithin), Cornflowers, Stevia and Strawberry flavour. 

Three minutes, without milk. 

Strawberry Lemonade:
‘Bluebird’s best selling fantastically fruity infusion…’
Ingredients: Hibiscus, Rosehip, Apple, Lemon, Orange, Strawberry, Elderberry, Sunflower Petals and flavour.
Four minutes, without milk. 

And just when I thought I was done, Hannah offered another. 

Enchanted Narnia:
‘Turkish Delight brew with magical rose and creamy cocoa…’
Ingredients: Rosebuds, Cocoa Shells, Rose Petals, Lemongrass and Raspberry Leaves. 

Four minutes, without milk. 

A sucker for anything with a literary reference, an ode to my childhood and my love for Turkish Delight and I am sold! Having been home with my samples a while now, I think I’ll say Candy Floss is my current fave, which smells just like strawberry laces, although I’m intending to explore them all properly. I haven’t tried Enchanted Narnia yet, as I feel I might be saving the best till last. 

Sam and I had an iced Strawberry Lemonade in store, and it was lovely. Slightly reminiscent of the Passion Tea Lemonade from Starbucks US but all the better because it was from a tiny independent store in the heart of Brighton! 

Whilst Brighton is quite far from where I’m living at the moment, a lot further than I thought actually, Bluebird Tea are active online and will deliver, which I am more than excited for. I’m also looking forward to more seasonal tea from them - I missed out on trying February’s Love Potion which looked amazing, but I wait with baited breath to see what the summer brings! 

(Hopefully, more sunny trips to Brighton with great friends and amazing tea!) 

Thank you to Hannah for being so damn lovely and being as enthusiastic as we were (we love tea, she loved Lush, it was a win-win) and thank you to my girls Lucy and Sam for such a lovely day out!

Why I Love Talking On The Phone...

We all know I have a tendency to err on the side of the anxious every now and again and with that in mind, not many people understand why I like to talk on the phone. Truth is quite a lot of my stresses and anxieties stem from things I can’t control and the paranoia of the unknown - talking on the phone helps me tick off a few of those boxes that stress me out so much, so that I don’t need to worry. If this doesn’t make sense stick with me, because hopefully it’ll all become a little clearer. 

If a person is talking to me on the phone, it’s because they want to dedicate that time to me and they care about what I think enough to call to ask about it or to hash out some of life's many mysteries. 

If a person is talking to me on the phone and they’ve called me, rather than vice versa, it means to me that they care. The idea that this person, who’s name is flashing on my own phone screen, wants to talk to me is reassuring as hell. If they’re calling me back, then they care enough to call back, rather than just respond with a “You Called?” text message. 

I like talking on the phone because it’s so much more sincere and reassuring even if you’re talking nonsense. Hearing someone laugh is chicken soup for the soul. Just because they’ve typed out “Hahahaha, that’s so funny…” it doesn’t mean anything made them laugh at all; hearing someone’s actual laugh rumble in their chest is so reassuring because you know it’s real, you know they’re amused by something you said and enjoying your company. 

I like talking on the phone because it’s a much nicer way to get to know someone; ten text messages in as many hours tells me nothing, except that you’ve been busy today but not REALLY busy. A ten minute phone call at the end of the day speaks volumes. I’d much prefer that. 

It tells me that you want to talk to me before you go to sleep, maybe you’d just like to hear my voice, or simply just tell me something funny that happened to you that day because it’ll come across so much more effectively if you call rather than try and explain a had-to-be-there moment in a quickly tapped-out text of 140 characters. 

Sometimes, I need someone’s opinion on something and I need it now, people can’t always wait for them to get to a break in their scheduled TV watching for the night, check their phone and then get back to me. 

Someone who I love talking on the phone to, although we need to talk far more, is Sarah White. Sarah is so bubbly all the time that her excitement for life rubs off on me when we talk on the phone and we find ourselves gushing with laughter and sentences that run over each others because we’re happy just to be talking to each other and filling each other in with various new developments of our lives.

I like talking to my colleagues at work on the phone because we all know each other well enough that by putting a different tone of voice on, an otherwise normal phrase, it means something entirely different. It’s not always appropriate to say what you really mean in a crowded office/busy shop floor. That sentiment makes sense to me, but it’s quite hard to describe. I hope you know what I mean. 

I’ve learned from talking to my Dad on the phone what it sounds like when someone’s stepped out to have a cigarette and call you at the same time. There’s a very distinctive sound of a long drag on a cigarette, followed by a “Mm-yeah…” a quick forced exhale and then the rest of their carefully chosen sentence. I want to learn little things like that about more people. 

 I want to talk to people on the phone so much more, because I’ll know them so much better after. I’ll know what they sound like after a rough day at work, after they’ve been crying, or after they’ve just had some amazing news that they can’t wait to share. I want to hear them settling down onto the sofa with a glass of wine, or crawling into bed because I know they don’t mind winding down their day by talking the time away with me. 

If this whole idea seems entirely crazy to you, and calling someone seems a little behind on the times, then I do kind of understand. Why pick up the phone to call someone when you could have a speedy support session via text?

Obviously a phone call isn’t always appropriate - but when it is, call.