Stop The Earth!

Stop The Earth is celebrating it’s 2 year birthday with over 12k unique visitors and visitors from over 100 different countries I couldn’t be happier. I know the numbers sound rather small, but when you consider that STE is a silly little hobby of mine I’m rather proud.

Using the data from google analytics I have compiled the top 10 blog posts from the past 2 years.

10. Interview With Danny Smith - Danny Smith played Merton Dingle in Big Wolf On Campus alongside the legendary Brandon Quinn. When the show ended Danny went on to form a band called The City Drive who broke up last year. He is now persuing his own artistic endeavours.

9. Our Future as Humans - As a Neuro-Psychologist with a strict focus on Evolutionary science I have always had an interest in where the human race might be going, I posted this so long ago I had to go dig it out. Human evolution may go in various ways but here are just two of those possible ways. 1) The human race will split into two distinct races and 2) The human race will voluntarily become extinct.

8. Clark Kent Look a Like Andrew Fenlon - Andrew Fenlon auditioned for American Idol and pissed pretty much everyone off. I love him though, so much so we are now facebook friends. I defend him here and take a psychodynamic look at the lead attacker Kara Dioguardi.

7. Interview with Chris Ramsey - I met this HE-LARIOUS chap a good while ago now. I saw him on Russell Howard’s good news before seeing him, but at that moment I knew I needed to meet him. If only to discover the secrets of how his hair remains so perfect.

6. Vice Blog Network - In 2010 I joined the Vice Magazine Blog Network which has and always will be a great source of inspiration to me. The opportunities are amazing and seemingly endless.

5. Red Ender Alert! Set Phasers to Fun! - This is brilliant! It’s a blog post about star trek porn. One of the funniest and most bizarre things I’ve ever seen in my 22 years on this planet.

4. Interview with the Lostprophets - This interview was the first in my music journalism frontier which is quietly fading away now. It lead to other interviews including; OK GO, Less than Jake, MC Lars, The Blackout & others.

3. Infest 2010 Review - Cyber Goth Madness - This was the first time that the festival had come to the newly refurbished student union of bradford university. It was pretty fit. This was a total culture shock to me, seeing men dressed like women and women dressed in nothing. I had a really good time though and enjoyed the sheet out of myself.

2. Keanu Reeves - Vampire? - This is obviously one of my more silly posts but has been viewed so much so that it just reminds me the internet must be full of silly people. Basically, it’s me proving beyond a doubt that Keanu Reeves is infact the walking dead.

1. Interview with Zebrahead - This was one of the most fun interviews I’ve ever done. The guys were watching porn as I asked questions. It did not get uncomfortable.

Well that’s the top 10 blog posts of the last two years! I hope 2012 will bring even more good times and good posts for you all to love and masturbate over.

I checked my e-mails this morning to find, in amongst the penis-enlargement forest, was an e-mail saying I was all set up to interview LTJ before their gig in Leeds. Stoked is all I can say. I have to say, before I go on, that this gig was probably the greatest thing I’ve ever been an insignificant part of, so only go on reading if you’re prepared for the best commentary of one of the sickest events. EVER.

I got there, bypassed all the 14 year olds chillin’ with fake ID. I met up with Vinnie & Buddy – who quickly became my new best friends. They answered some of my silly questions:

You guys have been a sensation for a while now, relatively speaking…you’ve been around for a long time…Is there anything you wish you had done different?

Yea, we probably shouldn’t get into specifics but there are a lot of things we could or should have done differently…but you know, that’s life…we live, make mistakes and learn.

Ok, that’s cool – on the flip side of my slightly depressing opener – What’s your biggest achievement?

Bon jovi. The fact we can say we toured with bon jovi.

Do you miss Florida?

Yea, I mean between tours and everything we got to go back for a couple of days and that was kinda a big tease. But like, Florida is full of old people, so meh.

There are hundreds of songs about California…If you could write another song about Florida…what would it be about?

Old people.

The TV/EP on your website is probably the 2^nd best way I’ve ever spent 11 minutes, I won’t tell you the 1^st best way, but damn man it beats the 3^rd best way and that shit was good. How did you pick the tunes?

Ha ha! We picked the tunes so that the whole thing could appeal to different generations. Like, you know Scooby doo, animaniacs and Malcolm in the middle are all from three totally different times. I’m so surprised that video hasn’t been taken down yet haha – best not to go into that though.

Favourite English band?

Snuff…or an Iron Maiden, of course.

If you weren’t a band, but were still some sort of group…what would you be doing?

Door to door proctologists.

You answered that pretty quickly haha, If you knew the world was going to end in 2012 how would you live your life?

Well I could die tomorrow so I wouldn’t act any different. I’d just ride it out. I’d probably spend money a bit more frivolously. I’d become a travelling proctologist!

What is time?

Time is what you make of it.

Finally, are you guys an Iphone band or a Blackberry band?

Oh we are definitely an Iphone band, JR is clinging to his blackberry but it’s only a matter of time. He is the only one in the group that has a PC, we all have macs.

Hey guys, thanks for your time…before I go can I get a quick picture?

Of course! Can we do rock faces?

Are there any other kind of faces?

Once the interview had finished I ran downstairs to meet my friend, we jumped inside and instantly started drinking plenty of Jager. £3.50 for a jager bomb…fit as fuck. Zebrahead were awesome, played all the classics – playmate of the year and some sexy covers.

The big deal came around when Less than jake came on and started playing…I pushed my way to the front  and without intention, got the attention of the guys. Long story short is that they dragged me on stage with them to drink even more Jager with them!

The pic shows someone pointing at me…I’m that cool.

I’ve done quite a few interviews before, with a lot of bands from the west coast but this is the first from the east and it was the best thing ever. It had everything…Atmosphere, great music & crowd interaction. 

Tonight i got the amazing opportunity to meet Zebrahead, a band formed in orange county, California. Matty, Ali, Ben and Greg were happy enough to listen to my silly questions and amazed me with the best interview i have ever done. These guys not only make a great sound, they make great company. At one point they reinacted a scene from movie “step brothers” and when they saw that i totally understood what they were saying they welcomed me as a brother of ΛΛΛ (lambda lambda lambda or tri lam) fraternity, however I turned down their symbolic offer as my brothers wouldn’t be too happy about that.

So guys, what made you call your latest album “Panty Raid” what inspired that decision?

Ali: Matty chose the name, it was inspired by the movie “Revenge of the nerds” in which a bunch of fraternity guys stole a bunch of sorority chicks panties and screamed “PANTY RAIDDDDDDDDD”.

You guys have been all around, but you have an especially large Japanese fan base, why do you think this is?

Matty: Well, it’s because we took out Mothra & Godzilla, saving their country…so i guess they are just being appreciative. Yep, we took them to couples therapy.

You’ve had songs featured in computer games such as WWE and Sonic the Hedgehog and movies such as Dude where’s my car, but if you could choose a song you’ve made and put it to a recent movie what would your combination be?

Ali: Wait, i don’t understand the question

Matty: Well i’d like to see any of our songs to Beverly hills cop 1, 2 or 3.

Ali: Oh yea, stairway to heaven would go great with those! Can you imagine like Harry Potter or something?

Ben: Twilight! It’s art.

So your latest album is a bunch of covers, why did you chose to do that?

Matt: We got tired of our own music and decided “hey, let’s play music that people will actually like” let’s play songs that are already hits!

Could you describe your band in one word?

Matt, Ali & Greg (all together): Shit.

Me: No way, that must be one of your silly answers because there’s a sold out room downstairs waiting to hear you guys!

You guys are from Orange County, but you’ve been around the world…if you had to settle in one other place…where would it be?

Matt: Germany! No wait! The Keelbler Village! Those guys make good cookies.

Ali: Germany, aaaw no way, i just ruined the interview by giving you a serious answer…can i start over?

Me: Yea, of course.

Ali: Fantasy Island!

So there’s a whole community of people online who don’t like the new album because it’s a whole bunch of covers, what do you have to say to those guys?

Both: Well, we say to those people…don’t go online…but also, if you do need to go online spend more time looking at porn and less time on youtube.

*all whilst Greg is checking out porn on his mac*

Boxers or Briefs?

Matt: wait, us or the ladies?

Me: Erm, you.

Matt: Commando!

Ali: Commando!

Me: Ok, what about them?

Matt: Commando!

Ali: Commando!….boxers?

Me: Boxers on ladies can look really hot!

Ali: but doesnt commando?

*greg shows a lady in commando on his mac to the group*

Define Time in one sentence

Matt: I think thyme is a greenish plant that goes great with chicken.

Matt: Wait, can i ask you a question?

Ali: Yes, we can interview you now haha

Me: Sure thing.

Matt: Have your shoes always looked like that?

Me: Like what?

Matt: Shiny, or did you do it?

Me: Haha, I got them like this.

Ben: I nearly got some like that from HnM, but in red.

—————-

So once the interview was over, i snapped a quick picture and ran downstairs to the gig! Just in time for Orange, a band on their first UK tour. Their sound was good, the lead singer really reminded me of someone but i just can’t place who.

After Orange had played, MC Lars came on and i was blown away. I can honestly say i’ve never heard of them, but wow. Ok, so i am not one for rap or hiphop but this was amazing, there style is inspired by sci-fi with various mentions of the borg and other alien critters. They had a song inspired by my favourite poem, “the raven” by Edgar Allen Poe which made it an instant win in my eyes! They interacted with the crowd a whole lot. I demand that anyone with the slightest interest check them out on myspace.

Zebrahead came on to stage and the crowd went insane. They played a Britney cover from their newest album “Panty Raid” and everyone in the crowd sang along, they played some of their old classics like “Hello Tomorrow” and “Playmate of the year” and again, at one point…the crowd started chanting YORKSHIRE YORKSHIRE YORKSHIRE! and again, the band didn’t understand what was being said so they called upon an interpreter to help out.

Ali, as always took his shirt off…which is something Zebrahead fans are not shocked at any more. Fans were trying to get on stage throughout the entire gig and those that succeeded were thrown back into the crowd by a big man on stage.

All in all, an amazing gig. The guys are amazing and this was probably the best gig I’ve ever happened to be at. The drinks prices are the Cockpit were great, £2 for a bottle of Becks, which you might think is expensive but believe me…it’s not…I work in a hotel, believe me.