Personality Test (Rick Wakeman)

The description on the ticket says it all, really - a radio show hosted by a celebrity who sets all the questions.  Obviously I only wanted to go because this episode was hosted by Rick Wakeman, but it was a funny night where Rick showed his great wit, and I managed to get a load of stuff signed.  Yay!

Gogol Bordello and Bedouin Soundclash

At Sziget earlier in the year we met up with a group of Brits who were going for the third time.  We met on the internet but nobody was weird - which is useful.  On their last night at Sziget they went to see Gogol Bordello in a tent, but we were exhausted so headed to bed instead.  Therefore we'd never seen Gogol Bordello before this gig, and boy are we glad we stayed in touch with the guys who persuaded us to go!

One Big Laugh

This was one of those 'charity comedy nights' you hear so much about.  We mainly went because we wanted to see the comics, but the charity thing was nice too.  However, having one of the comics pass his artificial leg around the audience as part of his act was a bit weird.

Seth Lakeman

We'd seen Seth almost a year previously, at the tiny Borderline. This was a bigger venue for his bigger status, but he didn't fail to impress. I was knackered from a hellish time at work, but despite me just nodding to most of the songs rather than all-out jigging about I still had a great time. It was also great to have Alice's mum with us - she's now an enormous Seth fan too :)

The Pipettes

I guess this was a bit of a gamble. We'd heard of the Pipettes by getting their album, and liked what was there. So we went to see them live - I think it's the first time in a while that we were actually going to see somebody we weren't already a "fan" of. But with their 60s-esque sound and polka-dot pop, this was a gig of the highest order. A short set, admittedly, but very much worth it. Plus we had the opportunity to visit our friends Mark and Angela who lived nearby. Excellent :)

Sziget Festival 2006

O-ho! Sziget! This was our first time at the mother-of-all festivals (which takes place on an island in the middle of the Danube near Budapest in Hungary). We took a bit of a risk - we fancied a break and gambled that this would be good - and boy, was it worth it! A whole week of music from every genre you can possibly imagine. And all for less than a weekend festival in the UK. Bring it on.

Market Boy

This was an outstanding piece of drama at the National. We were in the second row, with veery little legroom, but as a result were in the cheapest £10 but within spitting distance (literally, at points) of the actors. Brilliant.

Guilfest Festival 2006

Guilfest, it must be said, was a bit of a disappointment. I guess I've been spoiled with the festivals and music things I've gone to, and so a couple of stages in a field with no "interesting" stuff going on was actually a bit dull. I can't sympathise with people who take their comfy chairs and picnic baskets and sit at the main stage all day who complain that they don't like who's on. In that case, go to see a different band! However, one highlight of this weekend was that my dad came along - I don't get to see him often and so it was really nice to be able to wander around the tents and slag all the bands off with him :-D

Take That

Alice's Christmas present was tickets to see Take That at Wembley. Unfortunately, though, the Australian builders hadn't finished it in time so instead we trekked up to Milton Keynes Bowl with Tabs and Kerry. I was feeling really ill this day, but managed to make it through what was a superb concert. I was off ill for the following week though :( It was clearly a bad reaction to Take That.

Roehampton Summer Ball

The RSU Ball is a fun affair - a bunch of drunken students falling all over the landscaped gardens of Froebel College while members of staff drink wine and eat canapes nearby. We fit into both camps, Alice being a "younger" member of staff - so we have the wine and then go on the dodgems. This year GLC were headlining and, using her enviable powers of persuasion, Alice managed to blag us backstage to drink Cider with the boys. A thoroughly enjoyable evening!

Paul Merton's Impro Chums

We'd first seen the impro crowd at Glastonbury, and soon after went to see some of them in Richmond. However, the chance to see Paul Merton out with them was too good an opportunity to miss. It was strange to be in a full-size theatre for this kind of thing but, being relative "veterans" of the improv scene by now, we managed to crowbar a few of our suggestions into the scenes, which was fun :)

Varsity Football at Craven Cottage

Mother's Day is always a tricky one, especially as I live so far away from my mum. I agreed with her that we'd postpone Mother's Day by a week, as she and Graham were going to visit us in London, and I planned to take her out for a nice lunch at a pub. However, looking on the Fulham FC website I soon discovered that on the Sunday I'd planned to take her for lunch, it was the Boat Race. And, even better, Fulham were letting you watch it from Craven Cottage.

It was almost too good to be true, but it got better. Preceding the Boat Race we got to watch the Varsity football match as well! All for a tenner! Get in! Sadly, Cambridge lost the Boat Race...but at least we won Goldie/Isis and beat Oxford 1-0 in the footie. So, two out of three isn't bad.

Goldie Lookin' Chain

It feels like we've seen GLC loads, but we've only actually seen the last half of their set at Glasto last year and their album-launch gig at the Scala. However, this wasn't going to stop us going along to see them at the Astoria, especially as a big group of us went along. Alice and I even donned our leisurewear for the event. To be honest, the support acts were a bit shocking until the Infadels came on, who were astounding. Buy their album. It Is Good.

GLC were good too, but I'd had a bit too much Red Stripe by this point and so just danced like an idiot.

Tintin

I've never read Tintin, but Alice is an enormous fan. It was with a feeling of slight trepidation that I went her and her family to see the Young Vic's adaptation of Tintin in Tibet at the Barbican as part of their Christmas season for children. But there was no need for any self-consciousness. The show was fantastic. While it's hard not to compare any future Christmas show with the National's knock-out production of His Dark Materials, Tintin really held its own. Superb.

Lee Evans

I've never really watched Lee Evans, other than on compilation shows. He's always fascinated me, and having seen him in The Producers playing Leo Bloom I became a firm fan. Our good friend Roz had been given a pair of tickets to see Lee Evans' new show at Wembley, and I happily joined her. I must admit that I was rather surprised. His comedy wasn't as slapstick as I first thought, and some of the subject matter just wasn't my thing...but other bits were fantastic. All in all, it was a bit hit-and-miss, but certainly a great night out with brilliant company - Roz is awesome!

OFI Sunday

I had been a big fan of TFI Friday in the 90s and so was really excited to see Chris Evans' new show. Although considerably different (both in terms of content and, to be honest, entertainment value) OFI was still good fun and worth the trip. It was even more worthwhile when a few free beers were thrown into the mix along with everyoen in the audience winning a pair of "diet boots" in "Mine or Not Mine".

Jammin' New Year's Eve Special

Jammin' is a show we tune into now-and-again during Saturday lunchtimes and have always enjoyed. Therefore - despite it being on a school night - I thought a recording of the New Year's Eve special would be brilliant fun. And it was. Rowland Rivron and his band were excellent, and were complimented by Mark King of Level 42 on bass and Ade Edmonson. The great thing with radio recordings, as well, is that they're easy to mill around at the end...hence the autographs obscuring the ticket details.  Alice also managed to get Ade Edmonson to sign her Young Ones annual :)

Just a Minute

I'd been trying to get tickets to Just a Minute for ages, and so when a last-minute show was announced on BBC website I was quick to snap up tickets for Alice and her parents. The panellists were excellent and Nicholas Parsons was, as ever, on top form.

Khaled

When I worked at HMV I sound a lot of Khaled from our World Music section but hadn't listened to him much. It was thus with an air of quiet skepticism that I went with Alice and her family to see Khaled in his only UK concert at the Barbican. But wow. Just...wow. This music left me speechless, and ran tingles down my spine more than a couple of times in the show. Surrounded by an enormous multi-cultural crowd, I was addicted to this. Give it a go.

Fulham vs Manchester City

Our internet provider, Nildram, are part of the Pipex company who sponsor Fulham FC.  Apparently my name was picked out of a hat of subscribers to get an all-expenses trip to see Fulham play, with seats in Director's Box and a load of alcohol and food.  Yay!