Long live Billy Idol and the 80's

I thought I was going to write about my recent Billy Idol concert today. Which, obviously, I will give it a mention. But Billy Idol is not consuming my thoughts today, something else is. Well, Billy Idol is consuming my thoughts a bit today, but only because I had a dream about him last night. He totally led me on in my dream. After promising backstage passes for me and my mum with cute little winks and hair lip snarls. He slammed the door in my face. It sucks to be let down in your own dreams. I am disappointed in Billy, but only in my dreams. He put on a brilliant show at the Point in Dublin on Wed. I was highly impressed. He is still hot as ever!

What is consuming my thoughts today is: SingStar 80's for the PS2. I keep glancing at the PS2 with overwhelming temptation. I don't really like to play video games, but this of course, is not a game as such. SingStar 80's is my fountain of youth! SingStar 80's is my childhood.

Now, you can't have EVERY song of your youth of course. But it's a pretty good selection. Although, I would have loved if they had Love is a Battlefield by Pat Benatar on there. I love most all sides of the 80's. The pop side, rap, punk, the dark side of the 80's. About the only thing I never liked about the 80's was the hair bands (hence my previous Journey post). I won't deny I know all the words to most of Def Leppard's songs, but it doesn't mean I liked them.

The important thing to remember about SingStar 80's is that you don't have to be a good singer to play it. You can freestyle on the game, where you don't get rated at all for your singing, you just sing. But even when you do play to be rated, all they look for is that you sing high when it's a high note, low when it's a low note and you hold the note when it's a long note. Even better, you can play PONG on the game and you move your paddle up and down by singing high and low notes. This game is hours of fun!

I don't particularly think of myself as a good singer. I sing all the time to the radio and sometimes when I'm alone. It doesn't mean I'm good, it just means that I like singing. When it comes to singing in front of a crowd, I'm a bit shy. People always tell me to get up and sing in pubs and at parties. Not because I'm good, because when I'm drunk enough, I will.

I always thought that it took a special level of drink to get me to sing. Just enough to loosen my courage. Too much, and I'm TOTALLY off key and can't remember the words. I always thought that I didn't sound too bad when I had that special level to loosen my courage... was I ever wrong! You can playback the song you sang on SingStar 80's and let me tell you, it doesn't always sound pretty!

The first night we got it, I sang for hours! I kept telling myself, 'One more song, one more song.' Then I'd look at the menu and see another song I wanted to sing. This went on for hours. Even worse, towards the end of the night, I turned into a bitchy diva. My husband asked me if I was coming to bed and I said, (into the microphone of course) 'NO, I have to sing a couple more songs!'

My husband won't sing with me, but we still have great fun on the microphones.
We use the microphones to tell each other we have to go to the toilet or to get something out of the kitchen. We use the microphones to talk to our kitties and I tell our fish Rocky to get out of the pool for a ten minute break. It's all great fun!

If I actually had many friends here, I'd invite them all over for a SingStar 80's party! Alas, as fun as this game is, I'm going to be singing solo for a while. If you have a PS2 and you are missing your youth, I highly recommend this game! And if Billy Idol is in your area, I highly recommend going to see him. But if he offers you backstage passes in your dreams, you might want to tell him no.

Memories of an Ass

Do you ever think about all the things you've said or done throughout your life? Most things, you may not be able to remember. I would consider that fortunate if you weren't able to remember. Other things, YOU may not remember, but the person with you at the time may remember. Which they will inevitably remind you at a later date exactly what you did say or do.

Friends are a wonderful people to have in your life. Thankfully, yet unfortunately, most of the friends I have have been my friends for many, many years! Our bonds are deep rooted, we have all known each other since we were children. You know, back in those days when you couldn't blame alcohol for the things you said or did. Well, I suppose depending on your particular childhood anyway.

They say hindsight is 20/20. If I knew then what I know now, I would have chosen friends with short memories. Instead, I have friends that can tell me about things I said and did 20 odd years ago. Things, that I have long forgotten, if I ever remembered them in the first place. Things, that I would never want repeated to me again!

They should feel fortunate to have me as a friend. My memory is very random and selective, kind of like a politicians. I never forget a birthday or anniversary because I write it down. My memories are associated with events, places, feelings, etc. Sensory memories. I don't remember things I or other people have said. I forget what my husband has said to me two seconds after he's said it. If I was even listening in the first place! Seriously, I have asked him and he has told me at LEAST 10 times who a particular couple is. He tells me I ask him every time we see them. But I still don't remember their names and I couldn't tell you what they look like. Yet I could still rattle off Jabberwocky to you, piss drunk, even though I memorised it over 10 years ago.

I think we should be able to subject our friends and spouses to selective labotomies. Wipe out all of their memories of your most embarrassing moments and the stupidest things you've ever said. Then the slate is clean for you give them new embarrassing moments and stupid comments to fill their 'You' file with. So then they'll have new things to remind you of at a later date.

As that is not going to happen, I guess I'm just stuck being the eternal ass in everyone's mind.