The main things that make me happy are my immediate family, good friends, music, football, countryside, travelling + exploring, continental larger / real ale / mead / red wine, the Campaign For Real Ale, my band Fred_Low, watching ice-hockey, interesting animals / insects / plants, walking, fussball (table football), balti / curry with mates, playing petanque when I can, my personal tattoos, snuff (the tobacco product) and going to proper metal gigs + festivals. ++++++++++++++++++ MUSIC: I mainly listen to True Metal, Power Metal, Black Metal and try to support the underground metal scene! I like many underground Black Metal bands from the United Kingdom + also N.S. Black Metal bands (musically only, as I'm not racist), but I hate commercial Black Metal. In True + Power Metal I like epic, soaring, fast bands that make me want to oil myself up, put on a loin-cloth, grab my sword + run up a mountain to shout from the top how proud I am to be into real metal! Sadly, in reality this only happens in my room, on my bed! However, I also like to chill out to non-metal stuff like Enya, Dire Straits etc... but more of that in my 'Music' section. ++++++++++++++++++ SPORT: I'm a big football fan and support Liverpool, as my Dad's a scouser, so I was raised to follow the 'pool. Foreign, smaller and international football teams also really interest me, and I have collected 1,000+ of their pin badges and 60+ football shirts over the years. I am also a massive fan of FC Sion as when in Switzerland I work quite near and they have amazingly passionate fans! I went to Liechtenstein in April + August 2006 to see all of the teams there play (7) and to explore the beautiful country. I've always been into teams (and things in general) that the majority of the masses find uninteresting, not to be different, but because that's just what I'm genuinely interested in. For me, Skonto Riga from Latvia are way more interesting than a big name like Real Madrid! Also, I've started to get back into watching ice-hockey again and I try to get to most of the Solihull Barons home games when in England, watch HC Leysin in Switzerland, while in the NHL I support the Pittsburgh Penguins. I enjoy playing petanque (french boules) too and have recently rejoined Blossomfield Petanque Club. ++++++++++++++++++ COUNTRYSIDE: I love being in the countryside and feel really happy in nature, as I dislike the urban environment and lifestyle. I enjoy walks (not too long) and observing all the different flora and fauna along the way. Some of my favourite things are forests (especially coniferous ones), mountains, sunrises and sunsets, moss growing up tree trunks, streams, mist rising from ground, the smell of dew, bonfires, and many animals / insects / plants. ++++++++++++++++++ Some of the main things I don't like are false Metal, Manchester United FC, religion, fashion, racism, chavs, mosh pits (if you're Metal, headbang damnit!), urban culture, injections, rubber gloves, happy slapping, wallet chains, r+b / hip-hop music + lifestyle, bling, mobile phones, Jose Mourinho (Chelsea manager), hot weather, hooligans, people trying to act as if they're black... ya get me, designer lables, cats, New (Nu) Rocks, Tim Westwood and crap tasteless lager like Budweiser / Carling etc!
Not sure what this section is specifically about! I guess if it means who I'd like to meet on MySpace, then I'd have to say I'd like to make some new friends (male and female). Ideally it would be great to find a female longhaired true metal leather clad temptress that has a thing for immensly true warriors with false short hair (like me) - that'd make me very happy! :oDIf it means who famous I'd like to meet, then see the 'Heroes' section.
My World Visitor Map!
I'm only going to list bands on here that I love, not any of the many bands I simply quite like. I'm sure I'll forget some, but here goes (in no particular order): ++++++++++++++++++ TRUE + POWER METAL: Iron Maiden, ManOwaR, Majesty, Lost Horizon, Nostradameus, Dragonland, Area 54, Conquest Of Steel, Human Fortress, Falconer, Judas Priest, DragonForce, Running Wild, Heed, Labÿrinth (Ita), Brainstorm (Ger), Angel Dust (Ger), Edguy, Burning In Hell, 3 Inches Of Blood, Elvenking, Stratovarius, Power Quest, Metalium, Sonata Arctica, Teräsbetoni, Masterplan, H.O.S.T.I.L.E., Leprechaun, Gamma Ray, Nocturnal Rites, Helloween, Iron Clad, Crystal Fortress, Hibria, Avantasia, Iron Fire, Dark Forest (UK). ++++++++++++++++++ BLACK METAL: Rotting Christ (pre 1998), Funeral / Kristallnacht, Bilskirnir, Spite Extreme Wing, Nargaroth, Enid, Forefather, Nordreich, Summoning, Negurã Bunget, Mjölnir, Niroth, Immortal, Hirilorn, Abyssic Hate, Abigor (pre 1996), Shining, Wyrd, Emperor, Tharaphita, Burzum, Macabre Omen, Ancient Rites, Satyricon (pre 1997), Anaal Nathrakh, Darkestrah, Enthroned, Fornost, Ulver (pre 1998), Varathron (pre 1997), Sauron (Pol), Gontyna Kry, The Meads Of Asphodel, Dimmu Borgir (pre 1998), Sun Of The Sleepless, Paysage D'Hiver, Sombres Forêts, Woods Of Ypres, Moonblood, Ashes (Eng), Ragnarok (UK), Nocternity, Thus Defiled, Veles, Noctis, Archaicus, Temnozor, Ulfhethnar (Ger), Mutiilation, Kawir, Vanguard (Eng), Ecclesia Satani, Celestia, Nazgul (Esp), Diatribe (Sco/Bra), Symbel, Graveland, Warcry, Stone To Flesh, Wolfsgard, Black Jade, Weakling, Ewigkeit (pre 2000), Circumscriber, Nokturnal Mortum, Striid, Thou Art Lord (pre 1997), VLE, Alcest, Weltmacht, Eviternity, Grand Belial's Key, Kraken, Seigneur Voland, Pagan Reign (Rus), Peste Noire, Loits, Sigrblot, Nargathrond (Eng), Forest (Rus), Eldrig, Oubliette, Elffor, Nordlicht, Desolation Triumphalis, Forteresse, Nachtfalke, Silencer, Brume D' Automne, Heresi, Fullmoon, Amesoeurs. ++++++++++++++++++ OTHER METAL: Amon Amarth, Empyrium, Children Of Bodom (pre 2003), Dissection, Honor, MotherTrucker, I, Vital Remains, Moonsorrow, Poison (USA), Extreme (pre 1992), System Of A Down, Guns 'N' Roses, Warhead (Pol/Ukr), Orphaned Land, Chaos Feeds Life, Lacuna Coil (pre 2002), Ensiferum, Paradise Lost, Onedice, Sentenced, Kill II This, Solace Denied, Ten Masked Men, King Diamond, Katapult, Entwined, Type O Negative, Primary Slave, W.A.S.P., Norther, Machine Head (pre 1998), Bathory (Viking era), Wintersun, Love/Hate, The Wildhearts, The Blue Rangers Of The Masked Moon. ++++++++++++++++++ OTHER MUSIC: Enya, Manic Street Preachers (pre 1996), Dire Straits, Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, Jaaportit, Billy Mahonie, Nest, Badly Drawn Boy, Sex Pistols, The Beta Band, The Clash (pre 1979), Sigur Rós, Weezer, The Police, Burnst, Queen, Eddie Grant, Grandaddy, Normahl, Pink Floyd, Una Corda, Smashing Pumpkins, Circulus, Enigma (pre 1996), Modest Mouse, Sham 69, Flaming Lips, Solanum, some cheesy 80s Break Beat and cheesy nostalgic chart crap like Chesney Hawkes etc - hail, lol!
I'm not much of a movie watcher, I don't really know why. I guess I'm always doing other things, but people can't believe how crap I am at knowing anything about them! I like comedy films and feature length documentaries best, and of the films I've seen these are probs my faves: Monty Python's Holy Grail + Life Of Brian, Shawshank Redemption, Spinal Tap, Wayne's World, Bowling For Columbine, The Green Mile, Schindler's List, South Park, Sex Pistols The Filth And The Fury, Star Wars and I think that's all I can remember!
I mainly like watching football programmes, comedy shows, wildlife documentaries, but can't see the point in watching things like soaps. Some of my favourite programmes are: Match Of The Day, Football Focus, Golazo, Fantasy Football, French Ligue 1 Highlights, Bottom, Men Behaving Badly, Father Ted, Life In The Undergrowth, The League Of Gentlemen, Have I Got News For You, Monty Python's Flying Circus, Wildlife On One, Little Britain, Takeshi's Castle, Blackadder, Tribe, The Frank Skinner Show, Big Train, Monkey Trousers, Will & Grace, Ultimate Fight Championship, Red Dwarf, Rab C Nesbit and the best metal show to ever be on normal TV, Raw Power (RIP).
When it comes to books I don't read as much as maybe I should! I like reading band and football biographies, travel guides like Lonely Planet, as well as good beer guides (practical!). In future I'd like to read more about the history of England, from as far back as possible and leading right up to just after the middle ages. I'll have to try and do some research and see how it goes... but I've been saying this for years and never got around to it!However, I like mainly reading underground Black Metal + True Metal fanzines - I hate Kerrap!, Metal Hammer, etc as they're all full of stuff I wouldn't risk shiting on, let alone wiping my arse with! Terrorizer has got shit too, so stopped my subscription to that a few years ago. Now the only magazine I get regularly is Bizarre!, which isn't music orientated, just damn interesting.
I think it's best to have lots of friends and just be yourself, rather than trying to aspire to be someone else!However, if I had to choose heroes, then I really admire these people: My Mum and Dad, Dave Murray (Iron Maiden), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool FC), Jaromir Jager (when he played for the Pittsburgh Penguins Ice Hockey), Sarunas Kuliesius (Solihull Barons Ice Hockey), Ihsahn (Emperor) and last but not least Joey DeMaio (ManOwaR)!