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gemsybobsy2000 (aged 18-19)
I saw in the new millennium in Cardiff with the Manic Street Preachers, oh yeah. It was amazing. We slept in a bus station before getting the train home the next day, to start my new year continuing the GNVQ Advanced IT course I'd started at sixth form college. I'd been doing sciencey A levels through 1998-9, and had realised they weren't for me. I was also unhappy social-wise in 1999 - I was falling out with my old friends a lot, we were growing apart, so this new course gave me a whole new start with a brand new group of people. Who were brilliant. So, I was kicking arse and getting distinctions on my IT course, and outside of college I worked at Electronics Boutique (now Game) - which was a WEIRD place to work - and I did cleaning for GSF in the evenings. We had great nights out at the Nexus, hanging out down the Malt with Dave, Tamsin, Jeannie, Leslie and Martin. Met Steve for the first time at a Crocketts gig. Met Naina at college. I started chatting about music online. Forums and that. Yahoo clubs! Discovered new bands. Music music music. I started a band with Dave and Timur. I went out with boys just because; I think the longest relationship was three weeks. Haha. Despite all the good things going on, I was very depressed. On Prozac, and stuff. I bottled it all up around this time too, and felt like I couldn't speak to anyone about anything 'cause I didn't want to burden them. And I felt really guilty for being so down about life, even though I was quite a lucky person with lovely friends and family. This was a recurring theme throughout the decade to be honest, haha. And READING! First year at Reading Festival, absolutely brilliant. I saw Rage, Slipknot and Limp Bizkit. It was brilliant. Oh, and this little band called Muse, or something? :D
2001 (aged 19-20)
Franny sits down and gets out her pen,
The class come in in a rush,
They run to computers and onto the 'net,
Franny says, “Hey, my group, hush!”
"Aiii!" Says Matty, coming in late,
"My Metro was giving me gip!"
“Okay,” says Franny, all pissed off,
Matty starts giving her lip.
“Hey Gemsy,” says Charlie, “Show me your baps,”
“BAPS!” cries the class together,
Jeannie looks up and shouts “Her baps are mine!
If you wanna see it’s now or never!”
Franny says, “Shhh, Malcolm’s next door,
Teaching the others, Group A!"
“Oh well," says Dave G, looking all shifty,
“The other group are all fuckin’ gay.”
“Let’s go down the pub,” says Rob with a grin,
“There’s a surprise,” says Sorrel.
Dave C is looking at porn on the 'net,
Who cares if it’s rude or immoral?
Nige gets out his CD writer,
And the rest of his home PC,
Gareth comes in with his Discman up loud,
“Let’s go out for a splee!”
“Okay, you can have a break,” says Franny,
“Be back in 10 minutes or die!”
The whole class run out to the car park,
And come back looking all high.
“Good skills!” says Rich, eyeing up Dave’s reefer,
“Give us a toke on your J!”
Wheeler says, “Oi, bugger off, I’m next!”
Rich nicks it and runs away!
The class returns the very next day,
Franny nearly suspends us,
Brailey arrives with a grin on his face,
“I’ve just met a girl at the Nexus!”
The group moves on to the next class,
Richard Philips’ lessons, which they hate,
When they reach the door the first thing they hear,
“Where’s your assignment? Why are you late?”
I passed with a distinction, and left college. Sad times. I got an unconditional offer at Portsmouth to do an HND in computer animation, but couldn't be arsed. I did three weeks of temping for £300 a week at Katy's office over the summer, and the idea of that much money was far more appealing than another three years in Studentville. So I went on the dole for six months instead. Haha. My band played at the Joiners and it was amazing. This year was all about The Crocketts, The Manics and Muse.
2002 (aged 20-21)
I realised nobody was going to give me a massively paid IT job without experience, and was spending every hour of every day on the computer, surfing the net and making websites, waiting for jobs to come to me. Then GSF offered me a receptionist job. £9,500 a year! I thought that was a good salary, haha. So I started my working life there, at the bottom, kept getting things wrong, often forgetting to pass on messages and was generally the most rubbish receptionist in the world. I was great at fixing the computers though. I went to Majorca with my nan, Lisa, Steve, Mitchell and Bradley. I went to Reading with Timur and Kev, saw Muse again, was brilliant. I went out on loads of missions in the Forest with Rich and Tam. I had one date with Paul the Mackem, and after that I realised I was relieved it was over, and that I was perfectly okay with never getting laid. Haha. I felt like an idiot though. I thought I was still being 'teenage angsty' and hoped it would pass. I redecorated my bedroom and took up kung fu for a while, then quit because I found the four-hour sessions far too knackering! Oh and we started Brother Earth, the greatest forgotten metal band of Southampton, and I met Mikey for the first time. That was such a great band. This year was all about the Foo Fighters, Muse and Brother Earth!
2003 (aged 21-22)
I joined the Muse Board full-time. Oh lordy. Got promoted to secretary at work. I started taking proper driving lessons because I was fed up with getting lifts from Mum and arguing with her every morning about what I was wearing. Brother Earth disbanded, and Mikey and I were inseparable all through the summer. Best of mates. We wrote songs that never amounted to anything. I was dying to get into another band but we were too busy having a laugh. 2003's Reading has not since been beaten. The year of The Darkness! System of a Down, Tam and Dan, blazing sunshine, the best Reading of the decade. I remember being covered in writing, doing poi with glowsticks, hair braided, off my tits and shouting at everyone, "I'm a secretary!" This year was all about System of a Down, The Darkness and Muse.
2004 (aged 22-23)
I went to Paris with GSF for the first time and realised that the business world is not for me. I started thinking about other careers. Someone posted a thread about asexuality on the Muse board and everything clicked into place (www.asexuality.org). I suddenly felt like I wasn't a complete freak, and started being a lot more social, up for anything, come on let's party. Nobody wanted to. Haha. I went to Gran Canaria for a week with Mum and Nik. This year's Reading was wet. Lee and Shane came along and they left all their gear in the car and didn't go back for it all weekend. Lol. I passed my driving test, thanks to endless nights practising in the Forest with Steve in his car. Ellie was born, the first baby in our group of friends, and I found myself being an unofficial auntie! This year was all about Friends, Auf der Maur and Andy C.
2005 (aged 23-24)
I moved out of our bungalow in Hythe and into a flat in Portswood with Anna. Then promptly went a bit nuts. Depression came back big time and I wondered if I'd made the right move. I'd moved to walking distance from my favourite pubs and clubs, but couldn't go out and enjoy it. Felt really shit about myself and everything ended in tears/anger/angry tears. This year's Reading was the year of Uzbekistan! EL PRESIDENTÉ! 2005 was my favourite year for gigs though. SO MANY AMAZING ONES (I'll post my tedious gig list at the end, too many to mention!) Everybody in my family got a puppy apart from me. This year was all about Doctor Who, David Tennant and Scrubs.
2006 (aged 24-25)
Anna bought this house, and we moved in! So cool. We started decorating and doing it up. Anna came to Reading and I went VIP. Muse headlined. Then I went even more nuts! Anxiety disorder and a whole load of depression on top. I had to go on pills and have counselling, the whole shebang. Then, after a bit of soul searching, a fantastic trip to Bermuda and another disastrous trip to Paris with GSF, I decided it was work, and the fact that I couldn't have a puppy because of work, was the source of all this depression. So I quit and started walking dogs for a living. As you do! Then I got my Floyd. Nikki & G got engaged. This year was all about Doctor Who, drum 'n' bass and Scrubs.
2007 (aged 25-26)
I struggled to make any money from walking dogs, but I was loving my new, less stressful lifestyle. Floyd was my best mate and I loved hanging out with him. Awww. We finished decorating my room and had a big houseparty with DECKS. Awesome. I quit smoking and got really fat (still unsure about which came first!) The Nexus closed, and got knocked down. NOOO! Sarah and Dave came to Reading and it was hilarious, even though it ended badly, lol emos. Dave and Sarah got engaged! Nikki and G got married! I started hanging out with Mikey again, and we ended up getting rather close. Started 'going out', whatever that means. :) This year was all about Gogol Bordello, Heroes and David Bowie.
2008 (aged 26-27)
More struggling, more money woes. I took on rubbish cleaning jobs to bring in more money, and was so close to giving up and trying to get back to full-time work. It was a bloody awful year, to be honest. Me and four friends were attacked by a gang of kids with glass bottles on New Year's Eve. Then things just got worse - walking nasty dogs, somebody ABANDONED their dog with us for over 8 months, I had epic teeth problems, I had to work all through the summer in a stupid cleaning job, I crashed my van and my insurance premiums went up, I had no business coming in and K9 Capers were fucking useless and gave me no support at all. So I ditched them. The only good things was Dhana being born, getting Didz, Reading, Glasgow and Mikey. Mikey and I had a lovely holiday driving around France and a weekend in London. But even that went tits up - we fell out big time in September, and cut all ties. Fail. Christmas was brilliant, so it ended well! This year was all about Devin Townsend, King Crimson and Scars on Broadway.
2009 (aged 27-28)
I started the year in a job at B&Q, which was awful, and as soon as I'd paid off my van debts (£1045) I got the hell out of there. I also started cleaning at Romsey School, which I've kept doing all year, and it's not been too bad. I felt so positive (generally) as well. I started writing songs again, started a band with Dave, started Mutts & Mops (house cleaning as well as dog walking) and it's building up! Dhana was christened and I'm her godmother. We celebrated the Summer Solstice at Stonehenge. I had some awesome weekends in London with amazing new friends. Timur and Becky got married. My dad turned 50 and we had a brilliant festival party. I went back to ballet dancing! Yay! No Reading this year! Boo! I was still a bit unsure of what I want to do with my life. I toyed with the idea of going back to work full-time and went to several interviews, but nothing came of it. I decided to keep going with my own business. I handed in my notice with Romsey School, and started to advertise again. The last few months were fantastic, loads of gigs and great nights out, and I'm so glad the decade ended on a high note. :) This year was all about Sparks, Muse, and Muse, and Muse.
My Tedious Gig List
I saw in the new millennium in Cardiff with the Manic Street Preachers, oh yeah. It was amazing. We slept in a bus station before getting the train home the next day, to start my new year continuing the GNVQ Advanced IT course I'd started at sixth form college. I'd been doing sciencey A levels through 1998-9, and had realised they weren't for me. I was also unhappy social-wise in 1999 - I was falling out with my old friends a lot, we were growing apart, so this new course gave me a whole new start with a brand new group of people. Who were brilliant. So, I was kicking arse and getting distinctions on my IT course, and outside of college I worked at Electronics Boutique (now Game) - which was a WEIRD place to work - and I did cleaning for GSF in the evenings. We had great nights out at the Nexus, hanging out down the Malt with Dave, Tamsin, Jeannie, Leslie and Martin. Met Steve for the first time at a Crocketts gig. Met Naina at college. I started chatting about music online. Forums and that. Yahoo clubs! Discovered new bands. Music music music. I started a band with Dave and Timur. I went out with boys just because; I think the longest relationship was three weeks. Haha. Despite all the good things going on, I was very depressed. On Prozac, and stuff. I bottled it all up around this time too, and felt like I couldn't speak to anyone about anything 'cause I didn't want to burden them. And I felt really guilty for being so down about life, even though I was quite a lucky person with lovely friends and family. This was a recurring theme throughout the decade to be honest, haha. And READING! First year at Reading Festival, absolutely brilliant. I saw Rage, Slipknot and Limp Bizkit. It was brilliant. Oh, and this little band called Muse, or something? :D
2001 (aged 19-20)
Franny sits down and gets out her pen,
The class come in in a rush,
They run to computers and onto the 'net,
Franny says, “Hey, my group, hush!”
"Aiii!" Says Matty, coming in late,
"My Metro was giving me gip!"
“Okay,” says Franny, all pissed off,
Matty starts giving her lip.
“Hey Gemsy,” says Charlie, “Show me your baps,”
“BAPS!” cries the class together,
Jeannie looks up and shouts “Her baps are mine!
If you wanna see it’s now or never!”
Franny says, “Shhh, Malcolm’s next door,
Teaching the others, Group A!"
“Oh well," says Dave G, looking all shifty,
“The other group are all fuckin’ gay.”
“Let’s go down the pub,” says Rob with a grin,
“There’s a surprise,” says Sorrel.
Dave C is looking at porn on the 'net,
Who cares if it’s rude or immoral?
Nige gets out his CD writer,
And the rest of his home PC,
Gareth comes in with his Discman up loud,
“Let’s go out for a splee!”
“Okay, you can have a break,” says Franny,
“Be back in 10 minutes or die!”
The whole class run out to the car park,
And come back looking all high.
“Good skills!” says Rich, eyeing up Dave’s reefer,
“Give us a toke on your J!”
Wheeler says, “Oi, bugger off, I’m next!”
Rich nicks it and runs away!
The class returns the very next day,
Franny nearly suspends us,
Brailey arrives with a grin on his face,
“I’ve just met a girl at the Nexus!”
The group moves on to the next class,
Richard Philips’ lessons, which they hate,
When they reach the door the first thing they hear,
“Where’s your assignment? Why are you late?”
I passed with a distinction, and left college. Sad times. I got an unconditional offer at Portsmouth to do an HND in computer animation, but couldn't be arsed. I did three weeks of temping for £300 a week at Katy's office over the summer, and the idea of that much money was far more appealing than another three years in Studentville. So I went on the dole for six months instead. Haha. My band played at the Joiners and it was amazing. This year was all about The Crocketts, The Manics and Muse.
2002 (aged 20-21)
I realised nobody was going to give me a massively paid IT job without experience, and was spending every hour of every day on the computer, surfing the net and making websites, waiting for jobs to come to me. Then GSF offered me a receptionist job. £9,500 a year! I thought that was a good salary, haha. So I started my working life there, at the bottom, kept getting things wrong, often forgetting to pass on messages and was generally the most rubbish receptionist in the world. I was great at fixing the computers though. I went to Majorca with my nan, Lisa, Steve, Mitchell and Bradley. I went to Reading with Timur and Kev, saw Muse again, was brilliant. I went out on loads of missions in the Forest with Rich and Tam. I had one date with Paul the Mackem, and after that I realised I was relieved it was over, and that I was perfectly okay with never getting laid. Haha. I felt like an idiot though. I thought I was still being 'teenage angsty' and hoped it would pass. I redecorated my bedroom and took up kung fu for a while, then quit because I found the four-hour sessions far too knackering! Oh and we started Brother Earth, the greatest forgotten metal band of Southampton, and I met Mikey for the first time. That was such a great band. This year was all about the Foo Fighters, Muse and Brother Earth!
2003 (aged 21-22)
I joined the Muse Board full-time. Oh lordy. Got promoted to secretary at work. I started taking proper driving lessons because I was fed up with getting lifts from Mum and arguing with her every morning about what I was wearing. Brother Earth disbanded, and Mikey and I were inseparable all through the summer. Best of mates. We wrote songs that never amounted to anything. I was dying to get into another band but we were too busy having a laugh. 2003's Reading has not since been beaten. The year of The Darkness! System of a Down, Tam and Dan, blazing sunshine, the best Reading of the decade. I remember being covered in writing, doing poi with glowsticks, hair braided, off my tits and shouting at everyone, "I'm a secretary!" This year was all about System of a Down, The Darkness and Muse.
2004 (aged 22-23)
I went to Paris with GSF for the first time and realised that the business world is not for me. I started thinking about other careers. Someone posted a thread about asexuality on the Muse board and everything clicked into place (www.asexuality.org). I suddenly felt like I wasn't a complete freak, and started being a lot more social, up for anything, come on let's party. Nobody wanted to. Haha. I went to Gran Canaria for a week with Mum and Nik. This year's Reading was wet. Lee and Shane came along and they left all their gear in the car and didn't go back for it all weekend. Lol. I passed my driving test, thanks to endless nights practising in the Forest with Steve in his car. Ellie was born, the first baby in our group of friends, and I found myself being an unofficial auntie! This year was all about Friends, Auf der Maur and Andy C.
2005 (aged 23-24)
I moved out of our bungalow in Hythe and into a flat in Portswood with Anna. Then promptly went a bit nuts. Depression came back big time and I wondered if I'd made the right move. I'd moved to walking distance from my favourite pubs and clubs, but couldn't go out and enjoy it. Felt really shit about myself and everything ended in tears/anger/angry tears. This year's Reading was the year of Uzbekistan! EL PRESIDENTÉ! 2005 was my favourite year for gigs though. SO MANY AMAZING ONES (I'll post my tedious gig list at the end, too many to mention!) Everybody in my family got a puppy apart from me. This year was all about Doctor Who, David Tennant and Scrubs.
2006 (aged 24-25)
Anna bought this house, and we moved in! So cool. We started decorating and doing it up. Anna came to Reading and I went VIP. Muse headlined. Then I went even more nuts! Anxiety disorder and a whole load of depression on top. I had to go on pills and have counselling, the whole shebang. Then, after a bit of soul searching, a fantastic trip to Bermuda and another disastrous trip to Paris with GSF, I decided it was work, and the fact that I couldn't have a puppy because of work, was the source of all this depression. So I quit and started walking dogs for a living. As you do! Then I got my Floyd. Nikki & G got engaged. This year was all about Doctor Who, drum 'n' bass and Scrubs.
2007 (aged 25-26)
I struggled to make any money from walking dogs, but I was loving my new, less stressful lifestyle. Floyd was my best mate and I loved hanging out with him. Awww. We finished decorating my room and had a big houseparty with DECKS. Awesome. I quit smoking and got really fat (still unsure about which came first!) The Nexus closed, and got knocked down. NOOO! Sarah and Dave came to Reading and it was hilarious, even though it ended badly, lol emos. Dave and Sarah got engaged! Nikki and G got married! I started hanging out with Mikey again, and we ended up getting rather close. Started 'going out', whatever that means. :) This year was all about Gogol Bordello, Heroes and David Bowie.
2008 (aged 26-27)
More struggling, more money woes. I took on rubbish cleaning jobs to bring in more money, and was so close to giving up and trying to get back to full-time work. It was a bloody awful year, to be honest. Me and four friends were attacked by a gang of kids with glass bottles on New Year's Eve. Then things just got worse - walking nasty dogs, somebody ABANDONED their dog with us for over 8 months, I had epic teeth problems, I had to work all through the summer in a stupid cleaning job, I crashed my van and my insurance premiums went up, I had no business coming in and K9 Capers were fucking useless and gave me no support at all. So I ditched them. The only good things was Dhana being born, getting Didz, Reading, Glasgow and Mikey. Mikey and I had a lovely holiday driving around France and a weekend in London. But even that went tits up - we fell out big time in September, and cut all ties. Fail. Christmas was brilliant, so it ended well! This year was all about Devin Townsend, King Crimson and Scars on Broadway.
2009 (aged 27-28)
I started the year in a job at B&Q, which was awful, and as soon as I'd paid off my van debts (£1045) I got the hell out of there. I also started cleaning at Romsey School, which I've kept doing all year, and it's not been too bad. I felt so positive (generally) as well. I started writing songs again, started a band with Dave, started Mutts & Mops (house cleaning as well as dog walking) and it's building up! Dhana was christened and I'm her godmother. We celebrated the Summer Solstice at Stonehenge. I had some awesome weekends in London with amazing new friends. Timur and Becky got married. My dad turned 50 and we had a brilliant festival party. I went back to ballet dancing! Yay! No Reading this year! Boo! I was still a bit unsure of what I want to do with my life. I toyed with the idea of going back to work full-time and went to several interviews, but nothing came of it. I decided to keep going with my own business. I handed in my notice with Romsey School, and started to advertise again. The last few months were fantastic, loads of gigs and great nights out, and I'm so glad the decade ended on a high note. :) This year was all about Sparks, Muse, and Muse, and Muse.
My Tedious Gig List
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Date: 2009-12-19 08:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-20 11:40 am (UTC)