Hunter City Madness - Part 2

Currently recording their 1st EP, See You In Hell, at Red Dusk Studios in Saint Hysinthe, just outside of Montreal, and playing shows whenever they can, Justin and Hunter City Madness find themselves in a great place for sure.

Before getting to this point, however, Justin discovered, this past summer, how hard it is to go on tour, especially for the first time.

"We were on tour for 2 weeks making stops in places such as Kingston, Quebec City, Toronto and Windsor, as well as others along the way," said Justin.

Although the Chubby Pickle in Windsor may have been the biggest venue the band played while on tour, joining 2 other local bands, one of the most memorable stops on the tour for Justin was the show in Kingston at the Frog Hop along Kingston's Princess Street.

"We met up with some people who came up form Ottawa to see us play," said Justin. " after the show, we went and partied in the forest on some land that my buddy owns and camped out for the night."

Not only did the band members book the tour themselves, they also built up their on little trailer to get from place-to-place.

"We built a shitty trailer made of wood on top of an old trailer and pulled it with my 5-person Intrepid," laughed Justin.

After finishing the recording of their EP, justin and Hunter City Madness intend to start playing more shows in Ottawa again maybe getting a chance to go on tour for round 2, perhaps this time with a little more than a "shitty little trailer."

Hunter City Madness - Part 1

Wearing a black and lime green George Clinton and the Parliament Funkadelics (P-Funk) "Funkadelic" t-shirt with jeans and black Airwalk sneakers, Justin Gow is a far cry from his early days performing covers at his grade 7 talent show.

In the midst of going to school - Algonquin College for Journalism- and going in and out of Montreal for recording sessions, Justin took some time to sit down with me and talk about his life as a musician, fronting his southern metal/rock/hardcore band, Hunter City Madness.

During his 1st performance at the Stephen Leacock Public School talent show, and not feeling so confident in his abilities at the time, Justin found himself having to perform all alone up on stage for the 1st time ever.

"There have been plenty of times that I've been nervous, but i was really nervous then," said Justin, 21. " My music teacher Mr. Powers basically convinced me to do it cause I wasn't going to, but I did anyways. I played Green Day's 'Time of Your Life'. i messed up and forgot words, chords, the tune at one point, a bridge... but looking back it was a good decision to go on."

Justin has no problem playing such easy songs as 'Time of Your Life' now-a-days. Quoting Every Time I Die as one of his favourite bands because they are " crazy, dirty, funny, shitty dudes", it's no surprise that Justin has moved on to bigger and better things, playing clubs and venues in Both Ottawa and Montreal as often as possible.

"I'm glad I did it then cause otherwise I wouldn't have gotten any good feedback and wouldn't have been motivated to keep going and trying to get better," said Justin. "I wouldn't be where i am now."

To be Continued...

A VERY Long Update Continued

There are many reasons to want a relationship, for me, I think ti comes down to 2 main reasons: Love/affection/caring towards each other and sex. Now I know that sounds hypocritical coming form someone who just said they slept around this summer, but it's not the same thing. the thing about relationship sex is it means something more than just physical contact. i should hope that in a relationship, both parties try and please the other person as much as possible. When you one-night-stand it, it doesn't feel the same....more often than not it becomes about the guy and his needs. I miss attention from guys int eh right way, in a meaningful way. Sex in a relationship is not about just one person, at least it shouldn't be. With all the sex I had this summer, it was rare to have it in a bed (and not a park or on a couch because people still live at home - ie sneaking around) and to have a partner who wasn't all about them getting off. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy pleasing my guys, but to have someone be willing to do whatever it takes to make me happy also. Relationship sex is VERY different and I miss it:(.

Now, as for the emotional aspect of a relationship..well I think it's obvious why that would be appealing to me. No one wants to be alone, especially me. I have a lot of love to give and I put my heart and soul into every relationship. I given them everything, maybe even too much sometimes, but I like caring for someone and feeling needed. I like the feeling and the high I get from having someone else love me back and want to be with me. I only hope that I can meet someone who loves and hard and as deep as I do and that any emotions I put forth towards the other person are reciprocated..We'll see what happens....

What else is there to say? A few jot-notes should do it...

- I'm graduating from Carleton with a BA in Mass comm. Convocation is in Nov. I am currently enrolled and partaking in Journalism at Algonquin College and loving it!!! Except for Local Government, but that's another story..lol

- I'm in a wedding party. I'm the Maid of Honour. To be honest, I'm very honoured to have been asked and I graciously accepted, but lately it's been ridiculously stressful. I realize that it's not MY wedding, but i feel that as the MOH, my voice should head over the other bride's maids and lately, it hasn't been, not necessarily by the bride, but rather by some of the other bride's maids... it'll all be over soon. I'm very happy for my friend who is getting married thought:)

- My goals for this semester include doing well in school, meeting new people, meeting more guys, and going to more concerts/shows/events, especially in town if possible.

I think that basically covers it!:P this is a long enough post.. There is more to say, I can for sure elaborate on many points, but now, this is strictly an update. i promise to try and be more attentive to my blog, stay updated on new bands and post as often as possible.

Thanks for reading and ttys :)

A VERY Long Update

Wow...So it's been a LONG time since I last blogged. I apologize greatly for that fact. A lot has been going on lately, in many aspects of my life. personally I feel that I have neglected my blog for far too long because of that, and that is not right. Despite what may be happening in my life, it is important to update my blog and keep any readers informed on dating, love, sex, music, and anything else that I have written about in the past and wish to write about in the future. I also fell that I have neglected my duty to bring forward new and exciting bands to your attention, once again, I convey my apologies. I hope you all understand and haven't left me for good:P

With all that in mind, at this junction, it is not time to begin my new blog post. There is a lot to tell, so I won't go into much detail and keep it as short as possible..Possibly expand on some things later, perhaps. Where to begin? Well I seem to have left of in May, therefore the only logical start point is June, I suppose.

June was relatively unadventurous ( there were a few guys, but more on that subject later), except for the last few days of June in which I took a plane to London, England and began my Contiki journey. Contiki, for those of you who don't know, is an organization for 18-35 years-old that runs organized group trips to various places all over the world. My trip, specifically,was around the UK (England, Scotland, and Wales) and Southern Ireland. It was amazing!!! I had such a great time and met a whole bunch of new, great, amazing people! i highly recommend Contiki to anyone who has the time and the money to go on one of these trips if possible. i promise you won't regret it!

Most of July was spent on the trip, so by the time I got back, i had to jump right back into work:(. I barely had 2 days off in between...talk about jet-lag!!! Other than work, July was filled with guys. This summer I was single and took full advantage of it! i don't regret anything and it was worth the experience. i won't tell you how many guys I slept with since June, but let's just say it was a fair bit in such a short time. The thing is though, I had lots of sex, but a lot of it was with the guys over and over again, A few new ones here and there, but I've slept with almost all these guys at least twice, if not more. I don't feel so bad about thinking about it in that way. Keeping that in mind, I'm over it. I'm over the whole one-night-stand/FWB deals. I had my summer of fun and I'm ready for more. I want more. I want a relationship.

To be continued...

New Band, New Post #1

As some of you observant blog readers might be able to tell, yes, I have changed my featured band, I know it's about time!!! Unfortunately, I haven't had time to write a new blog post about this band. I have some info to sort through and create a fabulous write up about them. I plan to have it up by the end of the weekend. I hope next time I can hopefully find a new band sooner than this, I have no doubt in my mind. I need to find/make the time to browse bands and music and if I can't get the band to answer my questions, then I'll write about them anyways. I just find that it is always better to do a write up when the band has some input. I know this probably doesn't satisfy all of your interests, but it's a work in progress. Anyway, I'll have this post done soon and i hope you all check it out!

A Lesson to be Learned

I'm going to just let this one all out. It's something that needs to be said, but I'm still reeling in anger from it all so I'm sorry if it comes across as something other than what is intended, which is a lesson to be learned.

This past Sunday night I was at a party, *Brandon was there and meeting my friends for the first time. Things were going well until my friend's little sister's party got out of hand and my other friend's cell phone and my ipod speakers got stolen by one of the miscreants in that group. Let's just say that me saying I was furious is not even close to describing how I felt and still feel about it all!!!! Also, at the end of the night, things got physical with *Brandon, and not in a a good way either! There was pushing and kicking and screaming involved. I'm really happy my friends were around when it happened and that they were there to back me up! I mean I can for sure take care of myself, but having 10 of my best friends around to support me and protect me was the best possible scenario for it to all go down. Don't worry I'm not hurt and nothing is broken except his ego. He was drunk and I had moved him out of my way first, with plenty of warning that he needed to get out of my way and let me pass, all of which went unheeded..that isn't an excuse though and I know that, but has since said he was sorry for what he did. Sorry does not cut it in these situations! It just doesn't!!!!. ..I really do have the best friends that a girl could as for!!!!!! Things are done and over with this guy and I don't intend to see him again. For all you ladies out there reading this, just know that NO guy has a right to lay their hands on you and not that that gives you the right to touch them either, but under no circumstance should you ever feel like it was your fault that you got hit or pushed or whatever. We are stronger than that and we deserve better!!!!!!!..I really do love all my friends! Thanks for everything guys!!!!

Despite what has gone down, I'm not entirely turned off by the notion of online dating. I know a few people who have met really decent partners online and that have gone into serious relationships with the people behind the online profiles. I don't think it's a bad thing at all, I think it's just something that should not be entered into lightly. People should be aware of the possible dangers of online dating, as was I.

A few words of advice: 1)Always meet in public first, second, third times. After the third date or so, Make it a point to introduce them to your Friends. We all know that we value our friend's opinions but when it comes to online dating, seeing how they act around your friends and the people that you trust the most is important because they may be putting a front on for you and act differently when around others. 2)Trust your gut. If something feels wrong, ask questions. find out answers and never ever be afraid to stand up for yourself. 3) Don't let them pressure you into anything your don't want to do. if it feels right, do whatever you want. If it doesn't, then say good night and walk away. 4)With that being said, I don't regret sleeping with him because at the time things felt right. I don't regret anything that happened between us prior to this event. Shit happens and you have to learn to deal with it, but unless something tragic or life altering takes place, such as injury, death, pregnancy, etc., don't let things that you have done be regrets. take them as lessons to be learned and remember and know better for the next time. Nothing in life should be truly regret because there is always something to be learned from every experience.

On a few lighter notes, to be honest, I'm happy to be single right now:). I get to do what I want and possibly with whoever I want. i intend to go to concerts and on this upcoming trip to the UK and meet new people and expedience new things. I'm young and ready and willing to take what comes my way and take life by the horns! Also, I know I mentioned this before, but I am still trying to write a new Featured Band post.I'm been trying to get in contact with some bands that I want to feature and see if they'll answer my questions so that I can write a band writeup similar to the one that I was able to do for Your Favorite Ex. I'm hoping to have it up soon!

*Name Has been changed to protect their privacy.

Been M.I.A. - Here's Why...

Ok, so it's been a while since my last blog. I have good reason for this...I've been busy. See? I think that constitutes a good enough reason, don't you?:) So reality check, true I have been busy, also true, I've been avoiding writing a blog until I had something good to say. I think now would be a good time to write a new blog as I am currently in better spirits then I was last week. I promise I'll be making up for my lack of blogging with this post.

WARNING: This is a VERY LONG post.. A lot to tell you all about!

The main reason why I've been so busy is that fact that I honestly have been with work. Any time off that I have had i have tried to spend it with friends that I haven't seen in while who just came back from school. Also, I've been putting myself back out there on the hunt for the right male spcimen to pass my way. So far so good. I've gone out on a few dates with this guy *Brandon.

*Brandon and I met online and then decided to meet up in person and unlike the previous online guy, we met up the next day. We ended up going to a movie and having a really great time. The movie finished early so we went back to his place and hung out for a while, as it was closer to the theater. Things started getting hot and heavy and despite the fact that it was our first metting, first encounter, first date...we almost had sex. Now I couldn't go through with it and have sex on the first date. Granted, I have had sex with a guy within 24 hrs of meeting him, but we had met under different circumstances. For whatever reason, I didn't feel that under these circumstances it was appropriate to have sex that night, and the nice guy that he is, he understood and respected my wishes. That is not to say that it didn't get far enough anyways.;) We did other things that night, none of which I regret. We then decided to meet up again the next opportunity possible, which was 2 days after.

On our second date, we went out to dinner and had some really nice food. We split the meal as neither of us were all that hungry; he paid. It's a nice change having someone treat me well. I'm not entirely used to it at all. This could be why early on I was unsure. I was unsure about whether or not I liked him. Whether or not he was vocal enough for me and outgoing enough. Nonetheless, we went out for dessert and actually ended up meeting with one of my best friends downtown for a bit at the dessert place. Ultimately, we ended up back at his place again, sex ensued.

At the end of the night on our second date, something had happened and I was very emotional and still not sure. All week we kept talking and I decided to give him another shot. I like him, I do, it was more just a question of how much. We met up a week after the second date for another movie, also which ended early and due to the day of the week, nothing was open thus leading us back to his house to hang out. I wasn't sure if having sex again was the best idea considering all week I was emotional and tired and barely slept since I had had a lot on my mind and what had happened the week before had brought a lot of emotions to the surface, more so about my ex and how I don't know if I can ever really get over him because unlike previous men in my life, I didn't get the answers that I needed. i still don't have them. Unlike previous men, my latest ex hasn't spoken to me, leaving me very unsure and uncertain and until i get answers or I find another guy, I may never be able to fully get over him and move on, but that's information for another post perhaps?

Back to *Brandon. Due to the overwhelming emotions, I didn't feet it wise to have sex another night, on there third date. Despite this, one thing led to another and long story short, we had sex again. i don't regret it at all. None of the amazing, heart racing, noise making (and thus fearing of his parent walking in - yes he is living at home again, but it is only temporary, really!) pounding sex. I do not regret it one bit! In fact, in all reality, i think the fact that before things got really heated, he was turned on and it got to the point of him wanting t and I was still sure about not having it, we stopped and talked. I think the fact that the way things were moving led to a discussion before hand was important. he needed to know what I was generally feeling and why I wasn't up for sex. After that i didn't stop him from doing anything he wanted to himself, leading me to get turned on as a result, therefore, once again leading to sex. I'm apparently quite the workout, according to him, something that I take as a compliment.:) What does this all mean in the end? Well, despite the sex, we are taking things slow. We are just dating at the moment and seeing what happens, if nothing else he's a great guy that I'd like to remain freinds with. Speaking of freinds, he's meeting them this weekend, each and every one of them, at a friend's BBQ...wish me luck!!!

*Name Has been changed to protect their privacy.

Ps, new featured band post coming up soon! Stay tuned!!!