Never Miss A Blog

NEVER MISS A BEAT - In case you were wondering, that's my nephew on the logo. He's pretty awesome.

This is all very new to me, in fact the first blog I've ever attempted. I am really enjoying my little Never Miss A Beat page so I thought why not throw down a bit of a blog where I can really review albums, get some guest bloggers along and just talk some music smack, it's what I do best.  Perhaps the best way to start the blog is give you a little run down on my background in music appreciation. I say music appreciation as that's all I can do, appreciate it. I've attempted to play a few instruments in my time but unfortunately I was not blessed with good hand-eye coordination or a decent singing voice. 

Dad's Beatles Box

Looking back, my music listening got off to an embarrassing start. The first cassette I owned was "Some Gave All" by Billy Ray Cyrus, this was the album with the hit song "Achy Breaky Heart" man I could bust some sweet line dance to that track. I grew up as a bit of a pop fiend, had albums from 5ive, Boyzone, Hanson, Savage Garden and that kind of trash but I always had time for whatever vinyl my old man wanted to play. I used to love sitting there, listening while he played his Beatles, Zeppelin, Dylan and Queen records. He introduced me to the wonderful world of rock music.

Puberty hit and so did my music obsession. It wasn't long before this pimpled faced teen was a full-on bogan. Bands like AC/DC, Pearl Jam, Led Zeppelin, Guns N' Roses, Metallica and Black Sabbath dominated my music listening and my wardrobe. I've always been proud of the music I listen to and love to show it by wearing band T-shirts. High school years were very hard rock but thanks to Tony Hawk Pro-Skater and some input from good friends I also found Punk! Ramones, The Clash, NOFX, Bad Religion, Pennywise, Millencolin and Rancid were among the bands that found their way into my discman. I'd sit there in class with an earphone in one ear while my mate listened through the other earphone.


Throughout Uni my music tastes was constantly developing. I'd spend every spare dollar I had on beers, takeaways (that'll explain the 25+ kgs I put on at uni) and CDs. Through first year it was all classic rock, Pink Floyd, Deep Purple, The Police and Rolling Stones, those kind of bands. I even had a bit of love for Kiss and Def Leppard. As you probably would have guessed by now, I love writing lists. The best way to procrastinate from uni assignments and study was to rank my top 500 songs, AC/DC's "Highway To Hell" always held the top spot.  Second year came along and my tastes started to change. I opened my eyes to indie rock, a genre I had turned my nose up at in the past. The Black Keys, Kings of Leon, The Strokes and The White Stripes were amongst the first bands to grab my attention. During my later years at uni it was mostly indie rock I'd listen to but AC/DC remained my favourite.

Bon and Angus tribute - my first of 8 AC/DC T-Shirts

I've never been as obsessed with a band as much as I was with AC/DC. My AC/DC collection included all 18 albums on CD, Back in Black and Highway To Hell on vinyl, 3 concert DVDs, a book, 8 T-Shirts, a hoodie, a singlet, 3 posters and a pair of slippers. I even once came close to getting the AC/DC lightning bolt tattooed on the middle of my back, thankfully I didn't get around to it. In January 2010 I lived a dream and finally got to see AC/DC live. After far too much Jim Beam and a hectic van ride, my friends and I arrived at Westpac stadium. The Checks played first followed by my favourite Kiwi rock band, Shihad. That's about the last thing I remember about that concert. Waking up in the morning, I was gutted. Disappointed in myself for getting so drunk I couldn't remember a thing. Thankfully my good mate, who had been kicked out of the venue about 2 songs in, was keen to go again. We made the decision not to drink a drop of alcohol and headed to the gig after a few Red Bulls. This night will go down as one of my life highlights. It truly was a dream come true.

 I felt after seeing them live I'd reached my AC/DC peak. It was time for another band to take there place at the top. That band is The Black Keys. I first heard these guys on a Punk-O-Rama compilation album that featured their track "Thickfreakness", I fell in love. I collected up all their previous releases and waited in anticipation for their new album "Brothers". Later that year they were announced to play Big Day Out 2011, shit I was excited! They pulled out a week before the festival, shit I was gutted! "Brothers" is a great album but it's no "Rubber Factory", so much love for that record particularly the track "The Lengths".

I was living back at home at this stage, was there for a year saving some money before a planned move to London. My plans fell through and I made the move to Melbourne instead. This is a move I've definitely not regretted. I love this city and all the music it has to offer. Since living in Melbourne my music obsession has been stronger than ever. I would have seen close to 100 bands live in the (almost) 2 years I've been here, The Black Keys included. I've got an amazing group of mates who are also passionate about music. There's nothing I love more than sharing music and hanging with them at a gig. 

Music means a lot to me, it's much more than just a source of entertainment. Life doesn't always go to plan and often we are hit with challenges that aren't easy to overcome. No matter how hard life can get at times, music is always there for you. Putting on my favourite albums is guaranteed to cheer me up and put smile on my face.

Thank you all for following Never Miss A Beat, sorry for the occasional spamming on your news feed. I hope to carry on sharing my favourites with you all and spreading the love of music.

Much Love,

Mark