The Sophie Lancaster Story & The Sophie Lancaster Foundation

Sophie Lancaster was a young woman who was murdered for being different. She and her boyfriend Rob were creative, artistic people who dressed in their own unique way which was more accustomed to the alternative music scene. They were sadly attacked by a gang of five boys in a park in Lancashire on 11 August 2007. The gang attacked Sophie’s boyfriend first and then turned on her, carrying out a brutal and sustained attack. Sophie remained in hospital for 13 days, before her family following medical advice agreed to life support being switched off.

Sophie died on 24 August 2007; she was just 20 years old. There was a heart breaking program made by the BBC titled "Murdered for being different" back in 2017 and it followed Sophie's story and was made to honour Sophie and raise awareness.

I first discovered the Sophie Lancaster Foundation and about Sophie and her story through this BBC program and I was shocked, devastated and filled with anger, because it's a story that hits close to home with myself and I can resonate with, as I'm very much apart of the alternative music scene and have been bullied and beaten up in school for the music tastes I have and for the way I have looked. I felt so angry because these five boys could have just left things be and walked away done nothing and everyone would have walked away just fine but they went too far and no one especially Sophie deserved that attack and it makes my blood boil to this day that this would happen and has happened to Sophie and to others too.

Sophie’s mother, Sylvia had decided during the long hours at hospital when Sophie was better, they would go into schools and talk to young people about difference, and how it is ok to be who you are and express yourself in your own way. Sadly, Sylvia never got a chance to do this with Sophie. Sylvia was determined that she would carry on this work and The Sophie Lancaster Foundation was established as a lasting legacy to a beautiful life cut short by violence.

THE SOPHIE LANCASTER FOUNDATION

STAMP OUT PREJUDICE, HATRED AND INTOLERANCE EVERYWHERE.

The Sophie Lancaster charity works to promote tolerance and acceptance for others however different. The Foundation’s mission is to stamp out prejudice hatred and intolerance everywhere. When news of the attack broke donations was sent to Sophie's home and many events, concerts got set up and raised money for the foundation and to also raise awareness. The foundation also notably worked with Coronation Street for a recent storyline on the tv program. 

The Foundation was registered as a charity in 2009, their goals are as follows; To create a lasting legacy to Sophie. To provide educational group-works that will challenge the prejudice and intolerance towards people from alternative subcultures. To campaign to have the UK Hate Crime legislation extended to include people from alternative subcultures.

In 2013, Greater Manchester Police became the first police force in the country to monitor hate crimes and incidents against alternative people. It is a huge achievement for the charity that a total of 18 police forces in England and Wales now do so. The charity regularly participates in conferences, events and schools and even prisons to spread Sophie's word and legacy to teach others the devastating impact of their negative words and violence towards others and to share Sophie's story. In hopes to educate others to do better and to be kind.

R. I. P Sophie Lancaster

R. I. P. Sylvia Lancaster 

(Sylvia recently passed away as I was writing this blog post. She will be very much missed. She was a truly remarkable woman. She made a difference in this world. Rest in Peace Sylvia.)

Please share and raise awareness

Please be kind and gentle to everyone out there.

Thanks for reading,

Stay Shiny!

Ghost Live in Birmingham April 15 2022 - Review

April 15th 2022
I am in the car and on my way to Birmingham with my best mate James Evans to go see the awesome band known as Ghost! I cannot wait! I cannot believe I am actually going to see them!!! I absolutely loved their new album and I love them!  

The Birmingham Resorts World Arena is where I am today at seating near the frickin stage with James to see Ghost, it's a massive beautiful building and it is slowly filling up as we all await to hear a night of great music. The bar charges me £7 for two 500ml bottles of Coke, I feel as if I have been robbed ahaha. 

Anyway here comes the first band Twin Temple. A very weird unique and pretty cool band I have never seen nor heard of before. They tell us all to raise our horns and to say "Hail Satan!" and we all do as you do because Satanism is not as bad as you think. This is a mad mix of music I have no idea what to think of Twin Temple, Satanic Ska Metal? Satanic female fronted Madness band basically. 

Time for a quick piss break before Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats come on and oh......it's super busy I cannot move yet get to a pisser, well I will hold it in and pee later....

Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats are here and they say they are going to ruin our night? Well they were fucking fantastic because it was very much Black Sabbath meets Rush. Doom slow heavy metal instrumentals with the higher vocal style of Rush. That is what they basically sounded like and I really enjoyed them, headbanged quite a bit to them actually. 

Oh here go the lights and a roar of the crowd deafens me for here come the clergy and the one and only Papa IV too! Pyro, confetti and, of course, some classy costume changes from Papa Emeritus IV, making his UK debut. Ghost have given us a party and what a hell of a party this is with a massive steller stacked setlist! Papa Nihil is here!!!! What a sax solo and like that he is gone again! When the fire works goes of it makes a hell of a deafening bang and when the fire goes off you can feel the heat from your seat and I cannot imagine how hot it must be on stage in all of Ghost's regalia when the fire balls hit! The Ghouls mess around whilst Papa has a quick costume change and we are met with Iron Man, god bless you Birmingham! Enter Sandman is played and it's the best most unique cover of this metal classic! Square Hammer is here to close this amazing set which has been nonstop and holy shit was this one of the best concerts I have ever been to. 

Ghost Setlist: Imperium, Kaisarion, Rats, From the Pinnacle to the Pit, Mary on a Cross, Devil Church, Cirice, Hunter's Moon, Faith, Spillways, Ritual, Call Me Little Sunshine, Helvetesfönster, Year Zero, Spöksonat, He Is, Miasma, Mummy Dust, Kiss the Go-Goat

Encore: Enter Sandman, Dance Macabre, Square Hammer

Check out my review for Ghost - Impera album here - https://1stmetalgodsblog.blogspot.com/2022/04/ghost-impera-album-review-classic.html

Thanks for reading and visiting my blog, stay shiny!

Unable To Sleep, Broken Hearted, Dearly Departed. (Original poem)

I be tossing and turning, unable to sleep, My minds at a loss trying to count the sheep,
I can't move, i can't make a sound, Not even a bleep, All these overbearing things that are on my mind, how they creep.

Thoughts unwanted, head uneasy, am i keeping in too much, My inner voice it echo's such negativity, i want it to shush, I'm having breakout and breakout, skin can't take much more, If i open my mouth and let the unwanted out, will i be sore?.

I know i can't save the world, I know i am limited, I've got the biggest heart, I'm easy to be manipulated, My heart has been broken, torn and worn, These have been some of the best days of my life, I could have sworn.

Pandemic came and created much scare, I gazed into the existential void and await in much despair, 

My head is always sad, I always distract and avoid, I have a short fuse, people easily wind me up and I get so annoyed. 

I feel as if no one cares, no one is here, no one is there, Having lost family, cut off friends, I am signalling a flare, Before me now stands a door, i knock and ask who's there, Darkness and smoke surrounds the room, the bells toll but for whom?.

I have many unanswered questions and many missing scenes, A big part of me has left me to fend on my own, my soul it screams, What do i do, repeats over in my thoughts, was it all for naught?, What am i to do, what do i say, what about the future and the plans we made today. 

Will you befriend me, will you please keep in contact with me, we have a special connection you see, I will always love you and will never forget you or all our good times, this poem has many lines, I started writing this two years ago, late at night unable to neverland i go, Life is strange and this is sad, hope lives, It should always last. 

Sick of the stress, of the anger and diservice of employment, I deserve a better life, brim with enjoyment. The need to be fit is a long lasting goal, with more free time and a better stress-free work/life balance, I should be rolling in the dough. 

I want to raise a family and a home of my own, I want to be happy for the rest of my life, I am almost 30 now and I am scared more than ever of the unknown and of father time, I hope this is going well for you reading this as it's quite hard to rhyme,

I hope you read this and feel something, I wish the one who inspired and helped me for 4 years reads this and knows how special they will always be to me, Keep in touch and catch up sometime with me, I want to know if you will be safe and well, It's time to wrap this up now and to go to sleep. 

I wrote the first two paragraph's back 6/1/2020 @3:30am. Paragraph 3 onwards was written and completed on this date as of writing right now 14/4/22 @3:30am. 

You Are More Than What You Say.

You are not awful when you are tired, you are not gross when you have been sweating, you are not ugly when you are sick, you are not worthless when full of doubt. 

You are not cold when you are caring, you are not selfish when you are learning, you are quite cute when you are frowning, you are always loved and you always matter, when you are depressed. 

You are not a mess when you are feeling anxious, You are an angel and a blessing even in darkness. 

You are not useless when you are feeling unsure, you are not ever alone and you are not ever going to be hurt again for you possess the strength of a nuclear bomb but not only that, you have me also to lean back on. 

It's alright, believe me when i say all this and that you are doing a fantastic job with yourself alright, some days we may fall for sure, it happens but what matters most is how we get up and carry on.

Writen 5/5/20 @ 9pm.

Ghost - Impera (Album review) A Classic Masterpiece

Ghost are a band I have loved for a few years now but with the release of their 5th and newest album Impera, the Swedish rock band have become a massive love of mine. Impera released on 11 March 2022, it was produced by Klas Åhlund who also produced the band's 2015 album, Meliora and I have listened on repeat to it religiously since it came out! 

I cannot wait to see them live in Birmingham on April 15th 2022. This review is being written days before that gig and I will also post a gig review of Ghost soon as possible, there may be delays with this or the ghost gig review coming out here on my blog as I am having a tough time at the moment and as such I am having breaks off social media and with life in general. 

Thanks for your understanding so without further ado, let's get into the review!

The theme of Impera mainly focuses on "the rise and fall of empires" and of course the 20th century. The album received widespread critical acclaim. The release of Impera was preceded by three singles: the first, Hunter's Moon and it also appeared in Halloween Kills and is featured as part of the film's soundtrack; the second single, Call Me Little Sunshine, was released on 20 January 2022 and the third, Twenties, was released on 2 March 2022.

Tracklist:
Imperium - A killer soft catchy instrumental start that leads perfectly into the massively catchy and killer song of Kaisarion. 

Kaisarion - To me this feels like a big stage play song, it's a perfect opening song and it is also so catchy and it's got much like the rest of the album amazing instrumentals, lyrics, riffs and solos. 

Spillways - The piano and very 80's feel to to this track makes it feel familiar but new and brilliant all at the same time. 

Call me little sunshine - A wonderful infectiously catchy song which showcase Ghost basically and was the second track released prior to the album. 

Hunter's Moon - This is GHOST and one of my all time favourite songs!  It’s not your typical metal.  It has elements of prog, hard rock, pop, punk, of so many different things that Forge has up his musical sleeve and that's what makes him and this band shine so many others and make them stand out with their mysterious story and characters too. 

Watcher in the sky - A lot of these songs are so infectiously catchy both lyrically and instrumentally and if this one does not make you want to sing along then something must be wrong. 

Dominion - A great instrumental prelude to Twenties

Twenties - Possibly the most dark element of Ghost on this album is this song, I felt for a while this was a bit weak but I can't skip it, it's the roaring intro, the sinister feel to Papa here as he tells us the tale of the twenties and feels as if he is giving orders over the radio. I can't help but to sing along to the chorus however. 

Darkness at the heart of my love - Slow, loving, lovely and catchy this is Darkness's aim and goal as many of ghost's soft songs in the past have had this same feel, you could take it as a sweet romantic soft gesture or maybe a macabre one too. The snapping of the fingers make this even more special musically for me. 

Griftwood - What start's feels like a bit of Def Leppard but rest assured this song is Ghost's and it kicks ass with again I will repeat myself here a few times during the course of this album BUT IT'S SO CATCHY!!!! 

Bite of passage - Another slow sweet instrumental that leads perfectly into the last track which is.....

Respite on the spitalfields - Here we have the slow but lovely go home track to this stunning album, again you get hit with rocking instrumentals and catchy chorus's with sweet stunning instrumental riffs and solos which also make this song feel very much like a power ballad. As the song closes it feels like Papa is leaving the twenties with this album as he bids goodbye and walks away so it feels in the lyrics or possibly that he is running away with someone or the memory of someone too since "nothing ever lasts forever". It's a lovely piece. 

This album I absolutely love and respect honestly for me this is a Classic Masterpiece. It's hard to find albums where every song hits and this one is a gift that keeps on giving. 

I'd have to give this a 10/10

5 STARS easily!