DragonNinjaDotCom

Just wanted to say Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays to everyone out there from all over the place. I had something really important to write about but I forgot what it was so… yeah have a nice one. I’ll be off trying not to break bones snowboarding for a few days over new year so incase I don’t write, here’s to you! (imagine me toasting with a drink and a nod of the head…you know what I mean)
updates coming soon….

so today is my first day off in over a month.im pretty fucking beat.
its been an awesome start to the record,drum tracks and lee’s guitars are done.we start bass tomorrow.
we are kind of doing things backwards so lee can go home and be dad,(we usually do bass and mikes guitars first)but so far everything is sounding amazing,lee did a great job and would have got it all done in record time if the fucking guitars stayed in tune…..
anyways, im afraid there isnt any crazy news to report,we are just chipping away everyday,heads down and keeping our eyes on the prize.

i would like to say goodbye to ilan……i watched new regime at spaceland last night and it was pretty awesome,the kid sickens me…. he can play everything better than i could if i practiced 23 hours a day for 10 years…its beyond!
he recorded the drum tracks for all 15 songs in 2 days..the kid’s a machine and im gonna miss the little fucker.
its pretty crazy that he is joining one of my fav bands,i was obsessed with the NIN during the 90s,i can only wish him well and hope he is good for getting me some plus 1′s at their shows!
anyways,
im gonna go chill up a bit.
just letting you guys know whats going on…
stu

Travel back in time 20 years to a period where legends of skate were etched into the minds and hearts of old fools like myself. I had the unexpected privilege of seeing with my own eyes the mastery of 80′s vert skating by the people who invented and dominated the sport, riding original boards and dressed in neon. Mike called me and asked if I was gonna dress up for it, I replied “dude, I don’t need to, my dress sense is permanently stuck in the 80′s thrasher skate RAD era”. I guess I just can’t let go of a time where skating was all I lived for, and skate rags and vision street wear t’s were all I owned. Even if I skate like a complete doosch nowadays I still have a nostalgic place in my heart for the bright colours and RAD mag inspired “I don’t give a f*ck” rowdy mentality of 80′s skateboarding. Even though, hammering down the side of a Welsh valleys village vertical street, in a bright pink Hot tuna hoodie on a hand-me-down de-laminated, Santa Cruz Corey O’Brien board with a viciously worn away tail, sliding all over the road on borrowed and flatted OJ2′s……in the RAIN, was a million miles away from the Californian blue sky’s and vert ramps that I saw in photographs in RAD. I am fairly sure that 90% of all my bodily scars are from eating curbs,steps and banks in my brief time trying to be a good skater 20 years ago.
I never thought I would ever get the chance to see Tony Hawk and Steve Caballero skate a vert ramp in California on original boards doing strictly 80′s style tricks when I sat in my bedroom in 1987 each night fantasising about owning and skating the new Santa Cruz board which was always way out of my 2 quid a week pocket money budget (which in later years proved to be quite adequate for a flagon of Stonehouse in which to fall, pissed out of my face, out of trees on).
I remember with fond memories the spots where I left bits of my skin, blood,sweat and my fear… such as the banks and steps up th‘ uni, curbs down by the Albion, Coedylan brick ramp walls, the quarter pipe we built down the factories which got burned, B&Q and Halfords, clarkeys suicide attempt at Leckwith, Mikeys chin plant at Port Talbot Halfpipe and the legendry marble and benches down the Precinct (RIP).

My respect goes out to my boys from back then who I slammed and bled with and who I shared my dreams: Skids, Peg, Mike Lewis, Clarkey, Jennings, Swalesy, and other legends like Griff, Rosey and that one time with Pritchard on the banks in Cardiff.
Good times boys, Good times!

apologies to all those who haven’t a frikin clue what the hell I’m on about. Let me have this one, it’s all about memories today.

Me and mike won the the champions league last night. nice.

Apologies go out to whomever may have been offended by my previous blog, it was unintentional.

who’d have thought you’d be looking around in this part of the cyber woods, ha.

…..just like to reiterate that this blog is solely my opinion and doesn’t represent the opinions of anyone else in lostprophets in anyway, never has and never will.

Hi there.
Blog schmog.
sorry to all you’s that I said I’d play xbox with and haven’t. Basically I haven’t been on it cos I’ve been busy finally finishing the record up. Yup, that’s right, we are actually working again. I can’t wait till it is all done dusted and out because then finally I can talk all about the process and how it all unfolded. Believe you me, No one is more disconcerted with how long it has taken than I, but you have to trust me when I say we are in a really good place both musically and as a unit.
Lot’s of things have happened beyond our control that has hindered our progress which is the most frustrating bit, and people have really let us down, but as usual strength is born from wisdom and experience. And I believe that one can only and always go forwards and never back, so where we have arrived right now is the result of what has happened and not wasted time.
Maybe a dog has to chase it’s tail for so long in order to realise the futility and let go.
As though we got out of our minds, and by getting completely out of our minds we could finally come to our senses….literally.
So, I sit in the studio, lee’s in the other room tracking guitars, we’ve done drums which sound fricking tasty

*……..(deleted)……..*

…and although playing music (touring and recording) in a band is important it only constitutes a small portion of the time. Being able to interact and respect the other members in your band, and live harmoniously with them is the most important element. That is the foundation of our band. We grew up together, we have a deep understanding of each other and a mutual respect because we walked very similar paths and have the same blood running through our veins. And when times are tough we support each other and stand by each other. ‘Family’ is not a term used lightly with us, and considering I’ve spent more time in my life life to date living very closely with these guys than with some of my own family. Respect and understanding is the key in our survival and not simply talent or musical ability (though these are important they are secondary I believe)
*……….(I deleted and edited this part here cos someone told me that someone was pissed at me for writing about that someone on a public blog)………….*
If ability was a key factor in this band then I certainly wouldn’t be here. ha. sad but very true. I had maybe had 2 weeks experience of playing with turntables and samples before I was onstage for my first gig, talk about deep end. Although, for what its worth, when I joined, the band took off…hahaha, lucky charm I guess. There are a bizzilion people out there that can out perform me and play way better than I can, but since I’m still here, maybe my role is much more than just pushing keys and shouting loud. who knows. By the way, I’m not feeling sorry for myself, I’m being objective. Maybe I’m less ‘bricks’ and more ‘mortar’ when it comes to lostprophets.

Bri-”How did you get through your degree and out the other side without banging your head against a brick wall ? I swear, this week im losing my mind. There’s just so much assorted junk to organise and integrate. Was there a moment that it all clicked for you ?”
I banged my head for 2 years, then I let go and started painting whatever I wanted to paint. Not much faith in education establishments I am afraid.

Frankie-”Hey Jamie, if you could have anything (realistically) for Christmas, what would it be? =) And what things would you give to your friends and family?”
I want some snow. I wanna go snowboarding for new year and right now the slopes by me are dry as a bone…booo. I would like to get my mom an xbox box game so I can play online with her. It’s a good way of kinda hanging out with my family even though we are millions of miles apart, but I’m not sure she’d be into it. Can’t tell you what I’ve gotten for the rest of my family because they might read this.

MsAnnieAnnie- “dont have an xbox and i’m extremely happy with that fact. don’t you feel like you wasted one week of your life by playing that game 24/7?”
I do beat myself up now and again for wasting time playing games but in reality, you can’t collect or save time, the only time there actually is, is now and allowing guilt to dominate my now and worrying about what I have or haven’t or should have done is definitely not useful. so in response – I do and I don’t, if that does or doesn’t make sense. haha.

Sketch said…-”stay blond! you pwn“
too late.

Suze-
Fricking Awesome! Suburb Drawing. Stu says it reminds him of a kinda drawing of me by me, only its not and its by you.

Love answering questions!
My marathon training is on hold, studio time is taking up training time plus running is hard and hurts. haha
And xbox is all about PES2009 right now.
see you soon. byeeee