Yann Tiersen at L'Olympia in Paris, 27th October

(Yeah, I'm still not sure how that happened.)

The Olympia has seen names such as Art Garfunkel, Air, and Elvis Costello play on its stage. (The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Led Zeppelin have played there too, if you're more of a classic rock-and-roll person.) On 27th October, Yann Tiersen joined that list of names for his final European tour date, and I was lucky enough to be there. 

Avi Buffalo & Happyness at Thekla, 8th October

Thekla always seems to manage to put on bands with just the right amount of self-awareness: they know that people will want to see them perform, but they're not big enough to overestimate how many people will be there to watch. On Thursday, I went to see Happyness, and stayed for Avi Buffalo.

By the Rivers at the Stag & Hounds, 20th September

So yesterday was the first time I've ever been to the Stag & Hounds in Bristol. I guess it's mainly because I still haven't gone to a gig at the Exchange yet, and that's right next door, but the pub is really nice. My friend Abbie and I got there for 8 - the place is super cosy, with cheap drinks and a really nice interior (we had an old lady moment where we agreed that we both "love a good beam"). The place has a Birdcage kind of feel to it: you'll probably first go there to see a band, but once you find out about it, you want to go back as soon as you can, even if it's only for drinks, because it's just so nice in there.

Green Man Festival, 14th-17th August

I went to Green Man festival for the first time last year, and worked for my ticket. This year I did the same again, but with stewarding instead of litter-picking (a little less messy). I only had to work 3 shifts, so I had a lot of time to see a lot of different acts, a lot of whom I'd never heard of.

(This post ended up being about a year long, so if you just wanna listen to what I listened to over the weekend then I'm gonna put up a little playlist soon)

Secret Garden Party, 24th-27th July

So last year I was working at Secret Garden Party to "earn" my ticket, and even though I didn't have as much time as my friends I managed to squeeze a lot of things in when I wasn't working, but this year I paid for a ticket seeing as so many more people were going.

Bristol Vintage Kilo Sale

It's been a while because I haven't been doing much and when I have I've forgotten about it.

ANYWAY, today I went to the Bristol vintage kilo sale for the second time. You buy clothes by the kilo (£15/kilo) which can be kind of steep - it's more expensive than charity shops and less expensive than vintage shops. Most of them are advertized on facebook, and they happen all around the country. I bought these things and spent about £16.50:

shirt, jumper, t-shirt, Levi cut-offs, shorts that make me feel like Rupert Bear.

There are a few things that make the whole experience easier / less panic-inducing:

1. Write a rough list of what you want to buy - BEFORE you go. When you get in there you will most likely start wanting lots of really weird things, which is okay if you have the money or confidence to wear them all, but being a little organized helps to make the pile smaller.
2. Make sure you have time. Each time I've been to the kilo sale I've spent at least an hour in there, making sure I haven't missed anything really good. Also make sure you have time afterwards to lie around and be lazy, because you will need that time.
3. Have the energy to rummage. Eat or drink something before, and have something after as well. I did have to sit in my mum's car eating maltesers before I could leave (shut up it was totally necessary).
4. Don't start off picky. Pick up anything and everything you might like, because otherwise someone else will get it / it'll get lost under piles of other stuff. Then, when you get too tired, take your mountain to a mirror to try it all on.
5. Remember, the pricing is by WEIGHT. There are a lot of Levi's and denim jackets and fur coats that look really pretty but will punch your bank account in the stomach. If you want some Levi's to make into shorts, look for the Levi's that are already cut into shorts. You'll save about £5 just by doing that.
6. It's fine to check the cost, then go re-think your items. Queue up as many times as you like to find out whether you can afford all your stuff, and feel free to throw stuff back in the bins or ask the person serving you to take items out to reduce the weight.
7. Join up with people if you have under a kilo. The first time around, my friend and I had £10 worth of stuff each, then we put our stuff in together and it came to £17 or £18.

Kilo sales can definitely be a great way to get some new vintage clothes for your wardrobe, and as long as you don't go overboard on the coats and jeans, you can get some pretty great deals.