A little less than sane...

In this video I talk about the stuff I do that makes me stop for a moment and wonder what is wrong with my brain. I would appreciate any instances where you guys have done the same? Or is it just me...

Awkward Moments With The Parents

In this video I talk about the age-old problem of when you watch TV with your parents and it becomes too inappropriate for you to bear. I hope you enjoy it.

Christchurch Earthquake Tips

Hey everyone,
In this video I give you a little bit of my earthquake experience and try to rid you guys of some myths about earthquakes. I don't know if they are really myths as such but they are definitely common misconceptions that people have about earthquakes. If you live in the Pacific I would suggest checking this out as they might (hopefully won't) apply to you some day.

A bit of life advice!

In this video I basically explain how to work like a p-fiend if you have an essay due!

MXR Phase 90 M101 Gear Review

Hey everyone, today I am going to give you my third in what will be a hopefully long line of gear reviews. Today's one is on a MXR Phase 90 M101 that I recently bought. So here it is:

MXR Phase 90 M101 (in box)

MXR Phase 90 M101

Overview + Reliability:

Now, I thought that Boss made good pedals! I was wrong when it came to design with this thing. The MXR Phase 90 M101 is the most simple to use and incredibly solid pedal that I have come across in a very long time. The phase sounds great (if your in to that) and it is built in a groovey, orange case that I think is built to last!

Tone Options:

The Phase 90 M101 has quite a limited range of options, tonewise, as you are stuck with only one control (rate.) Personally, I think this pedal could do with a depth and volume control but I guess MXR were trying to keep it simple. I do really enjoy the Phaser tone you can get from this, though, and ,amazingly enough, I found that I could get nearly every tone I could think of just by adjusting the rate. The adverts for this pedal say that it ranges from a subtle, undulating phase to a "ray-gun" effect and I don't think they were wrong! Much room for experimentation here!

Problems:

• I had a massive whinge about tone-sucking issues with a Boss CE 5 Chorus pedal in my last review and, sorry everyone, this pedal is just as bad. It gets away with it a little better, I think, as it doesn't turn the tone into a horrible trebly mess as much as the Boss did when "bypassed."
• More controls please MXR! I understand the need for simplicity in design but seriously, could a volume or depth control be too much of an issue?  

Advantages:

• You can find very cool tones when the pedal is engaged.
• Very high-end looking (for a bright orange pedal) in a casing that is so gig-worthy it is ridiculous.
• It's a great phaser that Jimmy Page, Eddie Van Halen and plenty of other guitarists have used.

Rating: 7/10- A good addition to your pedalboard if you REALLY like phaser effects. Otherwise, the tone-sucking will bug you!

The Raconteurs vs Black Country Communion

Here's a bit of a shootout between two good bands! I give my opinion on which I like more and basically spend a good seven minutes telling you why haha. In summary, though, I think that The Raconteurs have a stronger, more believeable character to their lyrics and feel. Black Country Communion, as much as I love the guitar, just sounds a little bit plasticy and hollow and could do with a lot more feeling for the blues that they are playing.

Christchurch Earthquakes

Hi everyone,

As you may know I live in a place in New Zealand that has been hit by earthquakes almost every day since September 4 2010. Today we had our third biggest aftershock (a magnitude 6.0.) They aren't getting any easier!