I love music and go to alot of gigs, although some sell out so quickly or go on sale so far in advance that I just get in on time or cant plan my life that far in advance to snag them before they are sold out, what usually happens is in the weeks leading up to a gig I scour Ebay in search on the tickets I’m after, often I can actually get them cheaper than face value like I did recently with Suede at Alexandra palace ( which was awesome!) but its always a gamble.

But things have changed ! ,  Ebay have now moved all ticket sales over to their sister company StubHub which is a specialist ticket reseller where fans can sell their unwanted music , theatre or sports tickets.  Its a great idea and with StubHub you are fully covered against any problems such as tickets not being sent or counterfeit tickets.

for more information on the StubHub guarantee or to just book your next gig head over to www.stubhub.co.uk

I have recently started going to the gym and I have to tell you its an effort to motivate myself to get down there but one thing that makes things a little more bearable is listening to my Ipod while working out and getting lost in the music for 45mins.

The thing is if you have ever tried to do anything active while using ear buds you will know they are prone to falling out your ear and this can be really annoying as not only it interrupts the music but if you are on something like the tread mill it can be really difficult to put them back in your ear without interrupting your workout.

So with this in mind I was quite excited to try the new Pioneer Steez SE-D10E headphones which they say are designed to be used while be active whether it be down the gym, running in the street or dancing!

First of all they have a great hook that goes behind the ears which ensures they feel really secure on your ears, yes you may have seen this before but what you wont have seen before is their uniquely designed ball joint earbud which allows a snug fit and mostly importantly accommodates any moving about without any danger of the buds coming loose.

Sound quality wise I was really impressed, dance high beat music sounds crisp and clear with excellent bass ,  the more guitar based tunes also sound great with good instrument separation, for the price point of £59.99 these headphones are seriously impressive.

The SE-D10Es come in black and Gold  or  White and silver  and can be purchased directly from www.pioneer.co.uk for £59.99

Recently I came to except the glaring obvious fact that I’m out of shape and needed to do something about it,  I started off with a casual 30min walk after dinner but that has recently stepped up to a full on 40min  run a few times a week, and its with that combined with a new found love for the gym I bring you my essential kit guide for running or just working out at the gym

The Ipod Nano 7th Gen recently released by Apple is a runners dream, the Nano now has the Nike + software as well as a pedometer built into the device which means it will record all your vital running stats onto the device then when you connect to your computer will upload to your online Nike + profile.  Also the Nano now includes bluetooth connectivity which I find an amazing addition and brings me onto the next item in my list….

The Jaybird BlueBuds X Bluetooth In-Ear Headphones are what you always dreamed bluetooth earbuds should be.  last time I tried to use bluetooth ear-buds they would constantly cut out, hiss, and be generally very temperamental and dependant on you keeping the music device in a perticular spot.  Well those days are gone with the release of the BlueBuds , I have been using these for a few weeks now and I am truely amazed by their performance and having no wires just makes you feel so much more free and in control on your run.

Pioneer Steez SE-D10E      are a great option if you prefer a wired headphone over bluetooth.  What makes these great is they have been specifically designed for active use with their ‘Active fit’  ball joint mechanism combined with the clips that go over your ears these earbuds arent going anywhere, that and excellent audio quality makes these the buds to go for.  For more info head over to  www.pioneer.co.uk.

The Nike + Forearm compression sleeve is the perfect way to carry your ipod or phone while exercising,  I have used armbands that strap on your upper arm in the past and they just don’t feel comfortable and worse you cant see the device screen to change tracks etc , with the Nike sleeve though the screen is right where you need it and it feels good too.

The Right Running Shoe

If you are thinking about doing some serious running and not just ten minutes on the treadmill its important you select the right type of shoe for your feet.  I went to a specialist running shop where they assesesd how I ran and recommended the type of trainers I needed.  I would throughly recomend you do this if you can.

For more info on this check out the excellent article on Runners World.

Hi Visability

the most important thing to remember is to make sure you can be seen while out running, when running at night or early morning I wear this More Mile running jacket I bought from Amazon, its only £12.99 and does the job and keeps me seen.

The Hip flask has been around in its current form since the 18th Century but the evolution of the hip flask is rather interesting.
The first known version of something similar to today’s hip flask dates back to the middle ages where documentation from the time would suggest hollowed out fruits were used to store whisky, Gin and such while travelling.

During the 18th century women were known to fill pigs bladders and hide them under their petticoats to enable them to smuggle gin on board ships where it was otherwise prohibited.

These of course are both quite primitive stages in the evolution of what you will be familiar with in today’s flask and recently The Macallan , a rather fine Scottish Whisky distiller have collaborated with sports and lifestyle brand Oakley to produce a truly beautiful and limited piece they call ‘The Flask’.

Featuring on trend black carbon detailing the fantastic modern almost futuristic design Oakley have come up with is truly stunning.  The flask has been designed to a ridiculously high standard  with durability and quality and the forefront of the design process.

Don’t think they haven’t taken the durability seriously either, in the video below Oakley demonstrate the lengths they have gone to to make this a durable product that will last a lifetime

The Flask is rather exclusive,  only 100 have been made so if you want one you better act quickly and head over to  The Macallan Shop to get yours before they are all gone!

This post has been sponsored by The Macallan & Oakley  but all thoughts are our own

In the past I’ve  heard lots of of friends and colleagues talk about having a dry January before which means zero consumption of alcohol for the month.  Some do it just for kicks , most do it to somehow combat the excesses of the Christmas and new year period,  why am I doing it?  because Equator offered to send me some of their non alcoholic beer to try for the month so I figured why not?

…and so it began, Ive never tried a alcohol free beer before so had no idea what to expect and really have no idea how Equator stacks up against the others out there but it certainly wins in terms of ingredients or shall I say lack of the bad stuff!

Equator has  Zero calories,  Zero Sugar as well as  Zero alcohol, that’s right none!,  this surprised me as after a bit of research I found that most of the so called non alcoholic beers still have a very tiny amount in there anyway how am I doing after two weeks?

Well not bad, its actually easier than I thought not to drink booze well I say easy, I find it easy others dont seem to find the fact that Im not drinking so easy! , the amount of times a pint has been thrust into my hand with something like ” ah go on just have the one”  makes me feel like a drug addict trying to get clean with my friends as the pushers.. kind of strange how people feel uncomfortable when you aren’t drinking but so far I have stuck to it.

So I guess you are wondering how Equator tastes?   well its certainly not a proper beer, and in a blind taste I would spot it a mile off but on the positive side it is I would say very similar to some of the weaker lagers out on the market , it kind of reminds me of Carling in a way.

Will I last the month?  Id like to think so but there’s two weeks to go so we shall see in my next update!

For more info on Equator check out their Facebook and Twitter links below

www.facebook.co.uk/equatordrink

@equatordrink

ICC Champions Trophy 2013 tickets to go on sale on 5 November

The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced today that tickets for the fifteen matches of the ICC Champions Trophy in June 2013 will go on sale to the public on Monday 5 November 2012 at 10:30 at www.icc-cricket.com.

The ICC Champions Trophy features the eight best one day international teams in the world (according to the Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Rankings) and will be played out across three grounds – Cardiff Wales Stadium, The Oval and Edgbaston – over eighteen days (6 – 23 June 2013).

The tournament begins on Thursday 6 June 2013 when India face South Africa at Cardiff Wales Stadium, and closes with the Final on Sunday 23 June 2013 at Edgbaston. The eight teams are split into two groups, with each team playing 3 group matches. The top two in each group progress to a semi-final, and the winners of the semis meet in the Final.

Fans can register their interest in the tournament now at icc-cricket.com (before tickets go on sale), which will speed up the ticket purchasing process on 5 November.

Adult tickets are priced in three categories – Gold, Silver and Family Stand – and range from £20 (for a group game in the Family Stands) up to £60 (Gold ticket for the Final).

Tickets for under 16s are priced at £5 for the entire tournament (including the Final), but must attend with an adult. A new pricing structure also sees the introduction of tickets for under 21s, priced between £10 – £25.

This week  Stella Artois is giving film fans the chance to win tickets to the UK preview of ‘Looper’, a futuristic action thriller set in 2044 which follows a time travelling assassin who eliminates targets sent back in time by a criminal organisation. The only rule is that you do not let your target escape – even if that target is you. Stella Artois has partnered with Picturehouse Cinemas and leading film magazine Little White Lies to host this special preview.

The film follows Joseph Simmons, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, working as a “Looper” (‘assassin’) in the illegal time travel business whose job is to travel 30 years into the past to get rid of his targets. In a gripping twist, Simmons recognises one target as a future version of himself, played by Bruce Willis, who escapes before he is killed. Joseph then triggers a manhunt by his mafia employers, for failure to complete his mission. Emily Blunt joins the star-studded cast for this futuristic action thriller.

The rules are put to the test when Joe is called upon to “close his loop” and assassinate his future self (Bruce Willis). In failing to pull the trigger, so begins a desperate race against the clock as Joe begins to unravel his own future and older Joe’s past.

The exclusive event will take place at the Hackney Picturehouse on Thursday 27th September from 8.30pm, offering the chance to see the film before the official release on Friday 28th September. Film fanatics can enter the competition via the Stella Artois UK Facebook page  – the online home of the Stella Artois Cannes Cinema Club, a unique club bringing to life great moments in film with exclusive experiences for film lovers everywhere. To be in with a chance of winning, fans can click on a dedicated tab at the top of the Stella Artois UK Facebook page<http://www.facebook.com/stellaartoisuk> that will direct them to a short entry form and multiple choice question. They will then be entered into a prize draw that will be live from Thursday 20th September and run until 9am on Monday 24th September. The winners will be drawn and notified on Monday 24th September.

The preview screening will be the third instalment in a series of stand-out film events hosted by Stella Artois this year, in partnership with Picturehouse Cinemas. The scheme kicked off with a UK preview of Bart Layton’s highly anticipated real-life thriller ‘The Imposter’, which received rave reviews at Sundance, SXSW and SilverDocs Film Festivals as well as winning the Grand Jury Award at Miami International Film Festival. The second instalment featured exclusive screenings of ‘Shut Up and Play the Hits’, a film that follows LCD Soundsystem’s frontman, James Murphy, through his final showdown gig at Madison Square Gardens. The film has already received positive reviews with Total Film giving it a five-star review (denoting ‘outstanding’).

“Looper is a sci-fi action thriller set to keep viewers on the edge of their seats” said James Watson, Marketing Director, Stella Artois Western Europe. “Delivering exclusive film events to our fans and celebrating thrilling cinema together is, and always has been, a priority for Stella Artois. Our film bursary scheme lets us do just that, allowing us to create and share in unique and memorable film moments with cinema-lovers nationwide.”

Yes This September, Stella Artois is is hosting another fantastic film screening this time you have  the chance to win tickets to the UK premiere of ‘Shut Up and Play the Hits’, a film that follows LCD Soundsystem’s frontman, James Murphy through his final showdown gig at Madison Square Gardens. Stella Artois have partnered with Picturehouse Cinemas and Pulse Films to host the premiere, followed by ‘An audience with James Murphy’- a special Q&A event for film fans at the screening.

‘Shut Up and Play the Hits’ is an intimate portrait documenting the final performance of iconic band, LCD Soundsystem. The film tells the story of how frontman James Murphy had made the conscious decision to disband one of the most celebrated and influential bands of its generation at the peak of its popularity, ensuring that the band would go out on top with the biggest and most ambitious concert of its career. The four hour gig instantly sold out and moved the thousands in attendance to tears of joy and grief. This personal account follows the final 48 hours of James’ career, as he navigates the lead-up to the show, the day after, and the personal and professional ramifications of his decision.

The exclusive event will take place at the Hackney Picturehouse and will also be satellite broadcast to over 40 cinemas on Tuesday 4^th September at 8.40pm. Film fans will have the chance to win tickets to attend via the Stella Artois UK Facebook page – the online home of the Stella Artois Cannes Cinema Club, a unique club bringing to life great moments in film with exclusive experiences for film lovers everywhere. To be in with a chance of winning, fans can click on a dedicated tab at the top of the Stella Artois UK Facebook page that will direct them to a short entry form. They will then be entered into a prize draw that will be live from Wednesday 22^nd August and run until Tuesday 28^th August. The winners will be drawn and notified on Wednesday 29^th August.

The premiere screening and Q&A will be the second instalment in a series of stand-out film events hosted by Stella Artois this year, in partnership with Picturehouse Cinemas. The scheme kicked off with a UK preview of Bart Layton’s highly anticipated real-life thriller ‘The Imposter’, which we talked about here a few weeks ago.

This month, Stella Artois is giving film fans the chance to win tickets to a preview screening of the highly anticipated real-life thriller ‘The Imposter’. Stella Artois have partnered with Picturehouse Cinemas to host the UK preview of the film, followed by a special Q&A session with the film’s director, Bart Layton, and acclaimed author and filmmaker, Jon Ronson.

‘The Imposter’ is British director Bart Layton’s feature debut and tells the unlikely but true story of how one Frenchman convinced a Texan family he was their son who had gone missing three years earlier. The gripping thriller has received rave reviews at Sundance, SXSW and SilverDocs Film Festivals as well as winning the Grand Jury Award at Miami International Film Festival and enjoyed five star reviews at its European Premiere at the Edinburgh International Film Festival this year.

The exclusive event will take place at the Hackney Picturehouse and will also be satellite broadcast to over 30 cinemas on Sunday 19^th August at 3pm. Film fans have the chance to win tickets to attend via the Stella Artois UK Facebook page – the online home of the Stella Artois Cannes Cinema Club, a unique club bringing to life great moments in film with exclusive experiences for film lovers everywhere. To be in with a chance of winning, fans can click on a dedicated tab at the top of the Stella Artois UK Facebook page that will direct them to a short entry form. They will then be entered into a prize draw that will be live from Monday 6^th August to Sunday 12^th August. The winners will be drawn and notified on Monday 13^th August.

Stella Artois has launched a dedicated bursary scheme in association with Picturehouse Cinemas, which will help to support a series of standout industry events over the next six months.  Designed to support exceptional film making and provide unique cinematic experiences the scheme reflects Stella Artois’ long-standing support of great film. The screening of ‘The Imposter’ and Q&A session will be the first in this series.

MINI the car company have developed  its very first bike and in keeping with the MINI tradition it doesn’t take up much space!

The MINI Folding Bike  is available from all MINI dealerships and  is compact enough to fit into the boot of a car  when folded. For commuters, it’s a fantastic ‘Park and Ride’ accessory, enabling you to park out of town and then simply continue your journey in style. With many city centre car parks offering free bike bays, it’s a pocket-friendly, environmentally-conscious transport option featuring MINI’s  design credentials.

The MINI Folding Bike is a genuine high-tech vehicle: with high-quality components, a light-weight aluminium frame and a clever folding mechanism that enables the bike to be folded and unfolded in just a few seconds. The bike is folded along the crossbar and handlebars. In addition the saddle can be retracted and the pedals be folded up. This makes the bike extremely easy to handle whilst saving space. Fitted in a sleeve under the saddle is a practical transport bag. The MINI Folding Bike can easily match the riding characteristics of a “normal” bike. Weighing less than 11 kilos and equipped with 8 gears and 20-inch wheels, it is quick and versatile. The teflon-coated chain prevents annoying soiling caused by chain oil and reduces the wear and tear on the components. The comfortable gel saddle ensures comfort. Thanks to the front and rear mudguards, you can carry on peddling regardless, even in the rain. Good visibility on the road is guaranteed by the accompanying reflectors.
Even on two wheels MINI proves its unmistakable design expertise.

The bike comes in  matt black with Silver highlights that are off  set by the MINI lettering on the crossbar, the brand logo on the handlebars and the Union Jack motif on the rear forks. The absolute eye-catchers are the bike chain and bell in bold neon yellow.

The MINI Folding Bike is available for £499 on the Internet at www.mini.com/shop and from all MINI dealerships. The bike comes fully assembled and ready to ride.