WIll Simpson's Top 10 US TV Shows

Bands have plenty of time on tour to watch TV and films and with Brigade getting on the road in April we asked frontman, Will Simpson what's his Top 10 American TV Shows

1. The Wire

I'd go as far as saying this is the best TV show I have ever seen. I'd heard people banging on about it for ages but never got round to watching it...now I can't get enough and will be gutted when I finish Season 5. It's the grittiest, most realistic drama I have ever seen and the script is incredible. I love the fact there's no music anywhere else apart from the title sequence - it just doesn't need it because the writing is so good. Plus it's got some unforgettable characters like Omar, McNulty and Stringer Bell and has featured one of the best lines ever spoken in a script... "Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet."

2. 24

I was blown away by 24 the first time I saw it as i'd never seen a show with such a wicked concept as being in real time and also was shocked when season 1 finale was not a happy one and, despite numerous amazing twists throughout, my jaw hit the floor in the final sequence as you expected everything to work out in the end. The show was ground breaking and since then elements have been copied many times but rarely beaten. It's gotten more and more ridiculous with every season but I still love watching copious episodes back to back and it always has me hook, line and sinkered. It'll be a sad day if Jack Bauer bites the dust.

3. Breaking Bad

I've only just started watching this after our manager tipped me off about how good it is. I'm just finishing Season 1 and it's more than lived up to expectation. I love how dark the concept is yet it perfectly balances the emotional content with black humour and intrigue which makes it addictive. If someone had told me superb show would be made about a chemistry teacher whose wife is pregnant, has a disabled son and works two jobs finds out he is dying of lung cancer but doesn't have good enough insurance and ends up trying to sell crystal meth to disastrous consequences...I would have laughed in their face.

4. Curb Your Enthusiasm

Larry David is a genius it's as simple as that. I'm reluctant to admit i've barely seen any Seinfeld but his own outing into acting in a comedy is nothing short of hilarious. All the actors are brilliant (his actual friends also playing exaggerated versions of themselves) and it's made even sweeter by the fact that it feels so improvised. "Self-centred, misanthropic and regularly difficult, Larry creates awkwardness and discomfort in social situations. His problems are often caused by his neuroses and obstinate faith in his understanding of ethics and etiquette." In short, Larry David is misunderstood and I can't wait to see the 7th season.

5. Sex And The City

I don't care what you may say I am neither gay nor extremely effeminate - this show is awesome. I've seen all six seasons and it has been pure entertainment at it's best from start to finish - there isn't one bad episode. Plus i've learnt a few things too. The acting is fantastic (with only one exception is all those years - Geri Halliwell's cameo in 2003 was truly horrendous) and the film was good too. The character development throughout the seasons was great and it comes in a nice pretty box set for the ladies to own next to tattered copies of The Wire. I'm looking forward to the film sequel, see you in the cinema men.

6. American Dad

All the guys in the band love this show. I can't believe some of the scenes they get away with like Whitney Houston on her knees begging for crack offering her dishevelled mouth to Stan. The comedy is awesome and has some of the funniest most quotable lines I have ever heard. I've never seen our guitarist James crying with laughter as much as he did when he first saw the dog that Stan buys Steve to help get girls. Roger and Stan are fantastic characters and both played brilliantly by the show's creator Seth McFarlane. It's the perfect show to watch on tour and the best piss take of America done by Americans i've ever seen.

7. Flash Forward

The first season is half way through right now and on hold as it's being shown at the same time all over the world and America like their mid-season breaks...damn it. Can't wait for the second half - it's another cracking new concept where each character glimpses themselves six months into the future and is left to deal with what they saw and whether their future is already sealed. For some they may be being cheated on, for others they might be dead...sweet stuff. Also the cast is dominated by Brits which is a refreshing change and we're leading up to the exact date of the flashback in real time - April 29th 2010 people!

8. Scrubs

My brother and I piss ourselves when we watch this show. Some of the humour is very slapstick but other parts are much more subtle and really clever. J.D's comical daydreams are always amusing and it tugs nicely on the emotional heartstrings too without making you want to vomit on the TV. Plus the character of the lawyer is unbelievably funny and he sings in a barbershop quartet as if his lines alone aren't good enough. I've been interested in hospital doctors' experiences ever since I read 'Bodies' by Jed Mecurio and this brilliantly balances ridiculous humour with real-life experiences and is still going strong.

9. Dungeons & Dragons

A childhood classic and one of the best cartoons I have ever seen. I love good sci-fi/fantasy and this ticked all the boxes. But the one thing with this show I've struggled to let go of all my life was the moment the children missed the perfect chance to return to their world and would have done had it not been for the frickin' unicorn tripping up...unbelievable. D & D had it all - violence, magic weapons, a scary villain called Venger and numerous desperate attempts to return home from a roller coaster ride gone very wrong. They don't make cartoons like this and Cities of Gold anymore. What I still don't know is if they ever made it home?

10. The Sopranos / Heroes

Ashamedly I am yet to watch these two shows which are both recognised as classics (most notably The Sopranos which is undisputed), but I shall be remedying this travesty later this year once i've finished all of the above! Until then i'd be a fool not to have them on the list...

APRIL WED 21 CARDIFF BARFLY
APRIL THU 22 LONDON BARFLY
APRIL FRI 23 BIRMINGHAM ACADEMY 3
APRIL SAT 24 MANCHESTER ROADHOUSE
APRIL SUN 25 GLASGOW KING TUT'S

By Damon Fowler

Mikey Serpico's Top 10 Arnie Films

Rock bands often have a lot of time on the road and watching films is a great way to stay entertained. Non know the road better than Scottish rockers, Serpico who can often be found touring relentlessly. So Serpico frontman Mikey told us his top 10 Schwarzenegger films.

10 - Kindergarten Cop
Arnie has to go undercover as a kindergarten teacher to catch a psycho drug dealer. Arnie... as a kindergarten teacher - how incongruous and hilarious would that be!?! Directed by Twins director, Ivan Reitman, it works in a similar vein, taking Arnie and putting him into an unfamiliar setting. It's even more weighted towards the family-friendly comedy vs. action than Twins, but covers both bases pretty well and would cement Arnie's position as a major mainstream star and more than just an action hero

9 - Twins
I'm pretty sure the pitch for this film went "Arnie and Danny DeVito are twins!" and the movie got green lit from that most ridiculous of premises! It's a good fun action comedy and the first of Arnie's foray into more mainstream commercial fare that helped widen his appeal from just a muscly killing machine to the man who could marry into the Kennedy dynasty and eventually become The Governator.

8 - Conan The Barbarian
Credited as the film that really launched Arnie from bodybuilder to movie star, he's in his element as a greased up, loin cloth wearing, broad sword wielding fantasy character. Despite winning a Razzie for Worst Actor in 1983, Conan introduced America and the world Arnie's incredible physique and unique talents. As far as these kind of sword and sorcery films go it's far and away the best, not that it's saying that much!

7 - True Lies
Coming on the back of the box office bomb that was "The Last Action Hero" many thought that Arnie's star might be on the wane as excess of the 80s turned to the grungey reality of the 90s - but teaming up with James Cameron again proved to be a winning formula for the Austrian Oak. The cast is great with Jamie Lee Curtis who transforms from dowdy suburban housewife to super fox in an unforgettable strip-tease, Tom Arnold is a nice comic foil and Tia Carrerre and Art Malik are suitably evil baddies. Combining some cool action with a fast and fun plot, True Lies is one of Arnie's most under-rated films.

6 - Total Recall
Some quality trashy high concept sci-fi from Paul Verhoeven (who also directed Robocop, Basic Instinct and Starship Troopers - so awesome trash all round then!). Based on a short story by sci-fi king Philip K Dick, Arnie has to go to Mars and kick some ass in zero G! There's the super evil baddie Cohaagen, the woman with 3 boobs and some crazy mutants - what more could you want?!

5 - Commando
"Hey Bennett... let off some steam!" This is a one-liner-tastic affair where Arnie has to go and save his daughter from some baddies of some variety... blah blah, who cares!? Arnie runs around killing people, spouting some of his most classic catchphrases including the immortal “But you said you'd kill me last!"... "I lied!" This is a great tour bus movie!

4 - Terminator
The first time we're introduced to Terminator Arnie and the immortal line "I'll be back!", which is a genuinely global catchphrase... and so closely associated with Arnie that he regularly uses it in his political speeches in his role as The Governator of California. Made for a tiny budget of $6.5million, it still looks pretty incredible and launched the career of James Cameron, who'd go on to direct Aliens and Titanic! Also launched one of the biggest grossing movie franchises in history... which isn't too bad for and Austrian bodybuilder and a director whose only previous feature was Piranha II: The Spawning!

3 - The Running Man
A lesser known Arnie film but one of my favouries, based on an early Stephen King novel (before he was even called Stephen King!) It's a very prescient satire on consumerism where the biggest rated show is a real life 'Gladiators' where Death Row inmates fight for their freedom. The concept has been recycled in recent films like the Death Race remake and Gamer... but this is the original! It has some nice ideas combined with Arnie violence - nice combo!

2 - Terminator 2: Judgment Day
The zenith of Arnie's movie career is just beaten into #2 slot, but it's still a cracker. He's just so perfect as a cyborg... obviously it was a real stretch of his acting talent. The special effects still look awesome all these years later and it remains a bench mark for action/sci-fi films in terms of spectacle. Hasta la vista, baby!

1 - Predator
The universe's ultimate hunter becomes Arnie's prey! So many classic scenes... and just Arnie kicking ass in the jungle. Can't ask for much more than that!

Comfort in Sound

John Be's Top 10 Guitarists

My Passion's guitarist, John Be gives us his top 10 guitarists of all time:

1. Matt Bellamy (Muse)
Matt is my number one because he combines every aspect that I like in guitarists! He has everything! He has also written some of my favourite riffs EVER! Origin of symmetry is riff after riff after riff, the man is like a melody machine! Everything he touches is tuneful, and that’s what I like in a guitar part. On top of all this though he also has an amazing voice and is a phenomenal pianist and all round musician! Some people are worth of jealousy!

2. Wes Borland (Limp Bizkit)
The reason I’ve got Wes so high, is because he has come up with some of the most amazing riffs of the age, usually simple but executed brilliantly, along with having an amazing guitar sound! And then what really puts him above the rest is the stage show he puts on! All the makeup and mental-ness on stage is phenomenal! I LOVE a guitarist with that kind of charisma!

3. Van Halen
Do I even need to give a reason? As far as technical ability no-one can match Van Halen! Just listen to eruption! Amazing!

4. Tom Morrelo (Rage Against The Machine)
His riffs just can’t be beaten! He has such a unique style, which has been a massive influence to the My Passion guitar sound! I listened to rage a lot when I was growing up and still now when those riffs kick in it sends shivers down my spine.

5. Mick Tomson (Slipknot)
He has one of the best guitar sounds I’ve ever heard! Just listen to All Hope is Gone! I can't even imagine how they get guitars to sound so fat, maybe it's all in the tuning! I think that metal guitar can get a little dull, as far as most of it is the same old same old, but Mick seems to get something fresh and new and exciting out of it, I got into slipknot quite late on, Duality was the song that caught my ear, but since then he has been a big inspiration to me!

6. John 5 (ex-Marilyn Manson)
When I was just starting to play guitar I used to watch videos of Marilyn Manson live and was just amazed by john 5. He doesn't move around a massive amount but your eyes are drawn to him on stage. Technically speaking he isn’t far away from Van Halen, you have to YouTube him!

7. Mick Ronson (David Bowie)
The rise and fall of Ziggy Stardust had a massive impact on my life. Mick had a lot to do with that! Watch any footage of Bowie live at this time and you'll find him as big a character as Bowie himself! Along with his stage presence he also has a great voice, and has come up with some of the most famous guitar parts of that age!

8. Billy Howerdel (A Perfect Circle)
I was a bit of a goth child, still am at heart I suppose, and A Perfect Circle are probably the best that dark rock has offered up in my lifetime, especially in Mere de noms, Billy has such a good guitar sound! when using plain distortion it's phat as any metal band achieves but then when he starts using affects it swirls around your head and is one of the most beautiful guitar sounds I’ve ever heard.

9. John Mitchell
John is one of the best guitarists I’ve ever seen play live! He produced our album at Outhouse studios and every now and then would grab one of our guitars and just shred! But that was nothing compared to when we went to see him live playing in his band Itbites! At points in the performance his hands were just a blur! The man is a Genius! And not just at guitar as a producer singer and all round musician! I’m in awe!

10. Jonny greenwood (Radiohead)
Jonny has written some of the most beautiful guitar parts I’ve ever heard, street spirit and paranoid android etc, and he deserves to be in my top ten just for that, but he also has such a weird way of looking at the guitar, his solos are pure feel! He manages to make guitar solos, (which let’s face it can be boring as!) weird and exciting!

Comfort in Sound

Simon Rowlands' Top 10 Horror films

The My Passion bassist gives us his top 10 horror films of all time:

1.The Shining
It’s a classic and it still has the power to scare you so much you want to jump behind the sofa, no fancy effects just dark, sinister suggestions that leave you fearing everything!

2. Donnie Darko
This is another film I find so disturbing, but you can’t turn it off! One of the oddest films I've ever watched!

3. The Happening
When I watched this movie I had no idea what to expect, and it was so chilling in a way that you didn’t notice at first, left you feeling a bit numb and scared but you didn’t know why. It’s so brutal in a way that’s so realistic.

4. Saw 1
The first one is just groundbreaking, when I first saw it I was cringing and recoiling almost every scene, Love it!!!

5. Hostel
I remember me and the boys watching this one together in Laurence’s house and all being so freaked out by the whole movie, I love the way it starts off as almost a teen flick and then just flips! Then you’re in this whole world of fucked up people!

6. Wolf Creek
This one is on par with No.5, It’s a totally fucked up film that pushes you that little bit too far.

7. Shaun Of The Dead
I know it’s not a real horror movie but I love it! It’s so funny, I don’t think zombie movies are ever that scary anyway so it’s great to make fun of them!!

8. Bubba Ho-Tep
This one you gotta see to believe! Elvis and JFK versus The undead! It’s so bizarre but I love it.

9. 28 Days Later
I love British films, and when you combine that with the whole country being wiped out and overrun with flesh hungry zombies. It’s always going to be a winner.

10. Rec.
This Spanish film was so good, it’s everyone’s worst nightmare being locked up in a place with the undead chasing you. No escape. I love the way it all starts off as an innocent documentary and soon turns south.

Comfort in Sound