Holiday Fun & New Pedalboard

So we are now in September, and August was a busy month. It included another lovely trip up north, which involved friends, views, trips, and guitar fun.

I visited the town of Ripley for the first time, and went to Ripley castle, as well as visiting Mother Shiptons Cave.

I went with Graham (Shoot You Sir) pedal and guitar shopping - pedal shopping for me, guitar shopping for Graham. I ended up trading in a couple of pedals and picking up a DryBell Uni-Vibe and the Sinvertek No.5 distortion. I added these to the Pedaltrain Metro Max I picked up in early August, and was playing through the Laney Mini Stack - a great little travel companion.

I’m slowly building a pedalboard, and have been playing a lot of guitar lately. I’m currently looking to join a band as I miss playing with other people.

Brighton 16.07.22

So many issues with the car at the moment. A trip to Brighton today was on a cards - let’s ignore the fact I went to Brighton last Saturday as well.

I visited Mudpie Music in Brighton, and picked up a Strymon timeline! I traded in a Boss RC-3 I picked up last week (also from Mudpie), when I traded in my Sigma TM-12e.

I also managed to replace my old Macbook I spilled beer on. So it’s an expensive month!

Going away up north next month, and I’m looking forward to getting away everything down south!

Takamine Mini G

My car is currently out of action, and has been for nearly a month and a half. Despite that, I picked up a Takamine Mini G on the cheap. And I must say - what a lovely little guitar.

Those of you that follow me know that I love a good travel acoustic and parlour guitars, and I have to say this is probably the best I have played to date. Not only does it look rather snazzy, it sounds great with the Martin XP strings I put on there (the orange Tommy Emmanuel ones).

In terms of sound, it blows my Sigma TM-1 out of the park, and the fondest memories I have with a travel guitar are with the Taylor Baby, and this guitar fits into that tier of travel guitar for me. Except, this has a pickup system. Although I have not tried the pickup system - and to be frank it’s probably just a piezo system- which I personally don’t think sound that great on their own, without a dedicated mic inside the guitar.

I have also been playing a hell of a lot of Dragon Quest builders 2 - really not the sort of game I would normally be interested in. I blame Tim Rogers of action button, formally of Kotaku.com. I really enjoyed the extended demo, which is the most generous sized demo I have ever played- and then decided to bite the bullet and buy the game.

I also bought TMNT Shredders Revenge, which is a beat em up arcade-style game. Holy wow is this game well developed. The mechanics are really tight, and one of the better ones i have seen in a beat em up. Not only have they gone back to get the original cartoon imagery, graphics, and voice actors, but they have built a solid game that plays really well (and is really cheap).

04.06.22

Since coming back from up north in April, I have been playing A LOT of acoustic guitar. electric has taken a backseat, and although I don’t play the mini Sigma I picked up, I have been playing the Vintage Viator - which I want to get some work done on, but more importantly my baby: The Martin 00-15M.

The 00-15M is a guitar I did not sell when I moved to Australia, and it was waiting for me upon my return to the UK in late 2015. The guitar is a beast. Such as beautiful sound, and such as fun guitar to play. I have not found anything to match it yet. I have picked up some Tommy Emmanuel Martin strings (the orange ones MA540FX), as these are meant to be able to bend a lot easier. This will be down to me not wanting to damage the nut on the guitar, as it is schweet with the current set up.

I met with Cameraface on Thursday, and we played a load of fighting games which was fun. He kicked my arse at Darkstalkers, but i beat him on King of Fighters 15 and we were fairly evenly matched on Guilty Gear Strive. Following this, I booted up the xbox one, and I have been playing Halo Infinite. Which I am really enjoying.

Shoot You Sir is now 20 issues strong! I really enjoy writing for it, a massive thank you to Graham for continuing to keep the effort up with the design and putting everything together. We are coming up for two years soon and should do something nice to celebrate it!

This Week 01.05.22

So I have been eying a vintage Viator converted from facist to left handed for a while, and after missing out on a 1920s parlour guitar, decided to give it a punt. The guitar arrived, and was well packed. However, the strings were very old (not a problem) and the onboard electronics were not working properly.

i replaced the strings and took a look under the saddle at the Piezo but still could not get it to work. Rather frustrating, as although it is a good looking guitar I can’t use it for direct recording. Acoustically, the guitar is small and fun to play, a great little bedroom lap guitar.

I have also been reviewing a few things for Shoot You Sir, and picked up Layer Section & pocky 7 Rocky Reshrined. Keep an eye out for future articles on these!

This Week 22.04.22

So I have been on holiday - up north again. We have lovely weather considering it was April. Visited Howarth, Skipton, Keighley, Laneshawbridge, Saltaire, Hebdon Bridge & Colne. Indeed, there was certainly pubbage and eating food out a lot. I enjoyed cooking breakfasts on most days.

I met up with Graham (Shoot You Sir Creator) a few times. We played some games, went for walks, and even visited a pub. A big thanks to Graham and his wife Karen for their hospitality. I managed to get a couple of reviews written for SYS whilst I was up - keep an eye out for them.

Strangely enough, I have been playing a hell of a lot of Valfaris, which is a metal-come-gothic platformer that is really hard. It’s a lot of fun as well.

Also met up with my old ‘manager’ and friend Joe Kean. The pub was in between a river and a Canal, and there were dogs and laughs had.

The Boathouse Inn - Soltaire

I also managed to pick up a Sigma TM-2, after trying a number of smaller acoustics. I have a Martin LXK2 that I am selling, but the TM-2 blows a lot of smaller guitars I have owned out of the park. This is thing is set up REALLY well, plays smoothly, and sounds great. It even has a Fishman pickup - Bought at Aire Valley Guitars in Keighley.

Sigma TM-2

Shoot You Sir Podcast Featuring Shmuptopia

So after reviewing Dace’s book ‘Shmup ascension’, we got in contact via Twitter, where Graham & I invited him to do a podcast with us. The above video is the result. Please check it out and let us know what you think!

The podbean link is here:

Pod Bean Podcast Link click Here

In a corner of the internet far far away...

It has been a rather busy few weeks, and rather productive as well. Apart from being ill for a week in late March, I have managed to continue with several projects. Firstly, guitar has been front and centre. This is partly due to the isolation cabinet, and trying out different sounds to record with- certainly enjoying the Octafuzz ontop of the Laney IRT’s distortion channel. The RHCP album Unlimited love released in April, and I ordered the vinyl and have been enjoying it. There are some great guitar sounds on there, and the bass sounds brilliant as well. I’ll let you know what I think about the songs down the line.

 Shoot You Sir recorded a podcast with Dace Anaxyrus from Shmuptopia. It was great to meet dace, albeit remotely. We had been messaging back and forth on twitter after I reviewed his book Shmup ascension. Both Graham and I had previously talked about getting other guests on for podcasts, and it made sense, and Dace was up for it.

 So we recorded the podcast which is out on Tuesday 12th April. I look forward to seeing what people think, and I’m totally up for doing more. I also 1CC’d Espgaluda II (Switch), which I did whilst only wearing a towel and waiting for a demo game to download. Although it was only novice mode, I was quite chuffed as I only put it on out of blue because I hadn’t played it for the longest time.

 These recent experiences have re-kindled my love for SHMUPs, and I look forward to playing and reviewing more in the near future. I have a trip booked in to go up north, and will visit SYS creator Graham whilst up there. I’m sure we’ll get a bit of gaming in! Fingers crossed the weather is good, as I’d like to get some walking in as well.

Blast From The past 06.02.22

Click This Link for youtube: Olympus 35RD Camden 2018

^^ it was nearly 4 years that we started out making videos together, and this early street photowalk transformed from this shaking footage into a better produced beast further down the line.

It has gotten me thinking about how much I miss doing street photography, and messing around with film cameras. Every weekend i used to go up to London to do street photography, and during the week I would be itching to get out on the streets, camera in hand.

These days I just remember the times fondly, but should really get off my arse and start doing it again! I would also love to make videos about vintage cameras, and have seen how much the price has increased since I last shot a roll and looked on ebay for cameras.

I am still amazed I get contacted so often in regard to vintage Olympus cameras and about street photography, and I love talking about the subject with people.

Why am I still typing?! I promise to get out there and capture some moments soon…

Sly.

This Week 03.01.22

First off Happy new year!

So 2022 is finally here. Wishing you all a much better year this year!

i have had a great Christmas- work aside. It was nice to spend time with family and friends, and i even go some SHMUP & guitar equipment. I got myself a Gibson SG Special 2008, and the pickups got upgraded - it sounds lovely. I’ll get some pics up at some point to show you all - or perhaps we will do another Shoot You Sir podcast where it’s SHMUPS & Guitars.

i have been inspired to play guitar, and inspired to write for Shoot You Sir. speaking of which…

I wrote an article on the SHMUP highlights for 2021 - go and check it out on the Shoot You Sir page at the top of this site! It goes over the best - and potentially the most disappointing- releases throughout last year. A lot of the best stuff was later on, but it was a massive SHMUP year for the Switch.

There is a lot of good STG’s coming out in 2022, and we will be bringing you news and information as and when we hear about it!

I am hoping to start Sunaru Gaming back up again this year, Cameraface had to come away from it for a while due to things going on in his personal life, and I kept it going for some time on my own, but needed to stop for a short time. If anyone is interested in helping with the channel, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Thank you for all the support to all my followers and subscribers! Including those on podbean- we have not forgotten about you! - Sly.

This Week 19.12.21

So a lot has happened since the last entry. i have mostly been working.

I have recently picked up a Gibson SG Special - Graham kindly packed it for me. I am having the action lowered and the pups replaced. My standard go to SG bridge pup is the Seymour Duncan SH5, but I wanted something a bit different in the neck, so I went for a Bare Knuckles Pickups Black Dog. I can’t wait to get it back from the workshop - hopefully next week!

Death Smiles 1&2 DX on the Switch came out on the 16th, and I am looking forward to picking up Cotton Rock’N’Roll.

I am writing an article for Shoot You Sir for the January issue that will cover the highlights of 2021 - so keep an eye out for it :D

29.11.21

Saturday 27th November I went to my friends stagg do, where I met up with a lot of old friends from college. We had a great time, went for a nice meal, went to watch a comedy show, and even a bit of clubbage - random! I had a fantastic time, and can’t wait to see them all again!

So it is time to jump back into reviews & articles again. 2021 has been fantastic for SHMUPs, and Shoot You Sir is going strong! I would like to get some more podcasts in, as I know there is interest there. It would be fantastic to get some cross overs and chats in with some other people involved in the gaming industry.

Speaking of STG’s, DoDonPachi Daifukkatsu (resurrection) was ported to Switch, and I have had a lot of fun playing it again. in fact, I even got in some Mushihimesama HD & Space Moth. Yes that’s right, a lot of STG love recently. i am still playing KOTOR, and hope to complete it soon.

I have been playing a LOT of guitar recently. I have missed it, as it has always been a large part of my life. I’ve been keeping it simple with my setup: Gibson LP or Patrick Eggle Berlin Pro into the IRT Studio’s clean & dirty channels. A hell of a lot of fun.

Overall it’s been a good- but extremely busy week! I look forward to some more fun times ahead.

Sly & Silent Rob

This Week 14.11.2021

Another busy week, but a good one. Lots of Knights Of The Old Republic has been played - and it is as good as I remember. I still have a long way to go before finishing the story, but I am certainly enjoying it.

There are a number of SHMUPs coming out I am looking forward to getting soon - so watch this space.

Christmas is starting to approach, so i have also been doing some present shopping.

08.11.21 This Week!

So this weekend has been about spending time with family. It is the 3rd anniversary of the passing of my sister, something I am still coming to terms with. I had a great time with my nephews & nieces, and spent some quality time with my mum. I even managed to get some Christmas presents ordered!

The car needed a service, so that was something that was done today, on my day off - very boring. It has been a rather busy week on all fronts.

In terms of gaming, There are a load of SHMUPs coming out soon I am looking forward to reviewing for shoot You Sir, especially as we are moving towards the Christmas time releases. We are trying to line up some podcast guests, let’s see if they are interested!

As a lot of people that follow me are aware, I’m a massive Gundam Fan, but have been rather disappointed in recent Gundam based game releases in recent years. Randomly Gundam Battle Operation Code Fairy has been a lot of fun. As the name suggests, it is GBO gameplay, but with a more offline story focus. I skip a lot of the talking, but the actual mission prep and missions - along with the gameplay- is a lot of fun. It is based in C.E.0079 and you are basically playing as a team of Zaku pilots performing guerrilla warfare against the federation - go zion? erm… It’s always fun playing as a Zaku.

On top of this the KOTOR remake is due out on Switch on the 11th, which was a great game back on the Xbox, and I briefly played it when living in Australia on a Kindle HD of all things.

Looking forward to coming month & Christmas!

31.12.21 This Week

So this week I have mostly been working and having a cold at the weekend! All joking aside, I managed to download some new games, find some new music, and some new SHMUPS.

I plan on playing more guitar again as it has slipped this last week or so. Master Blaster & Heli tiger I have downloaded on the Switch - these I will be reviewing for a future Shoot You Sir issue. The latest SYS issue - number 13- is out 01.11.21. Please go and download it for free, it is a fantastic issue.

Graham & I tried to record a podcast but the audio got corrupted, so I will be looking to change cable and medium for recording future episodes. We have been looking at getting some special guests on - so watch this space!

This Week 24.10.21

Another very busy week. Graham and I recorded the 5th Shoot You Sir podcast, but unfortunately the sound quality is pants. So it is not really usable. I am wanting to get the podcast up and running again now some things in my personal life are sorted.

i have been playing a lot of EDF 3 this weekend, and they did a great job of re-mastering it for Switch - hopefully they will port this to EU Switch stores in a couple of months. Part of the EDF games fun is the silly conversations and stupid lines they come up with.

I have also played some Guardian Force Saturn tribute, which is a fun game. I will be getting closer with the mechanics,

WALOD is changing, to a more off topic format. This is due to the fact that video turnaround is a lot of pressure for two people, and given that we both have full time day jobs it does not make it any easier. However, this does mean we will be able to put a lot more fun into the videos, making sure they cover a wide range of topics.

This Week 10.10.21

So this week i have been playing a hell of a lot of Mech Warrior 5 Mercenaries on PS5. For those of those not in the know, it’s basically big walking tanks with a contract management system thrown in. You got from system to system taking on various contracts and negotiating rewards etc. It’s a fun game, but it looks like there are a HUGE amount of story/ action.

On top of this, a bunch of new SHMUPs recently came out: Cotton Boomerang, Cotton 2, and guardian force. I am yet to play GF, but I have played the cotton games which are both fun and difficult! I will likely do a review for these in Shoot You Sir in the future.

WALOD has taken a brief break during the international break until the proper football is back. We will be recording next week for a video out on Friday.

I have also been playing some more electics and acoustic, and picked up a new wah pedal: plutonium Chi wah-wah. It’s basically generic pedal size with an adjustable contour. I have found it is ‘OK’ for soloing with dirt, but sounds a bit harsh at any setting for cleans. But I find this with a lot of wah pedals.

I need to speak to Graham about recording the next Shoot You Sir Podcast! - watch this space.

This Week 03.10.21

So this has been a very long and stressful week for reasons i cannot put online. Needless to say the main focus has been making sure I am able to continue to make online content. There have been some positives though:

Issue 12 of Shoot You Sir has come out! That is right, 12 months of Shoot You Sir! A big thank you to Graham for allowing me to help in such a fun and interesting project. We are trying to get a special guest for the next shoot you sir podcast, so watch this space!

Fifa 22 manager mode is improved, and that is good to see. Not everyone is a fan of these games, but it is good to see that manager mode has been improved, only if it is minor improvements.

We are seeing more and more CAVE shoot em ups appear on the Switch, which has become THE go to for shmup gaming on consoles. This a great move, and the recent release of Mushihimesama, ESPgaluda II, and the future release of Death Smiles 1 & II is a big move. The latter of which will also be available on PS4/5, and hopefully Graham can enjoy some sort of special edition release.

I have recently started re-watching Game of thrones, having only previously seen up to season 4. I am now on season 6 and still really enjoying it.

Lastly, Thanks for all the watchers and subs that have continued to support during difficult times! I have a lot more to come, and What A Load Of Dribble Podcast is still happening weekly.

This Week 26.06.21

So on Tuesday 22.06.21 I went up to Old Trafford with my dad to watch Manchester United vs Westy Spam in the Carabao cup. United played some great attacking football at various points through the match, but lost to an early tap in from the Spambots. I very much enjoyed the experience, although the ‘hotel’ we stayed in was a bit grim. On Wednesday, my dad went to pick up an amp from Doncaster, and the bloke he got an amp from gave me a programme from the 1965/66 F.A. Cup 4th round between United and Rotherham. It features rather cool information, adds, and the team line-ups, which include: Best, Law, Charlton, Crerand, & Stiles - amongst others. A rater cool get! See below.

After a long drive up and a long drive back, I had to go back to work the next day. But overall a very enjoyable experience.

Other than that, I have been recording a track for the intro for What A Load Of Dribble podcast. I have also created a trailer for the channel, see below! On top of this, i have been playing the Martin a lot this week, and some bass - oh and keys for the recording. Much fun!

In terms of games, I have not had a lot of time to play much, but there are a few games coming out I am interested in, especially Crisis Wing! - watch this space. There’s a few Cotton games coming out on Switch I am looking forward to!

FA Cup 1965/66 United Review:

This Week 18.09.21

So I have really been enjoying playing the Patrick Eggle Berlin Pro, it’s a lovely guitar. It does however need a setup. The story behind it is, I traded my Gibson SG standard in at Jordan guitars, and bought the Berlin Pro. Now, the guitar itself needs some work, it is in dire need of a setup and the intonation is out. It just won’t stay in tune. This is not a slight against the shop, as a left handed guitar play it is rare that you get a guitar 100% how you want it, and certainly not setup very well. Luckily, Feline Guitars in Croydon are very good with left handed guitars, so I will have to pay extra money to get it sorted.

I have also been playing acoustic a lot, and building up the strength in my fingers again. The downside to all of this is looking at guitar pedals. It could be worse, camera lenses are a lot more expensive!

I have also been playing some Shoot Em Ups, most specifically ESPgaluda II on the Switch still. There are a large number of SHMUPs coming out that look great. The article I wrote for Shoot you Sir on the DoDonPachi series is out, and I would love you to take a look at it - in issue 11: https://www.slyelessar.com/shoot-you-sir

What a Load Of Dribble has been a lot of fun to make recently, and the latest episode is a laugh! Lot’s of references to the Wankdorf Stadium - Check that out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Xu1dCasuzo&t=902s&ab_channel=WhataLoadofDribblePodcast

On the 22nd and 23rd I will be going up to Manchester andOld Trafford to watch Manchester United Vs West Ham in the Carabao Cup! REALLY looking forward to this. - Watch this space!

Patrick Eggle Berlin Pro