Big News Regarding My DJing

Big news. I'm officially going to be doing my radio shows on a radio station in Northern Ireland.

Here's as much information I can give you at the moment:

• I have a two hour slot on a Saturday, from midnight (Sunday morning) to 2am. This may change however.
• It's a seasonal station so it's not on 24/7. The next season is in June and it runs for four weeks.
• The radio station is called Fuse FM. It's on FM radio in Ballymoney, Northern Ireland and the surrounding area. It's a small town of around 9000 people, so not many.
• No I'm not getting paid. But that's fine. I've only been doing this for 2 months, I've never thought I'd be able to do this for a living. But it has started to become an ambition of mine, and this is my foot on the ladder. A very long ladder. And if it doesn't happen it's just a hobby, which is fine.
• I've been given a two hour slot which means I'll be doing The Rock and Metal Double Feature Show, if you've not heard it there are links at the DJ Shows section at the top of this page.
• I'll have to remove any swearing from my songs, and be careful what songs I play. There are a lot of passionate religious and political people in this area of Northern Ireland and I want them to like me, not hate me!
• I'll start doing The Rock and Metal Double Feature Show every Saturday, even before June. The first one will be on March 1st. This way you can listen to the show on Mixcloud, and in June, if all goes well, it'll slot in to Fuse FM naturally.
• For the next three weeks I'll be finishing The Mercyside 100 off, so you can listen to my stuff every week anyway!

I've had a lot of lovely messages and support. Thanks to everyone for that. And thank you for listening to the shows if you have been. It really means a lot. I never thought that in two months I'd be good enough to make FM radio. But there's a long, long, LONG way to go if I want this to be a profession. I need to improve a lot and get some luck along the way. Enjoy the ride!

Other entries you might want to read:
I'm Not Dead! - Personal Blog Entry
The Metal Hour Show (20/1/14) - DJ Show
My Top 50 Favourite Video Game Villains - Listing

For the latest updates on my work, follow me on Facebook and Twitter here!

My Top 50 Favourite Video Game Villains: #10 to #2

So. Here we are. The Top 10. Well, #10 to #2 anyway. We're almost there. Let's continue!

Note: There are possible spoilers in each entry so avoid them if you don't want to ruin any storylines.

#10: Pyramid Head

Other Names: Red Pyramid, Bogeyman, James
Debut Game and Year: Silent Hill 2 (2001)
Famous Quote?: None
Other Appearances: Silent Hill: The Arcade, New International Track & Field, Silent Hill: Downpour, Silent Hill: Book of Memories

My favourite stalker in all of video gaming history is Pyramid Head. Everything is amazing about this guy. First he's scary as hell. That pyramid helmet is just ridiculous. He walks incredibly creepily. That sword/large knife is insane. He's just one scary mother.

But underneath his appearance is his significance to the plot of Silent Hill 2. SH2, one of the best video game storylines of all time (in my opinion), has so much imagery and physical metaphors, and Pyramid Head is one of the biggest ones. James, the main character, practically created Silent Hill 2's complete setting and monsters. And they all have some significance to his mental health. Pyramid Head is the part of James that feels he deserves to be tortured and killed for his murder of his wife. Pyramid Head kills Maria over and over again throughout the game. Maria, who looks a lot like his wife Mary. So that's the purpose of Pyramid Head. Both his appearance and his significance to the game are immense. And he's just one hell of a badass monster.

#9: Lloyd

Other Names: None
Debut Game and Year: The Legend of Dragoon (1999)
Famous Quote?: "I am the one who torched your home to the ground. I am the one who deprived your friend of his life. And I hold the Moon Gem and the Moon Dagger in my hands! You abhor me, don't you?"
Other Appearances: None

While The Legend of Dragoon isn't the most original RPG, and its set of characters are quite bland and generic at times, Lloyd saves the game for the most part. Once again, his character isn't terribly original, but it's the swagger he has and his coldness that makes him stand apart. He has some badass quotes too. And, what can I say, I have a thing for characters with a plan and a determination to succeed in doing that plan. Of course, Lloyd, in the end, isn't a bad guy as he was deceived and used to deliver a utopia requested by the main villain of the game, Melhbu Frahma, but, 75% of the bad things that happen in the game, especially the death of Lavitz, one of the best "pure good guys" in video game history, really make you seethe this guy.

#8: Kuja

Other Names: None
Debut Game and Year: Final Fantasy IX (2000)
Famous Quote?: "What comedy! Zidane, isn't it hilarious!? I'll die just like the black mages I so despise! I single-handedly brought chaos unto Gaia, but in the end, I'm nothing but a worthless doll! ... I won't let it happen. I won't... I won't let this world exist without me!"
Other Appearances: Dissidia: Final Fantasy

So the previous entry, Lloyd from The Legend of Dragoon got in so high because of his cool looks and the way he presents himself. Kuja's appearance has always been his downfall in my opinion. He just doesn't look like a big threat to the party. But... his actions, his quotes, and everything else about him screams of awesome. From causing a war between loving family nations, to creating a mass army, destroying countless towns and an entire planet. Kuja is a man of action. And he does it all, laughing and calmly reciting poetic lines like Shakespeare. I just love Kuja so so much, and of course, the main villain from my favourite video game of all time has to be high on my list right?

#7: Neo Cortex

Other Names: Dr Neo Cortex, Doctor Neo Periwinkle Cortex, Cortex
Debut Game and Year: Crash Bandicoot (1996)
Famous Quote?: "You fool! Do you think I'm unaware of this situation? If we don't have any friends left on the surface, then we need to find... an enemy..." - Crash Bandicoot 2
Other Appearances: Every Crash game since

I love Cortex so much. I don't know what it is about him. His banter with Crash is fantastic. And I suppose, unlike Dr Robotnik before him, he shows so much personality. I'd like to think that Megamind, the evil villain of the movie, was based on Cortex. He's just so dastardly yet lovable at the same time. I love a villain who has a silly side to him, and Cortex is king of the silly evil bad guys in video game history.

#6: Wheatley

Other Names: Intelligence Dampening Sphere
Debut Game and Year: Portal 2 (2011)
Famous Quote?: "Now who's a moron?! Could a moron PUNCH! YOU! INTO! THIS! PIT?! HUH?! COULD A MORON DO THAT?!" - turning bad
Other Appearances: None

SPOILERS! I was so torn on whether or not to put Wheatley in this list of video game villains. Firstly because, in itself, it's a plot spoiler if you've not got far enough into the game that you find out that he's the real main villain of Portal 2. And secondly, because, well, he's not a bad guy. He's just an incredibly stupid, dumb robot who, through circumstances, becomes the most powerful robot in the laboratory, and misuses his power due to his lack of intelligence.

Wheatley is a fascinating character on so many levels. Firstly, he's just one of the funniest characters in video game history. You literally are laughing probably once a minute when he's on screen. Stephen Merchant does an absolutely fascinating job, one worth an Oscar for, playing Wheatley. And secondly, such a simple storyline is used to perfection - give power to the wrong people means they abuse that power. But the battle between Chell and Wheatley unfolds tremendously well, and while you do want to beat him up at the end of the game, you really have fallen in love by that point with one of the most fantastic characters of all time.

#5: Sephiroth

Other Names: None
Debut Game and Year: Final Fantasy VII (1997)
Famous Quote?: "Only death awaits you all, but do not fear. For it is through death that a new spirit energy is born. Soon, you will live again as a part of me." - Sephiroth, coldly talking whilst slaughtering Tseng
Other Appearances: Before Crisis, Crisis Core, Dissidia: Final Fantasy, Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy, Theatrhythm Final Fantasy

Well. What to say? That hasn't been said before? One of the most popular characters in video game history. The most famous villain of all Final Fantasy. And does he deserve these accolades? One hundred percent yes.

While there is another FF villain I prefer (more on one of the entries to come), Sephiroth is the ultimate villain. He ticks all the boxes. He looks badass. He fights like a badass. He's a tough nut to kill. He is so cool, so calm, yet so evil, killing important characters in the game, and summoning a huge meteor to destroy the planet. He just is the epitome of villains really. You spend the entire time chasing him (even if it's not really him but Jenova, but, that's another story for a different day), to finally put an end to him and his plans, that when you finally get to him, you just don't know what to feel. Getting to finally do battle with Sephiroth was, and still is, one of the most exciting moments in video game history. Adrenaline runs like water. Sephiroth is just an amazing, in every sense of the word.

#4: Officer Tenpenny

Other Names: Frank Tenpenny
Debut Game and Year: Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004)
Famous Quote?: "I can shit on you from such a height, you'll think God himself took a crap on you!" - When Tenpenny reveals he's part of C.R.A.S.H.
Other Appearances: None

God I hate this guy. He's such a prick. And not even a lovable prick. Right from the beginning of the game, when he reveals himself as a crooked cop, messing you about, you hate him then. But when it's revealed how he's linked with the death of CJ's mum, and with the drug dealings around San Andreas, and using you to do his dirty dealings, you just hate him much much more. And he's there, getting high, ordering you to do more of his dirty laundry, all you want to do is kill him there and then. He's really one of those bad guys that you just can't wait to kill, and, while CJ doesn't kill him directly, seeing the end of Officer Tenpenny is a sweet sweet piece of justice.

#3: GLaDOS

Other Names: Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System
Debut Game and Year: Portal (2007)
Famous Quote?: "We both said a lot of things that you're going to regret, but I think we can put our differences behind us, for science... you monster..." - when reawakening in Portal 2
Other Appearances: Portal 2

Haha, who doesn't love GLaDOS? One of the most loved villains in video game history. And for so many justifiable reasons. There's no denying her evil and cold ways of using your character. Getting a "buzz" from testing you over and over again in more and more difficult tests, trying so hard to kill you off, but at the same time, not wanting you to die because you're the only thing she has left to work with in the lab. Her role in Portal 1 is great, because you think the voice is just a computer for the majority of the game, before it's revealed to be an intelligence robot. And in Portal 2, because you killed her, and passed all the tests, she gets resurrected and puts you through it all over again. She's just an amazing villain, and also, one of the funniest villains in video game history (even if Wheatley is funnier). Her one-liners are some of the best of all time, she's so quick and calculated in her venomous retorts to your character, you can't help but laugh. GLaDOS is just so so awesome and I love her.

#2: Kefka

Other Names: Kefka Palazzo, Cefca Palazzo
Debut Game and Year: Final Fantasy VI (1994)
Famous Quote?: "Hee, hee! Nothing can beat the sweet music of hundreds of voices screaming in unison!" - when poisoning the rivers of Doma
Other Appearances: Dissidia Final Fantasy, Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy, Theatrhythm Final Fantasy

Kefka got to #1 in my Favourite Final Fantasy Characters list but in this list he's runner up. What villain do I possibly love more than Kefka? Find out tomorrow...

#2 or #1 it doesn't matter. Kefka is one of the most evil and sickeningly horrible villains of all time. Think The Joker crossed with a clown. That's Kefka. He's probably the only villain in Final Fantasy history to actually destroy the world and achieve Godhood. It takes a regrouping of your party after being separated across the globe to take him down. So what does he do that's so cold and evil? He manipulates Terra, the main character (debatable), in killing 50 soldiers. For a test. Then he sets a castle on fire (only for it to be able to be buried underground), then poisons the rivers in another castle (Doma), killing all the soldiers, and their families who lived there. Then he turns on his allies, and murders General Leo by stomping all over his vulnerable body into the ground, laughing. He gets all the power in the world, and chucks his old boss, Emperor Gestahl, off the side of a floating island. He then, destroys the world, to a point that is barely resembles its old self. And for kicks, after destroying the world, any attempts citizens have on rebuilding their town or village, he strikes it down again with his magic. He's just evil and, and, I love him. Killing Kefka is worth the ride, not to mention his final battle sequence to look at is incredibly impressive, especially for 1994. And who can't get enough of this laugh?!

So, here we are. 1 character left to reveal. Who is it? Comment below if you want to guess. Otherwise, find out tomorrow!

See other parts of this listing!

#50 - #41 | #40 - #31 | #30 - #21 | #20 - #11 | #10 - #2 | #1 + More

Other entries you might want to read:
Big News Regarding My DJing - Personal Blog
The Metal Hour Show (20/1/14) - DJ Show
The Transformations of William Birkin - Article

For the latest updates on my work, follow me on Facebook and Twitter here!

The Mercyside 100: #70 to #56

On Thursday I posted the third of seven parts of the Mercyside 100, counting down the 100 songs I played more than any other on my personal media player. This show is the first time we have an artist appear more than once on a show. It happened twice; we had two Nine Inch Nails tracks and two songs by The Lonely Island.

Don't forget you can hear this list of songs as part of a DJ show here:

The Mercyside 100: #70 - #56 (23/1/14) by Johnny Mercyside on Mixcloud

So here is the third part of the Mercyside 100, from #70 to #56!

#70: My Wall

Artist: Korn (feat. Excision and Downlink)

Album: The Path of Totality

Released: 2011

#69: Closer

Artist: Nine Inch Nails

Album: The Downward Spiral

Released: 1994

#68: I'm on a Boat

Artist: The Lonely Island (feat. T-Pain)

Album: Incredibad

Released: 2009

#67: Bad Girls

Artist: M.I.A.

Album: Matangi

Released: 2012

#66: Last Child

Artist: Aerosmith

Album: Rocks

Released: 1976

#65: White Limo

Artist: Foo Fighters

Album: Wasting Light

Released: 2011

#64: Fishfingers

Artist: The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster

Album: Horse of the Dog

Released: 2002

#63: Holy Wars... The Punishment Due

Artist: Megadeth

Album: Rust in Peace

Released: 1990

#62: Fukken Über Death Party

Artist: Hanzel und Gretyl

Album: 2012: Zwanzig Zwolf

Released: 2008

#61: Jus' a Rascal

Artist: Dizzee Rascal

Album: Boy in da Corner

Released: 2003

#60: Death by Diamonds and Pearls

Artist: Band of Skulls

Album: Baby Darling Doll Face Honey

Released: 2010

#59: Slipping Away

Artist: Nine Inch Nails

Album: Things Falling Apart

Released: 2000

#58: Fire Like This

Artist: Hardknox

Album: Hardknox

Released: 1997

#57: Go Kindergarten

Artist: The Lonely Island (feat. Robyn)

Album: The Wack Album

Released: 2013

#56: Crying Lightning

Artist: Arctic Monkeys

Album: Humbug

Released: 2009

...next week I'll be posting #55 to #41 so passing the half way mark so stay tuned, either here or directly at Mixcloud!

The Mercyside 100: #70 to #56: 23/1/14
Track listing:
My Wall (feat. Excision and Downlink) - KoRn
Closer - Nine Inch Nails
I'm on a Boat (feat. T-Pain) - The Lonely Island
Bad Girls - M.I.A.
Last Child - Aerosmith
White Limo - Foo Fighters
Fishfingers - The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster
Holy Wars... The Punishment Due - Megadeth
Fukken Über Death Party - Hanzel und Gretyl
Jus' a Rascal - Dizzee Rascal
Death By Diamonds and Pearls - Band of Skulls
Slipping Away - Nine Inch Nails
Fire Like This - Hardknox
Go Kindergarten (feat. Robyn) - The Lonely Island
Crying Lightning - Arctic Monkeys
Total running time: 01:05:43

See other parts of this listing!

#100 to #86 | #85 to #71 | #70 to #56 | #55 to #41 | #40 to #26 | #25 to #11 | #10 to #1

Other entries you might want to read:
The Metal Hour Show (20/1/14) - DJ Show
My Top 50 Favourite Video Game Villains - Listing
2013 Special Show (3/1/14) - DJ Show

For the latest updates on my work, follow me on Facebook and Twitter here!

The Metal Hour Show (20/1/14)

Hey guys. Sorry it's a bit late updating you all about this show. I did upload it five days ago.

This is a special show. Special because it's an "audition" show, as I attempt to get a slot on a Northern Irish radio station. I haven't heard yet whether or not I've been successful.

Even if I'm not successful it's probably the most successful show I've done, reception wise. I've had fantastic feedback from the show, from many different people. I have put a lot of content into it, to showcase my style and to show what I can do. Of course I'm not 100% happy with it, and I can definitely improve, but I'm so happy where I've come, in the past two months, in doing this. Being a radio DJ is a possibility as a career for me, but I have a long long way to go and have to get much better, and get better equipment, if I want this ambition to become a reality.

So yeah, have a listen to The Metal Hour below! Give me feedback, positive, or constructive negative, I thoroughly appreciate it!

The Metal Hour (20/1/14) by Johnny Mercyside on Mixcloud

The Metal Hour: 20/1/14
Track listing:
Symphony of Destruction - Megadeth
Dead Souls - Nine Inch Nails
Fire it Up - Black Label Society
Orion - Metallica
Bounce - System of a Down
Los - Rammstein
Pro-test - Skinny Puppy
Thieves - Limp Bizkit
Pussy All Night - Mindless Self Indulgence
Get to the Gone - Static-X
Everything Ends - Slipknot
I am the Warlock - Probot (feat. Jack Black)
Total running time: 01:00:00

Other entries you might want to read:
My Top 50 Favourite Video Game Villains - Listing
The Mercyside 100 - DJ Show
2013 Special Show (3/1/14) - DJ Show

For the latest updates on my work, follow me on Facebook and Twitter here!

My Top 50 Favourite Video Game Villains: #20 - #11

So. Here we are. The Top 10. Well, #10 to #2 anyway. We're almost there. Let's continue!

Note: There are possible spoilers in each entry so avoid them if you don't want to ruin any storylines.

#20: Shao Kahn

Other Names: The Emperor
Debut Game and Year: Mortal Kombat II (1993)
Famous Quote?: "Don't make me laugh!"
Other Appearances: Most, if not all, Mortal Kombat games since

[entry info lost, will reput in info at later date]

#19: Wario

Other Names: None
Debut Game and Year: Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (1992)
Famous Quote?: "I'ma gonna win!" - when playing Mario Kart
Other Appearances: Most Mario game since, and all Wario spinoff titles

[entry info lost, will reput in info at later date]

#18: Krauser

Other Names: Jack Krauser
Debut Game and Year: Resident Evil 4 (2005)
Famous Quote?: "You may be able to prolong your life, but it's not like you can escape your inevitable death, is it?" - to Leon
Other Appearances: Resident Evil: Darkside Chronicles

[entry info lost, will reput in info at later date]

#17: Catalina

Other Names: Bitch, Crazy Bitch
Debut Game and Year: Grand Theft Auto III (2001)
Famous Quote?: "Sorry babe, I'm an ambitious girl, and you, you're just small time!" - the beginning of GTA3
Other Appearances: Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

[entry info lost, will reput in info at later date]

#16: M. Bison

Other Names: Vega, Master Bison, Mighty Bison, Lord Bison
Debut Game and Year: Street Fighter II (1991)
Famous Quote?: "Anyone who opposes me will be destroyed!"
Other Appearances: Practically every Street Fighter game since

[entry info lost, will reput in info at later date]

#15: Seymour

Other Names: Maester Seymour, Lord Seymour
Debut Game and Year: Final Fantasy X (2001)
Famous Quote?: "Your hope ends here! And your meaningless existence with it!"
Other Appearances: None

[entry info lost, will reput in info at later date]

#14: Calypso

Other Names: William Sparks
Debut Game and Year: Twisted Metal (1995)
Famous Quote?: "I am Calypso, and I thank you for playing Twisted Metal!"
Other Appearances: Every Twisted Metal game since

[entry info lost, will reput in info at later date]

#13: Frank Fontaine

Other Names: Atlas
Debut Game and Year: Bioshock (2007)
Famous Quote?: "...would you kindly?"
Other Appearances: None

[entry info lost, will reput in info at later date]

#12: Clement

Other Names: Clement Darling
Debut Game and Year: The House of the Dead: Overkill (2009)
Famous Quote?: "Let me give you some context here boys...I... love... my mother..."
Other Appearances: None

[entry info lost, will reput in info at later date]

#11: Barthandelus

Other Names: Galenth Dysley
Debut Game and Year: Final Fantasy XIII (2009)
Famous Quote?: "What else does one do with tools?"
Other Appearances: None

[entry info lost, will reput in info at later date]

See other parts of this listing!

#50 - #41 | #40 - #31 | #30 - #21 | #20 - #11 | #10 - #2 | #1 + More

Other entries you might want to read:
Big News Regarding My DJing - Personal Blog
The Metal Hour Show (20/1/14) - DJ Show
The Transformations of William Birkin - Article

For the latest updates on my work, follow me on Facebook and Twitter here!