Anyway we're hanging out, caught sight of Mike and Chizzy briefly, but played it cool and watch from afar. So we go inside, see the merch table, but because I bought my friend's ticket I didn't have any money to add this tour shirt to my collection of the last two. I did however get the only totebag and one of the TAI bracelets. But anyway, the venue they were playing at, my favorite, they weren't playing in the ballroom, but in the back studio, much smaller and while fun for small bands, it's a pain in the ass with big bands. And I found this out too late, so I wasn't in the front.
Now I really wasn't feeling good, being tired and hungry and combined with the new leather smell of my car I felt nauseous too. The bright side of the studio is there are nice plush couches, so during You Me At Six we crashed on the couches, and as much as I hate Lady Gaga they did one badass cover of Pokerface. Natalie went to their signing afterward (they're British, impossible not to love) and while she did that me and Liz and this sophomore guy we met on the couches fighting over seats went into the crowd. This went on during The Secret Handshake so I have nothing memorable from their show, but also nothing negative.
When they were finished Set Your Goals came on. It was cute at first, they had this announcement go on before they appeared, like a prom thing, and then the short singer came on as Prom King with a blow up doll referred to as Kelly Kapowski (Saved By The Bell) as Prom Queen. The audio announcement could've been from the show come to think of it... But despite the good entrance they pissed me off. The guitarist was awesome, so was the drummer, but the two 'singers'... I hated them. And it didn't help during their set I sensed a commotion behind me and saw two very big fan girls had appeared and behind them I saw Natalie's confused face peeking out between their combined arm fat. They were bitchy and while I was trying not to pass out they were screaming in my already deaf ears, had obnoxious flashes on the camera they had above my head, and the highlight of my experience with them... they pulled one of those poppers above my head, showering confetti all down my cleavage.
But then, after all that crap, The Academy Is... came on. They were fantastic as usual, but I was ready to pass out all during their show, the kid we befriended kept trying to convince me to shove my way through to the barrier, and when I didn't, he began to shove me regardless toward it. Then there were greedy couples in front of me, a boyfriend who didn't care about the show but wouldn't let me get closer, some midget in front of me wearing Mickey Mouse ears at eye level that were sure to blind me along with my deafness. All and all despite seeing my favorite band, them playing my favorite song Rumored Nights, and favorite live song After the Last Midtown Show (so powerful live) that one ounce of happiness did nothing to outweigh my negativity.
So before Mayday Parade even came on (them and TAI switch times every night) I got out of the crowd and left Liz. Natalie was leaving too, so I sat on the floor with her and reflected. I was tired, I was hungry, my head was pounding, I felt like throwing up, and I was pissed. Pissed at the audience, at the bands, at my friend, and I just wanted to go home and sleep.
I called up my dad and said goodbye to Natalie, who was leaving, and wandered out a few minutes after her. Oddly enough, my phone started ringing Natalie's ringtone (Hayley and Josh from Paramore telling me to answer my phone) and as I pulled it out of my bra (where I keep it for safe-keeping during shows) I looked to my left... and there was William Beckett.
There's no way for me to really describe it... I met him once last year and honestly didn't think he was very personable, but that was all about to change.
He turned around after talking to whatever fan he was talking to and with this really sweet smile said hi. I melted. Honestly, I was tired, my feet hurt, and this was the one ray of sunlight I had all night. I think we talked for like ten minutes cause no one was really out there or noticed him and everyone else was watching Mayday Parade, and I was just standing there waiting for my ride. We mentioned Bush, Obama, Halloween, Florida and such. I wasn't really fan girly, just calm and oddly social. It appears that for all my horrible social skills with talking with people, I have no problem talking to famous ones.
Anyway a few things to mention, when your talking to William he tends to stand rather close to you, and one time one girl asked him to sign her arm and I giggled to myself and he looked over with this adorable kinda questioning smile and asked 'what?', to which I replied I thought it was amusing, signing an arm, and asked him what the weirdest thing he ever signed was... apparently someone has a can of Spam signed by him. And I think he got that Set Your Goals was crazy, cause he asked me if I got clobbered by the crowd, and I explained about the big bitchy girls.
But he was just so nice. He signed my ticket stub, I explained it made a good bookmark, and my bracelet, and when someone distracted him I met a few of the good fans there that night and asked one of them if they could take a picture of me with him. They liked the tree on my face, said I was really talented, and were sure to say goodbye to me when they left. Apparently William liked the tree too, along with my dress, he mentioned that... (strange but very flattering) and he called me sweetie and asked my name, which no one in a band has ever done when I met them. And the part I loved the most was when he left he turned to me and gave me a hug, no awkward asking or anything.
Yeah, clearly most of this journal was for myself, so I don't forget anything, and I'd be amazed if anyone reading this got this far. But I just can't find the right words other than nice to describe what happened, or how much it meant to me after that trainwreck of a night. I have a whole new respect for William Beckett (and just to be clear despite what I write I'm really not attracted to him, which is almost better cause I could see him as a great person and less as sex object I want to rip the shirt off of).
P.S. I still can't hear out of my right ear, like I've had headphones in all day.
Above is the tree I mentioned, I used liquid eyeliner to keep myself amused during class. And this is a much better quality picture than last year.