My Chemical Romance - Birmingham UK - The NEC LG Arena - February 13th 2011

Sup guys. This is my first blog so I don't have fancy things to make it all decorative but I'm guessing that if you're reading this, you're reading it for the words anyway :). Also, I'm aware the gig was now two days ago, but this is my third attempt at writing this; the first two times my laptop crashed right near my finishing the blog. Grrr >_<. Anywho, I diverge, let me tell you about the gig!

So! half ten in the morning, my best friend Freddie and I were on the road to Birmingham with a car full of junk food, an ipod full of MCR and her housemate Amy in the back who was letting us stay at her place for the weekend. To cut a long drive short, I took a lot of pictures of random things, we sang full pelt to pretty much every sone that came on and we ate veggie sausage rolls and magic stars! 8D

Once in Birmingham and settled at Amy's parents house, we bid them goodbye and set off for the train station. After getting lost a little at the second station, we had MacDonalds for lunch (classy I know but their fillet of fish burgers are good :D) before getting on the train agaimn to get to the NEC. While on the second train I had my starbucks coffee and when I say the train was packed, I mean it was PACKED. I was soon recognised for my coffee, once a guy nearly knocked it out of my hand and I whined "No! My coffee!". Epic failage on my part there ¬_¬.

We were soon outside the arena, 2 and a half hours before doors opened to let people in. It was proper raining by this point, so Freddie and I were absolutely drenched. Now, I wasn't wearing what you'd call the most appropriate attire for a gig. black dress and red footless tights: fine! But I was also wearing flip flops, now I know what you're going to say. Flip flops, rain and a rock gig. Are you insane woman?! But hear me out! Three days before the gig, I had gotten my first tattoo on the inside of my right ankle (it says "Daddy <3" ^_^) and had been told not to wear any shoes or socks for the next two weeks, so flip flops were my only choice really!

In between bouts of being drenched, eskimo kisses and me singing "The Little Spanish Flea" to annoy Freddie, we made friends! I know right? Making friends with people you share a common interest with, preposterous! But we did. We met Natalie, Ant, Lo and Alice and had a lovely chat with them while stood waiting in the queue. Freddie also gained a sausage roll, and I gained the rest of Alice's wine. Happy days!

We were soon inside the arena with much cheering once the doors opened, it meant shit was about to happen and we were about to get out of the rain at last! So once inside half of us made our way inside while the other half went to the toilets. We reconvened very near the front indeed. I am going to take this moment to say we did not push our way to the front, we just happened to get there. Pushing at gigs acheives NOTHING. You dont really get any closer to the front, and the people who are at the front just just squished and trampled on. Not fun for anyone! But I diverge.

The first supporting act was Lostalone, and they were awesome! Freddie and I hadn't done the clever thing of looking at who the supporting acts were, so when they came on, we were taken away by a) their beauty ^_^ and b) just how freaking awesome they sounded! Lostalone are truly amazing, and if you havent heard any of their stuff, I definitely recommend you do so because oh my daisies you will be blown away like we were!

By the time the second supporting act came on, Freddie and I were just two rows from the front, but had lost the others we had met, but it was fine, as long as I didn't lost Freddie, all would be right with the word. The second supporting act were The Blackout. I had thought Lostalone were good, but the avcts were getting better and better as the night went on! Not to say Lostalone weren't good! You already know my thoughts on that, but The Blackout were just breath taking! Sean Smith really knows how to rile up a crowd. He was stage diving which believe me made a lot of girls scream...Even me, and I didn't even touch him! He also had us doing the mexican scream, it's like the mexican wave, but with screaming as well as flailing your arms in the air. Great fun! He also had us singing "I whip my hair back and forth", much to Freddie's annoyance as I'd been singing it non stop a couple of days beforehand 8D. Audience participation was brilliant with The Blackout; they had us kneeling on the floor, jumping about, learning our parts to songs as well as chanting for MCR. Yes. The Blackout really knew how to rile up a crowd!

Soon The Blackout had left the stage and everyone knew what was next, the tension was palpable and people were screaming when techies were coming on. Then a black curtain was lowered and the excitement really started. This black curtain didn't stop you looking round the sides of the stage, but if you were in the front like we were, it was freaking awesome not knowing what was going on behind there! If that wasn't tension enough for everyone, they started showing images from DD:tTLotFK whic was sending people into some sort of excited hysteria. It was amazing, and they hadn't even started yet!

The the curtain dropped. Na Na Na was playing and everyone went mental. It was though we were all one person, singing, jumping and clicking photos in unison. It was freaking awesome! We were so close to the front by this time it was just magical. Having only ever been to three gigs in my life, and this being Freddie's first, we were both blown away by how brilliant they were on stage. They have a chemistry with their fans that some bands can only dream of.

Now, I'm not going to regale you with tales of every song, but I will tell you that they played mine and Freddie's song - Sing. Yes, we're best friends. Yes, we have a song we get mushy over and yes, it's the song our friend wrote our death scene to in his story about a zombie apocolypse. But that's a tale for another time. The tale I will tell you about is this one: I got trampled on.

Yes. I got trampled on. Me in my poor little flip flops :( . Now remember when I said earlier that pushing gets you no where at gigs? Well some people don't think that's true. I got pushed to the ground and people instantly thought. "Ooh there's a gap! Theres a gap!" and I got trampled. If it wasn't for Freddie, a nice guy infront of me, the security guys and Gerard saying "Can you help people up when they fall down please!" I would have been much more hurt than I was. I was helped over the barriers and in to a wheelchair asmy ankle was freaking killing me at this point. Freddie finally made it over the barriers to be at my side (<3) and Gerard watched with a concerned face as I was lead away in said wheelchair. Yeah my ankle really hurt, but Gerard Way actually gave a damn that I was hurt. That's the best thing of all. They really care about their fans.

So after a sit down and them asking me to wiggle my foot around a lot (can you say ow ¬_¬), Freddie helped me walk around a bit to try and get my balance back. Overall we missed about two songs and were now near the back of the gig but it was cool. We had been at the front for pretty much the whole gig, and I had snapped us over 200 pictures, and was still getting pretty good ones from where we were stood now. We were happy.

The gig soon finished and I got myself a sexy new hoody (it's black with ray guns on it. You can kinda see it in my avatar 8D) and some posters. No I didn't get to meet the band, but it's fine, as a student journalist, hopefully I'll get my chance in the future. I've interviewed some famous(ish) people before, hoepfully it'll happen again in my future. We can all dream eh?

If any of you are wondering whether MCR are a band worth seeing live, here is your answer: Yes. They are the best band I have ever seen play. Admittedly, I havent seen a lot, but that doesnt make what I saw on Sunday any less spectacular. They were freaking amazing. They are a band I would never tire of seeing and would happily watch again and again. :)

Hope you guys enjoyed my blog. I may start putting more stuff on Mibba depending on what people say about this ^_^