30 seconds of adveture

Um... well... OK, 2 days...

Saturday 2 February 2008 - Birmingham

Day started at the usual time but we set off at about 3. So we get there and go into the forbidden car park (It is the only one my car will go in but we had been told a categorical no by the venue) Security are found who remembered me from being stuck before. They also said the car park had nothing to do with the venue so their no meant nothing. Pfft! So, the guy suggested we park by the tour bus so we had space. I got out while there was room and then followed my car to the bus.
Now, this had to be seen to be believed... He directed my carer to a gap that looked smaller than my car and stood between the bus and my car, both vehicles touching him, and waved my carer forward. I was like... O_O.. Then this guy came along (turned out to be the guitarist from the support band Lost Alone) and stood watching with me. Then he got onto the bus to watch out the front and he was O_O too!
So now officially 'with' the band (Nearly attached to the bus, lol) We go for a drink and my carer is instantly and frequently chatted up!
Then we went inside and waited for things to start.
Lost Alone came on to the start of War of the worlds and since I love that CD they had an instant fan. The rest of their stuff though wasn’t bad though so, yeah, I recommend them. Rocky and Bouncy describes them. During their performance 2 things made me giggle. 1 was a roadie helping out ran into one of the flags and 2 was that the singer lost a shoe at some point and was limping/hopping!
Main act and...OMG, wow! Have to say though this starting behind a curtain thing... retro!! Linkin Park did it and now 30STM! I first saw this at a Depeche Mode gig in 1993... Copycats these days!!
They kept mainly to the 2nd CD which was a disappointment but since I suck at song titles I can't say what they did... erm... obviously 'the kill','attack','from yesterday','a beautiful lie' but many more. Even though some of their stuff is slow it was a high energy show. He (Jared) bantered a bit with the crowd including remarking about nearly getting his arm pulled off while stage diving. (I saw this and... ow, it had to hurt!)
It ended with 'fantasy'... yey, a title I know!!... to many a cheer!
There was no signing that night apparently so we were turfed out. Outside a tout gave me a rather large poster for free and for no apparent reason... it is nice though so, thank you!! Then we went to the car park and reversed (Carefully) before going home...

Wednesday 6 February 2008 - Hammersmith

3pm again saw us setting of from home and heading to another gig. We get there and park easily which is a shock. I had been told that although the next night would be the white shadow the general theme was white. So I had gone to buy some white jeans and a top and was wearing them. Turns out nobody else was so I get to stand out… like I never do!
We go to the venue and there we meet up with my friend Tracey who I haven’t seen in like forever which is good. Not so good was my carer rushing me away for no real reason except she wanted to be inside. So now we are inside and waiting with the guest list no less before the doors open and we are directed to the platform which is at the back but has an OK view. The my carer warns me that she wont stay more than an hour after. Bitch! Had she told me before we left I would have arranged for someone else to take me. I thought then that if it’d take longer I would ring Dad to get me because she wouldn’t dictate and tell me what to do.
I asked about the signing and was told it would be manic and the general advice for someone in a wheelchair was ‘don’t do it’. Yeah, I know where they can stick their advice! This gave my carer fuel for her ‘not staying’ argument but at the end of the day the choice was mine… well, turned out to be securities, haha, but it certainly wasn’t the carers!
First band on were Cheap Hotel but they came and went with a ‘meh’ from me. They didn’t suck but they were nothing to write home about either.
Lost Alone followed with war of the worlds again (woo!) and again followed with a good set. I think he kept his shoe this time… LOL!! I will be checking this band out for sure… up and coming… mark my words!
Main act and they were jaw droppingly fantastic! Same songs but with ballet dancers, violins, gospel choirs and tickertape (another common thing I have noticed) Not much to say about the first bit except in sympathy for Jared on Sat I managed to really hurt my shoulder!
The encore though… well, for a start he sat on the balcony to sing acoustically. I was almost under this so could see his shoe and leg. I leant out and saw a guitar and a hand… never the head, lol. He started ‘Modern Myth’ but the violin broke and made some random noise. He stopped and was like ‘let’s do that bit again’ and the same noise followed. He said it was being fixed so he was chatting before playing ‘Echelon’. At the end he said ‘what about the bloody violin?... Oh, yeah, play something cos I don’t believe you.’ Then the song followed with the violin being cheered. Jared vanished then.
Shannon and others then were drumming until Jared got back on stage then it ended again with high energy ‘fantasy’
After the story became no signing and we were firmly thrown out. Happy carer and pissed off me head back to the car to go. Bet there was one and they didn’t want the chair involved… I am highly suspicious!!