As soon as the tickets went on sale for the Peter Hook & The Light show in Chicago I snatched up a pair for myself within minutes. This was it; this was my whole teenage years coming full circle. I started listening to Joy Division in high school as I felt a certain connection to the music. Going through the usual teen years filled with depression and suicidal thoughts. Music like Joy Division and The Smiths helped me through those times as it did for many fans. The words spoke to me and made me feel a connection that was personal. I felt like I knew Ian. Of course there's no way to say I knew how he felt because that was his story, but the words pulled at my heart. To this day it's hard to watch the movie "Control." The ending always makes me cry because there's always that thought of what a tragic loss to the world. Such a talented man that was gone too soon. So as I filed into the Metro in Chicago I was a little further back then I had wanted, but still had a good view of Hooky and David Potts playing guitar. As the crowd yelled and screamed "Hooky" the chords to "Ceremony" started and the crowd's roar increased. Hooky walked on to the stage and my heart sank. There he was on stage; a legend right in front of me. It was surreal. I thought to myself this is the closest to Joy Division I will ever get. I think this was the closest for many who attended. As Joy Division had never toured America. Yes some may have seen New Order, but this was it for many of us. The second song into the Joy Divison set was "Transmission." This was one of my favorite songs from them and as we all started to dance you could just look around and see smiling faces of content. After a few more songs they went into "Isolation." This is probably my favorite song by Joy Division. That song was my inner thoughts as a teen and even some moments in my adult life. I wanted to cry when I heard him playing, but I was too happy to even cry. I was happy to just be there; happy to hear these songs in the flesh. Without hesitation they go right into "She's Lost Control" and then "Shadowplay." As we all jumped around and danced like we were 13 year old children, I noticed many in the front were motionless. I often wonder why be up front if you're just going to stand there like a pole in frozen ground? To me the front is where the action is. You're feeling the impact of the wrath behind you and you're in the cross hairs of the energy in front of you on stage. If I was just going to stand motionless I would hang out in the back of the audience. I just never understood that. I could never just stand there with that much energy and sound right in front of me. As "Shadowplay" ended the lights lowered and it was intermission time from the Joy Division set to the New Order set. I loved the Joy Division set, but wished it could have been a bit longer. I can't complain though, cos I was just lucky to hear it all in the first place. I do have to say that David Pott's guitar playing was phenominal. I was in awe when he went through the Joy Division set like butter. They seemed to have a great time together on stage and shared laughs and smiles with each other. I was hoping for a track from their Monaco days, but no such luck. It was also nice to see Hooky's son joining him on stage playing bass with him. That has to be a proud moment for Hooky and an experience his son will never forget. You can tell he definitely get's his musical chops from his Father. Also in attendence that night was writer Irvine Welsh. We didn't see him, but via their conversation on Twitter Welsh had a great time as well that night. The lights struck the stage and the New Order set was about to begin. They started it off with "Let's Go" and as with the Joy Division set the crowd were on their feet. I had wondered was this how it felt to be in the clubs back in their heyday? I still believe I was born in the wrong decade. I couldn't even imagine the feeling of hearing them back then. Not like today where everything sounds like manufactured crap coming from the Willy Wonka like plant that is called the music industry. Who cares if it doesn't have feeling, depth, or hell even a tangible instrument on an album; if it contains a catchy hook and nudity it's a hit. This generation doesn't even know what an album is really. They buy songs and truthfully a lot of these artists don't form their album as a landscape. They know their audience will be purchasing or streaming singles. I imagine back in the day Hooky and the boys never thought they'd have cult legendary status decades later or that they would influenece so many other great artists. That being said, it's best to think like that really. It keeps a level head on your shoulders and you're not going to be a pompous twit that thinks the world owes you a living. The one song that I was most excited to hear was the instrumental song "Elegia." I have a soft spot for this song because it was the soundtrack to an after high school breakup. As I was coping through the heartbreak I played that damn song over and over. It was so powerful and as each chord hit, it was like a knife in my gut. The moments of that relationship played in my head like an 80's teen movie and that song was definitely pivotal. I just wanted to cry when I heard Hooky play it, but again I was just so happy to be there the tears couldn't make an apperance that night.They played a few more songs and then again went into a break. The next set was from their album Brotherhood. This album was my introduction to New Order. I had remembered seeing the videos for "True Faith" and "Bizarre Love Triangle" on Mtv and fell in love. After the Brotherhood set another short break and at some point there was a marriage proposal from a fan to his girlfriend on stage. This seems to be the new thing going on nowadays instead of proposals on the big screen at a baseball game. They appeared back on stage and started the last set with "State Of The Nation." I was excited to hear "True Faith" and "Temptation." It was so fun dancing to them and feeding off the crowd's energy. After "Temptation" was over they had a special surprise for the crowd. Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins joined them on stage to sing the classic hit from Joy Division "Love Will Tear Us Apart." The crowd was in awe of the moment and many probably couldn't believe he was on stage in front of them. There was a sea of cell phones and cameras being held up in the crowd to capture the moment. I must be honest, it was nice to see him up on stage, but I don't think he did the song justice. Maybe it's because the song has such feeling and emotion, but you really have to put your heart into it. It's not a lame karoke song to sing. I think if he would have joined Hooky on the vocals and helped Potts with some guitar work it would have been better, but I guess you can't ask for too much when someone isn't actually on the bill to perform. The lights went down and the crowd was thanked for coming to the show as the crew disassembled the drums and mics from the stage. There would be no encore, but there didn't need to be. It was a hell of a show and I think everyone walked away satisfied with the night's offering. As we assembled on the cold streets of Chicago we waited a few minutes in the alley of the club hoping to meet Hooky. We waited and as I froze like a popicsle we decide to go across the street and get a Chicago hot dog and glare out the window until he popped out of the club. After eating a horrible cheeese covered hot dog he still had not walked out of the club. We stood outside and I told my friend "We'll just wait a few minutes. I'll kick myself if we leave and he comes out." We waited a few minutes and there he was walking out the door with a big smile. Everyone was excited and asked for autographs and pictures. I patiently waited and finally got my picture with him and hugged him tightly while thanking him for the picture. I wanted to thank him for saving my life, but I could tell he was in a hurry to leave. I was so happy that I actually got to meet him and hug him that I skipped down the frozen Chicago streets like a little girl. My night was complete and another musical hero to check off my bucket list. I hope he tours again because I can't wait to see him again! SET LIST CEREMONY TRANSMISSION DISORDER NOVELTY DIGITAL ISOLATION SHE'S LOST CONTROL SHADOWPLAY ------------------------------- LET'S GO LONESOME TONIGHT THIEVES LIKE US LOVE VIGILANTIES THE PERFECT KISS THIS TIME OF NIGHT SUNRISE ELEGIA SOONER THEN YOU THINK SUBCULTURE FACE UP --------------------------------- PARADISE WEIRDO AS IT IS WHEN IT WAS BROKEN PROMISE WAY OF LIFE BIZARRE LOVE TRIANGLE ALL DAY LONG ANGEL DUST EVERY LITTLE COUNTS _____________________________ STATE OF THE NATION CONFUSION TRUE FAITH TEMPATION LOVE WILL TEAR US APART IMAGESVIDEO
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So after listening to Prince's new album, I was a little taken back by the elements added to some of his songs. Yes he still has the funk guitar sound that we all know and love, but some added elements to his songs weren't so pleasing to the ear. The sounds you hear from Daft Punk or EDM in general were disappointing. I understand you have to keep up with the times, but using these novelty sounds or reaching for elements that are in trend right now in music seem disheartening. What happened to keeping with the sound that made you who you are? Isn't that what your fans truly want? Do many artists nowadays feel they need to reach that younger audience to stay relevant? Over the years I've seen many legendary acts dabble in duos with the latest popular artist. Like Madonna working with Miley Cyrus ( I gasp even typing her name), Tony Bennett working with Lady GaGa, and Jay-Z mixing things up with Led Zeppelin. So does staying to your true sound mean dwindling record sales or does it mean standing by your brand for sheer principal? Or is this just how musicians evolve? Always trying new things; new sounds? I have nothing against trying a new direction or evolving your sound, but I think adding EDM elements or adding the latest chart topping artist is a reach for relevance in a certain light. I crave the old Prince sound that just blew you away with his funky guitar playing and simple song elements. I know I can only dream to have the 80's back, but can we get back to the 'Keep It Simple Stupid' motto? Nothing wrong with experimenting, but when I cringe cos you used an air horn sound effect that DJ's use or that you hear in European football than you have lost focus. You are Prince, you don't have to add these unneeded novelties to be relevant. They add no substance to the song. In my opinion, a few artists who have been on the music scene for awhile that have stayed true to their sound are Radiohead, Morrissey, and Depeche Mode. What do you think? When someone dies you may stop and reflect about your own life and mortality. Especially when the death wasn't from a life long illness and was a life taken in tragedy. I've been to many funerals and have had to put together my own Father's memorial video at his funeral. I also synced songs from his favorite singer Dean Martin onto the memorial video. I recently put together a playlist on Spotify that had all the songs I want to be played at my funeral. I have went to funerals before where the family did not do as their loved ones wished when putting together their funeral. You really didn't see or hear anything that truly reflected the person who passed. I know it's a tough time for the family and you really don't want to deal with what kind of flowers for the funeral or what memory card looks the best. You just want that person back and for it all to be a horrible nightmare. So on my Spotify playlist I chose songs that I love and that would probably fit the mood. I know even if I wanted people to just celebrate my life, it wouldn't happen. I did end the playlist with a more up beat song, so that will satisfy what I want. Does this all sound egotistical or just reassuring that my funeral will truly reflect "me"? I'm hoping the latter as I truly don't think any hymnals played would be "me." So, I'll share my funeral playlist and maybe you'll think of yours as well? To me, it's just as important as a will. I know that sounds crazy, but music is my life and is something to be shared and celebrated just as someone's life is. 1. Perfect Day-Lou Reed (Transformer) 2. Life Goes On-The Damned (Strawberries) 3. Love Will Tear Us Apart-Joy Division (Single) 4. There Is A Light That Never Goes Out-The Smiths (The Queen Is Dead) 5. This Must Be The Place(Naive Melody)-Talking Heads (The Best Of) 6. One Day-The Verve (Urban Hymns) 7. Heaven Wait-White Lies (Big TV) 8. In My Life-The Beatles (Rubber Soul) 9. You Only Live Twice-Nancy Sinatra (James Bond:You Only Live Twice) 10. I Just Wasn't Made For These Times-Beach Boys (Made In California) 11. Angie-Rolling Stones (Goats Head Soup) 12. A Dream Of You And Me-Future Islands (Singles) 13. Three Little Birds-Bob Marley & The Wailers (Legend) So I have been single since earlier this year and finding someone who shares your same interests at my age is hard. I'm not much on the bar scene and my life revolves around work and my son, so it makes it hard to meet anyone. I have tried online dating sites on and off the last few years, with only one long term relationship coming from that experience. It's quite tricky to find a guy who is genuinely looking for someone special in their life. Most are there for someone special for the night, not life. Truthfully when I scan a guy's profile I go straight to their music preference section. I think music says a lot about a person and I also want to share similar music tastes. If I see that they only listen to country music or only list artists in the top of the charts I will pass. Country music is something I have never been able to get into and doesn't interests me at all. Okay..no my ears would bleed if I had to listen to it. Since I filter possible connections via their musical tastes, does that prevent me from finding true love or is this filed under the deal breakers category? When I was younger I wouldn't even bother with anyone who didn't like the same music as I did. To me that's about as personal as your religious or political beliefs. I remember one time my Step-Dad trying to set me up with a guy and I looked at his MySpace profile and he listed crappy rap music. Don't get me wrong, I do like some rap music. Mostly when rap was real and had more substance. Coming from a small town it was hard to find someone who had similar music tastes. You just don't see some cute guy walking down the street with a Bauhaus or Joy Division shirt. There for awhile I didn't really put musical preference as a top priority when dating someone. It was nice if they shared some of my music tastes, but it wasn't a requirement. I had just gotten to a point where I was tired of trying to find that someone with similar tastes, so I just put that on the back burner. After being in a long relationship I realized that yes, music preference is something important to me. I think there's nothing better than sharing the music you love with someone. I also think that concerts can be as intimate as sex. Sharing that energy and love of the music is something that instantly connects you and drowns you with a warm feeling within. I can still remember going to see Nine Inch Nails with David Bowie when I was was a teen with my then boyfriend. I had made up a story about sleeping a a friend's house and we drove to Cleveland to see them. I cringe at the thought of my son doing that one day, but it was an experience and something I'll always remember. I did join an online music site that is about meeting people with similar music tastes and somewhat a dating site. I think this is a great idea, but yet again the only guys I found that had similar tastes were in England! It works best if you perhaps live in a bigger city I think. So the hopes are for one day to find someone who I can share music I love with and they can share their loved music. Those I think are the best relationships because you truly share all of your feelings, fears, and moments through music when the words are hard to convey. As I was driving to the Fashion Meets Music Fest, my mind couldn't help but wonder about my last relationship. I had dated my ex for about six months and it ended abruptly with no real reason for the break up. I was blindsided and heartbroken. It took me a few months to finally get the nerve to start dating again. I knew if I had kept feeling this way and closing off all of these feelings I would fall into a darker area than I wanted. One day I just said "Fuck it, I can't feel this way anymore. I can't let what he did make me act and feel this way. He can't have that power!" Even though I am in a better place, it is hard at times; the unanswered questions, the doubts, and the what ifs. As I was driving under the Ohio welcome sign and arch I couldn't help but remember all the signs and landmarks along the way when I would drive to visit him. He lived six hours away from me so we would meet half way or I would visit him. It was a somewhat emotional drive through Ohio seeing the rest area we stopped at, the town we stayed in when we met halfway, and most of all the music we shared. My very first blog entry was about meeting Bob 1 from DEVO. My ex was related to one of the members by marriage and that's how I was able to meet Bob 1. As I said before, I was never obsessed with DEVO, but liked their music and thought they were underrated. I started to collect more of their vinyl and was listening to them again. It had been awhile since I really listened to them. My son also started getting into them and they're now his favorite band. So after the breakup it was hard to listen to them again. A few songs would remind me of my ex and all of the memories would flood in. I had asked the question to a music site , How long can you start listening to a certain band after a breakup? When can you listen to "Mongoloid" again without it reminding you that it was your ex's favorite song? Many who answered said about six months to a year. I couldn't listen to them at all when we broke up. Even seeing Facebook updates from the band or passing their signed records in the stairwell of my apartment was hard. We also had talked about how fun it would be to go to a show together and being able to be back stage with the band. I thought that would have been great fun. It's funny how music attaches itself to people, places, and certain times in our life. The one good thing about having music attach itself to your memory is when you start listening to a band because of someone. I've had a few boyfriends or guys that I've dated who without knowing them I might not have discovered The Smiths or The English Beat. Twenties years later I still think about the boy in high school I had a crush on when hearing Morrissey's "The More You Ignore Me." Whenever I hear Tiffany's "Promises Made" I think about when I was a kid and I had worn that tape out on a family vacation. We had went out west and the music just went with the whole beautiful scenery. I remember being in the back seat and pretending I was in a music video. Looking through the back window and lip-synching the lyrics as the mountains went by. I think the funniest thing is when I hear Stone Temple Pilots "Sex Type Thing." I remember when I was a teen and putting it on my Christmas list for my Grandma. I was surprised when I actually got it for Christmas as she is a very religious person. Still makes me chuckle today. On a sadder note, when I hear Dean Martin I think about my Father's funeral. Dean was his favorite singer, so we played his favorite Dean Martin songs. I'm not for sure if it takes time or just shear mind control to not think about that person when hearing a certain song. Maybe it will never go away? Maybe years later when I hear DEVO it will be a passing memory and it won't quite hurt as bad? I don't agree with the saying, "Time heals all wounds", but I do think it lessens the blow a bit. I'm happy to say I've been asked to be a contributor to Get It On Vinyl, a wonderful website dedicated to music and keeping your local music store alive. I wrote a review about the Future Islands after party show at the Fashion Meets Music Fest in Columbus, OH. If you would like to read it please visit the Get It On Vinyl site. Also check out their other articles and reviews..oh and the sweet merch!
Living in the midwest the closest city to see a decent show is four hours away. I always had a list of bands I wanted to see before I died. Sort of a "Concert Bucket List." Back in the day when I was a teen many bands would come to Indianapolis, but over the years they seem to bypass Indy and go straight to St. Louis or Chicago. It's about a four hour drive, but the longest most boring drive ever! Well maybe except driving through Kansas..now that's boring! Since it's a long haul, I don't get to see many shows and over the years finding people to go with is a battle. Everyone is busy with work, kids, etc. I understand it, but concerts for me are somewhat of an energy boost. It's like recharging my battery. So I'm going to put out my Concert Bucket List. Please comment and let me know who's on your list!
-David Byrne/Talking Heads -New Order -White Lies -DEVO -Madonna -Rolling Stones -PJ Harvey -The Damned -Depeche Mode -U2 -Gary Numan Who's on your list? So the idea about this blog entry came from a conversation I had on a dating site. In one of my photos I had on the Joy Division "Unknown Pleasures" shirt. A guy messaged me and commented on the shirt and our conversation began. He had said that he got over depressing music a long time ago. That got me thinking, what music stays with us till we die and what music is just a blip on our musical spectrum? And what decides this musical filing? Is it what we are going through at each phase of our life or do our musical taste broaden and what we thought was once amazing is just vanilla? Some bands will always be classic and no one will ever compare to them. In high school I started listening to punk music. I loved the energy and how it was formed around the idea of anti-establishment and conforming to all the latest trends. It's funny now because punk itself became a trend. You can see the punk look on fashion runways and hear bubblegum punk on the airwaves. While still liking punk music I transgressed to Industrial and 80's New Wave music. Partly to the fact that I started to date a guy who was into the music and introduced me to underground bands and cool movies. I think for me music has always grown up with me. It was the soundtrack to my life and I felt that it truly kept me alive. Like most teens I lacked self-confidence and felt indifferent. When I started high school I was a regular kid. I didn't fit into any of those clichéd labels. At the time I was dating a guy and this one night changed my life. It changed how I viewed the world, the clothes I wore, and the music I listened to. At the time I had no idea what sex truly was. It was a different time then how things are now. You can't turn on television without an ad or show with some sort of sexual innuendo or nudity. My world was quite simple and I really wasn't allowed to have a social life. It was all tame until this one night and my world became jaded. It became bitterly filled with sexual and social limitations that I would have to work through. That one night I was raped in the back seat of a car by the boy I had been seeing. It was late at night and he had picked me up down the road from where I lived. We had gone to a park and fooled around until it reached a level I wasn't comfortable with. I won't go into details any further, but this night changed me forever. As said before I was quite naive and thought this was what sex was supposed to be. I thought even if you didn't want to do it, you still did it. It wasn't until I had spoken to a trusted teacher after a sex ed session in class that I knew this had happened to me. I felt betrayed, embarrassed, and alone. I didn't want to tell my parents or anyone for that matter. I went into a depression and felt that somehow I brought this onto myself or that I was at fault, but music was my therapy. It took me years and an understanding boyfriend to pull me through the drudge to make me see that that night wasn't my fault and didn't define me. I would arise above it and be able to have real sexual interaction again. It will always be there of course, but it's not clutching onto my psyche as it once did. This is when I transformed into a girl who wore baggy clothes, closed myself off, and started to listen to "darker" music. I felt the angst of punk music a comfort. I also started listening to Joy Division, The Smiths, and Tori Amos to name a few at this point. Amos helped because she too had went through a similar experience as I had. I also started writing poetry at this time and obtained a new group of friends who shared the same tastes in music. We were the misfits or weirdos of the school. We mostly didn't participate in sports or football games on the weekend. We found comfort in skipping school and going to a nearby college town. It was great fun going to the record stores and hanging with college kids. It really opened a whole new world to me. The music and the scene helped me heal my wounds a bit. I didn't feel alone and felt that I had found myself in a sense. I pretty much kept this musical wave going until a few years after high school. That's when I started getting into metal. I think at the time I was angry with a lot of things and the heavy riffs and lyrics fed that need. I still loved my classic 80's and 90's music, but I was going through another wave in my musical spectrum. I rode that wave until a few years after my son was born and I started to mellow my music taste once again. I started getting out my old cds and having a listen again. It brought back memories of my teen years and sounded just as fresh as it did back then. It gave me comfort and warmth that no other music could. It had always spoke to me and was the voice when I had no words to utter. I'm not for sure if we over time disband our music tastes, but I do believe we go through phases or "waves" as I like to call them. If you put on a song from your youth or when you were going through a particular time in life, all those memories drift back to your psyche like a heavy downpour. There are some bands that have that magic today, but I don't think they could capture a memory as heavy as hearing The Smiths or Talking Heads for the first time. Especially back then because it was all so new and refreshing to what was being played on the airwaves at the time. Like many I don't even listen to the radio anymore. Very few times will I find something that speaks to me and makes me wanna look a band up. Of course, I do live in a small town in the midwest so that could play a huge part. Maybe when I'm older I will file my records in chronological order like Rob did in High Fidelity. Right now they are just mixed up all together and I'm sure it's an OCD nightmare to some. To this day I will go through my records and forget a record I bought when I was a teen. It's kind of a pleasant surprise. So at least in my experience music can get you through a difficult time in your life and change everything from that point forward. It can change you as a person and can broaden your outlook on life. It can be that warm blanket, that fuzzy memory, or the place that makes you realize you aren't the only one to feel the way you do. I never gave up on depressing music and perhaps he wasn't depressed enough to appreciate the music that got him through life? {Side note: This is probably the most personal blog entry to date, but looking back at my musical spectrum it was a defining moment. If someone who reads this has went through the same thing, I hope they will know they're not alone. } So here it is almost 4am and I have just arrived home from the Future Islands show in Indianapolis. I have to write this now while the whole night is fresh in my mind, because my memory sucks anymore. I'm not for sure if it's the tumor in my head or I'm getting old; but nonetheless I won't remember every bit by tomorrow. This was the first show I had gone to by myself and had a bit of anxiety about it. I always loved sharing the concert experience with a friend and having someone to keep me entertained on the way home. Everyone around me told me not to worry and that when the music starts we're all alone anyway.
I arrived early and was first in line. Heading to the front row I had to wait another hour before the opening act called Operators started. They are a three piece band that sounded like wonderful 80's new wave industrial. It was a great surprise because usually I'm patient, but truly wishing the opening act would hurry up so I can see the band I came to see in the first place. This time it was different. Their whole set kept me entertained and wanting more. They seemed so grateful for the audience's love that night, which has me wondering if this is something they don't experience much? I know the people behind me wouldn't shut up during their whole set and among other things is on my concert pet peeve list. I will get to that later. During one of their songs the edgy and beautiful keyboard player broke her necklace that I had been admiring all night. She said "Like during sex, sometimes jewelry breaks" and she handed it to me. It was a wonderful gesture, but I'm going to try to fix it for her and send it back. It truly belongs on her neck! After they had finished their set, it was time for the main act... Future Islands! Everyone was pumped and in anticipation for what was coming up next. This was my first Future Islands show, but for many in the crowd it wasn't their first time around the Future Islands block. As the band came out one by one the crowd welcomed them with screams and sweaty hands clapping together. Gerrit and William are the low key members of the band letting Sam the lead singer electrify the crowd with both his insane levels of vocal range and theatrical performance. At times Sam will bring you into an old punk show with his intense screams and brings you back down to altitude with soft spoken words. Even though the other members are not running about stage, their ingredients to the band are quite important. Many of William's bass lines remind me of Joy Division/New Order or some older punk, especially "Heart Grows Older." Gerrit nicely ties the whole landscape together with keyboards and programming that will take you to another terrain. Mike, the tour drummer, is reminiscent of Stephen Morris of Joy Division/New Order. I have been asked many times what does Future Islands sound like? I really have no true answer. I can name a list of bands that take a bit here and there, but they're unique. They give their all when they play and are quite humble when the audience reciprocates the feeling. During the show I was in awe of Sam's performance and just wondering how the hell he does it. He probably sweated out about five pounds in one show. Of course, the front row received most of this sweat. I think my record may contain some of his sweat as well. He would connect face-to-face with the crowd and touch hands. It was as if he was some messiah, everyone he locked eyes with was in awe of his presence. The show was so exciting that I only took a few photos. I couldn't take my eyes off of them, it was that good. I wanted to take in this moment. Take this experience and actually enjoy it without technology getting in the way. After the encore, I headed to the exit and down the alley by the club. I was one of the first few to hang out in the back for the band to possibly sign autographs and take photos. I had waited for about thirty minutes and then finally Sam had appeared. Gone were his sweat soaked clothes from the show and a tight fitting gray shirt along with an Orioles cap. I was the first one to greet him and I was yet again transformed into a 16 year old fan girl. This is a wonderful feeling, but is something I try to keep under control so I don't seem like a weirdo. I think the reason why I get this way is because I'm in awe of people who could possibly make me feel a certain way just by a few words and notes. Like others, without The Smiths and Joy Division in high school I probably wouldn't be here today. I guess I feel a great deal of gratitude to the music makers. Without knowing you, they can make you feel like every song they play is about you or what you're going through. Many times music is your closed captioning in life. You don't have the right words to say or the melody speaks to you in a way that no one could ever understand. Think about it, certain music or images from your childhood can either bring that warm nostalgic feeling or possibly the feeling of innocence lost. So I lost track, but it's almost 5am. Right now I'm running on White Castle and Mountain Dew, which I'll probably regret tomorrow. So back to the story, Sam signed my record and I got a picture with him. Then we stared at each other and I was in some sort of weird Twilight Zone trance. I had no idea what to say, but to glare at him like a fuckin' idiot. He could possibly play in a remake of 1984 and have us all in a trance with his eyes. Sam went on to meet other fans and share stories and baseball talk. While waiting for William I had started chatting up with the tour drummer Mike. I had told him he had reminded me of Stephen Morris and he was delighted to hear the comparison. He said he had practiced "Bizarre Love Triangle" when he was learning how to play. I asked him if he had his own band and he said he had a band named Mt Royal. Check them out if you have a chance, as I will be doing so tomorrow! I happened to snatch Gerrit as he was walking back into the venue and asked if he could sign my album and get a picture with me. He seemed delighted and pleased to do so. I then finally got to chat with William and yet again I was star struck because when I was coming into the venue I had passed him on the way to the stage. I thought it was him, but didn't want to look like the idiot if he had some twin. We laughed about that for a moment and then we talked about the tour. I had mentioned how I loved the smaller venues because I felt you had more of a connection with the band. We then went into how bands seem to forget about poor Indianapolis and head straight up to Chicago. I was telling him how I'm going to see Peter Hook in Chicago in November and we chatted about how great he is sounding. I mentioned I had an extra ticket so if he wanted to go let me know...by the way that offer still stands William! I'm laughing right now. We discussed Joy Division's album Closer and how you could hear tinges of early New Order in that album. He signed my album and we got a photo together. He then asked if I wanted a pic of me and the whole band and it took only a second to jump on that offer. I gave my camera to another fan because my phone was only on 20% battery. We all got together and I thought had taken about 5 or 6 photos... by the time the last ones were taken it was like some 80's Aerosmith shoot; everyone with legs in the air and silly faces. I thanked them all again and gave William a hug and said thank you again and that I was so glad to meet them. So, on a drive home fueled by some crap fast food, Mountain Dew, Iggy Pop, David Bowie, and Prince I finally made it home. I don't think I scarfed food and drink that fast in my life! I hadn't eaten anything since 2pm and hadn't had anything to drink since 6pm. As always when I do that, I get one of my wonderful headaches. After getting into a comfy nightgown and inserting my SD card I found out that not one photo from tonight was on my camera. I was heartbroken. The only pictures I had were a few during the show and ones with Sam and Gerrit. I know, I know... I shouldn't complain. I really was looking forward to seeing the pictures and I also didn't have one with William and I. Regardless, it was a great and a much needed night. I wish I would have been able to ask them some questions for my blog, but the fan girl in me took over! Hopefully I will be able to see them in Columbus in a few weeks and will be able to retake those pics! |
AuthorAngela Marie. I like writing. I like music. I have thoughts falling from my head. Archives
July 2018
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