I told you
the blogs would be like buses, I have to get this one written as its like a
buzz saw in my head, I also need to get it out to draw some closure to my “live”
relationship with the hottest band in the land, and hopefully it will put an
end to all the tags I have been put in on Farcebook since yesterday, who knew I
knew so many wonderful Peeps!
So as I alluded in the last blog, yesterday was a long-time
coming and even longer in the planning, a few minor blips on the road in (ok so
I checked my bank account and all the money was allocated to bills and stuff
WTF) but we got over those hurdles and Saturday night really was like Kiss mas
eve, everybody excited and me grumpy (who would have thought). The next morning,
I was padding around the house while all and sundry (no the dog is not called
sundry!) slept the sleep of the dead, I pottered on until the dead started to
rise and like the nice person I am I cooked them their breakfast, well I am a
nice person (honest I am the rumours are simply not true) again some more
pottering whilst the ladies of the house (ok just the wife panicked) doing what
ladies do, all the while I’m getting the evil eye as I’m not ready, it takes me
all of two minutes, trust me I am not high maintenance.
Now this is
where things started to go awry, my stomach was off I was praying that I wasn’t
going to suffer a recurrence of my exploding orifices, thankfully no, but my
stomach was simply not playing ball, the wife took the hound off to the Kraken’s
and I made myself look as pretty as I could, yes I know lets not go there! Then
the road trip could start properly, our planning required us to find somewhere
to park, our number one destination was taken so we sneaked into a spot at our
second preferred location, not ideal but at least we had a safe harbour.
We set off
for higher ground (OK Trillian’s) and it was great walking through Newcastle
looking at all of the fans in their great T shirts, there was some awesome
merch on display, the wife was getting just as many admiring glances for her
Eric Carr T shirt that a great friend made for her over twenty years ago, as we
arrived it was great to see our once local full to the guns with like minded
people and a lot of people who we knew, well OK the wife knew and the rest kind
of grunted (LOL) to be honest there were simply too many people (hang on that’s
a Vardis song) to chat to, I met some new peeps and some old peeps and some
more from my place of work, all in all a fantastic part of the day, great
memories great conversations and generally great people, I didn’t see one
person who I didn’t like (that makes a change) the only problem as always with
Trills is that it was like an oven, I felt for the poor people getting their
Kiss face painted they must have been melting!
We decided
to head out for some food and the party generally split if only for a little
while, by now I was suffering, but I wanted to keep it on the lowdown as I certainly
didn’t want to spoil anyone’s day (like I normally do) again the food and the
company was great, but everywhere we went there were bloody stairs my knees
were doing great at this stage, but I knew I would suffer in pain later on! Onwards
we went off to the Bodega, picking up waifs and strays along the way and I did
a good deed by taking stuff back to the car, once I got back we were in the
middle of two heated sporting events (yawn I wasn’t bothered) we then took a
slow meander to the venue picking up even more waifs and strays along our merry
way.
At this
point I shall point out that a number of photos were taken in many of the
venues ( I know I have the face for radio) I’m not a fan of it happening, I feel
as though I don’t know what to do, so thankfully I was allowed to take them and
not be in them , although I was captured (under protest) at least once. By now I
was really under the weather and my knees were suffering, and to get to our
seats there was even more bloody stairs (somebody just shoot me) how did we do
this all the time when we were younger and there would be copious amounts of
drink involved? I was trying to keep an even lower profile than normal, not
that it mattered the wife was fixated on a point in the distance and damn the
torpedoes! For someone who is as poorly as she is (and I’m not joking she
really is) she can’t half get up a head of steam, she was in full flight, once
she was through the metal detectors it was time to feed Mr $immons bank account,
now I didn’t intend to buy anything (please see previous bank statement) but I did
like the vintage black and white Destroyer although I refrained although the
youngest did offer (bless her) I don’t usually buy lots of merch (cough
splutter) there were loads of strange people dressed up in full Kiss costumes
including a dwarf (well smaller than me and that’s not tall) dressed as Mr
$immons, they may be strange but I love them they are my kind of people, once the merch was secured we headed into our
seats, now my only complaint of the night is the size of the seats these cannot
be for normal size individuals I have lost over five stone and I barely fit
into it and I have a cute butt! Well so I’m told I’m not one to spread rumours
(LOL)
It was at
this point I was doing all of the tricks of the trade to stop projectile vomiting,
my acid reflux was raging and I was suffering (if you knew a vet I would have
asked to be shot honestly it was that bad) the gentleman next me was a very
kind gentleman indeed, he kept asking me if I was ok , he even went to the
trouble of scouring all of the bars for some peppermint cordial, bless him it
was that moment that saved the day as the wife had some chewing gum that was
peppermint flavoured, I must have looked deranged as I gnawed at it to sooth my
gut! What was great and I did notice tons of kids (with ear defenders
naturally) what a range of people were at the gig, what I don’t get is those
that sit and simply film it on their phones, watch it in the now and savour the
moment not some sterile thing on your big TV at home, how many people actually
bother to look back at their videos? I bet not many, taking pictures I get, but
videoing it sad and just a little strange!
As for the
gig itself I’m not reviewing it, you should have been there, awesome stage
setting awesome effects lighting laser’s , sound was pretty damn good, even for
me who is partially deaf, the set list was………….actually quite good, Beth being
the only ballad of a pretty rocking set, yes there was stuff that was missed
out with that much bloody good music there was always going to be winners and
losers, the only track I didn’t care much for was “Say yeah” was this the best gig by the
band I had ever seen? Probably not, but for the stage setting it was, nothing
beats the first time at the hall but hey this was pretty close to it! Yes, the
wife got up to dance, yes, she had an argument and told the world to go F*** themselves,
it put a dampener on it for her, to be honest I was simply trying not to throw
up at this point! All in all an awesome gig I don’t think that there will be
much to beat that, so I might just be calling time on my gig going duties, I wanted
the best and I got the best…………….WOW!
Then after
the battle of the Somme sorry it felt like it with all of the explosions that
went off, more fireworks than a Guy Fawkes night and enough lasers to kill all
of the aliens in close encounters and I would like to see the fire risk
assessment for the amount of flames that was used, I now I simply can’t stop
working what can I say I’m a bloody workaholic! And then in a heartbeat it was
over! the 42-year love affair was done, do I think it’s the end hell no I bet
they have a few more tricks up their sleeve before they shuffle off this mortal
coil, but for me yes it is and what a way to go out on!
We then did a silly thing and attempted to
leave with everybody else (lots of them) we bumped into even more nice people,
it was just like being a bloody hippy , so many lovely people mind you I could
have stabbed the guy drumming on the way in and out of the venue (bless him) we
just had the uphill struggle to get to the car, my knees at this point had done
a tag team effort with my acid reflux and was kicking my butt, I didn’t care I was
happy I had a great day with great people watching a great gig it simply doesn’t
get better than that!
We got the
hell out of dodge quickly, we took the low road and were soon back in
Gimpsville at the Krakens to pick up a pooch, who was over the moon to see us,
we thanked the Kraken who could have kicked off but strangely she didn’t, once
home the youngest went straight to bed as she had rehearsal today for some Sondheim
thingy majig, me and the wife tried to keep up with all of the farcebook posts we soon admitted defeat and headed up the
wooden hill!
A slight
lie in the morning (for me at least) the wife went back to bed for a short
while, to say that I am crippled today is an understatement, but you know what
it was well worth it, I know I haven’t mentioned
anybody by name (coded or otherwise) but it was great to see so many of you all
(including a certain birthday boy) even though I wasn’t in the best of health,
my spirits were lifted by each and everybody that I saw, everybody that I spoke
to, especially the wonderful phone call I received on the morning to find out
what our plans were for the day, I have said it before and I will continue to
keep saying it, I have made more friends due to this band than all of the bands
I like put together, oh and at no time did I attempt to do my Gene $immons impersonation,
now that has to be a first!
So there
you have it my Kiss blog, and you lot thought it would be about the gig, as if
you really thought that you don’t know me that well, the next one wont be along
as quickly as this one was, but there will be more down the line, so keep watching
the skies for incoming, keep spreading the disease because the numbers have sponsored
by NASA they are so high, thank you one and all for the kind words until the
next one is ready …………………………Toodles!
