but first, the cast of characters
[Me Me. . . .
Serge Serge . . . from the board
Dimitri Serges friend whom I met last COB concert
Vadim Another of Serges friends whom I also met at the last COB concert
Victor Dimitris friend
Main Roadie Cobs Main Roadie
Arnold Evergreys Sound guy
Tom Englund Singer/Guitarist of Evergrey
Henrik Danhage Guitarist of Evergrey
Jonas Ekdahl Drums of Evergrey
It all started on a dark on stormy night (seriously, it fucking snowed), and Iced Earth was just starting Gettysburg, so Serge, Vadim, Dimitri, and Victor had some time to kill. We went to the front of the venue, and started figuring out who went where with who . . . Vadims car was waaaaay far away, and he needed a ride. So when the show is finally over, we leave and start heading down the streets past Wendys, past another music venue, and down that side street. Dimitri was leading us, but soon after we turned down the street, me and serge piped up where the fuck are we going. to Bobs car, you dill hole replied Dimitri. Too bad my car is back there and on the other side of the street, I stated. So we turn around and head to my car, and, Dimitri and Co. pass it. So I start yelling, HEY, MY CAR IS RIGHT HERE. So we all get in and we go find Dimitris car. After that we drive to the bus area where COB and Evergreys bus is. I see Arnold, and try and get some beer, but this fucking town stops selling beer at 12 AM!!!! L So Dimitri, Vadim, Victor, and Serge start leaving, and Dimitri hits a curb, pretty hard from what I hear. They want to go get Vadims car, and get something to eat. So they leave. So I call Jeanne because she told me to give Alexi a message from her. As Im talking to her the bus starts backing out, leaving Arnold behind. I ask him hey are they leaving you he says I dont know man, I hope not. I started up again, Are they gonna come out, I have a message for Alexi from a friend of mine. Oh yeah, from who. So I describe Jeanne as best as I can, and then I end up handing the phone to him. So they are talking for a while, and the bus goes down the street and turns oh my shit . . . My fucking bus is leaving me cried Arnold. But not to worry, it was merely turning around, going to the front of the venue to load up all the equipment. I walk back over and see Arnold and ask him if he needs help, he says yeah and points to a ton of stuff in Flight Cases and I grabbed stuff and started loading it up into the trailer. Im talking with the main roadie about back in December, how he ran across the street, yelling at me because he though I had Roopes (robe-eh) guitar. He remembered. So after we load up all the stuff, Arnold invites me on to the bus for a drink. So I follow him on, and all the other kids are like: omg: and Arnold pours me a Southern Comfort. And he tells Janne this guy helped us, totally voluntarily, with loading up the amps and guitars and stuff. I start talking to Arnold about gear, and I tell him my setup, and hes telling me that simpler is better, because evergrey, they are endorsed by Caparison and Randall, so he plugs the guitar straight into the amp. Jeanne calls me again, and I hand the phone to Alexi. They talk for about 20 minutes or so. He almost gave my phone back to some random person, but I grabbed it.
After that I talk to Janne about UM, and how its down all the time, and I asked him about the new Koltipelto Album, with Michael Romeo. After a bit more drinking, Arnold says come see the back lounge, we have a discotheque in there. I follow him past what looked like bunks, 4up and 4 across on both sides. Then into the lounge, the first person I see is Roope, and I shake his hand and tell him he is simply amazing. I see Tom and Henrik and Jonas from evergrey are there also, along with Alexi. Arnold pours some of his SoCo into my cup again, and I cheered them all for the show that night. Jonas had put in a CD Pat Boone Goes Metal, with covers of Crazy Train, Holy Diver, Enter Sandman, and more on it. Its great. Then Roope and I talk about Jackson v. ESP for a bit, and Alexi pops in a NWA CD Straight Outta Compton, and he knew all the words. He was passing around a bell, which I think he stole from the receptionists desk at the hotel. He was binging it on the beats.
Alexi
BINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
Henrik
BINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
Jonas
BINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
Roope
BINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
Tom
BINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
Me
BINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
Back to Roope and so on for some time.
At 1:30 Main roadie comes on and I get up and I know I have to leave.
So I tell Arnold, that I will be at the show on the 17th at San Francisco, but know it looks like I wont be going 
. But he puts me on the guest list, and I cheered everyone up front and told them all excellent show. Set my drink down and left.
All in All, great night, great music, great bands, great people.
No pics, No autos, just a memory.]
[Me Me. . . .
Serge Serge . . . from the board
Dimitri Serges friend whom I met last COB concert
Vadim Another of Serges friends whom I also met at the last COB concert
Victor Dimitris friend
Main Roadie Cobs Main Roadie
Arnold Evergreys Sound guy
Tom Englund Singer/Guitarist of Evergrey
Henrik Danhage Guitarist of Evergrey
Jonas Ekdahl Drums of Evergrey
It all started on a dark on stormy night (seriously, it fucking snowed), and Iced Earth was just starting Gettysburg, so Serge, Vadim, Dimitri, and Victor had some time to kill. We went to the front of the venue, and started figuring out who went where with who . . . Vadims car was waaaaay far away, and he needed a ride. So when the show is finally over, we leave and start heading down the streets past Wendys, past another music venue, and down that side street. Dimitri was leading us, but soon after we turned down the street, me and serge piped up where the fuck are we going. to Bobs car, you dill hole replied Dimitri. Too bad my car is back there and on the other side of the street, I stated. So we turn around and head to my car, and, Dimitri and Co. pass it. So I start yelling, HEY, MY CAR IS RIGHT HERE. So we all get in and we go find Dimitris car. After that we drive to the bus area where COB and Evergreys bus is. I see Arnold, and try and get some beer, but this fucking town stops selling beer at 12 AM!!!! L So Dimitri, Vadim, Victor, and Serge start leaving, and Dimitri hits a curb, pretty hard from what I hear. They want to go get Vadims car, and get something to eat. So they leave. So I call Jeanne because she told me to give Alexi a message from her. As Im talking to her the bus starts backing out, leaving Arnold behind. I ask him hey are they leaving you he says I dont know man, I hope not. I started up again, Are they gonna come out, I have a message for Alexi from a friend of mine. Oh yeah, from who. So I describe Jeanne as best as I can, and then I end up handing the phone to him. So they are talking for a while, and the bus goes down the street and turns oh my shit . . . My fucking bus is leaving me cried Arnold. But not to worry, it was merely turning around, going to the front of the venue to load up all the equipment. I walk back over and see Arnold and ask him if he needs help, he says yeah and points to a ton of stuff in Flight Cases and I grabbed stuff and started loading it up into the trailer. Im talking with the main roadie about back in December, how he ran across the street, yelling at me because he though I had Roopes (robe-eh) guitar. He remembered. So after we load up all the stuff, Arnold invites me on to the bus for a drink. So I follow him on, and all the other kids are like: omg: and Arnold pours me a Southern Comfort. And he tells Janne this guy helped us, totally voluntarily, with loading up the amps and guitars and stuff. I start talking to Arnold about gear, and I tell him my setup, and hes telling me that simpler is better, because evergrey, they are endorsed by Caparison and Randall, so he plugs the guitar straight into the amp. Jeanne calls me again, and I hand the phone to Alexi. They talk for about 20 minutes or so. He almost gave my phone back to some random person, but I grabbed it.
After that I talk to Janne about UM, and how its down all the time, and I asked him about the new Koltipelto Album, with Michael Romeo. After a bit more drinking, Arnold says come see the back lounge, we have a discotheque in there. I follow him past what looked like bunks, 4up and 4 across on both sides. Then into the lounge, the first person I see is Roope, and I shake his hand and tell him he is simply amazing. I see Tom and Henrik and Jonas from evergrey are there also, along with Alexi. Arnold pours some of his SoCo into my cup again, and I cheered them all for the show that night. Jonas had put in a CD Pat Boone Goes Metal, with covers of Crazy Train, Holy Diver, Enter Sandman, and more on it. Its great. Then Roope and I talk about Jackson v. ESP for a bit, and Alexi pops in a NWA CD Straight Outta Compton, and he knew all the words. He was passing around a bell, which I think he stole from the receptionists desk at the hotel. He was binging it on the beats.
Alexi
BINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
Henrik
BINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
Jonas
BINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
Roope
BINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
Tom
BINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
Me
BINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
Back to Roope and so on for some time.
At 1:30 Main roadie comes on and I get up and I know I have to leave.
So I tell Arnold, that I will be at the show on the 17th at San Francisco, but know it looks like I wont be going . But he puts me on the guest list, and I cheered everyone up front and told them all excellent show. Set my drink down and left.All in All, great night, great music, great bands, great people.
No pics, No autos, just a memory.]
JESUS H. CHRIST ON A FORNICATING BICYCLE 
Goddamnit, here i am with this pass still and no way out to Cali. I am about to say screw food for the next couple weeks and fly on out anyway come Anaheim! Yes, yes...who needs food...i'd love to see the guys one of their last shows and see them off. It'll be a LITTLE bit before I go to Helsinki...not TOO long tho! Fen needs a vacation...
