Ah ha! Here at last is the second part (hope uve read part 1) and here I will reach the actual gig (as well as the end) and indeed, it was a jolly good show, wot!
After leaving the mud fest of the caravan park, and getting on our way- we had a good clear run up to Newcastle on account of it being Sunday and meeting very little traffic. The soundtrack for the day was provided by an excellent GnR compilation, along with various tapes Rob unearthed from the glove box. At one point we had Lakis and Steve in air guitar harmony, which
was actually one of those moments where you wished you had a video camera.
They were completely synchronised to the point where they picked it up at the same time. Well, Laura and I were amused.
We stopped off at a service station, where Lakis and I felt in the need to purchase lollipops. I got one of those whistle lollies, which excited me greatly because the stick moved and made different notes so I could play row row row your boat. This did not excite Rob, who was trying to sleep.
We also spent quite a lot of time quoting the football pools. This little onset of madness came from the fact that we would be spending that night in Hartlepool, with some of Lauras relatives. When we found out where we were staying, Steve came out with Newcastle One, Hartlepool Nil and we realised that actually quite often the score for Hartlepool was nil. And so
the scores became more and more far fetched. (Man United 54, Hartlepool Nil). Im thinking it might be one of those cases where u had to be there, but every time after that when Hartlepool was mentioned, or in fact, any place name, it would be quickly followed by a pools reading.
Another pit stop provided the chance to pick up a free balloon and a paper windmill on a stick, and a chance for me to (accidentally) kick Lakis (again). He always seems to have his leg in the wrong place, but maybe it was subconscious revenge for all my suffering at the hands of Beanie, wot comments! However, it then introduced him to a new saying of being kicked
in the service station, so it wasnt all bad.
We did get a little lost in the centre of Newcastle, and ended up in a little underground bit behind the shops. Unfortunately Steves usually excellent Navigation system was taking a break so we had to ask a very helpful chap on a motorbike, who then showed us to the right underground bit. Even with me taking about a year to actually find the front door, we were still there over an hour early, which left time for a quick smoke and
a chill out. Even with a lovely set of stairs to drag all the equipment up, (though this was nothing compared to the LA2!), it wasnt long before all the equipment was in the venue and the band ready to rock and roll. Well all except for Rob and Lakis. This pair had become momentarily distracted by
the large size TV screens, which were showing a Britney video. I say momentarily- it was more like the length of the video, during which every merit of the girl (or rather the outfits) were discussed in depth.Once it had finished, normality returned, the drummer returned to his kit and Lakis continued to bring all the equipment to where it was needed. After Id done my job with the screwdriver, the guitars were quickly released from their cases and put in the rack, ready for a nights work!
While they were getting ready, I spent a little while sorting out the merch and also running to and from the van to get various bits and bobs wed forgotten. Well it kept me busy!!
Once this was done, and Rob was doing his sound check, Laura and I disappeared to the (newly cleaned) toilets to tackle muddy boots. In order to keep their feet dry the previous night, both Lakis and Laura had put their stage boots on. So now we had to get them clean, and what fun that was! Lakis had managed to get very little mud on his so it didnt take too long. Unfortunately Lauras boots were not only covered in mud, but also wet inside. They required a lot of scrubbing, and while Laura was doing her sound check, I stood and held them under the hand dryers (and got odd looks from people coming into the toilets). But at least the boots were all clean and sparkly (shame about the sinks! Doh).
Very soon, the general public arrived bringing with it a few familiar faces from the Bulletin board, their friends, and (hopefully) potential new fans. Drinks were then bought, Christmas cards exchanged and lots of photos taken. Steve was seriously on the edge of sleep, having slept little, and driven lots so we quickly filled him with caffeine et al well it seemed
to do the trick as he gave it his usual top performance.
While Marshan got the crowd warmed up (when I say crowd, unfortunately it wasnt exactly a night where the venue was bursting at the seems), the chaps (theres the surrey girl again, wot) passed a bit of time by looking at a Pammy article from hello magazine, which provided great entertainment.
The support act was finished with time to spare and 54 got on with sorting Their equipment. Leaving the merch table in the (fairly) capable hands of trustworthy fans, I went running round making sure the sound guy knew when to come in with the Intro, getting water, and other items required.
And with a nod from Lakis, along came the intro and YAY in came 54 with Where to Hide, taking them on to give us a totally awesome set! I spent most of the opener full of nerves as I was going to have to hand Lucretia(BC Rich) to Lakis at the change over. Fair enough done it plenty of times before- but there was quite a high bar that I was petrified of smacking it
off as I lifted it over. I think Lakis was a bit worried too! But it went without a hitch; Lenny(Gibson Les Paul) went back into the stand and in came Futile Dream. This left me only with the tasks of watching the merch, and loving every second of the set. As far as Im concerned the Newcastle gig was up there with the best- the band looked like they were really enjoying themselves, and the crowd certainly were. Overload brought a mad young chap (new fan!) to the front, who continued to mosh for Britain until the closing of And the last Embrace. And come to think of it, all the regulars were giving it some as well! It may not have been the fullest gig, but those that were there managed to make a loud amount of noise!
As the cheers (and calls for an encore) eventually died, there was an elongated silence which naturally had to be filled . so I stuck some GnR and Megadeth (what else) on the jukebox, and away we went.
Unfortunately there was quite a tight turn around for clearing the venue, but there was an opportunity for the band to have a drink and a chat to fans, for me to sell merchandise (of which a decent amount was sold), and for the usual process of signing. This included the back of a Manchester United Football shirt, which had AREA 54 printed on it as a tribute to the band! Whats that you say Rob? Splendid!
Eventually all the gear was packed up, and loaded into the van and once the drinks were finished, it was time to move on to Hartlepool (nil). Well, after hanging around outside the venue for a bit talking to the BBers (one of whom departed a happy chap, with a ( worn out) and signed cymbol under his arm). Rob
(the chicken Fiend) and Steve (the hungry) went off to find some nosh while Lakis, Laura and I hunted for his trainers so he could drive. Once the other two had returned, we soon discovered that finding the trainers was not a good idea. We had foolishly let the worlds most dangerous driver get behind the wheel on the foggiest night of the year. OH NO!!!
But we made it to our location, safe (though not very sound), at some ungodly hour of the morning about 2am! Alma, big Pete and young Pete were still up and waiting for our arrival, though Im not sure they knew what had hit them when we all piled into their living room! They provided us with lovely tea and most importantly, warmth! We were invited to look at young
Peters room and Rob, Lakis and Steve were very taken by all the females they found staring back at them. Young Pete stayed and chatted until about 4am while we drank tea and ate muggle food. Hed been planning to purchase a copy of NVS, but then also bought a T-shirt too. What a great chap! (And he gave up his bacon to a hungry Rob the next day). The conversation included favourite films. I think Shrek was mentioned, and the
Matrix, but Barb Wire (aka the Pammy film) was brought up, and that set the guys off on the Pammy track again!
Once he had disappeared off to bed, we all climbed into our sleeping bags to sleep (well once I had climbed half the walls taking the batteries out of clocks to stop them ticking!) Lakis had bagged the sofa, and scared the life out of me in the middle of the night as he dropped his phone on top of me. I think we were all very glad not to be in the caravan, particularly Laura who
was lying near to the fire.We eventually woke up, and Alma made us lots of teas!! Lakis and I went into the dining room where Steve was on the sofa asleep and later on Rob and Laura joined us. Steve remained asleep practically until it was time to
leave. I think hed sleep through an earthquake. We were all talking for hours, but he didnt hear a word of it, except for one comment by Rob.
Almas daughter arrived with her two year old. The child ran after his mother, babbling and Rob came out with Sorry could you repeat? I dont speak two year old which made us laugh, and Steve later told us was the only thing he heard! Eventually, it was time to leave, having a long journey back to Ilford (0ne, Hartlepool Nil). We made the usual pit stops, got annoyed
by bad reception and dying phone batteries, and slept a bit too. The best stop of all was the service station with the Harry potter Stationary! Certain individuals got very excited!
We must have got back to Steves at around 12:00am. We then had a bit of a look at the net, Rob managed to show me some handy hints and played around making mad tunes. All the while, drinking tea and beer and munching on yummy Bacon SANDWICHES provided by Steves mum!!! Hoorah for Steves Mum! (though Laura ate cheese ones).
Lakis was soon in a mischievous mood. Steve had cable ties in his silver case and got them out for some reason. While he and Rob were engaged in the computer, Lakis unsuccessfully tried to cable tie the case shut. When he realised he couldnt, he then looked around for something else to do. His eyes lit up as he spied an empty mug, and then promptly used the cable tie
to attach it to the handle of a draw. OH dear. I was trying hard not to wet myself with laughter. Laura then pointed out it was 2 am, and so with another half an hour to go, (a pleasant trip down the M11), we decided to leave. Sleep was calling again. (Im not sure how long it took for Steve to notice the addition to his chest of draws!)
Having unloaded the van in pissing rain, we made it to bed, and Im sure all slept soundly!
Well, thats it. As you can see it was a very eventful one! But it was very enjoyable too- hope youve enjoyed reading!
Happy New Rocking Year to you all.
Look forward to seeing you at Nottingham on Jan 5th.
And heres to the year 2002 (full of Area 54 we hope).
MGxx
After leaving the mud fest of the caravan park, and getting on our way- we had a good clear run up to Newcastle on account of it being Sunday and meeting very little traffic. The soundtrack for the day was provided by an excellent GnR compilation, along with various tapes Rob unearthed from the glove box. At one point we had Lakis and Steve in air guitar harmony, which
was actually one of those moments where you wished you had a video camera.
They were completely synchronised to the point where they picked it up at the same time. Well, Laura and I were amused.
We stopped off at a service station, where Lakis and I felt in the need to purchase lollipops. I got one of those whistle lollies, which excited me greatly because the stick moved and made different notes so I could play row row row your boat. This did not excite Rob, who was trying to sleep.
We also spent quite a lot of time quoting the football pools. This little onset of madness came from the fact that we would be spending that night in Hartlepool, with some of Lauras relatives. When we found out where we were staying, Steve came out with Newcastle One, Hartlepool Nil and we realised that actually quite often the score for Hartlepool was nil. And so
the scores became more and more far fetched. (Man United 54, Hartlepool Nil). Im thinking it might be one of those cases where u had to be there, but every time after that when Hartlepool was mentioned, or in fact, any place name, it would be quickly followed by a pools reading.
Another pit stop provided the chance to pick up a free balloon and a paper windmill on a stick, and a chance for me to (accidentally) kick Lakis (again). He always seems to have his leg in the wrong place, but maybe it was subconscious revenge for all my suffering at the hands of Beanie, wot comments! However, it then introduced him to a new saying of being kicked
in the service station, so it wasnt all bad.
We did get a little lost in the centre of Newcastle, and ended up in a little underground bit behind the shops. Unfortunately Steves usually excellent Navigation system was taking a break so we had to ask a very helpful chap on a motorbike, who then showed us to the right underground bit. Even with me taking about a year to actually find the front door, we were still there over an hour early, which left time for a quick smoke and
a chill out. Even with a lovely set of stairs to drag all the equipment up, (though this was nothing compared to the LA2!), it wasnt long before all the equipment was in the venue and the band ready to rock and roll. Well all except for Rob and Lakis. This pair had become momentarily distracted by
the large size TV screens, which were showing a Britney video. I say momentarily- it was more like the length of the video, during which every merit of the girl (or rather the outfits) were discussed in depth.Once it had finished, normality returned, the drummer returned to his kit and Lakis continued to bring all the equipment to where it was needed. After Id done my job with the screwdriver, the guitars were quickly released from their cases and put in the rack, ready for a nights work!
While they were getting ready, I spent a little while sorting out the merch and also running to and from the van to get various bits and bobs wed forgotten. Well it kept me busy!!
Once this was done, and Rob was doing his sound check, Laura and I disappeared to the (newly cleaned) toilets to tackle muddy boots. In order to keep their feet dry the previous night, both Lakis and Laura had put their stage boots on. So now we had to get them clean, and what fun that was! Lakis had managed to get very little mud on his so it didnt take too long. Unfortunately Lauras boots were not only covered in mud, but also wet inside. They required a lot of scrubbing, and while Laura was doing her sound check, I stood and held them under the hand dryers (and got odd looks from people coming into the toilets). But at least the boots were all clean and sparkly (shame about the sinks! Doh).
Very soon, the general public arrived bringing with it a few familiar faces from the Bulletin board, their friends, and (hopefully) potential new fans. Drinks were then bought, Christmas cards exchanged and lots of photos taken. Steve was seriously on the edge of sleep, having slept little, and driven lots so we quickly filled him with caffeine et al well it seemed
to do the trick as he gave it his usual top performance.
While Marshan got the crowd warmed up (when I say crowd, unfortunately it wasnt exactly a night where the venue was bursting at the seems), the chaps (theres the surrey girl again, wot) passed a bit of time by looking at a Pammy article from hello magazine, which provided great entertainment.
The support act was finished with time to spare and 54 got on with sorting Their equipment. Leaving the merch table in the (fairly) capable hands of trustworthy fans, I went running round making sure the sound guy knew when to come in with the Intro, getting water, and other items required.
And with a nod from Lakis, along came the intro and YAY in came 54 with Where to Hide, taking them on to give us a totally awesome set! I spent most of the opener full of nerves as I was going to have to hand Lucretia(BC Rich) to Lakis at the change over. Fair enough done it plenty of times before- but there was quite a high bar that I was petrified of smacking it
off as I lifted it over. I think Lakis was a bit worried too! But it went without a hitch; Lenny(Gibson Les Paul) went back into the stand and in came Futile Dream. This left me only with the tasks of watching the merch, and loving every second of the set. As far as Im concerned the Newcastle gig was up there with the best- the band looked like they were really enjoying themselves, and the crowd certainly were. Overload brought a mad young chap (new fan!) to the front, who continued to mosh for Britain until the closing of And the last Embrace. And come to think of it, all the regulars were giving it some as well! It may not have been the fullest gig, but those that were there managed to make a loud amount of noise!
As the cheers (and calls for an encore) eventually died, there was an elongated silence which naturally had to be filled . so I stuck some GnR and Megadeth (what else) on the jukebox, and away we went.
Unfortunately there was quite a tight turn around for clearing the venue, but there was an opportunity for the band to have a drink and a chat to fans, for me to sell merchandise (of which a decent amount was sold), and for the usual process of signing. This included the back of a Manchester United Football shirt, which had AREA 54 printed on it as a tribute to the band! Whats that you say Rob? Splendid!
Eventually all the gear was packed up, and loaded into the van and once the drinks were finished, it was time to move on to Hartlepool (nil). Well, after hanging around outside the venue for a bit talking to the BBers (one of whom departed a happy chap, with a ( worn out) and signed cymbol under his arm). Rob
(the chicken Fiend) and Steve (the hungry) went off to find some nosh while Lakis, Laura and I hunted for his trainers so he could drive. Once the other two had returned, we soon discovered that finding the trainers was not a good idea. We had foolishly let the worlds most dangerous driver get behind the wheel on the foggiest night of the year. OH NO!!!
But we made it to our location, safe (though not very sound), at some ungodly hour of the morning about 2am! Alma, big Pete and young Pete were still up and waiting for our arrival, though Im not sure they knew what had hit them when we all piled into their living room! They provided us with lovely tea and most importantly, warmth! We were invited to look at young
Peters room and Rob, Lakis and Steve were very taken by all the females they found staring back at them. Young Pete stayed and chatted until about 4am while we drank tea and ate muggle food. Hed been planning to purchase a copy of NVS, but then also bought a T-shirt too. What a great chap! (And he gave up his bacon to a hungry Rob the next day). The conversation included favourite films. I think Shrek was mentioned, and the
Matrix, but Barb Wire (aka the Pammy film) was brought up, and that set the guys off on the Pammy track again!
Once he had disappeared off to bed, we all climbed into our sleeping bags to sleep (well once I had climbed half the walls taking the batteries out of clocks to stop them ticking!) Lakis had bagged the sofa, and scared the life out of me in the middle of the night as he dropped his phone on top of me. I think we were all very glad not to be in the caravan, particularly Laura who
was lying near to the fire.We eventually woke up, and Alma made us lots of teas!! Lakis and I went into the dining room where Steve was on the sofa asleep and later on Rob and Laura joined us. Steve remained asleep practically until it was time to
leave. I think hed sleep through an earthquake. We were all talking for hours, but he didnt hear a word of it, except for one comment by Rob.
Almas daughter arrived with her two year old. The child ran after his mother, babbling and Rob came out with Sorry could you repeat? I dont speak two year old which made us laugh, and Steve later told us was the only thing he heard! Eventually, it was time to leave, having a long journey back to Ilford (0ne, Hartlepool Nil). We made the usual pit stops, got annoyed
by bad reception and dying phone batteries, and slept a bit too. The best stop of all was the service station with the Harry potter Stationary! Certain individuals got very excited!
We must have got back to Steves at around 12:00am. We then had a bit of a look at the net, Rob managed to show me some handy hints and played around making mad tunes. All the while, drinking tea and beer and munching on yummy Bacon SANDWICHES provided by Steves mum!!! Hoorah for Steves Mum! (though Laura ate cheese ones).
Lakis was soon in a mischievous mood. Steve had cable ties in his silver case and got them out for some reason. While he and Rob were engaged in the computer, Lakis unsuccessfully tried to cable tie the case shut. When he realised he couldnt, he then looked around for something else to do. His eyes lit up as he spied an empty mug, and then promptly used the cable tie
to attach it to the handle of a draw. OH dear. I was trying hard not to wet myself with laughter. Laura then pointed out it was 2 am, and so with another half an hour to go, (a pleasant trip down the M11), we decided to leave. Sleep was calling again. (Im not sure how long it took for Steve to notice the addition to his chest of draws!)
Having unloaded the van in pissing rain, we made it to bed, and Im sure all slept soundly!
Well, thats it. As you can see it was a very eventful one! But it was very enjoyable too- hope youve enjoyed reading!
Happy New Rocking Year to you all.
Look forward to seeing you at Nottingham on Jan 5th.
And heres to the year 2002 (full of Area 54 we hope).
MGxx
