We walk out of our row with no problem. We walk around to the front row with no problem. I look across the venue & see Ry & Curtis at the stage. There is almost nobody behind us. Security is standing at the stage saying/doing nothing. We look at eachother. Should we go? Now? How about now? I know I will get right up to the stage. I start shaking. We stand there through the drum intro.
The guitar riff starts. We calmly walk up to the stage & plant ourselves there. Sharon & Jana are right above me. I take a pic of them. Stevie comes out - I can't see her unless I lean on the stage & crane my head around a monitor. I try to take a pic & the 13 year old working security taps me & shakes his head. I say "Are you kidding? The show's almost over." He shakes his head no. I put it away.
Paula's security warning #2
I am singing along. I am jumping up & down a little. I sing Sharon's part on "I hear you..." I ask Brian to lean up against the stage & block security's view of me. She starts to shake hands. I turn the vid on when she's half-way across the stage. I hear Curtis say to her "I love Street Angel" {I'm just kidding}
She walks toward us. I hold my camera with my left hand on the side of my face near my ear. I want to look into her eyes, not have her stare at a camera in front of my face. I wipe the sweat off my hand & put up my right arm. I hope I don't smell for the guy next to me's sake, since his head is near my armpit. She grab's Brian's hand. I reach up & grip her left hand with my right. She has on a silver jingly bracelet. I look at her & stammer "Thank you, thank you, oh thank you" like an ass. She holds my hand for a good 3 or 4 seconds - her hands are small but strong. She nods at me & lets go. I touch her left Frankenbok & legwarmer. I am happy. I turn the camera off & put it away.
We stay for the end of Edge & decide to go back to our seats. I am giddy. We walk down our row & don't see Brian's shirt.
He looks panicky. We are one row behind out row. Phew. He finds his shirt & there's nothing in the pocket. We look down & his recording equip. is laying on the concrete floor in a puddle of spilled beer & margarita. We climb over into our seats & he checks things out - seems to be OK.
SDMHA - great - I didn't think I would like Don on this but I did.
L&L - I sneak a pic. A security guy taps me from behind & says "can you please put the camera away." I look at the woman 2 rows ahead of me taking pics. I say "OK, sorry" & put it away.
Paula's security warning #3 I say to Brian "must be Don's guys" & we laugh.
SYWBaR&RS - I love this upbeat song, seems the crowd did too. I toy with the idea of getting it on vid. I decide not to chance it. There's a light in my face.
Paula's 4th & final security warning Another security guy is pointing at us. Brian asks "me?" He says "no, her!" I play the part of the silly confused girl & walk out of our row.
He motions me up to the gate he's standing behind near the front row. He says "You need to hand over your film or memory card or else be escorted off the premises." I say "Why? Everyone's taking pics and when I left Buffalo yesterday your website said non-professional pics allowed." he said "no, it did not say that." I say "OK, will you walk me to the gate or right to my car, because I'd rather not go to my car alone at night." He looks at me for a minute, shakes his head & comes out from behind his gate. He walks me over to a female security guard. He says "she needs an escort out." She looks confused & asks why. "She has a camera, she's been taking pictures all night long." She says "Seriously, you want her out?" He nods & walks away.
I am trying not to grin since I know this is the last song so I don't care.
She motions over
another security guy, this one big & running over toward us. She motions for him to slow down. He comes over & she tells him why I need to be escorted out. He says "Jesus, I thought there was a fight or something." I say "Gee, I'm really sorry about this, when I left Buffalo yesterday your website said non-professional cameras were allowed but I couldn't check the site today. I walked in the gate with the camera & they let me in no problem so I thought it was OK." He says "what kind of camera do you have?" I show him my Kodak digital. He says "well, the venue usually doesn't announce the picture policy until about 3 hours before the show, and Stevie's funny about photographs sometimes." I say "well, I've never had a problem before at any of her shows, but I apologize for all this. I never would have brought the camera with me had I known."
He says "Well show's over. Go on home." I ask if I can wait for my friends & they let me. I was escorted out by 2 of the 3 fags of Rhiannon, with the 3rd waiting outside.
Con't...