My unbelievable Sydney experience (hell I don't believe it)

DownOnRodeo · #1 03-10-2004, 06:35 AM

Lux (the friend from burnish who I went down to Sydney with at the last minute) has already written the bulk of the story, and I'm just adding my bits when I can (I'm really busy now because I've just taken 5 days off right at the start of semester! Damn this band!)

Here's the link: http://burnish.net/board/index.php?act=ST&f=2&t=1534&

Here's Lux's account:

For once I’m doing a proper review so that I don’t miss anything. It’s long, but worth it, well I think so. If you don’t then just skip to the part about Brett then to the part about Lindsey at the bottom.

Well, Joe and I thought that the Brisbane experience was second to none, but clearly we were wrong. I’ll just skip through the irrelevant stuff like Joe being hit on by a middle aged man and me being hit on by a straight man, in the gay bar, plus the numerous boys in briefs thrusting their bodies all around the club. It happened to be Mardi Gras, we didn’t spontaneously decide to lead a different lifestyle.

We had no tickets to the Saturday show but we went along for the ride and tried to sneak in using old stubs. Well we got, excuse me, I got us through the first lot of security, then it all screwed up. The second lot wanted to show us to our seats, which was not as planned because she soon realised that our seats were already taken, we then bolted and alas didn’t get down on the floor, which is alright because we didn’t pay the $200 that everyone else had. Oh, and Joe, don’t curse me for screwing up the second lot of security, I notice you conveniently left me to do all the dirty work, so I don’t want to hear any complaints. Anyway we got $150 tickets from scalpers for $60 and got to sit up the back for a change and actually hear the entire concert, as opposed to mainly Lindsey’s distorted guitar. Would you believe it, they actually jammed during the show? After Peacekeeper, Stevie introduced SYW and John, Mick and Lindsey started jamming the opening of SYW but that gradually came to an end and an embarrassed Stevie claimed responsibility for stuffing up, before turning the blame to Cory. It was great to hear just the 3 of them, if ever so briefly, jamming. Stevie then went off in a brief rant about losing her mind or something before SHN started as intended.

Afterwards we went around back to see the band leave. Neale seemed a little put off that people would be shouting out to him (I later apologised but he said not to and that he actually appreciated it). So anyway, the friends of Joe and I who had the drawing of Stevie were the only ones who got to meet her backstage. They got photos and Stevie got a photo too. I don’t know how much of their story they would like us to tell, but I do know that Stevie said she was going to frame it and hang it up in her house. So basically their life long dreams came true, they got to chat with her and something of theirs is being hung in her house. It doesn’t come much better for Stevie fans.

When Stevie walked out I noticed our friends Jo and Lauren just behind the limo with her so we yelled out to them and meet up with them straight away. We went to the hotel where we thought they were staying (think it was where Mick, John and the band were staying), not expecting much more than a drink basically, everything else seemed to be closed. Well Mick and some of the band (Brett & Neale) were drinking there too, so we thought we may as well stay and drink. We just down next to their table and basically just went about drinking and observing the room full of men in kilts. A wedding reception was being held there and, just as you would imagine in the most clichéd of movies, Brett goes over the piano in the bar and starts a little rock ‘n’ roll number (I’ve already forgotten what it was) for the wedding party. It was so bizarre, they were all gathered around Brett and the bride at the piano, singing and dancing. Lauren took a photo but I haven’t seen it yet.

Lauren approached Marcus (the big black security guy, the one who constantly appears in the back of fan photos) and asked him for a photo because he was always just the face and we wanted to say something to him. So we, in particular Lauren (and I won’t say much more than that, but Joe knows exactly what I’m talking about) got talking to Marcus all night. Mick got up to leave and we politely asked for a photo and had a very brief chat about his kids and the fact that we’ve followed the band around Australia. He seemed very appreciative and after Marcus returned from escorting Mick he told us that Mick had requested he get tickets and backstage passes for the four of us for Sunday.

It was much quieter then in the bar with Brett and some girls and other crew members still there. It was a much more appropriate time, so we said hello to Brett and he said he recognised me from Brisbane. He loved the fact that we were such big fans and was more than happy to have photos with the four of us. Then (and Kortni, this is for you) I told him once again that I have a friend in the US who lives for him and his music. I basically told him that he can’t imagine how big a fan she is and that her name is Kortni. He seemed surprised almost and told me that I have to tell Kortni that he really appreciates her for being such a fan, and that she’s got to come to the shows back home. He gave me a hug and said lets get another photo of just the two of us and dedicate it to Kortni. So the photo, in which we’re both saying ‘to Kortni!' is here.......

Photos

He was suddenly no longer the keys player but a guy in a bar, you can tell by the photo that he’s a very fond of his fans and loves to hug them (well me at least), and in a manner much more genuine than the usual photo hug. So the four of us just sat down with them at the table, Joe took Mick’s seat and I ended up sat down next to Brett. We must have morphed into genuine people (as opposed to fans) because I just had a good old chat to Brett for about 15 minutes or so. No usual fan talk, just music discussion. He figured I was a huge Lindsey fan though and we talked about Lindsey guitar style and he said ‘so have you told Lindsey all this, he would love to hear it’. I thought it was pretty obvious that people like me generally don’t get to chat with Lindsey much. I mentioned that Someone’s Gotta Change Your Mind is my favourite and that Down on Rodeo is Joe’s favourite. He was thrilled that we knew his other stuff and said that we’ve gotta be look out for Soundstage. He said that SGCYM and DOR are were knockouts, that the whole show was extraordinary and that we are going to love it. Of course I’m looking forward to it, but it’s strange to hear Brett himself discussing the songs on it.

Brett said I must love my tusk shirt and started examining the picture (or maybe just looking at my chest, no I don’t think so, it was definitely the picture) and talking about Lindsey’s punk look. I don’t remember much but we started talking about Lindsey’s love of certain punk bands and I asked if he like the Sex Pistols. Brett started chatting about Steve Jones and what a wild time he had with him. He also mentioned working with Jimmy Page somewhere in there too. Let me say it was very strange to be hearing about inside rock stories that weren’t coming out of a television documentary but from the musician who worked with them. I must have slipped in the Lennon is ultimately me favourite artist (even Lindsey doesn’t quite take up that spot, he’s more the Messiah, to Lennon’s God) and Brett’s face lit up. We went on and on about Lennon’s genius (Joe reckons we were starting a fan club). He said that it is because of Lennon and The Beatles that he is in music. We basically bonded over Lennon and he was most impressed with my love for Lennon. I mentioned that A Day In The Life is my favourite song and he said he would love to play it for me next time he sees me (which I know is never, but it’s the thought).

We didn’t want to impose upon them and seem like annoying fans so we excused ourselves so that we could go out to the club where Marcus and others were. I said goodbye to Brett and he came over, gave me a hug and kiss, and said so poetically ‘goodbye baby’. How beautiful was that? Basically my experience with Brett was more like between two music appreciators (one of whom happens to be a genius who works with the artists, and one who doesn’t…… .) chatting at a bar. He genuinely was trying to start a conversation, not just do his duty to talk to a fan. Can’t ask for much more can you? Kortni, if you get to meet Brett, and I really hope for your sake that you do, tell him that you’re a friend of the girl with the Tusk shirt from Australia, maybe he’ll remember…you never know.

So then we went to the club where Marcus was rapidly intoxicating himself. We had a chat to Taku, he said he remembered me as the Lindsey girl from the Brisbane shows. We did chat for a short time with him, but it’s all escaped me. It’s hard to remember everything when you’re stepped out of fandom and are enjoying the night for what it is. Basically the night from then until 4:30am or so, was Marcus’ crazy talk and his infatuation with a certain friend. It was great fun until I nodded off in my chair. We got to discuss the backstage tickets a bit more and I made it quite obvious that I was very keen to meet Lindsey. He kept saying to me ‘dude, what did I tell you, I’m gonna get you the tickets…..I’ll see what I can do, just chill out.’ It paid off too.

The four of us ended up having a crazy, slumber party-like thing at their hotel. Joe and I separated from them during the day (or what was left of it when we woke up) on Sunday, then met up with them at the arena. We got our backstage, guests of MF passes and went into the arena. Joe and I had 3rd row seats. We swapped seats with some girls on the end so we could race up the front. We were waited for the lights to dim after the crickets, but the crowd was too well informed and knew to jump up before the lights dimmed, making it hard for us in third row to go unnoticed. We tried but were stopped by security. She told us only first row, I almost yelled at her because we paid much more than a measly $200 for the ticket, besides which the band like people to get up close…..don’t they? God damn Sydney Entertainment Centre, actually they don’t deserve capital letters. I could not just sit there and tap my foot whilst Lindsey was up there, so I noticed at the end of the chain that she was attending to someone else and just bolted up there. I thought I was going to be pulled back, but no one noticed, and Joe followed. We got right under Lindsey’s microphone again, so all was well and we could relax.

Lindsey spotted me again as Dreams started, he keeps (wait, that’s present tense, and it’s all over now….. ) giving me this squinting smile. Oh so cute. All I can remember about the show was this crazy, and incidentally tiny girl (who upon closer interaction we established to be a grown woman) who appeared to discover right then and there what an incredibly sexy guy Lindsey is. She seemed shocked and went nuts, not just with her screaming out (that’s my forte. I had people tell me to stop it, oh that’s convincing argument, of course I’ll stop…..) but with limbs too. She was flapping her arms around everywhere dancing and singing, running around everywhere and then strangely enough chatting through the entirety of Landslide. I just stepped aside and most likely gave her a death stare, which I have been told that I liberally deal out to others without knowledge of even doing so.

Lindsey was wiping his face with a towel as he walked up to his microphone so I just called out and asked for it, which he happily obliged with. Then during……whatever song it was, Lindsey was leaning down near the crazy girl/woman and she went spastic (perhaps even in the clinical sense, I’m uncertain) and tried to jump up on stage. She nearly got there too but Joe pulled her down. Marcus later on thanked Joe because he was already running out onto the stage to grab her. Good team work Joe. I don’t know what Lindsey thought, he personally probably wouldn’t have cared, safety wise, but I think he thought she was a little nuts, but then he thinks I am too. So she was the obvious choice for him to throw the towel to.

Actually before I finish the concert segment, the guy standing in front of me turned around and said ‘Lux’. This is weird, I keep running into people whom I don’t know, in different cities around the country, who come up to me and ask me if I’m Lux. It’s off-putting, how do all these people know me? Actually I do remember seeing him at a train station in Brisbane, but how he remembered my name I do not know.

So when the show ended we went in the gate to go backstage and waited in a little room. I was sure of how it all worked because the day before Jo and Lauren had been called up, but then John’s face poked through the doorway and I told Joe to go up and talk to him. He asked him to sign Cool Water and John commented on the apparent vocal contribution that disappeared after the mixing. Mick came out and was chatting, like he was obliged to, with some people, one of whom I think was a prominent Australian actor, but like a stuttering owl with laryngitis, I couldn’t give a two hoots. Mick’s presence put him in his rightful place as just another person. Joe approached Mick and made a convincing performance as the ‘special’ child who was taken by his carers on an outing to see FM. He’ll tell you about it. I shook Mick’s hand and asked Marcus if Lindsey had gone yet. He told me he hadn’t and disappeared down the hall.

I found out later that night that Marcus went down and told Lindsey that the girl he thew the towel to was here and wanted to meet him. He said, ‘the small one with the dark hair?’ which Joe and I think meant he thought he was meeting the crazy girl/woman because she was very small, had dark hair and had a towel thrown at her. He walked out and two women went up to him and he pleasantly said a few things to them, then he spotted me and his face lit up as he pointed to me and said ‘hey you!’ as he came walking over to me. Joe and I reckon he wasn’t expecting to see me because he thought it was the other girl. In which case, the enthusiasm on his face when he saw me and quickly came over to me, is so much more honouring. Hey, he was excited that it was me he was to meet, that’s cool at least.

I get really reserved when I should be outgoing, but he seemed more eager to meet me than I did to meet him. Of course appearances don’t speak of truth though. He enthusiastically asked me what I was doing here, to which I said nothing. My natural response is to say something patronising like ‘standing in a room’, but the patronising affect was not one I wanted to inflict upon my idol. He kept looking at me eagerly, wanting me to speak. So he asked what I had for him and I gave him the white towel that he’d thrown at me and asked him to sign it. He took his time and had trouble because it’s towelling but he signed his full name in large writing. He seemed amazed about the fact that I’d gone to all these concerts around the country. He was so thankful, but of course it was him who needed to be thanked. So then he said that he assumes I enjoy the shows because I keep coming to them and I’m vocal in my affection, but that he observed me during the shows and said he noticed that I never smile. So then he leans in to me (and at this point I’m nearly unconscious because I’m talking eye to eye with my idol in an intimate manner) and says that it’s okay, he can relate to me. He said he personally thinks that whole deal about having to smile all the time is so overrated. He said he doesn’t like to much either. Excuse me, did he just say he can relate to me? He kept looking at me like I was about to hang myself and that he needed to comfort me. I guess tend to dress kind of disenchanted and punk-ish, apparently I never smile (he said it), and I never sleep nor eat (literally) during times of stress of anxiety (that being times of irrationally travelling across the country in search of a band) and my eyes tend to look kind of hazy. So I guess I fit the image of a depressive fan in need of…..something. So he leaned in and gave me a strangely comforting and supportive, but very genuine hug, then looked at me and pulled me for a kiss. So what’s better than a kiss from Lindsey? Two kisses from Lindsey. Actually I can think of a few other things too. So I asked if he’d mind having a photo and he was very happy to and we had a hugging kind of photo, which, as I haven’t seen it yet, better turn out alright. He thanked me again and said he’s looking forward to coming back to which Joe and I lit up and almost pounced, saying please do. I asked ‘are you going to come back’ and he said yes, he wants to. What was he going to say though?

Well I’m so happy he even thought about me at all, let alone observed me enough to compare himself to me. So Joe’s the ‘special’ child and I’m the manic depressive. Our suggestion to each of you is to pick a disorder maybe Lindsey will feel the need to lift your spirits. Well Marcus said he would normally whisk him straight past and that I was the only person he was stopping to see, which is true because we were in a room full of about 12 people and whilst he seemed incredibly enthusiastic about talking to me for a bit (despite my sudden state of muteness), he walked straight past all the others. Don’t I feel special? Oh God Joe, maybe we do belong in a ward.

After that I forget everything. Well I remember going back to the same bar and drinking with Marcus and some of the other guys. Andrew McManus, Taku and the other crew like Phil etc. were there. Having not eaten and barely slept in about 4 days, in hindsight having alcohol was probably not good. I don’t recall anything after that.

Geez, that was long. Sorry.

Here's my account of Saturday night (Sunday night to follow soon):

The concert itself on Saturday. Awesome! A better concert than Sunday if you ask me, although the fact that I was four rows from the very back of the arena as opposed to basically resting my head on Lindsey's amp would have made a big difference to the sound. Finally, from the very back, I was able to hear what the band intended the show to sound like. I also saw what the band wanted me to see, via the close-up screens. When I was down the front in my previous two concerts, occassionally a wave of laughter would rise up among the crowd and I could never work out what they were laughing at. Now I realised it was the times that the video goes for a close-up on Mick's face, capturing those expressions. Little do the people who've never been down the front know that he looks like that through the whole concert!

We actually missed most of The Chain cause of our shenanigans of trying to get into the show.

After Peacekeeper, as they were about to launch in SHN, I was about to yell out 'SHN', cause I know how much the Aussie audiences seem to love it. But I wasn't 100% positive that SHN was next, so I didn't yell out anything. Now I wish I had, because the band started to play SHN, but Stevie had introduced it as SYW. The instruments slowly died off one by one after about 30 seconds. If only to have been up close to see their expressioins during that little episode. As it was I was having a good laugh and gave them a big call out but seemed to be the only one in my area that was impressed. What sort of fan doesn't absolutely love it when the band stuffs up??

After SHN when SYW was about to start... "At least... I think it is! I'm pretty sure it is.." as Stevie said. (Notably, she was talking like this over the opening instrumentation - that seems to never happen. It added to the whole candidness of the moment)

When Rhiannon started up, the crowd went wild and it seemed like all the floor stood up. Now I was beginning to feel jealous of the people on the floor. The reason the people on the sides don't stand is because it's mortally dangerous! You put your life in the hands of the gods even trying to get up to your seat and back when you stand up on those stairs. They should be providing hiking sticks and oxygen tanks at base camp... I mean, at the usher. The audience reaction to Rhiannon was so obviously wild that Stevie was compelled to match it with an extra-oomphy performance.

I would say it was the highlight of the night, but that honour goes squarely to Say Goodbye. The audience was duly silent, and Lindsey's falsetto soared. "So I finally found my way, now I know just what to do.." The song was going so well that Lindsey must have reached a special place because he continued the falsetto where he usually doesn't, on "So I best be on my way" I think. His voice actually cracked through this, and you'd be forgiven for thinking he was choking back tears. And so seemingly in sympathy to this, Stevie came in even stronger on the next line ("Before the night turns blue"), as if to compensate for him as he did for her during Goodbye Baby in Reno. This was an unbelievable moment for Sydney.

My favourite vocal moments the SYW concerts: Lindsey's youthfully high "I've been down one time" on NGBA, his heart-wrenching harmony during the chorus of Rhiannon, and Stevie's spine-tinglingly high harmonies on SHN and Say Goodbye.

As Lux reported, we ended up at the bar in the foyer of the hotel where some of the band were staying. Even as we walked through the hotel doors, the first thing I saw way across the room was the iconic spectacled face of Neale Heywood. The bar was packed with the guests of some high-falutin' Scottish wedding reception. The four of us sat at a small round table right next to a long table where Mick, Neale, Lux's buddy Brett, and a number of other ppl were sitting having drinks. Mick was having a bite to eat as well. I was freaking out, but Jo and Lauren were keeping us cool and semeed to know what they were doing. It was very unnerving and humbling to be stealing glances to Jo, sitting across from me, behind whose head was the back of Mick's head. That's how close were were. I knew Brett, Neale and them were sitting right behind me but I souldn't bring myself to look over. I think we were all just waiting for the right moment. I for one sure didn't want to interrupt them while they had a little party in their own hotel. Meanwhile ot of the blue, I notice that everyone from the wedding reception is crowding around the grand piano a few yards away, and calling out for a song to be played. It turns out its Brett, and he soon launches into a hony-tonk piano-bar type drinking song that must be aScottish pub standard because everyone was singing in unison and with gusto. 'Show me how to roll'?? or something I think it was. Brett was going all out on the piano chops, showing off for the next three minutes what we only hear twenty seconds of during Don't Stop. As I remarked to Jo, "He has the chops, hey." I really wanted a photo of this moment, so JC went up to try and take one but the camera didnt work, so Lauren went up and got one. I hope it turns out alright, cause it will be quite a photo if it does.

Mick stood up at one point and I thought, 'Oh no, he's leaving'. But then he soon sat back down. Jo later told me that he had stood up because a lady at the table had been leaving. When Mick eventually did get up to leave, Jo and Lauren had won the affections of the security guard, who allowed us to get a photo. Mick was amenable to Jo and Lauren getting a photo with him (interesting trivia: I just looked up 'amenable' at dicitonary.com to check it was the word I wanted, and it has roots in the latin word meaning 'to threat'). Jo took Mick's right hand and kissed it and said 'You are a real gent, sir'. She had just seen him stand up at the table for that woman, see. While he was still reeling from being kissed and called 'sir', I took my chance and bustled in for a photo with Mick and Lux. Mick was stone tired the poor guy. It was about 2am at that point, and he'd just done a big show and was on his way to bed. But he was congenial as could be expected. After the photo with JC and I while we are still standing int he pose I put my hand up to measure who's taller between me and him. "Oh, you are taller, but just by a fraction," I say. J-Lux (my new convenient name for her cause I keep typing JC then halfway thru remember its Lux) said to Mick how we've been to heaps of the shows, and that they're making us very poor. This semed to make Mick even more depressed, so I quickly added, "But when you're putting on a show with that much energy... it makes it worthwhile." He seemed genuinely humbled by this. Has anybody else met Mick? Does he always seem humbled and quietened when you meet him? I suppose its possible that our insane devotion peaked through our brave facade of normalness, and he was quietly alarmed. Nevetheless, he then ambled away with the security guy, but the four of us barely had time to sit back down at our table and regroup and (for me, anyway) take deep breaths, when the secuirty guy came back and came to our table, leaning down to speak quietly to us: "OK here's the deal. Mick has told me that you guys are getting tickets and backstage passes ot tomorrow nights show." He was across the table from me so I didn't really hear him. I mean, I think I heard that, but my ears obviously didn't believe it for one moment. The secuirty guy went, saying: "He (Mick) said that 'those guys are real fans', I want them backstage tomorrow night, make it happen." Now I don't know what to make this remark. Did it mean that Mick thought we were 'real' fans as in 'patently deranged' fans, or even had Marcus, the security guy, liberally burnished what Mick had said? (OK, so I initially had 'embellished' but couldn't resist using 'burnish' - I mean, has it ever been used as a normal word around here? Let's all make a concerted effort to from now on. In fact, you might say we would be 'burnishing' our love for 'burnish'.) Where was I?

Either way. we were soon left sitting together staring goggle-eyed, gobsmacked and jaw-droppedly at each other, trying to determine whether, what for, and why the hell Mick would do that for us. Needless to say, what with it being so late to begin with, and having just experienced that cinmetaic episode of Brett playing the piano for a men-in-kilts sing along, I was not feeling awake at all. I mean, call me a pessimist, but things do not go that perfectly in real life. They go good, I know. And they can go great. But this was like J-Lux and I had sat down and plotted the evening in some grandiose screenplay, except that it would have probably also included an erotic romance subplot between her and Lindsey as well as some auter-related hallmarks of poor movie-making. (It turns out that J-Lux and I do not see eye to eye on films/film-making/film criticism. In fact, I think that if we did ever write a screenplay together, it would be not unlike those new clips of the SYW doco.)
I asked around the table to clarify what had been said. Tickets? Backstage passes? From Mick? For us? All four of us?? Wha..? Zah? Ja?

Next thing we notice that there's a few spare seats at the long table next to us, where Brett and other people are sitting. The other three take seats but I'm not sure where to sit to sit on the outside of them, but Jo insists that I get a proper seat. So I succumb to the bizzare wish that I'd had since he'd left - I went to sit on Mick's chair. I was sitting in the chair that Mick had just been sitting in and getting a little buzz out of it, and it didn't feel right to fully recline on it so I just sat up on the edge. Does that make me crazy?! Say no.

The guy across from me was saying that he had discovered Brett. When I took my seat I asked him, 'So was that in a piano bar or something?' The guy (whose name I unfortunately forget) explained that he had been managing a band back in 1964 or 65 or something (damn my lousy memory) and Brett was playing in the supporting band. Well the main band needed a rhythm guitarist at the last minute so this manager agreed for Brett to fill in. They have crossed paths over the years but its only now that they are back together again. I asked this guy if he is Brett's piano mentor or something, but he explained that he's the band's manager. In retrospect this musn't mean FM's manager as I thought at the time, because as we all know, there's at least three distinct managers. He must be a manager for the backup band. As he was telling this story, he and Brett were correcting each other and laughing and it was like they were revisiting their past together for the first time. At the end of the story the guy was shaking his head saying how lucky he feels to still be in the indiutsry when he knows so many people who want o be, but its so tough. Brett agreed and said he owed it to pure luck that he was able to do what he's doing. I think I know someone on this board who might object to that!

J-Lux was sitting right next to Brett and they soon convened their private little John Lennon fan club
meeting to which I was not invited, but eventually as I had no one to talk to and could hear that they weren't talking about anything particularly personal, I got up out of Mick's chair (hehe. Hey, give me my simple pleasures ) and went around to where they were and took upa seat. But it was pretty much the end of the conversation and we soon headed over to the bar across the street that I'd seen Taku go over to when we'd first arrived at the hotel. While there, we talked to Taku for a bit, and he eventually recognised Lux and I from the Brisbane hotel foyer we're we'd met him. Oh, btw, when we went over to sit down and talk to Brett, we shook his hand, and he recognised Lux from Brisbane, and then when he shook my hand he was 'Oh! This is a real nice guy!' to me, which I guess was based on my comments to him in the Brisbane lobby about him doing Christine proud. I couldn't resist mentioning this.

I have to get to bed now because I have a shift at 6:30am and havent studeid for a little exam I have tomorrow, so stay tuned for my recounting of the last Sydney show. Brief highlights: Lindsey adding little guitar bits I hadn't heard before, especially this beautiful, triumphant descending guitar scale thing at the end of Goodbye Baby, that I guess he enjoyed playing on a bit for as they were the very last notes of the whole Australia tour, holding back a girl who was halfway on stage, going backstage, getting John to sign the 'Cool Water' B-Side and talking to him briefly about it, giving Mick my present for the band and getting him to sign The Visitor and coming across as a labotomised Rain Man in the process.

WelshWitchPMD · #2 03-10-2004, 07:03 AM

All I can say is WOW!
I'll post some more tonight about my thoughts. Got to run now.

Janet · #3 03-10-2004, 09:21 AM

Can I just say how jealous I am! What a story? I go to a show, stand for 2 hours, then leave. I never even see anyone really.

WOW.

If Lindsey walked up to me and said " Hey, you" I'd probably pass out and have a heart attack. I really would. It's better it just doesn't happen ( like it would anyway)

WOW those are great accounts!

GardenStateGirlie · #4 03-10-2004, 10:30 AM

Joe, I could read this story ten times and everytime I do, it just makes me smile. I'm so glad some great fans had the opportunity to hang out with the band and sit up front (er...well, run is perhaps a better word

) I do hope they'll make their way down under again for you all. Australia has some amazing fans

Livia · #5 03-10-2004, 10:42 AM

I'm so happy for you! And I love reading (and living) sh*t like this! You'll be on cloud nine for awhile, huh?

wondergirl9847 · #6 03-10-2004, 11:29 AM

THIS IS AWESOME!!!!!!!!!! I'm so happy that REAL fans got to go backstage and meet the band!!!!!!!!!

*KILLS self for not going to Australia*

CarneVaca · #7 03-10-2004, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Mick came out and was chatting, like he was obliged to, with some people, one of whom I think was a prominent Australian actor, but like a stuttering owl with laryngitis, I couldn’t give a two hoots. Mick’s presence put him in his rightful place as just another person.

This seems a bit ungracious, no? Wasn't Mick the one who gave you the tickets and backstage passes?

golden braid · #8 03-10-2004, 01:22 PM

Amazing!

That's so awesome. Thanks for sharing your story. You've made my day.

GardenStateGirlie · #9 03-10-2004, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by CarneVaca
This seems a bit ungracious, no? Wasn't Mick the one who gave you the tickets and backstage passes?

Perhaps i'm wrong here but I believe Joe is saying that watching Mick (whom he'd already had an encounter with) speak to the famous Australian actor humanized the actor as real person and not as celebrity. Joe is saying he didn't give two hoots about the actor...he was positively speechless as he watched Mick Fleetwood from across the way BACKSTAGE. I'm certain Joe is incredibly greatful for the opportunites he has had just as I am greatful he came back to share them with us all. Good on ya, Joe

CarneVaca · #10 03-10-2004, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by GardenStateGirlie
Perhaps i'm wrong here but I believe Joe is saying that watching Mick (whom he'd already had an encounter with) speak to the famous Australian actor humanized the actor as real person and not as celebrity.

Really!??? Oooops on me then.

Hmm... I see you are right. It's that subject/object agreement thing that threw me off.

Sorry, Joe [Lux, really, I guess.]

DownOnRodeo · #11 03-10-2004, 02:24 PM

I can't believe you guys read all that! If only there was some way to video record what I saw then show that to you all.

Thanks Risster - but Carne, it was actually Lux who wrote that account, and actually she was referring to Mick treating Jack Thompson (the actor) as any other person, not as some big star. See Iwas watching Mick talk to that group of people down the hall but couldn't really hear much, but Lux was standing out there the whole time and must have been listening. Apparently he goes, "Hello, I'm Jack Thompson." or something, and Mick's like, 'Yes, just one moment please," and keeps talking to the random fans he was addressing.

As for me appreciating Mick... what can I say. The biggest surprise of the concerts for me was Mick. Being front row on Lindsey's side was like experiencing the Mick & Lindsey show. He just exudes too much energy to ignore, I find. And then having the unbelievable opportunity to meet him fleetingly TWICE in person (I can't even believe I'm typing those words - my fingers tell me that my memory must be lying) he was an extraordinarily kind, humble and generous star. In fact I was so taken with him that when I did go up to him after he'd been talking to Jack Thompson etc, that I was suddnely wracked with nerves and found it difficult to tell my story about what had happened to my copy of the Visitor (I'll explain it in my account of Sunday night), yet even then he was even more supportive and humbled. Although I imagined that was the whole "It's good to talk to the 'special' children" mentality kicking in.

It was that bad. Anyway, off to work for me, and hopefully I'll post pt 2 of my review tonight (my tonight).

Thanks again guys for rreading this and being so gracious in your comments. I'd be so jealous of me it'd kill me.

It's hard to think it's fair that any one fan should get to meet the band. As it was it seemed to be a chain of random luck which led to it all happening. But stalking helped too.

But the whole time I was feeling very guilty and wanted to be sharing the moment with all of you guys that I know love this band at least as much as me.

dissention · #12 03-10-2004, 02:56 PM

Joe, that was excruciating to read...because I was so goddamned JEALOUS!!! You lucky bugger!

That's a wonderful experience!!!

CarneVaca · #13 03-10-2004, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DownOnRodeo
Thanks Risster - but Carne, it was actually Lux who wrote that account, and actually she was referring to Mick treating Jack Thompson (the actor) as any other person, not as some big star.

I am duly humbled.

Take that, Johnny.

shackin'up · #14 03-10-2004, 07:17 PM

well, joe....i'm speechless. and i think it's great that such a big fan had these experiences. i'm not jealous...i just pulled all my hair out.

gerald

Mike B · #15 03-10-2004, 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DownOnRodeo

Thanks again guys for rreading this and being so gracious in your comments. I'd be so jealous of me it'd kill me. It's hard to think it's fair that any one fan should get to meet the band. As it was it seemed to be a chain of random luck which led to it all happening. But stalking helped too. But the whole time I was feeling very guilty and wanted to be sharing the moment with all of you guys that I know love this band at least as much as me.

Don't feel guilty, Joe!

I just want to echo what others are saying - thank God someone who appreciates it is having all of these awesome encounters with the band! I've really enjoyed the reviews you and Lux have been posting. It really feels like you guys took us along for the ride with you through Australia!