Making Friends and Wristbands

Hi Everyone ~ unfortunately so far this week is not much better than last week!!  I am feeling very blah at the moment (can't think of a better word to describe it sorry!!) So I'm not gonna say much, (mainly coz I don't feel like it!) just onwards to the travel diary......

Last week's entry brought you over to Dublin and to the B&B.........let's carry on and I hope you enjoy it xx

WEDNESDAY 22nd AUGUST 2007

We woke up just before 9am on the day of the gig and went down to breakfast. It was nice, well you can't go wrong with a fried brekkie can you? We decided to ask the B & B lady how to get to Marlay Park and she booked us a taxi. As we weren't heading off to queue till about 3pm Trina and I agreed that we should just chill for the morning. Wayne wanted to venture into Dublin and have a look around, but we didn't agree with that. (I've done that before walked around all day before a gig and by the end of the night your feet are killing you more than if you just went to the gig!!) So we chilled out in the room and watched some crappy daytime TV, but we did find the most funniest cartoon programme which I can't remember the name of but one of the characters had to keep being called different names, they were like secret service or whatever, so in one episode he wanted to be called Mummy Dearest, it was very funny!!

At 3pm our taxi arrived and took us to the entrance that he thought we needed to get into the park ~ apparently there was a few!! The driver was very nice and told us how to get back if we walked, so we all agreed that was what we should do. He told us that Ireland hadn't seen the sun for ages, that's why they were all making the most of the gorgeous weather. The sun was shining but it was chilly in the breeze. There was a bit of a small queue on the other side of the road, but we had been dropped off at the supermarket on the opposite side so Trina decided we should get some drinks and stuff. After we had got some drinks we went and joined the queue, although it was fairly small when we joined it, it didn't take very long for it to grow. So here we are the three of us in Ireland and who did we end up talking to? A very nice lady by the name of Abby from America. She had come over for this gig and was spending the next week or so at several Nine Inch Nails gigs including the Leeds/Reading festival. She was nice (as I've already said) and was mad about the Foo's as much as us and wasn't really worried about getting to the front like us. She was also aware of queue etiquette as she is a hardened gigger too!!

After a while they moved us up behind the fence but only to another gate. This was a wider area than the path we had been sat on so everyone who had been behind us were forcing themselves in front of us. Not that we cared, but there's a principle!! As we waited there we discussed the idea of writing a book on queueing for the hardened gigger. Such as if you arrive early you get to the front and you should not expect to get to the front if you turn up at 5pm etc...... It was quite funny some of the things we were thinking of adding to it!! Most of the people around us were teenagers and they were all falling over and looked VERY drunk. They moved us on after about an hour or two much to welcome relief, I was bored standing for so long there is just no need for it!! But we were only to moved a bit further along to be greeted by lines all being checked by stewards etc. All four of us got through fine and still not caring about getting to the front and we were all given wristbands. By this point we could see the stage.

The arena was massive, it looked just like a festival site with all the fast food vans, market stalls and drink stalls. Trina went to the loo and then we made her queue up for t-shirts. Wayne, Abby and I sat on the grass waiting for her. After about a minute or two Abby left us and walked down to the barrier. This was the first barrier you could get too, beyond that was a gold circle and I couldn't get over that. We had not been informed there was going to be a gold circle and therefore had no idea how you get in there!! I kept moaning about this to Wayne and at this point Abby returned and explained that some girls she knows have just been off with her. When we asked why, she said it was because she has a wristband. She asked her friend what that meant and apparently it gives us access to the gold circle area!!!!!!! Wayne and I were beside ourselves and immediately agreed that we had to use them!! When Trina returned we informed her of the news and we made our way into the gold circle YAY \o/

Once inside though we were too scared to leave in case they weren't letting you back in!! This was a pain as I was desperate for the loo...........Although Wayne's back was still quite dodgy luckily we managed to find a spot leaning on the back barrier. Nobody would be standing behind him, so he would be fine. We all sat down and couldn't get over how lucky we were and how we hadn't even tried to get to the front yet here we where as close to the stage as we could possibly want!! Eventually Trina needed the loo so she had to leave the area but luckily she got let back in. She kept telling us tales that at other gigs they let people into a gold circle area, then after a while they rotate it or something like so a different crowd are let in. As she was being silly I headed off to the loo a bit wary at first coz I thought they would be just like the festival toilets but they weren't too bad and there wasn't a big queue which was even better. When I came out and headed back to the circle, there was a bloke making his way through the fenced off area that I presumed to be the back stage bit, I looked at him, he looked at me and started laughing. I realised what he was laughing at, I was wearing my 'I'm With the Band' t-shirt.

Eventually the Silversun Pickups came on stage. They were good, don't know anything about them just that they had a girl in their band and she was cool. When the lead singer walked along the front of the audience, Wayne managed to get down to the front and shake his hand!! I was just relieved that I could see fine and that I was close enough for my liking and not behind the other barrier. Between our barrier and the next barrier there was a massive gap for the stewards to walk down through, it was unbelievable. I kept saying to Trina that everytime I looked at the people on the barrier behind us I couldn't help laughing, which was mean, but so cool that we had been given the wristbands!! Next there was a small interlude as they changed the stage around for the Nails. Both Abby and Wayne were really looking forward to this, I had a feelin' it was gonna be good but I wasn't all that bothered!

The first person to come on stage went straight to the front of the stage and the crowd who were already cheering, cheered even louder!! I turned to Trina and asked her if that was Trent Reznor, but apparently it wasn't, this was just the bass player and we soon came to realise he fancied himself!! He pretty much stood like that during the whole gig expecting and waiting for the crowd to go mad, just for him!! Trent did eventually come on stage. Their set was good and would've been a lot better for me personally if I had known more of their songs. I was very relieved when they played Only and Hand That Feeds. They also played Head Like A Hole which made Trina very happy, (turns out it's not that one that she loves most on the album!) Wayne was going mental during the whole set. Being stood where we were there was plenty of room for him to dance around etc. He even made a couple of friends as they too were going mad for the Nails. I kept wondering how he was gonna have enough energy for the Foos.

I shall leave you there for now ~ until next time xx

P.s actually there is slightly good news ~ I've been made member of the week of DSD group :o)  I'm so chuffed!!  I love the group and the games are really good fun..............

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