After the first good night sleep I've had without sleeping pills ina long long time we got up and left for Birmingham. Birmingham is a really nice place except if you're driving in it and you have no idea where you are going. So we didn't enjoy it to start with. However we found our Travelodge, got settled in and had a wander around.
We got to the NIA about 45mins before the doors opened and although there were hundreds of people already there we some how managed to get queued right next to the door. This was fab because we were some of the first few in. We got our tickets scanned, frisked and then got our wrist bands.
Things not to do when you are getting frisked
1. giggle
2. thank them afterwards!
So we're in the arena we get drinks and we go onto the arena floor - did I mention that we have standing tickets? So anyway we're hanging around for a while and the arena gets fuller and fuller and then Children of Bodom start, they were cool, not my fav band in the world but then certainly started people getting excited. Then Machine Head came on and they were amazing, again I'm not a big fan, but they really knew how to work the crowd.
During both these acts I got caught in every bloody pit that was going. pete had told me if I get pushed push back, if a pit starts back away and try not to get caught in it, basically just look out because people get kinda crazy. Also some of you probably don't know but I used to be totally scared of crowds until Pete took me along to a festival with him and Jonnie and I kinda got over my fear of crowds cause I knew that pete would protect me, my next festival fear was def mosh pits because I thought I'd get crushed and broken, I didn't realise that there are rules and if someone falls on their arse everyone else picks them up! It's so cool. Anyway when pete was giving me the talk, he said that if I wanted to get out of the way we would meet up afterwards, but to be honest i didn't mind getting a bit bruised. At one point I was on the edge of 3 pits and I was getting pissed cause I wanted to watch the band, so as I was being bounced around I grounded myself into the stance that you can't be moved from and people from the 3 pits landed on me but didn't bounce off and I didn't bounce either. I think me yelling fucking hell loudly helped to
So pete protected me and so did a few other guys and in return i stopped a tiny goth girl from getting bashed, I know how it feels to want to watch the band and not get broken, so it was cool.
So finally Slipknot came on and they were fantastic! I loved them, Clown and Chris where funny, taunting the crowd and banging their keg drums. Clowns drum kits moved around and 99% of the time Sid was hanging off it in his leg brace. They were totally cool and I can't wait to see them again.
I am no longer scared of pits, but I do have a huge bruise on my knee and you can see the tread off the trainer that kicked me, I have a cut on my elbow and thumb and bruises on my arm from being hoisted up. Absolutley amazing though!
Glad it went OK with your family, I'm sure your mum was really pleased to see you and grateful for your love and support.
Hope your Nan is OK, she's gonna need alot of love and support right now, will you get to see them again over Christmas?
You must be knackered after all that, at least you got the dreeded exam out the way, glad that went OK.
Keep well, say hi to Pete for me
PS was the new phone a pre exam treat?