Woke early this morning, after stupidly deciding to check my phone when I woke up at 5.30am…and discovered I had won another Meet And Greet for that night through the fan club. I wasn’t going to bother entering the draw, because I felt a little greedy going for another when I already had 3 with my pass. But at the last minute, decided on a whim to enter, since I have paid the same membership fee as everyone else, so why not! Never expected to win one….and then I did!!
So, I was a little excited and nervous and unable to get back to sleep after that! I was dying to tell someone but Gillian was still asleep!! Told her when she woke…and I’m not sure she believed me. And then she was surprised to find out that she was coming in with me too - think she’d thought it was just for me, but nope - guests too!! So…we wondered what on earth the boys would say when we walked in there again!
Had a nice loooong drive up to Glasgow….it was long, but not boring! We even stopped on the way to get our photos printed from our M&G the night before so we could get them signed! Dancing and singing along with the music in the car very loud was fun, chatting about anything and everything and watched all the sheep we passed! As well as being hit with the sudden blizzards, just to get to another 100 Monkeys show!
Eventually got to the city, found the hotel and had plenty of time to get changed. and then headed out to the venue that was just down the street, through freezing wind and rain!! Thankfully the venue was like a pub with a room out back for live gigs. So, we were able to sit inside in the warmth and have a drink before our M&G that night.
Bauer came out on the dot to check everyone in for M&G, didn’t even ask me my name, just said ‘back again?’ and handed me my 2 passes!! Lol! And then even though I wasn’t on a M&G through the zookeepers tonight, we still had to wait until last to get slightly longer :p
Waited on the stairs to go in…and when it was our turn, once again dumped all our crap down - this time slinging it on these steps where they had all their gear too!! Honestly, I just walk in like I own the joint - lol!!
Again I headed straight to Jackson….I can’t not do that! I’m quite sure he has some pull over me or something, because I just gravitate towards him. Pulled out my photo to have signed and then realised I needed the pen and called Gillian over to get it (she had headed towards Jerad tonight the other side!) apparently she was singing some song about looking in my bag for the pen! Lmao! One of them or it may have been Lani said they had sharpies, I said the photo was rather dark though and Jackson looked at it, rather confused! Had to explain we had stopped off on our drive up here to get it printed. He then suddenly produced a silver pen from nowhere saying ‘I have one’ when I was about to head back to my bag for it.
They signed our photos, mine starting one end and Gillian’s starting the other so they could all sign them. And Jackson and Ben G had an argument over whether he had signed it or not! Realised he hadn’t and added his autograph. Apparently Jerad and Ben J told Gillian we were very organised and knew what we were doing because we’d started either end….and then said they weren’t organised at all when Ben G messed it up - I think they got confused because the photos were very similar!
Said something to them about driving through the blizzard on our way up here today and Jackson said yeah, it got very intense! And then I gave him the drawings and card that my niece had done for him. On the drawing of just him, he laughed and said he looked like a ninja on it! And then I said she had insisted on making him a Christmas card too, he studied it and read the inside and asked if this was from my daughter, I said no my niece.
I then gave them all the Christmas sock monkey collage she had made for them, think I handed it to Ben G. They all looked at it and Larry said something about it being all Christmassy and both he and Jackson started singing a Christmas song (I think it was made up) whilst admiring it. Ben G asked me if she’d drawn it, I said she’d coloured it all in and got me to cut them all out then she’d made the collage with them and that. They all smiled and BenG seemed thrilled with it, bless him!! He definitely studied it more than the others and then announced they would put it up on the stage that night and put it safely behind them on the bar.
Jerad suddenly became worried about the fans and asked if they were all waiting outside in this weather Both Gillian and I said something similar about there hadn’t been anyone when we arrived, but they could wait inside and then Lani clarified that they could wait in the bar downstairs.
Must have been photo time next….once again rammed myself in next to Jackson (and Larry this time) Lani got confused with who’s camera was who’s Gillian told her it was the silver one…which confused her even more as they were both the same tonight - since she’d had trouble with my camera the night before, decided to try the other one! Wish I hadn’t as it took the photo blurry!! I think the boys laughed at the camera confusion! She snapped the photo anyways…I can never remember where Jackson puts his arms around you…I never feel him on me, only remember my hands on him and he had that nice cosy jacket on again! Lol!!
Gillian had her photo snapped next and I think that was pretty much it for the M&G that night - can‘t remember much more….I presume we thanked them all and gathered our stuff up and headed on downstairs again. Oh! Just remembered as we were leaving, they told me to thank my niece for the drawings and things!
Waited out in the bar, drinking, going over the M&G and I called Tamsin to tell her what they’d said about her drawings and that. We ate some food and then we started queuing up to go into the stage area. Seemed to wait there for ages, being annoying to everyone since we were in the way by the doors, but no one asked us to bugger off!! And finally Bauer did come and let in the zookeepers a few minutes before everyone else this time!
The venue was tiny!! But, we had perfect views, front row and the gap between stage and barrier was small and the stage was low…and I seemed to have found my perfect standing spot - right where Jackson spends the majority of the night, to the right of Larry’s percussion section!! Bauer said something to us about apologising in advance for the first support act tonight, we asked him why and he said we’d see what he meant in about 10 minutes.
The rest of the audience came in and Gillian got a place right behind me! Moments later we understood exactly what Bauer had meant by the first support act. She was…well….no words describe her! Like some X Factor/Britain’s next top model reject wailing away and gyrating her silly little body with pathetic double act behind her to some god damn awful dance music!!! Marty (Bananager) both Ben’s and another friend of there’s (I think it was Brady Bell) came down to watch and stood beside the stage….don’t really think they were all that impressed! Being front row was awkward didn’t know where to look and tried very hard to ignore her by looking at my phone!!
Finally she left the stage and then the decent support act got cut short because of that crap we’d had to listen to! During Cara’s performance, the girl next to me, one of the European zookeepers (Julia) we’d been chatting with passed out and finished up on the floor. Gillian got down with her, whilst I called for help from security and she came to - poor Cara stopped singing until we were sure Julia was okay, and she left the front to get some air and something to eat.
Lani came on stage after that to set up things, get the boys bottles of water and beer ready and stick the set list to every available spot - we could see most tracks on it for the night and I was pleased that The Monkey Song was on the list!
The gig was awesome - yet again!! I wish I could find the words to describe one of their shows and go through every second of it - but they’re just awesome performers - that they love their craft is obvious and it’s a pleasure to watch and sing along with and dance like a loon to! The woman next to me was a statue - I swear! She never sang, she barely moved - and I was leaping about all over the place - I do hope I pissed her off!!
I did a few videos tonight….I have a thing about Jackson on the drums, so did a few shots of that and having just checked some of them, apparently I filmed a video of his ass as well - pmsl!! Do not remember doing that! Only thing wrong with tonight’s show, inviting the flute playing whore up on stage to perform with them a couple of times - please….don’t do that again!! :p
Ben performed tonight’s improv….have never known anyone else to sing the improvs besides Jackson until this tour, I do love him doing them, but having Ben do them makes a change as well. Having done hundreds I guess Jackson is running out of ideas :p I think it was called hurricane bawbags blues or ballbag blues…not sure…tonight…I shall admit I don’t know what that means!!
I got my grins and smiles from Jackson again…I think he knows :p There is most definitely eye contact and recognition being given during the show…it’s funny and I love it sooooo much!! Fought for years to get that from other people I’d go see lots and I get it with them after one gig!
Jackson broke the guitar string tonight whilst playing, think it was on Sleeping Giants, can’t be sure. But, he just yanked the damn thing off that was hanging at the end of the song and flung it somewhere!!
Funniest moment tonight during the show, when they’re doing the Thank You song and Jackson tells us to turn to our friends and say thank you and that…Gillian and I looked at each other and stuck our tongues out at each other instead. Gillian said Jackson saw us do it and gave us one of his funny looks where he raises his eyebrows and then frowns. And…having just watched the video back, I do believe I caught some of the moment on video - lmao!! There is definite eye contact when he looks right into my camera though!! How cool!
They ended the show with a lullaby, Ben G said he didn’t know any…Jackson said what about that one the devil taught us! And they went into Keep Awake.
After the show was over….we hung around for a bit chatting to friends and stuff, unsure whether or not to join the line yet for the signing. Jackson had said something about letting the younger people go ahead first because they’d be kicked out of the place after 11. So we sat down for a few moments. And that was when I went to investigate the picture hanging on the side of the speaker. I had first assumed it was another set list, but during the show I did wonder if maybe it was Tamsin’s drawing, since I suddenly noticed half way through that it wasn’t on the keyboard as they’d said! So, went to investigate and yep - it was hanging there!! Bless!! I asked the venue guy if I could go take a photo of it and explained I had given it to them from my niece and he let me come over and snap it - to prove to Tamsin they put it up!!
Finally got into the line for the signing then as the venue crew were trying to get people to clear out. The line went quick and as we got closer to the merch table, Gillian started being silly and whining about needing a 100 Monkeys bag and how they didn’t have any. I laughed at her (not sure why) and apparently Jerad looked over, searching between people to find out what we were laughing at! And then she tried to hide behind me and I laughed more, gaining both Jackson and Jerad’s attention who looked over at us laughing!! Oops!
When we got to Thwilla at the merch stand I told him she wanted a bag and he said they’d sold out…but might get some more stock in by London, I said I’d get her one and by this time I was in front of the boys and handed them my CD cover from Grape to signed, I think I said something about if they sign this then all my CD’s will be signed. And then I said something about Liquid Zoo costing me and fortune and Jerad asked me why, I told them I got charged a lot of customs fees and Jackson just looked up at me and smiled and said, ‘well that’s a bitch’! I had no come back for that one…I think I was a little stunned!! I mean, he wasn’t being nasty when he said it….just wasn’t what I expected….actually, I don’t even know what I expected him to say!
When I caught up with my CD, because I was too busy chatting to Jackson and Jerad (again!) Ben J and Larry were signing it…and after they handed it back to me I said ‘Yay! Now all my CD’s are signed’! they both smiled at me and I think Larry said something, but can’t remember what. I told them I’d see them again tomorrow, said bye and was then ushered downstairs by the venue people who I think were most annoyed!
Lost Gillian for awhile, then found her and walked home rather giddy - I don’t know what was wrong with us that night…we were very giggly and silly on the walk home through the wind and freeeeeeezing cold!!
Yet another perving session with cameras and stuff was had…before bed ready for the loooong journey back down to Birmingham the following day.
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