"How many of you here tonight are Irish?"
Concert last night. Flogging Molly.
By the time it was all over, I lost two earrings, my sweatshirt, and the entire contents of my stomach. Twice.
And it was fucking AWESOME.
Let's recap, shall we?
I grabbed dinner with some of the Rennies, and then a little before 7 I headed on over to the Newport Music Hall with skylark913. We made our way into the pit and milled around for about half an hour...Jan spotted some people we knew and we chatted with them for awhile. My ex, Charlie, was also there, and he tried to hang with us for a bit before eventually going back to his group (immediately after he left, Jan went "He's kind of weird", which made my night just a little bit more special right there). We eventually ended up standing pretty close to the front of the floor, and started chatting with this really tall guy behind us who was there by himself, Seth. More on him later.
The first opening group was this band called ZOX, which was actually pretty flippin' awesome. Kind of the same hardcore tempo jig-punk mix that Flogging Molly has going on. Plus they have a guy on the electric fiddle. Who can really really play the electric fiddle. He had a solo near the end of their set, and I swear I saw steam rising off of that thing.
After ZOX, there was another half an hour break, which was partially taken up by this sketch comedy troupe called "The Whitest Kids U' Know" showing us some of their clips on a big screen. They were pretty funny, in that irreverant and occasional gross-out humor kind of way. Plus, after they were done, we sat on the dance floor and Jan showed me and Seth how to play this finger game. We also met this other fellow named Josh, who (I think) said he'd come up from Cleveland for the show; apparantly he was there with a friend, but they got seperated at some point because we never saw them.
The next band was Bedouin Soundclash, which...well, they were okay. But their sound was too mellow for coming in between ZOX and Flogging Molly. Plus, as Jan pointed out, they kind of lost us when they decided to play a Jesus song.
At this point, I was starting to not feel too hot. As I think I mentioned in a previous entry, I've been coughing fit to hack up a lung since Sunday and generally feeling unwell, but I was still convinced that it was nothing but a cold (and, let's be honest; unless I thought I was literally about to die, I probably would have gone to the concert anyway).
Well, about halfway through Soundclash's set, I couldn't take it any more. My throat was dry, I needed to sit, and the bass was making my stomach do some really twisty things. So I left the floor, bought a bottle of water at the concession stand and sat by the back wall until Soundclash was finishing up. Then on their last song I fought my way back into the pit and back where Jan was.
I was fine for, oh, about maybe the next fifteen minutes. Then I started feeling lousy again. I sat on the floor; when Jan asked, I told her I thought I might be sick. Before we could talk much further (she wanted to take me out of the crowd and I didn't want her to have to leave for me)...uh, I was right about the being sick thing.
Yes, on the mosh pit floor (the people near us were Not Happy, but Jan blew it off later with a "Do you realize how many people have probably thrown up on that floor?"). Jan and Seth helped drag me through the crowd and to an open side door into the alleyway so I could, uh, finish up out there.
Of course, Charlie somehow spotted our exit and showed up to try and "help". Yes, his heart was in the right place, but the very first thing he said once he got to us was "Has she been drinking?". I was too busy going "BLAAARGH" to answer, but...no, asshole. I realize we didn't get to know each other that well in the month or so we were dating, but I'd think you don't have to know me that well to know that I'm not about to waste my time getting so drunk at at concert that I can't even fucking enjoy myself.
Anyway. After Seth helped me and Jan find the restroom and I washed my face off, he also bought me another water. Josh was also hanging around, and offered me a drink from a water he was holding for his nystery friend, who had apparantly vanished on him again.
Anyway, after I had some water I felt pretty good again, and guess what? Thanks to the set up time between groups, Flogging Molly still wasn't on. Looking at the packed pit, I was like "We are not getting back in there". Jan was not one to be denied. So her and me and Seth locked arms and started forcing our way through (some guy near the edge caught sight of what we were doing and let out a hooting cheer and a "Go for it, you guys!"). We ended up somewhere near the front center, though perhaps not quite as far up where we were before. It was sort of hard to keep track; there was a lot of wriggling around.
And then Flogging Molly got on. And...you know those crazy mosh pits you always see on the concerts on TV? Wih the flailing, and the crowd surfing, and people getting knocked over? Instaneous transformation. One second I'm just standing there, slightly wedged between people...the next thing I know I am one with the vast moving SEA of humanity.
It was freaking CRAZY. Constant movement, shoving and pushing from all sides, people being handed over the top of your head, your feet sliding back and forth, grabbing onto complete strangers, arms and fists waving everywhere. You have got to keep moving, just so you can keep your head up and breath.
I got hit in the face once, but it was more of a startling sting than anything else. I got knocked over twice, and dragged down once, but the thing about mosh pits; the instant you're down, about five people are helping you back up because they know they'd want you to do the same for them.
I also got one of my earrings caught in someone's hair (possibly Jan's) and we were moving way too much for me to even attempt to untangle it, and it was starting to get painful so I just slid it out of my ear rather than lose an earlobe. I took the other one out and threw it away so that the same thing wouldn't happen with that one too. So there's a lesson for you: never wear dangly earrings if you're going to be in a mosh pit.
My sweatshirt came untied from my waist at some point, and I was desperately hanging onto it with one hand for awhile. Eventually it caught on the arm of a crowd-surfer, and I let it go. Honestly, I'm just glad that it wasn't my jacket or my OSU hoodie; that I would've minded a lot more. Instead it was a light sweatshirt that I don't use that much anyway, though I did love that it had Jack Skellington's head on the front (a gift from Charlie while we still dating, actually).
The only really scary part for me came when a pair of guys not too far away from where I was started going at each for some reason; I tried to push away from them because I was afraid it might turn into a massive brawl that I did not want to get dragged into. Luckily, the people near them were pretty eager to drag them apart instead.
I managed to stay in the thick of the mosh pit for about the first five songs. I lost track of Jan pretty quick, although Seth (sans shirt) rammed past me a couple of times. At some point Charlie went hurtling past me; I couldn't really hear over the music, but I think he was saying something along the lines of "You're going to hurt yourself!". Arrrgh. I pushed my way in a little thicker just to get away from him.
Eventually I got pushed back more towards the middle of the crowd, where the moshing was not quite as severe. A little longer still and I ran into Josh again, and we wound up being moved over by the edge of the pit, where it was about as still as it could get in the pit.
I stayed there until the band left the stage for a tiny break (after being on for almost an hour and a half straight, holy cow), at which point I decided I needed more air than the pit could afford as my stomach was starting to feel not so good again, so I climbed up the nearest staircase and hung out near the light and sound booth. I could still see the stage just fine from where I standing, plus I could watch the amusing antics of a (possibly drunk) group that was jigging in an open area to the far left. Josh wound up following me (when I thanked him later for being my "bodyguard", he said it was no problem, since he lost his friend and it looked like I could use someone).
The band came back on and started playing again. After a song or two (I want to say it was after "Black Friday Rule", but there might have been another song in between there) came what I considered to be one of the high points of the evening, when Dave King asked "How many of you here tonight are Irish?"
Pretty Much The Whole Damn Audience*: [raises hands]
Dave King: *laughs* "Yeah, I'd like to see that fucking DNA test!"
They closed on "Seven Deadly Sins", which I found equally pleasing and amusing, considering it was the song me and Jan started singing when were on our way over to the concert at the very beginning.
Finally, it was over, and me and Jan bid a fond farewell to Josh and Seth (bless you guys, wherever you are, and thanks for all the help) and exited.
I managed to stumble my way across the street and to the top of the hill on the side opposite before about two hours of being crushed in body heat and moshing, jumping and screaming caught up with me and I needed to go down on my hands and knees for some speedy purging again.
"...you know, you're probably not going to believe this, but I had a really awesome time tonight."
"No no, I believe it."
So, yeah. That was my night with Flogging Molly.
I REGRET NOTHING!!! *devil horns*
*Yeah, but I am. So there.
By the time it was all over, I lost two earrings, my sweatshirt, and the entire contents of my stomach. Twice.
And it was fucking AWESOME.
Let's recap, shall we?
I grabbed dinner with some of the Rennies, and then a little before 7 I headed on over to the Newport Music Hall with skylark913. We made our way into the pit and milled around for about half an hour...Jan spotted some people we knew and we chatted with them for awhile. My ex, Charlie, was also there, and he tried to hang with us for a bit before eventually going back to his group (immediately after he left, Jan went "He's kind of weird", which made my night just a little bit more special right there). We eventually ended up standing pretty close to the front of the floor, and started chatting with this really tall guy behind us who was there by himself, Seth. More on him later.
The first opening group was this band called ZOX, which was actually pretty flippin' awesome. Kind of the same hardcore tempo jig-punk mix that Flogging Molly has going on. Plus they have a guy on the electric fiddle. Who can really really play the electric fiddle. He had a solo near the end of their set, and I swear I saw steam rising off of that thing.
After ZOX, there was another half an hour break, which was partially taken up by this sketch comedy troupe called "The Whitest Kids U' Know" showing us some of their clips on a big screen. They were pretty funny, in that irreverant and occasional gross-out humor kind of way. Plus, after they were done, we sat on the dance floor and Jan showed me and Seth how to play this finger game. We also met this other fellow named Josh, who (I think) said he'd come up from Cleveland for the show; apparantly he was there with a friend, but they got seperated at some point because we never saw them.
The next band was Bedouin Soundclash, which...well, they were okay. But their sound was too mellow for coming in between ZOX and Flogging Molly. Plus, as Jan pointed out, they kind of lost us when they decided to play a Jesus song.
At this point, I was starting to not feel too hot. As I think I mentioned in a previous entry, I've been coughing fit to hack up a lung since Sunday and generally feeling unwell, but I was still convinced that it was nothing but a cold (and, let's be honest; unless I thought I was literally about to die, I probably would have gone to the concert anyway).
Well, about halfway through Soundclash's set, I couldn't take it any more. My throat was dry, I needed to sit, and the bass was making my stomach do some really twisty things. So I left the floor, bought a bottle of water at the concession stand and sat by the back wall until Soundclash was finishing up. Then on their last song I fought my way back into the pit and back where Jan was.
I was fine for, oh, about maybe the next fifteen minutes. Then I started feeling lousy again. I sat on the floor; when Jan asked, I told her I thought I might be sick. Before we could talk much further (she wanted to take me out of the crowd and I didn't want her to have to leave for me)...uh, I was right about the being sick thing.
Yes, on the mosh pit floor (the people near us were Not Happy, but Jan blew it off later with a "Do you realize how many people have probably thrown up on that floor?"). Jan and Seth helped drag me through the crowd and to an open side door into the alleyway so I could, uh, finish up out there.
Of course, Charlie somehow spotted our exit and showed up to try and "help". Yes, his heart was in the right place, but the very first thing he said once he got to us was "Has she been drinking?". I was too busy going "BLAAARGH" to answer, but...no, asshole. I realize we didn't get to know each other that well in the month or so we were dating, but I'd think you don't have to know me that well to know that I'm not about to waste my time getting so drunk at at concert that I can't even fucking enjoy myself.
Anyway. After Seth helped me and Jan find the restroom and I washed my face off, he also bought me another water. Josh was also hanging around, and offered me a drink from a water he was holding for his nystery friend, who had apparantly vanished on him again.
Anyway, after I had some water I felt pretty good again, and guess what? Thanks to the set up time between groups, Flogging Molly still wasn't on. Looking at the packed pit, I was like "We are not getting back in there". Jan was not one to be denied. So her and me and Seth locked arms and started forcing our way through (some guy near the edge caught sight of what we were doing and let out a hooting cheer and a "Go for it, you guys!"). We ended up somewhere near the front center, though perhaps not quite as far up where we were before. It was sort of hard to keep track; there was a lot of wriggling around.
And then Flogging Molly got on. And...you know those crazy mosh pits you always see on the concerts on TV? Wih the flailing, and the crowd surfing, and people getting knocked over? Instaneous transformation. One second I'm just standing there, slightly wedged between people...the next thing I know I am one with the vast moving SEA of humanity.
It was freaking CRAZY. Constant movement, shoving and pushing from all sides, people being handed over the top of your head, your feet sliding back and forth, grabbing onto complete strangers, arms and fists waving everywhere. You have got to keep moving, just so you can keep your head up and breath.
I got hit in the face once, but it was more of a startling sting than anything else. I got knocked over twice, and dragged down once, but the thing about mosh pits; the instant you're down, about five people are helping you back up because they know they'd want you to do the same for them.
I also got one of my earrings caught in someone's hair (possibly Jan's) and we were moving way too much for me to even attempt to untangle it, and it was starting to get painful so I just slid it out of my ear rather than lose an earlobe. I took the other one out and threw it away so that the same thing wouldn't happen with that one too. So there's a lesson for you: never wear dangly earrings if you're going to be in a mosh pit.
My sweatshirt came untied from my waist at some point, and I was desperately hanging onto it with one hand for awhile. Eventually it caught on the arm of a crowd-surfer, and I let it go. Honestly, I'm just glad that it wasn't my jacket or my OSU hoodie; that I would've minded a lot more. Instead it was a light sweatshirt that I don't use that much anyway, though I did love that it had Jack Skellington's head on the front (a gift from Charlie while we still dating, actually).
The only really scary part for me came when a pair of guys not too far away from where I was started going at each for some reason; I tried to push away from them because I was afraid it might turn into a massive brawl that I did not want to get dragged into. Luckily, the people near them were pretty eager to drag them apart instead.
I managed to stay in the thick of the mosh pit for about the first five songs. I lost track of Jan pretty quick, although Seth (sans shirt) rammed past me a couple of times. At some point Charlie went hurtling past me; I couldn't really hear over the music, but I think he was saying something along the lines of "You're going to hurt yourself!". Arrrgh. I pushed my way in a little thicker just to get away from him.
Eventually I got pushed back more towards the middle of the crowd, where the moshing was not quite as severe. A little longer still and I ran into Josh again, and we wound up being moved over by the edge of the pit, where it was about as still as it could get in the pit.
I stayed there until the band left the stage for a tiny break (after being on for almost an hour and a half straight, holy cow), at which point I decided I needed more air than the pit could afford as my stomach was starting to feel not so good again, so I climbed up the nearest staircase and hung out near the light and sound booth. I could still see the stage just fine from where I standing, plus I could watch the amusing antics of a (possibly drunk) group that was jigging in an open area to the far left. Josh wound up following me (when I thanked him later for being my "bodyguard", he said it was no problem, since he lost his friend and it looked like I could use someone).
The band came back on and started playing again. After a song or two (I want to say it was after "Black Friday Rule", but there might have been another song in between there) came what I considered to be one of the high points of the evening, when Dave King asked "How many of you here tonight are Irish?"
Pretty Much The Whole Damn Audience*: [raises hands]
Dave King: *laughs* "Yeah, I'd like to see that fucking DNA test!"
They closed on "Seven Deadly Sins", which I found equally pleasing and amusing, considering it was the song me and Jan started singing when were on our way over to the concert at the very beginning.
Finally, it was over, and me and Jan bid a fond farewell to Josh and Seth (bless you guys, wherever you are, and thanks for all the help) and exited.
I managed to stumble my way across the street and to the top of the hill on the side opposite before about two hours of being crushed in body heat and moshing, jumping and screaming caught up with me and I needed to go down on my hands and knees for some speedy purging again.
"...you know, you're probably not going to believe this, but I had a really awesome time tonight."
"No no, I believe it."
So, yeah. That was my night with Flogging Molly.
I REGRET NOTHING!!! *devil horns*
*Yeah, but I am. So there.