My Apocalyptica Experiences
I must have really been neglecting LJ if I sincerely forgot to post this. I'm not posting this to brag or anything, it's just that Apocalyptica is one of my favorite bands and I had such a great time at three of their shows. I just want to talk about them. So if you want to hear about it, feel free to look under the cut. I just have to get this out before I explode ^_^
So... Beginning with the show in March. It was in Knoxville and I had the meet and greet tickets for this. I was the first one in line for the meet and greet and I made friends with an awesome older woman in line with me. Inside, we each got a poster and a VIP lammenent. I got to be first for the group photo. I had a little embarrassing moment, though, because I almost tripped as I was walking towards them. Luckily Eicca caught me :). Then I got to take some individual photos. I made Eicca smile at one point. Some girls were asking him what was his most favorite song he's ever written. He said he didn't know and they begin listing off their favorite songs "End of Me", "I'm Not Jesus", "I Don't Care." I look at these girls and just say "Romance." Eicca turned to me and gave me a huge grin. I guess I chose correctly :)
This was the moment where I fell in love with Mikko. He stood on a bar stool here so he could be taller than me. Then...
...this one so it would "confuse people". He's too adorable.
The show in Knoxville was amazing and I was very happy that they played Sacra and Beautiful (Mikko got to play cello!!). The singer for the opening band almost kicked me in the head during his stage dive, but he apologized for it later. I got a lot of amazing photos during the show and a video of Nothing Else Matters. I blew a kiss to Paavo at one point during the show and he gave me a sexy eyebrow waggle that made me blush. All in all, it was a wonderful show.
Fast forward to the second week in May. I had just gotten home from Chicago (I had gone to see Rammstein) and I find out that I had the 16th and 17th off from work. I decide to go to the Johnston City show since its not too far away. I go super early because I want to be the first in line, so I show up about 7 hours early. I get a little lost, so I end up in a parking lot with a large tour bus. As luck would have it, there was a roadie stepping out, so I asked him where the club was. He was nice enough to tell me the way and flirt with me a bit ^_^. So I go to the club, open up my book and stand outside to wait. A couple of staff members and roadies pass by and chat with me and one staff member was nice enough to give me a chair. I talk with some roadies for a bit, they tell me their experience. One was actually Apo's tour manager, Chris, who was the production manager for Rammstein. Nice guy. Anyway, after about an hour, a small bus pulls up in front of the club and a staff member says "Apocalyptica". I give a smile and try not to freak out fangirl style. I pretend to still be reading my book when Apo comes out, but I had to look up and say hello. They smiled and began to go inside. Well, Mikko comes back out, shakes my hand, and introduces himself to me. I smile and tell him my name and say that I saw them in Knoxville. They go back inside and I'm squealing in my mind. I guess I came off as very non-threatening, though, because the staff member who brought me the chair told me I could come inside if I wanted to. Trying not to freak out, I go in and try to hold back my squealing as Apo is walking around inside the club. I just say hello when Paavo looks at me and take a seat in one of the bar's booths. For a while I just sit there, read my book, and try to be respectful and stay out of the way. Some more staff members came to talk to me, as well as some members of the opening band. I grab a beer from the bar and once more, Mikko comes over and begins to talk to me. He asks me where we had met before, so I told him about the bar stool incident and he laughed and said he remembered that (squee!). He talks to me for a bit about traveling, he asked me about my major in school, and we talk about different art museums. He then tells me that the band almost got busted the night before. I asked why, and he told me that since Finland won the ice hockey campionship, they had wanted to celebrate by doing the soundcheck naked, but the club owner freaked out. Trying not to freak out, I ask him "What's wrong with four naked guys just playing music?" He laughed and agreed. Then he scolded me for drinking so early lol. Fast forward a bit and they begin to do soundcheck. I got some cool pics of that. The meet and greet begins, so I get to sneak in on some more photos.
Mikko said "You're still too fucking tall." I told him he's too short.
Though I always seem to hang on Eicca, I think I offically love Mikko
Eicca took this himself. My friend Cody calls it his "duck lips". My aunt just said it was two beautiful ladies... lol, not cool
One word: DILF
This show was amazing as well. Once more I got front row center. I cried a little when they played Beautiful. Got a lot of amazing pictures. The boys were funny and entertaining. I blew a kiss to Paavo again and he gave me a smile and a wink. I walked away from this show with a free meet and greet and a copy of the setlist.
When I got home from Johnston City, some friends pressured me, so at 4 in the morning, I bought a ticket for the Charlotte show. Once again, I leave super early and get to the venue 6 hours before the show. Sadly, there are no photos for this show as my camera died the night before and I didn't have the charger :/. Anyway, I get there early, so I walk around for a bit. Some of the roadies recognized me and greeted me. I got into the line and met a girl and her father. We talk for a little bit until I decide to go to the bar next door to use the bathroom. I walk past the tour bus and I see a couple of women at the bus, and there was Mikko. He spots me and says "You made it!" He then comes over and hugs me XD! He asked me how my drive was and offers me a bottle of water. He has to go soon after though, so I get another hug from him and wish him a good show. I'm back hanging out in line for a bit when a parking spot near the tour bus opens up, so I move my car over. I make up some excuses to keep going over to it or to the bar next door lol. It payed off though because as I was putting my coat in the car, I spot Paavo. I say hello to him and he comes over. He asks me the same stuff as Mikko, "How was my drive," "Did I get the meet and greet today," etc... He has to go do sound check, so I leave him be. Later I get inside and I spot the tour manager at the merch stand, so I go over and say hello to him. He greets me and talks to me for a bit, telling me about a crazy lady who tried to use her police badge to get into the show and some girl who kept cornering Eicca and Perttu when they came out of the bus. I buy a pair of the Apo panties and get back to the pit. I'm up close again and get the full experience of everything. At one point during the show, Paavo spots me and looks at me expectantly, so I blow him another kiss and he grins at me (I guess this has become an expected thing from me lol). At the end of the show, Mikko is throwing out his drumsticks. There was a moment where he seemed like he was going to throw it towards the people behind me, but we made a brief eye contact and I mouthed the word "Please." He handed me the stick :D. I go outside to where my car is and find that it is being blocked by fans waiting for Apo to come out to the bus, so I decide to get the stick signed. The opening band comes out (I had met some of them in the bar earlier) and they give a bunch of us their demo. Apo comes out, sweaty and shirtless. Perttu dry humps Eicca before they go into the bus to change. They come back out, so I get each of them to sign the stick and I get a hug from them. When I hugged Paavo, though, he kept his hand on my arm, kinda rubbing it (fucking squee!) and asks me what my name is. I tell him and he asks me if I was going to their show the next night. I told him that I wouldn't be able to, and he pouted and pulled me in for another hug. I love that DILF :D. Sadly, all good things must come to an end. I got everything I wanted, so I decided not to bug them anymore and went to the bar for one last drink. I told a roadie that he did a good job. He was so happy with that comment that he followed me and bought me a beer.
My prize from the Charlotte show
In conclusion, friends, I had an amazing time following this band for a brief period. Apocalyptica and their road crew are some of the nicest people I've ever met and they really know how to treat their fans. Now I will be counting down the days until they return... I just hope they remember me ^_^
So... Beginning with the show in March. It was in Knoxville and I had the meet and greet tickets for this. I was the first one in line for the meet and greet and I made friends with an awesome older woman in line with me. Inside, we each got a poster and a VIP lammenent. I got to be first for the group photo. I had a little embarrassing moment, though, because I almost tripped as I was walking towards them. Luckily Eicca caught me :). Then I got to take some individual photos. I made Eicca smile at one point. Some girls were asking him what was his most favorite song he's ever written. He said he didn't know and they begin listing off their favorite songs "End of Me", "I'm Not Jesus", "I Don't Care." I look at these girls and just say "Romance." Eicca turned to me and gave me a huge grin. I guess I chose correctly :)
This was the moment where I fell in love with Mikko. He stood on a bar stool here so he could be taller than me. Then...
...this one so it would "confuse people". He's too adorable.
The show in Knoxville was amazing and I was very happy that they played Sacra and Beautiful (Mikko got to play cello!!). The singer for the opening band almost kicked me in the head during his stage dive, but he apologized for it later. I got a lot of amazing photos during the show and a video of Nothing Else Matters. I blew a kiss to Paavo at one point during the show and he gave me a sexy eyebrow waggle that made me blush. All in all, it was a wonderful show.
Fast forward to the second week in May. I had just gotten home from Chicago (I had gone to see Rammstein) and I find out that I had the 16th and 17th off from work. I decide to go to the Johnston City show since its not too far away. I go super early because I want to be the first in line, so I show up about 7 hours early. I get a little lost, so I end up in a parking lot with a large tour bus. As luck would have it, there was a roadie stepping out, so I asked him where the club was. He was nice enough to tell me the way and flirt with me a bit ^_^. So I go to the club, open up my book and stand outside to wait. A couple of staff members and roadies pass by and chat with me and one staff member was nice enough to give me a chair. I talk with some roadies for a bit, they tell me their experience. One was actually Apo's tour manager, Chris, who was the production manager for Rammstein. Nice guy. Anyway, after about an hour, a small bus pulls up in front of the club and a staff member says "Apocalyptica". I give a smile and try not to freak out fangirl style. I pretend to still be reading my book when Apo comes out, but I had to look up and say hello. They smiled and began to go inside. Well, Mikko comes back out, shakes my hand, and introduces himself to me. I smile and tell him my name and say that I saw them in Knoxville. They go back inside and I'm squealing in my mind. I guess I came off as very non-threatening, though, because the staff member who brought me the chair told me I could come inside if I wanted to. Trying not to freak out, I go in and try to hold back my squealing as Apo is walking around inside the club. I just say hello when Paavo looks at me and take a seat in one of the bar's booths. For a while I just sit there, read my book, and try to be respectful and stay out of the way. Some more staff members came to talk to me, as well as some members of the opening band. I grab a beer from the bar and once more, Mikko comes over and begins to talk to me. He asks me where we had met before, so I told him about the bar stool incident and he laughed and said he remembered that (squee!). He talks to me for a bit about traveling, he asked me about my major in school, and we talk about different art museums. He then tells me that the band almost got busted the night before. I asked why, and he told me that since Finland won the ice hockey campionship, they had wanted to celebrate by doing the soundcheck naked, but the club owner freaked out. Trying not to freak out, I ask him "What's wrong with four naked guys just playing music?" He laughed and agreed. Then he scolded me for drinking so early lol. Fast forward a bit and they begin to do soundcheck. I got some cool pics of that. The meet and greet begins, so I get to sneak in on some more photos.
Mikko said "You're still too fucking tall." I told him he's too short.
Though I always seem to hang on Eicca, I think I offically love Mikko
Eicca took this himself. My friend Cody calls it his "duck lips". My aunt just said it was two beautiful ladies... lol, not cool
One word: DILF
This show was amazing as well. Once more I got front row center. I cried a little when they played Beautiful. Got a lot of amazing pictures. The boys were funny and entertaining. I blew a kiss to Paavo again and he gave me a smile and a wink. I walked away from this show with a free meet and greet and a copy of the setlist.
When I got home from Johnston City, some friends pressured me, so at 4 in the morning, I bought a ticket for the Charlotte show. Once again, I leave super early and get to the venue 6 hours before the show. Sadly, there are no photos for this show as my camera died the night before and I didn't have the charger :/. Anyway, I get there early, so I walk around for a bit. Some of the roadies recognized me and greeted me. I got into the line and met a girl and her father. We talk for a little bit until I decide to go to the bar next door to use the bathroom. I walk past the tour bus and I see a couple of women at the bus, and there was Mikko. He spots me and says "You made it!" He then comes over and hugs me XD! He asked me how my drive was and offers me a bottle of water. He has to go soon after though, so I get another hug from him and wish him a good show. I'm back hanging out in line for a bit when a parking spot near the tour bus opens up, so I move my car over. I make up some excuses to keep going over to it or to the bar next door lol. It payed off though because as I was putting my coat in the car, I spot Paavo. I say hello to him and he comes over. He asks me the same stuff as Mikko, "How was my drive," "Did I get the meet and greet today," etc... He has to go do sound check, so I leave him be. Later I get inside and I spot the tour manager at the merch stand, so I go over and say hello to him. He greets me and talks to me for a bit, telling me about a crazy lady who tried to use her police badge to get into the show and some girl who kept cornering Eicca and Perttu when they came out of the bus. I buy a pair of the Apo panties and get back to the pit. I'm up close again and get the full experience of everything. At one point during the show, Paavo spots me and looks at me expectantly, so I blow him another kiss and he grins at me (I guess this has become an expected thing from me lol). At the end of the show, Mikko is throwing out his drumsticks. There was a moment where he seemed like he was going to throw it towards the people behind me, but we made a brief eye contact and I mouthed the word "Please." He handed me the stick :D. I go outside to where my car is and find that it is being blocked by fans waiting for Apo to come out to the bus, so I decide to get the stick signed. The opening band comes out (I had met some of them in the bar earlier) and they give a bunch of us their demo. Apo comes out, sweaty and shirtless. Perttu dry humps Eicca before they go into the bus to change. They come back out, so I get each of them to sign the stick and I get a hug from them. When I hugged Paavo, though, he kept his hand on my arm, kinda rubbing it (fucking squee!) and asks me what my name is. I tell him and he asks me if I was going to their show the next night. I told him that I wouldn't be able to, and he pouted and pulled me in for another hug. I love that DILF :D. Sadly, all good things must come to an end. I got everything I wanted, so I decided not to bug them anymore and went to the bar for one last drink. I told a roadie that he did a good job. He was so happy with that comment that he followed me and bought me a beer.
My prize from the Charlotte show
In conclusion, friends, I had an amazing time following this band for a brief period. Apocalyptica and their road crew are some of the nicest people I've ever met and they really know how to treat their fans. Now I will be counting down the days until they return... I just hope they remember me ^_^