Glam Nation UK recap…
God, I have no idea where to begin this. It seems like we've been waiting for it for so long, we lived part of it before it even happened. Guess it's like that in this age of YouTube and twitter.
I'm going to skip the whole organizing process… it was long and challenging at times and thanks to Gemma, Jo, Mandy, Lala and others, we (aka foreigners) were able to pull it off. Not gonna go into the reasons why I decided to go to the UK, just know that the people there are truly awesome and so so welcoming.
Even though Adam was the initial reason for this trip, I have to say that meeting friends I have been talking to for over a year on twitter and IM has been one of the major reasons I traveled to the UK, and not a closer, cheaper destination (aka Germany).
So… (I will write this word a lot in this recap… deal with it or bolt right now) I arrived at Birmingham on November 25th. One day before the show. It was my first time abroad on my own, so I was a bit anxious about the airports (had to flights) but it was totally fine. By 3PM I was at the hotel trying to locate my friends. The first one I met was Yohanna from Finland. I was nervous about meeting people. I'm usually not good with meeting new people but she immediately hugged me which washed away my nerves. We started talking same as we do on twitter. By then, I had a feeling this trip is gonna kick mother fucking ass. Shortly after Mars and her friend Mojo, joined us. They are from Turkey. It was amazing to meet Mars. This will probably embarrass her but her face is so adorable, I felt at ease right away.
Dinner time followed and then I met two other friends: Gemma (thank you so much with all your help with hotels and trains) and Kayleigh. Gemma's husband joined us (Matt, you are a cool dude). Sitting down with everyone for dinner was surreal and I think we all kept saying that. It's like everything fell into the right place. We couldn't believe we were actually face to face in the UK. We weren't even sure Adam was gonna tour there! But there we were.
OK… methodic pause to discuss one of the themes of this trip- the COLD (this paragraph should be written in caps cause that’s how the cold made me feel but I'll spare you guys). Being from Israel, which basically has no winter especially in recent years, I came from a temperature of 27C/80F. Needless to say, I have never experienced anything like the temperatures that the UK has witnessed during Glam Nation. Besides, when Brits start complaining that it's freezing, you know you're in deep shit. How can I describe the cold? It was a full on assault on my senses, it slithered its way through every pore of my body, making me cry, shiver, giggle, curse… you name it, I did it. Brits found it funny and endearing. They underestimate my suffering. Lol.
Moving on… (try to stay focused Elle…) Day 2 was upon us. The day of ridding myself of my Adam virginity. Finally! But first, it was time to meet more friends J Lala from the Isle of Man (it exists, google it people) joined us in the morning. So amazing meeting her after talking for so long. One of the most surprising and best thing was that everybody was the same as I had imagined. I was worried that people I click with online, might turn out to be completely different in real life. That really scared me and I was quite paranoid before the trip (specifically that people would hate me… #ihasissues). It turned out people were so lovely, amazing and kind… honestly thank you. I couldn't ask for better friends or experience. Along the day more and more friends joined our group- Jo and her husband Jon (I feel like I should refer to them as a dynamic duo… so funny, great spirit), Mandy (thank you so much for our tickets <3 ), Claire/Kitty and her daughter Lauren… We hung out at the mall and then went back to the hotel. Met Marie and Luna on our way back. Wish we had more time to hang together but they do hardcore queuing and I could barely breathe outside cause of the cold. At least I got to give them a hug and see Marie's angel hair up close.
Hereby follows conclusion number 1: if you want to meet people, you have to schedule it. The whole "I'll see you at the queue/ after concert" is a major FAIL and made me miss a lot of people I really wanted to meet L I will definitely plan it all ahead next time. Specific places and times. And no, the queue isn't a place, especially not in the UK. It's a state of my mind. Brits, you know I love you to death but you made queuing into a religion.
We hung out at the hotel before the show. Gossiping, doing makeup, talking about refrigerators (Lala!)… just enjoying each other companies. We (Mars, Mojo, Lala and myself) decided not to queue (too cold, small venue etc etc) and arrived to the venue about half an hour after doors opened. It was brilliant. It gave us time to hang out together (that's important too… Glam Nation is so much more than just watching a show)and we got a pretty good view. Venue was tiny!
And then… MYTOYBOX, the opening act, took over the stage. What can I say about them? They… mmmm…. Grow on you after three shows? Sorta. Anyway, they provided us with a lot of funny moments in London after the show (pushed their merch into our hands, took pics with Mars and Luna… pretended they were on the verge of being famous… sorry guys, that will never happen) so they are pardoned for singing stuff like "baby were invincible", "it's the weekend and I'm feeling so god damn good" or basically for all of their lyrics.
I stood next to Mars and Lala (Mojo was next to us to but her fan status is questionable ;). Being inexperienced virgins, waiting for our Adam cherry to be popped, you can just imagine how excited we were. I'm not going to describe the whole show or critique every song. By this time, if you haven't memorized it, I would seek medical attention. I will say that hearing the first note and seeing him right there in front of me is a feeling I will never forget. If you can, try standing next to friends. Seeing their faces, touching them (not like that you pervs) during the show, makes the experience whole and that much more special. I was surprised at how much hearing his voice creates a physical reaction. It's hard to explain but it kinda washes over you, fills you, caresses, tingles, engulfs. I actually felt my body taking a step back in Soaked. It's like the voice is too big, your body needs a moment to absorb it and let it take control. After waiting to see him for so long, I was afraid I have built him up so much in my mind, that he could never live up to it. Surprise surprise, he has. The show was beyond amazing. I was mesmerized. People who read my tweets know how much I adore Tommy for his looks and how hot I think he is, but honestly during the show, I found myself barely giving him the occasional glance. There's this thing about Adam… he makes you look at him, constantly. And it's not that he demands that attention, it's just his way of being. He has no problem sharing the spotlight… it's the spotlight that refuses to be shared.
I am aware that we are all not normal people going to a show. We compare each show to ones we watched on YouTube, we memorize the cheesy speeches (before you bring out your forks, I will admit to being cynical in real life. However when it's Adam you feel it's genuine and so I find it endearing… yes even the connected with love part lol). I have to say Adam was not as raunchy, dirty or wild as in a lot of the other shows I watched on my computer screen. However, it was my first time, so I actually kind of liked it that way. It's a lot to take in and it flies by.
After the show, we tried doing the busses thing. For me it was a fail. I'm really not good at stuff like that and trying to do it was presumptuous. I bought a meet and greet with Adam to Manchester and I honestly think it's the only way people like me can get close to him. I wanted to meet Tommy… he ended up rushing to the bus but even if he didn't by then I was pushed too far back. We went back to the hotel. They had a bar and we all hung out there (not gonna write everyone's names but if you were there, you know how much fun that night was). As I said, Glam Nation is so much more than the show. It's so much more than Adam and I think he would love that. People of different ages, backgrounds, nationalities… All coming together. We first connected cause of him, but now we have forged real friendships.
OK… I'm not used to this much cheese so before I vomit in my mouth, I'll move on to Manchester. We woke up, after about 4 hours of sleep… said goodbye to Lala (that was sad!), saw fresh snow for the first time in my life (squealed!) and got on the train to Manchester. Mars took pictures on the train. Mars took pictures on the plane. Mars took pictures when we queued. Mars takes a lot of pictures. I hate pictures. I fucking love Mars. Anyway, we got to Manchester. It was cold. Hung out there, found a Pret a Manger (my favorite place to eat in the UK) and checked in at our hotel (the room was the best, the service at the hotel was the worst but provided some very funny moments when we debated going all Israeli-Turkish on their asses).
We had a meet and greet that day! There was a queue for that. Outside. In the COLD! We nearly froze to death. No it's not an exaggeration. Coming from Israel to UK temperatures can feel like death. There was I thinking one of the perks of getting a m&g was avoiding the queue… mistake #1. We were finally let in after about 50 minutes. Right before my nose fell off. We got inside, only to be welcomed by more waiting. Adam was insanely late for this m&g. it started less than 30 minutes before doors opened. I got really bitchy. I know he's a sound nazi and I appreciate how professional he is but honestly, they were there the entire day. Start sound check earlier and be on time. People who were around me probably heard my opinions there… I ranted quite a bit. A major reason why I got this was cause I wanted to be first row (I can't and won't queue from 7AM) and I was starting to feel really stressed and generally blah. And yeah I know it's not guaranteed but to me that's a total copout. I have to say that it kinda ruined it for me.
Anyway, Adam finally appeared. Hair down (YES!), cool clothes and boots, looking just beautiful. I wasn't as nervous as I thought I would be. Maybe it was the long wait… I don't know. I came up to him and he immediately hugged me and said thanks for coming. His speaking voice is very nice and gentle. Yes it's gay. I love that it is. It's wonderful. The hug was nice. He's tall but not freakishly tall. Broad shoulders. I told him I was from Israel and then he said they had wanted to come but it didn't work out. When you're "with him" you don't notice Neil (he was nice actually) or the other people there. He's really good at letting you feel "important", he stays focused and tries to make it as intimate as he can. However the whole queuing and going up one by one to him was weird for me… felt like he's an attraction at a circus or a zoo. I wish they would do it differently. Avoid the queuing. Maybe let people sit in groups. Perhaps it depends on the venue.
Now for the controversial part… if you "met" me in real life or on twitter, you know I don't shy away from voicing the unpopular opinion… Was meeting him for 30 seconds worth 175$? The answer, for me, is no. He's a really nice person, extremely beautiful, has this captivating aura about him and he gives good hugs. However, if Neil hadn't gotten us to the front I would have felt like it wasn't worth it. The person I'm passionate about is the person on stage. That's when, to me, you can experience the whole of him, the different layers and facets of his personality. That is what is the most fascinating in my opinion. In the m&g, you get to meet a very nice person, but because there's so little time, it feels flat. The richness of his stage persona (that I believe it authentic to who he is, if somewhat amplified) is lost in that gathering. Perhaps if there was more time (even 3 to 5 minutes per fan), it would have felt more natural. Honestly I don't know.
We then entered the venue. We were on the far right of the stage. It was really close, but we couldn't see half the stage cause of the large speakers. However, for the most part we had a really good view of Adam and I was so happy about it. I was able to make eye contact with Babz. One of the people I talk to a lot on twitter. Wish we had more time but I'm doing this again (!) and then we will go on a proper date (!). she has gorgeous eyes by the way (side note: almost everyone there has blue/green eyes… hate you/jealous).
Seeing Adam from that distance was amazing. I was so excited. I couldn’t believe it. It was really really intense. Seeing every facial expression and his eyes… I'm really grateful that I got to experience it. And that was worth 175$. It was that good. As for the show, Adam was much more loose and spontaneous. I loved it. I like it when he's not scripted. I think that creates the best show. He was dirty and raunchy and funny. Mars, Jo and Mojo were next to me, and again it was so much fun looking at each other faces, hugging… etc etc. I don't think I'll ever get over seeing him that close to me. I couldn't stop talking about it. Still can't believe it happened but it fucking did.
After being harassed and man handled in the streets of Manchester, we escaped to the tranquility of the hotel. Hung out with great people, had pizza. Again… great! I was really dead that night. The excitement and 4 hours of sleep got to me and I literally fell to my bed and slept in such a messy room, it would have given my mom a heart attack. The next morning it was off to London.
How can I describe London? In one word, Westfield. We spent a total of probably 20 hours at that shopping center. Weather sucked, there was a tube strike and Mars and Mojo like to shop (I think they want to be buried in that shopping center, that is if Mars can get them to agree to let them bury her with her merch). Anyway, spending time with friends is always good times.
Now onto the London show. Being the last international show, we all expected something big. Also, Adam kinda got us going with his tweet about killing it. It was a good show, but I think sound problems brought him down. He actually had to "fight" the band. He was pissed and kept turning to the sound guys… It was disappointing that the biggest venue had a poor sound. Adam was a total pro about it and tried to compensate by riding his voice hard. Some notes were just amazing! I had a balcony seat that the lovely Jo and Jon (love you guys!) saved for me and the view was pretty good. A lot better than I would have gotten in the standing level. Physically, I was feeling not so great but I tried not to let it ruin the show for me. Overall, the Manchester show was the best. Adam was looser and there were a lot less problems with the sound.
After the show, I finally got to have a little chat with dear Luna. It was great. We were all giddy and cold. The MYTOYBOX guys kept shoving stickers in our hands… yes "I went to an Adam Lambert concert and all I got was this lousy sticker" definitely applies here lmao. We were really tired and I was feeling really bad so went back to the hotel, chatted for a bit, then went to bed. Not exactly the exciting London night we had planned but with weather, strike and a bad back, sleeping was necessary.
Before I knew it, it was the last day. Saying goodbye to friends was the hardest part about this trip. Feel really close to all the people I met and wish I had planned better so I could meet all the people I wanted to meet but missed (you all should know who you are).
So… this long ass recap comes to a close. Thank you for being so welcoming, nice, kind, funny and amazing! This has been better than I had ever hoped for. We will do this again! It's been quite an adventure… all cause of something that started with one raven hair beauty, presh dork, sex beast with out of this world voice.