Manic Street Preachers in Chicago, 1 October 2009: WE DON'T WANT YOUR FUCKIN' LOVE.
Okay, IT'S BEEN A WEEK SINCE THE SHOW so I'm scared I'll have forgotten shit, but if you want a really detailed version of events, check out Chesh's THIRD and FOURTH entries, because she's got shit COVERED. ILU CHESH I'M SO GLAD WE HAD THIS EXPERIENCE 2GETHER.
So we were really fucking late getting to Chicago, even though we got out of the hotel and on the road before 10 AM. Janelle, it's totally not your fault at all--if anything, it's Chesh's and mine for staying so long at rest stops eating gyros and looking for invisible cough drops--and it was pissing down when we got to the train station. Chesh and I, therefore, had to put on our Manics glam outside in the cold, and I think it's a tribute to how generally awesome I am that I got out of pants, a t-shirt, hoodie and clogs and into a dress, sheer long-sleeved shirt, leggings, jewelry, legwarmers, sweater coat and sneakers without looking TOO amazingly crap. In fact, let's check out how hot I looked on the train (sans acne scars; WTF is wrong with my face this year? It's acting like it's 13 again):
THIS IS THE ONLY TIME I LOOKED HOT ALL WEEK. CHERISH IT.
Chesh is like OMG WHY ARE WE ON A TRAIN. JESUS. I enjoyed the train. I like public transport. I mean, yeah, it was cockblockin' but w/e.
Janelle is like OH MY STARS, IS THAT SEAN MOORE EATING A TRIPLE CHEESEBURGER I SEE?!
So Janelle was calling her friend Ashe and I was texting Matt and we were both like YEAH WE'LL GET THERE EVENTUALLY. We ended up getting there just after doors opened, after the train and then the ... other train... and waltzing through a clusterfuck of Cubs fans because we were two blocks from Wrigley Field. I just realized that that field must be named after the chewing gum company. Capitalism is weird.
Of course it was cold and wet and rainy the whole time, too. I did have to admire the city as we speedwalked through the Loop--I can't help it, I love big messy downtowns with concrete and skyscrapers and people everywhere. Everyone else was like IT IS COLD, WET AND SMELLY I HATE IT, but I'm from Omaha--it's cold, wet and smelly here, too, but not half as bustling, huge and gorgeous as Chicago!
We finally found the Metro and Ashe, who was very sweet and pretty!, was waiting outside for us, so we all bundled in and checked our coats. I got to stash my sweater in Janelle's Bag Of Crap For The Manics + Emergency Blanket for free, which was kewl. Thanks, guys! Then we all sort of made our way down the confusing maze of stairs and into the venue.
The Metro seems wider than it is long, and it was very purple, blue and dark in there. There's a balcony up some staggered staircases and a bar on the top floor, whatever floor that was. The stage was bigger than Varsity Theatre's so everyone got to spread out a little more. We located Matt at the barrier and met his DARLING sister Laurie (seriously, like Chesh said, that family has cuteness embedded in their genetic code) and her fiancé, whose name I kept forgetting because I'm a dick. He was really, really sweet, though, and at one point, brought me a cherry Coke during the show after promising beforehand and forgetting. HE TOTALLY DIDN'T NEED TO DO THAT but it was thoroughly appreciated and shared amongst at least four girls who hopefully didn't give each other AIDS. We also talked to some other hardcore Manics fans who were really weird and kept giving both the opening band and the Manics thumbs-up signs. I don't know what the fuck that shit was about. I listened to Laurie and Matt talk and to Ashe and Janelle and talked to the weird fans for a bit before Bear Hands came on.
BEAR HANDS ARE SO FUCKING BAD. GOD DAMN. Chesh and I kept elbowing each other all, "Seriously? This band is sharing the stage with our Welshmen?" and Matt turned back to us and grabbed my ear to say, "DON'T YOU JUST LOVE THEM? TOTALLY BETTER THAN THE MANICS!" (heavy-handed on the sarcasm there for those of you who are doubting it) and we all suffered through it together. They looked like Modest Mouse on a severe bender and naturally lacked MM's musical finesse and the foxyness that is Johnny Marr. I did like how their ... okay, one of their guitarists? Maybe the bassist? played a drum and maracas and shit at various points, but mostly they went on too long and were irritating cockblockers. I don't remember the Manics praising them effusively like they did Niko Vega, either, so maybe they were really casual fans or just took pity on the hairy men with no fashion sense. I DON'T KNOW. WHY WERE THEY THERE.
During their set, I decided to go upstairs and refill a water bottle in the bathroom--I'd bought it at a gas station in Wisconsin because it wore a neopryne sleeve of LEOPARD PRINT and I took that as a sign--and as I came down the stairs, I looked towards the staircase and saw none other than JAMES DEAN BRADFIELD stepping onto the landing in front of me. "Hi, James!!" I said, making sure to keep my distance so he wouldn't feel mauled. He was wearing his usual green trenchcoat and looking a bit lost, like he'd just come in from the street and forgot how to get backstage. He looked my way and said, "Oh, hey! How you doin'?" which must be what he says to everybody, even his family. He always seems like he just realized other people a) are around him and b) want to talk to him. I didn't see where he went because I'm a GOOD FAN and after waving, turned and pushed back through the crowd. I definitely didn't want to creep him out before the show. BEST TO SAVE THAT FOR AFTER.
So after that and a long wait, the feather-boa'd microphone stand appeared along with the Judgmental Tigers:
THE MANICS CAME ON AHHHH.
OKAY, so. Here's the Chicago setlist, with apropos links to SHITTY VIDEOS THAT JANELLE AND I MADE AND POSTED ON YOUTUBE. There's a lot of jostling around since I was pogoing and flipping out while I held the camera, and I know that a couple of them cut out on the sound at points because I forgot to tell Janelle that you can't zoom while filming video on my crap-ass camera! So yeah, that said...
1. Motorcycle Emptiness
2. No Surface All Feeling
3. Peeled Apples
4. Your Love Alone Is Not Enough
5. La Tristesse Durera
6. Jackie Collins Existential Question Time
7. Let Robeson Sing
8. Faster
9. Enola/Alone
10. Marlon J.D.
11. From Despair To Where
12. If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next (same video for both songs)
(begin James' acoustic set!)
13. This Is Yesterday
14. The Masses Against the Classes
(end James' acoustic set!)
15. Send Away the Tigers
16. You Stole the Sun From My Heart
17. Motown Junk
18. Me And Stephen Hawking
19. Little Baby Nothing
20. You Love Us
21. A Design For Life
After "If You Tolerate This," my camera decided that we were fucking done professionally as far as video went and it took me a while to get the still setting working again. But you know, they're shitty videos anyway so it doesn't matter. AT LEAST WE DOCUMENTED IT.
The only difference between the two nights was the substitution of "Marlon JD" for "This Joke Sport Severed." Everyone but me has opinions on this--I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS AWESOME. BOTH SONGS WERE AMAZING. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MANICS. I still kind of wish they had done a different song from Know Your Enemy LIKE MAYBE FUCKING "INTRAVENOUS AGNOSTIC," but Chesh and I are the only ones not wowed by that song. Still, I didn't mind it either night. I will accept any Manics songs live!!
Matt was a sweetheart again and let Chesh and me in front of him after he'd pogoed to "Motorcycle Emptiness" and "No Surface All Feeling" at the barrier. There WAS a barrier this time, which was kind of lame. I was forever afraid I'd drop my camera into the gap. AND I WANTED TO BE EVEN CLOSER TO THE BAND. Still, we were pretty fucking close, all told:
"No Surface All Feeling" sent me into tears AGAIN, even faster than it had the first night, I think. I just get so ~emotional~ at that shit. But the worst part as far as emotions occurred at the very end of the set during "A Design For Life," when James grabbed his mic stand, said goodbyes from the band and plonked it down on stage right, where Richey would've been if he'd been there, and he said, "And goodnight from Richey James Edwards!"
AND I CRIED.
SO FAST.
IT WAS LITERALLY AS HE SAID 'EDWARDS' THAT I LET OUT A HUGE SOB AND JUST CRIED AND CRIED. When the song was done, everyone (Matt, Ashe, Janelle, Chesh) turned to me and saw me weeping and was like OMG WTF WHAT HAPPENED IS SHE OKAY?? And Chesh, because she's my best friend, started laughing because it's the kind of thing I do a lot (and she's kind of a dick). I got hugs from everyone and the tears eventually dried up, after I was all, "BLOOHOOHOO HE SAID... HE SAID RICHEY." Shit, I can't even THINK about it without feeling my eyes prickle. JAMES, WHY DID YOU HAVE TO SHATTER MY HEART??!?!!
THAT BLUE RIBBONED BADGE WAS GIVEN TO HIM BY ALYSSA AND JANELLE IN MINNEAPOLIS AND HE LIKED IT AWWW <3 Hopefully he picked it up after it flew off.
Sean Moore reminds me of my cat: short, plump and PERPETUALLY TERRIFIED.
WIRE WHY WON'T YOU WEAR A MINISKIRT AND FLASH US YOUR LEGS.
That jacket's fkin' sexy, IDC.
Jaaaaaames!!!
THAT'S MY ARM.
Okay, so that last picture reminds me that we have to take a second to admire the sugary sweetness that is Wayne Murray, affectionally referred to by me AND NO ONE ELSE BECAUSE EVERYONE ELSE THINKS IT'S WEIRD as NewRichey. THE BOY IS FINE. He is the Manics' multitalenteded "skinny-arsed, angelic-voiced" (quote JDB, because the Manics are gay) second guitarist on this tour and I'M IN LOVE WITH HIM.
SO. CUTE. GOD.
I don't know what to say about the show itself that I didn't say about the previous one, because they played BRILLIANTLY and the stage banter was LOVELY and they were all AMAZING and the songs were INCREDIBLE and fuck, I wish we'd seen them in Detroit! So I'll just move on to the after bits.
We all sort of ran around like headless chickens when the Manics left the stage, trying to figure out what the fuck to do and where they were gonna be in this labyrinth. I got to the main entry hall and me and about 10 other people spotted SEAN MOORE behind a barrier, dashing between one doorway and another. I crossed the room in about two leaps, yelping, "SEAN!!! SEAN HEY SEAN!" and in response, we got a brief wave and one of his special looks of Abject Fucking Terror. The man? Hates his job. I swear to god.
Eventually, Matt, Laurie & her man, Ashe, Janelle, Alyssa, Chesh and I and some random people I didn't even know but were with us anyway all met around the tourbus area, where Matt wanted to get his "Motorcycle Emptiness" single signed by Sean and I just wanted to say HI to the motherfucker. I wandered between the tourbus door and the front of the bus, which was sort of parked in an alley all weirdly. Ashe showed it to us before the show so we'd know where to find our men.
After maybe 10 minutes of waiting IN THE DRIZZLY RAIN, the side door opened and out came SEAN and WAYNE, who made so fast for that bus that on his way, Sean elbowed Alyssa in the back to get her out of his way WHICH IS THE FUNNIEST FUCKING THING and none of us can stop talking about it. She swore he was a goddamn FAN getting antsy and no, it's just that little dickbag. So if you're wondering why we're calling him Sean Straight-Up Anthony Dickbag Moore (the "Straight-Up" referring to my pondering whether or not he spells 'Anthony' in a weird Welsh way as we were doing the Exile Fanzine word search, and Chesh stating, "No, I'm pretty sure it's just Straight-Up Anthony." LOL @ Things that are only funny to us, like this and Richey's vanishing cream), that's why. Two girls managed to flag him down before he vanished into the bus and as he signed their shit, Chesh says he had THE MOST STRICKEN FUCKING LOOK ON HIS FACE, like someone had just given him a pie made of dogshit. NO ONE WAS EVEN TOUCHING HIM. Another girl went to bag on the bus door as it closed, yelling SEAN! SEAN!! and I totally admired her balls. The door OPENED and I thought, OMG Sean had a change of heart!!
So I ran around to the front of the door, where WAYNE had opened it up and was signing some girl's something and took Matt's single in to Sean at his request to get it signed. Confronted with Wayne's ethereal prettiness and his soft little Newport accent, all I could think to say was, "Wayne! You're SO CUTE! You're just REALLY CUTE." To which he said, "Thank you!" and I wish to god I'd hugged him or kissed him or shoved him into my purse because I adore him like Wire loves Matt.
SPEAKING OF THAT, shortly after this, we all realized that Nicky and James, the Manics Without Social Disorders, were at the FRONT of the venue in a crush of fans who were all being slowly ushered further down the sidewalk to make way for some onslaught of post-game Cubs fans that I never actually saw and it's not like we were gonna be there THAT long, so shut up, Metro guy, and we began to insert ourselves into that crowd. I made for Nicky Wire, who was in a short-sleeved black t-shirt, his adorable satiny captain's hat and was in a very good mood despite saying "I'm fucking FREEZING!" Oh, Wire, come into my arms! I will snuggle you to warmth! I stood around him agog for about 10 minutes, listening to him talk to other people and hugging people and taking pictures and admiring the sparkly jewels affixed beneath his eyes.
Ashe got a picture with him and it's totally cute:
CHECK OUT HER SNUGGLIN' UP TO THE WIRE. HOW AWESOME IS THAT.
and Alyssa gave him his copy of the Exile questionnaire, then had a discussion about the contents of the bag she'd presented to him the night before, specifically the icepacks emblazoned with Lisa Frank images.
Nicky, beaming: "Oh my god, that was YOU?!"
And so results this picture, which is ALSO Fucking Adorable:
I sort of regret not getting my own Smiley Wire Cuddles picture, but I didn't want to seem picture-greedy since I did NOT bring him lots of presents in return.
Matt easily got Nicky's attention as Wire remembered him from the night before and their conversation about Brett Favre. Matt asked if his sister could have a picture with Wire and Wire was like OMG OF COURSE YES, YES, and put his arm around Laurie and then said THE GAYEST. THING. as Matt stood back to snap a photo.
Laurie: something normal like "Thanks so much! It's awesome to meet you!"
Nicky, giving Matt the most leering grin: some kind of lead-in like, "Oh, it's fine," and then, "Your brother's a very handsome young man!" to which Laurie and I and others readily agreed, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who then thought, "Wait a damn second here, REWIND THAT. WHAT THE FUCK?!?!" as Matt grinned and took the picture.
Matt then got to chat with Wire some more and after that, I spent a great deal of time ribbing him about how Wire would like to do filthy things with him and steal his boy-virginity BECAUSE WHAT THE HELL, NICKY WIRE, YOU FAG. I wish to hell another of our party had seen it besides me because it's so not the kind of thing I can even exaggerate or make up and it doesn't fucking sound REAL.
After these shenanegans, I cornered Nicky in the crowd and got his undivided attention.
Me: Okay, firstly, I want to say that I LOVE your eye makeup with the little jewels! It's so awesome!
Nicky, beaming: Thank you!
Me, pushing a much-folded sheaf of papers into his lovely hand: And secondly... Okay, I wrote you guys this letter on the drive here and it's SO retarded...
Nicky, taking it and nodding assuringly: No, no! It's fine!
Me, admiring his lovely blue eyes all spangled as they were: ...but I really wanted to give it to you because I just can't think about it any more. Thankyousomuch.
Nicky, all warm smiles: It's fine! I'll read this on the bus!
Me, feeling all goopy inside because NICKY WIRE'S GONNA READ MY STUPID LETTER: *grabs him for a hug, pulling him down by the shoulder because the fucker is tall*
Nicky: *HUGS ME BACK OMGGGGG*
After that, I made my way over to where Chesh was trying to get James' attention so he'd sign her Lonesome Aesthetic shirt. JDB was talking to about 50 people and studiously ignoring 49 of them, though, so everyone was just trying to push her into his direct line of vision. At some point, I asked him, "Is your finger okay?" because during the first few songs, I noticed streaks of BLOOD on his white Gibson (I think, pretty sure it wasn't a Fender but didn't care enough to be 100%?) and he kept holding out his strummin' hand to examine it and wipe it on the back of his shirt. He showed me his hand and there was a small round scab on it. "Yeah, it was my hand, I just nicked it somewhere." And then he started telling some Polish guy how he liked "the look of" him because he was "Dark and brooding" and I was like, well, fuck, if EVERYONE in this band is gay then no amount of cute American girls in a group will get his attention.
Chesh DID get him to sign her shirt and got a handshake from him NOT A HUG O NOZ and I hovered for ages waiting to tackle him. Finally, when his back was to me and the guy was all OMG MOVE IT ALONG FOLKS, I just said near James's ear as he spoke with some other boy he probably wanted to bang, "James, I'm just gonna hug you, okay?" and threw my arms over his shoulders, clasping them at his chest as I squeezed him lightly.
JDB DID NOT REACT TO THIS IN ANY WAY although Chesh said he kind of leaned back into me because I was pulling him, but he just KEPT ON TALKING TO THAT GUY. My conclusion: JDB has homosexual tendencies and does not care about girls. That or he's only hot for his wife and other girls make him slightly ill. Oooor something.
So then Matt and some drunk guy and Laurie's man were all like OMG YOU GUYS SHOULD COME BACK TO (SOMEONE'S) PLACE IT'S ONLY 2 MILES AWAY AND PARTY WITH US. Someone--was it Laurie's man? I don't even remember at this point--was asking me over and over at the tourbus if I wanted to "get fucked up" and I kept insisting that no, I really didn't, and he's like WHAT YOU DON'T DO ANYTHING I'M SO DRUNK and Matt was like, "No! They're like me! They don't drink!" and he was mightily disappointed but whatever! I get fucked up over music, man! However, we elected not to accompany Matt to wherever it was everyone was going because we were all exhausted, hungry and gross and needed to catch a train before 1 AM because that was our only way to Itasca.
Ashe also had to get on the train home because she had shit to do in the morning, and Matt chivalrously walked us all the 2.5 blocks in the rain to the station because he's so sweet that I'm not sure he was actually real. We said our goodbyes at the station and lamented (lol) that we'd all miss each other and it blew that we were too broke to go to Detroit (a decision we regretted--SURELY WE COULD'VE MAXED OUT SOME CREDIT CARDS AND GONE ON NO SLEEP ONE MORE NIGHT), and there were many hugs and I gave him a peck on the cheek because he's just so wonderful. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MATT.
After riding the Red Line, we said goodbye to Ashe so we could catch the Other Train. It was really nice to meet her! Nearly everyone we met was awesome!
We had to stay at Union Station for over an hour, so we all feasted upon McDonald's which was hilarious because they were closing soon and people kept on waltzing in after we were eating and this guy tried to turn them out to no avail. Also, this guy with a broken wheeled suitcase that he just sort of dragged on the ground after him (it had only one wheel) came in and began to methodically take out napkins to lightly blot himself with. I don't know why he was funny, but he was.
Then we found out we could get on a 12:40 train instead of 1:20 and we piled on!
Alyssa's arm with the setlist on it! Also someone's skinny-jeaned leg.
When we finally got home, Chesh and I showered because we felt gross like crazy, but Janelle and Alyssa fell asleep instanter. Then we all fucking slept until Late the next day--they got up around 12pm but stayed in bed eating and looking at pictures, and Chesh rolled out of bed sometime in there and I didn't wake up until 3 because I sleep like the dead. We ate delicious beany chicken gumbo Janelle and Alyssa made, and then after Alyssa's mom came home and teased us for not ever leaving and some people came over while I was showering, we all finally got in the car to stop at a Wendy's where I tried to get internets because I had to meet Amber (neon_hardon) to give her a backpack I'd assembled the previous week. She happened to call me while this went on and we made tentative plans to meet at 8:30 at Union Station. Then we briefly hit up Target for some necessities. I bought a fleece white-and-black leopard print hat and gloves there because... yes... and then Alyssa and Janelle took us to the train depot so we could ride downtown and meet Amber.
Chesh was making fun of me in Union Station because my plans with Amber were so tentative and she had no cell phone so I couldn't call her and we just had to hope we met up somewhere in there. As we were walking around, a woman wearing an oxygen hose came up to us asking for a candy bar because she was sick and had no money and had cancer and her kids liked candy bars. I'd fortuitously bought a Snickers bar for no reason at Target, along with some gummi bears, and I gave her both and we wished her well. Then we stopped to get Chesh's sister a souvenir shotglass. After walking around and up and down some stairs, I saw a girl in tattered black tights with cute blonde hair examining a map and called, "Amber!" hoping it was her because she was the only person who ... looked like her... that I'd seen.
And it was her! We stopped on the stairs so she could see all the contents of the backpack and then she led us out into the cold to eat at this Indian restaurant. I bought us all food and mine was this gross green sludgy mess with lumps in it and I only managed to eat a little before taking it back to exchange it for another piece of naan bread. I drank an apple soymilk shake and that was weird. We had a really good dinner, though, and I really liked getting a chance to talk to Amber in person more than I did at IAMX. Then she had to go meet someone, but she walked us back over to Union Station so Chesh and I could catch another train back.
Alyssa and Janelle hung out with some people they liked while we were gone, and then we all looked at image macros on Alyssa's computer for an hour because she wanted to show us this particular one. That was more fun than I made it sound. We wouldn't have sat there if it wasn't amusing! Then we decided it was time to go search for Pie, but no one that would've sold pie was OPEN so that blew. We saw a "Polish-American Video Relax," though, which was pretty lolz.
Then we went home and they were going to bed and Chesh was going to shower and as we'd been in the car I'd started to feel really bummed about the Manics being over and leaving all our new friends behind on the morrow (well, the ones we hadn't already left), and I started crying. Chesh came in before her shower and then spent like 2 hours comforting me because I just broke down. The entire thing was just such a huge emotional Event and I hated the fact I had to go back to my retarded life with my new job and all these stupid assignments and classes and I didn't care about ANYTHING but making a mark on the world the way the Manics have and indulging in even more experiences like that.
So yeah. The Manics Are Emotional Trainwreckers!
Everyone who was there with me, I ADORE YOU and I had such a great time. Thank you all very much for helping to make ManicsQuest 2009 fucking amazing. I HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL AGAIN SOON, if not for the Manics, then just for fun!
Annnd now I have to go to bed and get 4 hours' sleep because I work at 10 AM tomorrow. FUCK.
J.
So we were really fucking late getting to Chicago, even though we got out of the hotel and on the road before 10 AM. Janelle, it's totally not your fault at all--if anything, it's Chesh's and mine for staying so long at rest stops eating gyros and looking for invisible cough drops--and it was pissing down when we got to the train station. Chesh and I, therefore, had to put on our Manics glam outside in the cold, and I think it's a tribute to how generally awesome I am that I got out of pants, a t-shirt, hoodie and clogs and into a dress, sheer long-sleeved shirt, leggings, jewelry, legwarmers, sweater coat and sneakers without looking TOO amazingly crap. In fact, let's check out how hot I looked on the train (sans acne scars; WTF is wrong with my face this year? It's acting like it's 13 again):
THIS IS THE ONLY TIME I LOOKED HOT ALL WEEK. CHERISH IT.
Chesh is like OMG WHY ARE WE ON A TRAIN. JESUS. I enjoyed the train. I like public transport. I mean, yeah, it was cockblockin' but w/e.
Janelle is like OH MY STARS, IS THAT SEAN MOORE EATING A TRIPLE CHEESEBURGER I SEE?!
So Janelle was calling her friend Ashe and I was texting Matt and we were both like YEAH WE'LL GET THERE EVENTUALLY. We ended up getting there just after doors opened, after the train and then the ... other train... and waltzing through a clusterfuck of Cubs fans because we were two blocks from Wrigley Field. I just realized that that field must be named after the chewing gum company. Capitalism is weird.
Of course it was cold and wet and rainy the whole time, too. I did have to admire the city as we speedwalked through the Loop--I can't help it, I love big messy downtowns with concrete and skyscrapers and people everywhere. Everyone else was like IT IS COLD, WET AND SMELLY I HATE IT, but I'm from Omaha--it's cold, wet and smelly here, too, but not half as bustling, huge and gorgeous as Chicago!
We finally found the Metro and Ashe, who was very sweet and pretty!, was waiting outside for us, so we all bundled in and checked our coats. I got to stash my sweater in Janelle's Bag Of Crap For The Manics + Emergency Blanket for free, which was kewl. Thanks, guys! Then we all sort of made our way down the confusing maze of stairs and into the venue.
The Metro seems wider than it is long, and it was very purple, blue and dark in there. There's a balcony up some staggered staircases and a bar on the top floor, whatever floor that was. The stage was bigger than Varsity Theatre's so everyone got to spread out a little more. We located Matt at the barrier and met his DARLING sister Laurie (seriously, like Chesh said, that family has cuteness embedded in their genetic code) and her fiancé, whose name I kept forgetting because I'm a dick. He was really, really sweet, though, and at one point, brought me a cherry Coke during the show after promising beforehand and forgetting. HE TOTALLY DIDN'T NEED TO DO THAT but it was thoroughly appreciated and shared amongst at least four girls who hopefully didn't give each other AIDS. We also talked to some other hardcore Manics fans who were really weird and kept giving both the opening band and the Manics thumbs-up signs. I don't know what the fuck that shit was about. I listened to Laurie and Matt talk and to Ashe and Janelle and talked to the weird fans for a bit before Bear Hands came on.
BEAR HANDS ARE SO FUCKING BAD. GOD DAMN. Chesh and I kept elbowing each other all, "Seriously? This band is sharing the stage with our Welshmen?" and Matt turned back to us and grabbed my ear to say, "DON'T YOU JUST LOVE THEM? TOTALLY BETTER THAN THE MANICS!" (heavy-handed on the sarcasm there for those of you who are doubting it) and we all suffered through it together. They looked like Modest Mouse on a severe bender and naturally lacked MM's musical finesse and the foxyness that is Johnny Marr. I did like how their ... okay, one of their guitarists? Maybe the bassist? played a drum and maracas and shit at various points, but mostly they went on too long and were irritating cockblockers. I don't remember the Manics praising them effusively like they did Niko Vega, either, so maybe they were really casual fans or just took pity on the hairy men with no fashion sense. I DON'T KNOW. WHY WERE THEY THERE.
During their set, I decided to go upstairs and refill a water bottle in the bathroom--I'd bought it at a gas station in Wisconsin because it wore a neopryne sleeve of LEOPARD PRINT and I took that as a sign--and as I came down the stairs, I looked towards the staircase and saw none other than JAMES DEAN BRADFIELD stepping onto the landing in front of me. "Hi, James!!" I said, making sure to keep my distance so he wouldn't feel mauled. He was wearing his usual green trenchcoat and looking a bit lost, like he'd just come in from the street and forgot how to get backstage. He looked my way and said, "Oh, hey! How you doin'?" which must be what he says to everybody, even his family. He always seems like he just realized other people a) are around him and b) want to talk to him. I didn't see where he went because I'm a GOOD FAN and after waving, turned and pushed back through the crowd. I definitely didn't want to creep him out before the show. BEST TO SAVE THAT FOR AFTER.
So after that and a long wait, the feather-boa'd microphone stand appeared along with the Judgmental Tigers:
THE MANICS CAME ON AHHHH.
OKAY, so. Here's the Chicago setlist, with apropos links to SHITTY VIDEOS THAT JANELLE AND I MADE AND POSTED ON YOUTUBE. There's a lot of jostling around since I was pogoing and flipping out while I held the camera, and I know that a couple of them cut out on the sound at points because I forgot to tell Janelle that you can't zoom while filming video on my crap-ass camera! So yeah, that said...
1. Motorcycle Emptiness
2. No Surface All Feeling
3. Peeled Apples
4. Your Love Alone Is Not Enough
5. La Tristesse Durera
6. Jackie Collins Existential Question Time
7. Let Robeson Sing
8. Faster
9. Enola/Alone
10. Marlon J.D.
11. From Despair To Where
12. If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next (same video for both songs)
(begin James' acoustic set!)
13. This Is Yesterday
14. The Masses Against the Classes
(end James' acoustic set!)
15. Send Away the Tigers
16. You Stole the Sun From My Heart
17. Motown Junk
18. Me And Stephen Hawking
19. Little Baby Nothing
20. You Love Us
21. A Design For Life
After "If You Tolerate This," my camera decided that we were fucking done professionally as far as video went and it took me a while to get the still setting working again. But you know, they're shitty videos anyway so it doesn't matter. AT LEAST WE DOCUMENTED IT.
The only difference between the two nights was the substitution of "Marlon JD" for "This Joke Sport Severed." Everyone but me has opinions on this--I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS AWESOME. BOTH SONGS WERE AMAZING. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MANICS. I still kind of wish they had done a different song from Know Your Enemy LIKE MAYBE FUCKING "INTRAVENOUS AGNOSTIC," but Chesh and I are the only ones not wowed by that song. Still, I didn't mind it either night. I will accept any Manics songs live!!
Matt was a sweetheart again and let Chesh and me in front of him after he'd pogoed to "Motorcycle Emptiness" and "No Surface All Feeling" at the barrier. There WAS a barrier this time, which was kind of lame. I was forever afraid I'd drop my camera into the gap. AND I WANTED TO BE EVEN CLOSER TO THE BAND. Still, we were pretty fucking close, all told:
"No Surface All Feeling" sent me into tears AGAIN, even faster than it had the first night, I think. I just get so ~emotional~ at that shit. But the worst part as far as emotions occurred at the very end of the set during "A Design For Life," when James grabbed his mic stand, said goodbyes from the band and plonked it down on stage right, where Richey would've been if he'd been there, and he said, "And goodnight from Richey James Edwards!"
AND I CRIED.
SO FAST.
IT WAS LITERALLY AS HE SAID 'EDWARDS' THAT I LET OUT A HUGE SOB AND JUST CRIED AND CRIED. When the song was done, everyone (Matt, Ashe, Janelle, Chesh) turned to me and saw me weeping and was like OMG WTF WHAT HAPPENED IS SHE OKAY?? And Chesh, because she's my best friend, started laughing because it's the kind of thing I do a lot (and she's kind of a dick). I got hugs from everyone and the tears eventually dried up, after I was all, "BLOOHOOHOO HE SAID... HE SAID RICHEY." Shit, I can't even THINK about it without feeling my eyes prickle. JAMES, WHY DID YOU HAVE TO SHATTER MY HEART??!?!!
THAT BLUE RIBBONED BADGE WAS GIVEN TO HIM BY ALYSSA AND JANELLE IN MINNEAPOLIS AND HE LIKED IT AWWW <3 Hopefully he picked it up after it flew off.
Sean Moore reminds me of my cat: short, plump and PERPETUALLY TERRIFIED.
WIRE WHY WON'T YOU WEAR A MINISKIRT AND FLASH US YOUR LEGS.
That jacket's fkin' sexy, IDC.
Jaaaaaames!!!
THAT'S MY ARM.
Okay, so that last picture reminds me that we have to take a second to admire the sugary sweetness that is Wayne Murray, affectionally referred to by me AND NO ONE ELSE BECAUSE EVERYONE ELSE THINKS IT'S WEIRD as NewRichey. THE BOY IS FINE. He is the Manics' multitalenteded "skinny-arsed, angelic-voiced" (quote JDB, because the Manics are gay) second guitarist on this tour and I'M IN LOVE WITH HIM.
SO. CUTE. GOD.
I don't know what to say about the show itself that I didn't say about the previous one, because they played BRILLIANTLY and the stage banter was LOVELY and they were all AMAZING and the songs were INCREDIBLE and fuck, I wish we'd seen them in Detroit! So I'll just move on to the after bits.
We all sort of ran around like headless chickens when the Manics left the stage, trying to figure out what the fuck to do and where they were gonna be in this labyrinth. I got to the main entry hall and me and about 10 other people spotted SEAN MOORE behind a barrier, dashing between one doorway and another. I crossed the room in about two leaps, yelping, "SEAN!!! SEAN HEY SEAN!" and in response, we got a brief wave and one of his special looks of Abject Fucking Terror. The man? Hates his job. I swear to god.
Eventually, Matt, Laurie & her man, Ashe, Janelle, Alyssa, Chesh and I and some random people I didn't even know but were with us anyway all met around the tourbus area, where Matt wanted to get his "Motorcycle Emptiness" single signed by Sean and I just wanted to say HI to the motherfucker. I wandered between the tourbus door and the front of the bus, which was sort of parked in an alley all weirdly. Ashe showed it to us before the show so we'd know where to find our men.
After maybe 10 minutes of waiting IN THE DRIZZLY RAIN, the side door opened and out came SEAN and WAYNE, who made so fast for that bus that on his way, Sean elbowed Alyssa in the back to get her out of his way WHICH IS THE FUNNIEST FUCKING THING and none of us can stop talking about it. She swore he was a goddamn FAN getting antsy and no, it's just that little dickbag. So if you're wondering why we're calling him Sean Straight-Up Anthony Dickbag Moore (the "Straight-Up" referring to my pondering whether or not he spells 'Anthony' in a weird Welsh way as we were doing the Exile Fanzine word search, and Chesh stating, "No, I'm pretty sure it's just Straight-Up Anthony." LOL @ Things that are only funny to us, like this and Richey's vanishing cream), that's why. Two girls managed to flag him down before he vanished into the bus and as he signed their shit, Chesh says he had THE MOST STRICKEN FUCKING LOOK ON HIS FACE, like someone had just given him a pie made of dogshit. NO ONE WAS EVEN TOUCHING HIM. Another girl went to bag on the bus door as it closed, yelling SEAN! SEAN!! and I totally admired her balls. The door OPENED and I thought, OMG Sean had a change of heart!!
So I ran around to the front of the door, where WAYNE had opened it up and was signing some girl's something and took Matt's single in to Sean at his request to get it signed. Confronted with Wayne's ethereal prettiness and his soft little Newport accent, all I could think to say was, "Wayne! You're SO CUTE! You're just REALLY CUTE." To which he said, "Thank you!" and I wish to god I'd hugged him or kissed him or shoved him into my purse because I adore him like Wire loves Matt.
SPEAKING OF THAT, shortly after this, we all realized that Nicky and James, the Manics Without Social Disorders, were at the FRONT of the venue in a crush of fans who were all being slowly ushered further down the sidewalk to make way for some onslaught of post-game Cubs fans that I never actually saw and it's not like we were gonna be there THAT long, so shut up, Metro guy, and we began to insert ourselves into that crowd. I made for Nicky Wire, who was in a short-sleeved black t-shirt, his adorable satiny captain's hat and was in a very good mood despite saying "I'm fucking FREEZING!" Oh, Wire, come into my arms! I will snuggle you to warmth! I stood around him agog for about 10 minutes, listening to him talk to other people and hugging people and taking pictures and admiring the sparkly jewels affixed beneath his eyes.
Ashe got a picture with him and it's totally cute:
CHECK OUT HER SNUGGLIN' UP TO THE WIRE. HOW AWESOME IS THAT.
and Alyssa gave him his copy of the Exile questionnaire, then had a discussion about the contents of the bag she'd presented to him the night before, specifically the icepacks emblazoned with Lisa Frank images.
Nicky, beaming: "Oh my god, that was YOU?!"
And so results this picture, which is ALSO Fucking Adorable:
I sort of regret not getting my own Smiley Wire Cuddles picture, but I didn't want to seem picture-greedy since I did NOT bring him lots of presents in return.
Matt easily got Nicky's attention as Wire remembered him from the night before and their conversation about Brett Favre. Matt asked if his sister could have a picture with Wire and Wire was like OMG OF COURSE YES, YES, and put his arm around Laurie and then said THE GAYEST. THING. as Matt stood back to snap a photo.
Laurie: something normal like "Thanks so much! It's awesome to meet you!"
Nicky, giving Matt the most leering grin: some kind of lead-in like, "Oh, it's fine," and then, "Your brother's a very handsome young man!" to which Laurie and I and others readily agreed, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who then thought, "Wait a damn second here, REWIND THAT. WHAT THE FUCK?!?!" as Matt grinned and took the picture.
Matt then got to chat with Wire some more and after that, I spent a great deal of time ribbing him about how Wire would like to do filthy things with him and steal his boy-virginity BECAUSE WHAT THE HELL, NICKY WIRE, YOU FAG. I wish to hell another of our party had seen it besides me because it's so not the kind of thing I can even exaggerate or make up and it doesn't fucking sound REAL.
After these shenanegans, I cornered Nicky in the crowd and got his undivided attention.
Me: Okay, firstly, I want to say that I LOVE your eye makeup with the little jewels! It's so awesome!
Nicky, beaming: Thank you!
Me, pushing a much-folded sheaf of papers into his lovely hand: And secondly... Okay, I wrote you guys this letter on the drive here and it's SO retarded...
Nicky, taking it and nodding assuringly: No, no! It's fine!
Me, admiring his lovely blue eyes all spangled as they were: ...but I really wanted to give it to you because I just can't think about it any more. Thankyousomuch.
Nicky, all warm smiles: It's fine! I'll read this on the bus!
Me, feeling all goopy inside because NICKY WIRE'S GONNA READ MY STUPID LETTER: *grabs him for a hug, pulling him down by the shoulder because the fucker is tall*
Nicky: *HUGS ME BACK OMGGGGG*
After that, I made my way over to where Chesh was trying to get James' attention so he'd sign her Lonesome Aesthetic shirt. JDB was talking to about 50 people and studiously ignoring 49 of them, though, so everyone was just trying to push her into his direct line of vision. At some point, I asked him, "Is your finger okay?" because during the first few songs, I noticed streaks of BLOOD on his white Gibson (I think, pretty sure it wasn't a Fender but didn't care enough to be 100%?) and he kept holding out his strummin' hand to examine it and wipe it on the back of his shirt. He showed me his hand and there was a small round scab on it. "Yeah, it was my hand, I just nicked it somewhere." And then he started telling some Polish guy how he liked "the look of" him because he was "Dark and brooding" and I was like, well, fuck, if EVERYONE in this band is gay then no amount of cute American girls in a group will get his attention.
Chesh DID get him to sign her shirt and got a handshake from him NOT A HUG O NOZ and I hovered for ages waiting to tackle him. Finally, when his back was to me and the guy was all OMG MOVE IT ALONG FOLKS, I just said near James's ear as he spoke with some other boy he probably wanted to bang, "James, I'm just gonna hug you, okay?" and threw my arms over his shoulders, clasping them at his chest as I squeezed him lightly.
JDB DID NOT REACT TO THIS IN ANY WAY although Chesh said he kind of leaned back into me because I was pulling him, but he just KEPT ON TALKING TO THAT GUY. My conclusion: JDB has homosexual tendencies and does not care about girls. That or he's only hot for his wife and other girls make him slightly ill. Oooor something.
So then Matt and some drunk guy and Laurie's man were all like OMG YOU GUYS SHOULD COME BACK TO (SOMEONE'S) PLACE IT'S ONLY 2 MILES AWAY AND PARTY WITH US. Someone--was it Laurie's man? I don't even remember at this point--was asking me over and over at the tourbus if I wanted to "get fucked up" and I kept insisting that no, I really didn't, and he's like WHAT YOU DON'T DO ANYTHING I'M SO DRUNK and Matt was like, "No! They're like me! They don't drink!" and he was mightily disappointed but whatever! I get fucked up over music, man! However, we elected not to accompany Matt to wherever it was everyone was going because we were all exhausted, hungry and gross and needed to catch a train before 1 AM because that was our only way to Itasca.
Ashe also had to get on the train home because she had shit to do in the morning, and Matt chivalrously walked us all the 2.5 blocks in the rain to the station because he's so sweet that I'm not sure he was actually real. We said our goodbyes at the station and lamented (lol) that we'd all miss each other and it blew that we were too broke to go to Detroit (a decision we regretted--SURELY WE COULD'VE MAXED OUT SOME CREDIT CARDS AND GONE ON NO SLEEP ONE MORE NIGHT), and there were many hugs and I gave him a peck on the cheek because he's just so wonderful. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MATT.
After riding the Red Line, we said goodbye to Ashe so we could catch the Other Train. It was really nice to meet her! Nearly everyone we met was awesome!
We had to stay at Union Station for over an hour, so we all feasted upon McDonald's which was hilarious because they were closing soon and people kept on waltzing in after we were eating and this guy tried to turn them out to no avail. Also, this guy with a broken wheeled suitcase that he just sort of dragged on the ground after him (it had only one wheel) came in and began to methodically take out napkins to lightly blot himself with. I don't know why he was funny, but he was.
Then we found out we could get on a 12:40 train instead of 1:20 and we piled on!
Alyssa's arm with the setlist on it! Also someone's skinny-jeaned leg.
When we finally got home, Chesh and I showered because we felt gross like crazy, but Janelle and Alyssa fell asleep instanter. Then we all fucking slept until Late the next day--they got up around 12pm but stayed in bed eating and looking at pictures, and Chesh rolled out of bed sometime in there and I didn't wake up until 3 because I sleep like the dead. We ate delicious beany chicken gumbo Janelle and Alyssa made, and then after Alyssa's mom came home and teased us for not ever leaving and some people came over while I was showering, we all finally got in the car to stop at a Wendy's where I tried to get internets because I had to meet Amber (neon_hardon) to give her a backpack I'd assembled the previous week. She happened to call me while this went on and we made tentative plans to meet at 8:30 at Union Station. Then we briefly hit up Target for some necessities. I bought a fleece white-and-black leopard print hat and gloves there because... yes... and then Alyssa and Janelle took us to the train depot so we could ride downtown and meet Amber.
Chesh was making fun of me in Union Station because my plans with Amber were so tentative and she had no cell phone so I couldn't call her and we just had to hope we met up somewhere in there. As we were walking around, a woman wearing an oxygen hose came up to us asking for a candy bar because she was sick and had no money and had cancer and her kids liked candy bars. I'd fortuitously bought a Snickers bar for no reason at Target, along with some gummi bears, and I gave her both and we wished her well. Then we stopped to get Chesh's sister a souvenir shotglass. After walking around and up and down some stairs, I saw a girl in tattered black tights with cute blonde hair examining a map and called, "Amber!" hoping it was her because she was the only person who ... looked like her... that I'd seen.
And it was her! We stopped on the stairs so she could see all the contents of the backpack and then she led us out into the cold to eat at this Indian restaurant. I bought us all food and mine was this gross green sludgy mess with lumps in it and I only managed to eat a little before taking it back to exchange it for another piece of naan bread. I drank an apple soymilk shake and that was weird. We had a really good dinner, though, and I really liked getting a chance to talk to Amber in person more than I did at IAMX. Then she had to go meet someone, but she walked us back over to Union Station so Chesh and I could catch another train back.
Alyssa and Janelle hung out with some people they liked while we were gone, and then we all looked at image macros on Alyssa's computer for an hour because she wanted to show us this particular one. That was more fun than I made it sound. We wouldn't have sat there if it wasn't amusing! Then we decided it was time to go search for Pie, but no one that would've sold pie was OPEN so that blew. We saw a "Polish-American Video Relax," though, which was pretty lolz.
Then we went home and they were going to bed and Chesh was going to shower and as we'd been in the car I'd started to feel really bummed about the Manics being over and leaving all our new friends behind on the morrow (well, the ones we hadn't already left), and I started crying. Chesh came in before her shower and then spent like 2 hours comforting me because I just broke down. The entire thing was just such a huge emotional Event and I hated the fact I had to go back to my retarded life with my new job and all these stupid assignments and classes and I didn't care about ANYTHING but making a mark on the world the way the Manics have and indulging in even more experiences like that.
So yeah. The Manics Are Emotional Trainwreckers!
Everyone who was there with me, I ADORE YOU and I had such a great time. Thank you all very much for helping to make ManicsQuest 2009 fucking amazing. I HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL AGAIN SOON, if not for the Manics, then just for fun!
Annnd now I have to go to bed and get 4 hours' sleep because I work at 10 AM tomorrow. FUCK.
J.