snip it
Last night I went to see the Mountain Goats. The best. I wrote about it on my other blog, trying to restrain myself. I only vaguely avoided full on gushing about their brilliance. I adore them. The first time I went to see them I felt a bit left out because there was a large group of pretty boys who shouted their lyrics out as if they were singing their team song after a footy victory. They were clambouring (I think there should be such a word as clambour, because I think clamour and clamber are so similar, but still so different, but they mean the same in my mind) over each other, chests forward.. having this really intense experience. It was a bit different this time because I was further in that camp than I realised. I wasn't the most extreme and frankly I'm glad, I kinda don't like those people who sing along to every song, even the soft ones. It was funny that people sang along to Love Love Love, but beautiful, just like the first time I saw them play Wild Sage, everyone sang along with the high bit at the start. This time I sang along to Wild Sage, but to the bit where it goes "some days I think I'd feel better if I tried harder" and held my breath when he stopped to sing "and when somebody asks me, John, are you okay? I don't know what to say". He sings and plays everything like it's the first time (even though he knows it all inside out), the emotions are so raw and real, it really tears me up inside. I felt scared and hopeful and elated and worried and excited and sad all at the same time. I was horrified when during the encore he leaped offstage to sing right into people's faces. I vaguely hoped that he would do it to me - because when he sings he's so intense with eye contact (everyone in the front five rows probably thought they knew him inside out by the end of the night), I guess I thought we had something going on or maybe I even hoped he'd remember me saying hello to him at Final Fantasy that time and the three hugs he gave me on that night. I am glad that he didn't come near me though. Perhaps he deliberately avoided me because I smelt like bo and chicken kiev. I was so dehydrated but I didn't want to move until the concert finished, even during the giant pause after the first encore. When their set finally finished I gulped down 1.5 glasses of freezing water, waited on the stage while the crowd ambled out, looking towards the stage door, thinking about how it was totally worth waiting around by myself and that annoying tall girl standing in front of me. I pushed my way out into the night, heard the tram coming and ran for it.