END OF DAYS
Norbreck Hotel, Blackpool – May 2003
I'll summarise the best bits (not in any particular order) -
Juliet L and Julie B on stage, talking and answering questions as if they were Dru and Darla.
Alexis talking about Alyson (so sweet) and doing the dance from 'She'.
Vincent and Keith (Connor & Holtz) with their arms around each other's shoulders, singing 'Mandy' karaoke style.
J rapping and dancing.
Vincent dancing and generally being very hyperactive and entertaining.
Andy Hallett - star of the show! Dancing, laughing, talking, mingling, showing his tattoos.
Mark Lutz learning British slang, and turning up on the last night with a 'Slappers on Tour' t-shirt.
Andy and Mark's double act - they should go on tour.
The catch phrases - "How dare you!" and "Lil Boo!"
Brody Hutzler - who knew that Landok, Lorne's cousin, was so gorgeous under all that makeup?
Amy giggling and having the same mannerisms as Fred! (she shortened her honeymoon to attend, bless her)
Everyone singing 'Mandy' from a karaoke screen - the cast guests, the tech crew, the attendees, even the bar staff!
Video message from Joss.
Julie B and Stephanie R discussing their characters' attraction for Angel ...
Glory as compere!
J, Amy and Vincent re-enacting the scene with the taser when Fred and Gunn discovered that Connor dumped Angel in the sea - hilarious!
All the guests taking photos and videos of us, to show their family and friends at home.
The last of the guests - Andy, Mark, J, Brody, Nicole, Dayne - coming to the balcony above the disco at 1.55 am to thank us all for a wonderful weekend.
Meeting people with the same passion for both shows.
Spike and Lorne look-alikes, and those that didn't!
Baby Spike.
Baby Buffy Summers.
Andy Hallet wanting his picture taken with all the Lorne look-alikes.
I could go on for hours but I'll stop now.
My photos of End of Days can be found here
This is the first album – there are four altogether.
If that link doesn’t work, try this one
THE HARVEST
Paragon Hotel, London – June 2003
Thursday 19th June 2003
I reached the Paragon at about 3.30, and after attending the first Stewards’ meeting, I quickly unpacked, showered, and changed. Then I went down to the lobby to meet friends – Moonhayes and Capbiker - who would be travelling with me on the tube to King’s Cross, where Ghost of the Robot were playing at The Scala. We arrived around 7, and the queue was already the length of the building, so we bought pizzas and got in line.
The support band was appalling. I didn’t get their name, and never bothered to find out. In fairness, their one instrumental number was okay but really they should find something else to do.
Ghost of the Robot played most of the songs from their ‘Mad Brilliant’ album, with the exception of ‘Angel’, which disappointed me as I like that song. James looked a bit tired, and for one song was slightly off key, but otherwise they were great. I think James would sound better without the backing, with just a guitar, but that’s just me. And I’m saying that as a music fan, not a Spike fan!
The place was packed, but I suspect there were more James fans there than band fans. They’re not fantastic but they have a bouncy energetic sound, sometimes reminiscent of early punk, which makes for a great gig.
Click here for my Ghost of the Robot photos
If that link doesn’t work, try this one
Friday 20th June 2003
After attending a second stewards’ meeting at 8, my first duty as Steward was to man the information desk from 8.30 til 11.00. I actually got away from the desk at 11.30 and joined friends Raven and Bookall for a cappuccino at the nearby Starbucks. On returning to the event, I helped out with queue control for the photo sessions, then went to the main hall to see/hear George Hertzberg and James Leary, followed by Jeff Marriotte and Maryelizabeth Hart.
Friday night’s disco was … okay if you like that kind of music. For me, it’s mostly ‘been there, done that’ (i.e. 80s hits) and I find it a bit boring unless I’ve had way too much to drink!
Friday’s photos can be found here
If that link doesn’t work, try this one
Saturday 21st June 2003
On Saturday I saw the Troika – Danny Strong, Tom Lenk, and Adam Busch – followed by James Marsters and James Leary, and finally Anthony Stewart Head with Robin Sachs. All are hugely entertaining in their own right, but I have to say that ASH and Robin make a hilarious double act.
My Stewarding duties kept me at the Merchandise desk from 4 – 6, a very busy two hours selling photos and CDs.
After a shower and change, I popped out to the shops for some food at 6.30 and discovered it was blisteringly hot outside! Back at the hotel, I went to the bar for a pre-arranged meet-up with fellow posters from the Bronze:Beta posting board and spent a lovely couple of hours with them. I’d met four of them before, but the others I’d only known by name. Most of them went off on a pub-crawl at 9, when Uberman, NC and I went down to the main hall to watch Adam Busch and Eric Kufs of Common Rotation in a charity concert. They have excellent voices, wonderful harmonizing, and are very entertaining, and we all thoroughly enjoyed their show.
If memory serves me correctly, the disco was cancelled because the evening had run late. There were some unhappy bunnies but I just went to bed!
Saturday’s photos can be found here
If that doesn’t work, try this one
Sunday 22nd June 2003
I was on duty from 8.45 til 11.30, maintaining queue control for the ‘Behind the Scenes’ Autograph sessions, which consisted of writers Jane Espenson and Drew Greenberg, and novelists Jeff Marriotte and Maryelizabeth Hart. A ‘perk’ of the job is that I was able to jump my own queue to get their autographs, and had a little chat with each of them. I was so thrilled to talk with Jane and Drew: the writers are as gods to me, and I’m amazed I managed to talk sense to them! After a half hour break, I went back on duty for the extra ASH signings for about two hours, then grabbed a quick bite to eat before heading to the main hall. Robia La Morte and ASH were on stage together – Jenny and Giles, reunited after all this time – they were funny and sweet and entertaining, and then James Marsters had a session alone, answering questions with honesty and grace. This was the first time I’d seen him on his own, and I was impressed by his depth of feeling and sincerity: he has a very beautiful soul. He was later joined by Steve Tartaglia (stunt Spike), and they did a fight scene which from my seat I didn’t see so well but it still looked impressive! More stewarding duty followed, setting up the main hall for a mass autograph session. In between sessions and duties, I popped out to catch up with Moonhayes, who had to leave at 5 to get her plane. During the auto sessions, I queued for her autos (with permission of course), got my own, went for food for guests, and hung around the stage to keep an eye on things for Julie Caitlin Brown while she went to sort out some problems. The guests were signing until around 10.30 I think – I hope the other attendees appreciated that! I was about to shower and change for the Stewards party when I received a text to say it was starting so I legged it downstairs. It was more of a gathering than a party, with too many stewards crammed into a tiny room with free beer, chocolate, biscuits and crisps, and I ate too many Pringles and Doritos! In the raffle, I won the ‘Death of Buffy’ graphic novel (which I’ve been resisting for ages, so yay!). Mara passed on a message of thanks from ASH, and at about 11.30 some of the guests – George, James L, Danny, Tom and Robia - came personally to thank us. I checked out the main hall disco for about 5 minutes, then went up to the bar around 12 – stayed there with Capbiker and others for a few beers before bed.
Sunday’s photos (there are two albums!) can be found here
If that doesn’t work, try this one
Monday 23rd June 2003
This was a free day, and I made the most of the opportunity to have a lie-in until 9! I skipped breakfast in the hotel (just as well since I was feeling very rough, slightly hungover, and suffering with sore feet from yesterday!) I walked through West Brompton cemetery (really old and beautiful, if somewhat overgrown in places) to Chelsea and on to the harbour to have breakfast with my sister. I walked back through the cemetery to the hotel, and attempted to have a few hours sleep in the afternoon but the combination of building works outside and cleaners inside made it almost impossible! The walk there and back gave me more blisters but it was a lovely day.
At 6.30 I headed for the tube, and met Capbiker at Earl’s Court. Then we met Rockgoddess, and joined her at her hotel for some good conversation and something to eat. We left her to get ready, and headed for The Scala at King’s Cross to see Common Rotation play.
If you ever get the chance to see this band, go and see them as they are incredibly good and very entertaining. I recognised only a few songs as I’m fairly new to their stuff but they gave a very polished perfect performance and I loved every minute of it.
My photos of Common Rotation can be found here
If that doesn’t work, try this one
Tuesday 24th June 2003
I had another lie-in, this time until 9.30, followed by a late leisurely breakfast. After finishing my packing, I checked out and headed for Euston. It was another hot sunny day, my suitcase weighed a ton, my blisters had blisters and I was tired, so it was not a happy trip for me. By the time I got to Euston my arms and hands were aching on top of everything else, and I had to stand outside in the shade for half an hour to cool down! Fortunately the train was on time, and the change at Crewe was minimal, and I was home by 3.30.
It had been a memorable, exhausting, fun-packed and entertaining five days, but I was glad to be home.
