6:45. I turn the key in my suite's door lock and run to my bedroom, sweaty from power-walking after skipping the late half of my TV class. My roommate Kerri and I were planning to leave at 7:00, because the show started at 8 and we didn't know how long it would take for us to get to Radio City by subway. I threw my bag onto my bed and looked in my drawer for something to wear. Ah, finally, an excuse to wear the David Bowie one-shoulder black top.
7:00. Sitting at the kitchen table staring at the digital clock on the microwave, I proceeded to scarf down my chicken caesar wrap while convincing Kerri that we really didn't need to leave until 7:10.
7:10. Scurrying about, looking for ID card, keys, money, MetroCard, gum, and the like.
7:16. Finally head out the door, and meet up with Chris, the RA who lives next door, and hop on the NR train to 49th street.
7:48. We're there, at Radio City Music Hall. "SOLD OUT: TRAVIS". We get in line and wait our turn to be felt up with metal detectors. Chris and I had never been inside Radio City before, but Kerri has when she was about 13 and saw the Christmas Spectacular with the Rockettes. Chris is jealous. Even though he's 20, he still thinks he'd enjoy it.
8:02. Seated in the middle of row C, in the orchestra section. Nice seats for $20 ($30 really, but Chris footed the rest). A little bit far from the stage, but nevertheless, we are in a 6,000-seater sold-out venue with three mezzanines and spanning 700-seats wide. C502 was looking quite sweet.
8:12. "Special guests" Remy Zero opens. They are good friends with Travis, and are giving a good but short of stellar performance. Remind me a bit of U2 in their early days, as Cinjun seems to be making attempts at sounding like Bono. But overall, not a bad band. I'm actually liking a few of their songs. Am thinking of downloading a few when I get home. Chris sitting next to me is drifting off. He says he's really tired.
8:54. The opening act is over. At least half of the seats are still empty. I decide to explore the great Hall, seeing as it takes a while for the band-hands to shift equipment around on stage. Radio City is massive. And I soon see why all those seats were empty - everyone was in the lounges getting drunk during the opening act. I walk around and explore everything - the lounges, the bars, the merchandise counters, the washrooms, the mezzanines, the balconies.
9:28. The last step of my exploration leads me to the foot of the stage. I stare enviously at the people in the "special section", row AA ticket-holders. Spot a guy in a Manchester United away jersey, sporting Van Nistelrooy's name on the back.
9:34. The lights begin to dim, signalling the real start of the show. Kerri and I rush back to our seats, but not without noticing the barricade they had just put up, ensuring only the right ticket-holders could get through to the front. Kicked myself for not staying down there for as long as possible.
9:35. Travis are greeted with marvelous applause. They open the set with "Sing", and everyone does just that.
9:48. I am having the greatest time, but due to a lovey-dovey couple directly in front of me, I keep having to move my head around to catch decent glimpses of Fran and the boys. They are playing my favorites: "Driftwood", "Turn", "Why Does It Always Rain On Me?".
10:20. In his Scottish accent, Frannie tells us that everyone around the world has been thinking of us the past few weeks. They are no different, and thus, are donating all the proceeds from the show to the firefighters of New York City. He tries to put on an American accent for a little while, but decides he sounds like a daft cunt and switches back to his normal voice. I am in love with him. He proceeds to tell us about the "Travis Social Experience": tomorrow, we are to do something for someone without expecting anything, even so much as a "thank you", back. He uses the clever analogy: "If a butterfly flaps its wings in Hong Kong, a hamster passes wind in Scotland." I smile big at the mention of Hong Kong. I'm a big dork.
10:32. Get an ingenius idea. I ask around for a pen, and then carefully draw an identical "C" next to the existing C on my ticket. I admire my work, but realize I don't have the balls to go through with my plan.
10:33. Yes I do, dammit.
10:34. My illustrious scheme has worked like a charm. The guard at the barricade asked to see my ticket, and I flashed him the stub with Row CC clearly at the top. He let me through. I am now standing mere feet away from one of the biggest stages in New York City, and one of the biggest bands in Britain. Though I'm not in the pit of Row AA'ers, I am close but far enough away to be seen in plain view of the band. They are playing "20" and I'm near the point of orgasm.
10:48. Dougie, the bassist, steps up to the microphone and says, "This is the part where we do a cover song." The big guy next to me yells out, "Do Bob Dylan!" and they are then bombarded with requests for The Stones, Oasis, and Britney Spears. I keep my mouth shut. But then scream like a motherf***er when Dougie looks down into the audience then says, "We're gonna do a Bowie cover."
10:56. The show's over. I catch my breath and make my way back up the aisle to where Kerri, Chris, and Mei are still sitting. Liz left as soon as the set finished to meet her boyfriend. We exit Radio City, busily chatting away about how amazing the show was, and how incredible Travis are.
11:05. Outside Radio City Music Hall. People walking pass glance at me as "the girl wearing the Bowie shirt." I am beaming from the inside out.
11:12. Walking towards Rockefeller Center to grab a cab home, when I am stopped by the guard at the carpark entrance. He says to me, "If you get me a Sprite, I'll tell you where the band's coming out." So I buy the Sprite and follow his instructions to put it in a bag, with a little straw in the bag, and place it by the entrance to the carpark near the store window. He says I completed it "like it was some fuckin' Mission: Impossible thing." He laughs at me and says I'm funny. But then he gives me directions to the stage door and I give him a hug.
11:23. Waiting by the stage door. Band-hands loading Travis' equipment into a large truck.
11:30. Waiting. Kerri and Chris go home because they are knackered and have class tomorrow. As do I, but I figure, it's still really early. Mei says she'll stay with me.
11:50. Others are getting impatient and go home. I stand my ground, and then suddenly remember I have a Japanese test in the morning.
12:08. Andy, the guitarist, pokes his head out the window. A guy behind me yells at him to come down. He gives us the "wait there" gesture. Frannie, the lead-singer, guitarist, front-man, and sexiest of them all, looks out and waves.
12:20. Most of the others run to a big white van parked in front of the entrance to Radio City. I don't follow, because they don't look like they know what they're doing.
12:24. A black SUV drives up to the stage door. Craig David and his bodyguard walk toward it. I am the closest to him and he is about to give me a hug when two screaming girls run up in front of me and take a picture with him as he is saying "Quickly, quickly." Then he speeds off in the car.
12:46. There are about a dozen of us left waiting. I let out a yawn then see a girl frantically running towards me. I turn around and see Andy in his brown leather jacket. I reach for my ticket stub and quietly walk toward him when something else catches my eye...
12:47. Fran. He is in his blue coat and hat, and smiling big. A girl in glasses is fiddling with her camera and shaking nervously, asking for a picture, so I offer to take it for her. This gives me a chance to look through the viewfinder and just stare at Fran through it. I snap the picture and borrow her black Sharpie. I ask Fran to sign my ticket, he gracefully obliges, and says he loves my shirt. I say "I was hoping you'd see it during the song" and feel like a nerd as the words come out of my mouth. He smiles, hands me back my ticket and the pen, then wraps his arms around me and gives me the BIGGEST hug of my life. I say "Thank you" and he whispers "You're very welcome" while still hugging me. He smells incredible. I never want to let go. Ever.
12:51. Make my way to Dougie. He sees my Bowie top and yells out in his Scottish accent, "That shirt rocks!" He shows me the David Bowie pin he has on his jean jacket. He signs my ticket, gives me a hug, and I am sailing.
12:55. I catch Neil the drummer alone, and ask him for a quick autograph before they jet off in their car. He comments on how he likes my top while signing my ticket. I mention the Singapore show with Coldplay and he says it was their best show. Kisses me on the cheek and hugs me.
12:56. I find myself near Fran again. He's smiling at me, and I tell him I was there when they did the show in Singapore with Coldplay. It was brilliant. He looks pleased to hear me say it and says, "That was excellent, one of our greatest shows!" A fat Scottish man with an all-access pass talks over us to Dougie and asks, "You comin' wif?" And Dougie looks up from signing and asks for the address again. My ears perk up. Fat man says "54th and 7th" and whisks the band into the car. Fran says good-bye.
12:59. The band and their entourage pile into the black car and wave at us through the windows. Girls are clutching their cameras and autographed items and shrieking with delight. I am positively glowing, not to mention practically pissing myself.
1:03. Mei and I walk in the direction of 7th avenue. After much discussion over whether or not we should go ("Wanna go check it out?" "Um, okay." "What if it blows?" "Then we'll leave." "Yeah, good plan.") we are walking in the crisp late-night air convincing ourselves that this is a good idea.
1:19. The Irish pub is filled with old British men. It feels very awkward. We stand in the doorway for what feels like an hour ("You go first." "No, you!"). I think about the Japanese test I have in the morning. I consider going home. See Dougie's head poking out amongst the river of heads in the tiny pub. The going-home idea is tossed out immediately.
1:34. Get a few drinks to relax. Cringe at the taste of Heineken in my mouth. Squeeze our way through the tiny pub towards the stairs in the back which lead down to the restrooms. Pass Neil and Dougie as we do.
1:40. Am chatting up the bartender and order a White Russian ("Hows 'bout a White Irish instead then, eh?"). Andy sidles up next to me at the bar and orders a few drinks for himself and a mate. He looks over, says what a cool top I've got on, and Mei is trying to make normal conversation without letting on that her insides are screaming.
1:43. Frannie finally comes into the pub. He's near the jukebox talking to a tall man with an all-access pass. I am admiring him from afar while Mei is coming up with ideas of what to say to him. But we are blocked from access by the mass of drunk people standing around in the tiny place.
2:04. Fran leaves the bar, and I am sad. I think about the hug he gave me earlier. I declare that I want to have his babies. Mei tells me he's got a German fiancee. Bah.
2:30. Have another drink. Pass Dougie who is holding a pint and moving aside to let me through saying, "Uh oh, can't let anything get on that shirt!" Mei is nowhere to be found.
2:48. Have forgotten all about Japanese test. Am sitting at Dougie's table after handing him another pint from the bartender and getting a quick sip. Notice the band on his black Calvin Klein underwear poking out of his jeans.
3:05. Get in a debate over whether Mick Rock, the official Ziggy Stardust photographer, who also happened to be sitting at the next table, took the David Bowie picture on my shirt. Tell him we have a bet going on. He says, "Erm, that one, love? Nae. But one o' me friends took that. Lad by the name o' Brian Duffy. I actually did a lot o' Bowie."
3:25. Turn down multiple passes from numerous drunk older men. Think twice about the cute one named Anthony in the white shirt. See Mei giving her number to the Canadian firefighter in the blue hat. Can't feel my lips. They are numb. Think it's nearly time to go home.
3:40. Notice Andy's is the only signature I haven't got. He takes Mei's red pen and tries to sign but the cap is still on. I take it off for him, he smiles and thanks me graciously and signs.
4:12. Yes, it is definitely time to head home. I am out of money and have to attend a mandatory film class at 9:30. I say good-bye and thank you to Neil, who hugs and kisses me once again.
4:16. Hug Dougie good-night. Say, "Thank you for putting on a fucking great show." To which he replies, "Well thank YOU for putting on a fucking great shirt!"
4:22. Give Andy a quick embrace and say good night and thank you. Manage to find Mei and we stumble out of pub.
4:30. Realize we have no money for a cab. Risk it on the subway. Giggle and curse incessantly on the way home.
4:31. Officially declare that that was one of, if not THE greatest night of our lives.
