LIVE WEEK october 7th - october 14th 2001 WOAH! Did I have a *great* dream! It's all blurry in my mind, but I'll try to describe what happened... My dream started on Sunday oct 7th with the first Dutch Live Fanday in Stairway to Heaven a Rockcafe in Utrecht, Netherlands. Very crowded and verrrrry cool! A fantastic coverband plays a real touchy version of Overcome. The singer even looks a little like Ed. I can remember the name of the band was Bruce Key.. By the way, that morning I had been on Radio 538, a national radiostation, to tell the world about the fanday and they even broadcasted it!! After that on Wednesday october 10th, a LIVE concert in Antwerp, Belgium. A feeling of 'finally live!!!' comes to me. At last another +LiVE+ concert. A very relaxing set where I at some point think 'woah, wouldn't it be great if they played Beauty of Gray' and guess what? Right after that I hear Ed sing about how we will all get to appreciate the beauty of gray some time. Even better: I get to go to the meet & greet! Great: little handshake here, little joke there and everybody happy! Thursday october 11th: Ahoy Rotterdam. The sound is much better than in Antwerp. Just before Live starts off their set, someone from the recordcompany walks towards me and asks 'hey when are we gonna go on stage?'. 'OMFG' is what you think at that point, 'does he mean this?' And yes, he does because within half an hour we *are* on stage. Hidden behind the left videoscreen and finally I can really see Chad Gracey to his thing. And then all those people in the crowd.. Wow, especially all those waving arms during The Dolphin's Cry.. When the first encore sets in I'm back in the arena enjoying everything when during I Alone the crowd totally takes over the vocals. Later on we'll see that also on Friday and Saturday Live gets the crowd to sing really loud. Overcome is extra intense this night, exactly one month after the beginning of all the Dark Shit. Ed get's an American Flag handed by one of the fans front row. He proudly wears it around his shoulders. Some think it's too patriotic, I just think it's beautifully American. Again on Thursday the Afterparty where the band receives a very nice Award for all their sold albums in the Netherlands. Again some babbling here, an autograph there. Pictures and beer .. Really nice way to relive the show. Friday oct. 12th, the crowd really gets wild tonight. From start to ending the energy just flows and flows. The Live-Love where Ed talked about on the radio that day is very present. I've been enjoying the whole show front row. And after the show: beers, babble, autograph, coool... Saturday oct 13th. I decide to get reeeeeally up front first row tonight, because this is the night: they'll play White, Discussion and Shit Towne. Wow, vibes like in the old days. It's fantastic, however the band obviously is tired. Ed even starts Call Me A Fool again.. He yells to the crowd : "Either you motherfuckers are moving to the US, or I'll have to move to Holland!". The sign with 'Holland Loves Live' on it really says it all......... After the show Chad Gracey throws some drumsticks in to the arena. I stretch out my hand and one of his sticks ends right there.. After 16 shows I finally get to catch something off stage! And I didn't even get knocked down! And then, Sunday october 14th: LIVE LIVE and more LIVE on TMF. Totall relishing the memory off all week... Well and then I woke up........... However.... Hey wait.. That drumstick is here right next to me.. The passes for the aftershow are too.. And pictures... Hey what the.......... Guys, at this point I feel sooooo great!! I've got energy for half a year or so!! Just hope they'll be back in Holland by then............................... thanx a lot to misha (subculture of live - live website in holland) photo by lis schuumans