"Find a safe place, brace yourself, bite your lips"
Well as you all know, the last year has been a little bit crap (what with the stupid cancer an' all!). Don't get me wrong though, I am not complaining. Although we have had some shitty times, I have had a pretty good year really!. All the way through from diagnosis to treatment and out the other side, I have been blessed with a wonderful support network. Fantastic family. Amazing friends. A wonderful and dedicated team of doctors, nurses and surgeons. And of course, last but not least, music. Music has kept me going, through all the shitty stuff. I have made some great friendships on the way, sadly I have lost a few too. And I have met brilliant people. And all the way, one constant by my side has been my Music and especially Fall Out Boy.
Earlier on in the year, when it was extremely doom and frigging gloom, we booked Reading Festival Tickets. I wasn't sure I would even be well enough or finished treatment, but I was determined to go and have the best time with my family and also my amazing friend Tina. And although I am suffering now with my bloody hip and can barely walk (stupid poxy chemo!!!) I had the most amazing day on Sunday.
Me and my wonderful friend Tina
Sorry, I do need to bore you all now. Fangirling time. We got to Reading early. As soon as the gates opened we legged it to the signing tent for the queue for Fall Out Boy - which was already forming and pretty long! We queued for three hours - I would have queued all day if necessary! Everyone was lovely in the queue - although I was easily the oldest one there! When Patrick and Pete came out I limped off and left Jess in the queue to see if I could see them. I saw Pete's arm. Jess said I looked funny waddling along (can't run anymore - did I mention the stupid blooming hip?) with my skater dress and wellies on. And two lovely girls behind (who I had been chatting too) said to Jess "I wish my Mum fangirled over Fall Out Boy like yours!" So there, in your face, us old people can be cool!
Pete in the Signing Tent.
Patrick waving in the Signing Tent. Sigh....
Anyway we didn't get to meet them in person. They shut the signing off just as we neared the front of the queue. Which was dis-app-oint-ing to say the least. But never mind, we went off to watch some of the bands. We saw Don Broco, Hadouken, Editors and The Lumineers amongst others, While we were watching Don Broco, who did a very good set, we saw "Beez" who is on TV! He is the Channel Manager and main presenter on Scuzz TV (which we watch a lot!) Jess was a bit starstruck. I managed to pluck up the courage, with the help of Tina, to talk to him and we got some photos taken. So that kinda made up for not seeing FOB up close. He was really lovely. He said Fall Out Boy would be amazing. Of course, he was right. He is Beez. He knows his stuff. He was such a gentleman too. Thank you Beez.
Beez and Jess. Her music journalism career hit a new high!
Me and Beez (with the cap). I have no idea who the beardy man is - sorry beardy man - you were nice though!
And then it was time. The bit we had all been waiting for. Fall Out Boy came on. And they were amazing. They totally smashed Reading. Everyone was singing and dancing to every song, except for "Thriller" and "Saturday" as only hardcore fans, like Jess, know all the words to them. But they usually always open with Thriller and close with Saturday so people really have no excuse not to learn the lyrics - as Jess would say. Anyway, poor long suffering Alex, being the fantastic Dad that he is, had to bear the weight of Jess on his shoulders for the whole 50 mins set. He is several inches shorter now! But it was worth it as the camera filming for BBC3 caught Jess on film at the end of "The Phoenix". And she will go viral on You Tube I am sure.
Jess on TV. Yay!
The set was brilliant. Pete was very sweary and funny and engaging (as usual). Joe did a guitar solo and made a joke about the "Antiques Roadshow". Andy (sigh..) bashed the drums within an inch of their lives. He killed them. His tattoos gleamed in the sun. And the sound man came up and sang on "I slept with Fall Out Boy and all I got was this stupid song written about me". Douse yourself in cheap perfume. Its so fitting of the way you are. Can't cover it up. (I think he sang on that one - apologies if I am wrong!). And Patrick did advise us "never to wear flip flops to a festival". He is so sensible. That's why he is my favourite.
Patrick's singing voice was amazing. He even did the bridge with a little rill in The Phoenix and put a few other vocal harmony tricks in some of the other songs. There were some mosh pits going down during "Sugar, we're going down" and "Arms Scene" and "Dance, Dance". And I could have watched them all night. It was just the best day.
Fall Out Boy. Need I say more?
After they finished we went off to get Jess some band merch. We went to the Grindstore tent. I need to give a big shout out to the man who served us - he was really nice but I didn't get his name! He saw the big scar on my arm and commented on it. I just said "Oh that, its stupid cancer. But I'm ok now" He gave me a great big hug and gave us discount on our merch and I promised I would see him again next year! Although Jess has already decided she is going with her big cousin, Sophie, and camping for the weekend as I am far too old and embarrassing to go with her!
We would have liked to stay for Enter Shikari Sound Stage which would have been blinding, but I was in so much pain by this point with my hip I could barely walk. Jess and Charlie and Alex were tired too, so after watching Peasants King, we walked (and I limped) back to the boat. When we got home we watched the highlights and saw Jess on the Telly Box - which was great. And both Jess and I tweeted Beez to say Thank You for the photo and it was great to meet him and he replied back to both of us saying it was a pleasure. He is such a nice man.
So that was my epic day at Reading. I am sorry to bore you all with it. But Fall Out Boy and their music have pretty much kept me going this last year. And I have fulfilled my dream of seeing them live.
Thank you Pete, Patrick, Andy and Joe, Beez and Tina. You rock. You rule.