It started with me collecting Nick and Holly from town, heading back to mine, where Nickie joined us, we freshened up (got on our best killjoy gear) this involved turning an American flag into a cape for Nickie!
We then headed back to town and met Kandy, who was joining in with the pre killjoy festivities.
Hot chocolates all round in Soup Kitchen (home of ace zine shop Good Grief! kids!). Pick our sens up an Em Ledger and head to Wagamama gaining another Holly on the way (after a Killjoy backstreet photo shoot obvs!). we eat stuff, get full, get over excited and then feel sick! WAR PAINT on in the toilets. MAKE SOME NOISE!
We say by to the non Killjoys and try to convince Kandy to come with us, if only to make sure we manage to get home when we are a mess of sweat and joy!We head to the MEN, spend all our dollars on merch (managed to get some pencils, yes!).
We decide we're far too cool (and have to much love for MCR) to sit through the support, so using the colourful walls of the MEN we have our own Killjoy photo shoot.
We are the best gang here, we turn a few heads (due to our awesomeness/aren't they a little old to be doing that.. delete as appropriate).
We head inside the arena and feel the excitement, half an hour to wait, we grab ourselves an awesome spot. See a little boy with red hair and a PP mask, we all of a sudden like children!!
Here would be a good place for my open letter to the MEN, an apology of sorts....
Dear The MEN Arena,
I am often read as always) slating you saying 'I hate the MEN' still calling you the NYNEX just to be difficult like, but it took a return trip to the sweat box that is Wembley Arena to realise the error of my ways.
I am sorry.
It turns out you are a pretty good arena. You have colourful walls, loads of toilets, a high ceiling so I don't sweat to death and a high stage.
You even have an indoor foyer which means the kind of fans that like to camp out can do so under a roof, with Maccy D's just a few feet away they can also go to the toilet and grab a quick refreshment!
So this is an apology, as it turns out you housed one of my top five gigs ever,
Forgive me
Seleena
I don't know what it was, a culmination of things, knowing what was about to happen, being with a bigger gang of friends, being able to see the stage more clearly than last time already, but I was super stoked. So much so that when they large screens started showing the amazing MCR stills I thought I was gonna wet myself.
The lights dimming and the start of Dr Death Defying and the crowd chanting along nearly made me wee, I could feel something a little special happening (know it wasn't a warm liquid in my jeans). the curtain was about to drop and I screamed before it even had, like a teenager at a concert in the 50's, baby boomer is booming!
Rocking out to Na Na Na I realise I can see every member, I can even see their feet, I AM SUPER EXCITED. Give Em Hell Kid kicks in and Gerard tells everyone to pick each other up during the song. After the song has finished he tells everyone to look after each other, it was during this song something clicked, I realised London was nothing compared to this, the band weren't quite there like I thought they were, Gerard was on top form (Manchester does this to people, It's The Smiths*) the whole band were enjoying it more and I knew I was going to enjoy it ten times more......
I will not bore you with the minute details, just my highlights.... More stage talk. yes Gerard did start singing The Smiths (if I had a pound for every American band that mentions the Smiths at a Manchester gig, i would be rich). Frank and Ray rocking out, Frank proper old school. Mikey taking pictures of the crowd and band in such a humble way. Loving songs, old and new that I previously had not loved that much before, Our Lady Of Sorrows and Summertime. I missed the part where Gerard said we were all magical like Harry Potters as I was telling some kids they cold push past me if they kept going. THE CROWD! the response for the new material was sooo much better in Manchester than London and I don't think I've ever been to a gig where I liked the crowd so much. At first i was stood next to a guy who was loving the new stuff, we proper had a dance to Planetary (GO!) like we were at a disco, fancy footwork and everything but then I felt bad because I stood in front of his friend (he was such a good dancer though) so then I was stood next to a mother and daughter combo. From what I could gather the Mum had been into MCR and got the daughter in to them, Mum was loving OLOS and at one point the daughter hugged her and said thank you so much mum, yes I did cry!
The only people I didn't like was this couple as the girl didn't seem to have a clue who MCR were and stood there bewildered and in front of me and she was taller. It's OK I went mad to Hang Em High and she soon shifted.
I got a little over excited for DESTROYA. I got a little over excited in general. Even Gerard's 90s looking top and dancing!
Gerard asking the crowd if any of us went to see Rob Zombie last night and then starting a Rob Zombie jam (Nickie's personal favourite highlight). Gerard screaming with the mic lodged in his mouth.
The crowd making the hands into heart shapes (eat that Daily Mail) and Gerard doing it back, making him "Misty Eyed". telling us this was the best gig so far and us believing him (mainly because we felt it better than London and later proof a girl who went to every show said Manchester was the best!). Gerard's kicks.My epileptic dance moves. FISTS IN THE AIR! The fact the band looked like they were having as much fun as us.
They Ended on Cancer, I realised Party Poison had been missing and realised this was altering the set a little. It seemed Cancer won us over! They came back on stage and discussed with each other and knocked out BulletProof Heart, live debut folks!!
I felt bad because I told Nickie they finished on Vampires Never Hurt you (a fact running through the crowd as it was the end song for every set) but the selfish person in me loved it.Then it was all over.......
But for once we weren't all doom and gloom like the big emos we are, we were all super excited and happiest we'd ever been! So this is the fabulous life of a killjoy!Next stop Lemonade and dissecting the gig, which was mostly squeals, ohhh's and ahh's and wondering if MCR were watching Take Me Out, with Paddy Mcguinness face of Greggs,on mute, like we were.
I just want to say I really love this band, i haven't been this excited for a band in a long time. They make me excited about music, life and art, want to dance, sing, cry throw my fists and legs in the air and geek out with my pals and they seem to be a right genuine bunch!
*I am not a fan of The Smiths, but I must thank them for making most bands I like instantly like Manchester, oh and if any of these bands are reading, Morrisey is like my uncle or something you know, shall we be friends?!
**photos taken by Nickie, video stolen from you tube.
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