1.16.15 Adam "Era 3 is in full effect!" It has begun!
Jan 16, 2015 19:29:06 GMT -5
Post by momtomany on Jan 16, 2015 19:29:06 GMT -5
Where oh where do I begin?
I know I wrote a little something the other day - after the Newcastle performance - but I can't remember what I said, so I'll just have to start over. Forgive repetitiveness; forgive long-windedness; I apologize that so many photos of me have been floating around lately. Got internet this afternoon and I can only think you must be sick of me by now!
But I remember how interesting it's been to read the recaps of shows I haven't attended (believe it or not, I've seen most with my ass parked in a chair, bent towards a computer screen perched on what used to be a homework desk in my boy's room); how fun it is to laugh and vicariously experience these adventures - meeting new friends and exploring the yet-to-be-adequately-understood 'Adam bond' we share.
So, here goes - the first half of my 4-show European QAL adventure.
Up until 48 hours before I flew out of SF I wasn't sure if I was even going to be able to go. Yes, I had my non-refundable flight; my precious tickets were tucked in the netherworld of my carry-on . . . but a strike is looming where I work, and I was under a directive that if there was to be a walk-out, I would need to step in and keep the wheels turning. Thursday night I received the 'all-clear', and finally I could really concentrate on this trip. So many details were spinning in my mind I couldn't figure what to pack! That confusion has resulted in a mish-mash of packed items I can't even wear; including 4 pairs of thermal socks so thick I can't put my boots on. Getting to the airport on Sunday, after working half a day, was a nightmare - the Golden Gate Bridge was CLOSED for construction that weekend - maybe the 2nd time in history! I was on the plane, and settling into my seat when I realized I had left my cellphone plugged into a charger at the gate. Sheer panic! Yes, it was retrieved and brought to me, but I was left wondering "What the hell am I doing flying 10,000 miles away, alone, when I can't remember my fucking stuff?"
Once in London, thank goodness it was a pretty direct 3-mile walk thru Heathrow to get to my train. Hard to take a wrong turn in walkways that just keep you moving forward towards customs. The customs guy, BTW, looked at me strangely when this ragged, sleep-deprived soul told him the reason for my trip . . .
Without a workable charger for my computer, I instead took a little notebook from the hotel to jot down any musings as I sped towards Newcastle the following morning. I imagined myself like composer Harold Arlen, who always kept something close by for his 'jottings' - which turned into songs like "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" . . . mine were far less inspiring! It began as a cloudless, bluesky day, and this really fast electric train sped thru stations so quickly I could hardly read the signs. Saw quaint stone villages; each with a prominent church spire or turret; white swans, community gardens, and, as we headed further north, more streams than hedgerows - and then the frigid and majestic North Sea came into view. Certainly it must have been cold outside - grazing horses were clothed in blankets! Ringed-neck pheasants were in the fields; huge power plants and their fat cooling towers were in the distance, and as we pulled into York, I saw this rusty old sign, almost obliterated by vines, that said "London 200 miles".
In Newcastle, I met SophieB at our hotel, and we walked, arm in arm, to a tiny Italian restaurant. We were like two schoolgirl buddies who had known one another all our lives; not two women from different countries living thousands of miles apart. This is what happens, over and over! One of the many gifts of Adam. At the restaurant, we met two Queen fans who were going to be seeing AFL for the first time. Tried to not scare them with our enthusiasm!
The venue looked like a huge hockey rink. Felt cavernous and unkempt. I would say the majority of people there were middle-aged men; many were in groups of friends. I was in GA, in the middle of a sea of them. Suddenly, tho, I turned around, and there were the women from the restaurant! They were a pool of color in a very gray group. One guy, tho, talked. He had followed Queen since "Matt the Hoople" days (hello, Q3!) and knew the words to every line of every song sung that night - except WWTLF, thank goodness!
As for the show itself - - - now that Glasgow was such an incredible triumph, I can say (without feeling like I'm letting the air out of a balloon) I felt Newcastle needed work. The sound was atrocious. I couldn't hear one word of 'One Vision' - sounded like a garbled mess. Maybe it was where I stood . . . During one song, early on, Adam turned to the sound guy and mouthed "I can't hear" - but then launched into the next verse pitch-perfect. After the show, Sophie and I found each other for the walk back to the hotel. We began, tentatively, asking one another what we thought of opening night. "Didn't it seem like Adam was off-stage more?" "It didn't feel like he was front & center". We both missed 'Now I'm Here'. The show didn't have that seamless feel of most other performances; certainly not the tightness of NYE. It was more like a 'preview night' than opening night. And, sure enough, the set list was changed around and things were tweaked before Glasgow - and it made a world of difference.
All this being said, I can't see anything wrong in the videos! So, maybe it was the atmosphere that affected me more than I thought. I could see Adam dripping with sweat; putting absolutely EVERYTHING out there for the audience; and the men around me kept their arms crossed and hands tucked under their armpits. Lilly has since told me that Scottish men stand that way; act that way; so, okay then. A few minutes ago I watched the video of the Queen fan who said Newcastle was the best concert of his life; thought Adam was amazing. Well, Newcastle left me unsettled and concerned for Glasgow.
And the next chapter is old news, now!
Glasgow had an entirely different energy. The venue just crackled. The show was stunning; beginning to end. 'Save Me' was a new lesson in vocal perfection.
And I'm still wearing my pink 'on stage' armband.
It was so easy to click 'buy' for this ticket; to rationalize that if I'm going to go so far away to see Adam (and Queen; but let's face it - you know who it is for me) I want to be as close as I can be; and this ticket assured me that for one of four shows I would really see him in action; in the action I love most. I want to see him when his back is turned; what he does. Because he is ALWAYS doing something - signaling one of the crew; mouthing a few words to Rufus or Spike; drinking tea; wiping his brow; blowing on his earpiece; he even had a little atomizer of spray for his throat - just like in the Divas promos! Those things, those actions, remind me that he's real; that he's attending to the moment in very ordinary, human ways . . . which makes his persona, when he turns and prances and struts the stage, all the more amazing to me. The chameleon changes color before my eyes.
I didn't even wonder if he would actually come over to the group of six or seven of us; it didn't cross my mind. Everything was flowing so effortlessly; the rhythm of the night was soaring - and then it happened. When Adam looked at me I COULD NOT LOOK AWAY - his eyes were piercing, captivating, riveting . . . I can't find the right word. I was sealed in the moment, and I knew it would work. I remember he took my hand so tightly I looked down at the red glove and then put my other hand on his - I almost felt as if I'd be pulled right over the railing! And, locked into his gaze, I began to sing with him - just those few lines. And then, and then . . . I could tell from his eyes he wanted me to twirl! So I did. Then, I thought he would let go when he leaned back, but he didn't. Instead he kissed my hand; and then the magic that was cast upon me by his eyes was broken. Beautifully broken. And that was it! All communication had been from his eyes. I never saw his hair, or his eyebrows, or his lips, or his tattoos . . . just his eyes, and his red glove. I am eternally grateful for all those photos . . . because, in the moments afterward, I couldn't even recall what song it was we sang.
I don't know why Adam came over to me. But earlier today I read an article with this quote from Adam: "Being on stage and remembering the most important things about music and performance are the most timeless things: it transcends trend and popularity contests. It is more about truth, emotion, honesty and the connection with the audience, the music, and the moment." Adam gave me that connection, that moment of pure truth and pure joy, during a performance where I could not hide my emotions or my honesty. I had to dance; I had to show the elation that consumed me.
Sophie, Lilly, and Tilly took care of me after the performance - once Sophie and I made it back to the hotel. Two drowned rats! I never felt a drop of rain - so content to live up there in the clouds awhile longer. Which means I hardly saw Edinburgh the following day! But, I did have a marvelous lunch of HAGGIS with Lilly!! It actually tasted good!! Absolutely had to experience haggis; and then, today on the train, ate "Toad in a Hole"! I think I like these Scots! Well, except for those burly guys who keep their hands in their armpits . . .
Oh!! I also met Dr. May!!!!!! Seoulmate!!! He has the peachiest peaches & cream complexion I've ever seen! Looked so soft and pink!!! He's very tall and very fit! Couldn't find a spare tire when I gave him a squeeze! I think he's borrowed some of AFL's hair gel, too . . . the curls on the top of his head were standing verry high!
Tomorrow will be another chapter . . . two more shows; then I'll fly home on Monday; and once again be with the rest of you dear Adamtopians, hunched over my computer, waiting for the livestreams and the recaps and the reviews; feeling all the emotions and experiencing new wonders along this remarkable Adam journey. From 'my first moment' I've felt Adam will change the world; I just hadn't paused to think how much he would change MY world - 'make me fly and believe in my dreams.'
I know I wrote a little something the other day - after the Newcastle performance - but I can't remember what I said, so I'll just have to start over. Forgive repetitiveness; forgive long-windedness; I apologize that so many photos of me have been floating around lately. Got internet this afternoon and I can only think you must be sick of me by now!
But I remember how interesting it's been to read the recaps of shows I haven't attended (believe it or not, I've seen most with my ass parked in a chair, bent towards a computer screen perched on what used to be a homework desk in my boy's room); how fun it is to laugh and vicariously experience these adventures - meeting new friends and exploring the yet-to-be-adequately-understood 'Adam bond' we share.
So, here goes - the first half of my 4-show European QAL adventure.
Up until 48 hours before I flew out of SF I wasn't sure if I was even going to be able to go. Yes, I had my non-refundable flight; my precious tickets were tucked in the netherworld of my carry-on . . . but a strike is looming where I work, and I was under a directive that if there was to be a walk-out, I would need to step in and keep the wheels turning. Thursday night I received the 'all-clear', and finally I could really concentrate on this trip. So many details were spinning in my mind I couldn't figure what to pack! That confusion has resulted in a mish-mash of packed items I can't even wear; including 4 pairs of thermal socks so thick I can't put my boots on. Getting to the airport on Sunday, after working half a day, was a nightmare - the Golden Gate Bridge was CLOSED for construction that weekend - maybe the 2nd time in history! I was on the plane, and settling into my seat when I realized I had left my cellphone plugged into a charger at the gate. Sheer panic! Yes, it was retrieved and brought to me, but I was left wondering "What the hell am I doing flying 10,000 miles away, alone, when I can't remember my fucking stuff?"
Once in London, thank goodness it was a pretty direct 3-mile walk thru Heathrow to get to my train. Hard to take a wrong turn in walkways that just keep you moving forward towards customs. The customs guy, BTW, looked at me strangely when this ragged, sleep-deprived soul told him the reason for my trip . . .
Without a workable charger for my computer, I instead took a little notebook from the hotel to jot down any musings as I sped towards Newcastle the following morning. I imagined myself like composer Harold Arlen, who always kept something close by for his 'jottings' - which turned into songs like "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" . . . mine were far less inspiring! It began as a cloudless, bluesky day, and this really fast electric train sped thru stations so quickly I could hardly read the signs. Saw quaint stone villages; each with a prominent church spire or turret; white swans, community gardens, and, as we headed further north, more streams than hedgerows - and then the frigid and majestic North Sea came into view. Certainly it must have been cold outside - grazing horses were clothed in blankets! Ringed-neck pheasants were in the fields; huge power plants and their fat cooling towers were in the distance, and as we pulled into York, I saw this rusty old sign, almost obliterated by vines, that said "London 200 miles".
In Newcastle, I met SophieB at our hotel, and we walked, arm in arm, to a tiny Italian restaurant. We were like two schoolgirl buddies who had known one another all our lives; not two women from different countries living thousands of miles apart. This is what happens, over and over! One of the many gifts of Adam. At the restaurant, we met two Queen fans who were going to be seeing AFL for the first time. Tried to not scare them with our enthusiasm!
The venue looked like a huge hockey rink. Felt cavernous and unkempt. I would say the majority of people there were middle-aged men; many were in groups of friends. I was in GA, in the middle of a sea of them. Suddenly, tho, I turned around, and there were the women from the restaurant! They were a pool of color in a very gray group. One guy, tho, talked. He had followed Queen since "Matt the Hoople" days (hello, Q3!) and knew the words to every line of every song sung that night - except WWTLF, thank goodness!
As for the show itself - - - now that Glasgow was such an incredible triumph, I can say (without feeling like I'm letting the air out of a balloon) I felt Newcastle needed work. The sound was atrocious. I couldn't hear one word of 'One Vision' - sounded like a garbled mess. Maybe it was where I stood . . . During one song, early on, Adam turned to the sound guy and mouthed "I can't hear" - but then launched into the next verse pitch-perfect. After the show, Sophie and I found each other for the walk back to the hotel. We began, tentatively, asking one another what we thought of opening night. "Didn't it seem like Adam was off-stage more?" "It didn't feel like he was front & center". We both missed 'Now I'm Here'. The show didn't have that seamless feel of most other performances; certainly not the tightness of NYE. It was more like a 'preview night' than opening night. And, sure enough, the set list was changed around and things were tweaked before Glasgow - and it made a world of difference.
All this being said, I can't see anything wrong in the videos! So, maybe it was the atmosphere that affected me more than I thought. I could see Adam dripping with sweat; putting absolutely EVERYTHING out there for the audience; and the men around me kept their arms crossed and hands tucked under their armpits. Lilly has since told me that Scottish men stand that way; act that way; so, okay then. A few minutes ago I watched the video of the Queen fan who said Newcastle was the best concert of his life; thought Adam was amazing. Well, Newcastle left me unsettled and concerned for Glasgow.
And the next chapter is old news, now!
Glasgow had an entirely different energy. The venue just crackled. The show was stunning; beginning to end. 'Save Me' was a new lesson in vocal perfection.
And I'm still wearing my pink 'on stage' armband.
It was so easy to click 'buy' for this ticket; to rationalize that if I'm going to go so far away to see Adam (and Queen; but let's face it - you know who it is for me) I want to be as close as I can be; and this ticket assured me that for one of four shows I would really see him in action; in the action I love most. I want to see him when his back is turned; what he does. Because he is ALWAYS doing something - signaling one of the crew; mouthing a few words to Rufus or Spike; drinking tea; wiping his brow; blowing on his earpiece; he even had a little atomizer of spray for his throat - just like in the Divas promos! Those things, those actions, remind me that he's real; that he's attending to the moment in very ordinary, human ways . . . which makes his persona, when he turns and prances and struts the stage, all the more amazing to me. The chameleon changes color before my eyes.
I didn't even wonder if he would actually come over to the group of six or seven of us; it didn't cross my mind. Everything was flowing so effortlessly; the rhythm of the night was soaring - and then it happened. When Adam looked at me I COULD NOT LOOK AWAY - his eyes were piercing, captivating, riveting . . . I can't find the right word. I was sealed in the moment, and I knew it would work. I remember he took my hand so tightly I looked down at the red glove and then put my other hand on his - I almost felt as if I'd be pulled right over the railing! And, locked into his gaze, I began to sing with him - just those few lines. And then, and then . . . I could tell from his eyes he wanted me to twirl! So I did. Then, I thought he would let go when he leaned back, but he didn't. Instead he kissed my hand; and then the magic that was cast upon me by his eyes was broken. Beautifully broken. And that was it! All communication had been from his eyes. I never saw his hair, or his eyebrows, or his lips, or his tattoos . . . just his eyes, and his red glove. I am eternally grateful for all those photos . . . because, in the moments afterward, I couldn't even recall what song it was we sang.
I don't know why Adam came over to me. But earlier today I read an article with this quote from Adam: "Being on stage and remembering the most important things about music and performance are the most timeless things: it transcends trend and popularity contests. It is more about truth, emotion, honesty and the connection with the audience, the music, and the moment." Adam gave me that connection, that moment of pure truth and pure joy, during a performance where I could not hide my emotions or my honesty. I had to dance; I had to show the elation that consumed me.
Sophie, Lilly, and Tilly took care of me after the performance - once Sophie and I made it back to the hotel. Two drowned rats! I never felt a drop of rain - so content to live up there in the clouds awhile longer. Which means I hardly saw Edinburgh the following day! But, I did have a marvelous lunch of HAGGIS with Lilly!! It actually tasted good!! Absolutely had to experience haggis; and then, today on the train, ate "Toad in a Hole"! I think I like these Scots! Well, except for those burly guys who keep their hands in their armpits . . .
Oh!! I also met Dr. May!!!!!! Seoulmate!!! He has the peachiest peaches & cream complexion I've ever seen! Looked so soft and pink!!! He's very tall and very fit! Couldn't find a spare tire when I gave him a squeeze! I think he's borrowed some of AFL's hair gel, too . . . the curls on the top of his head were standing verry high!
Tomorrow will be another chapter . . . two more shows; then I'll fly home on Monday; and once again be with the rest of you dear Adamtopians, hunched over my computer, waiting for the livestreams and the recaps and the reviews; feeling all the emotions and experiencing new wonders along this remarkable Adam journey. From 'my first moment' I've felt Adam will change the world; I just hadn't paused to think how much he would change MY world - 'make me fly and believe in my dreams.'
Thank you for sharing it with us.
(I live vicariously through all you adventurers!)
