Ohh shit, what a couple of days, huh? I guess I better start at the beginning.

I saw the myspace bulletin for the wristband collection point to the secret Fall Out Boy show at three in the afternoon. We jumped in the car and left. After a long drive to Auckland, and a traffic jam in which we drove three kilometres in an hour. Once we reached Queen street, we found a carpark and shacked up in the Real Groovy doorway for the night. We were sitting there and a hobo came a long and glared at us for a real long time. I dunno, maybe we stole his spot or maybe he wanted to pee there but it was pretty weird.

We were there at about 10pm and the next group of people arrived at 11.30pm with sleeping bags and stuff. Then we were alone until about 3am when people started trickling in. The group were all so cool, I was really surprised. I expected there to be some competition and for people to crowd and push but I was totally wrong. Everyone was super-amicable and we quickly reached a system in which we wrote down each person’s number on a sheet of refill and gave it to them so the people who got their first WOULD get in. Most people just left when they found out that there was 30 people already there. Some stayed and waited for three hours even though we told them they couldn’t get in. Weird.

Anyhow, everything exciting that could happen, did. We got stared at by hobo’s, watched a woman on meth piss in the middle of the street and talk to us in mandarin for an hour, saw some hookers having a fist-fight, got abused by some beggars and witnessed a bus driver and a guy on a scooter have a heated argument. It was also generally super-hot, but there were several bouts of pouring rain. Sweet night all round.

Finally it was 9am and we got let in to get wristbands. I was FIRST IN LINE and got the first wristband. Oh, there was also some SUPER DRAMALLAMA all up in Real Groovy because there was meant to be 30 wristbands but they gave away 7 in a promotion so number 23-30 were pretty bummed and this one annoying girl had her Dad abuse the staff and was at the soundcheck so I guess she bitched loud enough.

So at 4.30 we got to the arena for the soundcheck and we were super-stoked. They kept us waiting for freaking ages and we didn’t really mind all that much. I was directly in front of Patrick and if I was allowed to reach over the guard-rail I probably could have poked him in the ankle. It was so exciting and I tried to evenly divide my time between getting photos and watching intently. They pretty much let us dictate what they played to us. It was awesome. Patrick talked directly to us but I didn’t talk and I guess he was probably kind of weirded out at the kid just staring and crying at him. I probably would be. There was a particularly entertaining conversation with the second-to-last song that, from memory, went like this:

Patrick: “What song do you want?”
-screams-
“It’s really easy to hear you when you all scream like that.”
-screams more-
“OKAY. We’re going to go by hands.”
-points-
“You. What do you want?”
FAN: “Snitches and Talkers Get Stitches and Walkers”
PATRICK: “Uh. I don’t think we remember that song. We can’t play it”
FAN: “You’re an asshole.”
PATRICK: -laugh- “Yeah, I’m an asshole.”
PETE: “I’m an asshole and I don’t mind being an asshole on this occasion because there is no way we are playing that song.”

And then it was over as quick as it started. The security guard was pretty pissy and just yelled at us to leave. Kind of bummed. Anyhow, that left for time for dinner and then lining up for the actual concert. We still left in a state of euphoria, however. I’m not sure if that’s gone yet.

Soooo, to the concert. Jesus H. Christ we had a fabulous time. Hey Monday were really pretty average, as we expected. They were still fun, I guess. Cassadee then went on to pretty much ruin Sugar We’re Going Down which made me pretty mad. Just leave Fall Out Boy alone, little Miss Inferior. All-American Rejects were better than I expected. They were kind of dull to begin with but once they got to the songs everyone knew the place blew up and it was a lot of fun. GOOD GOD that lead singer is a fucking douchebag and I pretty much wanted to punch him in the throat every time he talked. He also held his guitar in the most peculiar fucking way I’ve ever seen and it was ridiculous. Most guitarists have their guitars/basses at either stomach or crotch level. This dude holds it over his thighs/knees and he’s really tall so he has to crouch in a really weird way to play it and his microphone had to be shorter so that he could crouch in a douchebaggy way and still sing. God, it was irritating.

THEN FALL OUT BOY. It was epic, truly. Most of the night had seizure-inducing lights that were totally awesome. They had light-up guitars during ‘I Don’t Care’ that flashed in time with the music and were really impressive. Lil’ Ol’ Patrick had a conversation with Pete about getting a Kiwi accent and did a little impression of us and he was SO OFF but it was cute nonetheless. He also said he wanted to spend enough time here to get a real kiwi accent but he looked into the paperwork and you need to have something to contribute to society and he doesn’t know what he’d have to contribute. UM, MARRY ME AND THEY’LL LET YOU STAY. I am pretty stoked I got that entire conversation on video.

The part I think I liked best was during Disloyal Order when six other people from other bands came over to play drums during the really pronounced drumbeat at the start. The whole room/floor/of my guts shook along with each beat and it was amazing.

As quickly as it started it was over and we shuffled back out a little more inspired and alive than we were when we went in.