we gotta go

On Wednesday it was back to the NEC for the final UK gig of the R30 tour. I left work early and headed across the country on the A14. A meet-up had been arranged at the bar of the Crown Plaza hotel beside the arena and I was there in good time. I got a pint of Guiness and went over to a large congregation of men in Rush t-shirts. As suspected they were indeed from TNMS and I sat down and began chatting with the people nearest to me. Such a great bunch of people (and not just this lot). In a bizarre coincidence, just as we were leaving to go over to the arena, I recognised a guy who I’d met in Pesaro (Italy) at the Peter Gabriel concert back in May.

manchester la la la

I’m such a lightweight. I felt terrible this morning when I woke up. After a full English, I went back to my room for a little more sleep. After checking-out as late as possible I set off for Manchester – a city I’ve only been to once (if going to Salford Quays counts). I stopped at some services to get some water and something for the blinding headache I had.

Getting to the Manchester Evening News Arena (MEN) was dead easy and I parked in the arena’s multi-storey. Planning ahead, I pre-paid my ticket and parked on the front row facing the exit barriers. There was a meet-up planned at the Moon Under Water pub on Deansgate but I wasn’t feeling very sociable and decided to have a wander around instead. I found Dawsons music shop and went in for a mosey at the guitars. I was half tempted to buy a PRS Soapbar but saw sense in time. Eventually, I stopped at a pub for some food, a rest and a quick chat on the phone with HP. My headache had gone but I was very tired so I decided to head back to the car for a power nap.

unconventional

With two consecutive gigs to attend, Birmingham and Manchester, I decided to stay overnight rather than drive all the way back to Peterborough. While I checked-in to the hotel at the edge of the NEC complex I observed many Rush t-shirts but no one I recognised from the Green Man at Wembley. I set off on foot for the convention.

After wandering around aimlessly through a totally deserted NEC I eventually found the area where Eucon was being held. Many other people had also been lost and later remarked that it was like the set of a zombie film. I handed my ticket in, received my dayglo orange wristband and slapped my name sticker to my chest.

epiphany

I’m not sure exactly when it happened but I felt different at the NEC. It seems almost too obvious to state, but I knew that if I was to enjoy the remaing shows of the tour, it was me that had to change. In the North American leg of the tour, Rush had played umpteen shows without changing the setlist. I had to accept (in particular) the cover versions and move on. I hope my own attitude and mindset helped but this was a way better gig than Wembley. The sound was perfect, the crowd were great and the band tighter (playing-wise) yet looser (emotionally). The highlights were the same but I found myself really warming to the acoustic version of Heart Full of Soul – a cover version!

reflect

I felt weird at the end of the concert. I didn’t know what to make of things. First, I had to meet Tom by my car where he’d stored his holdall until after the gig. This was the first time Tom had seen Rush. The guy came running up towards me, grinning like an idiot – I think I’d stressed it enough that I wanted to get away quickly after the gig so maybe he was afraid I’d just dump his bag if he was late! I didn’t have the heart to reveal my true feelings about the gig so I asked him what he thought. Of course, for him it had been a fantastic experience. I agreed that it was aweseome and felt awkward having to like.

anticipate

I took the afternoon off work and drove to London in glorious sunshine. As usual it was the last few miles on the North Circular that were the slowest. I arrived at Wembley Arena and parked in my VIP spot. I’m not special, in this case VIP stands for Vastly Increased Payment. But anything for a quick get away after the show.