My Concert Experiences

Hi everyone, I'm baaackkk!!! Did you miss me? I've had a cold so I've been trying to force myself to rest instead of overworking myself to post things. So I've just been binge watching some Kdramas (Korean dramas) on Netflix and drinking lots of tea. I've been hooked on the drama Coffee Prince. I wish Netflix could get Heirs so I can see it again and My Love From Another Star so I can finally watch it.

I thought that this would make a good music post. I haven't been to a ton of concerts but I've gone to a decent amount. I definitely have some insane stories so I thought why not talk about them all in a post?? 

1. Projekt Revolution 2007
NOTE: Pictures from this concert are not mine. I didn't have a camera at this one. I found these photos online a few years ago, they were taken my photographer Lena Lamoray.

This was my very first concert,I won tickets to this tour. I entered a contest daily for a month because my favorite band My Chemical Romance was on that tour so was Linkin Park, HIM, Taking Back Sunday, Mindless Self Indulgence, Madina Lake and Saosin. I was about 13 so I needed an adult to go with me. My dad was pissed because he didn't want to go and he had to go with me, but he knew it meant a lot to me so we went. He was dreading going, but when we got there he had figured out that he knew a lot of the songs and liked them. He had heard them playing in the background when I would leave Fuse (Anyone remember when they played Alternative music and had Steven's Untitled Rock Show?) on while I did my homework. He realized he stopped paying attention to me, so after that day we became super close and had a very special bond. MCR saved our relationship.

Half of the bands played on stages outside. We watched Mindless Self Indulgence and the lead singer,Jimmy Urine was hilarious. He ripped these people apart that didn't buy tickets and were watching from a hill. The best part was when he ran around stage in a pink tutu to Liza Minelli. Their bassist Lyn-Z was a badass. She was crowd surfing, standing up while continuing to play!

MSI, Jimmy Urine

MSI, Lyn-Z

We watched Saosin and Madina Lake. Saosin had a signing after their performance. My best friend, Brittany actually came to the same concert with another one of her friends, we couldn't get in line in time for it so we just watched to the side. The lead singer of the band noticed us and smiled and waved. He was cute so we were fangirling (before we even knew what fangirling was!) really hard.

Ville Valo, HIM

My dad was a big fan of HIM (mostly after this concert). When we watched HIM, he thought the lead singer Ville Valo was hilarious. It was the end of summer and had to be at least 80 degrees out and the man was in pants, a jacket, what looks like a hoodie and a hat! He sat during most of the show and chain smoked/drank during the entire thing. Surprisingly he still sang fantastically. I actually really want my first tattoo to be the band's symbol called a heartagram and I want to put "Dad" underneath in the font used for the band's name in their logo.

HIM logo

When it came time for My Chemical Romance, Seeing my favorite band and so close (we had seats in the middle of the arena) was amazing. They were the co-headliners and went before Linkin Park. It felt so surreal but it was life changing. I sang along with every song and danced. They put on an amazing show. I've always been sad that I never got to go to another one of their shows (the band broke  up a few years ago).

MCR, Gerard Way singing

By the time Linkin Park came on and the entire crowd was spazzing, I was exhausted and just chilling in my seat. They were badass and had amazing energy. I had such a good time with my dad that day. For like 3 days straight we talked about nothing but that concert. He still talked about it a lot years later.

LP, Chester Bennington

2. The Misfits, Halloween 2008

[I apologize for the terrible quality of the images. Shit-tastic camera + not knowing how to correctly take a picture = horrible pictures]

My signed poster from the show. Old pic.

I went with my best friend Brittany and her boyfriend at the time. The show was the night before Halloween, ending at midnight which was then Halloween. It was in a small bar/club venue called The Webster. We were able to get front row spots at the barricade. The craziest thing happened! We were watching the band get ready, we could see them side stage from where we stood. Jerry Only, the current lead singer of the band walked over with a sharpie, signed my shirt (a Misfits shirt), smiled and walked away. Needless to say I was starstruck. The show was awesome but the crowd was insane, moshing like crazy behind us. They kept ramming into us and  we held on for dear life to the barricade.

The set

Jerry Only conducting the costume contest

That show screwed my back up for a while but it was worth it! They played a lot of the old Misfits songs from the Danzig era opening with Halloween. When the drummer broke sticks, he would throw them to the crowd, both me and Brittany caught pieces. At the end, Jerry only stayed to do a meet and greet. So I got to meet him and get his autograph again.

3. Kittie, 2009

Collage I made from the show with my ticket, a flyer, autograph and a patch I got

NOTE: Pictures from this concert are not mine. I didn't have a camera at this one. I found these photos online a few years ago, if I can find the photographer, I will credit them. 

Morgan  playing/singing and Tara playing

Ivy, the bassist playing

This was the most insane concert I have ever been to. I went again with Brittany (her mom was usually willing to take us to concerts) and a different boyfriend. We got front row barricade again. It was in a small bar/club in New York called The Chance. When we walked in, half of Kittie was sitting at the bar and we got to meet them! Kittie is an awesome all girl metal band. I got to meet the lead singer Morgan Lander and her sister the drummer, Mercedes Lander. I got both of their autographs. I talked to Morgan for quite a few minutes. She loved my signature vampire fangs necklace that I constantly wore for years and asked me a bunch of questions on how to get one. I would have given her it, but I just couldn't part with it.

The infamous necklace

A bunch of bands opened for them including Straight Line Stitch, which is an awesome band. When Kittie started playing, it was chaos. We were the only teens there, everyone else was an adult, most of them drinking. They started a very hardcore mosh pit that was practically a brawl. 10 times worse than what we experienced at the Misfits concert. We were gripping the barricade for dear life, trying to enjoy the music. Brittany's boyfriend tried to shield and protect us but he couldn't. People kept shoving into us and pushing and pulling us. One man would not stap hanging on us. I asked him multiple times to go away and stop. My safety felt in danger so I had to get violent with him. To say the least he left us alone after that. It had gotten so bad that a paramedic that was on standby jumped into the crowd, got pushed around and pulled us out, saving us. We watched the rest of the show from the bar.

Mercedes playing drums

Close up of Morgan

There was fighting between the others I was with after the show (nothing involving me, I kept silent). Despite all of the negativity it was an awesome show and I had fun. The shows in small venues are definitely the most entertaining.

4. Green Day and AFI, 2010
NOTE: Pictures from this concert are not mine. I found them online a few years ago, if I can find the photographer, I will credit them. 

My dad bought tickets for me and him to go to this show for my 17th birthday. Green Day and AFI are two of my favorite bands. This was the most tame concert I've been to. We got to the venue hours early and had to wait in the parking lot for 4 hours. It was like a giant Green Day tail gating party!!

AFI, including the lead singer Davey Havok jumping in the air

AFI opened, we had great seats and I was so excited, I had very badly wanted to see AFI since middle school. They did a short set and then Green Day came on. This was during the 21st Century Breakdown tour cycle. They opened with 21st Century Breakdown and had a really cool city skape light backdrop. They played songs from that album, a lot from American Idiot and threw in some classics. The whole show was full of energy and was awesome. They really engaged the crowd. My dad was super energetic, bopping around and it was so funny. I had a cool dad, I have to say. He listened to awesome music and took me to concerts. Tre Cool, the
drummer was hilarious doing little wacky funny things.

Billie Joe singing/playing

Mike Dirnt (bassist) and one of their touring members playing

Tre being a wacko

After the show they did 3 encores! For the very last encore, thr whole band went offstage and a few minutes later Billie Joe came back and played a few acoustic songs by himself. If you want to see what the concert was like for yourself, pick of their live DVD Awesome As Fuck. I'm mad that we listened to the venue's website and didn't bring a camera, when we went in they were allowing people to bring in cameras.

5. Warped Tour 2011

This was the worst concert I have ever been to and I have a lot of regrets, but I don't regret going and the good parts.were fun.

My grandma bought me tickets for my birthday, I went with one of my uncles and my friend Cara. My uncle decided it was a good idea to work the night shift the night before and  not go to bed....he woke us up at 5 am to go. Luckily so though! We got lost on the highway in hartford for at least 3 hours. Warped Tour is a huge traveling music festival with all kinds of bands. I mostly wanted to go to see my second favorite band, Black Veil Brides. I also really wanted to see Asking Alexandria and Paramore. Sadly I only saw 3 bands that day.

Devil Wears Prada

More The Devil Wears Prada

The security guards getting caught in the picture makes for some golden shots

The show started out horribly. Cara really wanted to see The Devil Wears Prada so we watched them since Asking Alexandria was on the same stage right afterwards.  Things got dark, fast. It was 90 degree heat. I don't do well with heat and I didn't drink enough water. We were front row at the barricade and people kept crowd surfing and I got hit in the head a few times. It got really hot and I felt dizzy suddenly. My vision doubled and looked odd. I felt sick. I leaned over the barricade and I felt like I was going to pass out. People around me noticed and gave me room. The keyboardist noticed and kept motioning, asking if I was alright. I had to get out of there, so someone was nice enough to help me and my uncle out. When I got out of the heat and got water I was fine. But five more minutes and I would've passed out. I missed AA,because of that.

Winds of Plague

Winds of Plague lead singer

The next band I saw was Winds of Plague. While watching them, we totally stalked  watched BVB while they got ready. We even saw Jeffree Star and I got him to say hi to me (yeah, I fangirled a LOT).

We watched them so we could inch our way to see Black Veil Brides in the front row at the barricade (which we did!).  At one point my uncle had to break up a near fight between me and an annoying girl screaming "Andy (the lead singer) I want to have your babies!!" right in my ear. (I shit you not...she really said that. I asked nicely 3 times to stop screaming in my ear and she got an attitude. I almost punched her).

Andy and Jinx (guitar) singing/playing

BVB was all worth it. They were amazing. One of the guitarists, Jinx and the bassist Ashley Purdy kept coming to our corner of the stage and smiling at us and posing when we took pictures. Afterwards we were in line to meet them and my uncle decides he's tired and that we had to go...if we stayed 20 more minutes I would have met them and been able to tell them how much their music has helped me. The worst part: we left only to spend 45 minutes at a restaurant.
It was a horrible experience and I honestly was so upset when I got home at how badly it all went. I've been waiting ever since for my chance to make up for that day. Sadly they ALWAYS schedule Warped Tour on the same weekend here as the state's anime convention. So I don't have anyone to go with and this year BVB is playing again ;____;

I have survived some insane concerts! I deserve a medal or something! Hahaha, I actually learned how to defend myself at these concerts XD, but kids don't follow my example and hit anyone! Those are my crazy experiences from the big concerts I've been to. In another post I'm going to talk about my experiences with local bands and helping out at shows. Thanks for sticking with that long post (I'm sorry! I'm truly trying not to make my posts novel length). Do you have any interesting/fun/crazy concert memories? Share them with me in the comments!