Fearless Vampire Killers: Oxford - 14th April 2013

As it is now a week since our trip to Oxford it is certainly time to get off my backside (figuratively speaking as I am currently say at my computer) and write it up.

The decision to go was a simple enough one.  I may have been an FVK fan for all of 5 minutes but I really wanted to see them live.  There was no particular date on Fearless Vampire Killers' (FVK) Diamonds and Disgrace (D&D) Tour (at that point) that would be easier for us to get to than another.  The two April dates in Bristol didn't apply - the first being as a support act for the Misfits, the second being the first day of the Hit The Deck Festival.  Sorry, but I'm just not that fussed about other bands - I just want to see my boys so the D&D tour dates it had to be.  I picked Oxford because it's not so very far from my parents in Reading, it's a great place to visit and because it was a Sunday so I thought it'd be the most convenient for us.

Unfortunately, being a bit of an idiot I bought the tickets before I actually checked the train times and that was where it all became a bit more of an adventure...

So then I had to book a B&B for the night.  I won't go into how badly I cocked that up.  Let's just point out that I'd never done such a thing before and the chap had a really difficult accent and leave it there.  We got it all figured out in the end and we checked in okay in the end so no harm done, except to my pride.

My elder daughter Erin (17) was pretty excited about our trip as she's really into FVK too.  My younger daughter Kathleen (14) was less so because she is unbelievably weird and got very upset about having to miss school on the Monday.  And she wonders why she's such a misunderstood beastie...

Last Sunday we got all our bits and bobs together and headed out.  It was a pretty long journey - one of the Intercity trains to Reading that stops at every lamppost y'know?  The times I'd been given were all wrong and the journey took almost 2 hours longer than anticipated.  Then a regular train north to Oxford.  Looking out of the windows we realised just what a long and brutal winter it has been.  Here we are in mid April yet the fields are still waterlogged and the trees largely bare.

Arriving in Oxford we mooched through town getting our bearings and making our way to the B&B.  I haven't been to Oxford since I was a kid so it was essentially all new to me too.  We checked in okay and then collapsed in our room for a bit before getting into our outfits, sorting out our makeup and generally being quite girly.

Doors at the O2 Academy were 7pm and I reckon we got there to lurk a little after 6.  Not because we were mad keen to queue but because the anticipation was getting to us.  Erin was so keen to get in the queue that she sailed straight past lead guitarist Shane "Cyrus Barrone" Sumner - her favourite Fearless Vampire Killer - who was out front meeting fans.  I've been teasing her about that ever since!

We headed in and made our was to the merch stand for hoodies and wristbands all round.

There were three support acts: What Now?, The Reaper and Fort Hope.  Erin was quite taken with What Now? and later in the evening bought their CD and got it signed by two thirds of the band.  The Reaper were amazing - when a bunch of kids take to the stage you don't quite know what to expect but they rocked.  I bought their CD on the spot!

By the time Fort Hope came on we'd picked our positions for the evening.  Kathleen had decided to lurk near the backstage door which was the same side of the stage as bass guitarist Drew would be playing and had already managed to nab him for a photo.

Drew Woolnough & Kathleen

Erin and I were on the opposite side of the room cos she wanted to be in front of Barrone, I joined her at the start of Fort Hope's set cos my feet were killing me and there was some seating along the side.  It turned out to be an excellent spot.

When Barrone came on stage as part of the setting up the crowd gave him a "woooo!" and he looked up and gave the cutest grin, I can so see what Erin sees in him!  Luke meanwhile gave a royal wave - he's such a sweetie!

The show was great, our photos were less so given the lighting and hazy atmosphere.  That and the fact they bounce around the stage like dingbats...

Fearless Vampire Killers by Kathleen

For me the highlight had to be Fetish For The Finite cos it nearly killed me.  For some reason I can't find the YouTube video through Blogspot but this is the link if you're interested:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nt16A1tFJLA

Two minutes in, at the beginning of the line "I can't stand another night" I swear Laurence is looking right at me...there weren't a lot of other candidates in that corner with a wall right behind.  I forgot how to breathe.  Then, on the line "knowing you're not mine", he stretched out and pointed my way.  I damn near fainted!

There is I'm afraid no denying now that I have a serious crush on Laurence Beveridge.  Poor boy.

Barrone & Erin

After the show we lurked around for autographs and photo opportunities.  Erin didn't miss Barrone this time...although she did walk straight past Kier completely oblivious!!!  I gave my Militia Of The Lost deluxe CD to Kathleen and she got it signed by Luke, Drew and Barrone but then insisted I got Kier & Laurence's autographs myself.  Unfortunately, while we were lurking close to Laurence the O2 Academy booted us all out for the 11pm curfew but Laurence & Kier being total darlings they came outside with us.

We got Kier's autographs and photos with him first and then lurked in Laurence's direction again.  Seriously, I was doing okay up to that point...  Then Laurence looks over at me and says something like "hey, you're Heggie, right?" and...and...and...well YOU try having a coherent thought left in your head when the rockstar you're waiting to meet for the first time recognises you and remembers your name from a grand total of 15 tweets he's sent you!!!

I honestly have very little idea what happened from that point.  I remember him pulling the lid off the gold paint pen and popping it between his lips when he signed my CD...  And he said something about it being great to meet me at last...it was a damn good thing he had his arm around me at that point!  I mean HONESTLY what the hell do you say to that even if what's left of your brain hasn't melted and leaked away???

Laurence & I

It was all topsy-turvy and I didn't have the slightest clue what to say but it was an amazing night.  I practically floated back to the B&B...whereupon I had a good cry as it all got to me!

Espantapájaros

So today (03 April 2013) I got a new tatdoodle - my second.  Did I ever post about my first?  I forget, so here it is just in case...

It's my own design, the top symbol being based on something my mother once designed and my dad built into the family home...it's an O, J and H overlaid (O for Owen - my dad, J for Janet - my mum, H for moi - the only child) and, in my version there's a little nod to the family cat as well.  The second symbol is similarly an E and K for my kids.
I agonised about it forever (that is obviously a slight exaggeration) and finally got it inked in the summer of 2011.
The new one was a much quicker process - about 6 months in the planning, which by my standards is a rush job!  In fact, I booked the appointment the day I finalised the design.  As the meaning behind it is kind of 'carpe diem' it seemed ridiculous to agonise about it so I seized the day and went for it...made me nervous as hell!!!
So here it is...

'Espantapájaros' is Spanish for scarecrow...it was initially inspired by the My Chemical Romance song of the same name - I found a video on YouTube with Spanish subtitles and I just thought it was the coolest word ever (^_~).  But there's a lot more to it than "ooh, funky foreign word!"
To me, this is all about fear.  Scarecrows are kind of scary even if you're not a crow but for me it's about the fear of being a scarecrow - rooted to the spot, unable to move, watching the world pass me by.  I've spent a lot of time feeling like I'm standing still, constrained by circumstances or afraid to take a chance.
It's on my left wrist...'left' is 'sinister' in Latin.  The second 'a' is an open heart-shaped padlock - emotional vulnerability being a fairly obvious fear.  The star over the 'j' is a nod to "reaching for the stars" - being afraid of failure tends to lead to not aiming high, or even setting goals.
The inclusion of the Fearless Vampire Killers fangs logo was a more recent tweak; the 'o' was originally going to be Frank Iero's 'Fun Ghoul' logo and actually only got scrapped at the last minute.  I'd been trying to work the fangs in for a while but it was just getting too big...and this is not a subtle design. I don't have dainty wrists and this wraps around so you can't see it all at once (I don't want to make it too easy for anyone to read me!).  On being asked about the bandname FVK stress that they aren't fearless...

Ideally this tat will eventually have a 'sister' on my right wrist - it's emotional counterpart.  I haven't figured out a design yet but it'll be "te mantendré a salve esta noche" which is again Spanish and a line from the same song - specifically "I'll keep you safe tonight".  To me that's the polar opposite to fear - having someone to hold your hand and tell you it'll all be okay...and yes, maybe I'll be saying that to myself but what the hell.  Just as this tat features the colour red the other might have green.  That was an idea my eldest just came up with today, so don't hold me to it!

I know this tatdoodle isn't the best doodled tat ever but at least it's personal and unique.  Maybe I'm a bit of a control freak but I'd rather do my own than pick something generic.  Having a super-arty friend would be seriously handy of course *sigh*
I have to admit it hurt a good bit, nothing unbearable but a good few deep breaths and a bit of eye crossing.  Wrists are pretty sensitive.  The two ends - the 'E' and the fangs were the worst, and for some reason part of the padlock...although that may have been as it went over an old burn scar?  I'm not too much of a wimp, I hope - I have had two kids and a good number of painful experiences over the years, and like all things it passes.