Early Riser

On Sunday morning, we (no Bee – she went to stay with Dawn) didn’t get that much sleep, but since it was early, we decided to take advantage of the shorter queue’s and get ready for our final day of the festival. Whilst Shel and Tanisha were getting ready, I just tuned out to a bit of LP (no one to talk to and I had to watch the tent before you call me anti-social!) and started to doodle. I really can’t draw no more which sucks. I’ll have to get practicing again sometime whenever I have spare time. Maybe in a few years then.

After the girls came back, we had to wait for Bee to come back so we could all go back into the venue together. A little while later, Bee turned up and we were ready for the final day! We went to queue up and goddamn, the queue to get in was ridiculous. They wouldn’t let people in and 1h30 later than usual, people started to get let in. However, we were split in to and our group had to wait. Me and Bee got separated from Shel and Tanisha, so we had a bit of a chat, which was good – Bee’s very cool when you talk to her. Eventually, after a bit of queue jumping (sssh!!) we got in, and met up with the others and went off to look for bands.

I can’t really remember the bands we did and didn’t see, so bare with me, it’s early as I write this. We missed the first few bands as we just walked around drinking and looking at the discounted goods (they were flogging them cheap to shift as much as possible). I think the first band we caught was Junior Senior. They weren’t amazing, even if the lead did ask for everyone to strip. I’d give them a six on ten for effort. God I feel like a teacher now.

At this point, looking back at the play list, I seem to have neglected to mention Alien Ant Farm’s performance somehow. They were very good live – I’d go see them again should they come to Manchester or nearby. They played a mixture of new and old songs. The newer songs were typically AAF, which isn’t a bad thing, and if I have a few quid spare, I might go check their album out.

I just want to talk to people!! I have very little use for Yahoo now since I only talk to Kaeley on that anymore since Rich is always busy, and Nicole and her father are well...yeah. I don't talk to Nikolai from college because I never know what to say to him and our conversations run short. I'm sure he doesn't want to hear about college.

Don-Don-Don’t Stop The Beat

After Junior Senior were the Libertines. Now I’ve been a partial fan of their music since they came out. Partial fan as in I like their songs but not good enough to know the words – kapeish? They were quite good, and they had some good songs. Then again, I always thought that the guitarist was their lead vocalist. Oops. Like I said – partial fan! Seven on ten. Once they left, we went off and did something else – God knows what – I was in a bad mad all afternoon. I’d had no luck with anyone all weekend and it was a friggin’ festival! Where exactly was the free love? Huh?! I sure as hell didn’t see much! Maybe it was ‘cos I saw someone who looked exactly like Nicole over the weekend, and I couldn’t help but stare. She saw me staring considering I was right behind her, and gave me a funny look. D’oh. I was off with everyone Sunday afternoon – I didn’t intend to be, nor did I want to, but it happened. I hardly said a word, and I just wanted to get home. I was on the verge of leaving a day early, but I didn’t want to seem ungrateful to the girls, so I stayed with.

As the evening approached, we caught the back end of the Streets, who were – eeh, The Streets. The Doves were surprisingly good. I hadn’t heard much of their music before that day, and now I’m pretty keen on checking it out, especially the instrumental stuff. I love instrumental stuff (check out Juno Reactor and Rob Dougan people!). Eight on ten for The Doves.

Beck came up next and I don’t know if my mood was lifting, but after the doves, the beck seemed to improve my mood even more. Beck was great. I’d give them a nine. They weren’t hardcore rocking / mosh pit rocking great, but just great to listen to. He put on a great performance, even if I mistaken them for Black Rebel Motorcycle People Gang Thingy. Ooops. He covered some songs such as Rock Your Body by Timberlake and managed to mix them all into one which was something else. I’m gunna have to check their album out too. Damn. Money, money, money!

Freakazoid…

Somewhere in the middle, I managed to catch the beginning of Hundred Reasons who were good, although they’re not really my thing so an eight for them. I went off to watch Audio Bullies instead – they were surprisingly good considering house isn’t usually my thing. It’s another album I’m going to have to check out. Some of the songs were just mediocre, but others were really cool. Damn, where the hell am I going to get all this cash from?! I only went to see them to kill some time until AFI turned up. I tried getting noticed by another girl – LAME. Not a look in. I don’t think she even saw me. Just as I was getting within a chance of talking to her, her friend calls her away. Damn. After Audio Bullies, I killed some time sitting around waiting for AFI, trying to get noticed again (alright, I admit it, I was desperate). AFI came out and I sorta noticed someone crying on the floor off to one side. I asked if she was alright, and well, she said she was, but obviously wasn’t. I guess she just wanted to be left alone. Don’t blame her, I feel like that more than enough myself. She was also surrounded by two guys – 15year olds – that were completely pissed off their heads. It was hilarious. He was going around asking for hugs and stuff, from both guys and girls, and most of the time he got them. Him and his mate were dancing around stupidly, like drunks do, and it was pretty funny to watch, especially since I didn’t know half of AFI’s songs at all. After a few songs, I decided just to sit down and enjoy the music rather than watch – but not after watching Davey climb up some not-so-stable speakers and wobble a bit. Some of the crowd, including myself of course, were shouting for him to jump. Mwhahaha. He jumped – well, more sorta fell, but it was good all the same. Anyway, I sat down near the in between the crying girl and some other girl, just on the off chance (yeah, yeah I know), and just waited whilst the crowd dispersed. The two drunken guys started talking to me, and they got a hug from me, and then he went off on some drunken speech about how he’s not afraid to hug guys because it means nothing. Anyway, he invited me to hang out with him, and since I was in a “why the hell not kinda mood” I said sure and then that’s when the night got interesting.

KABOOM

We made our way to his tent, which was further south than my own, so I dropped off at my own, said goodnight to the girls (and picked up the vodka I bought for them since they didn’t want it) and then carried on walking with the masses to the ORANGE ZONE.

Well, it was certainly something, that’s for sure. I started drinking the large bottle of vodka (cleverly disguised in a water bottle) as if it was water, only to catch up with my new found friends Paddy (hug guy) and Ads (the quieter one). They were going up to random people saying hello and such, including Birthday Girl and Birthday Girl’s sister. They were like mid-30’s and Paddy managed to get a kiss from them? Damn hippy. Lol – just playing. Anyway, somehow, I’m in some strangers photos looking like a complete prat. Ooh well, it won’t be the first time – mwhaha. Damn, writing that just made me think of something me and Nicole said when we went to Disney land/world (delete where applicable). We were in lots of peoples photos, just really happy, in the background, and we laughed about how we’re as a couple in all these photos of strangers.

Nevermind, eh?

Yaaaa-Oooh-Co—Yeah!!!

After the Birthday Girls incident, we moved down the tents only to run into some more people Paddy knew – lots of strangers that all got on well. Some big Scots guy, some happy chick, and then a few other guys that I can’t really remember (come on, I was downing LOTS of vodka). We hung out, had a laugh, and talked about where we were all from, and managed to get a few photos, hat swapping and hugs before wrestling broke out a few tents down. Hell yes! It was kinda quiet before, and was closer to sumo wrestling than your scripted WWE wrestling, but it was good nonetheless. (I like sumo wrestling incidentally). It was soon busy and security were making their way towards us, so I made myself scarce, just in case anything happened. They were surprisingly cool security guards, and just watched to make sure it didn’t get carried away, whilst everyone enjoyed the entertainment. Me, Ads and the happy chick (sorry to her, I can’t remember your name!!) had a bit of a chat with them, and then we made our way back to happy chick’s tent. All the time during this, there were small explosions around the campsite – most likely the campfires that weren’t allowed and alcohol or something. Hehe, it was great.

Sometime after the wrestling but before the next paragraph me and Ads managed to get a few flashes from girls (yes, we started asking them in exchange for vodka), which brought a smile to both our faces – hehe. If you’re wondering what happened to Paddy, well Paddy sorta, passed out. He had a few cigs and a lot of JD, which he obviously couldn’t handle, so he collapsed and passed out. Security helped us look after him, but I think he was left to sleep it off. I never spoke to him again after that.

Anyway – cut to happy chicks tent, and happy chick was confessing how she found Ads cute (even if he was 15) which obviously worried her, but if anything happened between them is anyone’s guess. Happy chick rolled a not-so-legal smoke and then shared it between us. You can see why I called her happy chick now, huh? ;).

That Looks Easy!

I must confess after that things get a little…patchy. Well after the tent and ¾ of a large bottle of vodka, you can’t expect my memory to be in perfect working order – can you?! I remember walking down the path with happy chick and Ads, and meeting some more people. They musta sensed I wasn’t completely with it and dared me to roll down this short, kinda steep incline. It looked easy enough, so I said I would – if I could make out with someone first. Yes, that’s how desperate that was, but it was the alcohol first. I finally got someone to offer a bit, so I thought “hell, why not.” I watched someone slide down half way then get hurt a bit. Undeterred, I lead down (in my brand new, white shirt on the dusty, muddy path) and rolled. And rolled. And rolled. Amidst the laughing from the people that dared me, I decided that I’d rolled far enough and I tried to stop myself.

But I kept going.

And going. I managed to end up rolling into some bush that wasn’t there when I looked earlier, scratched up to buggery (I still have the scratches, over a week after the whole incident), bleeding and sore. Thing is, I was so out of it, I didn’t even notice the bleeding on my arms and head. I’ve got a huge scratch on the side of my head still, which musta been bleeding for a fair bit, because I’m covered in scabs – lol. It serves me right. But it was funny nonetheless. I stood up (disorientated – the cause was anybodies guess) – and managed to make my way back up to the hill laughing with everyone else. Well, they were probably laughing AT me, but who cares! I think everyone was out of it then – heh.

Wahey Man!

What happened after that isn’t exactly clear, and it gets even more patchy after that. At the time I was much more aware of what was happening, but all I can remember is losing Ads and happy chick and everyone else I’d met, and met up with these two girls from Darlington. Claire and…somethingorother – anyway, they were pretty cute and being in the state I was, I tried it on with .. them both. Yeah, yeah, I wasn’t with it – that’s my excuse. I didn’t get very far. We went for a walk and hung out with lots of people who were more than drunk or stoned, that’s for sure, especially since there where stalls selling herbal ecstasy, speed and other stuff. Was funny watching them dance to Jamaican music, that’s for sure. We were talking a lot about junk and then around 1 / 2am, they said how they wanted to get some sleep. Naturally, I offered to accompany them in a pathetic attempt to get somewhere, but they left me there. I ended up outside my own tent in the middle of the night with no one to talk to.

Free Hugs!!

Whatever happened between me saying goodbye to them and offering free hugs to everyone that walked pass me is probably best left in the depths of my mind. I haven’t a clue what happened. I doubt I ever will remember either – heh. Anyway, for the next 4 or 5 hours, I offered every person, man or woman, regardless of age, a free hug. Yes, you read that right. The normally, shy, I-won’t-speak-to-anyone-‘cos-I’m-a-wuss me was offering strangers free hugs. Considering the success I had, I should have had asked for more, but yeah, I got into three figures with the hugs in just a few hours. At last! I had found the festival spirit! I had found the free love! I managed to catch a few people several times, but at least I brought a smile to peoples faces, which is what it’s all about – making people happy. I got some hugs from some very good looking ladies too – which was nice. Mwhaha – I’ll have to try this again sometime, just in C’est La Vie or something, where everyones after free loving for the night ;). I managed to talk to a few people during the night, and at some point, like 5am in the morning, I met up with these guys, one of whom had an acoustic. We began singing the Blink 182 song about the dog…in the ass… yeah – that song. Loud. We sang Metallica and stuff too – apparently. I can’t remember, but Shel was woken up by this told me it. Oopsies. We played football for a little while too, while I offered my free hugs. As it got to a more reasonable hour – people started getting freaked out by it and they thought I was a loonie or something.

Me? A loonie? What the?! Never :p

When the girls woke up they asked for help, and to be honest, I wasn’t much help – I was still completely out of it. I didn’t sober up at all. They got hacked off with me, which is understandable and only fair considering I probably kept them up most of the night – unintentionally of course.

Before I forget, here’s to Paddy and Ads – my partners in crime, happy chick, the big Scots guy, the scouser, the two Darlo’ girls, to ma three girlies from the LPU, all those from the LPU I met during the course of the weekend and anyone else that I met! I’ll have a drink or ten to you in a few weeks time when I’m with Om. Heh.

Even then, it took me a little while to realise where I was. I finally got to Blackburn and had to wait a while for a bus since it was a Bank Holiday Monday – but I finally got home and told my parents some of what you’ve just read.

I could hardly tell them everything, could I? ;)

See you next year!