Report of NYCCon 2001

[bubosquared]

Right. So. NYC. The city itself was impressive ang fucking huge. I wouldn't want to live there, tough. It's in The States. I know that sounds prejudiced, but the fact is that a) US laws, money, slang and city layouts confuse the fuck out of poor European me and b) the goddamn country makes me agoraphobic.

Anyway. Concerts.

We got to MSG at 11:30 and got our numbers: 96 and 97. Then Steve went and sociallised with other fans while I, being the antisocial, shy and quiet thing I am (I am!), read Danse Macabre and went to buy coffee and a newspaper. We were let in round 18:30-19:00, and got brilliant places in the heart, right near the tip.

Elevation
Jezus H Christ on a flying pig-stick! Can I just say this song fucking rocks the house live? Guh! Despite knowing I shouldn't actually jump up and down (I usually bounce without actually putting impact on my knees), I found myself unable to stop it. Dude. Elevation is right.

Beautiful Day
Um. Ditto. Especially with the lights coming on full-force during the chorus. That's just ... wow.

Until the End of the World
Mysterious Ways / Sexual Healing Both of these rocked. Bono's voice = sexy. Growl.

Kite
I may or may not have been near tears during this song. Just. Fucking.

Gone
New York
Predictably, a success, but it deserved it. It's fucking great song, yo.

I Will Follow
Sunday Bloody Sunday / Get Up Stand Up
And whoops, there I go jumping again. IWF was a real surprise because i'd never really liked the song all that much. Live, though ... Rawk! SBS was an experience and a half. I know you think it's eh, Steve, but it was one of my first U2 songs, and I still [hart] it. Hearing it live at my first U2 concert was bliss.

In My Life / Stuck In a Moment
I preferred the vid images ;), but the live sound is so much more touching. Sniffle.

In a Little While
Dedicated to Joey Ramone. And again, I am near tears. Bitches. Cut that out.

Desire / Gloria
Desire. live. With the whole fucking band right. in. front. of. us. Like, three fucking feet. (Um, they played part of Gloria during that? Seem to have missed that. Hm.)

Stay
They snuggled Steve yelled at them to "Kiss him!" Nuff said.

Bad / Wild Horses / 40
Where the Streets Have No Name
Squee! WH and WtSHNN! My starsongs!

Pride
This is where I jumped and sang along and was dead from oxigen deprivation by the end, and yet Bono kept on running and jumping and stuff. What do they feed that guy?

Encores:

Bullet the Blue Sky
With or Without You
Another starsong, even though my favourite part (yeah, we'll shine like stars in the summer night ...) was left out. Mimphique. Discovering the two gaybois behind/in front of us (depending on which way we were facing) made up for that, though.

The Fly
One
Yeah. Now every time I hear that song, I want to snuggle. Evil Steve. Spoiled me. Sigh. Definitely among my happiest memories, this moment.

I Remember You Again, dedicated to Joey Ramone. Shut up, Bono, I refuse to let more punks into my head.

Walk On / Hallelujah
A truly worthy closing song (songs? medley?)

Since I'm not sure when I took these, I'll post the snuggling pictures here at the end. But first, some sage advice.

Friday, Steve and I took the bus to ER. We got there round what? 11:15? and were numbers 160-something. Had a slight panic attack at tought Nat and Molly would not make it into the heart. Round 11:55, went over to where we were supposed to meet.

At 12:30, still no one. Am getting more than slightly freaked out. Gather brains, remember Nat said to meet at bus terminal and this is bus stop (where bus dropped us off). Ask random guy if there is bus terminal nearby.

Yes. Motherfuck. Start hurrying in indicated direction, when suddenly hear voices yell "Melle!" Squee! It's them. Exchanged hugs with Nat-n-Mol, shook hands with Mrs Nat, and got driven to the line, where Nat and Mol because numbers 220 or so. We were in the heart.

What do you call two or more slashers in the same room?
A convention.
(Mol)

So Steve did the socialising thing again, while Nat and Molly and I sat around getting burned (first time in three years for me, blah) and making a glittery sign:

and talking about slash and related stuff. Then we got let in, and there were pushy girls and evil security guys who DESTROYED OUR GLITTERY SIGN! Was pissed. Am still pissed. We thwarted him, though; we made new signs. Nat's was just black marker on white papre, mine was glitterish on black marker on two yellow PJ-Harvey-fish-on-sticks ^* that I put together so it looked like they were kissing. I get perverted when I'm pissed. :)

^* One of their songs has the line "Little fish, big fish" in it. Also, another song is just her singing "Lick my lips, I'm on fire, lick my lips, I'm desire" and let me tell you, I'd gladly. Groooooowwwwl! But back to the boys.)

(Not gonna review them all, since a lot of them are the same as above.)

Elevation
Beautiful Day
Until the End of the World

New Year's Day

I remember the summer this first came out. Have great memories of tat summer. now I have even greater memories attached to this song. It rawks live, y'know.

Kite

New York

During this song, Nat and I turned to each other, obviously thinking the same thing: It's the Bono-and-Edge-got-a-place-to-fuck-in-private-song! Wonderful feeling.

I Will Follow
Sunday Bloody Sunday / Get Up Stand Up
In My Life / Stuck In a Moment
In a Little While
Desire

Wild Honey

Squeeeeeee! The first time they played this live, and WE WERE THERE! Squeee! Waaaaiiii! It's absolutely brilliant!

The Ground Beneath Her Feet
This. Just. Fuck. Like IWF, an "Eh" song on CD/tape/mp32, but Jesus fucking Keerist, what an experience live!

Bad / Everybody Hurts / 40
Michael Stipe was (as Bono'd mentioned earlier) obivously in the house. Nat almost fainted. So did I.

Where the Streets Have No Name
Mysterious Ways / Sexual Healing
The Fly

Encores:

Bullet the Blue Sky
With or Without You
With my favourite part this time, wai! I was sitting crouched on the ground at this point (back was feeling as if it was gonna give out) and rose up at the sound of it. That's the clearest memory I have of either of those concerts: rising up during WoWY. Hm.

Pride

One

During which all four of us were snuggling. (I miss you lot!)

Walk On / Hallelujah
Dedicated to the gay community. We love you too, sweetie. :)

Nat's mum and uncle picked us up and drove us to the hotel, with Steve sitting on my poor sunburnt leg. Ow. then they went to sleep at Nat's aunt's, an hour away from the city.

Saturday, we walked around the Village and stuff, and bought lots.

On saturday evening, they stayed at our hotel and we were hauled up in mine and Steve's room for the entire night, talking and giggling and snuggling and basically acting silly. Then us girls went out for breakfast and acted silly in public. And then they had to goooooooooo! Noooooo! Wah!

Anyway, then I got about two hours of sleep before we had to pack and go see the Gay Pride Parade. It was ... impressive. Weird. Amusing:

I just saw the prettiest guy ever.
(Steve)

Why isn't larry in there?
(Steve, re a group of S&M guys)

And then we had to go catch our plane. Sigh. I miss the Americans!

To finish up, some random pictures:

And that, lads and lasses, was NYCCon 2001. G'night you lot. This report is over.

Comments

[minette.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad all of you had fun and oh, my God, I can see Bono/Edge slashiness! Bono's trying to eat Edge, I swear.

Oh, and you're really sexy in that skirt. I'd, like, so jump you if I were there. :)

[bubosquared.livejournal.com]

Ha! A convert! :D Seriously, if they do go back to the States come fall, try to go and see them. If you like their music at all, you'll be blown away by them live. Get GA, get there early, get into the heart and you'll be a fan for life.

Well, heck, feel free to cyber-hump me. :D