tripseven5

TRIP SEVEN - STILL GOING!!!!!

Probably the best moment after the show was explaining to Disney security why we looked like we just crawled from a horrible car wreck. He didn't get it tho. Dumbass. Took some more ass shots in the parking lot since I finally had a mooning buddy! Melissa and I have been trying to get an "Asses Across America" photo album together of our asses in front of various landmarks/state signs. Unfortunately Moo wasn't as happy about this project and refused to snap more than one ass shot of me. Needless to say, the photo album is severely lacking since I'm not good at the art of snapping pics of my own ass. Anyone wanna offer to help?
Moo bailed with Melissa that nite, she didn't wanna spend another day cooped up in my apartment while I went to work and school. Going back to work on Tuesday had been fun, since everyone was excited to hear about the show and kept commenting on my red eyes. My internship was even better, the radio station I was at last semester was a rock station so they were somewhat familiar with GWAR. I'd been talking their ears off all fall about my trips and the looks on their faces when they saw my stained scalp, nails and contacts was priceless. The promotions director walked me around the station like a circus attaction and showed me to all the DJs and other folks saying, "LOOKIT WHAT SHE DID TO HERSELF!!!!" Everyone gasped, "What happened?!" And I'd smile, "GWAR!!!!" Some people just didn't get it tho.
Even tho the bad memories from the nite before were fading I still felt bummed that I'd wasted a nite being paranoid and drunk. I talked with my friend Yenise who told me a great GWAR story months earlier when I was heading out to my first show in Jan. Back in 1997, it was her best friend's "Sweet 16th" birthday... and her friend LOVED GWAR. The Orlando show happened to fall on her birthday so they got her a pretty little pink tiara, white lacy clothes, everything with pink or white and girlie, very floral, ya know, typical "Sweet 16" get-up. Then they dragged her ass front row and held her in the line of fire. Yenise grinned as she recalled her friend being bombarded with all kinds of shit and abuse and loving every second of it. Her friend kept all the stained clothes/tiara from that nite and said it was probably her best birthday ever. After she told me the story again to get my spirits up, I was definitely psyched again.
Tampa was going to be another awesome nite cause my bro was going to be there! Ahhh Nick, the one who got Moo & I into heavy metal years ago... he loved GWAR back in the day and hadn't seen them before. That nite, it was gonna change! He's married now so he had to bring his wife and our cousin Slobert was going to come with. (Robert, but we call him Slobert...) Left Orlando after my internship and went straight to Ybor City... as I walked towards the venue I saw Moo & Melissa outside, we ran up to each other and hugged like it'd been months since we'd seen each other when it had barely been 24 hours. I guess Moo & I needed a break since we'd been in each other's faces for almost a week straight. We met 2 especially charming girls who were very snobby and didn't want anything to do with anyone in line. Normally Moo & I would strike up conversations with the folks around us in line and we'd babble till doors opened non-stop. We'd tell them our roadtrip story and they'd be cheering us on and talking about their GWAR experiences, etc... but not these girls. Anything we said they had to "one up" us and kept rattling on about their ultimate goal of a GWAR 'gang bang' No I'm not making that up... Moo & I smiled and nodded, told them to go for it. One of them was particularly unattractive and rather scary looking so I wanted to see how they approached the guys. This was gonna be pure comedy. Apparently they didn't know what all of them looked like outta costume cause they never uttered a word when someone would stop by and Moo & I would chat with them. Eventually the girls caught on to who we were talking with and one of them asked if we'd help them with achieving their goal. Dear lord, I'm not gonna contribute to that, if I remember correct, one of them admitted to being under 18 so I stopped encouraging them. "Please? At least just let us know who's who!!" they begged. I finally just told them that the tour bus was around the corner (which was obvious, it was in plain sight) and to just look for someone with a laminate and do your thing.
When doors opened, guess who I was stuck standing near? You guessed it. I think the girls split up so they could each get a good view of the stage, one ended up near Moo, the other near Melissa & I. My brother, his wife, and my cousin showed up!!! WHOOOHOOOO!!! I let go of my front row/off center spot and bolted towards them, giving everyone a hug and yapping excitedly about the past week. It was awesome to think that Nick was finally gonna see a show with us. To Moo & I's total horror, Slobert asked me if he could get a ride home with us. "Uh, sure, but what's up, is Nick bailing?" I asked. Yep. Turns out his wifey had a headache after the first 2 acts and wanted to leave. WTF?!?!? Nick had been looking forward to the show for awhile and now she's getting all pissy. One of the many issues I have with her. We told Slobert he could hang with us but we'd be getting home fairly late, but he was MORE than welcome. He decided it would be too late so the 3 of them left just 5 mins before GWAR hit. Ugh. I was so bummed... I woulda loved to stand near Nick during a show and cheer along with him. I had Melissa at my side which was kick ass, our first GWAR show standing together!!! When the usual smoke and dimmed lights hit, we were both clawing at each other, yelling, she yanked at my hair, I screamed in her face, it was like a bad mTV special where those (like the analogy Moo loves to use...) 13-year-old girls are screaming and fainting outside an N'Suck concert. That nite was awesome, the crowd was crazy!!!! Last time GWAR played there the place was oversold by a few hundred tickets I think. About 11 people were hauled out on stretchers, many more were crushed, trampled and passed out. Moo had 2 friends at that show who bailed before GWAR hit cause they were almost squashed. As the show went on, Melissa and I were pushed further and further to the left, and by the end of the show, we were at the end of the barricade. Then when they came out for the encore, a wave of people pushed one last time and I was popped from my spot behind the barricade and spilled over in FRONT of the barricade! It was a strange set up, there was a metal grate about 2 or 3 feet from the floor so no one could actually stand in front of the barricade otherwise they'd be way higher up than everyone else. Since I was now on that grate, I kneeled down on it but sat up as far as I could, ahhh!!!! I was away from the pushing, sweaty crowd and free to throw my arms in the air, do whatever! And a few inches taller than everyone. Like I had my own reserved spot... :) I tried to pull Melissa to the side to be behind me but she was packed in. Awesome, awesome nite... one of the best. After the show I dragged my now-bloodied sludge shirt around to get it signed... this ritual continued a few more nites but I never ended up getting everyone to sign it.
Went to IHOP with one of the weirdos and the waitress kept giving us nasty looks. Maybe it was cause we were covered in blood and filth? Nah!!!! Crashed at Melissa's after the show, it sucked to hafta shower! I loved stepping in and when the hot water spills all around you, ya look down and see red, green, yellow, brown, whatever colors all splashing around. Hell yeah!!! And of course you barely use the poof and soap cause you don't really wanna wash it all off? I know, I'm sick.
Skipped work again that morning. But they're cool with it if I just don't show up. I don't remember if we stopped in Orlando or not but I know I didn't go to work or school. Whatta shock.
Jacksonville, AHHH!!! What a treat for us. Met this kid Dana in line and he was a riot. He also showed up early with us and we told each other our life stories. And it rained for a bit, that sucked. But how ironic it was that we were cringing away from some light rain, fearing getting wet, when in a few hours we'd be getting soaked in filth but pleading for more. This little "gothic" kid showed up with bells attached to his dreads. Oh geez. Not only did he look ridiculous but also terribly out of place. Moo & I knew that you NEVER wear jewelry (or much makeup) to a GWAR show. It's a lost cause and a hazard. "Before the nite is over, I WILL get one of that kid's bells, you watch!!!" Dana promised. "I want one too, I'll rip it out in the pit!" Moo cried. Heh heh. When doors opened we bolted for the front and as we hit the stage, we gasped. Oh my God... NO BARRICADE!!!! We were RIGHT UP AGAINST THE STAGE!!! The stage was high but not too high to where we couldn't see. This was gonna be fucked up, we agreed. And this was the nite I decided to bring a camera in to snap pics. Hahha, the camera barely lived and the film came out all wet and splotchy but dammit we tried!!! Sure enough, when the lights went down and the band hit the stage, I was freaked out for a moment to be that close. I guess my fears from my childhood never went away and I'm still sorta scared of "GWAR" ... NEXT!!!!!