Well that's me just back from seeing Avril Lavigne two nights in a row at Glasgow’s Carling Academy.
Many months ago when the tickets just went on sale, I decided to pay a whopping £160 for a package that would give me VIP access, the chance to meet Avril and get my picture taken with her, as well as a standing ticket to her show. This was run by Live Nation. I think it was November when the tickets went on sale and they never came until two days before the gig.
I was sent a letter telling me that I had to be at the venue for 5.45pm so that I could pick up my pass and that the meet and greet would take place inside the venue at 6.15pm. When I got there, the woman from Live Nation told me that the meet and greet would now take place after the show because Avril and her people were running late. I didn't mind. She later came over and said that the hold up was because Avril came to the venue earlier on to do her make-up but didn't like the lighting so she demanded to go back to her hotel and do it. I'm not saying that's true but that's what she said. Oh yeah, all the VIP people got a wrist band and a pass. We were also given a really cheap looking bag with "Avril Lavigne Tour 2008" stitched onto it as well as an equally cheap looking T-shirt. We were told when purchasing the VIP package that we would receive a tour programme and a "Best Damn Tour Gift". We were later told that Avril's company never made a programme this year so that's why we got the T-shirt instead. Great... So I guess the gift was the fugly bag? I was a bit livid but I didn't want to stay negative because I was trying to look forward to meeting Avril and seeing her show.
So we never got to go inside the venue until 7pm. I gave my free bag to my friend who wasn't going to the gig before I went in. The people who still had theirs had to pay to put them in the cloakroom. That didn't go down too well but at least I managed to get closer to the front of the que. We then had to wait outside the hall for half an hour for whatever reason. No-one said. They finally let us in while the Jonas Brothers were finishing their sound check. I got my spot. Right in front. It felt fucking amazing. The stage was pretty cool. The background was Avril's massive skull and love heart logo. I was so excited!!
About an hour later, the Jonas Brothers came out to do their opening set. The place actually went wild. All these tweens with their banners screaming like fuck. It actually sounded like little girls were being brutally murdered throughout the entire show. It was crazy. And there I was in the front row. Surrounded. It was like a mini Hell for a short while. One little bitch asked if I would let her in front of me just for their set. I said no. Fuck losing my place after spending all this money to get it.
Anyway, they sang about seven or eight songs. After that it seemed like we waited forever until the lights finally dimmed, the music faded, the dancers came out and the drum beat to Girlfriend begun. It was awesome. Avril was wearing a white and pink striped top and black jeans with a skull printed on her knee. I was sooo close. It was amazing.
This was my third time seeing Avril. I first saw her in 2004 when she played Glasgow’s SECC. I had seating tickets. Bad ones at that. I then saw her play at the Carling Academy a few months later. That was when Avril was on her “Bonez Tour”. That's the tour where she played all the amazing dark songs like Take Me Away, Together and Forgotten. That Avril was missed this time. The once dark, rocking and rarely smiling Avril was now a pretty, dancing, poppy Avril with a constant, mainly fake, smile plastered upon her face. I'm not bitching and I understand that she can't possibly sing every song or even please every member of the crowd. I just really miss her playing those songs.
Back to this show. Avril seemed to have cut a bunch of songs for this night’s show. At least when going by her previous shows for her U.S. tour. This venue didn't have room for bunch of props from the U.S. shows so they were left behind. The set list was as follows:
Girlfriend (with backing dancers)
I Can Do Better (with backing dancers)
Complicated
Band Instrumental Intro
My Happy Ending (while playing guitar)
I'm With You
I Always Get What I Want
When You're Gone (acoustic, sitting on edge of stage and then standing)
Innocence (minus second verse)
Don't Tell Me (acoustic, playing guitar, sitting on stool, minus seconds verse)
Everything Back But You (with band and dancer introductions)
He Wasn't (while playing guitar)
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Girlfriend - Remix (with dancers, rapping)
Runaway (first verse and chorus only, while playing drums)
Mickey (quick chant while playing drums)
The Best Damn Thing (with dancers)
Sk8er Boi (with dancers)
The show was great. I was a bit pissed about some of the songs being missing but who was I to complain? I was right in front watching her on the opening night of her European tour and took some brilliant pictures.
So before the gig we were told to wait in the bar area after the show and we would be led to meet Avril. I decided to wait for the crowd to go away so that I could buy some merchandise, but before I could, I was told to get with the rest of the VIPs so we could go upstairs to meet Avril. We ended up going right to the back of the seating area, looking down on the now empty floor and stage. There must have been about fifty of us. Avril’s tour manager came out to say that we would get to meet her in a few minutes, which turned into about half an hour. He said we would get our pictures taken by a photographer and not to bring our own camera in (pissed!), explained why we never got programmes (I mentioned before, pissed!), oh, and that we could get one thing signed. That was cool but I never had anything. When people before me came out after meeting her they looked a bit pissed. Okay a few of them anyway. It was finally my turn...
So the guy said to go into the room. She was standing there smiling. I walked up to her thinking she would say something. She just kept smiling. It was kind of awkward. I just thought "talk Joseph"...
So I said:
"Hi. My name's Joseph"
"Hi." *Smiles*
*Shit what will I say? She's not saying anything!*
"You were really good tonight."
*Oh my God, what a retarded fan thing to say....*
(I don't even know if she said “Thanks”, but I'm assuming she did)
*Shit, now what?*
I saw the guy was ready with his camera.
"Can I just get this picture with you?"
I don't remember her saying anything but she smiled and turned towards the camera.
The picture was taken and I know that the second it was taken I looked like a total fucktard because my mouth started shaking as I smiled.
Just so annoying that I still haven’t seen it and couldn‘t take my own.
Anyway after the picture was taken....
"Can I get you to sign this for me? My name's Joseph."
Okay, I know I already told her my name but I wanted to make sure she wrote my name and I thought she'd probably have forgotten it, or wasn't even really listening in the first place.
So she starts writing and then she says
"Wait, how do you..."
I tell her how to spell my name....
Oh yeah, I forgot to say that I gave her this random bit of paper from my pocket to sign because I had nothing else.
After she signed it I asked for a hug.
Thought I might as well get my moneys worth and since she never spoke without my nervously trying to make conversation I knew for sure I wasn't going to get a hug without asking.
So she hugged me.
It wasn't exactly a bear hug, but still a hug.
"Cool, well thanks very much. I'll see you tomorrow night."
"Bye" (Again, I think she said goodbye but I don‘t know).
My God, it was so weird. I felt kind of disappointed but I don't want to bitch. I'm going to wait and see if my picture turned out well. If it does, then I suppose I'll have gotten a good picture out of it, but if not, then I don't really know what I got out of the whole experience to be honest.
Like I said, I've only been back from the second show for a few hours. Tonight’s show was a lot better in my opinion. She took some songs out but added some better ones. For example Hot, one of her big singles, and Losing Grip. Both of these songs were performed acoustically after Don't Tell Me. It seemed a bit random to set up the stools, etc for just one acoustic song the night before. Tonight's acoustic set was great. Bad Reputation was also played when Avril went of stage. Her dancers time to shine I guess. I Don't Have To Try was also added. Tonight when Avril came out for her encore she wore a pink hoody. Last night she just wore the same thing throughout the whole show. Tonight’s set list was....
Girlfriend (with dancers)
I Can Do Better (with dancers)
Complicated
Band Instrumental Intro
My Happy Ending (while playing guitar)
I'm With You
I Always Get What I Want
Linkin Park Instrumental (dancers only)
Don't Tell Me (acoustic, playing guitar, sitting on stool, minus second verse)
Hot (acoustic, sitting on stool, minus seconds verse)
Losing Grip (acoustic, sitting on stool, minus second verse)
Bad Reputation (dancers only)
Everything Back But You (with band and dancer introductions)
Runaway (first verse and chorus only, while playing drums)
Mickey (quick chant while playing drums)
The Best Damn Thing (with dancers)
I Don't Have To Try
He Wasn't (while playing guitar)
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Girlfriend - Remix (with dancers, rapping, now wearing pink hoody)
Sk8er Boi (with dancers, wearing pink hoody)
She seemed a bit happier tonight. Her smile seemed real for the most part. There's something I thought was a bit weird though... When introducing I'm With You she said this: "This next song is off of my first record. Usually I like to dedicate this one to the fans. It's been really cool playing here two nights in a row, I did a meet and greet last night - I got to meet a lot of you guys out here. You guys are so dedicated, my fans are amazing and I just want to thank you so much." I was just a bit annoyed that she said that tonight while last night I had to practically squeeze words out of her. I still love Avril and her music. I just hoped for something different, I suppose.
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Update: I got my picture 2 days later. I look really nervous but I don't mind it :] so that's good.
