Nottingham, November 6th 2017

Gig #3, jolly Ol’ Nottingham, city of Robin Hood. 🙂 Actually had a really lovely day prior too as my friends Paula and Wendy came into some spare tickets from someone else so we were all going to hang and then go together. Paula and I had a lovely meal and chat at a place called The Fat Cat Cafe…their logo…an old fashioned ‘pot belly’ cat as Paula called it. But yummy food! 😀 Did a bit of shopping (guess where LOL. And this time I bought stuff for myself and a friend back home) and then it was back to hotel to get ready. Wendy arrived a bit later and after a girly chat, off we went.

This was the first seated venue for me and Paula had said she didn’t think there was an incline to the floor so I was a bit worried BUT, as we found when looking at her ticket, this venue didn’t have the “AA, BB, CC etc” very front section. It truly just started with row A, B, C so I was row J. Only 10 rows back vs 13-15 what I thought I was going to be. YAY! 😀

As it turned out, there were quite a few people I knew that were at the gig and had met prior (Andy, Robert, Tim and Jenny..and a couple I don’t know names of sorry) so us girls went into their bar to say hello but it was SO crowded, Paula suggested we go to the venue bar. Shortly after, Jenny and Tim came by so it was great because I’d not seen them for a few years! 😮 😀 . This was their first show on the tour so they wanted to catch the opening act where Paula didn’t really care because she wanted more visiting time and Wendy and I had obviously seen them before so we just stayed back for awhile to visit more. 🙂

Once heading to our seats, they had front row to the very side and I was in the middle which was great because as it turned out, there WAS an incline on the floor! 😀 And I also had 2 girls in front of me vs. a tall man so…yay again! 😀 I managed to get the last 2 songs of TMP and recorded the super long final song. I truly did have a great view!

People watching during the admission and then the lights went down and the crowd got excited. I should have started recording the opening as everyone was sitting and I was far enough back to get the full stage but it didn’t hit my brain until GS was starting so… 🙁 Ah well, tonight. All eyes were on the band and each time I hear that song, it gets better and better. But no one stood which, OK, it’s a slow song so I’ll give them that. But then Isotype started and still no one. I thought of standing but being literally smack dab in the middle of the floor, I got a bit nervous and shy. Told the guy next to me “come on, we gotta stand. Are we REALLY going to be SITTING?” but he just laughed so I started bopping in my seat to the point my calves were hurting LOL. Then I saw out of the corner of my eye Wendy get up and I thought “OK screw it then, I’m getting up too!” Paula followed and for a small while, it was truly them on the side and me in the middle. I thought “meh, whatever. More room for us to move then I guess” but was sure others would eventually follow and sure enough, they did. It was actually quite comical to watch. A couple girls popped up, then some dude on the far right, then the guy next to me, then 2 dudes in the front row them a few more…it was like flowers popping up in the spring…oop, there’s one, oop, there’s another…and more… 😀 😀 😀 And before the song was over, the whole floor was up (didn’t look at balcony right away). That’s more like it! 😀 When Isotype was over, Mr. M. laughed and said “the looks on your faces showed you so wanted to get up” LOL.

Like in Leicester, I had a woman and her daughter next to me though this time the daughter looked mid/late 20s so not as young. When the band went into Messages, she got so excited it was fun to watch. 🙂 I had apologized in advance to both her and the guy next to me if I bumped them because “I tend to bounce” and they both laughed. But once HoM came on, I didn’t see too many bouncers but a lot of hands up in the air clapping. Once done, the guy next to me laughed, nodded at me and said “nicely done” LOL.

Well, Wendy voted for me again and picked NSA (that’s going to pretty much be my choice I think every night. Except maybe GE if that pops up as that’s my fav song but…I’ve seen it performed more so…maybe always NSA, don’t know yet LOL) but Mr. M. came out with his bass so I knew NSA didn’t win. Mr. M. made mention that we had voted very differently from Leicester…to which there was a small boo. He said “Don’t boo me just because I mentioned Leicester”. Another boo so he laughed, looked at Mr. H. and said “OK, then I won’t mention LEICESTER again”. The guy next to me laughed, turned to me and said “FOOTball”. Ah…OK 😉 The winner ended up being She’s Leaving. OK cool, that’s a pretty song too. 🙂

It then was the first of a few Mr. H. songs as he came out forward to sing FLaD. Once back and doing Souvenir, the crowd really seemed to love that one! I heard so much singing and lots of cameras went up LOL. When it was over, Mr. M. and Stuart did bowing motions to Mr. H. LOL. Of course we then got the dynamic duo of JoA/MoA which I watched thru my camera because I figured it’d be a good night to record due to my location. EVERY night that song gets such a massive reaction that I will never get tired of seeing the looks on the guys faces, especially Mr. M. during it all. 😀 And bowing from Mr. H. to Mr. M. and Stuart…gotta return it eh? 😉 Once the crowd died down, Mr. M. said “just a word of warning…don’t do that in front of you teenage kids.” Everyone laughed and I heard the lady behind me go “I just did”. hahahaha! 😀 Mr. M. continued and said “just something I’ve learned.”

Well, I am happy to report that I didn’t bawl during the next 2 songs but only cried a little bit…I’m getting better. 😳 And again, being further back and middle allowed me to really get a good view of OAtTWM which was great fun! 🙂 When that was over and it was time for Mr. H. to do his song, he came up behind Mr. M. with his mic. It’s funny to see Mr. M. be at the mic but Mr. H. come up with his own mic when you know who’s really going to be up front for the song. Mr. M. started to turn just as Mr. H. said “hello” so laughed and said “stop doing that!” (sneaking up on him). 😀 He then said “this is a special tour because Paul gets to sing a lot.” True…usually we only get 2, maybe 3 if they do Secret (very common in the states, not as common else where) but this time he’s 4 and 2 in the FRONT! 😮 😀

When it was time for Mr. M. to come back to the front, he said “if anyone is on social media, you will know that I’ve been ill.” A sympathetic moan from the crowd and he continued saying “I tore my knee up, then I had sinusitis AND a septic tonsil.” more sympathetic moans but then he said “But tonight…I feel GOOD”. Stuart raised his hands up like “whoo hoo” and Mr. C. laughed heartily. Oh thank goodness! 😀 Mr. M. finished by saying “so tonight it truly will be non-stop, mindless dancing” and off he went into SIL, encouraging everyone to bounce…which I did LOL. During Locomotion, my brain only half registered that, from my view point, I was slightly above the guys so could see their hands so watched as Mr. H. did his little diddly on the keys for Locomotion. However, it was once we were into SotSS that I REALLY noticed…by watching Mr. C.! 😀 I had always wondered how he made his keyboard sound so, er, wobbly distorted (that’s not a good way of describing it but I can’t think of what else to say) during his main keyboard part. It kind of has a wobbly organ sound to it…you all know what I mean. Well, I watched intently (to the best I could as there was a darn spot light behind him that moved part way thru to point straight outward so I lost site for a short bit) and saw him playing the part with his right hand but doing something way off at the end of his keyboard with his left hand and it would wiggle a bit, almost like it was some kind of nob or something that he was moving to make that wobbly sound. It was cool to see and intriguing. 😀

Since the crowd ended up being a good one (though I think Leicester is still the best of the 3 I’ve seen so far), Mr. M. gave a huge thank you out to everyone and said “you KNOW we’ll be back!” to which a huge cheer erupted. The “last chance to dance” song of Enola Gay (shockingly I recorded it vs. bouncing. Again, being further back, I decided it was a good time to get those ‘I can’t sit still’ songs LOL 😉 ) and then the lights came on and the guys all came down to give their bows, waves and clap backs. Funny enough…and I will have to make note tonight if it happens because I don’t remember it happening at the other 2 shows…the dinka dink at the end of EG kept going even after the band had come down, done their waves, and left the stage. 😀

When they all came out again, Mr. M. thanked us, said we made the show and then asked if we wanted more. Of course we do dude! 😀 Knowing I could see the keys and hands so well, I watched Mr. H. a lot during WotMW, especially at the end when he’s by himself as the spot light was on him and I could see full chords with his hands. 🙂 No way was I going to sit still for Electricity, being the very last song and everyone else bopped around and sang their hearts out. A slow start from the crowd but they definitely made up for it once things got started! Even the balcony had been mostly on their feet for the show so…another great one! 🙂

So…highlight of the night. I’m going to say it was my viewpoint really. SO lucky I had a clear shot for the most part since no one was really tall in front of me (that’s great luck!) and it allowed me to see the full stage, great view for OAtTWM and keyboard playing of Mr. C. and Mr. H. so, yeah, I’d say my spot for the night and all it allowed. 🙂