Sheffield-May 8th

Well, when the girls and I headed on to Sheffield, we were nice and rested since we had a free day the day prior (well poor Paula had to work but Steph and I got to take it easy). A quick stop along the way found us getting some gas (er, petrol) and then trying to figure out why Paula’s ‘check engine’ light came on. Three girls standing over the car adding oil LOL, but that didn’t do any help so Paula called Trevor and we were thinking just drive til it breaks down. 😆 As it turned out, Trevor told Paula the service guy was aware but it wasn’t anything important and would shut off in a few start/stops so we just shrugged and headed off….with music going well…Steph had her Ipod on OMD shuffle so there were quit a few sing-a-longs (you wouldn’t want to be in the car when we attempted the high part in the middle of Telegraph :lol:) and dancing (I’m sure the car was bopping around at times).

I’d been to Sheffield before for a day but all I could really remember about the surroundings was the square with lovely fountains and statues that had colored stones in steps and water running down…and a garden I had visited. Well, as it turned out, when we were checking into the hotel, I saw that garden! It runs parralel to the hotel! 😯 And then when we walked out and headed to the bar where a bunch of us were meeting for a drink prior to the gig, I saw the square was literally just right around the corner, not even. Well, hello Sheffield, you’re looking the same. 😀

After checking in and having a swim and sauna visit (one of only a few non-Travelodge hotels we’re staying in that’s ‘nice’ and has those things so took advantage of it), we had a late lunch, got ready and met up with everyone else. At the bar, there was Helen, Rob, Gary, Andy, Chris, Tim and Jenny…most I hadn’t seen since last year at the festivals so it was nice to catch up. Eventually though, most of us headed over to get our tickets and catch John Foxx…and happy to say, I was able to snag a video of Evergreen as the guards weren’t so darn strict like last night! (though I also told the lady next to me afterwards that “I just found out tonight that the other guy is John Foxx’s son” due to Andy telling me at the bar that that was the case….found out later he was just jiving with me 😯 :oops:)There was a guy who had come just for JF who was sitting behind the girls (they had second row end of center section, I was second row center center) so we were thinking I could just go sit there and be by everyone but then I was told people would be running down once the lights go off and I knew from past experiences at the London Hammersmith that that would equal me seeing squat so I just stayed where I was. Tim and Jenny were in the front row center OH, and forgot to say Mark and Melissa from Minneapolis were there too, right next to Tim and Jenny. When the lights went down and PRS came on, a woman and her daughter in the front row jumped up and went right  to the stage (more on them later) and pretty much the whole front row did the same. I looked and saw the whole gang had headed to the stage as well and a few front rowers to my left motioned for their friends to come down so it got a little more crowded down in the front. Guards tried to have everyone move back from the stage but that only lasted for a couple of minutes…everyone moved back up and they just let it go but luckily I only had a tall dude in front of me for the second half of the gig so my view was fine. 😀

Metroland is turning out to be a really good clapper song and following it up with Messages keeps any and all fans happy. I think this might have been the first song where knickers/undergarments got thrown to Mr. M. but it continued for Dresden and a bombardment in HoM. (missed Mark for that song :sad:) When it was over, Mr. M. checked one of the knickers and said to Paul “this must be yours, it has a silver rose on it.” Mr. H. laughed and I think asked if it was clean because I heard Mr. M. say yes, it’s clean, it’s been through the laundry. Well, Mr. M. wasn’t the only one that got them though because when Mr. H. did FLaD, more got thrown…to the point where he sheepishly ran over to the other side and after the song, he told Mr. M. “it’s dangerous over there”. Mr. M. responded by laughing and then dedicating IYL to the “knicker department”.

It was my determination to get some pics and video of Mr. H. #2 tonight as I had a nice clear shot of him (lots of smiling and laughing coming from him too :D) and that started with Night Cafe. Mr. M. said he was going to make the first dedication to a band member ever. He said it was for Mr. C. because he’s originally from Sheffield, and he studied art here and since Night Cafe is about the paintings of Edward Hopper….Mr. C. laughed. 😆 After Souvenir, Mr. M. got Mr. H.#2 to join him in a repeated bow down to Mr. H.

So now back to the daughter and mom. Well, as we know, TLaC comes after Our System and Mr. M. sits down. During the gig, he’d seen them dancing and smiled often but this time he looked at them and said “do you mind if I sit here?” (I joked to the lady next to me them saying “um…I’m sorry, that seats taken” :lol:) and then he reached into his pocket and got a bass pic to give to the daughter…awww. 😀 I saw the girls doing the congregation pose for SMS and Locomotion found Mr. M. coming up behind Mr. H. with a towel and dabbing his head with it. 😆 SotSS got a great sing-a-long again which was cool to hear, then it was Enola Gay. By the time it was over, before the guys finished their introductions and first goodbyes, some guys a couple rows back started a chant of “more…more…more” so we all joined in. It went off and on until the guys returned and then WotMW found the daughter getting the mic. Electricity found Mr. M. asking if anyone had been to their 1985 Sheffield gig…a few people shouted and raised their hands to which Mr. H. smiled and said “ahh…there’s a few”. And Mr. M. continued by saying that he thought they closed that gig with this song and they’re doing it again…the oldest and fastest.

When it was over, a few emails were exchanged, then I met up with the gang and we headed out to have another short gathering (but not before Steph was able to get the gig poster from the outside stand in thanks to one of the security guys :D)

So, highlight of the night….hmmm, I guess I’d have to say watching the mother and daughter having such a fun go at things. It’s cool to see two generations enjoying an OMD gig…together! 😀