My Anfield, Wembley x2 and La Defense Arena story!
Jul 8, 2019 13:56:46 GMT
Dani, cpf, and 4 more like this
Post by hookedonspice on Jul 8, 2019 13:56:46 GMT
Inspired by Dani's post, I wrote mine. Excuse any typos!
I arrived in London earlier than I had originally planned because the Spice Girls announced their tour just 10 days before P!nk would be in the UK and I thought “what the hell, it’s my childhood dream, I’ll go for it”.
The girls were amazing, I was on such a Spice high. The production value was insane, the stage, the lights. I was really pleasantly surprised, but it also worked as a test run for P!nk’s show, because they were also at Wembley Stadium!
Anfield Stadium, Liverpool 25/6
I had booked a VIP package for Wembley but then we noticed there was no Early Entry with it. I called Event Travel and they graciously switched it for me to Liverpool (since I would be in the UK anyway!)
The train to Liverpool was a nightmare - it took 3 hours longer than scheduled and I had to get off at an earlier stop and take another train because of a car collision with a bridge the train was supposed to go on. I’m glad I booked to arrive the day before the show.
Next day, I made my way to Anfield Stadium around 2:30pm to the EE line which was already pretty busy. I think they must have sold 300+ for that date. I queued for a bit then they moved us inside and started to check us in. They gave us blue wristbands, only to be told 10 mins later that they were the incorrect ones and we need to take them off and they would give us new ones (yellow were the correct ones for Liverpool).
We queued again, then we were moved forward and into a building. I thought “ohhh we’re gonna see the staaaaage!!!” but nope, it was a room where you need to give your name, collect merch, exit out another door and queue again to enter. This messed up the queue order big time.
We finally got in, I tried to fast walk and was threatened to be thrown out for running (lol, me running… my fat ass, as if!) so I strutted to the catwalk and stood a little to the right.
Kid Cut Up is awesome, he does a great job. However, with repeat shows, you notice his set is exactly the same. I’m sure they don’t expect many people to attend multiple shows, but by the second Wembley show, I was over the music he was playing.
Bang Bang Romeo were really good, the girl has good vocals and the band was a hit with the audience. I like their interaction with everyone.
Vance Joy gave me no joy. I won’t say negative things on here, but his music is not my cup-a-soup.
The moment finally came, Here I Go Again started playing and the band showed up on stage. Tingles down my spine when it faded out because I knew the show was about to start.
The intro is really powerful, the way the TV static shows on screens and then the dancers come on stage and we finally see P!nk. I love love love this woman.
Like Dani said, the stage is HUGE, the catwalk is long and the intimate feeling isn’t there. She did give us a fair bit of eye contact and love (looked me straight in the eye during JLAP and I cried like Oprah had just given me a car), but for the most part, she had to cover the full stage and present her show, so I just took a lot of pics.
I shared them that night and was happy for my little group of friends to see them, and then I get a notification of a lifetime: “PINK HAS TAGGED YOU IN A POST” - I screamed (on the inside) and watched as my phone blew up! I have something like 1,400 likes on that photo. Somehow I got 1200 new followers! Poor them having to deal with my stupid posts now that I’m back to my boring life. (@hookedonspice btw - say hi!)
I have to say: the show is more successful in an arena setting because it needs the dark setting for songs like Try where the dancers are in their costumes. Even the intro for GTPS, it’s much cooler in the dark (see Paris below).
Also, Wrabel wasn’t in Liverpool so she cut out 90 Days and did Time After Time instead. It seems to be permanently added to the setlist now. She also cut out Glitter In The Air. I remember the show ending with So What and we were all stood there waiting, and we see the credits rolling.
Wembley Stadium, London 29/6
Cut to June 29th, I had an epic meltdown which Dani, Jeff & Stefano had to bear because I was anxious to meet them and was having a panic attack, but then Max & Joshua talked me into it. Took half a xanax and off I went, and everyone was LOVELY.
Jeff gets a special shout out for leaving the queue to give me my ticket and being so sweet to me. (insert FB cat with heart here)
I didn’t queue early whatsoever, I showed up at 3:50PM but somehow made it inside and stood with the guys! I was right behind them, but then Susi made way for me and I stood next to her. I met Valeria, Paul, Laura - all lovely people.
The first Wembley show was fantastic, vocals were insane, I love the way she sings Walk Me Home (last chorus), she really gave it her all but she screwed up the second verse of Blow Me (I think they will use audio from night 2 for this).
We all stood on Justin’s side of the catwalk. It was nice seeing it from there (I personally prefer it to the front of the catwalk if you’re not in the center- but I’m not sure the guys liked it so much).
Wembley Stadium, London 30/6
Next day we queued a bit earlier but it got busy pretty quickly. However, lovely Susi and Stefano saved me a spot at the barrier in front of the catwalk. We were near the center so it was nice. That was so lovely of them and I’m in awe of how selfless they are.
They gave the front row consent forms for the recording of the show. I’m shy so I didn’t sign it, but I did take a picture of it! I don’t want to be all over the DVD (hope I’m not).
The crew kept filming Stefano and a greek fan we met there Dimitri, he’s extra and funny, I loved his energy. The special is called "The Road to London" by the way.
The show was great as always. She also looked us in the eye during JLAP (what is it with that song?!) She waved at Mr Greek too!
For So What, she got into the wires and gear and was taken up, but something was wrong because she didn’t do any flips and was basically stuck up there. They brought her down to safety by the end of the song. I have a theory about this: Maybe it was on purpose to get good close ups of her singing the song vs just acrobatics like the first night. I remember her saying on Ellen when she premiered the JLF video that being upside down is “not pretty”, which is why the opening shot is not a close up. So… maybe an error, maybe on purpose.
She also messed up the lyrics for Glitter In The Air on the second night.
La Defense Arena, Paris 3/7
The moment that made me the most nervous was this: not the show, meeting Max. I’ve been chatting to him for close to 15 years and he’s undoubtably my dearest friend. I had to take a whole xanax to meet him the day before the show, but he is genuinely the nicest, most sincere, most caring, most lovable guy ever. I cried saying goodbye and balled my eyes out after the show, but anyway…
The day we arrived to Paris, Jeff whipped it out (not that… just a bottle of Two Wolves Wine) and off we were to the Eiffel tower. Dani played You+Me, we drank Group Song, we got emotional, we all took pics of the bottle and posted. I took a throw-away shot of the Eiffel Tower in the wine glass and THAT was what P!nk decided to repost to the Two Wolves account story! Made my night better because I was in my feelings. I find it funny she didn't repost the bottle with her branding. I love her mind.
The queue for Paris was a bit intense, I went at 11:45am there and queued with Max and Stefano (my italian boys, I love them!!!!!!!!) - it was BURNING hot. We were in that oven, slowly roasting, until 6:00pm. We got merch, talked shit, tested each other on lyrics, plotted on how to get a good spot.
We got inside and managed second row center and it couldn’t have been more perfect.
The arena was closed, so it was dark. The stage was 10000000x better than in daylight in stadiums. After much Kid Cut Up, Bang Bang Romeo and Vance Joy, P!nk was 30 mins late and got on stage at 9:15 or so.
I cannot tell you how many times I’ve dreamt of seeing a P!nk show with Max. It was almost surreal. I’m shy, reserved, I tried to let go a few times and I’ll forever remember that show.
The French fans (from what I could see) barely sang along or moved, so we stood out in the pit and she kept looking at us. I waved, she waved back during Time After Time. I blew her a kiss right before I Am Here and she said something like “Hiiii baby!” and blew a kiss back. I could have died. Max said to me “she treats you like a kid” Hahahaha!
I loved this show the most. It could be because it was a closed arena, could be the interaction but probably it’s because Max was there with me. We share the same love and OCD for HQ videos, discussing discography, etc. he gets my P!nk obsession in a way that no one does, I think. Also P!nk love aside, I adore him.
And yeah, that’s it… back to my normal life. Trying to get back into life pre-P!nk but it’s hard. I am trying my hardest to make it one more show this tour but it’s unlikely gonna happen. I’m just glad it happened.
I can tick two things off my bucket list: seeing P!nk on an album tour, and meeting Max.
I just added two items to my bucket list, though: meet Max again, and see P!nk on another tour. Wish me luck!
I arrived in London earlier than I had originally planned because the Spice Girls announced their tour just 10 days before P!nk would be in the UK and I thought “what the hell, it’s my childhood dream, I’ll go for it”.
The girls were amazing, I was on such a Spice high. The production value was insane, the stage, the lights. I was really pleasantly surprised, but it also worked as a test run for P!nk’s show, because they were also at Wembley Stadium!
Anfield Stadium, Liverpool 25/6
I had booked a VIP package for Wembley but then we noticed there was no Early Entry with it. I called Event Travel and they graciously switched it for me to Liverpool (since I would be in the UK anyway!)
The train to Liverpool was a nightmare - it took 3 hours longer than scheduled and I had to get off at an earlier stop and take another train because of a car collision with a bridge the train was supposed to go on. I’m glad I booked to arrive the day before the show.
Next day, I made my way to Anfield Stadium around 2:30pm to the EE line which was already pretty busy. I think they must have sold 300+ for that date. I queued for a bit then they moved us inside and started to check us in. They gave us blue wristbands, only to be told 10 mins later that they were the incorrect ones and we need to take them off and they would give us new ones (yellow were the correct ones for Liverpool).
We queued again, then we were moved forward and into a building. I thought “ohhh we’re gonna see the staaaaage!!!” but nope, it was a room where you need to give your name, collect merch, exit out another door and queue again to enter. This messed up the queue order big time.
We finally got in, I tried to fast walk and was threatened to be thrown out for running (lol, me running… my fat ass, as if!) so I strutted to the catwalk and stood a little to the right.
Kid Cut Up is awesome, he does a great job. However, with repeat shows, you notice his set is exactly the same. I’m sure they don’t expect many people to attend multiple shows, but by the second Wembley show, I was over the music he was playing.
Bang Bang Romeo were really good, the girl has good vocals and the band was a hit with the audience. I like their interaction with everyone.
Vance Joy gave me no joy. I won’t say negative things on here, but his music is not my cup-a-soup.
The moment finally came, Here I Go Again started playing and the band showed up on stage. Tingles down my spine when it faded out because I knew the show was about to start.
The intro is really powerful, the way the TV static shows on screens and then the dancers come on stage and we finally see P!nk. I love love love this woman.
Like Dani said, the stage is HUGE, the catwalk is long and the intimate feeling isn’t there. She did give us a fair bit of eye contact and love (looked me straight in the eye during JLAP and I cried like Oprah had just given me a car), but for the most part, she had to cover the full stage and present her show, so I just took a lot of pics.
I shared them that night and was happy for my little group of friends to see them, and then I get a notification of a lifetime: “PINK HAS TAGGED YOU IN A POST” - I screamed (on the inside) and watched as my phone blew up! I have something like 1,400 likes on that photo. Somehow I got 1200 new followers! Poor them having to deal with my stupid posts now that I’m back to my boring life. (@hookedonspice btw - say hi!)
http://instagr.am/p/BzJ1xdMgnI8
I have to say: the show is more successful in an arena setting because it needs the dark setting for songs like Try where the dancers are in their costumes. Even the intro for GTPS, it’s much cooler in the dark (see Paris below).
Also, Wrabel wasn’t in Liverpool so she cut out 90 Days and did Time After Time instead. It seems to be permanently added to the setlist now. She also cut out Glitter In The Air. I remember the show ending with So What and we were all stood there waiting, and we see the credits rolling.
Wembley Stadium, London 29/6
Cut to June 29th, I had an epic meltdown which Dani, Jeff & Stefano had to bear because I was anxious to meet them and was having a panic attack, but then Max & Joshua talked me into it. Took half a xanax and off I went, and everyone was LOVELY.
Jeff gets a special shout out for leaving the queue to give me my ticket and being so sweet to me. (insert FB cat with heart here)
I didn’t queue early whatsoever, I showed up at 3:50PM but somehow made it inside and stood with the guys! I was right behind them, but then Susi made way for me and I stood next to her. I met Valeria, Paul, Laura - all lovely people.
The first Wembley show was fantastic, vocals were insane, I love the way she sings Walk Me Home (last chorus), she really gave it her all but she screwed up the second verse of Blow Me (I think they will use audio from night 2 for this).
We all stood on Justin’s side of the catwalk. It was nice seeing it from there (I personally prefer it to the front of the catwalk if you’re not in the center- but I’m not sure the guys liked it so much).
Wembley Stadium, London 30/6
Next day we queued a bit earlier but it got busy pretty quickly. However, lovely Susi and Stefano saved me a spot at the barrier in front of the catwalk. We were near the center so it was nice. That was so lovely of them and I’m in awe of how selfless they are.
They gave the front row consent forms for the recording of the show. I’m shy so I didn’t sign it, but I did take a picture of it! I don’t want to be all over the DVD (hope I’m not).
The crew kept filming Stefano and a greek fan we met there Dimitri, he’s extra and funny, I loved his energy. The special is called "The Road to London" by the way.
The show was great as always. She also looked us in the eye during JLAP (what is it with that song?!) She waved at Mr Greek too!
For So What, she got into the wires and gear and was taken up, but something was wrong because she didn’t do any flips and was basically stuck up there. They brought her down to safety by the end of the song. I have a theory about this: Maybe it was on purpose to get good close ups of her singing the song vs just acrobatics like the first night. I remember her saying on Ellen when she premiered the JLF video that being upside down is “not pretty”, which is why the opening shot is not a close up. So… maybe an error, maybe on purpose.
She also messed up the lyrics for Glitter In The Air on the second night.
La Defense Arena, Paris 3/7
The moment that made me the most nervous was this: not the show, meeting Max. I’ve been chatting to him for close to 15 years and he’s undoubtably my dearest friend. I had to take a whole xanax to meet him the day before the show, but he is genuinely the nicest, most sincere, most caring, most lovable guy ever. I cried saying goodbye and balled my eyes out after the show, but anyway…
The day we arrived to Paris, Jeff whipped it out (not that… just a bottle of Two Wolves Wine) and off we were to the Eiffel tower. Dani played You+Me, we drank Group Song, we got emotional, we all took pics of the bottle and posted. I took a throw-away shot of the Eiffel Tower in the wine glass and THAT was what P!nk decided to repost to the Two Wolves account story! Made my night better because I was in my feelings. I find it funny she didn't repost the bottle with her branding. I love her mind.
The queue for Paris was a bit intense, I went at 11:45am there and queued with Max and Stefano (my italian boys, I love them!!!!!!!!) - it was BURNING hot. We were in that oven, slowly roasting, until 6:00pm. We got merch, talked shit, tested each other on lyrics, plotted on how to get a good spot.
We got inside and managed second row center and it couldn’t have been more perfect.
The arena was closed, so it was dark. The stage was 10000000x better than in daylight in stadiums. After much Kid Cut Up, Bang Bang Romeo and Vance Joy, P!nk was 30 mins late and got on stage at 9:15 or so.
I cannot tell you how many times I’ve dreamt of seeing a P!nk show with Max. It was almost surreal. I’m shy, reserved, I tried to let go a few times and I’ll forever remember that show.
The French fans (from what I could see) barely sang along or moved, so we stood out in the pit and she kept looking at us. I waved, she waved back during Time After Time. I blew her a kiss right before I Am Here and she said something like “Hiiii baby!” and blew a kiss back. I could have died. Max said to me “she treats you like a kid” Hahahaha!
I loved this show the most. It could be because it was a closed arena, could be the interaction but probably it’s because Max was there with me. We share the same love and OCD for HQ videos, discussing discography, etc. he gets my P!nk obsession in a way that no one does, I think. Also P!nk love aside, I adore him.
http://instagr.am/p/BzeawXLHLGP
And yeah, that’s it… back to my normal life. Trying to get back into life pre-P!nk but it’s hard. I am trying my hardest to make it one more show this tour but it’s unlikely gonna happen. I’m just glad it happened.
I can tick two things off my bucket list: seeing P!nk on an album tour, and meeting Max.
I just added two items to my bucket list, though: meet Max again, and see P!nk on another tour. Wish me luck!
P.S. Thanks to Jeff, Dani, Stefano, Valeria, Susi, everyone else I met. You were so kind to me and I was a bit of a brat and I’m ashamed of my behaviour sometimes but it comes from a place of anxiety. And thanks to Joshua for helping me get through the tougher times. Always there for me!
