It all started the morning of Thursday, November 25, 2004. I got off work that
morning at 0530hrs and headed home to meet up with my travel buddies - Jaimie, Kris and Adam. I was running on NO SLEEP
and for the entire drive down I maybe slept about 30 minutes. :) I WAS TOO EXCITED!!
We stopped in Stockton
at about 23:00hrs to get a few winks of sleep before making the final bit of the trek down to Anaheim. Stockton soon
became "Squampton" - as we were driving around looking for a hotel we saw some guy walking around on the streets with a shotgun!!
We were a LITTLE hesitant to stay there but we NEEDED sleep, so we found a place close to the highway so we could do a quick
get-a-way if need be. (We survived through the night...)
We were up around 09:00hrs the next morning and had
breakfast at Burger King (consisting of BURGERS...bad idea). The rest of the drive was BEAUTIFUL!! I'm definitely
a huge fan of California!! We all got excited when we finally got closer to the city and saw the exit signs for "LOS
ANGELES".
Before we left I reserved hotel rooms for our stay in Anaheim and San Jose, and I have to say I did
a MIGHTY fine job - we stayed at the Ayres Hotel in Anaheim - WICKED place, right across the street from the Arrowhead Pond
arena, down the road from Disneyland and a 10 minute drive from "Downtown Disney". Our first night there we found some
'beverages', ordered some pizza and hung out in the outdoor heated pool and hot tub. We wanted to go to The Whiskey
in West Hollywood that night but it would have been a $120 return cab ride - NOT LIKELY! So we went to a pub in Downtown
Disney - was pretty lame, plus everything there closes at 0200hrs, even on a Friday night!
The next morning,
the day of the concert, we decided to drive up to West Hollywood to do some shopping and check out some exciting scenery.
On our way there, I got a phone call from Enid, a lady I work with who is best friends with Bob Rock's sister......she asked
how the trip was going, asked when the San Jose show was, and told me that I was going to be meeting the boys of Metallica
again because she pulled some strings with Susan (Bob's sister) and arranged for me and a friend to go to the San Jose meet
and greet! I was in tears.....and SO thankful - she's AMAZING!! That totally made my day! We cruised down
Sunset Blvd, shopped in Hustler, Jaimie and I got another tattoo - we both got "NEM" tattoo'd on us - mine is on my lower
left stomach (under the bikini line so it's not visible, small lettering), and Jaimie got hers on her lower back in bigger,
bolder lettering.
We got back to Anaheim around 16:00hrs. Adam and I got ready for the concert (Jaimie
and Kris didn't have tickets). We walked over and met up with a couple of peope I had met in New Jersey, Ian and Steph
(Ian lives in Hollywood and Steph flew out from New York).
We were on the rail (OF COURSE) and I brought in
my sign that said "BREAK THE CHAIR SAYS HI!" to show the boys. Everyone but Lars saw it and they all smiled and waved
- I had hoped Niclas would maybe get a pic of it to put on the web site so that Break the Chair could see it on there, but
no such luck.
The concert was AWESOME (duh). Gio came over and said hi, and Kirk played his solo for me
again. *sigh* :) Caught some more guitar pics, had an awesome time.......I'll save details about the setlist
cuz you can all check it out on the metontour.com site. But ya, it was awesome.
The next day (Sunday,
November 28) we were up early so we could hit the road and make it to San Jose in time for the show there. It was a
great drive up - more great scenery, fun times in the car, tunes blarin'. I let the three of my friends decide amongst
themselves who was going to come with me backstage to meet the guys - I wanted them ALL to come...but it was narrowed down
to Kris. I wore my San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge backdrop shirt, in hopes Kirk would see it and comment on it....
So
we headed over early and bumped into Toby (who remembered my name) and met up with Steph and Laura (Laura's from New Jersey).
Toby took all of us clubbers into the arena and we went through the whole meet & greet talk. I was NOT nervous and
it felt great. :)
Unlike the last time, where each of them came out one at a time, they were all in the
room at the same time, basically. James came out first but he started at the opposite end of the line from where we
were. His wife, Francesca, was hanging out the whole time, too. She looked great! Rob came out not too long
after and he started at our end. He looked SUPER yummy!! We were about 3rd in line, so when he got to me, Toby
reminded him that I'd just met them a month ago, and Rob said he remembered me. I had them sign a t-shirt for Jeff O'Neil
(from 99.3 the Fox - cuz he's been so amazing to me over the last 8 years when it comes to Metallica) and I had them sign
the inside cover of my journal book, considering I write about them in there ALL THE TIME. :) Rob and I chatted
about Whistler - he says he loves it up there, so I told him that whenever he's up there to give me a shout...we both just
kinda laughed (hey, I tried...). He told us about a mishap at the Anaheim show where he went to dump water on his head
but his aide guy had accidentally put his power juice into his water bottle, so he ended up squirting sticky juice all
over his his hair and head.....it was a pretty funny story!
Kirk came out next...........*BIG SIGH* :)
He started at our end, and he spoke with some guy from Japan first, but he kept looking at me, then looking at the Japanese
dude, then he'd look at me, then back at the guy, then back at me, kinda like, "Wait a minute...you're here again?"
Ha ha! When he got to me, he stood in front of me and I smiled and put my hand out and said, "Hey Kirk...great
to see you again!" and he kinda went, "Pcch.." and grabbed my hand pulled me in for a hug. :) :) :) :) :) (KIRK
MADE THE FIRST MOVE!!) It was awesome! This time I managed to actually TALK instead of just having him sign stuff,
so I asked him if he remembered the radio show they did back in '97 where they called fans around North America who asked
them questions. I told him I was the only one in Canada they called and briefly told him what my question was about,
but he was honest and he said he didn't really remember........I don't blame him. I just laughed at his brutal honesty.
:) When we were posing for our picture together, he had his head close to mine and his hair touched my face.....and
I kid you not, at the very moment the picture was being taken, the only thing I was thinking of was "OH MY GOD...KIRK HAMMETT'S
HAIR IS TOUCHING MY FACE......" :) Ha ha!! I'm sure he noticed the Golden Gate Bridge shirt but he
didn't comment on it. But who cares - he looked GRRRRRRREAT and I was just happy to be near him and to be standing next
to this amazing legend yet once again (what did I do to deserve this??).
James finally made his way down to
us - Gio was starting to rush him because they were running out of time, so he kept looking at his watch...but James hung
in there, listened to every word every person had to say, signed everything and took pics without every once cutting someone
off. He just seemed to peaceful and calm and relaxed - great to see. When he finished at our end, he met up with
Francesca, and before disappearing behind the doors, he gave her a kiss and a hug and they both walked off. :)
Lars
was late arriving.....so those who wanted to wait to see Lars stuck around, and those who wanted to go watch Godsmack left
(only a couple actually left). He showed up about 15-20 minutes later and started at our end, looking all perky and
excited to be there. I asked him if HE remembered the radio show and he said yes, and I reminded him of the question,
and after some humming and hawing, he said he did remember. I told him he could be honest, like Kirk was, and just say
he didn't remember, but he assured me he did (if he was lying, that's okay....). :) Toby was standing nearby when
Lars was signing my journal, so I jokingly told Lars, "You can read it later, but not right now because there's lots of stuff
in there about Toby..." and I looked at Toby and winked and Toby just kinda rolled his eyes. But then Lars grabbed the
journal from me and started flipping through it!! I was like, "NO NO NO!!!" and grabbed it back from him and said that
there WAS a page I could show him, and I showed him the page where I wrote about the concert in Calgary, explaining how Lars
came down and took the sign from me (for Layne's birthday) and how he came right down to me and shook my hand and thanked
me, and how it was like everyone else in that arena disappeared for those few moments, and how awesome it was, and how
he gave me his drum stick at the end of the show.....he read the whole page and he was like, "Wow...I can't believe you wrote
about me in your journal....that's so flattering! And I STILL have that poster you made up on my computer at home!"
:) And before he moved on to Kris, he stood in front of me and goes, "Wait..is that..." and he pulled out the bottom
part of my shirt and goes, "It IS!! It's the Golden Gate Bridge!" and I said, "Yes!!! I bought this when I was
in San Fran to see you guys in March!" and he was like, "That's so awesome!!" (At least SOMEONE noticed it!) He
hung out at the end of the line with Laura and Steph for awhile - was totally into hanging with the clubbers!
Toby
also remembered to give us the waivers to sign to have our pictures taken of any Metallica tattoo's we had (he forgot to do
it at the M&G in Philadelphia). So Niclas took my picture of the ninja star on my lower back, as well as the one
Steph has. There's apparently going to be a book about pics of Metallica fan's tattoos. Who knows if I'll actually
make it in there, considering SO MANY people have that same tattoo, but here's to hoping! Niclas also mentioned he saw
me with the sign for Break the Chair in Anaheim and he was going to try to get a picture of it, but he wasn't able to.
Thankfully, my friend Ian took a picture of me and Adam with the sign that night, so the boys of Break the Chair can see that
I actually made it for them.
When it was all over, we headed back out to get into the arena. Kris and I managed
to meet up with Jaimie and Adam, right on the rail. :) Except this time we were on the jam-packed side, but closer
to the corner, so we didn't get pushed around at all. The show was sooooooo good. I sung my little lungs out but
STILL didn't lose my voice. :(
I had hoped for a more rare setlist - something that would really stand
out from all the other shows, considering it was the LAST NIGHT OF THE TOUR, especially with something other than "Seek and
Destroy" as the closer...but the setlist was almost exactly the same as the night before in Anaheim. No major complaints
- it still kicked MAJOR ass and I had such an amazing time. Kirk directly handed me another guitar pic (have I mentioned
yet that I LOVE that man??). :) I brought in another sign that night that said "THX 4 THE BEST YEAR OF MY LIFE!"
and showed it to them at the end of the show. Kirk read it and just looked at me and smiled and I could see the smile
in his eyes, as if he was saying, "You're SO welcome..thanks for coming out!" And when Rob saw it he smiled at me and
made a fist and put it to his chest and then pointed at me, mouthing "Thank YOU!" James came by, read it, put both hands
to his mouth and blew me a kiss and thanked me...and unfortunately Lars didn't see it. But that's alright....
At the end of the show they were all up on stage, saying goodbye and saying thanks to all of those fans who showed up to a
ton of shows, and they were hugging their crew...it was an emotional moment...sad to see. And as they walked off stage,
I felt an instant sadness.
But I also felt satisfied.
I accomplished a LOT in the past 8 months. I
travelled to places I'd never been, made some INCREDIBLE friends, bonded with those I was already close with, met my HEROES,
not once but TWICE, and I've walked away with some awesome pictures and memories that will NEVER fade.
The drive
home was definitely a lot more quiet than the drive down. I had 15 hours to reflect on the weekend that just passed
by - it all felt so surreal. Now it's been almost a month since I got back (sorry for the delay in getting this sent
out to everyone) and I'm definitely going through withdrawal from the touring, but I'm glad I still have tons to look forward
to in the future. Next time I plan on going bigger, better, farther and HARDER!!
P.S. Keep
an eye out for the Anaheim metontour.com vid - I might be on it! (Richard's Note: Actually, check out the San Jose vid cuz
you ARE there!!!)
