Cancer Bats, Against Me, Alexisonfire, Billy Talent.. AMAZING NIGHT.

Monday night, I went to the concert that I had been waiting for for 5 years.. ALEXISONFIRE. They have been my favourite band for exactly that long. I heard "No Transitory" in grade 7, and fell in love. It has been my favourite song by my favourite band ever since. DALLAS GREEN is my all-time favourite musician - whether he is playing in Alexisonfire, or solo as City and Colour - his music is beautiful, his voice awe-inspiring, and lyrics full of passion and meaning. His music inspires me. Even if it's just a painting inspired by a song (I made a painting once that was inspired by the song "Mailbox Arson" by Alexisonfire - a mostly abstract painting of a city on fire). So basically, When I heard that I would FINALLY have the chance to see them play.. I had a fit! I got my money, floor tickets, and started a countdown. The only reason I was going to the concert was for Alexisonfire (I'm not much of a fan of Billy Talent. I personally think their new stuff SUCKS, but their first album as Billy Talent (with the song River Below) was great, and their second not too bad.)

ANYWAYS. the concert was THE DAY after I got back from Spain (perfect timing, right!?) so I was pretty supremely excited. After co-op, I went to the mall, met up with some people, and went to wait in line at the venue (Essar Center). I felt kind of left out in that group, then I saw two people that I had been pretty good friends with back in the day (grd 9 & 10) when I was always going to shows (Steph and Jazmin), so I went to join them. Lucky me, they were right at the front of the line, and Jazmin had a special bracelet that let her in 15 minutes earlier. So of course, Jazmin went in early and bolted to the front, saving me and Steph a spot.

First performer: Cancer Bats. How were they? Spectacular. High energy, reallly got the crowd going (I would know, I was right up front, being shoved and squished up against the barrier LOL) but it was definitely worth it. They even did a cover of the Beastie Boys' song "Sabotage" :D
All that squishing made me really have to pee. So, I talked to these two nice guys behind me (Albert, a big guy who could definitely save my spot, and Jeremy, who also agreed to help.) I made them promise, PROMISE, to let me back in front for Alexisonfire, and they did, Jazmin also knew them and said they were trustworthy, plus she was also staying there. So yeah, me and Steph took a little pee break during intermission between Cancer Bats and Against Me. During the pee break, I discovered that my thin cotton, loose-fitting grey tank top (that I really liked) had been destroyed. All the rubbing up against the barrier (it was metal with small holes, almost like a cheese grater without the sharp) had worn and ripped holes in the front of my shirt, at least I had another tank top under it. The holes were also in the area where the buckle of my belt is, which probably contributed the the wear-and-tear. Still, It was worth it.
We got back and.. a wall, of people. But I would NOT give up. Steph decided to hang back, she's tiny and was wearing her glasses (I decided to wear my contacts, something I RARELY do, maybe once a year!) SO to get back, I knew there was only one way.. MOSH. not many people were doing it, so I decided to be the obnoxious little girl who started dancing, kicking, punching, and shoving.. and it worked! At one point, this one other girl (woman) didn't like it. I heard her say: you're a easy fix. and she grabbed my thrashing body (did I mention she was HUGE and round?) I kept fighting back though, but she grabbed my boob (probably didn't meant to) which momentarily weakened me, and threw me away. STILL I did not give up, I found another route to thrash and mosh through, and I was SO close. Jeremy saw me and reached his hand over some people and grabbed mine. He tried to pull me through but it didn't work, so I let go. Then, the helpful guy he was, he shoved his body back, making a momentary gap in people and I shoved and rushed my way through, so I was squished in front of him, with Jazmin in front of me, and Dan, a guy from my school that I have occasionally talked to, also in front/beside me. I WAS BACK IN THE (almost) FRONT ROW! Albert was completely smushed and could not give me my old spot back, at least not while Against Me was playing, but he agreed to make a way for me to be right in front when it was time for Alexisonfire. Anyways, I was fine where I was, completely smushed (but then, everyone in the first few rows were) it was like a sandwich with a fat man sitting on top. But we still jumped and danced, our bodies all moving together in unison, fist pumping while trying to not elbow your neighbor in the face. It was fun. Against me was high-energy, very dancey type songs. I had never heard them before but hey, I liked them! I danced/jumped, fist pumped, chanted along to the baba bababa bababa part of the one song that I had maybe ONCE heard by them haha. It was a good time. Kind of felt weird at first, being so tightly squished against a bunch of guys.. I think more than with any other guy ever, that I hadn't been dating.. and I either didn't know them or had met them only a half hour, maybe hour before? WHATEVER everyone was that squished, all for the same passion and reason - amazing music. Against Me finished their set, and as a little team, the guys and Jazmin made room for me right at the front, in between Jazmin and Dan. I think what happened was Albert moved himself back a bit, clearing space for Jazmin to skooch over slightly, Jeremey pushed back, giving me room to breathe and squish myself forward between Dan and Jazmin. it was a VERY tight fit, but it worked. Still ended up squished from behind by Jeremy and some other guy's arm who's face I never saw LOL. but I was in front, I could put my arms over the railing to handle my camera and take pictures. and look STRAIGHT in the face of GEORGE PETTIT, singer (screamer) of Alexisonfire.

ALEXISONFIRE: I was RIGHT THERE in front. It was amazing. George was really interacting with us in front, smiling and and actually LOOKING at us and laughing and pointing and stuff. He threw his water bottle to us at one point. I'm guessing he noticed that I sang every word of each song, because he kept looking at me, and pointed a couple times.. if only Dallas (who was SO CLOSE to my left) had also noticed, but I think he was focused on his guitar and his own vocals, two in one must be harder to focus on than just one (screaming) that George has to. Still, it was WORTH IT! The second song they played was NO TRANSITORY! as I said before.. the first and favourite I heard by them, I sang every word of that! Don't remember all the songs in order, I was in too mush of a happy craze. I distinctly remember when they played The Northern (anyone who was there MUST) George went onto the keyboard, Dallas started it with his beautiful vocals "Here he comes here he comes, judge so severe, the seven trumpets speak, oh they speak him near.." going into the chorus with George as well "Oh brother you wanna be there, I'm gonna go to heaven when I die.." Then it was George's turn for the verse, Dallas said something like "Everybody, George Pettit!" and the spotlight shone down on George as he screamed "Here he comes here he comes..." Then of course, what was possibly the HIGHLIGHT moment of that song performance, quiet, spotlight on Dallas, and then everyone sings along with him, fist pumping/raising their hands up "Hallelujah, we'll praise the Lord, Hallelujah.." then of course when the drums, bass, guitar, and George kick in.. continuing on "Hallelujah.." So I guess you get it.. amazing, epic, beautiful, absolutely SPECTACULAR. (If you haven't heard the song "The Northern" yet.. I suggest you listen to it.. it's beautiful.) They also played Accept Crime, to which almost everyone sand along, at least when they sang "Accept crime ONE TWO THREE" haha, and "there's no police, there's no police between two beating hearts.." Of COURSE they played This Could Be Anywhere In The World, it WAS very popular in the Crisis album, again, singing along, a lot of jumping, and a LOT of crowd surfing. BOILED FROGS! another great one they played, more high energy, I was singing along with George and he looked right at me. That was awesome :) It was during the part "Poor little tinman, still swinging his axe, even though his joints are clogged with rust.." They also played, Old Crows, and Young Cardinals (TONS of jumping ans crowd surfing during that one) During Old Crows, George also made eye contact and pointed at me, during "we are not the kids we used to be, stop wishing for yesterday". They also played We Are The Sound, to which everyone chanted along "we are the sound, we have no voice".. they played a couple more, I just can't completely remember them at the moment but basically.. beauty. The entire set was perfect. I hardly noticed the intense pain and bruising happening on my chest (squished against the barrier) and my sides and arms, or the total squishing from behind, I could hardly breathe! But it was okay. It was WONDERFUL. I was sad yet completely happy and exhilarated when they ended, and upset when they wouldn't do an encore, but I guess because they weren't the headlining band, it wouldn't really be appropriate for them to do an encore. So when they were obviously finished and not coming back for an encore, I really started to feel the quish and discomfort. So I turned around (even that was difficult, so squished) and said: k, I have no reason to be up here for Billy Talent, I don't even like them that much, I need to get OUTT! So it took a couple minutes but we made enough room for me to squeeze out, then anytime I got to a barrier of people I would just say: I'm just trying to get further back.. and they would move.

I went and found Steph, and we decided to go to the merch tables up top. I was covered in water, wearing a white tank top (plus the ripped gray one hanging loosely on) so I bought an Alexisonfire t-shirt. It's black with a Cardinal on the front with ALEXISONFIRE written below. I like it :) Of course I went to the washroom and put it on, so I wouldn't be stuck in a wet shirt.. uncomfortable. Then me and Steph went over to the Cancer Bats table, and the singer of Cancer Bats (Liam Cormier) was there, so we had a little chat about random stuff haha. Steph bought a sweater, we chatted some more with Liam, it was all good. Then, I decided that I would like to go back down to the floor area just to mosh. I didn't want to get up to the front again, but it would be fun to join the mosh pit a bit. Steph stayed on the side, and I went in and had some fun times moshing around :P THEN I decided that I wanted to crowd surf.. REALLY BADLY. I asked a couple guys if they could get me up, and they agreed right away :) crowd surfing.. was exhilarating. I was lifted up and I felt like I was floating! on a cloud of tons of hands, it was so amazing, I didn't even think about it, I just lay back and let the hands carry me around up to the front. Once you get to the front, the security guards just grab you and set you down, then point the way out (a path right in front of the stage, between the barrier with the crowd and the stage. As I stepped down I realized something: I was missing a shoe! My right foot had only a sock on! I couldn't stop though, I knew the security guards wouldn't let me, and honestly, I was too exhilarated and excited to care! I walked along with a huge smile on my face, passed by Jazmin and Jeremy and gave them high fives :) and walked right out. Then I went over to Steph and showed her that I was missing a shoe. Of course we had a little laugh.. I think I knew deep down that I would not find my shoe until the show was over, but I didn't care too much.. I wanted to search for my shoe anyways. So I did. I went walking around through the crowd with only one shoe, met a lot of new people that way haha. They would say stuff like: "Oh! you're missing a shoe!? Hope you find it!" or "Haha how did you loose your shoe? ... Oh, crowd surfing? AWESOME!" or even" Haha you're never gonna find that until the show is over.." (That was said by mike I think his name is, he used to play in The Crossed, a small band from the Sault, we chatted after the concert about The Crossed reuniting and stuff haha) I also talked to people I already knew, some laughed at me for losing a shoe, some offered to help find it, eventually I gave up.. but want to know what's kind of crazy? I went back into the mosh pit.. not too far in, because I mean, one foot was unprotected, but I still had fun, of course :) Once Billy Talent's set, and 3-song encore, was finished, I went towards the front, and someone who had been near me in the front came up and gave me my shoe! He said: we found it up front, Jazmin said it was yours! I was pretty relieved haha, so I thanked him and went to find Jazmin.

After the show, me and Jazmin went outside to wait around and HOPEFULLY meet the bands, or for me, at LEAST Dallas Green, she at least wanted to meet some guys from Billy Talent. I stood outside in the cold, wearing only a t-shirt and jeans, for TWO HOURS! Until almost midnight. Eventually Liam from Cancer Bats came out, riding up to us on his skateboard :) We chatted some more, took some pictures, and talked about their upcoming tour in the fall, I mentioned that they should play at Fanshawe College again (they had once before) and he said they would if someone set it up and everything, which makes me happy because well, I'll BE at Fanshawe in the fall :D Then he left and we waited a bit longer, at about 10-midnight, Dallas Green walked out, pulling a little rolling suitcase, walking towards the bus, we called his name and someone asked if he would come over and and so he said: "sure!" and walked on over :) I asked if I could get a picture with him and he said "of course!" so I got my picture, we talked a bit about nothing in general, I told him that I love his music and asked if I could just shake his hand haha, which of course I did! That moment right there, MEETING Dallas Green, my favourite musician and inspiration for the past 5 years.. was the most amazing moment in my life so far.. just absolutely amazing. Then he moved on to the other people around, and It was midnight (I had a 1/2 hour drive home and school the next morning and work the next night!). So I said to Jazmin: I can leave happily now :) I hope I see you around sometime soon! Then I walked across the street to the mall parking lot, got in my car, and let myself burst with joy! With a huge smile on my face, I let out a little squeal haha, I was so.. I don't even have a word for it.. ECSTATIC! to the extreme. Then, I drove home.

That would be the end, but it does continue slightly. I got home, and, while changing into pjs for bed, noticed allll the bruises! It's bad hahah, my arms (mostly bicep and shoulder area), my back, my legs.. the WORST is my chest . There is a horizontal line, about 3 inches thick, across my chest, starting right in the middle of, well, you know.. my chest hahaha. That line is from the bar of the barrier that I was completely smushed against for Cancer Bats and Alexisonfire. The next morning I realized that the whole inside of my left cheek was cut and ripped up from my braces (very painful) but my braces have never done that before on their own, which made me realize: I must have been punched or elbowed in my face, left-cheek, at the concert, without really noticing at the time. HAHA! You would think I'd have noticed right? guess not :)
Now you have to know, I am by NO MEANS complaining about these injuries.. they were SO worth it. A BROKEN RIB would have even been worth it. It was amazing, spectacular, beautiful, fantastic, exhilarating, awe-inspiring.. just perfect.

Now for pictures (all taken by me except for the ones OF me):