I've wanted to see Hole since
Lollapalooza 1994". "The Beautiful
Monsters" tour crashed and burned so
just when i thought i missed out
again...they annouced the tour dates
for May 1999. My ass was at the mall
buying tickets faster then you can
say, "fuck manson!"
[ilikehimdontharassmeijustlovehole10ti
mesmore]
So for a month i waited for May 15 to
come. Everything seemed to go wrong.
The group of friends i was going with
had trouble all getting off work and
getting together at my house on time.
I wanted to leave at 12:30 pm and get
in line. I live in Jersey. The concert
was in Phladelphia at the Electric
Factory. It was my best friend Jeska
[who loves hole just as much as me],
Laura, Derek, Mia, my cousin Nikki,
and myself.
My friend Mia seemed to think we could
meet Courtney. I had money. That's
always a good thing. I wanted to get a
t-shirt. Maybe pick up a sticker or
bootleg perhaps. A okay seat would
suffice. A few pictures. Courtney
would look like an ant i'm sure but
"i'm gonna be in the same room with
COURTNEY, ERIC, MELISSA, and SAM!!"
We left my house later then i would
have liked. I thought we were fucked
already. We went to Lindenwald to get
on the subway. We hoped we wouldn't be
too far from the electric factory. It
was only about 4-5 blocks. We got off
at 8th and Market St. There it was the
electric factory.
As were walking by to go to the front
of the building, i see 2 tour buses.
Get the fuck outta here, i thought.
Some kids were in front of the
baracades. The bus drivers moved the
buses a couple of times. I took some
pictures with my disposable $2.50
camera. I started talking to some girl
next to me. I mentioned my Hole site
i've been working on when we realized
who we were. We have been e-mailing
eachother for awhile now. What are the
chances of that? Is that cool or
what?
We weren't waiting that long about
an hour when a regular car pulls up
and out pops Courtney Love.
"Hi guys!" she said. I'll never ever
forget that. It has echoed in my head
since the concert. Just casual, nice,
appreciative of the awaiting fans. I
couldn't help it i started to cry.
Then people kinda got in front of me.
Some guy/boy i don't know and didn't
even look at put his arm on me and
said to calm down or something to that
effect. My friend Laura sorta gave me
a push. Realzing i might miss my
chance, i sobered up. "Courtney, can i
have a picture?" i said. "Sure" she
said real cute. She put her cheek up
against mine and smiled a beautiful
sincere smile. I was numb. I saw Eric.
I asked him to sign my ticket stub.
"Make sure it's the side i keep" i
said. "which side do you keep?" Eric
said. [heheh he's a rockstar and he
didn't know...heheh] My friend Jeska
over anxiously said, "this one! this
one!" and pointed. Jeska got a picture
of her and Eric. Nikki got one of her
and Courtney. Nikki also got
Courtney's signature on a box of her
Marlboro Menthol 100's. [this wasn't
planned ok?] Which she gave to me cos
she knew i would die. Jeska and i was
so unprepared. When Courtney looked at
Jeska like "well?" Jeska said, "i
don't have anything for you to sign,
here sign my hand." Courtney said,
"C'mere" and grabbed her shirt. She
wrote "Lust Sloth Bliss C." and drew a
heart. Considering Courtney just
signed her name for everyone else
Jeska was mighty happy. She has
retired her Sleater-Kinney shirt.
Melissa geek
ps. I got one of eric's guitar pics
too. Courtney gave away her green
guitar. I watched her leave in a terry
cloth bath robe with wet hair after
the show.
I wanna see them again....
Can you believe it?
This kinda stuff NEVER happens to me.
Ok, here goes the story...
By the way, HI LIZZY! Was that awesome
or what!?!
Laura was all talking to Sam. She
asked her if she could have her
sunglasses. She said they were
Courtney's. Melissa was signing stuff
too but i ran to the line. I love them
all but my main objectives were
Courtney & Eric. [i also very dorkerly
thanked Eric for making "my body the
hand grenade" in which i got a chuckle
outta him for a response.]
Well, after waiting i the line for
hours [it flew by] i spent my time
living off the moment, buying Hole
vinyls, and praying the camera i
fucking dropped wouldn't let me down.
It was sooo worth it. I got front row.
The opening act was "Imperial Teen".
They were rad. I bought there vinyl
too. The drummer was neato. Shit, they
all were.
Then Courtney kept us waitng a
bit....then the lights went out. The
crowd pushed forward. [some guy's dick
was literally up my ass.]
and i will awaken your highness* I'm
so high* I cannot walk* You cripple*
You take away my time* My peace* My
empathy* No baby sleep on atrophy*
Your unborn love * And fetal stress*
Hard bitter candy legless
caress...
Courtney ran out. Guitar in tow. They
went right into "Violet." I could have
gotten crushed to death at that
concert and died a happy grrrl. They
did an awesomemix of music. Old, old
old, new, cover, and never heard
before. The show was taped for
"reverb" the HBO show. Rock. I'm in
the front row. I touched her arm too.
She gave everyone her soul. I couldn't
have asked for anything more.
I love Hole even more now. I've gained
a deeper respect for her. She
constantly talked to the audience,
joked, chain smoked, climbed the
stage, gave 150%. It was the best. The
next day i went to get the pics
developed. I fucking cried. They are
so beautiful.
Oh, stop yer crying you can be happy,