Beyond the Veil ASP in Leeds, April 2004

Well I'll skip the journey down (and back UP to Leeds - suffice to say I was in Leeds on Thursday, then again on Saturday and Sunday, left on Monday and passed through again on the way home on Tuesday!) and get straight into the nitty gritty.

Jeanette and I arrived at the Metropole about noon on Saturday and as luck would have it our room was ready so we could check in straight away rather than having to hang around for a couple of hours.
We nipped upstairs, dumped cases, bagged beds and then wandered off to explore Leeds.

It's yonks since I was in Leeds but I found my way about fairly well and after a quick visit to Victoria Quarter headed off to the Corn Exchange to see if any of my old favourite shops were still there. Well a couple of them were and we *had* to buy Max a t-shirt at one of them.

"No job, no girlfriend, no money........but I'm in a band!!"

After a bite to eat in the lower lever - with me mentally planning a Chamber concert in the place, it is a wonderful old building and it would be an AWESOME venue for a gig - we went off again as I wanted to show Jeanette Granary Wharf.

Down under the train station and along a very long dark eerie tunnel and we were there. My gods it's been poshed up since I was last there but still some nice stalls. We avoided the clothing stall and treated ourselves to a quick palm reading then, just as the lady had finished mine my phone rang.

It was Max just to let us know that he had arrived and was going to go and die for a few hours. They had had to change planes in Amsterdam and Max doesn't like fly anyway. He hadn't realised that we were staying at the same hotel and we arranged to meet later on in the bar....well where else???

Back to the hotel and a freshen up, and a natter -and a call from Max to tell us which pub he was in - down to the reception to meet up with John Mosby then off to meet up with Max.

As usual I was not allowed to put my beer down before being enveloped in Max's wonderful bear hug but I only split about half of it over myself !! I suppose I can forgive him...anyone else and it would be a hanging offence.

We spent a nice hour or so having a good natter and a bitch about various things. Highlight for me was Max telling John to give Peter Wingfield a big sloppy hug from him next time he sees him....John said he would TELL Peter what Max had said.......chicken!!!

After an hour or so Max had to leave to go to the Black Veil night at the Adelphi with the rest of the bands. We were planning to head along after meeting Maggie at the hotel. As it was just after 7 and she was due in at 7;30 we decided to head back to the hotel and wait for her only for my phone to ring as soon as we left the pub with a message from her to say she was at the hotel and where were we. For some reason my phone hadn't logged her number so I couldn't call her back and tell her we were on our way and I was guilt ridden at having mistaken her bus times. Turned out I hadn't but they had put her onto a faster coach halfway and so she got in about 3/4 of an hour ahead of time. Now as I mentioned the plan *WAS* to meet Maggie, let her get freshened up and then head to the Adelphi for more beer and the chance to crash to clubnight.....well it seemed rude to abandon John so we ended up sitting in the bar till gone midnight drinking Murphy's and putting the world to rights.

Max appeared late on in the evening with a 'where were you' expression but a couple of pints of Murphy's soothed his feathers and we sat and chatted again. I have no idea what we were talking about but it was fun :))

No idea either what time we got to bed but Jeanette kind of crashed out as soon as she hit the pillow. I lay and read for a while and ate mini muffins - why is it you always get the munchies at 2am? - and then drifted off also.
Maggie tells me that I woke up at 4am......and again about 7....she knows this because I stopped snoring at that point......sorry!!!! All the best people snore sometimes.........ain't that right Max

I was awake and bouncing about 7, Maggie likewise although maybe not so much of the bouncing after being kept awake most of the night by a certain chief...(sorry again - next time just kick me - everyone else does!!) but Jeanette was feeling a little delicate...it must have been the orange juice she had at Starbucks the previous day....nothing at all to do with the several pints of Murphy's consumed...honest!!!

Down to breakfast where ASP and the rest of the band (with one notable exception!) were also starting the day.

Max had told us they were due to do their sound check at 10am but when we went out at 10;30 they were all sitting around in the foyer.....as they were when we got back about an hour later!! A quick trip to our room with Max to give him his pressies...(He loved the t-shirt needless to say) and then we headed out in search of.....a) a cash point, b) a camera film and c) some fresh air..I have never been in such a hot hotel room as ours. I have no idea where the heat was coming from as all of the heaters were off but my gods it was like a sauna.

Jeanette and I were bad people.....bad bad bad people.....we led Maggie astray :(((((

We FORCED her to buy this gorgeous black and purple velvet and lace dress at the Goth shop in Granary Wharf.
I am sometimes glad I am the size I am as it gives me a good reason not to buy these things - I was a 'normal' size I think it might have come to fisticuffs over who had it but I got to play 'dress up Barbie' with Maggie instead of Alis and she looked wonderful in it.......Now apparently Maggie doesn't usually do dresses and was actually quite shocked by the fact that she wanted this one so she bought it.......a bargain it was and lovely and gorgeous and....I hate her!!!{pout}

Dress bought we now had to search for tights to go with it and I was still looking for a hole in the wall and Jeanette was now in search of a disposable camera as her's was playing silly buggers and had gone on strike. Now there were plenty of ATM's about.....I tried about 6 in the station but non of them had any money in them. Usually they won't give me money because I have non in my account but this time I did...and I STILL couldn't get any bloody money.

None of the shops at the station did cash back (Sunday morning - Easter Sunday morning at that - no where else open!!) but Maggie and Jeanette both got their bits and we headed off in search of some food. Just the other side of the hotel we discovered a bank which actually had cash and also a Subway so we got cash and food and then headed back to the hotel to say 'Hi and bye' to John who had just finished his interview with Max. By this point the 'dealers room' had opened at the hotel and we went to part with more cash.

Maggie and Jeanette both bought a couple of ASP cd's but I was a good girl and didn't buy anything...yet!!

Jeanette decided that she was going to have a snooze so she would survive until ASP were due on stage at 11pm. As she is used to getting up at 4;30 we decided not to rag her too much about this and Maggie and I went off to find a seat in the bar. The gig was supposed to start at 1:30...at 2:30 they were still doing sound checks!

Several hours, several pints, several fleeting visits from Max, (you remember Chronicles 99 when the rest of the Horsemen were ribbing him about never sitting still?...he hasn't improved!) a quick trip to the 'dealers room to buy a new corset - it was a bargain honest!!!! - and several bands on stage in the hall later, Jeanette reappeared and we decided that we really should make the effort to actually go listen to at least ONE band apart from ASP so we wandered into the main hall around nine just in time to see Belle Morte take the stage.

Now they were quite good, the lead singer had *very* nice armpits, (so I'm twisted - you knew that!!) and had we not been ruined by MELT and Chamber I am sure we would have thought they were great. As it was they were simply good -although they did play a smooch 'rock and roll' type thing that had everyone in the hall in stitches and a very good version of 51st State (obviously not as good as the MELT version but good all the same - me? Biased? Never!!!!!)

ASP finally took the stage just after 11 and they were well worth the wait. Max looking very sexy in his new leather pants and Jeanette was rather taken with ASP's legs for some reason.....


I shamelessly took advantage of my walking stick and got right up to the front of the stage for a while to get some pics but my film ran out and my legs were complaining so I went back to our seats and watched the rest from there.

Bloody brilliant they were.

Max wondered how he was knackered when he came of stage as all he had done was stand there and sing a few backing vocals. I don't think he realises how much he jumps about and how much physical expression he puts into it.

Anyway eventually we let them leave the stage and we went back to the bar (surprise huh??) where our seats were still waiting for us. They were locking the bar up as we sat down and told us if anyone wanted anything they were to go to reception...*IF* anyone wanted anything!!!

Within a very short space of time the bar was properly open again and we sat and had a few more drinks with Max before we decided that we really did have to go to sleep.......goodbye hugs from Max all round and then off to bed at about 2:30.

Up bright and early on Monday and off to the Royal Armouries for the Jousting (very good, a couple of gorgeous horses and some not too bad looking knights either!!) then back to the city centre for a quick bite to eat at the Corn Exchange, drop Maggie off at the bus station and we were heading back to Jeanette's to crash and die for a while ;(((((((

As ever a wonderful weekend - all over far too quickly as usually.........how long till the next one????

Andi

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