Wednesday, February 7, 2007

Ticket Request - late 90s

Towards the end of my tenure at the store the Chemical Brothers released their third disc, Surrender. I loved them at the time, had since I moved over to store 9 and would play the shit out of their first disc and sell it fairly consistently too. I had missed them in concert twice since 1996 and this time I was determined to see them. I sent this request to Frank and got the tickets. You would write on this pad and send it along in the envelope or whatever for Frank along with stock suggestions, paper work and other beggings. I found this slip in the bottom of a CD case with Chemical Brothers music on it, I had no clue that I still had it. So sometimes burying your own treasure can yeild results.
I went with Tom, both of us thinking that the other one knew how to get to St.Andrews Hall. Easier said than done. At one point we were on the corner of the one way street in front of the gig. I could hear the boom chick boom but couldn't find out where the hall was. At another point we ended up in deepest, darkest downtown Detroit. And this is not to denote some sort of sly comment, where we were there were no street lights!
After some trying we finally made it there, turning off the Hank Williams Jr tape I had brought along for the ride(Hank, stay away from The Air That I BReathe..your version is hideous...) and made it up to the club. We saw half the gig but it was amazing. As we slowly moved into the hall I ended up standing by one of the back speakers. Damn thing nearly stopped my heart the bass was so loud.
For the encore (the private psychedelic reel - fantastic) we got up onto the balcony. I was leaning over the side, watching out when suddenly a flashlight shined in my eyes. Security, they thought I was pouring beer over the rail. I had no beer and when I think back I was rather sweaty but I doubt it was pouring off my stomach down onto the blonde beneath us. But who's to say. The gig ended and it was amazing.
When Tom got married in 2003 he requested, and they played, Block Rockin' Beats at the recpetion sealing his wedding as the coolest (until mine...cough...) and it just made me smile. I haven't been to St.Andrews since but I do know how to get there now. Best to go early, during the daylight, so you don't end up in either Windsor or 8 Mile.

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