Post by curly and the model on Jun 16, 2014 21:44:13 GMT
Here we go; left home Friday morning at 9ish, it's about 180 mile drive, about 3 hours. Stopped on the way for bit of grub :coffeeaddict: tea,not coffee.
Staying at the Cholmondeley Arms which is an old school house converted into a pub, with a house just across the car park, which is the hotel bit.
Really lovely, in the middle of no where, but near the venue.
After settling in we drove to the Pagent of Power, I thought it was bike and car racing but turned out just one bike or car going round the track,
all types, vintage to new, not really our thing, but you had to look .
Anyway a bit of dinner in the pub, venison scotch egg, that's different. Then walk to the gig. This next bit welllllllll, I think we must attract certain things
to happen.
Walking along, then turning into the road up to the park, a security chap said, you can't go this way there has been an incident, no one else around but us,
surely we can, nope, started to walk away, he called us back and said we can get a lift in this car that had turned up, turned out it was a Mercedes
unmarked police car, jumped in the policeman put his high vis, hat and radio on me lap, put on his blue flashing light on the dash and away we went.
The incident was a para medic had died at the top of the track and they were waiting for the private ambulance to take him away. Got driven right up to the entrance and the policeman asked us not to tell anyone on the night.
Sorry if I have gone on, but it makes you think .
Really good venue area bars tea rooms, food places, very well organised. Anyway model let's get you down the front. A few spots of rain and that was it.
Come on now mini rick plug the bugger in and lets get started, and off we go another rock and roll ride, again the band are on a roll, Francis
said sorry we are a bit rusty, yeah well you have had 2 weeks off.
Don't normally do this;
Caroline
Paper Plane
Hold You Back
Rain
Rock and Roll and You
Beginning of the wotsit
Medley, I would love to have the full version of Again Again one day
Big Fat Mama
The, come on fill in the blanks
Creeping up on You
In The Army
Drums
Roll over Lay Down
Down Down
Whatever You Want
Rocking all over The World
Come on lads pop back and give us a few more
Juniors Wailing
Rock and Roll Music, leading into Bye Bye Johnny
Bloody hell now I know why I don't do 'em.
The crowd were very. responsive. Francis trying to take the piss out of Rhino and winning
You could see the band were enjoying the whole show.
Then all to quickly the school bell goes, home time.
15 minute walk back, lets have a quick drink
no draft lager, no bottles, all sold out came the answer, SLIM DUSTY CAME TO MIND
Up and away next morning, 80 mile drive to Hilton hotel , nearest I could get. Jaimie and Jodie, Son and daughter in law bought us
tickets for my birthday.
A quick rinse then lets make tracks. To be fair to the Hilton they had organised a shuttle bus to and from Download £5.00 a head, good value
With return shuttle starting at 10.30 pm. It has to drop you off at a central point about 10 minute walk away.
When you finally get into Download, you at the top of a hill and in front is just a sea of people
Jodie wanted to see Bowling For Soup, so the model stayed with her. Jaimie and I thought well stage 2 all day for us.
Sorry Inna, we did not get in till 1pm so missed your mates
All bands today are playing short sets
First for us;
Skid Row, not bad, but one of Jaimies favourites. Then meet up with the ladies for our first beer of the day, tokens only, still £4.50. though.
The models had a little heart painted on her cheek, can't leave her alone for a minute, she was chuffed with it, which makes me happy,
brings out the little girl in her, love it
Who's next
Orange Goblin :confused2: no,,!! they have been around for years, good old honest heavy metal, only 30 minutes, yet Skid Row 40 minutes !!
Monster Magnet, 2nd American band, again one of Jaimies favourites, not for me, thought they were a bit up there own bottom 40 minutes, 39 to much
The Wildhearts, this is Jaimie and Jodies absolute best band and they got us into them. a class act, great songs, they blend different types of music
together, give 'em a try. Ginger, the lead guy has talent. Only 45 minutes,
Just time for a pork and stuffing roll, well it is a festival.
Don't worry about the beers, they flowed to hell with the cost
Twisted Sister, an absolute riot, never seen them before but our companions, well it gets so hard saying Jaimie and Jodie all the time. Hold on
what was I saying, oh yeah they had seen them before supporting Alice Cooper and they had blown him off the stage.
They really had the crowd going, it was packed by the way. It was great hearing everyone singing;
"we're not gonna take it anymore"
On for an hour and I'm thinking how can you follow that.
Why did I worry.
On Status Quo strolled, the crowd stayed and more came and joined. People only viewed the crowd back to the raised disabled viewing platform, but the crowd went on behind that, right back to the food and drink tents, had to be 30,000.
Caught me out that mini rick, the blond haired wonder was all ready plugged in.
Straight into Caroline, and the crowd started jumping, we were down with them. The crowd , what a mixture of people and fantastic everyone was
enjoying the band.
The set, alright, but it's the last time, you naughty people
Caroline
Paper Plane
Medley, What your Proposing, Wild Side of Life, Railroad, Again Again, Big Fat Mamma, nearly the same as the night before
Creeping
Army,, I'm getting tired
Drums
Roll over Lay Down, I will in a minute, nearly finished
Down Down
Whatever You Want
Rocking All Over The World
Encore, come on you know it.
About an hour
Francis did say it's a short set blaming the football, which you know he hates.
As the model said, they rinsed it, where does she learn these things. They did though.
I could not understand the drum solo being in there, but as the model said what an experience for Leon, yeah it must have been she is so
sensible, still keeps me in line I suppose.
Status Quo stormed the 2nd stage and showed, even in only an hour they are the best at what they do. What a great crowd, walking out,
hearing people singing rocking all over the world lovely, makes yer feel good.
Keep it going Quo, you know we love it.
A short walk to the bus and there it was, well worth the fiver each.
Back to the hotel to watch the football and a few libations, and a bit of food, aahhh sit down for the first time in 9 or so hours lovely.
What a great weekend, and we do feel lucky that our boys and daughters in law love to be with at gigs etc, cannot wish for more
As I finish off I cannot help thinking about that poor chap, from the Cholmondeley bit, his family finding out what had happened.
It makes you realise, that nobody promises you tomorrow.
Well 4 gigs on the trot, better rest till Sundown,,,sorry Sandown.
EXTRA BIT I FORGOT
We were down the front on the right hand side, all day there was on of these big boom cameras, showing the bands and audience.
constantly on the move.
When it was right up to the stage it seemed to be right up to the band member on that side, my son noticed Rhino spent a lot
of the gig in the centre, ish. Maybe he was a little pissed off, hard to tell as he is nearly always got a smile on his chops.
Was you pissed off Rhino, you can tell me !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hope that extra was worth it.
Enjoy Life.