she was heartache from the moment that you met her

http://www.flickr.com/photos/raymilauren/4879217066/in/photostream/

felt a little old this weekend. it’s like every loaded parent dropped their kid off in every colour of the rainbow and sayonara’d on out of there til sunday. good thing teenagers are still in the too stupid and young stage to realize a fleet of grandmas was on their turf. i felt like i skipped my teens entirely, i missed out on a lot by chasing geezer yuppies in the city during adolescence so it was all new to me this wakestock experience. normal kid stuff like festivals and walking around with your hoodie’s drawstring in your mouth like a fucking retard, i never did that, so it was nice to roll around high roller style and take part. you know how everyone whines (wankers) about first class spoiling you making coach practically impossible to tolerate well it’s like that with all access at shows, and when you go to a lot (which i did for a time) if you have to spend more than 5 minutes with general admission it’s pretty easy to throw a hissy fit. so i look at festivals and shows like flights, but not as insane as some people i used to attend shows with. i DO enjoy walking around general admission area, that’s where the action is, while backstage is great and fancy and desired, it’s not balls to the wall cocaine buffets and tvs out hotel windows anymore. it can be a little boring and tedious. the strongest drug back there is a can of monster. pretty much. the thing that is most coveted about all access/media/photo pit is the special treatment i gather. you can be a complete somebody at some venues and a complete nobody at others. saw a few hipster-looking types standing at the backstage gates with downright sour looks on their faces, could tell they were used to first class concert flights experience, felt bad. nothing i could do though. in summation, if you’re old like us but missed out on youthy things (or wakestock didn’t exist when you were a teen) and want to experience this weird ride for yourselves, the way to go about it is lodge with a crew, no camping, hit the bars at night, fully immerse with your peers for the weekend ie. jocks. put a check on your laundry list of retarded shit to do before you die. i’ve never been to disneyland/world, don’t think i’m not going to hit that like a tsunami before i turn 30.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/raymilauren/4878605373/in/photostream/

which is why the blondnoxious crew was welcome with open arms, kind of a throwback to the good old groupie confusion days. i feel like we genuinely brightened some spirits walking around and around and givin’er this way and that. shit show when the time called for it. too much beer though. sick of beer. i AM a beer now.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/raymilauren/4879221928/in/photostream/

i got crabby right around the time before public enemy and was this close to demanding a lift back to home base. i don’t fucking care about public enemy i already saw them backstage got my photos done and done. realised how much of a magnificent idiot i’d be to pass on that and am ever so glad i wised up. that performance was amazing.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/raymilauren/4879212838/

also can you believe we had our own handler/babysitter by the name of jonathan? hilarious. i bet he never wants to see blonde hair ever fucking again or be near a camera. what a trooper that guy.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/raymilauren/4878632461/in/photostream/

ok i’ma blast this off then play catch up on some other things like going through a billion skateboard photos and sighing reminiscently.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/raymilauren/4878630209/in/photostream/

flav did that specifically for me. was doing this whole staring up at the heavens getting into zen pre-performance mode then saw me goofing on his shit. nobody one-ups a hype man i guess.

oh and i had no idea the comments were turned off that last post before i went away. it wasn’t intentional so if you want to say anything go ahead, if not, no worries.

+++

Hey Raymi,

As for all the weirdo web haters who judge you based on any negative connotation or idea that they think that they can connect you to, please know that (although i don’t know you personally and don’t presume to) who you are comes through quite clearly for those who choose to read your blog thoughtfully and without bias attached to who they think you are or who they think you should be. Hope that makes sense.

oh i forgot to link this, mel and i were in the globe and mail on friday.

carly’s coverage of day one.