hey sinister, I have been meaning to share my Belle and Sebastian experience as Rachel did but then all this nightmare began (BTW Rachel, I'm so glad that I sold my tickets to you, a true fan who had the time of her life.) Anyways as Rachel said I went to both nights in LA and was mezmerized at how great they were, the second night even topped the first which i didn't think was possible. There have already been many reviews of the shows so I won't focus on that but it was what happened after the show that was amazing. After the show my friend Garrett and I were going to get food and pick up a friend of his that lives right near the Wiltern. It turns out he wasn't there and we drove behind the Wiltern where the bands rowdees were loading their stuff. So i asked my friend if he wanted to wait with the group of people that was there and he asked if i had anything for them to sign...turned out i had the Tigermilk and Sinister booklets in my car (fate). So we waited from about 11 till 12 and then Sarah came out, we went over to her and she signed stuff and then got in a taxi and left, next was Mick, then Bob, Chris, Stevie, and then lastly was Stuart. Isobel somehow managed to slip out right after the show, which bummed me out. I think she was drunk and wanted to go drink more. Anyways we took pictures with them and chatted and they signed everyones stuff and they were all so incredibly nice and humble. While Stuart was signing stuff the manager (i think) came over and was going to take him away to the Bounty Bar but he said that since we waited so long that he would finish up and then walk over there. He invited us all to come along and most went. We walked right next to him and talked the whole time about things such as what they have been doing in Cali, where they are going, and a bunch of different things. Then when we got there they were all drinking and socializing at different tables. Isobel was there in the corner looking cute as ever. Stuart was going to buy drinks but i told him i wanted to buy him one and so i got him a Jack and Coke. He was going to sit with us but he got bombarded with fans and questions. It was already 1:20 a.m. when we got there and then last call came and then the bar closed and we all shuffled out to the street. Before it closed however i got Isobel to sign my album and then i took a picture with her. Some guy was talking to her and then she gave him the digits when he was leaving (lucky bastard). As a result of this she is my new unattainable crush. Stuart hung around a bit and then cut out and said he was tired and they had to head to San Francisco the next day. I can't stress how nice a group of people B&S are. Fortuanately I will always have the memories because it turns out my film was ruined and my pictures didn't develop. -tim --- Rachel <blind_lisa@yahoo.com> wrote:
Hello SINISTER! First off, I have to tell you how wonderful I think you all are... especially in light of the recent tragedy. A lot of Americans are so ethnocentric that they have no clue that regular people in other countries are profoundly effected by this. They have no contacts outside their communities. I have shared some of your stories with people I know, and they were amazed. Also, even though some of you posted opinions that maybe were misinterpreted (like Adam), I find it extremely interesting and oddly soothing to really think about this from a lot of different points of view. I thank you all for the perspective you've given me, it has helped me deal with this.
NOW FOR A LITTLE STORY... THE FOLLOWING IS A VERY DETAILED ACCOUNT OF MY EXPERIENCE SEEING BELLE AND SEBASTIAN ON SEPTEMBER 6TH IN LOS ANGELES...WARNING: IT IS VERY LONG!!!!!!!
I live in the suburbs of Los Angeles. Three years ago I was on Sinister, and I actually had to sell my tickets I had for both New York shows (I had to move suddenly, so I couldn't afford the trip.) I have not been on the list since then, until 3 weeks ago. I was checking the website to see when the next b&s release would be, and I read that they were playing 2 shows in L.A. the following week. I FREAKED OUT! I knew the shows had to be sold out, but I was determined to get in to see them somehow. I rejoined Sinister right away, vowing that I would never EVER turn my back on it again!!!!
Then, I saw a post that Tim Plumley had 2 extra tickets for the second show to sell me and I was ECSTATIC! (thanks, Tim!) They were general admission tickets, too. Probably better tickets than I would have gotten had I known about the show when the tickets went on sale!
Thursday morning, the day of the show, I was at work and I got a phone call from my boyfriend, Dustin. He said he had bad news, and that he'd just gotten into a car accident. I was afraid he was hurt, but he wasn't. Then I was afraid that he couldn't go to the show with me, but he just asked if I could come pick him up (he's away at school now, going to the ArtCenter, which isn't too far from the venue) I arranged to leave work early so we could get there without any panic. I hate when I get panicked, I get all uptight and bitchy. The next obstacle was getting out of work early. I find that most art departments are fairly lax about the comings and goings of the graphic designers as long as there are no tight deadlines pending, I have only worked for this company for a little over 3 months and I hated to ask for special favors, but I HAD TO!!! They didn't have a problem with my early departure. I think I was driving them all crazy because I just kept saying "OH MY GOD!!! In __ hours, I will be seeing them!!!" and I think they were glad to get rid of me!
I got to Dustin's and he was not sure if he should wear a tie. I was wearing a tie, and I told him he looks so sexy in a tie... we both went in ties. (We tend to dress up for everything! It's a compulsion!) We amazingly found our way to the venue even though neither of us can drive our way out of a paper bag (*see "car accident" from earlier that morning!) It was as if we had a homing device, always figuring out the correct turns in the unfamiliar territory! I usually have to leave at least 30 minutes early when I'm going somewhere new, or going from a different direction. We were both in high spirits, especially because it was so easy to get there.
We had no problem finding Tim and his friend Garrett, and we got our tickets and stood in line talking about the show that Tim had seen the night before. I was practically bursting with excitement! Soon we were going inside!! The entire floor of seats and the pit area were for general admission ticket holders, but only those who lined up at the venue early and got wristbands were allowed into the pit. The rest of us got to choose our seats anywhere else on the floor. Dustin and I ended up toward the center, second row. I couldn't believe we were sitting there, and to think, we almost missed the show!!
"People watching" at a Belle & Sebastian show is great! Usually, when I'm people watching, I try to find those who look like Belle & Sebastian fans, but being in a crowd of them was an overload! We admired lots of great hairdo's, outfits and glasses! So many cute people! We were very entertained by Jonathan Richman. It's so weird because the other designer I work with was just talking about him, and I had never heard of him before. She had made a little mini sculpture/doll/model of him for the movie 'There's Something About Mary' but they ended up not using the footage. Anyway, he was really funny and dorky and cool. At first, we didn't know what to think of him, but by the end we were totally into it.
When Belle & Sebastian took the stage, everyone stood up and I just put my hands up to my mouth and I almost started crying. I couldn't believe how great they all looked and sounded! I was delighted to see that Isobel wasn't the skinny model type (surprised? um, I should listen closer to "Family Tree" !) She has such a gorgeous face and a cute body!!! She was wearing a navy and white striped shirt and had her hair pulled back. Her eyelashes are MILES long! Sarah looks so young, she has a doll face. Stuart was wearing a very cute outfit, I can't remember exactly what, but I know that he was well dressed and showing off his figure nicely. I think it was brown pants and a cream colored button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up (not like with a cigarette packet rolled up in it like Fonzie, more like Brett Anderson from Suede circa 1995. Oh wait, that's Fonzie again, isn't it!)... Stuart's so handsome. Stevie was wearing jeans and a black t-shirt and he looked adorable as well. Chris looks so cute in glasses! It was funny when Stuart made a comment about his glasses and Chris said he didn't have time to put in his contact lenses. Richard and the rest were equally as adorable and, God, they sound just like the albums, only better!!!!! But BOBBY, let me tell you, was the biggest shock to me. He's GORGEOUS. I had no idea. He had his rocker hairdo and a tight t-shirt on, and he's just adorable... his face is perfection. It was really cute, because at one point during the show, I can't remember what song it was, Isobel and Bobby were sitting off to the side, waiting to stand up and do the hand clapping, and they were saying hello to some kids in the pit. Isobel said something to Bobby and he was laughing and she looked at him with such an expression of adoration, it made me wonder if there wasn't some romance between them! So cute
It was great during "Jonathan David" when Stevie took the record cover from a fan in the front row and started singing to the picture!!! When he tried to fling it back to them, he missed, or it hit them, I couldn't really tell. He and Stuart kept apologizing!
After about 3 songs, Stuart was talking to the crowd. He commented on how there were some well dressed people out there. He was looking out at everyone and said something along the lines of "You, out there with the tie and what is that, a vest or something...it's great, thanks for dressing up!" Yeah, Dustin just looked at me like "is he really talking to me?" and I just laughed in amazement. Dustin said thanks and waved. Then Stuart said "and the girl next to you, she's smartly dressed as well, are you his girlfriend?" and I looked at Dustin and said "oh yeah!" and Stuart said he thought so and I said "but I'll be YOUR girlfriend!" and Stuart said "oh, I'm spoken for, but thanks!" ARRRGGGHHHH!!!! So cute!!! At that point I was feeling really elated, mixed with a feeling of insecurity, wondering how Stuart could have seen us well enough to notice our outfits!!! We both were extremely flattered.
I was almost brought to tears again when they played "Fox in the Snow"... it was so PERFECT. They were going to play a cover song and Stuart said it was a band from California, at least, he thinks they were from California, he hopes so! Their version of "Creeque Alley" by the Mamas and the Papas was really great, they sounded just like them.. When the girls sang the line "in a coffee house Sebastian sat", and when the boys sang "Sebastian is off Lovin' Spoonful" they really emphasised the Sebastian part and it was really cool how perfect the song was for them to be singing! When they played "Dirty Dream Number Two" Stuart forgot to get someone from the audience up there to sing the "In a town so small..." part, so it was omitted. And when Stuart had the girl (was her name Tina?) come up onstage to sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" it was so cute, and the whole crowd was singing along loudly, and you could see it on their faces that they were pleased to get such participation! The girl got an autographed === message truncated ===
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