The Post-Apocalypse (APOst)
Review of Apocalyptica concert in Den Haag (by Regje)
30 November 2005
We arrived at the venue at 10 ‘o clock in the morning. Of course we were the first ones there.
At about 10:40 we saw the tour bus coming from afar. It was a very narrow street where they had to be and Uli got out of the bus to stop other cars *grin*.
Soon Mikko, Antero and some crew members came out of the bus and went for a walk. They also came back, but at a very unlucky moment. It was raining a little bit, but Varda and we didn't have an umbrella, so we were trying to find some shelter under a plastic trash bag. At some point the wind blew it off us, revealing us again and right at that point Mikko and Antero walked past us and Mikko said “hello”.
We waited till 14:40. Varda, Elviira and me then went to the backstage entrance. Sunday Varda and we were supposed to have an interview with Paavo. Only they gave us the wrong time (17:00 and it was supposed to be at 15:00). Luckily we could do the half hour interview today then. Elviira just wanted to ask something to Uli (she had a present for Paavo).
Uli told Elviira she just had to wait at the tour bus or something, because Paavo was still sleeping. He told Varda and me Perttu would do the interview instead. At first we were like: oh no. Because in many interviews you only see Eicca talking and Perttu is really quiet and looks at the ground and stuff…
Uli told us to follow him to a dressing room were we could interview Perttu. Elviira just walked with us and nobody said anything about that so she sneaked herself inside too *grin*.
At about 14:50 Perttu entered the room. He introduced himself and we introduced ourselves too and started the interview. At first Perttu was starting at the ground and playing with his coffee and cigarette and lighter (at one point he even wanted to put ash from his cigarette in the ashtray, but only then noticed the cigarette wasn't even lit *grin*). I also had trouble to really listen to him.
But soon it got better. Perttu seemed to be more comfortable and talked better and actually started looking at us. After about 20 minutes Uli came in to see how it was going and Perttu gave him the thumbs up. So the interview went on and Perttu even started smiling really sweetly at us. He talked really openly about himself. That was so cool (we will write the interview down sometime).
After about another 15 minutes Uli came back in to sign the time was up, but Perttu was like: “but it's fun talking to these nice girls. It's not boring like other interviews.” That was so cool! So we talked some more and after asking everything we had prepared and talked a bit about Lord of the Rings we ended it and hugged him (he looked so sweet :D ). It was then already 16:15, so we talked to him for almost 1,5 hour!!!
We used the toilet there and went back into the cold where we waited till 19:30 for the doors to open. I found myself a nice spot in the front row in the middle of the stage. There were little signs on the stage saying to keep away from the stage in case of danger of bows *grin*
Of course we just stood against the stage, but at some point security ordered us to step back a bit. And they wanted us to keep that distance to the stage :S Why they didn't just put fences then…
Apocalyptica came on stage at 20:30 and played the same set list as Sunday. And it was great again. With even Antero getting up at the end, Paavo singing Enter Sandman to me, Mikko threw me a drumstick across the stage right to me (I had a little banner made where I asked for one), Eicca rubbing his bow in Paavo's ass and then there was Perttu.
He came on stage and when he saw Varda and me he smiled so sweetly to us :D *melt*. During the concert he kept making contact with us and sang Life Burns to me and even started screaming to me at some point while bending down over the crowd (some stupid girl from behind me started touching his hair). When he was done screaming he looked at me so incredibly sweet, I actually got little butterflies in my stomach. He was so flirty all the time with us and he did a hell good job at that. *sigh*
After the show I bought myself the lanyard thingy and went outside to wait at the tourbus, where we had to wait till about 23:30 or so. They came out the venue and went straight in the tourbus, but of course they came out again. When Perttu saw me standing there he smiled so sweet again :D I got my drumstick signed by Mikko and my Reflections revised booklet by all. And of course pictures with all. Eicca gave a little squeeze after the pic was taken and Perttu? Well, he looks so sweet in the pic. When he signed my CD booklet he wrote his name on it and I thought he was done, but he was like “no , wait I have to add something” and he wrote a little heart under it. I could have kissed him on the cheeks at that point but of ourse I didn't dare. I did thank him again for the wonderful day and gave him another hug *yay*.
Eicca told us the DVD will be recorded in Düsseldorf instead of Erfurt, so yeah, call me insane, but I ordered my ticket this morning :D It would be great to be there at the recording and of course I want to see Perttu again. I may not be Mexican and don't want to marry him, but right now I'm heavily infected by the Perttu virus. I'm so extremely excited and on such an adrenaline rush, I wonder if I ever will calm down.
This was a most wonderful experience and I guess I am just lucky :D
So now, I will go take a look at my pictures.
*bounce bounce bounce*