moments of perfection,

after weeks of intention - my nyc blogs are finally here

day one : april 29th : nyc

i arrived exactly five hours before my mate, in which i spent sat at my terminal reading glossies & sipping coffee, checking emails, rewatching goldfrapp video after goldfrapp video on my macbook & generally feeling too excited about what was in store later that night to even concentrate on anything for more than a second.


after we got into the city, we settled into our hotel, chilled out for a bit & mapped out the places we'd squeeze in a visit to before the concert (eeee!)



stop one : a cafe for a touch of lunch even though we were almost too excited to eat. two : american apparel for last minute wardrobe additions. it sucks not having any AA store less than five hours away from where you live, so we always make it a point to stop by & stock up. three : a gorgeous vintage jewellery shop in chelsea called pippin.


if you know me, you know that vintage jewellery is one my absolute favourite things in the entire world. so i was in absolute heaven & sadly due to credit card issues the first day i was only able to pick up one piece; a perfect black & gold art deco ring (photos to come soon) oh, i am in complete love with it! i never take it off.

then it was back to the pod hotel to get all fancied up for the show. as i mentioned before, being the crazy obsessed fan that i am, i handmade my own costume. well the accessories at least; a pirate hat filled with white feathers ala the seventh tree album cover & a pom pom necklace just like alison's with carefully thought over makeup & hair; smokey eyes with pink pink cheeks & of course perfectly curled tousled hair. for clothes, i wore an erin fetherston dress & vintage brown booties also a lot like alison's.
(really how obsessive am i?)


originally we had planned on taking the subway (saving money for more vintage clothes) but after only five minutes on our first train we realized something had gone horribly wrong & we were already two stops downtown from where we needed to be. so with only a half an hour before the opening act began, we break down & take a taxi. which, in the end, was a very good thing seeing how many weird looks i was already getting strolling through midtown in a pirate hat. plus this way we could just enjoy the ride, no subway worries, through central park in all our excitement. crazy enough, this whole time i still really didnt believe that goldfrapp was there & that it was all actually happening that night & it wasnt until we turned the corner onto broadway & saw this did it finally sink in.


so, naturally, we immediately jump out of the cab, screaming our lovely heads off - gathering way too much attention & jumping around like crazy, we took as many photos as we could before heading into the venue.


once inside we get our goldfrapp fan merchandise fix with a few tshirts. while purchasing we chat up the girl selling them & find out that she got to - on her lunch break no less - sit & watch goldfrapp warmup (!) seriously is there any better way to spend your lunch hour?! i then proceed to say how jealous i am of her & start asking a million questions about what alison was wearing etc, im sure she was just a little bit freaked out by me. but hey, its what i do. right before we are to head to our seats we make a quick visit over to the bar & grab a bottled water for our bound to be dead throats by the end of the night.


im pretty sure the beacon is one of the most gorgeous places ive ever been in - this coming from a girl whos been to many castles in eastern europe - but i think more so than the sheer gorgeousness of it all was this atmosphere it seemed to possessed. it was absolutely stunning. alison knows how to pick a venue. the interior design/architect aficionado came out in me & i could not stop snapping photos.








after finding our seats we had to sit & wait an agonizing hour before the main event began; suffering first through a horrific opening act (nothing compares to goldfrapp) & then thirty minutes spent chatting with all the fellow fans i knew & texting the ones i hadnt seen yet. when finally, finally, we hear the beginning of jefferson airplane's triad & we know it is all about to begin. one by one the band finds their spot on stage, when out comes the reason we both travelled thousands of miles & spent hundreds of dollars to see, she is there in front of my own eyes, complete with her infamous mass of golden curls, alison goldfrapp is standing at the mic, & when that laugh fills the air - i immediately burst into tears & cant seem to get ahold of myself until the first track is complete. it was one of those cries that you cry out of pure absolute joy. i have never been happier in my entire life than i was at that moment.



quickly though, i dry my tears & find myself up dancing, screaming & jumping about like mad. i screamed out about a million "i love you alison"s & even managed to scream out a "you're so sexy alison...oh my god!" which lead to many laughs throughout the theatre. & later even a few mentions on various blogs. even though i was determined to stay up & jumping the entire show, sadly not everyone had that on their agenda & it was only when 'number 1' played did everyone get up, with their number ones held high in the air & start dancing. it was like an infectious wave & for the rest of the night it was madness. alison was happy to see it saying - "i'm glad to see you all standing up. i was so fucking far away from you."




following 'number 1' was 'strict machine', & the absolute highlight of the night for me. being down on orchestra level made it even better, i was right in the middle of this sea of people, of heads bopping up & down, the lights were flashing, the bass was so loud it felt as if it were running through my veins & i swear not one person was not totally taken with the music. it was like being on the best, most energetic dancefloor ever. it was the most amazing feeling ive ever felt.



i dont really know what it is about 'utopia' but it seems to be the kind of song that really breaks you in as a bonafide goldfrapp fan. first it was me, then it was a skeptical friend of mine who thought my little obsession was just silly talk, who actually called me crying after he had had a listen, saying he finally understood what it was all about & that he finally "got it". seeing it performed live was just as, if not more amazing, as it was when i had also first "got it" how many ever years ago. perhaps it was just the way the light suddenly came up from behind & shown through her hair, as she perfectly belted out that high note but it sent a million shivers down my spine & spread goosebumps all over my body. it was like experiencing that feeling all over again. almost simultaneously i feel liz grab my hand & when i looked over i saw she had tears in her eyes. i knew that she had just "gotten it" as well.



one of the best things about live shows are just that - they are live & anything can happen. especially when the night is hosted by alison goldfrapp. its the perfect opportunity to see all her quirks & dive-esque blow ups happen right in front of you - even if it is in the middle of a song, she is definitely not afraid to speak her mind. (one of the many reasons i adore her)

&, of course, that night was no exception. after a smooth beginning, we start to notice that somethings wrong during the performance of 'road to somewhere', when alison starts making very rude & sharp hand gestures toward the soundbooth behind the stage (im pretty sure it was poor old will back there) for whatever reason - everything seemed fine from my view. near the end of the song alison stops singing & walks closer in view of the soundbooth, making those hand gestures again. she then returns back to the mic to finish off the song & when we think everythings back to normal, alison buries her face in her hands & as she lets out the last note - loudly exclaims an extremely exaggerated & pronunciated "fuck" & walks back over to the man at the soundbooth. they spend a few moments working out whatever was wrong when alison comes back into the light & apologizes, laughing & saying it was all due to "technical crap".
oh, she is so cute when she is mad!


but along with all the madness ensues those alison moments that just make her who she is & who we all love so much - following the pre encore applause (almost three full minutes spent clapping & yelling) alison returns to the stage holding a glass, saying "well i thought i deserved some wine." which lead the audience to respond with "yes! of course!", "hell yeah", "fuck yeah" & "shes the coolest" those were only a few of the things i could hear from my seat.



it all ended quite perfectly, alison thanked us all for being "amazing", saying she hopes to be back soon when she "hasn't got a cold", & even ran her hand across the front row touching some very lucky fans (including a few friends of mine) - something she has never done at a gig. she then turns to leave but forgets her wine glass up by the mic. quickly she grabs it & before disappearing behind the curtain for the last time that night, alison goldfrapp raises her glass to the audience for a final farewell toast. oh, amour!

///

as soon as the lights came up i was determined to find my friend andrew who lives in nyc & whom i hadnt seen for months & also another mate of mine to congratulate him on touching alison's hand (!) & to see the photos he took for me up there in the front row, but crazy enough, i could not seem to be able to even leave my row for the longest time because, as people flooded out, they kept asking to take pictures of me, with me, etc. (one guy even said something like "well if i cant get the real alison" aww!) i even got snapped by a photographer for the village voice who said she would try & get me mentioned the next morning in her goldfrapp story. (sadly she didnt) it was definitely the costume.


this whole frenzy continued out into the lobby & all the way out the front of the beacon where i even got called a “baby alison” by a passerby as i leaned onto the building, smoking a cig, chatting away with the loads of goldfrapp fans about how amazing the show was. i think it was the best compliment i have ever & will ever recieve.

amongst the sea of fans, i was happy to know that i wasnt the only one dressed up for the occasion. & he just happened to be someone i knew through the internet world of goldfrapp fans.


- my goldfrapp friend in crime, liz & i outside the beacon -


after a good hour of chatting & laughing about all things goldfrapp, i find myself freezing in my sheer dress & bare legs & liz's feet are killing her after jumping about for two hours in three inch heels so we decide to get another taxi & head back to the hotel.

(if you look closely you can see me - right in the center)

///

after a lovely ride through the city lights we arrive back at the pod hotel,


i immediately call up the only other person i know whos as crazy & obsessed with goldfrapp as i am. (you know who you are) he sadly could not make it up to nyc that week to see the show with me, so as im chatting to him, giving away every detail, liz gets in the shower (this detail becomes important later) only to come back & tell me how amazing they are. which they really were, with its streaming music & all. so after my multiple calls to friends & family i head into the shower as well. after all we had both been up now close to 21 hours with only 45 minutes sleep, & felt we needed a major clean up. so after we are both finally feeling a bit refreshed but also left a bit famished - we decide to check out the french bistro downstairs. in a desperate attempt to "chic up" our pjs, we throw on cardigans & belts over our sleep shirts to look somewhat presentable to the nyc public. once at the front desk we ask where this little bistro is & get only blank stares until finally they remember what we are talking about & point us in the direction of a hidden door on the other side of the lounge. we open the door & suddenly realize that we are standing in the back of a kitchen, gathering even more weird looks we find our way through the restaurant to a table. we had assumed that the bistro would be somewhat casual, mind you, we are both still in our pajamas, fresh out of the shower without a trace of makeup on our faces, but this place was incredibly chic & completely filled with foreigners - we were the only (slightly embarrassed) americans there. after a long while waiting we are greeted only to be told rudely to move across the room to another table by a man with an impossible to understand french accent because we are sitting at a "table for four & should sit at a table for two". we move & finally after a few more awkward instances with the french man we order & enjoy a fabulous french dinner complete with salmon fume et son fromage de cherve, tartine de brie au miel & the best diet coke i ever had.



XOXO, A.


day two to follow soon


photo credit : the village voice photographer : at gabiporter.com
& amanda nanawa for her blog & that perfect number 1 capture