On Tour With MCR Pt.3

At half 7, I ran to the bus and changed into my concert clothes. A pair of battered New Rock boots, a short tartan skirt with a black petticoat, a tight fitting neon green shirt with black fishnet sleeves and a pair of ripped up fishnet tights. I had worn this outfit to almost every rock concert I had ever been to. Needless to say, they showed the signs of wear. At 8 o'clock, the band and I headed for the backstage area. They were due on at half nine, and as I had a place in the photographers' pit, I had no need to leave backstage any earlier than that. I wasn't interested in the support act, as I would be seeing them every night for the UK stint of the tour, and could catch up on their performances easily. At half eight, the band started preparing. Ray, Frank and Mikey flexed their fingers and mimed chords in the air, the touring drummer warmed up his wrists and elbows, and Gerard sang notes, preparing his vocal cords. At 9 o'clock, Mikey shouted;
"High fives, people!" The whole group, including the sound tech men and women and the lighting crew got into two lines. I stood back. Frank turned to me.
"What are you waiting for?" He asked, making a space for me next to him. I was taken aback and still a little shell-shocked from the whole 'meeting my idols' thing. I stood next to him, feeling a little awkward and out of place.
"HIGH FIVES!" Gerard yelled, raising his arm and giving the person next to him a high five. I cottoned on just in time, and slapped the hand of the tech guy next to me. We walked forward and turned, so that we each high fived every member of the group, several times. By the time we were done, it was quarter past 9.
"Lauren, I think it's time you got into that photo pit." Ray smiled. "The door's over there." He pointed to an open door that led to a set of stairs with another door at the bottom. "Go right and through the door opposite you- you'll come out at the end of the pit." At that moment, Minnie rushed in.
"Lauren, I'll show you where you're seated!" Ray grinned at me as Minnie prodded me in the back with a talon-like nail and practically pushed me through the doors and down the stairs. We walked through the door at the bottom, turned right and went through the other door. The first thing that hit me was the heat. Backstage, it was air conditioned and cool to keep the band comfortable. It was like an oven in the arena. Minnie pulled my arm and directed me to a seat next to the barrier with a bottle of water next to it.
"You'll be there!" She shouted, barely audible over the raucous noise the crowd were making. "When the band comes on, feel free to jump about a bit... Just try not to get in the photographers' way. They're ratty little buggers." She grinned at me, then disappeared through the door. I sat in the chair, painfully aware of the screaming fangirls standing behind me.  I watched as a curtain was constructed in front of the stage and the sound technicians did their final checks. The stage emptied. There were a few moments of silence, and then the crowd began to chant;
"MCR! MCR! MCR! MCR! MCR!" Thousands of voices joining in unison. "MCR! MCR! MCR!MCR! MCR!" It was beautiful. Finally, the tension was broken by opening riff of their first song. Ray, Frank and Mikey were playing their hearts out, and Gerard was singing like there was no tomorrow. The concert had begun. Already, girls were being lifted over the barrier, crushed into submission, or simply unconscious from the heat. I watched as a girl was lifted from just next to me.
"Need a hand?" I mouthed to the female marshal lifting her.
"Sure!" She mouthed back. Together, we hoisted the girl over. She was handed to another marshal, who held her up and took her to the side of the stage where other casualties were being cared for. I continued like that for the rest of the concert, helping to lift fans over the barrier. Toward the end of the concert, the music stopped, and I headed back for my sear. Just as I was about to sit down, Gerard spoke to the crowd.
"Hello London!" He cried, his voice silencing the crowd. "We hope you're all well, and keeping it ugly!" A cheer followed his speech. "Now, I hope you're all having a great night." Another cheer. "I'd like to introduce you to a friend of mine. She's gonna get up here and sing a song with me." The crowd cheered, but not as loud. "She's on tour with us at the moment. Her name is Lauren. Give it up for Lauren!" Before I knew what was happening, I was lifted up by a pair of marshals and hoisted onto the stage. A technician ran on holding a second microphone, which he shoved roughly into my hand. Gerard crouched down and spoke to me. "Do you know the words to Our Lady Of Sorrows?" He asked urgently.
"Of course I do. It's one of my favourites." I smiled at him nervously. I was fully aware of the eyes on me.
"Don't get too nervous; they'll like you more if you're a bit cocky." Gerard grinned and turned to the band. "1 2 3 4!" The guitars kicked in, loud and proud. I forced a confident grin, and Gerard started singing. "We could be perfect one last night, and die like star crossed lovers when we fight…" I realised that I should be singing too.
"And we could settle this affair, if you would shed your yellow take my hand…" The words fell from my mouth with ease. I could see why Gerard enjoyed performing so much. The crowd were loving it. Gerard started heading for one side of the stage, so I went to the opposite, singing into the crowd. "Stand up fucking tall…" I started to jump. I glanced to the side and saw Frank next to me. He winked and started to 'Frank out'. "I'll make you understand…" Me and Gerard switched sides, high fiving each other as we went. I thrashed around as I sang, enjoying myself more and more. I stopped singing for the bridge, so that Gerard was singing alone, and joined in when I thought I could. "Stand. Take my fucking hand…" Gerard started to walk back into the centre, so I did the same. We faced the crowd, singing together. "Just because my hands are round your throat!" Gerard dipped into a low bow, and I did the same. I ran to the side of the stage, handed the microphone to the technician, and climbed off of the stage, going back to my seat and taking a long drink from my bottle of water. On stage, Gerard was doing the same. I felt someone tap me on the back, so I turned around.
"Do you have any idea how lucky you are?!" A girl, not much older than me, asked.
"Hell yeah!" I answered, grinning. She smiled back.
"Looks like they're about to finish up." She was right. The band began playing Summertime, and Gerard began singing again. When they finished , the band filed off, and Gerard sang Cancer. Many of the fans shed tears and waved phones or lighters in the air. The band came back out for a rendition of Vampires Will Never Hurt You, and with a final bow, they were gone. I headed through the door to the backstage area again, turning left and going up the stairs and through the other door. I was greeted by smiles from the band, who were gleaming with sweat.
"Congrats." Ray grinned. "You just sang in front of eleven thousand people."
"Don't remind me…" I replied with a smile.
"You weren't too shabby, for a midget!" Frank laughed as he ruffled my hair. Oh yes, I am small enough that Frank can call me a midget.
"Nice one." Mikey smiled.
"You, my dear, were a-mazing!" Gerard grinned and high fived me. "Not many 16 year olds would've done that!" I smiled.
"Thanks…" The band laughed.
"You look exhausted." Gerard grinned. "There's a ladies room over there." He pointed to a door with a little woman's silhouette on it. "There's a shower in there. Minnie put all your toiletries and PJs in there ready for you." I smiled again.
"I'll have to thank her later." I yawned. "Best go get ready for bed then." I walked into the ladies, showered and brushed my teeth, changing into the AC/DC pyjamas that I'd packed, and wrapping my dressing gown around myself. I slipped my feet back into my New Rocks and gathered my things up, heading outside to the tour bus. I walked past the hoards of fans that had gathered in the hope of getting autographs from their idols and climbed onto the bus, ditching my concert clothes, toiletries and towel in the storage room and heading for the sleeping quarters. I climbed into bed and shut the privacy curtains. This was going to be a fun six months…