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Alex Gaskarth

March 7th/8th. The best weekend of my life!

15:08

Exactly one week ago, I experienced most probably the best weekend of my life. I'm not even exaggerating. I had been waiting for that weekend since November? And it was definitely worth the wait. That weekend was the very first concert I had ever been to, and to make things even better it was the first time I got to meet and see my favourite band on Earth, All Time Low.

 It started on Friday, where my friend, Cloudie, her boyfriend John and myself traveled to HMV London in Oxford Circus to meet All Time Low at a signing. I honestly couldn't focus the few hours I had to spend at college before leaving for London. At first I felt incredibly sad because Cloudie drew the guys a picture and I was sad because, that was my idea along with a letter. Her drawing was amazing and mine was awful. However, after arriving to London and getting myself excited let me forget about that drawing (even though she kept telling everybody in the queue and the people around her that it was bad) but anyway that's not the point. I wasn't really bothered when I went into the signing room because we were just waiting. Then suddenly everyone stops singing and just starts to scream, I turn around and see the band walk out of a room to the signing table. I was near the back but I saw them walk out and wave to other fans. I think that was when I became extremely happy with excitement and seeing them for the first time in person. As the queue moved forward slowly all I could hear was screaming fan girls and quiet music, to which I sang along to quietly to myself. Every so often I'd look at the girls who had just met the band and were walking out crying, I was really confused as to why they were crying because they were just 4 grown men who make music  the best music ever! As I slowly approached the front of the queue, one of the men who was working with HMV told me that I could only have one thing signed which worried me because I had bought a birthday card for my best friend, Connor, to give to him as a birthday present as they are his favourite band too. I asked the man if I could have that signed too and he just told me to ask the All Time Low management crew guy. I was really worried and still really excited, my friends behind me and a few other fans were asking me what I had asked the man and why I had a birthday card, I told them why and they said that I was the bestest friend ever because of the effort/ lengths I went to to try and do this for Connor. I did ask the management guy and he just said "YEAH SURE!" and took the card and put it on the table for them to sign. Anyway, it was finally my turn and Jack Barakat was first up on the table. I instantly kind of shoved my letter into his face (it was for the whole band and crew) accidentally without saying anything. He then said 'hey' and asked how I was. I was so overwhelmed I stared at him and just said "I'm really good thank you." He then put his hand out, I looked at it and then shook it, I'm not going to lie but I really did not want to let go. I then moved onto Rian Dawson and whilst I moved on I just blurted out "OKAY WOW" I smiled at Rian and said hi and moved on to Alex and said hi to him too and smiled again, I really wanted to shake their hands but I was really worried because they didn't hold their hand out like Jack did, so I moved onto Zack at the end. I told him that I was seeing them play the next day and then told him that I loved his harmonies with Alex. He then said to me "thank you, I will try my best at them tomorrow" he sounded really bored and like he didn't want to talk to me, but I think he was just a bit tired, I don't know. It didn't really bother me. But then as I walked away to wait for Cloudie and John, I felt so overwhelmed with happiness because I had just met my heroes that I just started to cry. And I mean really cry. Cloudie saw me and gave me a hug and then asked what was wrong. I just laughed because I didn't know why? I guess I was just so happy and overwhelmed by meeting the band that has understood  and generally made me feel happy.




Then the next day I traveled to Brixton Academy to go and see All Time Low live for the first time on their very first UK date for the 'A Love Like War Tour.' I knew that Connor was going with his girlfriend and my very close friend, Amy. I arrived two hours before them and at this point the queue was three quarters of the way down the first part of the venue, so in a way I was near the front. And I can happily say that I am glad that I got there when I did. I met some cool people in the line whilst waiting. I was texting Connor, asking him when they were going to arrive in Brixton, and they had only just left. So I said that they could join me in the queue considering by this time the line had started making its way round the venue. They were really grateful and when they arrived, they had bought me lunch and some water to drink. I gave Connor his card, after telling him that he could have it then or on his birthday. He opened it and said "is that meant to be me?" when he looked at the front of the card which was an old guy holding a toilet seat, underneath read 'awkward family photos' he then opened the card and saw that the band had signed the card. The slogan read 'happy birthday and all that crap' and on top of the word 'crap' Alex drew a ';)' face. I could see that he was happy and again the people around me told me that I was a really good friend. Connors reply to that was "well that's happened then" in best friend language that meant "wow, thank you." He has this thing where he won't so any affection to the things I do for him, if that makes sense?
 Anyway, by the time we get into the venue, we were one of the first few people in, and by the time the first band had played and Tonight Alive came on, us three were at least 3 rows from the front. Tonight Alive were amazing! Connor and I sang all the words to their songs and we were the first people/crowd to have ever heard their brand new song. Technically, Connor and I were the first people/fans to hear it because we were next to the stage doors and we heard them sound check the song.
By the time All Time Low came on, I got separated from Connor and Amy, I was 2/3 rows from the front and they were at least 6/7 rows. It got really worrying because people were pushing and shoving just to be near the front and I was getting crushed along with other girls around me. So I moved back next to Connor. During every song though, we instantly looked at each other as each song started to play and just smiled because we knew what it was going to be. We smiled and started to sing and clap and jump and pound our fists in to the air. I was so happy to be watching our favourite band together. We both looked so happy. The concert was simply indescribable. There were dick jokes and just so much singing and dancing. I don't think I have ever been happier than I was that night. And I think what made that night much more remarkable and memorable was sharing that moment with my best friends.




(my photos)

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