Being Discriminated Against Once Again!!!

Guess what?! I can't go to another gig because I'm disabled and use a wheelchair!

Recently, my younger sister and her friend wished to attend two different concerts at the O2 ABC in Glasgow. Due to events having specific age limits both girls were deemed as too young to attend unless accompanied by someone over the age of 18. I'm 18 now which means by rights I can take on the big sister role and attend gigs such as these ones with my younger sister. Sadly, this would be the case if I were abled-bodied and didn't use a wheelchair.

On hearing of the gigs I visited the O2 ABC's website to gather the necessary information regarding purchasing wheelchair access tickets for the events. Most venues have specific policies for people like me who have specific access needs regarding ticket purchases and I completely support the policies considering previous experiences with other venues who openly sold disabled access tickets online to everybody and anybody that could find them. As I scrolled through the website I came across a statement that stated the following message 'We're sorry to inform you that our lift is temporarily out of order. Operating over four floors, our custom-built lift currently has a mechanical fault at ground level and requires a full replacement'. The statement also asked that any customers with access requirements please contact them in advance prior to purchasing tickets. So I did and asked them if it would be likely that the lift would be back in full working order by February (the date of the first gig that I wish to attend). I later received a response stating 'unfortunately we have no definitive date on when the new lift will be made & installed. All I could say for now is buy a standard tickets for the event and if the lift is still broken you would be issued with a full refund.' I can't say I was particularly chuffed to hear that the venue did not know whether their lift would be back in working order three months later! Surely you'd have a rough idea.

I was later made aware that the lift by other wheelchair users that the lift has in fact been out order since July at least! That''s four, almost five months it's been out of order and they still can't guarantee that it'll be fixed by February (7 months later!). Yes, I could easily go purchase a ticket on the off chance that they might get their act together and have the lift up and running but may I also add that I wanted to attend the event as a guardian for my sister and her friend so why would I let them get their hopes up and have to disappoint them on the day of the show and tell them they can't go because I can't physically get inside the building!? People often forget that people like me not always attend an event for themselves we might go because a loved one wishes to attend, we are normal people after all!

I've ranted on a number of occasions in past and this for me is the final straw! I am seriously fed up of just having to accept the fact that I can't do something because my legs don't work properly. In the past 12 months I've had issues with at least six different venues in Glasgow alone due to my disability  and it's disgusting in this day in age. I've been researching a number of people whom I can contact that may be able to help me in anyway that they possibly can and am pleased to say I've had a positive response to my first email (more details to follow I hope!). However, during my research I came across an old article which you can check out by clicking here from last year about a gig held in the O2 Academy specifically for people with disabilities and it was in support of the making a change regarding the very issues I've faced. Notice, that it was held in the O2 Academy? Yes, a sister venue of the O2 ABC; the venue that don't know when their lift will be fixed meaning that disabled customers haven't and will continue to be unable to access events within the building! Can you actually believe that?!  

Anyway, I must thank you for taking the time to read yet another article filled with frustration. I seriously feel like I'm banging my head against a brick wall-when will the message get through to people?! I really appreciate your support and would be ever so grateful if you could once again give this article a share and please get in contact with me (details in the contact page above) if you can help in any shape or form or know someone who will. In the meantime I'll be sure to keep you all posted with everything that happens!

Deacon Blue Live at HMV!

If like me, you're an avid radio listener particularly of BCC Radio 2 you'll be more than aware that Deacon Blue have just realised a brand new album titled 'Believers'. Tracks from the new album have received airtime across the station as well as appearance from the band-their performance of The Chris Evans Breakfast Show was fab might I add!

They're heading out on tour next month in support of the albums and I was gutted that I was unable to get tickets-the cons of needing accessible seating eh? But we'll not go there today. However, I did manage to get one better and thanks to HMV I had the chance to see them perform live in the Argyle Street store in Glasgow as well as meet them afterwards at the CD signing. You might remember me mentioning that I'd spotted Ricky and Lorraine at Bruce Springsteen's gig back in June whilst in The E Street Lounge but it wasn't the time or place to go say hello as like me, they were there to enjoy the gig. They weren't there as Deacon Blue and I respect that. So I was rather chuffed to actually have the opportunity to attend this event.

Firstly, I want to give a big thumbs up to HMV! The staff couldn't have been more helpful and thorough regarding the wheelchair access and as result everything went so smoothly. This is a very rare occurrence at these sort of events unfortunately. However, they made sure we were escorted to the basement floor where the gig took place before the rest of the public and were able to watch the gig right up close to the stage, with no one in front of us; just the stage!

There was only one other lady in a wheelchair who I enjoyed chatting to as we waited. It's become a bit of a habit for me to find someone to blether to at gigs-it happens every time without fail now! I never used to be as sociable haha! But I do love meeting other people at events who share the same interests as me.

We didn't have a very long wait as the band were soon escorted through from the mysterious world behind some random door in the shop and got into place and immediately started to perform. Now, this was my first time hearing them perform live however my Mum, who'd seen them on a number of other occasions said that they sounded just as amazing as they did back in the day; if not even better. So there you go folks! To me, their sound was so strong and pure! I only have the records to go by but in my opinion, singing live, they still that crystal clear sound. Perfection!

It was an acoustic gig-my favourite type of gigs! They performed a set list consisting of songs, old and new. Most of the songs performed were from their newly released album which by the way is amazing! If you loved the classic 'Deacon Blue' sound, then you're bound to love their latest addition to the music world! But like I said, they performed a couple of the much loved classics such as 'Dignity' and 'Real Gone Kid' with an acoustic arrangement which I for one completely fell in love with! There are without a doubt stunning musical compositions!

Afterwards the band were escorted to the table for the signing to take place. Everyone began to queue up to have their copies of 'Believers' signed and myself and the lady who I'd been chatting to were taken by HMV staff to the front of the queue which was really good of them to do so. From experience, queues in a wheelchair are not a pleasant experience so it's greatly appreciated when staff at these sort of events go the extra mile!

It was so lovely to chat with the band as they signed my copy of the album for me, they all were extremely friendly and genuinely interested in everything that their fans had to say. I love having the chance to speak with musicians who I admire as I find them so interesting and am extremely fascinated with their craft. Definitely a highlight of 2016 for me!

If you haven't heard Deacon Blue's new album, be sure to pay a visit to your local music store to purchase a copy! If you already have a copy, be sure to leave a comment and let me know what your favourite track is from the album!

Discrimantion Against Disabeld People at Gigs & Live Events

It's been a while since I've discussed disabled access related issues here on my blog however I feel the need to write a little more on this subject today. You all know I enjoy the odd live event and love a good old concert. However, in relation to one of my favourite pastimes I've unfortunately had many troublesome experiences due to my disability. I've written about it before so you all know how it goes but sadly these issues continually arise and it's frustrating to say the least.

Last year, I faced a couple of issues when purchasing tickets for gigs due to the disabled access requirements. Somehow, I eventually managed to resolve them which was great. Later in the year, just like any normal big Sister, I wanted to take my younger Sister to see two of her favourite YouTubers at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall as part of their live tour. Needless to say things didn't go smoothly. We attended both live shows in Glasgow and on both days experienced disabled access issues. And to be quite honest with you, the venue staff took full advantage of the fact that we were both young and there without a parent. Sitting in the disabled area, we could only see half of the stage due to staging; had I been able-bodied and able to sit in a normal seat, I would of had a great view. But yet again disabled people are treated differently!

On the second evening, the venue overbooked the disabled area and sold tickets to able-bodied people who helped themselves to the companion's seat and moved them into the disabled bay meaning that wheelchairs were not able to sit in the designated area. This also meant that there was no seat for my Sister so we spoke to the steward about this issues and let's face it; they really couldn't care less. The stewards reaction was 'well I'll have to wait until the show begins to see if there any spare seats to move those people but if not you'll just have to stand'. My Sister and I had noticed rows of chairs outside in the lobby and asked if my Sister could have one to sit in the carer's row behind the wheelchairs and again, was met by a hostile answer of 'no' and that she'd just have to stand. Eventually, the show began and the steward decided she'd move the other people to another seat.

Most venue's policies are that you must call the box office to book accessible tickets however disabled tickets at the concert hall can be booked online without any identification requirement. So basically, just as we discovered anybody can purchase these tickets making it all the more difficult for people like me to get them in the first place. I mean, eight disabled spaces for an entire venue isn't exactly very generous is it? We later contacted the venue about these issues alongside a few others and were met by an unsatisfactory response. Almost an entire year later, nothing has changed and disabled tickets are still available online.

Since then there has been various events at the same venue which I was keen to attend and soon discovered that they were selling disabled tickets at the same price patrons would pay for seats in the stalls. Yet, the accessible seats are on the second level with a limited view and other patrons sitting on the same level are paying a lot less-there's something very wrong there!

Moving on to a new angle, there has been two events this year in Glasgow that I've thought about attending and after researching the venues, discovered that they're not accessible. This is against the law might I add! One of the venues in question has a restaurant/bar which has a lift for wheelchair users however the gig venue itself can only be accessed via a flight of steps. The venue are however more than happy for people with mobility issues to attempt their own methods of accessing the venue. That in my opinion is a big no, no due to the safety of people like myself.

The other event I was keen to attend was an artist from a VERY famous rock band whom I am a very big fan of. I am desperate to see a member of one of the bands that I love so much live however I began looking into the venue access and guess what?! There's a huge flight of steps! Again, they get round this by saying that wheelchair users can be lifted in their chair up the flight of stairs which A) isn't particularly safe and B) isn't particularly discrete either. But again, that's just my opinion.

I decided to write a follow up on this subject after reading a post by someone in a similar situation on a Facebook group for an artist whom I'm a huge fan of. The gentleman who wrote the status recently tried to purchase VIP tickets for a gig in the US; the VIP seats were situated in the first few rows yet he was told that people with disabilities can only be seated in the designated accessible area on the second tier! Disgustingly, someone had the audacity to reply with the response 'you should be thankful you can even afford tickets'. That's all very well but why should someone just sit back and say nothing?! It's makes me angry that people who have disabilities are not allowed to experience what able-bodied people take for granted. Surely, it's possible to create a VIP seating area for people with mobility issues near the stage? Surely, it should be standard procedure in this day and age?

Sadly, due to health we can't be spontaneous, we have to plan every detail and sometimes have to accept second best. I've said this before and I'll say it again but no one knows what the future holds and any one of you could be in this situation one day and have to put up with crap when ideally these events and experiences should be pleasurable and stress-free. For a while last year there seemed to be a push for disabled people at concerts and live events however, things seemed to have settles once again and have been forgotten about. It should be standard practice and people with disabilities should be treated with the respect and dignity they deserve just like every other person and until that day comes I will not rest!

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band: Hamden Park, Glasgow, June 2016

I kept you all up to date with everything that happened on the day of the gig itself during one of my daily blogs where I wrote about meeting Jake Clemons, hanging in The E Street Lounge before and after the gig and being upgraded to the royal box so if you want to read more about the excitement of the day be sure to click here. I did however promise that I'd eventually get round to writing an actual review of the show so at last, here it is!

On Wednesday the 1st of June 2016, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band rolled into town as part of 'The River' Tour. Unusual for most concerts, the tickets stated that the show was due to begin around half six which is remarkably early. My only guess would be that this was due to the fact that Hamden is built in the midst of a housing estate so the curfew will be earlier and as we all know Bruce likes to play for as long as he possibly can so I can understand why this was the case. Sure enough around half past six (or thereabouts) Bruce hit the stage, kick
ing off the evening with 'Waitin' On A Sunny Day', although unusual for Scotland we weren't waiting on a sunny day; it was probably one of the warmest days of the year so far! This was bizarre in comparison to both occasions that I previously attended Bruce gigs at Etihad Stadium in Manchester and Wembley Stadium in London; the rain was torrential and we were absolutely soaked! I love 'Waitin' On A Sunny Day', it's such an upbeat and cheerful song that one can't help but sing along to-who in their right mind wouldn't?! Like always Bruce invited a little girl from the crowd sporting a 'Born In The USA' t-shirt to join him on stage and sing for the audience. What an amazing young lady! She completely belted out the lyrics which in turned received a eruption of applause from the eager audience. A moment I'm sure she'll remember for the rest of her life!

I could easily go through the entire set list but if I wrote every single detail it would take you the entire three and a half hours of the show to read it. So for your sake I'll summarise it as much as I possibly can. Second in the set was 'Spirit In The Night' a song I recently challenged myself and my tutor to learn to play on bass. It certainly kept me on my toes working out where all the changes were. Needless to say, I found myself sitting there mentally playing the bass  parts alongside the band.

Making his way into the audience, Bruce handpicked a selection of signs with song requests on them from fans to before returning to stage clutching them in his hands nodding to The E Street Band as they begin to play their first request 'Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)' much to my delight. I loved that song when I was younger and was fascinated with the music video where random girls run up onto stage which I found rather amusing as a little girl. This was then followed by a second sign request '4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)'.

Next, was 'Hungry Heart' a classic song from The River album which I absolutely love! I remember hearing it at Wembley a few years ago and it standing out to me for whatever reason so was delighted to hear it live again! During the song Bruce makes his way down the stairs, off of the stage and strolls through the crowd as he sings shaking hands with his fans as he passes through. Not many artists would do that nowadays and in such a relaxed manner might I add. The security followed Bruce as he paraded his through the crowd but not once did they have to step in and get involved; there's a mutual respect between Bruce and the audience. And that for me is extremely special!

This was followed by the likes of 'Out In The Street' which is a song that particularly sticks out to me from my first ever Bruce concert, 'Lonesome Day', another sign request from the audience, 'You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)' and the amazing 'Death To My Hometown' from the 'Wrecking Ball' album. I remember hearing that live for the first time during the 'Wrecking Ball' tour and having shivers. I love the Celtic feel to the song and how it sounds in a stadium filled with thousands of people. The atmosphere was buzzing and the crowd were totally into it; you really had to be there experiencing it to completely understand just how incredible it is live. According to something I read online the next song 'American Skin (41 Shots)' which featured on Bruce's most recent album 'High Hopes' was a tour debut. Again, don't hold me on that one but it certainly went down well with crowd!

The set continued with a number of back to back hits that had the audience in sheer delight. I for one was having an absolute ball! The band played a selection of songs including 'I'm Going Down', 'The River', 'Darkness on the Edge of Town' and 'Because The Night' which is a real crowd pleaser. 'Because The Night' is what I'd describe as stadium song because it completely brings the audience to life; it's a song that depicts a true rock concert and get's everyone rocking out!

Just a few songs later Bruce went straight into another of my favourites 'Badlands'. He opened with this number in Wembley a few years ago so it was funny to hear it further along in the set. I love the sax solo during this song which of course Jake pays great tribute to his Uncle Clarence when playing, it's just so awesome! Any of the sax solos during Bruce's songs give me shivers, they instantly make you stop and listen. You just know it's a Springsteen song when you hear it! My very favourite part of the song however, is when the audience take over with their 'woah, oh oh oh oooooh oh!' part. It's quite tricky to write that out in comparison to chanting it at the gig! When you hear that live it shows the true power of music and how it brings people together! It must be incredible to be on stage and look out into the crowd filled with thousands of people and hear them singing your song as if their lives depended on it! As Badlands finished the stadium erupted into loud cheers across every inch of the stadium morphing into thousands of voice shouting 'BRUUUCCEEE' and loudly signing the Badlands chant once again. It's magical to experience; it makes you feel alive!

The encore was filled with some of Bruce's biggest songs to date. Now, I know there's a lot of people who moan about the fact that they've heard particular songs a million times (you know the ones) but guys, Bruce has played some of the rarities, he's taken requests from the audience and now he's playing the songs that gave him the status that he's got; he wouldn't be able to sell out the world's biggest stadiums if it wasn't for albums like 'Born In The USA' or 'Born To Run'. There's also people like myself who've only recently start attending his gigs and yes, as much as I love hearing the rarities, I also go wanting to hear some of the classics too! You guys have been lucky enough to have seen Bruce back in the day when these songs first came out, sadly, the next generation of fans haven't. I wish I could have though!

Anyway, next Bruce and the very awesome E Street Band performed 'Born In The USA' and 'Born To Run' which are downright awesome in my opinion! And then the moment I'd been waiting in great anticipation for since I was little girl rocking out in the backseat of the car finally happened! Four years ago I attended my very first concert which I'm delighted to say was in fact Bruce Springsteen at Etihad Stadium in Manchester; I remember my Dad's friend asking me what songs I wanted to hear and I replied with quite a list. One of the songs happened to be 'The E Street Shuffle' which is probably up there in my top 5 favourite Springsteen songs, it's rarely played live but believe it or not during my first Bruce gig I actually got to hear it! However, I never got to hear my childhood favourites 'Rosalita' or 'Glory Day's the songs that I as a five or six year old girl would belt out the lyrics to when my Dad played them. I attended the Wembley gig a year later and screamed at the top of my voice when he played 'Rosalita'. But guess what!? He never performed 'Glory Days' much to my dismay. So I spent the past few years hoping that my dream would come true and I'm delighted to say at long last I finally got to hear it! My parents and sister turned to look at me from the other side of the box as they too, had been waiting in anticipation all night in hope that my dream would come true. It was totally worth the wait and it made me appreciate the moment all the more! Bruce, thank-you so much for finally playing it! Even if some of the fans were groaning please know that you made one young fan the happiest girl on the planet that night! My friend Heather and I spent the entire song bopping in our seats, singing along at the top of voices probably driving the people sitting beside us absolutely nuts. Both parties seated beside us eventually got up and left before the end of the show, I'm not sure whether that was because of us or they had transport to catch but I for one was get my money's worth! Apparently we kept the stewards in The E Street Lounge entertained throughout the show with our antics! I'm there for a good time that's for sure and I ain't gonna let anyone stop me!

Continuing with the classic hits the audience were treated to a firm favourite from the 'Born In The USA' album, 'Dancing In The Dark'! You spend the entire song waiting for the part when Bruce pulls a lady from the audience to dance with him-I mean how cool would that be!? And in more recent years he's started pulling a couple of fans up on stage each night and hands them a guitar to perform with the band. A dream come true I'm sure! I'd give an arm and a leg for that opportunity-maybe one day!
This was immediately preceded with another much loved 'stadium song' (as I would describe it) 'Tenth Avenue Freeze Out' of course! Again, this number has the audience chanting and singing along in unison as Bruce once again wanders down into the audience. He spends more time down amongst the crowd than on stage which is downright awesome-certainly worth the hours on end that some of the dedicated fans spent camping out to get to the barrier! Hats off to you-I don't think I could do it!

My parents had raved about Bruce performing this next song at previous Glasgow shows and I finally got to witness it before my very eyes. This was of course a rendition of 'Shout' which was originally by The Isley Brothers however, the Scottish singer Lulu recorded an extremely popular cover of the same song back in the 60s. So really, Bruce couldn't have picked a better number to perform for his Scottish fans! Without a doubt that was going to get the Glasgow audience onside although I don't think he had to worry too much about that! Let's face it, he already had us all eating out the palm of his hand from the word go! Everywhere you looked people were singing, dancing and waving their hands in the air-it was like attending a large party!

It was then when The E Street Band took a final bow, waving goodbye to the Glasgow audience after another incredible evening leaving Bruce standing alone with his guitar and harmonica in hand to perform one final song. This final number just so happened to be 'This Hard Land' which was a powerful, passionate and calming acoustic wind-down.

What a concert! But I really wouldn't expect anything less from Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band. They certainly know how to put on a show! It's incredible for someone of Bruce's age to play non-stop without a support act for around three and half hours. Simply outstanding! Honestly, if you've got tickets to catch Bruce in the next couple of weeks, you are in for a real treat! Each night is different so expect the unexpected; who knows what Bruce will pull out the hat next!

Day 25: Two Gigs in One Day

Selfies with Graeme

Two gigs in one day; not bad going eh!? One in many respects was a work related gig (if that's what you want to call it) and the other was for my own enjoyment but nevertheless two gigs is pretty good! For once I willingly got up at a fairly decent time for a weekend, I think the milder weather has certainly had a positive impact on me and pain wise things have been a little easier hence why it's easier to get up in the morning at the moment. Mum made us buttermilk pancakes for breakfast which is always a good thing if you ask me. Afterwards, I had a mad scramble round the house as I had to be at the local record store for 1pm and well there's only so much you can fit into a short space of time. But I did learn that I'm a pretty decent multitasker and can almost apply makeup and curl my hair at the same time. Close enough anyway!

I was going to be doing an interview for the local record store's website with a musician who was performing in store yesterday (Sunday). Unfortunately, I the timings didn't quite work out as he got held up in traffic as some of the roads were closed but I'm still going to do a wee concert review. Potentially, I could have grabbed a few minutes at the end however, I had tickets for Graeme Clark's gig in Glasgow later in the evening and due to the roads being closed we'd have to leave early in order to get there on time. The gig itself was a fun experience and of course, it's great to support the local music scene and see others doing the same. I must admit that I had a good old time to myself browsing the shelves before the gig even started although for once I left emptied handed which is a surprise!

The local record store

We headed back home for dinner and before long we all set off to good old Glasgow taking an alternative route to avoid disruptions thanks to the road closures. Fortunately, we encountered little traffic and arrived in Glasgow with plenty of time to spare. We even managed to find a parking space in a side street just along from the venue-how often does that happen!?

With it being the West End Festival, the area was absolutely buzzing. All of the surrounding restaurants and cafes within the area were filled to the brim with people, it reminded me a lot of London where I spent a lot of time as a child due to hospital. In fact, that's one thing I really miss about my visits to London; the city buzz and quirky vibe. There's something really special about it!

Siempre Bicycle Café was just a short walk away from where we had parked so we took a leisurely stroll admiring this cute little plant shop on route. The entrance to the café was up this little side lane where a small queue for the gig had already began to form. My Dad ran ahead to check it was the right place before heading off to meet up with a friend who lives in the area. As we waited in the queue we could hear the sound check taking place which sounded amazing! It was  also lovely to chat with everyone in the queue as we waited, everyone was so sweet! That's one of the reasons I love going to gigs, you meet so many lovely people!

A wee glimpse inside the café

Following sound check Graeme popped out to say hello and chat with everyone before heading off to get ready for the gig. Just a short while later, the doors were opened allowing everyone to make their way inside and find a seat. It was such a cute, quirky, little café where you instantly felt at home.

Again, I'll refrain from saying too much about the gig itself as I intend on writing an actual review at some point in future-I have a list of things to do! However, what I will say is that it was an amazing gig! I loved hearing Graeme's new material from his new album 'The Thought Collector'. Honestly, you guys need to go check it out-you'll absolutely love it! The two highlights of the gig for me personally, was Graeme playing a bit of 'A Hard Day's Night' by The Beatles during one of his amazing songs named 'Heart of Stone' and hearing his new song 'Do Those Things To Me'; that song in particular really caught my attention. As soon as I heard it, I instantly loved it! 

Following the gig I waited a little while before going up to briefly speak with Graeme. Graeme has been a really great support to me with my blogging, media & journalism aspirations and is always so encouraging towards everything that I've been doing. Like I said before, it meant a lot that he agreed to let me to interview him for my radio show on 3TFM (which by the way I'm airing the first part of this Thursday evening between 7-8pm). It was a big deal for me as it was my first ever interview. I was pretty nervous but I couldn't have asked for anyone better to chat to! I'm going off track a little but it was really lovely to chat to him after the gig and of course take another selfie!

A wee pic of the gig itself

After speaking with Graeme, I went and found Mum and Laurel who were patiently waiting on me (nothing ever changes haha!). Once organised we called Dad to let him know that we were ready to head home. Walking back to the car we couldn't help but stop in our tracks noticing someone's gorgeous house which was filled with twinkling fairy lights and this amazing dreamcatcher hanging on the wall. As you can probably imagine my eyes were absolutely glistening at the sight of it-it was my dream house!

Once we found Dad, Laurel begged him to find a chip shop as she was feeling a little peckish. We've become a bit accustomed to having chips and curry sauce as an after concert snack. We stopped in at a local chip shop and Laurel popped in to pick up the order, I really didn't want anything although I managed to sneak a few chips from Laurel's box as it did look rather delicious!

Well, that brings us to the end of yet another blog I'm afraid. A busy day indeed! But totally worth it! I'll be back very soon with another post so pop back soon to check it out!

Love & Peace,

The Hat Hippie xx

Day 24: Meeting Jake Clemons in The E Street Lounge

Jake Clemons & I

What a day! I've mentioned it on at least a few occasions but yesterday, I went to see Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band at Hamden Park in Glasgow. Hopefully, I'll get round to writing an actual review of the show itself but I'm absolutely run off my feet these days so might take a few days. In the meantime I thought I'd tell you about the day itself, I have vlogged my day as well but again, it'll take some time to edit and upload it so please bear with me!

Firstly, Mum and I headed into the town after dropping Laurel off to pick up something and decided to get some breakfast as due to the time we needed to leave for the gig there wouldn't be a lot of spare time to grab a bite to eat. We headed back home a little while later where I spent quite a bit of time getting ready for the gig. I mean I had my hair to curl, makeup to put on, my bag to organise with everything I needed to take with me and of course a video blog to start-you know how it is!

I waited at home whilst Mum went to pick Laurel up early from school. There was so much to do I thought I better take full advantage of my time before Dad got home. Just after two o'clock, we set off on route stopping at my lovely friend Heather's to pick her up as she was coming to see Bruce with us. It was Heather's first ever Bruce gig and my third time seeing him (my first Bruce gig in Scotland though) so it was pretty exciting! I don't know who was more hyper to be honest.

We arrived at Hamden and Bruce was in the midst of sound check by the sounds of it. It sounded like he was playing 'Girls in Their Summer Clothes' which is one of my Mum's favourites, I don't think she's ever heard him play it live before so that was cool.
I'm not gonna lie though, it was a bit of a nightmare at Hamden to be honest. Firstly, trying to find the disabled paring at Hamden was fun and games and no one really seemed to know exactly where it was. Surprise! Surprise! And when we did find it, the steward didn't really listening to us and was about to send us away saying we couldn't park there until he saw the disabled badge and changed his tune.

Our E Street Lounge passes

We'd all been given passes from Bruce's management for The E Street Lounge; a backstage area for guests of the band to hang before the show so the first mission was to find the box office to pick them up. Whilst my parents and sister picked them up, Heather and I paid a quick visit to the merch stall and just a short while later left with a bag of merch consisting of a T-shirt each, a programme and audio download card for the Glasgow gig. Heather put me to shame only buying a t-shirt hehe! I can't go to a gig and not buy a programme and I love the fact that you can actually buy a live recording of the specific show you attend so it had to be done!

When we met up with my parents again we were given our passes for the E Street Lounger which I stuck on me jeans. It's pretty cool having a pass and they look rather cool on my jeans too-oh I'm so sad aren't I!? The next question was 'how did we access the lounge?' We asked numerous stewards who passed us from pillar to post, none of whom were particularly helpful and never listened to a word we said. One in particular was particularly rude and unhelpful and only showed interest in the situation when he later discovered that Heather had the personal number of the head of security. Funny how that changes things. I'll not go into full details as we could be here all the day but yet again, more wheelchair access issues! Thankfully, one decent steward eventually came to the rescue and got one of the supervisors to come help us and eventually he got us inside the building and to where we needed to be. So a huge thank-you to both gentleman!

The E Street Lounge

Once inside the building things were a lot better and the staff in the lounge couldn't have been nicer. The E Street Lounge was empty when we arrived so we had first digs of the tables to sit at. We had an amazing view of the stadium from the lounge and watched as it began to fill up when the doors were opened. It was absolutely scorching outside so it was so nice to sit inside in the cool and have easy access to bar for cans of ice cold cola!

As we were chilling out, taking photos and charging our phones using the sockets in the lounge, Dad noticed a familiar face enter the lounge. It was Jake Clemons, who plays saxophone in The E Street Band for Bruce. We're all big fans of his Uncle Clarence who played sax in The E Street Band up until a few years ago when he sadly passed away. But I love the fact that Bruce asked Clarence's nephew Jake to join the band.

Anyway, I had a quiet moment of excitement as Jake was up there alongside Bruce as members of the band that I'd like to meet one day. Dad went over and did the fatherly duties to ask Jake if he'd come over and say 'hello' to which Jake replied 'yeah, of course'. He shook hands with us all and happily posed for a pic. Somehow, I even managed to ask him if I could take a selfie on my iPod which turned out even better than the photo on the camera so I'm extremely chuffed! Let's face it, I was buzzing! We said goodbye to Jake who had to go as I think they were getting ready to hit stage just a short while later. But seriously, that was so cool! My day was made!

We initially thought once the show started we'd have to leave the lounge and go find our seats/an space in standing area. However, on the staff members who'd been taking care of us appeared just before show time with two tickets for the royal box for Heather and I so she escorted us to our seats just as Bruce was about to take to stage. My parents and Laurel were able to stand at the other side of the box and could have access to any spare seats if they wanted them after half an hour into the show. However, they decided they were quite happy standing at the barrier and dancing-haha!

My amazing friend Heather & I sitting in the royal box

Seriously though, it was so cool to be seated in the royal box! We had a pretty decent view of the stage; no one was in the seats in front of us and the sound was pretty good! Although, we got when we saw how much the seats were worth! Ricky Ross and Lorraine from Deacon Blue passed us in the lounge and were seated in the row in front of the box I believe (so my parents told me anyway). Normally, I'd have wanted to go say 'hello' but they're just normal people there to enjoy a gig so there's no point in pestering them!

The concert itself was absolutely amazing but then again would you really expect anything less from Bruce!? A man of 66 years of age performing for around 3 and a half hours nonstop with no support act is absolutely incredible! His energy is absolutely amazing! We had a great time singing, dancing in our seats and clapping along-didn't we Heather!? One of the stewards we'd spoken to earlier in the evening stopped us both after the gig to say we'd kept the stewards entertained during the show with our antics-hehe!

Jake, Bruce & Steve

After the gig we spent a hour hanging in the lounge to avoid the rush of people leaving the venue and the build up in traffic. So instead we just enjoyed some refreshments from the bar area and watched the stage being dismantled. There was at least four large trucks driven into the stadium after it had been cleared and within the hour so much of the stage had already been dismantled-it's unbelievable to watch!

Once we left the venue we made our way back to the car by which time we all were pretty hungry and the temptation of all the food vans were getting a little too much. So in the end we all ended up munching on a few boxes of chips before heading back home. A great gig and a great night!

The Hat Hippie Presents 'Faux-Chella'

It's that time of year when thousands flock to Coachella to enjoy music and make memories with friends. In spirit of festival season TickPick got in contact with me and asked if I'd like to create my own dream Faux-Chella line-up to get you all in the mood. TickPick is a no-fee marketplace where you can bag tickets to some of the hottest concerts and live events in town at great prices! To visit their website and see what tickets you can find click here. Now, I'm not going to lie but trying to decide on just ten bands/artists to complete my Faux-Chella line-up was surprisingly difficult. There are so many great artists out there to choose from so the festival could easily go on for days if you let me away with it. Eventually, I did in fact come to a conclusion and this is what I decided:

I've chosen Fleetwood Mac, Paul McCartney and Queen and Adam Lambert as my headliners. In recent years I've been lucky enough to see all three acts live and have raved about them for weeks following each gig, in fact I'm still going on about them to be honest! All three bands are incredible live, each have a catalogue filled with an endless amount of hits and certainly know how to get the crowd going! They're all unique in their own special way and their music brings people together hence why they're a must for my headlining acts at Faux-Chella!

As you all know I love older music (although I don't see it as old; music is music and should never be judged by age, all that really matters is that it sounds good!) but I thought I'd throw in a more recent band who's music I've been loving lately and that is Coldplay! They're new album 'Adventure of a Lifetime is brilliant-there's so many great songs in there! I've never seen them live but I think they're the type of band that would be a great addition to a festival line-up and I'm sure many of you would agree!
This is followed by Wet Wet Wet who I recently saw in concert and thought they were brilliant! They're gig was so much fun; the atmosphere was great, the band were amazing and the music had everyone up on their feet singing and dancing along! What more could you possibly ask for?! So I think they would make a great addition to the line-up!
The Jacksons come next; they're without a doubt another great band with a music catalogue filled to the brim with hit songs. A completely different style from the other bands I've chosen but I thought it would be great to change things up a little and bring a little bit of the RnB/Disco vibe to Faux-Chella. 
Up next we have The Waterboys who'd bring something completely different to the line-up yet again. In recent years I've started listening to the music and would really love to catch them in concert next time they visit Glasgow. Beside their many great songs including 'The Whole of the Moon' I'm also a big fan of their cover of Prince's 'Purple Rain' so would have to throw in a little request to add that to their Faux-Chella set. But seriously, if you haven't heard it, go look it up on YouTube. The first time I heard their version of 'Purple Rain'  on The Chris Evans Breakfast Show I was absolutely blown away! 
Next, there's Paolo Nutini who I heard perform a little bit of his set at the Isle of Wight Festival last year via radio coverage and was extremely impressed. He sounded amazing! So I thought I'd give those of you (including me!) who missed out on his festival performance last year the chance to catch him at Faux-Chella!
And last but certainly not least is Orianthi, the woman who inspired me to start learning to play guitar when I was just ten years old. Ori has performed with some of the biggest names in the music industry including Michael Jackson, Prince and Alice Cooper to name a few as well as taking centre stage and recording her own solo albums which I'm also a huge fan of! It would be an absolute honour to have her come and perform a set at 'Faux-Chella'! If you love rock, blues and guitar solos; you're bound to love Ori!
So that's it folks; that's my Faux-Chella line-up! If only I really could have my own music festival-it would be so much fun! Although, as organiser I'd probably get distracted from all of my duties and end up in the crowd watching the bands perform-who could blame me? Honestly, could you imagine having all of these amazing acts performing at the one festival?! I'd be there in a flash! There could be so much going on besides the music to get involved in as well. I'm seriously getting ahead of myself here; I've got it all arranged in my head! I just need the funding to make it happen! 
Anyway, I had so much fun creating this post! Before I go I want to say a huge thanks to TickPick for getting in contact with me and asking if I'd like to write this post! I really love getting involved in such exciting projects!

Wet Wet Wet Hit the SSE Hydro!

It's almost 1am, I'm wide awake, my ears are ringing and my throat hurts; the sign of a good gig if you ask me! What gig might you ask? Well I'm just home from Scotland's very own Wet Wet Wet of course! Yes, I was one of the lucky 13,000 people to catch Wet Wet Wet's hometown gig at the SSE Hydro Arena in Glasgow.

Despite previously seeing different band members as part of solo projects on a number of occasions, I'd never seen Wet Wet Wet live. My Mum tells me that she had tickets to take me when I was roughly about 5 years old but typically, I came down with the flu and didn't get to go. Over a decade later (gosh that feels weird saying that!) I finally got to attend one of their gigs!

Whilst waiting for the band to hit the stage we were treated to two support acts; a gentleman named Ben McKelvey followed by Markus Feehily from Westlife. In between acts a soundtrack of some great songs from the 80s/90s filled the arena which certainly kept me happy as I sung away to myself as my Mum popped in and out with a couple of Pepsis and a big bag of chocolate buttons for me (very rock n' roll!) and a wine or two for her so that we didn't need to move once the band hit the stage.

At 8:55pm to be exact the lights went off and the band walked on to a very loud eruption of roars followed by lead singer Marti Pellow wearing a pair of black sunglasses. They immediately began with 'East of the River' from their debut album 'Popped in Souled Out' released back in the mid 80s. Now, at most gigs I've attended in past it usually takes a good few songs before the crowd really get into it and let loose. Not on this occasion! From the word go everyone were singing along at the top of their voices, up on their feet dancing and generally just having a good old time! Continuing with the 80s numbers 'Wishing I Was Lucky', their first ever single which was also from the 'Popped in Souled Out' album came next. Brilliant songs and a great opening to the show!

This was followed by songs such as 'Sweet Surrender' from the 'Holding Back The River' album and 'Julie Says' from the 'Picture This' which celebrated its 25th anniversary last year hence 'The Big Picture Tour'. And just a little while later, the UK number one song 'Goodnight Girl' which saw the entire arena filled with around 13,000 people singing along at the top of their voices. As you know, I've attended a lot of gigs in recent years but never experienced an audience quite like that before. Incredible atmosphere! 'Glasgow, you're in the band!' said lead singer Marti Pellow. 'You all have the X Factor' he also added quite evidently taken aback by the reception from their hometown audience.

A medley of songs from the early days consisting of 'Angel Eyes', 'Temptation' & their cover of The Beatles' 'With A Little Help From My Friends' soon followed. Yet again, the audience gave their best performance as they loudly sung along with the band to some of their favourite songs.
'Love Worz' a new track recorded last Summer when the band visited a recording studio in the South of France was debuted at the beginning of the tour and introduced each night of the tour to a new audience. A brilliant song if you ask me and a great glimpse into future material from the Wets. It has a funk vibe which reminds me a little of one of their earlier tracks 'Lip Service'. So if you liked 'Lip Service' you're bound to enjoy this one!

The setlist continued with tracks such as 'Morning', 'Somewhere Somehow', 'All I Want', 'Don't Want To Forgive Me Now' and 'She's All On Mind' before coming to a mini acoustic set performed by Marti Pellow alongside Graeme Clark and Graeme Duffin on guitars. If you followed my old music blog, you might remember me writing about seeing Graeme Clark perform at An Clachan, a small café in Glasgow last June. The mini acoustic set was reminiscent of Graeme's gig so of course I was in my element as I absolutely love live acoustic sets! 'Roll 'Um Easy' was the first of three songs which lead to a story filled with banter between Marti and Graeme as they told us of filming a couple of songs for a documentary at 'Loch Lomondo' (Loch Lomond) after a night out-need I say more? It was certainly a laugh! This was followed by 'Gypsy Girl' (my Mums favourite) and a cover of John Martyn's 'May You Never'.

Next was the amazing 'Sweet Little Mystery' where everyone was asked to bring out there phones and use the new SSE app to create a colourful light show around the arena. And as Graeme rightly put it 'this is when technology fails us'-couldn't have said it better myself! So thank goodness for the flashlight on my iPod! Although, I think half of the arena shared the same problem whilst attempting to use the app-oh well! But for those of you who're interested click here to see Neil Mitchell, keyboard player of Wet Wet Wet's video filmed from the stage of the phones lighting up the arena-it's quite magical!
Anyway, 'Sweet Little Mystery' was as colourful and vibrant as it sounds on the record and had everyone up dancing. It was so cool to actually hear that one live considering that it's probably the first Wet Wet Wet song I ever heard. This was followed by 'I Can Give You Everything' and at the end of the song the band disappeared off to stage leaving it in darkness as the room grew progressively louder-gotta love a big build up!

Soon enough, the reappeared and performed 'Lip Service' which for me was one of my favourites of the night. Again, everyone was up on their feet, letting loose and really getting into the groove. I must confess that my dancing probably looked absolutely ridiculous but who cares! I was just letting everyone know that us gig goers in wheelchairs know how to have a good time! (good excuse Robyn!)

Take a wild guess as to what the final song was?! Yep, you guessed it! 'Love Is All Around' of course which was a great finale to an amazing gig! Thousands of people singing in unison whilst waving their arms in the air; where else would you experience that other than at a concert? And before the very end it was time to take the band's nightly selfie with the audience in the background. However, this time a lucky competition winner was invited up on stage to join them-so cool!

So that was that! My very first Wet Wet Wet gig! What an amazing show; an incredible band, amazing songs and such great atmosphere! I'm surprised that I can actually speak just two days later with all the singing I contributed to evening! But anyway, I had such a great evening and am already looking forward to my next Wet Wet Wet concert whenever that may be! Here's to the next tour folks!