Thursday, July 31st: Today it is! A sense of excitement seems to have covered the town. Everyone is buzzing in the morning, at our place, even the neighbors. And of course the group. Someone is posting an article about the problems at the London airports and several others. Only minutes after I finished reading, my phone is ringing – with a +44 number. UK. We’re joking, it’s either spam or Jota needs the Grrrmaneta to pick him up. I’m not answering because I am pretty sure it’s the first option, but I would for sure have sent the Grrrmaneta to pick him up.
Time is flying. We prepare for leaving, but I am so nervous, I can’t think straight and keep forgetting everything. We decide to take the car, even if we have to park outside the camping lot after midnight. It’s easier and we still have a giant basket to move.
I still have no idea how to get them the basket. There might be a small chance after the show, I was told, but I don’t see myself heading back to the car and back there in the middle of the night. I’m still in pain from the infamous Madrid beds. And I have a sunburn from hell from our beach day, my shoulder and my feet look like freshly cooked lobster. My husband completely looks like Larry today. We apply a lot of aftersun lotion and a nice layer of new sunscreen and gather our stuff. I’m too nervous to drive, I’m literally shaking. My husband is driving – and misses the correct exit. So another round through Santander. „Simone, where are you“, people are texting. I don’t know. I answer in English, since I can’t even use the translator, I forgot how to copy and paste. Finally, we are here. We find a nice spot on the beach parking lot where we parked at our first outing here. We get out of the car. Tickets, sun hat, sunscreen, some food and drinks? We leave the basket and bring only the flag. My husband’s idea. A German flag with the Lower Saxony coat of arms, a rearing horse. I am not someone waving flags except the ones of my favorite football club at their games, but this is just perfect. And we might find ourselves on the pictures with this. K1 is restless – what if we don’t get a spot in the first row? She is even more obsessed with this than I am, but she is also half a meter shorter so I get the anxiety.
We know where to find the Bogofans and I don’t care what people think who are not going to the concert, but when I see the first of them, I start waving that flag. What a welcome! It’s like we have known them forever and maybe we have. We get our numbers for the queue, 32, 33, 34 and 35, take some pictures of what we can see from the stage, my husband and the kids leave for the playground. I stay and chat with people. And work on not fainting because I am completely overwhelmed. Already. We checked – we drove nearly 3500 kilometres to be here.
The family is back. We are having a snack. K2, who was not even sure if he wanted to come, is suddenly pointing to the stage: „Look, there’s Dani!“ God almighty, he’s right! The soundcheck is about to begin.
It’s already magical. To finally hear and see them, even from far away and just the soundcheck, I am very emotional. Again. We peek a bit through the fence and take some pictures and I tell the others about the present.
„Why don’t you try after the soundcheck? We’ll ask the security at the gate. They can’t say more than no.“ I like that idea. My husband is going back to the car, getting the basket. I’m eternally grateful for not having to move.
We’re going to the gate behind the stage. The two Bogofans are asking the security guy something, I don’t get a word as usual. Only something like „I’ll ask, can’t promise, wait here.“ And on the other side „But we don’t want to bother anyone.“ I can live with that. My husband kind of apparates with two cold beers next to me. I open one, joking on how yesterday I was probably standing pantless on a deserted cantabrian beach when I saw their boat and that it would fit perfectly if now someone shows up, seeing me drinking beer in broad daylight. Hahaha. Entrance Alberto. Wtf did I just say? Holy cow. „Honey, hold my beer, please!“
I try to give Alberto the basket, telling him that we brought it 3500 km and just want the guys to have it. But somehow this doesn’t work as planned. He looks at it and smiles and then something like „I’ll go back and ask them. Wait here, five minutes tops!“ happens. Wait. What? Yes, okay, we can give them the gift on their way out, they’ll probably pass by here with the car any minute now. Mentally preparing to throw a gift basket through an open window of a moving vehicle, I get nervous. What if I don’t aim good enough? What if I hurt one of them?
Alberto appears again. We should somehow follow him. Follow what? I am not able to think straight. Follow you to see them? I can’t feel my legs. Or my tongue. I can’t feel anything to be honest besides a tornado of thoughts flashing before my eyes. I think my soul left my body for a moment. But didn’t we learn to function over the past decades? So we follow. K1 by my side, husband is convincing K2 to come as well. Alberto is talking to me in perfect German which puts my brain in complete overload. It clearly has reached its capacity. I remember we talked about Bremen, but I think I’m only babbling. Though not in what language. Maybe I’m only thinking aloud. Dear Alberto, if you happen to read this at some point – your German is perfect. My brain however, was not at that moment.
Somewhere in the backstage area we are told to wait. A man tells us to stand in the shadow. I’ve seen his face somewhere with the Bogofans and with the band, he belongs to the team, but I can’t remember his name or function. So we move up some steps. And there they are. It’s surreal. I can see the seashore and the panorama of Santander and Pepe just meters away from us. „I can see Pepe“, I am squeaking under my breath and giggling. Team Pepepower would have been so proud.
I think there are more people taking pictures with them, and suddenly someone is asking my name and ask us to step forward. This is the moment my soul left my body. It’s clear. I have died and standing at the heaven’s gate. And apparently the five Gods standing before it have to decide if they grant me entry.
Funny thing is, I seem to have thought aloud again. At least the part with the gates of heaven. Because Jota asks me if it’s not a bit warm for heaven. Okay. I have either died or I’m dreaming. Better not open my eyes. But I can hear them and see they glow through my eyelids, so it’s worth a try. One eye. Still there. Two eyes. Also still there. Breathing works. Okay, why was I here? Ah, yes, the big basket with food and things I am so desperately clutching. And giving it to the nice men in front of me. It’s all about functioning at the right moments, let me tell you!
I tell them that we still believe to be the first fans from northern Germany to see them live and that we brought some specialties as a gift for them. A round of applause. 3500 kilometres. Stunned faces. Jota takes the basket and they all try to figure out what’s inside. Someone then says something about photos and we line up for a picture. Antonio nearly kills my husband, I hope it’s unintended. He gives him a nice powerful pat on the shoulder, unaware of our Larry the Lobster lookalike contest today. We smile into several cameras and then we say goodbye. A polite handshake with all of them, except Jota, who is giving me a hug and telling me that we needed a good place to see the show. That there were sides and one has to choose wisely. Dear Sir, I might be new to this fangirling business, but that question „whose side do you chose at the concert“ is like part of the initiation rites. Remember, don’t fight with the neighbours.
I can’t believe what just happened. I was standing in line for the concert, died, went to heaven and woke up back in the queue. But I don’t clutch the basket anymore and people are giving me thumbs up and are smiling, maybe it did in fact happen?
