As much as I’m looking forward to the shows, I’m also excited by the idea of seeing how shows work in the UK. I often joke that, in the US, for me, shows are broken up into three major parts. The first part is usually some sort of get together beforehand. This get together can be a large group in which people have organized a planned meetup or it can be a group of people just planning a dinner or drinks before. The middle part is, obviously, the show. It is the center, the main event. These two hours are often what keeps me going. It is 2 hours when the rest of the world falls away. It is beautiful. The last part is the after show. This after show can consist of going out for drinks with the people you went to the show with. It could also consist of finding the location where a lot of the fans are hanging out. It can be going to a club and dancing until the sun comes up. I simply cannot just go to a show and go home. A show is a big deal and deserves a lot of time and fun than just the two hours when the band is on stage, in my opinion.
Now, for this tour, we are pretty well set for the middle and most important part, the concerts. We have our tickets and we have good seats on top of that. We did make some plans with friends at a few shows but it doesn’t feel like our plans are complete. Maybe my usual pattern of having three parts to every show is not a common occurrence in the UK. How common is it for people to meetup before shows? If it is done, is it usually done just among friends or do people set up large meetups for fans to meet each other? Then, what usually happens after a show? Does everyone just go home? Does everyone find a place to hang as a very large group? Or again, do smaller groups of people hang out? Does anyone go to clubs after shows?
I ask all of these questions for a few reasons. First, I would like to know what to expect. I don’t want to be disappointed if everyone does decide to go home after a show. Rhonda and I will know that we have to make our own fun, then. Second, I want to know what the real, normal, common fan experience is like there. As someone who studies fandom, I’m very curious as to which elements of fandom are woven into every culture. If there are differences with the fanbase, I want to understand why there are these differences.
So, UK fans, help me out here. What is a common show experience like? What should I expect? Of course, I would welcome any and all situations in which Rhonda and I get to meet people and have fun! If there is something we should do before or after a show, let us know! Fill us in! We will be attending four shows while there: Brighton, Bournemouth, Birmingham, and Glasgow. We want these shows to be memorable and the most fun ever. After all, this fall is about making things right in my world and that would certainly help!
-A
