My sister managed to get her hands on four tickets to see AC/DC at the EnormoDome. I was really jealous because they’d sold out in minutes and being almost sixteen, I didn’t have the money to book one… and even if I did, Mum reckoned I was a little too young for such a big concert venue.
On my sixteenth birthday my sister gave me a card along with an apathetic apology for not getting me a gift to go with it. I was a little disappointed. She normally buys me a CD or something but this time she gave the impression that my sixteenth birthday wasn’t important… certainly not important enough to warrant spending more than a pound or two on a birthday card. Of course I feigned gratitude as I peeled the envelope open… but felt utterly disappointed having only received a card from her. I opened the card to read her message and couldn’t believe my eyes… for there, inside the card is one AC/DC ticket for the EnormoDome in six weeks time.
I was over the moon that I’d be going along with my sister and her friends and could barely contain my excitement… in fact I couldn’t!
“Now there are conditions Matty.” my sister told me.
“Yeah I know… no drinking, keep away from the mosh pit.” I said.
“Definitely no drinking!” she said, winking at me.
Mum surprised me and said I could drink if I wanted, providing I was sensible. “But please don’t wander off… I know how hard it is to find people in a place like that… you pop to the loo and spend about an hour trying to find your place in the crowd again.”
My excitement only grew as the weeks passed and the big gig got nearer and nearer. There’ll be me, my sister Isabel (or Izzy), her best friend Terrie, who’ll be driving us and Cat, or Catherine, another of my sisters close friends. I’ve known them since I was that annoying little brother but they’re really nice to me these days.
The doors open at 7pm and the EnormoDome is a three hour drive. Mum’s booked us a double room in a Travelodge and drives us over to Terrie’s house long before noon on the day of the gig. If the traffic’s bad it could take four or five hours, so we’re planning to set off in good time so there’s plenty of time for them to get ready.
Izzy and I chat in the lounge whilst Terrie’s getting herself ready, although Izzy is called upon to help, leaving me alone in the lounge. Cat arrives and goes up to Terrie’s room. Izzy comes down. After twenty minutes, Cat and Terrie are still upstairs. I’m watching the clock. It’s nearing noon and I’m eager to set off. “Why can’t they get ready when we get there?” I whine. “We’ll be booking into the Travelodge anyway.”
“Yeah but the rooms are tiny… they won’t have a proper dressing table and we’d have to take straighteners, hair dryers, vanity cases…” she said, explaining why it’s best to get ready first.
“Izzy!” a voice hollered from upstairs.
“Yeah?” my sister hollered back.
“You two coming up?” the voice hollered.
Izzy stood but I said I’d best stay down, not wanting to invade whilst they’re busy getting ready. “They’re ready, it’s fine.” she said.
“Yeah but you’ll be getting ready.” I said.
“…and so will you.”
“I am ready.”
“Not quite.” she said, grabbing the small travel case we’d brought.
Being a sixteen year old fan of rock music, my hair hangs dankly on my shoulders. I’m not so bothered if it looks tidy so long as it looks long and therefore, I look like a rocker. I’ve got my AC/DC T-shirt on, a pair of stonewashed boot cut jeans and my trusty Converse plimsolls. I looked as good as I wanted to look, and I certainly looked like I’d belong at a heavy metal concert… however my sister offered to straighten my hair, which she’s done before and it did look good. My concern was that it’d take ages and the clock is ticking, but Izzy assured me that we’ve got loads of time, and the gig won’t start ’til 8pm meaning we’ve got the best part of eight hours to do a three hour journey, and we don’t want to arrive too early. “OK.” I replied, before following her up stairs.