THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE EVER - MSG 7th August 2008

[stevel]

Nancy Rose you got a very good point........

...........besides that the missus is due back from the inlaws any moment.........

[TheEqualizer]

Great story, Steve.

I have a feeling this is going to be like Rashomon. A number of stories told by different people who all remember different things.

My version should be up, uh, soon than later.

[nancyrose]

[quote="stevel"]Nancy Rose you got a very good point........

...........besides that the missus is due back from the inlaws any moment.........[/quote]



It's like speaking in code...we'll all know what you REALLY mean!!

(Hope you can get the next part posted before the Homecoming!!)

[Larissa]

Excellent recanting Steve, I'm grinning like a loon reading this. More please.

[stevel]

Guys thanks for all your feedback really appreciated.Its been great fun to recount my feelings. Well here's the last part....

The music stops and then we hear
‘GET UP STAND UP’

OMG.
HERE WE GO PEOPLE

The Police walk on and.......... honestly .......... the place goes, as Miles would say, ‘absolutely nuts’, Bananas.I can feel something happening in my eyes...... again...
The sound from the crowd is incredible like some huge creshendo, a jet plane resounding round the arena I’ve never heard anything like it - Ever. An electric rush sweeps the building that feels almost tangible.
Andy looks at Sting, Sting looks at Stewart as if to say ‘Wow’- the welcome is deafening – the guys approve!

The band open with the Cream classic ‘Sunshine of your love’ and then follow it with my all time favourite ‘Message in a Bottle’. But wait .... with the NYPD as support! Can you believe it?.....holy s—t . Sting plays the part with a Police cap. The roar is astonishing with the place going completely nuts.
You wanna sing? asks Sting and ‘Walking on the Moon’ follows.
Photo heaven must be like this........ and Andy and Sting get together at the front stage – ‘Driven to Tears’ allows me to get some great pics of Andy (as I hoped).

Dirty Martini grabs me before ‘Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic’... ‘the Stewart flag you wanna hold it?’ – are you kidding me? I’m overcome with emotion, Stewart spots me points and I’m ecstatic....so much so at the end of the song I do my Manchester June18th 360 degree turn to MSG.... ‘New York can you hear me how effn great is this?’....... ‘Stewart is the man’. I hand back the flag proudly I want other fans to experience the joy.
‘Wrapped Around your Finger’ and one of my favourites from the tour – Stewart is greeted with massive cheers – the guy’s a Genius. A Magician.

Then we’re into my favourite part of the gig – I know it’s coming like a steam train... ‘Can’t stand losing You’ with the loop into ‘Regatta’ –like the old days – raw, loud and spine tingling – you know that moment during ‘Regatta? ‘ ‘oh e yo yo yo – the lights go up, the song speeds along at break neck speed peaks and well....... – it’s incredible – I’m bouncing till this point when truly I think I’m gonna explode with happiness - the joy its incredible ....... a’ really moment’ in time.
The guys pull out an another ace with ‘Purple Haze’ and then follow it with ‘Roxanne’ - I mean come on ........I’m in heaven right?
‘NEW YORK CAN YOU HEAR ME HOW EFFN GREAT IS THIS?’

And then a truly great great moment. I catch Stewart’s eye he points, but I think particularly at Pecos, who is right next to me during ‘King of Pain’. How the hell he recognised her is beyond me wearing this huge wig. He then points to the flag positioned next to him.Special. We share a moment.
We’re on the run in and I know it – I’ve a panic attack- this is IT you’ll never see the guys together on stage again........
But I’m not sad just totally joyous it’s incredible and it’s not over yet........ ‘Savour it’.
‘So Lonely’ follows and I chuck one of the Cha balls on stage (thanks Plutonic mate) – it lands near Andy... he kicks..... misses, tries again from 2 feet and misses again.... finally relieved that I am, he thumps the ball Beckham style into the crowd.. hey even your idols are human.......
After ‘Every Breath’,’ Next to You’ .I pogo with the masses - each fan knowing we’re coming to the end of this fantastic ride..........
And then it’s all over but still I gotta get one last thing .....
The Bow.
Gotta get it, gotta get it for prosperity and well just cause it will give me, in Sting’s words, ‘closure’.
Wow I GOT IT!

Stewart points at every nutter on the front row, myself included and then with great accuracy chucks his shirt to Dietmar.He checks to make sure his aim found its target.
Bullseye.
Man what a great way to end the gig of a lifetime – Dietmar mate you deserve it there couldn’t have been a better ending. You were there at the start and end. Respect.

Hey I’ve had a truIy incredible time honestly wonderful. I’ve met some fantastic people made many new friends from StewartCopeland.Net /Sting.com/ ThePolice.Com
I’m very sorry if I missed off your name but as Eugennio said to me after Manchester...........
[b]‘We lived fantastic moments together’[/b] says it all really doesn’t it?

I’m an ordinary bloke from the UK but hey 7th August 2008 was the best day of my life and I ‘wanted’ to share this with you.

Thanks for the memories (and joy) Sting, Stewart and Andy ... if you should ever change your mind I’ll be there like a shot......but just for now
.........don’t tell the missus (or the kids!)
[b]I’m a lucky guy[/b]

.......... Now where’s that lottery ticket.

Yo!

Steve Leicester

[TheEqualizer]

Great story. It was an absolute pleasure meeting you, and I'm glad I got to hang with you, Dietmar, and BongoBoy before the show and before the landslide of Nutters got to MSG.

[Dietmar]

Steve, glad we did both these days together. If the Police ever do one more, they will be having a hard time to top this!!

[SambucaSubaru]

[quote="stevel"] [b]‘We lived fantastic moments together’[/b] says it all really doesn’t it? I’m an ordinary bloke from the UK but hey 7th August 2008 was the best day of my life and I ‘wanted’ to share this with you.[/quote]


Whew, makes me want to sit back and have a cigarette, since it was so good for you, too!

S.S.

[bella]

Wow, Stevel, that was a whirlwind of excitement. I can't believe I didn't talk to you. I had no idea that was you when we were talking to Dietmar and Analia and Ska Man at the "wrong" MSG entrance.

I kinda wish you had more to tell because it was just that exciting to read.

[juleverde]

[quote="stevel"]Then we’re into my favourite part of the gig – I know it’s coming like a steam train... ‘Can’t stand losing You’ with the loop into ‘Regatta’ –like the old days – raw, loud and spine tingling – you know that moment during ‘Regatta? ‘ ‘oh e yo yo yo – the lights go up, the song speeds along at break neck speed peaks and well....... – it’s incredible – I’m bouncing till this point when truly I think I’m gonna explode with happiness - the joy its incredible ....... a’ really moment’ in time.
[/quote]

I must concur with this one! Fortunately for me, I got three different rounds of this piece of the show (three different shows, that is) - hands-down, my absolute favorite part of the show. The rush I got from it was indescribable, better than any drug known to man. I was singing along with it so loud I about went hoarse, but I could've gone again and again without even blinking.

[MFF0RD8]

[quote="stevel"]Except wait for it and I swear to God this is true, my taxi driver has never heard of Madison Square Gardens and he even stops twice to ask another taxi driver. [/quote]

HA! that reminded me of the new year's on 12.31.05 when i took a cab from the upper east side - got in and told the driver "Madison Square Garden" and he drove us to Times Square !?!

wrong place, and a shitload of traffic. made for a funny story though

[policerule]

[quote]Then for a split second the emotion of the moment grabs me God dam that thing in my eye,I’ve a spine tingling moment and a shiver rounds down my back.I’ve goose pimples.
My God I’m here front .... all the years...........
Then I can hear Su’s words... ‘Saviour it’ and that damn thing in my eyes starts welling up again.......
I take a look at MSG – holy shit – I’m here front row of the pit – pinch me, pinch me.I meet the lovely Apegio from Sting.com who like me is almost in denial that she is actually here – we share a ‘really moment’.
‘C’mon Dad wake up’ I keep expecting to hear cause this doesn’t happen to me, I’m just an ordinary bloke,things like this don’t happen to me.......... I gotta be dreaming. [/quote]


So much of the story is awesome, but this part is a perfect description of what that must have felt like...

[conroy]

Thanks so much for your wonderful recap, Steve. I still haven't gotten around to writing mine yet and I don't think I can get anywhere close to reliving my experience like you have done yours so well here. Thanks for sharing this with everyone and make the magic last longer if not forever!!!!

[nancyrose]

GREAT story, stevel!! You describe so beautifully the sort of "out of body experience" I think many of us felt that night.

Couldn't agree more with your description of CSLY/RDB...it has ALWAYS been a highlight of the show for me. I feel like the energy just builds up inside me 'til that exact moment you mention when it feels like your whole body just explodes with excitement! And at the same time, it's always been a shock to me to reach that part of the show so DAMN FAST...I almost feel like part of the reason I become such a whirling dervish is to hold back time moving too fast...as if I could keep the show from coming to an end!

[policerule]

[quote="nancyrose"]GREAT story, stevel!! You describe so beautifully the sort of "out of body experience" I think many of us felt that night.

Couldn't agree more with your description of CSLY/RDB...it has ALWAYS been a highlight of the show for me. I feel like the energy just builds up inside me 'til that exact moment you mention when it feels like your whole body just explodes with excitement! And at the same time, it's always been a shock to me to reach that part of the show so DAMN FAST...I almost feel like part of the reason I become such a whirling dervish is to hold back time moving too fast...as if I could keep the show from coming to an end![/quote]



Thanks for reminding me how fucking incredible that part of the show was... it was my favorite moment too.... the "yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah"s and into the jam. I miss it already.