ROSES

I was flying up high with the clouds in my head, whilst I was sitting on my bed in Sheffield, watching the film starting. I was well out of my head after the stash we just burned and that was exactly what I wanted. I was prepared to watch Made of Stone. I'd heard of The Stone Roses before, but was never really bothered about them. After I watched that amazing film only then I found out what an amazing story this band had gone through and what a joyful music they've got to offer.

I spend most of my time on Facebook just scrolling down, until something stops me. This time it was an announcement about this gig at Wembley. I sent it to my brother, a huge Roses fan, and he reserved the day when the tickets went on sale. I still didn't think anything of it back then. When he was about to buy the tickets, he got one for me as well, and I thought, Why not? So there I was going to Stone Roses next year, Just like that. I decided to have a proper build up for the gig so I did not watch the film, that got me to like this band, until the very last night before the day.
In the meantime I got into Roses even more. I listened to almost whole discography and I liked it more and more. One day I was shopping at local Tesco's and I grabbed NME magazine on my way out. Just to have some quick light read on the bus. I was overjoyed when I spotted a poster for the Wembley gig. It didn't take me long and it was hanging above my bed. I liked it so much, that I desperately wanted another one, but I just didn't have my journey around that Tesco that week. To this day I regret I didn't go back a got another copy.
So the time passed and my poster got so worn out that I had to throw it away. The gig was just a couple of weeks away. The year went quick and I was already halfway through May. It was only a month separating me from the best event this year. I asked my brother to send me a book, a biography of Stone Roses, just to upgrade my build-up. It couldn't arrive any better time. I got it on Friday, one week before. On Saturday I finished my current book and and I spent all Sunday outside, chilling. I still did not realized how close the whole thing is. It's in less than a week for God's sake. Monday morning and I am on the train drowning into the new exciting book and I can't wait to finish it. It got me right from the first page and I just couldn't wait to read another tale of that beautiful story. As I got home that day, I started observing Spike Island concert, one of the biggest open-air parties ever, when I bumped into a film called Spike Island. I just had to save it for Thursday.
With majestic music in my ears and breathtaking words from the book I had Roses everywhere all the time. It was all about them. All week. I couldn't think of anything else.
Thursday came and I stepped inside my room. First thing was 'Why didn't you tell me you bought yourself a T-shirt.' It was my girlfriend giving me stick that I threw all the money on some lousy T-shirt again and never told her. Actually it didn't cost me a penny. And I just couldn't believe it arrived on time. It was a black shirt with Ian Brown pointing with 'ADORED' written underneath. If I did not have that T-shirt I don't know what would I wear on Saturday. I had a Stone Roses hoodie with a big lemon on it, but with predictions of 30+ degrees it wouldn't be very wise. I adored my 'adored' shirt and was well happy. I was ready to watch Spike Island. My excitement just got bigger. Only two days left.
Very next day when I got home I turned the lights off, cooked my pasta and put on Made of Stone. The film it all started with. After finishing my book I was looking at things differently (and maybe because of the fact that I wasn't high this time). I laid down. There was one more nap to take. It was here, Bring it on!

Saturday morning I woke up a bit disappointed by the fact I had to go to work that day. So I just put on my 'ADORED' T-shirt, and took my bag. No, it wasn't my usual bag this time. It was just a shopping bag with two bottles inside. My bus was coming, so I had to hurry to the bus stop. It was little bit too late. I would probably made it, but the bus did not stop on the actual bus stop, which annoyed me. I saw the bus stop there almost every time it goes here. I was fucked. I knew straight away I was gonna be late for work. To my innocence I was going to be on my own in the office that day, so nobody should really find out. I finally got to my work. Only half an hour late, but I made it. Even with a coffee in my hand. So a long day went through and I was on my way. I finished work, and I set off to the greatest gig I am about to see in a very long time.
First I will have to go to Liverpool street to wait for M&D. But, before I start my journey I nipped in next door's off-license to buy two-liters chilled coke (to go with Captain in my bag). I got on the train and on the tube and on another tube and there I was. A scouse street as I'd like to call it. I had about an hour to wait, which wouldn't bother me, but my chilled drinks were getting warmer. I decided to try my luck and went to Starbucks to ask if they would be kind enough to put my bag in the fridge. And so they did. I sat down with my ice tea and Roses in my ears (once again, and certainly not the last time). After a while I went to wait for the loving couple. Wasn't hard to spot them, being the only ones to wear Stone Roses' shirts. We went to McDonald's to grab something to eat, although I didn't fancy anything, so I just observed. After rather long wait we were on our way to the tube station. Got all the way to Wembley park and went to find a place to drink, which turned out to be nearby parking space with a few lads already sitting, drinking, getting ready for the gig.
Talking of getting ready, I think I had as amazing build-up as possible. I was looking forward to this like never before. I knew everything, every tune, every name and thing that happened to the band. Saying that, it was not perfect. I did one mistake I didn't think of before. I should have stopped listening to them for about a month, maybe two, and play them just before the event. I know it would be hard thing to do, but it would be as much sweeter.
Anyway, back to the parking lot. We sat down, and took out three glasses (well, plastic cups - plastics). One for coke, another one for rum and the third one for rum and coke. And D was sipping espresso martini, which was not the best so she did not really destroyed it completely. Never mind her, me and my brother poured the Captain down our throats in about half an hour. Well, not all of it. There was a bit left in a small plastic bottle which we took inside.
We had one last picture before we went in. We were quite early, but M wanted to see Sleaford Mods really badly. So much, he literally ran upstairs and left us two at the gate. When we got upstairs, up all those stairs, to the top, I went for a quick piss, grabbed some hot dogs and beers, and went to our seats where we found M's most disappointed face. He just missed the band he was looking forward to. Funnily enough it wasn't Stone Roses' gig, which was basically the reason why we came here in the first place, so he just had to get over it by enjoying the main band. Not until Blossoms finish their number. It was alright, but I was not that fascinated. There was a queue at the side of the pitch, which I thought was weird but thought nothing of it. It was only later when I found out that there was David Beckham, so probably him giving away autographs. I went to take a piss and I grabbed a couple of beers on my way back.
I don't even know how it happened (I was in deep conversation) and all of the sudden I heard a huge cheer. That was Ian Brown and his band coming on the stage.It all just came on. That first note of every Roses' gig. Tudududu. I wanna be adored. Down in the crowd were a few smoke bombs which made an unbelievable scene and I caught it all on camera. That was my last video of the night. I went on dancing and singing all set. A girl below me must had a nightmare as I just did not stop shouting to her ear to stop recording with her phone and start enjoying The Stone Roses. Poor thing. I told her I'm from Narnia, what wasn't far from the truth. And I don't mean being from a shitplace no one knows where it is, full of weird animals and dumb creatures (which would have been in place anyway), but I proved it with my dancing, mainly when I fell down to the row of seats below. So what. I was drunk as usual. My heart certainly skipped a beat when I heard first tunes of Breaking into heaven, one of my favorite songs. But basically all gig was perfect, but when I heard it start it was an amazing feeling. Well, not as amazing as when they started All for one. I almost cried. I almost did at the end when I just sat down during I am the resurrection and admired the creation of art right there in front of my own eyes. It was almost over, but I have to mention Fool's Gold, which I literally begged D to record. What a song that is.
Anyway as everything this also had to end once, so it did. It was time for us to go. We queued up in the mass outside the tube station and waited to get to the tube. When we got in there was a great vibe. Full train of Stone Roses fans. Someone started singing: 'Until Sally I was never happy...' and the whole train (when I say whole train I mean everybody) joined 'I needed so much mooree..' all the way to chorus. After they finished I took the chance and started behaving like I was dressed so I started with no words. Nothing, just 'Tududu' and everyone joined. I mean, I'm not even singing and everyone joins in. That's something powerful what makes this. So everybody on the train wanted to be adored and we carried on. Some lads had some sort of a row which I didn't caught what it was about, but really I wasn't that fussed about it. Finally we arrived to North Greenwich and luckily and surprisingly we got on 132 bus. We didn't even needed to wait a second. That's something that rarely happened to me.
On our way home, the kebab shop was closed (no wonders at 1am in the place where I live) so M&D had a pizza for the night.
Next morning was slow and hot. Somehow we managed to get to Victoria, where we had our breakfast a slowly went to our train. Sunday was ahead of me. A day full of beautiful nature and love. Eastbourne is lovely. Seaside is nice. This kind of seaside.
On the other hand I got burnt, but was worth it!

So The Stone Roses are really something and once you get into their music, there is no way out. I believe that when I'll be fifty I will be still listening to those grat tracks and remembering my first gig at big Wembley. And I am pretty sure, this concert won't be the only gig I will be remembering.