Last week sometime I got a call from my Richnerd, saying that the girlfriend of a friend of his (who I've met a couple of times and she seems pretty cool) had won tickets to go to a little intimate Maximo Park gig/signing at the Kerrang! radio studio in Birmingham on Tuesday 19th. Thing is, her Mr (who is the bigger Maximo Park fan of the two and pretty much the reason she entered) couldn't go as he had to go to Drayton Manor on a school trip (he works in a school). Ste had phoned Rich knowing he's a huge fan, but Rich had a meeting, so he called to see if I wanted to go. After a frantic text to my lovely boss Lorraine asking for the Tuesday afternoon off, I accepted. (Did I mention that Lorraine is lovely?) So, I met Yve at St Pauls' Metro stop yesterday afternoon and we wondered over to the Kerrang! studio. Bloody hell, did it rain! (The answer there is yes, yes it did. Quite a lot.) After a rainy 40 mins wait outside the studio (second in the queue, get us), we were led into the dinkiest room I've ever seen a gig in, and I barged my way to the front (normally I'm not so much of an arse, but these two hugely tall dudes had gone to the front to stand with their very short lady friends, and I wasn't getting stuck behind those giants!) Before the gig even started Yve managed to win a copy of the new album, Quicken the Heart (which is already a contender for Stacebob's Favourite Album of the Year with no other competition at all). I've come to think of Yve as the world's luckiest person, and I may get her to start entering competitions for me all over the place :P

Me and Yve getting excited before the set

Anyways, Maximo Park came out and played a five song set of pure unadulterated awesome. All were trackes from the new album; Let's Get Clinical, Questing Not Coasting, A Cloud Of Mystery (my favourite from the album and the highlight of my day), I Haven't Seen Her In Ages and The Kids Are Sick Again. Frankly, I cannot describe to you how amazing Paul Smith's voice is. He's just stunning to listen to, and never ceases to amaze me with his relentless energy and consistent brilliance.

Paul Smith being all awesome

It was a sort-of-acoustic affair; no drum kit could be found, but the guitar stuff was electric and the keyboards were present and fantastic.

Maximo Park! Squee!!

Lordy, I love this band. After their set, to which I bopped and sang along happily snapping photos all the while, we were ushered into a semi-orderly queue for the signing. I had lots of things in my head to say that would've made me seem all awesome and funny and stuff, but as soon as I was about 2 people away from the band in the queue, I got totally totally starstruck. When I got to the table I pretty much just placed my stuff for signing down, asked for a photo, made a lame joke about wearing Paul's hat, then went as red as my hair. I tell you, I've never been so embarrassed for myself in all my life. Unfortunately, I couldn't have my picture taken with the whole band as they were very spread along the table and unless I got behind there it wouldn't have happened, so I settled with a photo with Paul. I felt quite sorry for the rest of the band actually, no-one had pictures with them, as far as I'm aware.

Me and Paul Smith, and I'm slightly starstruck here...

Yve had brought a load of Ste's vinyls for signing and so I stood like a total lemon at the end of the table collecting her stuff for her as it got passed down the band for signing, just bright red, embarrassed and kicking myself for being such a lame-o. Still, despite my lameness, the gig was awesome, I got all of Rich's stuff signed and I got a veritable bevvy of great photographs of the band, so all was not lost. I'm still kicking myself today though, I tell you... Anyhoo, I walked Yve back to the Metro stop then faffed in Birmingham for a couple of hours before meeting Rich, Addis and Lesley for the Maximo gig at the Academy on the evening. I was quite chuffed because although they didn't play my favourite tune from the new album (A Cloud of Mystery), I'd already seen them play it earlier, and they did bust out my favourite from their previous album Our Earthly Pleasures, By The Monument, which I went crazy to. Amongst other things :P I don't have any photographic evidence of that part of the night (aside from the following picture of Addis in a hat made from an Academy leaflet :P), as I was dancing too much to even think of taking pictures, but suffice to say that everything was bloody amazing.

Addis is just sad cos he didn't get to meet Maximo Park like wot I did, innit!

I'm quite sad this morning, though, because a) I'm back at work, b) I'm not seeing Maximo Park today and c) I'm still mortified at my proper starstruckness from yesterday. Note to self: be less of a twat next time (if indeed there is a next time).