TOUR ARCHIVE

Date: 2009-06-22
Location: Milan - Italy [14 shows here]
Venue: DatchForum [4 shows here]
Fan reviews: 1 - Add yours!
Author: Phil
Setlist: Yes

Note that this concert was part of a larger trip whose details and pictures you can find here.

I'd spent the day sightseeing and left Milan around 2:45pm given how far I was from the venue. But it took much less time than I expected to get all the way across town and to the venue, so I ended up getting there around 3:20pm.

Once I found my way inside the venue, I went looking for Jeff's office which was not where it usually was and consequently got hassled by security briefly until I found Jeff. Once I did we walked over to the room we'd be doing the M&G in. It was a hallway between backstage and a workshop of some sort, but it was a pretty big space. We'd have to move a couch, some sandbags, and the big nets with the Metallica beach balls in them, but it would work well.

Then we looked at where I'd be filming for the night, and then I headed off to chill in catering for a while since Jeff wouldn't need me for a while. When I met Jeff in the production office he was on his way to find Filip and Dennis and I headed off to start setting up the M&G area.

When the three of them got back they helped me finish moving the heavier stuff and then we went to walk the path we'd bring the M&Gers down, what door we'd bring them in, etc. After that it was a final stop in Jeff's office to pick up the passes, lists, and tickets, and Filip, Dennis, and I went off to find the night's winners. It was hot outside and we didn't have shade. Fortunately, when we got there just before 5, most of the winners were already there. I handed tickets to the contest winners while Filip and Dennis handled getting passes on people. We had 4 metclubbers not show up that night, and 2 of the M&G winners didn't have tickets, so we couldn't let them in. I don't understand these - who doesn't show up to meet the band? And who enters for a show they don't have tickets for when we specifically say you have to have tickets?

Once they were inside, Jeff asked me to get the camera and handed me some things to drop in his office while I was there. When I got back Rob was already there, and security didn't want to let me in, but I didn't really take no as an answer.

I caught most of Rob's meet-n-greet on film. Kirk came in shortly after, and really asked anything much of Rob or Kirk. Surprisingly James didn't get many questions either. There were two very cool banners the band signed, and the Italian chapter gave shirts to all 4 band members plus Jeff and Dennis. When Lars came in, he made the guy at each end play rock-paper-scissors to decide what side he'd start on. Lars' new personal assistant, Barbara, keeps pretty close to him which makes filming a bit of a challenge. Filming all 4 is always a bit of a challenge, but at least I usually get a short break between them.

After we let the "kids" outside, we all went to eat. Oddly the room where you got food was not the room with tables and stuff - these rooms were next to each other. It was pretty good Italian food, but the soda was warm with these tiny little double-shot sized Dixie cups with no ice, and plastic plates. It felt like we were back in middle school! But at least the food was pretty good.

After dinner Jeff and I went to go check out the new camera; we'd be using smaller hand-helds for the next few weeks until Copenhagen. These smaller cameras are what the contest winners who would be filming the Copenhagen show would use, and Jeff wanted to get more experience with them and the footage they'd create. Once I was familiar with it, I went to go watch a bit of Lamb of God's set until it was time to setup. But I'm not much of a Lamb of God fan, so I went up to where I'd be filming; there would be two things I'd have to climb over with the camera and tripod. Not optimal, but doable.

I headed off to fetch water from catering and my camera, the setlist, and a photo pass from Jeff's office, and then head up to my filming spot. I was in a very, very tiny little spot.

I stood inside that blue bar with the camera.

I thought it was interesting how the crowd distributes itself on the floor. Despite it being an "in the round" stage, there's a perceived "front" which is packed, as is about 3/4 of the floor, and then there's a 1/4 that's fairly empty.

The set was very good: highlights included Turn The Page, The Memory Remains, and Die Die My Darling. The crowd was very loud, the band was having fun, and as usual on this tour, it was a great show.

Since Dennis had hurt his shoulder, Filip filmed in the pit and I filmed up-top, and we'd switch in Rome, according to Jeff. I was pretty stoked to film in the pit, that seemed like a fucking cool job.

Filming tonight was difficult - I had people trying to steal the setlist, arms in front of the camera, people bumping into me, etc. But that's part of filming...

After the show I had much less of a problem getting back down to the floor with the camera than I expected. Jeff upgraded my pass to prevent future problems with security (woo!!!), and we said our goodbyes until Rome.

I swung by catering on my way out to pick up water, but they'd cleared it out already.

After the show I found a bridge that crossed the highway which Dennis and Filip had told me about. Given that it shouldn't be that long of a walk home, I headed off. However, once I got a map up on my phone I realized it was the North-South highway that ran along the East side of the venue... not the East-West highway that ran along the South side of the venue. I was not going in the desired direction. I headed back to the venue and tried to call a cab but the cab companies didn't speak English. I called my hotel but they wouldn't call a cab for me on account of being unable to describe precisely where at the venue I was.

I wondered around a bit and found an area where the road came by the venue and people were being picked up (at this point there was only maybe 50 people around, total). I didn't see any cabs, and was starting to wonder how I was going to get home. I had some Metallica picks which I was considering offering one of the folks walking towards the parking lot in exchange for a ride home. However, after another 15 minutes or so I was very relieved to see a few cabs pull up. I jumped in one, and was home shortly. The next morning I had a very early train out, and so I crashed.