A Close Encounter with the Gately Grin
(Pepsi Chart 23/05/00)


Steo is amazing...it was soooo lovely seeing him again, this was the first time since Dublin and I'd have met him if it hadnt been for an evil security guy but anyway here's all about what happened.

OK so here goes - after finally persuading my parents to let me go - it was finally tuesday and I was seeing Steo again! (Not that I was happy about that or anything!). So I was at school all day - and a friend brought in a shirt thing for me to wear cos I didn't really have any clubby clothes. I went to all the lessons and even mananged to get over 90% on a physics test! Then school was over at last yay! and I walked out to the car (it was chucking it down so dad had walked into school with and umbrella so I didnt get wet agh! - great, major embarassement!!) and so we went straight from school to london. The traffic in London was awful but I got to Leicester Square well in time and went down to the side door where all the stars go in - but had missed Steo, apparently he had arrived about 2pm!! wow early or what?! But saw one of S club 7 arrive hmm oooh yay (not)....anyway I managed to find Helen and meet up with her (hopefully were gonna go to the Mardi Gras to see Steo too) and then we wondered around for a while and eventually found the others (April, Albany and Janet were the first ones we saw then erm Jenny I think she is met us and then Sooze arrived with Sarina). So we went in and got our special wrist bands cos we were vip's, but they were checking everyone for ID - oh which I had none agh!! So the security guy starts picking on me and everyone is telling him I'm over 18 (lol) but he wouldnt have it, so I go and say I'm ringing dad to get me some cos I left it in the car (not!!) and go outside to where Helen is and she gives me hers...(we have this twin lookalike thing going on luckily) so I go in and a different guy lets me straight in without even checking the ID. So we all go round to the special entrance (the one the stars go in) and we walk into the little room with a bar, and the security bloke who was having a big problem with me was on the door and wanted to check my ID...so he did for ages and said it wasnt really good enough cos it was only a railcard - but it had a pic on and a date of birth so he said I'll let you in this time but its not good enough and u should have a passsport etc bla bla bla lol. Anyway so Janet was on crutches and so had to go in early so she could go up in the lift and we were all gonna go up and one security bloke was gonna let us but the evil one wouldnt let us so while sooze and janet watched Steo do his sound check live and met him - agh! grr at the evil security guy!! And he gave them a hug and they got pics with him etc - awww. But anyway so we were up in that bar thing and watched him on the tv screens in there doing the sound check - he did the song twice and was wearing these red trousers and looked great. He had a kind of whitey top on but it had some design on it....so anyway after he'd gone to the celeb bit again they still hadnt let us up so sooze came and got us : ) we were [ooh yay LM4AR has just come on the radio - ages since I've heard that on the radio!] soz where was I.....oh yeah we were guest listed and so had these special wrist bands and so got to go in before all the rest of the ppl there. So we saw the stage set up for Stephen so he was going to be first and plonked ourselves center front hehe and we were not gonna be moved! Anyway so I was stood right in front of his microphone where he was gonna be! So then everyone else came in and we managed to stay where we were and we saw Kat and a few others including Rosemary.

So we had to do a few tv things, links and stuff and then eventually Stephen came on the stage! He was wearing these like jeans things but kinda big and baggy lol - hmmmm they looked better than they sound and also a black shirt. He was standing right in front of me so I waved at him and he smiled and waved back and he also gave us a thumbs up back when sooze and me asked him if he was ok and did a thumbs up at him - awww he's so sweet! So he was standing there for a little while - looking gorgeous as always, and then he sang New Beginning. I don't think there was a better view possible!

He did all his little actions and everything while singing (and we were sort of half trying to put him off at the beginning and make him laugh so he'd have to do it again oops - but then gave up after about 10 seconds cos it wasnt working hehe - what a proffesional!) He got to the end of NB and he got a massive cheer - I think everyone was there just to see him hehe! And he stood there and smiled at us some more then a make-up person came on with some tissues and dabbed his face and neck and he was looking very serious as she did lol! Aww and then he had to do these links saying 'Hi I'm Stephen Gately and you're watching the Pepsi Chart' hehe - and he obviously felt a little silly doing it aww.....so he got it wrong the first time hehe. Then there was a little break before he did it again so I was a bit bored and in a silly mood so shouted out tell them your Ronan, Stephen - and he looked round with this really sweet little grin on his face and laughed at me and kinda rolled his eyes hehe awww. It was quite sweet - but he found it funny anyway hehe and then he did the links and we all sorta cheered when he got them done and then he had to go : ( but he said bye to all of us and waved etc...lovely as always!!

OK so then we had to do some more links and stuff and then s club 7 were on and then dj neat and all through in the breaks there was this guy saying how he had tickets to see mikey and signed steo cd's to give away so Albany (and as I was next to her sort of me too) were saying we'd do anything for the cds - but she was a little louder than me!! Anyway we all got tix to see mick at the dome on monday - dont think I can go though....but anyway back to yesterday...

So then Madison were on and I spotted Steo on the balcony bit preparing to do his interview, so I told all the others and so the whole front row were just stood there ignoring the band performing and looking at Steo hehe oops! Then he sat down or leant againt the railing thing to do his intv - all I could see of him at this point now was his arse! Oh and I think I did quite a good job of avoiding the cammeras but I might have been caught on tv once or twice agh! Probably looking very stupid) so then he did the intv and was gone - but it was lovely seeing him again...

Oh and so we stayed for the end bit and then they gave out the cd's only had 3 so he gave one to Albany one to someone else and one to a girl in a wheelchair....damn I so wanted one hehe - but Albany did deserve it for making an idiot out if herself all night hehe!! And so then that was about it - oh and they played his video as well to which everyone sang very loudly - just like when he was singing. I'm not sure but he might have mimed again - but I dont care either way really as it was nice to see him again and it was nice being alot closer than in a concert! I do prefer it when he sings live though. But I will get that hug one day and a proper meeting - you just wait!! (I hope so anyway.)

So when it had finished the guy giving out the cds came over and said sorry to us cos he only had 3 or he have given us all one - which was really nice of him. We also met the presenter guy - Dr Fox (Foxy)...and got his autograph (not quite sure why but there we go) and said hi and then we went downstairs to the bar and found all of our group again, before going home. Back to tour reviews Dublin Concert Pics