Voodoo Fest Part 3: The Second Day of Voodoo Fest

Wheeewww. Damn I’m up early…


…way too early. Look at that moon though.


I was thinking a lot while I waited, as I tends to at times like that…


I was sad. I was thinking - I shouldn’t be up so early. I should have stayed out late last night, I would have liked the haunted house. It would have been such great inspiration.


I wish I hadn’t been so tired. I really wish I hadn’t been so cranky. I thought about trying to go back – but I knew there would be no time. I’m just going to have to live with the fact that I’m not a fun person who goes out to such things…


…or that I’ve become a morning person, after all these years...

I got to see the sunrise over these beautiful trees. I can’t tell you how beautiful that was – and that – I will never regret.

So it ain’t all bad.

I waited – I saw somebody walking. I was hoping it would be who I thought it was. It was Erin! Funny, she was going to do the same thing. We were all set then to run in together just like at Lollapalooza. But first – before I could care about anything at all even Nails – I needed Coffee!!

“You musta been desperate!” Kayla said over her text. You have NO idea. Over 24 hours with out caffeine. FINALLY I found some – I got back to the line Kayla and Tessa were there. The caffeine still hadn’t kicked in so I was still snippy. But all of sudden – finally, it hit me. I’m not kidding, literally felt like I could breathe again.

So there we are, all getting revved up to run in. We hear them sound checking 1,000,00 and nearly explode with excitement. Finally – they check our bags, we’re all set to charge – we look around, Kayla and I – hey, where’s Erin, Tessa and our 2 new friends?

Security: Oh, we messed up – we let those four in already. Kayla and I just look at each other. Oh. So like, we’re pretty much done. We still ran of course, it felt weird not to. But, halfway to the stage it was like – Yeah…no.

Got to the stage, Erin and Tessa were just sitting, chillin out at the barricade alone. On the other side our two new friends also hung out alone, totally mellow and happy. I looked around, beautiful day, 10 a.m. already on the barricade with my friends – this is nice.


Awww just like at Lollapalooza-


Only with out the marathon, the blistering heat or the stress. This really is nice.


Here’s everyone just chilllin out – EVERYONE was cool. It was great.


I looked over at one point and there was my buddy Brandi! So we wave to each other.


There she is! See – I love shows. I love this crew! You may know some people will be going to a certain show before you arrive, but then you get there and see lots of other familiar friendly faces and its just the nicest surprise! You’re never alone-


So, after Lollapalooza, I new we’d all need water so I left to get water for everyone – It’s so pretty walking around. I talked to Abby on the phone – I told her how much I missed her. I told her I felt sad about the House of Shock. But she had me laughing again in no time.

We laughed about a lota things!


I went back – we hung out there was a dancing banana


The sun was really strong. It was hot but nothing like Lollapalooza. It was just nice, especially since its so cold back in New York.


After a few bands, I left to get the girls food and more water for everyone. For Kayla and Tessa, it was only their second time on rail. They weren’t moving for nothing – and I can totally understand that. Erin and I of course, well, you know how it is after a while. Still, I was worried the girls wouldn’t eat – I didn’t want them to have a situation like I had back in 2000 at the show Cleveland. I wanted to make sure they had food and water – Oh God!

Oh My GOD! I really am becoming Mom! Jesus – all weekend they teased me I was NIN Mom – they called me Nommy….. What’s happened to me – what happened to that spaz who was so nervous she didn’t eat back on 4_12_00…..

That wild teenage girl…. What have I become!?

Long nets of while, cloud my memory…


There were these odd moments where you’d be watching a band and photographers would be taking photos of the crowd. And like you’re always making a weird face during a show – ‘cuz you’re rocking out – or if the band isn’t very good you’re not – then, what do you do they got the camera like inches from your face? You know?

Here the photographer is clearly taken by how awesome the girls look. People think they are twins. They’re not – they’re just both gorgeous and have such an awesome sense of style.


I think this is the photo she took.


Finally we decided to take out own pic after all weekend we hadn’t even done a good one – even with all the goofy Myspace pics. So here’s the Myspace Diva show of all three of us.


We all really liked InnerpartySystem. They were fucking awesome. We really really liked their keyboard player too. We all agreed he could be Robin Finck’s little cousin…

…or else little sister – doh!


As they were playing – the sun receded back behind the stage! Perfect – no more burning the vampires up front. That’s not true, I’m actually fairly tan now…half of it comes from festivals and long waits in lines!


Look at them – I can’t get over how adorable they are. I look down and find them like this – they joke people were taking photos of me all weekend, people took just as many of them. They looked awesome.


The other side of the crowd – the sun is setting, its beautiful. Do you see what the sign says>


I’m with ya! Let’s hope they do!!!


Holding my mask far away – wondering if he’ll see it – or even be able to read what it says. I take it for posterity too, surely it will be destroyed from a crowd surfer after the first song…


My necklace looks like it’s glowing. We’ll just call it our necklace, since Tessa, Kayla Erin and I all have the same one.


Sun sets further - Lil Wayne finally finished his set. The crowd is getting excited.


Everyone is finally starting to feel it – Oh my god – only one more band!


Oh that one more band. No Mars Volta dude, you’re not Jim Morison.


No skinny dude you are not The Lizard King.

There’s Erin. We all held him up to be polite – didn’t want the dude to fall over. But you know, we’re all just like – hey, step off man. Yeah, we got you leg but - don’t want other Rock Star to look over and get the wrong idea. And then later he had the nerve to break one of You know who’s lights!!!

You know he touched THE screen too. No one said you could touch the screen, bust up the sets or use us to hold you up so you could look cool in front of the press people.


Here he is, and yeah there I am. See, I’m smiling weird, cuz as I said early I don’t know what to do when there’s cameras pointed at me – its even weirder when scrawny rocker boy has his crotch in your face and you gotta be holding his stick leg up.

Let me tell you it wasn’t easy to stand there and smile -


That crazy bitch stepped on me! Seriously – that whole time – his wanna be cowboy boot was diggin my arm!

But there’s all these people and I can’t get skinny bitch offa me so I just stand there and smile and fake it.


Look – I got a boo boo!


All these years that Trent Reznor ruins my life and he’s never once physically injured me! Damn Mars Volta!

That hurt – but nothing hurt worse then they’re set. They played this one song for like 40 minutes. Think of it this way – imagine an amp giving off feedback – that and that dude from Grim Reaper screaming in the highest pitch voice possible over that. That four about an hour – while you’re dying for Nails to come out. You know, MAYBE if I wan in a bar with my friends and we were hanging out in the back we could look over occasionally, see him ants in the pants flying around the stage and go cool. But that night….yeah no.


Then they left and they started testing out the screens. We were so excited! Look how cool you can see the tracer! Look they’re testing out the Flash Light Trick!!


Is Riot happy because Nails is coming – or because Mars Volta Finally left the stage I donno.

Around about this time – this really nice guy from the festival walked up to me. He asked if Id been there all day. I said yeah. He said he’d seen me all day he’d seen me there so early. He was so nice. He gave me two wristbands – Oh God – that was SO cool of him. I gave him a hug. I knew I wouldn’t be able to see the band back stage ‘cuz I know how these things work. I didn’t even know for sure if we would get back and neither did he, but can you imagine – how NICE that was! Oh – that just was the coolest thing. I thanked him profusely still and it meant so much that he would do that for someone.

Then there was the problem. There were two. I can’t take them obviously – I offered them to the girls they refused because he gave it to me. They wouldn’t let me take just one of them. It was awful. Take Erin they said. I told them likely nothing would come of it. They seemed OK, I gave the other to Erin. She understood the likelihood – still she was happy. She put hers on, I snapped mine on, it felt so final – and I closed it and I just felt SO guilty.

How could I do this – how can I go back when the girls never have? I told them give me something I will get it signed at least. They were heartbroken and refused saying it would make them sadder. I will tell him about you! No, wouldn’t let me do that either. At least if I catch a tambourine its yours!!!

---I’ll tell you now – in the end we didn’t go anywhere – as we figured would happen. We just walked around the debris and laughed about stuff. I was so relieved really. I honestly would have felt terrible had we gone back. It was so cool of that guy – and I will always have the bracelet to remind me of how nice he was – of how nice everyone in New Orleans was….


Everyone together - over Erin’s wonderful banner. It once read how much Nola missed NIN…Now it welcomed them home.

I love this photo so much.

So there we were. Banners hung – masks on – ready to go. The press Photographers started pouring out onto the field – no turning back now – only minutes remain ---

The Lights Drop!!!


-----oh my-- GOD!!!!!!