Saturday.

What the hell do you wear to your first concert?

I had numerous A-list outfits but none of them were right. I didn't want to wear something too revealing but I couldn't possibly bundle up on this warm Aussie night. I settled on a leopard bodysuit and my red mini skirt. I wouldn't last half the night in heels and opted for my boots instead. A leather jacket just in case and my feather earring. 

Mum still didn't know I owned earrings. 

My family had already left hours ago. I was left to swallow my own nerves and pace the living room floor in peace. 

Had I eaten enough?

Should I bring water?

What if I get lost?

What if I...

I took a deep breath. Fine. Fine. Everything was going to be fine. 

My stomach churned. I suddenly felt exhausted and had to sit down. My clothes felt very tight against my skin. I put my hair in pigtails and I kept adjusting them. Every second felt miserable. Why couldn't I feel excited like everyone else? Not going crossed my mind. Giving my ticket up and just crawling back into bed. Calling the whole thing off. I felt too sick. 

Then I remembered the little bottle on the shelf above my bed. 

I wanted so badly to go without.

But I wanted to enjoy myself. 

So I took one. 

Just one. Just a small Dramamine tablet I usually take for motion sickness. And I would be walking to the venue just as I did the other day. But I also knew in an hour's time I wouldn't feel sick anymore. And that was worth it for just one night. 

**********

The venue was chockablock but not overflowing. My vision was swimming but it didn't worry me. I couldn't distinguish one voice from another and I was just floating in a sea of noise. The seating wasn't strict. I wasn't by any means near the front but I could see the stage well enough. Glancing at the crowd I saw many new faces. Except one; I could just make out the blonde hair and the straight nose belonging to the young woman who sold me my ticket. She must have meant it in a good way. 

I grabbed my headphones from my purse and put them on. The show would start at any minute and I wanted to be ready. I knew these men played loud. I'm sure I got some funny looks but at least my ears wouldn't be ringing days later. Not to mention Dramamine told me not to care. 

Then suddenly...they were there.

And they were wonderful. 

Angus came out first. His hat fell off in record time and already he was on the other side of the stage. I saw Bon walk towards the front of the stage holding a microphone in one hand and the chord in the other. He had a smile on his face like always and started dancing. Lights illuminated the stage and after my eyes adjusted I could just make out Cliff's silhouette. Malcolm was on the other side and surely that was Phil behind the drums. 

I couldn't believe what I was seeing. 

They were really there. Right in front of me. Playing the loudest rock and roll music yet to be heard and I was so glad I brought my headphones. 

Listening to their songs on the record is one thing. I'm alone and I can dance however I want and nobody is there to make me feel any different. But actually seeing them in person....I felt rooted to the spot. 

There wasn't much room to dance anyway. 

But I sure as hell smiled. 

I can't remember the exact setlist but I'll never forget "Let There Be Rock" and "Problem Child". They're staples. And I can still picture Phil replacing the snare drum during a short break. All of them were sweating buckets, especially Angus who by now had removed his blazer and tie and abandoned them on the stage floor. 

Bon....Bon didn't waste time removing whatever shirt he had been wearing. 

But nobody explored each other. Yet.

I wasn't expecting them to be so small up close. They were exhausted. Everyone had been given bottles of water and I think Malcolm had a bottle of something else up there too. Towards the end of the show Angus had been fitted with an oxygen mask and spent a couple seconds catching his breath. 

They were so...human. 

Bon mentioned something about their next album into the microphone and they started up in a song I had never heard before, but I was suddenly feeling very tired. The temperature of the venue started to rise and the lull of the crowd just about put me to sleep. I kept my eyes on Angus thinking his constant running would keep me awake. It worked for a few minutes. 

Are you okay?

I blinked hard trying to keep my focus. 

Hey.

I felt myself swaying.

I also felt a tap on my shoulder.

I spun around to see a young man and a much shorter woman behind me pointing to my headphones. I carefully removed them. Over the roar of the crowd and the bone crushing music I barely heard them. 

"Are you okay?"

I nodded, positive they wouldn't have heard my mouse squeak in a quiet room. My brain couldn't handle this much noise much longer but as I attempted to put my headphones on again, the young woman held out her hand. 

"Come on, let's get you out of here."

What did they mean? Could they tell I was falling asleep? Unsure of anything, I followed them through the crowd and down a narrow corridor where a blast of cold air hit my bare legs. I didn't need my headphones down here so I placed them back in my purse. 

The lights stung my eyes. Our footsteps echoed in the empty hallway. The man was tall and the woman walked at a brisk pace to keep up with him. I managed to do the same. I noticed both were wearing lanyards around their necks with something in the plastic but it didn't feel right trying to read what they said. Eventually we ended up in a large room with several cots. 

I wanted to go back to the show and I questioned my own stupidity for following these two strangers. "Did you enjoy the show?" the woman asked. 

"Yeah, I did." At least, I had been.

"Don't worry, you didn't miss much. They had one song left anyway." She stood in front of me and gestured to one of the cots. "Go on and sit down. We'll get someone to check you out."

Check me out? Where the fuck had they taken me?

I caught a swift glance at the plastic. All it said was the name of the band and...Shirley...her name was Shirley and the man was suddenly nowhere to be found. I could assume his lanyard had similar contents. They must be working with the crew.

"Now, love, have you eaten before you came here?"

Uh...yes. I nodded.

"Do you need water? Are you on medication?"

I paused. Then shook my head. 

"Someone working for the tour pointed you out to us and said you looked a bit peaky. We didn't want to take the chance of you passing out then getting trampled on, yeah?" I shivered. "Just in case, we took you back here. It's where we treat people, we get kids in here all the time passed out from sheer excitement and loony." I stayed quiet. She grabbed a clipboard from somewhere and wrote a few things down. "I'll be back in a jiff." And she left.

The sound of the concert was muffled to the point of no use trying to listen. I couldn't hear any music however so she must have been telling the truth about them being almost finished. My legs were covered in goosebumps and I hoped nobody noticed. They're not exactly my most attractive feature. I wasn't expected home yet but that didn't mean I could stay here all night. My sleepiness however made things very tempting. 

A woman with short black hair came out of nowhere and shone a light in my eyes. I didn't know what I was supposed to do so I held very still. More people came filing in but nobody appeared to be a patient. I didn't see Shirley nor did I ever see the man again. A few people looked at me for just a second before returning to whatever business they attended to. The crowd outside became less prominent as the hospital room filled up. Footsteps ran up and down the hall and the traffic was thick. 

Before I knew it I was being handed a bottle of water and told I was good to go. I hopped off the cot but I didn't drink anything. Nobody seemed to notice me slip out of the room and down the hall. 

There were so many people there, I couldn't believe it. Most of the people were working there, either cleaning up the venue, packing up equipment, or doctoring sick fans. There were some typical fans there and I saw a good handful of them with what looked to be backstage passes. I didn't have one of those. I couldn't follow them. 

"Oi, Jenny!"

"Brett, move those boxes over there, please."

"What a fuckin' night..."

"I'm goin' home with this one."

Amid the buzz of the building my own thoughts were buried. I tried to make myself as small as possible so I wouldn't get in anyone's way. Ducking metal poles, boxes, beer cans and stepping over wire spaghetti was a sport. I found my way out of the hallway to see the stadium half empty. A couple strays were lingering and talking while some waited by a backstage door. 

Curious. But terrifying. 

I maneuvered through the waning crowd clutching my purse to my chest and adjusted my pigtails again. Checking to see if my earring was still there and finding satisfaction, I braced myself for the trickle of people pouring out into the fresh air. After being practically pushed outside the wind hit my face and I shivered. It was colder out here than it was inside. 

"Best show I've ever been to."

"I lost my drink in there."

"Zeppelin's still better but they were decent."

"Bon's gorgeous!"

I took my time walking down the sidewalk picking up bits and pieces of conversation I wasn't invited to join. My head was swarming with my own responses. 

Damn straight.

I hope I didn't lose anything...

AC/DC can play circles around them.

Well...he is a very handsome man...

From where I now stood I could hear a horn honking and men shouting all kinds of cuss words. Around a corner and down a narrow alley I saw a bus surrounded by fans and a few trucks being filled with amps and cords. A few young women were dressed similar to me and I felt less insecure. The bus' windows had curtains and all were pulled shut except two, one being the driver's and the other way in the back. I couldn't see anybody inside. The crowd of fans waved and shouted their goodbyes and I watched it drive off leaving a puff of smoke behind. 

And that was that. They were gone.