First of all, the photo-diary was a wee bit of a flop because i dropped my camera on the way to get the train to nottingham and then lense wouldn't come out BOOOOO!!! I was close to tears.

But.....I DID JUST GET TO SEE THE VINES TWICE IN 3 DAYS...which makes up for I think!!

I did get SOME pictures with my friend's camera (although they're not amazing....i wish i'd have been able to use mine ) and a few on my phone out of desperation, lol.


So, Thursday was Vines gig number 1 at Nottingham Rescue Rooms! I've never been so excited in all of my life. And I went with two people who hadn't really heard much Vines stuff and so probably thought I was a bit mental that day but they stuck with me which is the main thing. When we got into the venue we decided to g sit on the balcony part. I know you're all probably thinking "What?!? You should have gotten right stuck in there at the front!!", but I'd been on the balcony before to watch Nine Black Alps and got some amazing photographs and an amazing view so i thought i'd save me "getting stuck in" for Leeds festival 2 days later (and bloody get stuck in I did alright...but I'll tell you about that later!). Unfortunately, i had dropped my camera earlier (as i explain earlier) and the lense would not come out so I had to use me friend's camera instead. But I couldn't use it very well and only got a few remotely good photos. I still love them all the same, a nice little reminder of a fantastic evening....













I feel really bad 'cos I tried to rememeber the setlist, but I'm just no good with those things I get too excited and caught up in it all to remember. But every song was awesome, especially 1969. I was absolutely in awe all the way through it, it was mindblowing!! I honestly thought Spaceship was going to be my favourite of the night but 1969 was fantastic!!

Craig looked a little nervous to start with I think but he soon eased into and and they all looked truely happy to be there. I didn't see the smile drop from Hamish's face once, he was grinning fro ear to ear it was lovely!


After THE most traumatic journey to Leeds (i missed the train from nottingham to get home, mum wouldn't pick me up from the station to get my Leeds bags so i had to get a later train than i wanted, i got carried away listening to The Vines and went totally passed my stop to change at on the way to Leeds and ended up adding another hour and 15mins to my journey and then got harrassed by a drunken chav!!), I have to say the Leeds show was even better than the Nottingham show!!

I decided to sacrifice going to watch Yeah Yeah Yeahs so I could get a good spot for The Vines in the NME tent. I slipped into the side as Mystery Jets were finishing their set and then as everyone was moving out I moved in to the front!! YAY...right on the barrier slightly to the left. Then i waited patiently while the band before The Vines played. I saw the guys come from backstage and up the ramp at the side to get the the stage and gave them a "wooopppp!" and a clap and got a smile from Hamish!!
The crowd absolutely LOVED them!! They sussed The Vines out first, listened to a few songs to check them out and then just lapped it all up. The guys looked absolutely stoked by the reception, Craig looked so pleased!

I was going mental! Loving every song! At one point Craig glanced over and I caught his eye as he went to turn back and the looked at me again, watched for a bit, began to smile and then full on grinned at me. So i smiled back and shouted "YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME!" and clapped and he smiled even wider, nodded at me at shouted "YEAH!!" back and laughed SO much adrenaline passed through my body at that point i thought i was going to pass out . Once again, 1969 was the higlight, and by the end of the set everyone in the crowd was going just as mental as me!! To get out at the end people had to be lifted about by the security i've never seen anything like it, crowd surfer after crowd surfer! And at the end Craig got everyone to cheer him smashing the cymbols with his guitar followed by him jumping into the drumkit and then getting back up and throwing his guitar at it! FANTASTIC!! I left the tent with the biggest smile on my face and a slight wheeze from being crushed hahah!

A few crappy pics from my phone, lol....




So overall a shitty time photograph wise, but THE best 3 days of my life Vines wise. Wish i could do it all again and again AND AGAIN!! I'm going to be in cloud 9 for months!!

That is so fucking awesome!!!! Im so happy for you! And great pics btw. aw, I would have loved to be there.

helen, that is soooooooo awesome!!! y'know, andy kelly said their leeds show was the best they did - just think, you got to be there front and center to see it!!

sorry you ended up having so much drama with your camera, but the important thing is you were there and you'll always have your memories of those performances.

and you and craig had 'a moment'?!!



good for you.

thanks so much for the pictures and stories, and for rushing to share it all with those of us who couldn't be there.

Helen i'm so happy for you!!

Sorry about your camera.


I'm so happy for the boys that everything is going so well.


Helen and Craig made goo-goo eyes with each other.

Wow.....um....ah.....da... thats pretty freakin sweet. Thanks for the report. Would you say it was a packed house each show?

I'm soooooo happy for you.

The pictures were awesome. I'm so glad you had a great time.

That story just put the biggest smile on my face . Thank you so much for sharing it! The guys sound like they were having so much fun, and argh! I'm just so happy for them and for you . Yay!

Most definitely! I was on the balcony a the Rescue Rooms so i could see the whole room was packed out. And i actually checked the ticket website to see if i was sold out, and it was. I couldn't actually see the massive crowd at Leeds but my LORD i could feel the pressure of them all pushing against me....haha...so i'm assuming it was packed in the Radio 1/NME tent too!

Thats really cool. I was sure that once people heird of these live shows that old fans would come back. I also imagine that it was nuts by the time get free rolled around for both shows. Thats also a awsome Craig story. You had like a connection or something.

That made me smile, its so sweet. Sounds like there was some chemistry going on there between you and Craig. I'm so glad the shows were sucessful. I'm so fucking excited about the Melbourne gigs!

Can I count on you for pictures?

-Tyler-

wow thats amazing
and cool pictures!!!

sounded like you had an excellent time!!! and the guys thought Leeds was their best, you're so lucky to have seen it, right at the barrier!! and the eye contact moment with Craig

im so nervous.

in 9 daysssssssssss.

why am i nervous.

i have NO IDEA.

UM BUT gosh those pictures are good.

mmm look at that hot boy at the front, aahhh yeeeahh baby

Did you mean me? If so than yes, you can. I'll be taking heaps.

oh what a lovely storie. You can die in peace now

Hey helen haha, just got back from my marathon vines weekend now and yeh, it was the best thing ever. Tho the raconteurs were amazing at Reading but that is a different matter. I dont have any photos cos well didnt fancy taking one to Reading and yer, there will be bare photos elsewhere.
Oh i got the black n red horizontal stripes at the forum show, yer mate.
Oh met The View after the forum gig, butn didnt stick around for Craigers and the gang cos they wern't coming out fast and had to get home that night too.

Yeah I did and thats good.