The Del Amitri Concert, April 25, 1996
by Alison Bellach

The day started unassuming. Okay, that is a lie. I skipped most of my classes because Caroline was coming into Isla Vista, our little college town, via Santa Barbara Airbus at approx. 1:30. I had to get my friend Abe to drive me to get her because I didn't have a car (or a bike, as my roomie had forgotten to give me back my lock key as she had promised. But I am not bitter.) and I wanted to get there on time. So, hats off to Abe! YAY!

I had met a really nice woman via the internet named Christine, who had written me asking if anyone in the Santa Barbara area had told me they were going to the concert so she had someone to go with. Little did she know that I now live in SB during the school year and had no ride! So HA! I suddenly had one!
Ode to Christine
You're a babe with curly blonde hair
To see the Dels I'd go anywhere
And you, my hero, were my driver
Nothing really rhymes with driver
I owe to you this great review
I hope you enjoyed the show too!
I got you backstage, wasn't that a trip?
This wasn't a show we could have skipped!

Okay, so the poem is weak. But hey, it's an ode anyway. :P

Anyway, Caroline and I went to IV to get money and stuff. By the time we got back, Christine had called and told my roommate that if we didn't return her call she would leave without us. Of course, my roomie (Katie) forgot ask to Christine for her number, which I didn't have, so I went absolutely ballistic trying to find it. I mean, I was insane. The idea of not seeing the guys freaked me out and made me very very very nuerotic. (This is an indication that Alison is not a well human being. Take note.) I was scared to talk to Jenna (my best friend, who I was bringing to the concert because I thought she would like to come with us and since she likes the Dels I thought it would be a good way to make her a big fan) or Caroline because I didn't want to bite their heads off. Luckily, though, Christine called back and we all got into her car and went to the Ventura Theater.
I was a complete bundle of nerves going into the show because I was so dang excited. We wanted to talk to Derek McVay (the production manager) or Quinner (real name: Ian Quinn, tour manager) before the show started because we really wanted to see the guys afterwards. So, we stopped at the tour bus, which was parked outside (as they don't have a back parking lot really) and asked for him. This mean guy told us that Derek had gone for a walk. (The mean guy here is a reoccuring event. He was a dork.) Thus, we decided to wait a bit.
A few minutes later, three guys of about my height (5'9") walked towards us. I noticed that they all had the oh-so-official little laminated card thingys around their necks, and even though none of them were tall, (Kelli Smith had described Derek as tall, but by now I just had to figure she was short... hee hee) Caroline and I decided to ask them if any of them were Derek. After all, these guys had just come back from a walk, like the one Derek was supposedly on. One of them had light brown hair, the next was sorta balding with black hair, and the third had curly brown hair. (The last one was a BABE.) Conversation:
Us: "Are any of you Derek?"
Them: "Yes, I am. So am I. Hey, I'm Derek too!"
Obviously this wasn't going to get us anywhere. But I, being the smart and very very modest cookie that I am, noticed that the pases they had were JOSH CLAYTON-FELT passes and not Del Amitri ones! Geez, the nerve they had to pretend they were Del people. Anyway, I said: "Oh, you're Josh Clayton-Felt people? Hmph! Forget you!!" in a very jokingly fashion and we all laughed. (Jenna was an innocent bystander here and Christine had gone into the club already.) We then told the guys we were huge Josh fans and they responded by saying, "Yes, we can tell from your outfits (which consisted of everything Del)." We tried to explain to them that we were supporting the band and had no Josh clothing, and to prove out fanliness, we requested that they ask Josh to play "Kerosene" (from an old School Of Fish album). They told us that since the breakup, that was a tender song for Josh, who was in the back drinking (insert hand motion) to ease the pain for this show. We laughed. The one who had the curly brown hair was doing all of the talking, which was no problem for us, because he was definate eye candy. :) Anyway, then we asked for "Rose Colored Glasses", and were met with the same reply. Caroline said, "Whatever you do, don't let him play 'Three Strange Days'!" To this they replied, "Oh no! You had better hope he doesn't hear that, 'Three Strange Days' is his favorite song!!" We laughed and bid them farewell as we entered the theater.
The first thing we saw as we walked into the theater was the concession stand. You know, where they sell stuff like tshirts and CDs. Actually, it was more like a table, manned by this really cool guy named Yogi, who is the bus driver for the band. He sold us each a Josh Clayton-Felt shirt and a Dels shirt, this one which is a cool greensih blue color with a flag on it. On each blue stripe is a tour location and the red star part says "Del Amitri Twisted". We also got Josh stickers and postcards as well as a single for "Window". Yogi was really cool -- he was nice and he helped us find Derek. But, before Derek showed up, we saw Quinner!
Quinner is the nicest guy. He walked up to us, and said, "Alison! Caroline! Hi!" and gave us huge hugs and a kiss on the cheek. He told us that with the passes he had helped us to get last time, we could go wherever we wanted to. He then quickly departed because he had to get things ready. I dig that dude. :)
Oh well. We talked real quick to Derek, who had no idea who I was until I told him that I was the internet chick, and then we were approached by a very attractive woman who was not familiar at ALL. She said to me, "Alison?" and I said, "Who are you?" It turns out that this wonderous woman was Lisa, a chick who works at Rand (a think tank! wooo!) who had read both my page and the Dels page and recognized me from the pics on either! WOAH! When I introduced Caroline, she said, "You killed the ducks!" I was amazed. Oh well. Anyway, she hung out with us during the concert. She was rad. :)
Anyway, all 5 of us went to the front of the theater because the awful local act who was whining away had finished. THANK GOODNESS. She was BAD. if you work at the Ventura Theater, take this advice: DO NOT HIRE THAT WOMAN AGAIN.
So, here we are, innocently standing at the front of the theater while the rest of the crowd sits demurely at their tables, waiting for the concert, when we were approached by a guy with gray hair and a beard. He asked, "Which of you is Alison and which is Caroline?" So, Caroline and I identified ourselves. Then he said, "I'm Mike Gomoll. From the list." Another internet person! I was in shock. WOAH! He happened to be in SoCal for business and caught the show. The guy was nice, and it was a great surprise to get to meet him. Kewl.
Anyway, the lights dimmed and the five of us, the only people at the front of the theater near the stage, take position. When the curtain opened, a guy with curly brown hair was standing at the front of the stage holding a guitar. The same guy who told us Josh was in the back getting drunk. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, we had been talking outside to Josh himself, who stood there laughing for a full 2 minutes before he started his set because he knew he had fooled us. I was so embarassed! Agh! It was funny. Funny in a highly embarassing sort of way. :)
Josh was incredible. INCREDIBLE. He was the best opening act I had seen for the Dels. WOW! His set list:
  1. Dead American
  2. Inarticulate Nature Boy
  3. Paint The Tree Green
  4. Helpless
  5. Window
  6. Soon Enough
  7. Bigger than Me (funky)
  8. Trumpet
  9. Three Strange Days (slow and cooool)

We later found out that they only played the last song because Caroline and I said not to. How rude. But, let me reiterate these main points about Josh and his set.

Josh is a BABE! God, hunk, cutie, minty guy. Woo.
Josh has more talent than your average musician. He blew the crowd away and definately helped to set the stage for the Dels.
Ode To Josh
You may have fooled us and made us blush
But when you were on stage, the crowd did hush
Until you started your awesome set
You're about as talented as they get!
I need to get out of the poetry business. Anyway, during the show Josh said that the rest of the crowd had to do what we five were doing, which was dancing around in front of the stage, because he was here to make us "happy". How nice. :)
During the break between sets, I was peeking through the curtain at a guy setting things up, holding my alligator hair clip in my mouth. While testing the mics, he looked at me and said, "What in G-d's name are you eating?" all teasing like. I replied, "It's my clip. I didn't eat before I came." He said, "You should of thought of that now, shouldn't you have?" It was funny, really, it was. Trust me. Would *I* mislead you?

Anyway, little tidbits from the concert and the backstage thing afterwards:

Justin dedicated Medicine to me because I got all excited when he announced it. Little does he remember I was at the first concert they played it at. So ha. :) regios and cathy lee chick scary dancer man "Let's Go Homne" being BS ashley and his girly friend Justin and the bootleg and david's cd ashley and the car quote Andy's ex, Jerry mars bar be my dowfall/like a virgin/hammering heart whiskey remorse lust for life