HELLO MY FELLOW SNAKEPIT FREAKS:-) June 25 2001 was the best night of my life. Why? Slash's Snakepit @ Peabody's Down Under! That's Why! Here's what happened: (It's a little long about full of details it took a couple days to write - didn't want to leave anything out) Going back about four weeks I called Peabody's to see if the show of all ages. I was told it was. Me happy. Then about 2 weeks before I read in the paper 21 and over. I called back to see what's up. They weren't sure. Finally I was told by a manager that I could not get in because they signed a contract worth thousands of dollars that they would lose if anyone under age got in. I could come down for a refund - not what I wanted. Earlier i got an e-mail from i think snakepit.org web master (the best Slash website) asking about the club - location, what is it like, etc. I sent a message back saying didn't know and that I couldn't get in and why. The day of the concert came. My friend and i were making other plans on what to do that night while driving down there to get the money back. At the door i tell a guy that worked there what had happened. He said, "We made a mistake. Since you bought tickets you can get in. We will just mark you under 21." No arguement here - just shock and excitement. (If i was unable to get in i was going to beg to sit in for the sound check for five minutes.) anyway i go back to my friend's car to tell her I can get in. We called her family to see if they could watch her son and while she was dialing the phone, THE MAN HIMSELF - SLASH was on the steps of the tour bus. I heard someone say "Slash" and saw the tattoos and couldnt' believe it was him. As calmly as I could, I tapped her shoulder to let her know who was ten feet away from us. he was walking to the club and just stopped and looked over, i waved and so did she. He waved back, smiled and said "Hi!" He goes into the club. Ann asked "Was that him?" "Yeah it was!" Her parents say that will watch her son. so we take him back to her house. Back at the club we wait outside till 8:30 or 8:45. SLash walks from the club to the bus once or twice. Since he is so cool he say "Hi" to the people wating to get in. While waiting i kept thinking The dude at the door was going to tell me I couldn't get in again. Oh i would have raised hell!! We finally get in. It's alright. Lots of room to move around in until Snakepit starts playing. There was a guy looking around for something for Slash to sign. I had an extra ticket which i gave to him. he was very happy (he and a friend also got there really early and got their picture taken with Slash and during the show Rod kept calling him the baddest motherfucker there). Anne and I start talking to some of the people there about our jobs, the kind of cigarettes they smoked etc. I was comfortable being there because i never thought there were still that many people that liked Slash as much as i did (i am not real crazy about the music scene today) Other people were talking about how Slash starting playing guitar, and 'Appetite' - thought this scene would only happen in a dream. One chick had an 'Appetite' shirt and another girl said it was cool - available at Hot Topic. The opening act was good. Just can't tell their name or any songs they played. The singer/guitarist asked how many people hear to see Slash? Everyone shouted. And he also said something like he liked Slash, can't wait til he comes on. While they played there was enough room by the stage for people to move around. Couldn't understand what he said when he spoke to the crowd very well. They finished their set. 'Pit crew set up, soundchecked everything for one last time. Before they came on people started chanting "Slash, Slash, Slash". Ten minutes later someone introduced them, "Would you welcome from Los Angeles Slash's Snakepit!" Everyone went nuts. I just saw Slash hop onto the stage behind Rod. A purple shirt done half way up, leather pants, heavy boots undone and his fluffy hair untied, no hat. I could not believe that he was again ten feet from me. Five feet from Anne. She was in the first row, i was in the second. She was so close that Slash kneed her in the head once or twice throughout the show and she didn't care. At times he would stand on the speakers and he was hovering about the first two rows and everyone would stretch their arm out to touch him. God know we were trying. I touched his lower leg (couldn't reach his hand or guitar - sooo close Again I couldn't beleive that Slash was in arms reach. Never thought that would happen either). We kept hoping he would shake a couple hands when he had a second during a song. The rest of the band was awesome too. Rod had a light shirt completely undone and a purple sequin scarf aroung his neck and brown leather pants(?) Johnny had a demin jacket and Prince shirt on under it. Kerri had a black t-shirt that said "Trips are for Kids" Cool hair. I noticed some of the stickers Kerri had his guitar like the south park kids as aliens, 'Shut Up Hippie' and 'Suck Me'(?) Ok honestly i was paying much attention to what they were wearing i, just watched them rock out some kick ass songs - i did notice that Johnny and Kerri ARE HOT! Rod would stretch the mic stand over the crowd. When he wasn't singing he would reach out to shake hands. At one point i had my arm stretched out and Rod grabbed and firmly shaked it and just slapped a couple other hands reached out. Another time Kerri slapped my hand and slipped a guitar pic in. I checked to see if he gave me something (if anyone tried to take it they would have been hurt.) Had a tight grip on it. I had my camera with me. Whenever i thought one of them did something cool i snapped a picture. Johnny kept sticking his tongue out (like the way Gene Simmons does.) I wanted a pic of him. Some how i got his attention or he just saw the camera. I put the camera to my eye then lowered it and stuck my tongue out. He did the same and got a pic of him (Sweet !!) Earlier I was smiling like a moron and Jonhhy flashed a smile ack:-) Rod wanted the crowd to shout 'Fuck Yeah' as loud as they could. We did - no problem there. Rod said 'We've been to Madison Square Garden and you are fucking louder then they were!' We shouted again. Slash also said something to the crowd but i couldn't understand him and Anne doesn't remember. I wish I could understood him - but luckily a local radio station is going to air the show (Sunday July 1 @ 9pm on 100.7 WMMS) Hopefully I will catch it then. It was all good except some asshole wanted to start a mosh pit. I got pushed to the side a couple of times and pushed back. But Anne got hit in head about five times by that asshole. She hit him back once and he calmed down. But to not get hit she leaned against the speaker and covered her head. She said Rod kept leaning over her while slapping hands with the crowd to prevent her from getting hit. On a positive note Rod would take a drink from a cup and spit it out onto the crowd. Normally that would be nasty but it was really hot in that club and anything cool felt good. The dude in front of me was head banging so much that it I felt a nice breeze from his hair. For a minute I thought someone opened a door or something. They played 'Been There Lately' 'Life's Sweet Drug' 'It's So Easy' which I didnt realize they were playing till half way through. 'Brownstone' Among others. After the show another girl we met helped take Ann to the bathroom because she was dazed from getting hit in the head. I ask if she is going to be OK. She says 'yes' and we walk to the bar. I ask if she wants anything autographed and by who. She gives me her ticket stub and asks for Slash and Johnny to sign it. While waiting I talk with some other people in line. Asking if this was the line to get some signed. Needless to say it was. But the club had a little place to buy Stuff (t-shirts, posters, etc) Above it was a sign saying autograph here 30 minutes after the show. When actually a table was set up by the entrance. And it was longer than 30 minutes. They waited til the line was gone because they are just awesome that way. I started to wonder if they were going to sign stuff because the line was getting shorter but we couldn't see the band - until one of the guys pointed Slash out. I stopped acting like a nervous fan. I thought i would not be able to talk to the band. Not sure when I will get that chance again so I want to take advantage of it. I thought I wouldn't be able to say anything comprehendable to the band. But I got up to the table. Matt was first. Gave him my ticket envelop. Told him they put on an awesome show. Then came Johnny. He signed it. Says he saw me rocking out there. I asked for a picture of him and me. He stands up, leans over the table. I give my camera to another dude and asked him to take the picture. He did. Next Slash. Same way as Johnny. I was nervous to ask for a picture. So sure he'd say no. He just says got to get someone else to take it and leaned on the table. Asked another guy. he took it then i asked slash to sign Ann's ticket. Next sweet Kerri. Didn't ask him for a picture. Slash just handed him my ticket envelop. He signed it then asked him to sign Ann's ticket. Told him it was for my friend who was sitting at the bar. She got hit by the mosh pit asshole. he asked if she was okay. Before i went back to the bar i wanted to make sure i got everyone's autograph. Kerri said 'Let me see.' He counted the signatures, 'yeah all there' (Rod was somewhere else - caught him later.) told Kerri they put on an awesome show and went back to the bar. Showed Ann her ticket stub. She asked who signed it. I told her Slash and Kerri. She wanted Slash and Johnny to sign it. Mistake on my part. Asked if she wanted to back in line to get Johnny's. We get up to to the front of the line. The guy controlling the line let Ann go but not me. She wanted me to go with her and he let me go. Matt's first. He asked her name and he signed her coaster while they talked for a second. Back to Johnny. Asked if she wanted her picture with him. They get face to face. snap. Slash signs her coaster. Back to the super sweet Kerri. Slash hands him her coaster. I tell him this my friend that got hurt. She tells Kerri what happened. Slash asks if she (or he) was lifted out. 'No' she tells him. 'I just leaned against the speaked and covered my head. Slash says 'I thought you did that because the music was too loud.' 'No. The music was great.' Asked her if she wants a picture with her and kerri or Slash. Kerri stands up leans against her with his hands on her shoulders. She leans against him. (Lucky little...) Slash leans against the table. Kerri and slash have a cool smile, she's almost laughing. In my pic with slash and johnny i am smiling like a fucking moron. Just before we get out of line I tell Slash they put on an awesome show and i reach my hand out to shake his. (Didn't happen during the show and was not going to walk away from that chance when i am also talking to him.) He asked 'Really?' 'Yes!' NO BULLSHIT! They do put on a kick ass show. If you get the chance go see them. You will have a great time!. He shakes my hand. Very cool! Ann and i go show Amy what we got signed and chatted with some other people there. just before we leave Kerri is by the door talking with three other people. He said his hair looked crappy. I said no it's looks cool like and that. We rock locked. A few minutes later we are ready to walk out, I look over and see Johnny sitting at the bar and I wave bye. He waves back. On our way to the car I see Rod by the tour bus. I ask Ann if she wants to go say 'hi' to him. We walk over. I ask him to sign my envelop. He asks if I had a pen. No. Another girl asks him to sign her poster. He asks if she has a pen. She did. I ask if he can use that to sign my envelop. He didn't wait for her to answer. While he's signing stuff, i ask 'You seriously thought we were louder than Madison Square Garden?' 'Fuck yeah!' 'Sweet!' I don't remember if Ann asked him to sign anything or what else what said. On the way home we talked nonstop about how awesome the show was, how nice the band is, she had the band's sympathy. (Again lucky little..) We didn't get home til after two in the morning. I was hoping the pictures come out. She wanted copies. And they did come out. Called her after getting home from Wal Mart. 'The pictures are all good.' I took them into work with me. Showed them to co-workers and fellow Slash freaks. Some are jealous. If they had their picture with Slash they would show it off too. Had them right by my side in case i got pissed at a customer and just flip through them. We still talk about the concert (two, three, going on four days later.) A girl at work said she has never saw me so happy. I am still tripping on how awesome it was. I would love to send copies of the pictures but I don't have a scanner, so it will have to wait another day or two when I give them to a friend so she can scan them at her second job. On another note i also saw Slash's Snakepit when they opened for AC/DC. That was in a big arena and the seats sucked. In a big arena opening for a big act the schedule and security are tight. They play and are rushed away from the fans that are at best twenty five feet away. Only a very lucky few get backstage. I'm sure the band like to move around on stage but the fans don't get many chances to be so close to the band. Now in a small club they are literally inches away from their fans. Hopefully the band likes that. The fans sure as shit do. Blah Blah Blah! I feel better since that's off my chest.