Brisbane
Sunday, 25th of March 2001
naughtybee@hanson.net
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Fan Meet: Fans getting together for some fun.
As I made my way towards Brisbane city on Saturday afternoon my mind was filled with all sorts of questions. Somehow I knew these perplexing questions would have answers on m drive home the next day. I was attempting to meet up with people that I had been talking with over the net for the past year or so. More importantly since Hanson had graced our shores here in Australia and performed at the Brisbane Riverstage in the Botanical Gardens, way back in 2000. Reminiscing on the hour and a half drive down to Brisbane my mind was brought back to the concert last March. No matter how many blisters, sore ribs or bruises I had received that day one thing was clear in my mind, I would do it all over again if given the chance. To me it was a chance to see a band that I had admired, musically speaking, for almost three years. It was my first chance to see Hanson perform live and definitely something that won't be escaping my mind for a while, no doubt my grandkids will here about it thirty or forty years time! But anyway I am not here to 'report' on the concert, there are various web sites with reviews and the like, but I am here to talk about the fan meet.
I had never attended a fan meet and when email buddies mentioned the idea to me I was a little hesitant in meeting people that I only spoke with on the net. Who knows what they could really be like and after all I had read those stories of stalkers from the net and so on. But I was keen to discuss the concert and talk with Hanson fans, hey who knows what 'scoop' I could get and what sort of article it would make for the gazette! So I packed up my things and headed down to the city that the locals like to call 'BrisVegas', for the weekend. I was supposed to be meeting the founders of the yahoo club TASS, but as usual I have this 'awesome' ability of getting lost and I ended up on the other side of the river. Anyway about half an hour, a few censored words later and finding myself almost in the middle of nowhere I found myself face to face with the co-founders of TASS, Lucy and Sarah.
We had planned to spend the night out on the town living it up grooving along with the 'locals'. Our plan of attack for the evening; to search for a good club with a great dance floor, so we could try some of our latest moves and a decent bar so we could have a few drinks, all in Hanson's honour of course! We danced the night away and on one occasion even happened to find a Zac/Isaac look alike that could even recall blues performers such as Blues Traveller and Jonny Lang like any Hanson brother in an interview. We had finally found "Jonny", pity we didn't get the picture for the "Yearbook". Our night came to an end as we sat in a sauna at two in the morning contemplating what year Hanson would really return to Australia and the possibility of a tour!
The "official" fan meet was scheduled for Sunday, the 25th of March, as it was exactly one year to the day since they had performed on the Riverstage. We all gathered there and it was as if nothing had changed. The area was exactly the same as it had been last year and the weather was still as steamy and hot as it had back then, but this year I could actually move around and of course there was no Hanson. Obviously their invitation had been either lost in the mail or through the world wide web someway, somehow…maybe next year!
The day was great. Fans got together to discuss the music, the new album and all thing Hanson. It was a day to swap and tell stories share photos and make new friends, as I am sure that all of us did. One thing that was apparent during the day, the loyalty that the fans had for the band. All of us were different and had a variety of other bands that we were really into, some ranging from pop to rock to alternative to punk to blues. But one common thing I really picked up on was the loyalty and dedication of these fans to other fans and Hanson themselves. I have never seen a group of people that have been more open and welcoming. Okay I know I am getting all sappy and so on but truthfully it was all about the music. Hey we even tried to get in on the act as we re-enacted the infamous Brady Bunch escalator scene! I really want to thank Sally and Kate for organising the day and also a big hello to Sarah, Lucy, Beth, Tania, Nay, Shannon, Adina, Rachel, Kate, Frankie, Karen, Megan, Sally and Amanda and anyone else that I missed off the list for showing their support for Hanson by turning up on the day and being the fans that they are! Anyway I shall see you all at the next concert, whenever that may be!
Ciao,
Hanson Fan Meet: Hanson fans getting together for some fun.
(Naughtybee Dictionary, p 101, 2001)
Belinda
Email Belinda! - naughtybee@hanson.net
Go to 2000 fan reviews