Report from the frontline

[nessus@twitch.mit.edu (Douglas Alan)]

My girlfriend, Cheryl, and I left our apartment in Arlington, MA, at
8pm on Wednesday night and I drove the |>ougmobile southwest until we
arrived in Manhattan at about 12:30am.  We stayed with a friend of
Cheryl's (actually her previous boyfriend) in his apartment near the
park on West 71st Street.  I got up at 5am, after only three and half
hours of sleep, to make my way downtown to meet Andrew Marvick
(i.e. IED's alter ego) at Tower Records.  Cheryl said that she was too
sleepy to come and she'd meet me there later if I saved her a space.
After showering, shaving, and generally making myself presentable for
Kate, and then dressing in thermal underpants, thermal undershirt,
wool socks, heavy jeans, long sleeve shirt, official Kate Bush Club
sweatshirt, and down coat, I hopped in the trusty |>ougmobile and made
my way downtown.

I arrived at the 4th and Broadway intersection--with which I would
become very familiar over the course of the day--slightly before 6am.
I was happy to see that no one was there, but I was nervous about
standing there all by myself since it didn't look too safe.  I thought
about parking the car in one of the numerous spots that are legal
until 8am to be sure I'd be first in line--I could move the car
later--but decided to look for a spot that would be legal all day long
instead.  I had no luck finding such a spot, but returned every few
minutes to Tower Records to see if Andy has appeared yet.  Eventually
I saw a gentleman standing at the corner of Tower Records--it was now
about twenty past six--and I stopped and asked him if he was Andrew
Marvick.  He was!

I told him to save my spot and I'd go park in a lot.  I parked in a
lot that was about a block away (it cost $15!) and rushed back to
Tower Records.  There were already two more people in line.  I boldly
asserted that Andrew was saving my spot until I had parked the car and
inserted myself at position number two.  I told them that I was also
saving a spot for my girlfriend and they only seemed mildly bent out
of shape.

Throughout the long wait, we four (me, Andrew, Illana, and Ed -- I'm
not sure I have "Illana's" name quite right) chatted about all sort of
Bushological matters.  Illana, currently a lurker on Love-Hounds, had
flown all the way from San Francisco for this!  She spent all her
money getting to New York and had to sleep on the NYC subway.  Putting
one's life in danger is above and beyond the call of duty for a Kate
Bush fan!  Her dedication also showed in what she wanted autographed.
She was going to ask Kate to autograph her arm and then go have the
autograph tattooed in!  Ed came all the way from Hampshire college in
western Massachusetts.  I'm not sure how he found out about the
event--he's not yet on Love-Hounds, but says he will participate when
he gets back to school.

By 7am there were about ten people standing in line.  A very nice
person behind us in line brought us hot chocolate from McDonald's
without even asking for money to defray his cost.  Some kind guy
behind us in line also gave each of us a beautiful promo flier for
*The Red Shoes*.  The line continued to grow very slowly until about
10am, when it started growing at a slightly faster pace.

At some point before noon a few guys working at Tower Records brought
out police barricades to define the line a bit more formally.  By
noon, there were a bit under a hundred people in line.  Various
Love-Hounds started finding Andrew and me and coming up front to chat
a bit.  Among them were Meredith Tarr, Greg Bossert, Jessica, David
Silver, Michael Knight, Jason Pascucci, Keith (I don't know his last
name, and I think he's not on the net anymore), and several others who
I have forgotten their names because I was too overwhelmed at the
time.

By 1pm, our gang of four was completely starving (not to mention very
cold), and Ed ran up a few blocks to bring us back a large half-plain,
half-mushroom pizza.  I have no idea what the quality of the pizza
was, but sitting there on the cold sidewalk of Greenwich Village with
four devoted Kate Bush fans, it was the best pizza I have ever eaten.

At about 2pm, Cheryl (my girlfriend) showed up and I sneaked her into
position number three.  A little while later, this nearly caused a
riot as one of the previously nice gentlemen who had brought us hot
chocolate earlier expressed his extreme discontent at this breach of
etiquette.  The wrath of a large angry mob is only equalled by the
wrath of a live-in girlfriend, however, so I stood up the best I could
for Cheryl, and eventually the guy calmed down, or at least seemed to.

At about 3pm things started going into a higher gear.  The line was
growing at a faster rate now, until the line went nearly all the way
around the city block.  Tower Records workers rearranged the barricades
again to keep us better fenced in.  They also put paper numbered wrist
bands on everyone in line; apparently a precaution against people
sneaking into the autograph area inside the store.  A reporter from
Tower Records came and talked to Andrew and me because we were at the
beginning of the line.  He said that a blurb on us might appear in
Pulse.  A camera crew from Columbia Records asked us a few questions.
They were making a news clip that would be sent off to CNN and other
news broadcasters.  A man from the New York Times gave Andrew his
business card and asked Andrew to call him when he got a chance for
help on an article on Kate Bush that he is writing.

Shortly before 4pm, Kate's limo arrived.  I tried to snap a picture,
but a mob of people rushed the area and all I could see was a flash of
auburn hair that rapidly disappeared inside a side door.  It was only
about ten minutes, however, until they let us in to meet Kate.

Andrew went first, carrying the several dozen white roses he had
brought for Kate.  Once we were inside the store, Andrew was no longer
first, however--a couple of VIP's had been allowed in front without
the dues of the long, cold wait.  The VIP's didn't take long, though,
and I started up my pocket tape recorder as Andrew walked nervously
forward.  Unfortunately, the sound system at Tower was cranked so I
had no expectation that my tape would turn out comprehensible.  Thirty
seconds later it was my turn.

Despite my recommendation not to gush endlessly to Kate, I did anyway.
My little conversation went something like this (the tape I made did
not turn out understandable):

   |>OUG: "Big Stripey Lie" is the most incredible thing I have heard
          in years!  You should play guitar more often.

          [Kate smiles at this, but heck, she smiles at everything
          everyone says.]

          I am sure you don't remember me, but I interviewed you eight
          years ago in New York.

   KATE:  I'm sorry, no I don't.

   |>OUG: My name is Doug Alan and I'm the founder of Love-Hounds,
          which is an international computer network of
          thirty-thousand of your fans.

   KATE:  Ah, yes!  Thank you for the beautiful roses!

   |>OUG: Oh, that was mostly Andrew's doing.  But everyone on
          Love-Hounds really, really, really loves you.  They all
          think you are great.  Most of them can't be here today, but
          they all want to say hi.  Can I ask you a question?

   KATE:  Sure.

   |>OUG: Was the idea of Love-Hounds or anything like it in your head
          when you wrote "Deeper Understanding"?

   KATE:  No, not really.

   |>OUG: What happens at the end of "Deeper Understanding"?  Is the
          voice that's saying "I hate to leave you" -- is that the computer?

   KATE:  Yes!  .... Well, it's really been a long time since I've worked
          on that song.  I can't remember much now.

   |>OUG: That's completely understandable.

          [|>oug gives Kate his rare "Night of the Swallow" single to
          be autographed.]

   KATE:  Who would you like this signed to?

   |>oug: Doug.

          [Kate signs the record, 

			To Doug
			  with Love
			    Kate Bush
                                  X
          ]

          Would you also do one for all of Love-Hounds?

          [|>oug hands her a blank white piece of paper.]

   KATE: Of course.

         [Kate writes,

		To Everyone at
			  "Love Hounds"
		  Thanks for all your support
		         +
		     Happy Christmas
                           with love
                            Kate Bush
                                  XX

         Unfortunately, Kate's pen runs out while she writes "Bush", so
         that it is barely legible.  It looks as if some corrective
         surgery with a xerox machine and pencil should be able to
         restore it, however.]

   |>OUG: Thanks!  Keep doing great things!

Unfortunately I could not tell from the conversation whether or not
Kate had any previous understanding of Love-Hounds, or whether she had
just responded positively to the flowers Andrew had given her.

I walked out of the signing area in a dazed state.  Andrew came up to
me and said "Wow, Doug!  Kate talked to you for nearly two minutes!"
I explained to him that half of the time was spent with Kate writing
out the note to Love-Hounds.  I had only asked for an autograph for
Love-Hounds, but it was very nice of her to write a note.  After a few
minutes of chatting with Andrew, a woman from Sony Music came up to me
saying she had overheard me talking to Kate and wanted to find out
more about Love-Hounds.  She gave me her number and asked me to call
her sometime soon.

Between four and seven, Cheryl and I walked around the store trying to
avoid the Tower Records workers who were very insistent in trying to
direct people out of the store if they weren't shopping.  I took many
photographs, but none of them will come out good.  A large bouquet of
roses had been strategically placed to block photographs from the only
good angle that was available from the store.  The last time Kate was
at Tower, they had not done this and I had been able to take some good
pictures.  I looked around for John Carder Bush, whom I wished to talk
to--I had chatted with him at the last in-store appearance--but he was
not to be found.  Neither was Paddy.  Del was behind the table with
Kate and could be approached, but at the time I couldn't think of
anything to ask him, because I'd been concentrating on things I wanted
to ask John.  (Now, of course, I can think of a hundred questions for
Del.)

While wandering around, we intermittently ran into and chatted with
other Love-Hounds and people we had met in line.  Andrew had chatted
for a bit with Del.  Illana had tried to get her arm autographed, but
Kate wanted to know why.  When Illana had explained that she was going
to get it tattooed in, Kate refused saying "You'll be off me in a
couple years!"  Keith had given Kate one red shoe filled with good
luck charms and got the other shoe signed for his sick mother.  Kate
had seemed moved that he was concerned with his mother.  Later Keith
and seen someone trying to get a "Cathy Demos" bootleg signed, but
Kate had refused to sign it, and the security guards had hurriedly
ushered the guy out.  Jason had asked Kate about the ritual in
"Lilly".  Kate replied that it was a prayer, not a ritual.  Ed had
given Kate one of his poems.

Kate was only scheduled to sign until 6pm, but at 7pm she was still
there.  Cheryl was getting tired, so we left, and the line was still
all the way down the block, around the corner, and half way down that
block.  Cheryl and I went to the Manhattan Chili Company in the West
Village, where we were served excellent chili, but I was still to
wound up to enjoy it.  We then went back to Cheryl's friend's place,
where I was soon catching up on lost sleep.

|>oug

"If living with obsession is a sin, then let me be guilty."  -- Calvin Kline
--
<nessus@mit.edu>