A Warped Time

Yep. Everything was perfect.

It’s the first time in years that Warped Tour had come to the country, and also the first in years where anyone interesting has come.

Warped Tour is just a massive music festival of punk, rock, post-hardcore, alternative, and anything in between, bands. (For those who haven’t heard of it before now). Just imagine, a hundred plus bands, thousands of screaming fans, and every single person is jumping around having the time of their life.

A dream come true for me, really. I had never been so close to seeing any of the people that I call my ‘heroes’, let alone almost touching them.

I’ve been here all of ten minutes and am already making new bestfriends, crushing on random guys walking past, and feel like I’m having a heat stroke.

Pushing my way through the crowds of screaming girls outside the All TIme Low tent, I managed to find a seat next to a very tall, skinny, kind looking man with dark hair.

“Hey, is that an Of Mice & Men shirt you’re wearing?” Asked the man, seeming slightly excited by my choice in clothes, but all in all, very shy.

“Yeah, it is..” I replied quietly, just loud enough for him to hear. “They’re one of my favourite bands.” I added, turning my head slightly to see his face. I found myself frozen, starring into his dark brown eyes, lost for words.

“Oh my god. I’m so sorry, I probably sound just like any other teenage fangirl, but, I love you so much.” I managed to mumble out in a blur of words. Honestly though, who wouldn’t freak out? I am sitting here, next to Austin Carlile, the lead singer of my favourite band, Of Mice & Men.

He chuckled quietly, shaking his head. “It’s fine, it’s fine. You’re alright, well, you haven’t started screaming your head off like some other girls would have.”

Well, I certainly wasn’t screaming, but I am pretty sure it was obvious that I was shaking.

“You look like you need a rest. You must be pretty tired from running around after all these bands” Laughed Austin. “Amateur, I’m guessing? How many times have you been here?”.

“It’s my first year, I’ve never even been to a concert before today”. I replied, still trying to catch my breath, both from running around and the shock that I just endured.

“Hah” He laughed, “It gets more and more obvious to me, who is used to the pressure, and who is new. C’mon, you can come back to the lounge where all the bands hang while they’re not performing. It’s a lot quieter back there.” I don’t know whether Austin’s kindness was either charming, or just plain scary.

Wait a second.. One room.. Filed with bands.. All waiting to perform.. It’s any fangirls heaven. I think I underestimated my reaction to seeing that sight. The sight of 73 band members in one room. The last thing I can remember from around that time, was walking in the door and seeing couches filled, tables and chairs, and even people just standing around, holding guitars, basses, drum sticks or even nothing at all.

The next thing I remember from that day, was waking up on a green couch that I swore I’d seen before. From one of Bryan Stars interviews? YES. THAT WAS IT! I was lying on THE couch, that countless amounts of my favourite bands had sat on.

I slowly rolled over, scared of what I might see. To my surprise, it was not Austin that was sitting there with me, but Alex Gaskarth and Rian Dawson, half of the band All Time Low, which, surprisingly enough, my second favourite band in the world.

“Hey, Rian, I think she’s waking up!” Alex half whispered-half screamed across the room. This one was different to the one I saw before, full of bands. No. This room was a pale yellow colour, filled with old tour posters.