There and Back Again.

An ocean between us. As I Lay Dying, my first metal obsession - Dubai had the privilege of witnessing them live, but I missed. A year back, I would've done anything. I used to brood - "What if they ever come to Dubai ? How will I ever handle the excitement ?"

The excitement came, and was disappointed, and almost left. I'm holding it's tail. It won't escape me. So far away from me. My ears heard them paint harmony. My ears loved it.

The next day, I heard harmony being painted again. In front of me. Live. There. Right there. An entrance, walking through the big gate, white banner overhead, steel bars ahead. The body scanner. I didn't have any armaments. I came to watch harmony being painted, not to destroy it. Walk front. Wait. My band tied around my hand. It is still tied. Faded. Black in colour.

Main Arena. Desert Rock Festival. 8th March 2008.

Enter. Drunk people, drugged people, fun people, serious people, musical people, the music, groups of people. So many people. Walk, look around. I know that person. Music brings us all together. Find my escort - Siddhesh, he showed me around. New arena.

There's a left crowd and a right crowd. Left crowd wasn't fun. They were standing and waiting and watching and doing nothing fun. Go back around, Marky Ramone finished his set with Blitzkrieg Bop. Hey ho, let's go. Go to the right side, push your way through. I smell alcohol. I smell smoke. I smell sweat. I love it because the medley reminds me of last year. Push your way to the front. The first row is where you want to be. I'm stuck in the 5th. There's a push ! Law of rock concerts : When people push you back, find an opening and go in front. That's how you progress through rows. I'm in the second row. Someone loves Slash. I let her come in front of me, she would enjoy it more than I would. Someone loves Velvet Revolver, I let him come in front of me. Last song. Slither. Music, HEY !. Music, HEY !. Slash's brilliant improvised solo. A prayer :

"God Almighty, if it be in Your Will, please may I be in the first row for Muse."

Within the next minute or few, I was in the first row. The railing, the cold, now warm because of body heat, railing. The security guards in yellow jackets and black caps. The pushing against the barrier, the embracing of the pushing. The long wait before the band came on stage.

There was a boy in a blue shirt behind me. He loved Muse, I let him share the first row with me, and he took a couple of pictures of us and the crowd, because he was happy I let him through. It made me feel nice.

There was a blonde girl there from last year. I remember her - she had a bodyguard and three friends, the bodyguard kept pushing people, and we kept screaming at him. She was standing next to me, right next to me. Music brings us all together. She had seen Muse 4 times. This is what music does to people. Love and the adrenaline. And the music. We sang every Muse song together, except Fury. We didn't know what song it was. We knew what song was coming the moment he started his whammy/effects on the guitar. We shared a couple of conversations. Music brings us all together.

It started. And I can't describe the performance. The jumping. The singing though you can't sing. The screaming. The "Thank you Dubai", the clapping of hands. Wow.

Knights of Cydonia, Hysteria, Map of the Problematique, Fury, Time is Running Out, Butterflies and Hurricanes, Invincible, Starlight, Stockholm Syndrome, New Born, Plug in Baby, Feeling Good. What a set. The guitars of his. Wow, I can't describe it.

Then it was over. So quickly, it was over. Why so fast ? The crowd poured out. The frantic searching for picks left untaken, on the floor. For memorabilia, for ANYTHING. It was gone. Already. Memory is fresh, though. It will be fresh for long.

There and back again.