Wild Nights Tour in Adventures in paradise

I went to the ‘Wild Nights’ tour on Friday night. Yep, the same day I got home from Perth. It hasn’t stopped for me lately, sheesh!
I managed to have a bit of a sleep, since I’d barely slept on the plane, and woke up a few hours before I was due to leave.

It was at a venue that’s in the middle of bumfuck-nowhere, literally, at Eaton Hills Hotel. It seems to be a venue that gets all the ‘has-been’ artists (I mean, it’s also where I saw Liberty X, East 17, S Club 3 (nee 7), Atomic Kitten and BWitched - granted BWitched are still releasing songs, just nowhere near as popular as they were).

This time it was Nick Skitz, DJ Aligator, Simone Denny (who was the lead vocalist in Love Inc.), Sash! and Cascada.
Most people were there for Cascada. I was there for her, but moreso for Sash! Sash was my favourite DJ in the late 90’s.

Anyway, I was there by myself, which is never a good feeling. Walking into a crowd full of strangers and trying to pretend that I’m not a loser-no-friends lol.
I’d literally been there 2 minutes and was standing off to the side when some chick decided to start bumping her hips into mine from the side.
Not wanting to be rude, I half-heartedly did it back. Then she’s like, “You look sad!”
Gee, thanks! LOL. Sad wasn’t really the look I was going for, but that’d have to do it seems.
I quickly exclaimed, “I’m here by myself!”
She was kind and offered me to join her and her friend. She introduced herself to me as “Susan” and then I shook hands with her friend, who’s name was Peter. Friendly enough. I just got a nod from Peter. Typical straight guy there for a few bevvy’s on a Friday night, I presumed.
Then, Susie goes to me, “Do you have a boyfriend?”
LOL. I love that it’s THAT obvious. I had actually returned to my house twice after I’d left the front door, because I wasn’t happy with what I was wearing. It’s cold here, so to start with, I was wearing a long-sleeved turtleneck shirt that I’d bought to keep warm when I was in London, but with my jacket also, I decided that was too hot, so went home to change into a T-shirt.
The second time, I was almost at the bus station when I then decided to look up what the Eaton Hills Hotel dress code was. Last time I was there, it was an outdoor concert, so it didn’t matter what I was wearing. This time, I knew the concert was being held in the ‘Grand Ball Room’ so I thought that sounded a bit snazzy, so I had a squizz. There was a list of things on the dress-code after 7pm and one included, “Sneakers or runners”, which is what I was wearing. So upon seeing that, I went back and changed into my boots.
I now think that HAD I worn the runners, Susan’s gaydar may have been thrown a little (Or not, I dunno). But I guess in my boots I had some kind of style (which is fucking rare in my life, I tells ya!)
Anyway, Susan continued, “Clearly, you’re gay!’ I just laughed and was like, “Well DUH! Obviously!”
She then tells me, “My friend has been eye-balling you.”
I’d literally been there 2 minutes! WHEN had he been checking me out?
And turns out it was some other guy who was apparently “In the bathroom.”
Umm, okay. Anyway, I excused myself to go to the bar. I was going to need some liquid courage if I was going to get through this night by myself.
Of course the drinks are extremely overpriced as well. I paid $12 for a Midori Cruiser (as if that also didn’t also scream out that I’m a flaming homosexual lol). Had I bought that in a bottlo, I could’ve gotten a 4-pack for that price.

I didn’t go back over to where Susan was, and just stayed near the bar. Nick Skitz has taken to the stage and the MC was annoying as fuck. Both clearly in their mid-40’s by now and the MC was just saying over and over ‘Put your fucking hands up!…”
It was pretty much mostly a straight crowd. There was some chick there in a wedding veil. There was vomit in one of the sinks in the bathroom. Everyone being loud of rowdy to Nick Skitz. He was the big thing when I was in school as he did all the famous remix albums. I never really saw the appeal.
After Nick Skitz was DJ Aligator. You know, the one who had one hit single in the ARIA Singles Chart back in the day. He did his set and played his ‘new single’ (He’s still releasing singles!?) and of course ended with his big hit, which everyone knew, which is called “The Whistle Song”. Of course, everyone suddenly had whistles and were blowing them in tune to the song.
It was beyond annoying.
After DJ Aligator was N-Trance. I was lining up again at the bar when they took to the stage, as I clearly needed more booze to handle this shit. I just kept turning my head to see what they looked like. The chick still looked good!
By the time I got served and got back to the dance-floor, they were finishing up. They didn’t even perform the one song I KNOW from them, which is “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?”
It was a big hit here, even if it was a cover. And. They. Didn’t. Even. Do. It. What a LETDOWN.
I figured it must be some legality thing with Rod Stewart or something. I dunno.

After N-Trance was a chick named Simone Denny. Now I didn’t know who she was, but it soon clicked on that she was there representing Love Inc., as she is the original vocalist.
And she was SO much fun! She was a breath of fresh air from all the shitty DJ’s previously. She sang all of Love Inc’s hits here, and even did “You’re A Superstar” twice. She got four people in the crowd up on stage to dance either side of her. I guess since the band had parted ways it’s a good way to get the crowd involved. She genuinely looked happy to be there. I was surprised when she introduced the next song as the song she wrote for the original series of “Queer Eye For The Straight Guy” and of course I immediately recognized it.
So what a treat that was - having the singer of that song up on stage and witnessing it live.

After her was DJ Sash! Now, Sash! is a DJ, but I was pretty obsessed with his music in the late 90’s. And he did pretty much every hit! I was LOVING it by that point and was jumping up and down with the rest of the straight’s around me lol. I think I was one of only a few who knew all the words. The only song he didn’t perform that I noticed was my favourite of his, which is this one! I remember seeing this music video on ‘Rage’ as a kid and being obsessed with the scenery as well as the music.

He did however perform “Stay”, which I was happy enough with. He also did “Mysterious Times” which is a collab he did with Tina Cousins, whom I’ve ALSO seen live in Brisbane quite a few years back (twice). So that was really cool! And of course ‘Adelante’ was SO cool to hear live.

After Sash! was Cascada. Of course she got a bit intro, as she’s the headliner. She comes out on stage in this sparkly diamonte number, with matching microphone. She still damn-well looks like she did in the early 2000’s. Stunning. And the girl can SING. Phewie.
The last half of the tour more than made up for the first-half. I Snapchatted most of the good ones. My phone decided to reset itself midway through one of the Cascada songs, so I lost that one but oh well.

I did see Susan and her straight friend pass right by me toward the end but she either didn’t see or or pretended not to lol. Didn’t really care. Still no idea who her gay friend was.

I left during Cascada’s encore. I’d heard all the good ones anyway and had ended up having a good time. I got an Uber home, since getting home from Eaton Hill’s Hotel is an absolute nightmare unless you have your own car. My Uber driver turned out to me this really talkative and interesting guy, a single dad trying to raise his daughter. Except his gaydar clearly wasn’t as fine-tuned as Susan’s, as he tried to tell me a story about drag-racing another car at the lights and I was just like, “Uh huh…” Zzzzzzz.

Anyway, good night. No idea how I made it to work for my first shift back on Saturday. Nothing’s changed, like I predicted lol. I didn’t get replaced the whole time I was away HA.