Day 2 - Voodoofest Day 1

Red Hot Chili Peppers performing 'Under the Bridge'

Waking at 11.30am I check out the room which I hadn’t really bothered to do when I got there. It’s nice but no kettle. There’s enough coffee to wake the dead, but not a single teabag – lucky I brought my own! There is a saucepan so I can at least boil some water. I potter around while I have my tea, then go and have a shower. I find that the bath tap leaks and the towels that I had just dumped out of my suitcase over the bathtub are soaked. After another cuppa whilst I unpack, I’m ready to go out and face the world. I walk to the Riverside Mall as I know there is a food court there. Sadly there isn’t much open, I am not sure if this is because of the after effects of Katrina, or whether it’s just the time of day. I buy a shrimp po-boy and a diet coke and go and sit by the Mississippi while I eat them. I buy an Italian sausage roll to go and head back to the hotel, stopping on the way to buy a notepad so I can keep a note of what happens on my holiday. Lack of sleep is catching up with me and I need another cup of tea and headache tablets urgently. The po-boy was disappointingly skimpy so I’m still hungry so I eat the sausage roll. Not as good as it looked. My head is pounding and I could really do with more sleep, but I really need to get to Voodoofest.

Blue October performing 'Calling You'

Leslie had given me her phone number so I text her and tell her I’m on my way. I was originally going to walk up there as the weather is lovely, but reception tells me it is a very long walk. There is a shuttle for $15 return so I get that. When I get there I realise just how far away it is – very definitely NOT walking distance. The city park is in an area that was badly affected by the flooding and whilst it has now dried out, there are still quite boggy patches around, not helped by very bad weather on Thursday night (apparently). Leslie tells me she’ll meet me by the bar. I get my ticket very easily and quickly get through the empty VIP check in, getting my yellow LOA wristband. My first stop is to get a programme (unlike UK festivals where you'd pay £15+ for a programme, this is merely a sheet of photocopied paper for each day so no charge) followed by a trip to the VIP bar to get a drink. We get 3 free drinks each day with the LOA pass, but I pay the extra $3 to make my JD a double. Leslie and her friend Kim are waiting there. I have worn my pink Stetson to make myself easier to spot.

Red Hot Chili Peppers performing 'Apache Rose Peacock'

Then comes the great (and truly wonderful) surprise. Kim’s brother is a roadie for the band Blue October, who are playing later that day. He has given them artists back stage passes, allowing access to all areas and they’ve got one for me too! This means we spend the whole of Social Distortion and Blue October’s set on stage with them – a completely amazing experience and so different from watching the concert from out front. I guess God really must move in mysterious ways. If I hadn’t missed my flight the day before and got talking to the standby posse, I would never have met Leslie and would have been sat on my own, on the VIP stand watching the bands and having a good time, but alone among 60,000 people. Instead I have full access to all the stages and have met 2 great people to spend my time at the festival with. Unfortunately, we can’t use the pass to get on stage with the Red Hot Chili Peppers as they have their own pass system (and very heavy security) so end up back in the LOA Lounge watching them.

Blue October performing 'Hate Me'

I had a pretty good view - at least as good as the view I had for Robbie Williams, maybe even better. Leslie and Kim decide to go and find her brother, I decide to stay and carry on watching the RHCP’s although now from a sitting position as I am beginning to flag. The RHCP’s were excellent and were obviously having a great time up on stage, especially when they jammed with The Meters, and it was very touching to watch John Frusciante bumbling his way through a rendition of ‘City of New Orleans’ which the local crowd went mad for (in fact over the whole weekend every time anyone mentioned New Orleans a huge cheer went up). All around me people are dancing and really getting into the music. However, I personally thought Blue October were still the best band of the day. I visit the merchandise stall where I buy a Voodoofest and Blue October t shirt and while I’m there bump into half the band. I congratulate them on a fantastic set. By this time I am hungry and tired and I am worried that I will end up missing the last shuttle back to town if I stay till the end of the RHCP’s set so decide to leave just after they start their encore. The shuttle is full of very drunk, very loud people so I get off before the final stop and walk to see if I can find some food and to get a bit of peace and quiet. I end up in Ernst’s café which is about a block away from my hotel. I get a burger and chips to go and the spiciest bloody mary I’ve ever had in my life. In bed by 12.30am – probably a crime in New Orleans but I am completely knackered from the last few days.

Red Hot Chili Peppers performing 'By the Way'