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Fans meetings with the lads... By Jeni, westlifelover4ever@yahoo.com I am Jeni and I met Westlife on February 11th, 12th, 14th February 2001! Well I was dead excited about Westlife coming to town, they are my favourite group! My best mate k8 was also really excited, we couldn’t wait to see them! I was listening to galaxy radio (even though I usually listen to metro) before school on a Friday morning, it was Friday the 9th of February 2001, not to pleasant weather, but I was cheerful, coz Westlife were giving their first concert of the coast to coast tour in Newcastle that night- they were probably already here!!! Me n k8 had to wait till Wednesday the 14th till we got to see the lads live in concert, but that didn’t matter, coz it was gonna be valentines day when we saw them! The woman on the radio said there was gonna be a Westlife roadshow in the afternoon the next day! A boyband was gonna be there-The guys themselves might even show up! We went to the Telewest arena that Saturday, to find the boyband was fixate. We still had lots of fun playing the Westlife games, and of course lots of Westlife music was playing! When it finished we waited outside the arena with some friends we had met up with inside. We waited round the back entrance. It was cold and rainy. At first there was quite a few people, but as it got colder and dark, they mainly drifted off. It was about 6.30 when Westlife’s double-decker white bus pulled in. the lads got off, they all waved, but quickly ran in to the warmth. Who could blame them?! It was freezing. Kian, Nicky and Mark all waved in our direction, we were sooo chuffed “everybody’s gonna be sooo jealous” we all cried out. But we didn’t know the next day we would come face to face with them!!!! We waited for about another hour or so, singing. Every so often one of the lads would raise their top at the window and Kerry Katona kept waving out of a window. We all cheered for her! Then my dad rang me and came to pick us up. When I got home I had a message from my Mam to ring Tracey. I did and she asked me what I had been up to that day. I filled her in and it was then that we decided we were gonna go to their hotel the next day. We knew what hotel they were staying in, coz me n my friend Lizzy had asked around and trekked round hotels in Newcastle on the previous Thursday. Me n Tracey decided to get an early start meet at the metro station at 8.30. Lizzy was to come along and at the time we thought k8 was meeting us then as well. I wouldn’t get up at 7.30 on a Sunday for anyone else. But I hauled myself and began my beautifying treatment. I went downstairs and grabbed an actimel before leaving the house. I checked my bag for all the things I would need- 2 cameras with film and batteries, permanent marker, biros (about 6, of assorted colours), coast-to-coast cd, whole again cd, paper. I slammed the door behind me. On the way down the path I saw the paper boy who I know coz he plays football on my street. He gave me the Sunday sun and I told him of my mission. He wished me luck. I walked to the metro station. When I read the paper I was gutted to see a story about Bryan and Kerry being seen in the town the day before. We would have been in town if we hadn’t gone to that roadshow! But it made me more determined to meet them! We got to the hotel at about 9.15, it is on the quayside and lovely. K8 was ill and had stayed at home, she had caught a bad cold from the waiting the day before. We chatted to some other Westlife fans, one was called Liz and there was her friend Helen and also this Australian woman from Australia, and me and Lizzy and Tracey went into the bar at about 10.30 for a drink we got chatted to Nicky’s old football mate from Leeds called Paul (he got a thank u in coast to coast!) he gave me his mobile number. We went back out then for a bit and then at 2.15 Bryan and Kerry came out!!! I got Kerry to sign my atomic kitten cd and I took a couple of pics of them. I had been standing right in front of the lift when the doors opened! I was so excited. When they drove off I rang k8 and she was on her way! She was there by the time bry n kez came back to the hotel. It was a long wait till Nicky came out, and when he did he went out the back! We had all been round the front! We sprinted round the side of the building, I ran the fastest and got to the taxi Nicky and Georgina were sitting. Nicky jumped out and said to us “hold on I’ll be right back” he went in the hotel. While he was in there the others caught up. We all said hi 2 Georgina, she’s a really lovely person, and was nice to us all. Nicky came back out, it turned out he had went back in for a pen!!! I couldn’t believe how sweet he was he signed my cd and thanked me for buying it. He signed k8s paper. He spoke a lot to us all asking who had seen the concert, and did they enjoy it what could be changed. Someone, I think it was Liz, yelled out she thought they looked sexy in their boiler suits, which made Nicky laugh! When Nicky had given EVERYBODY his autograph I said “I haven’t been to the show yet, I’m going on Wednesday, I’ll c u on Wednesday Nicky” (hey I was nervous! I was nearly in tears) and ill never forget then Nicky said “Yeah, see ya then!” I was sooo happy! Nicky spoke to me! He got in the car we all waved him off. Dawn (who also wrote an encounter on Westlifeweb) and her friends (Sam and Claire) had got there when Nicky was there. We didn’t know them but we started talking to them coz we had talked 2 everyone else there. They told us of how they had seen Bryan and Kerry in McDonalds. Kian was the next to come out. Him and mark are my faves! It was about quarter to 6. He seemed a little tired (I later found out from a friend he had been ill at Baja club the night before- too many double vodka-red bulls!!) he signed a few auto graphs, I was stood right behind him, the crowd was pushy and I couldn’t get in front to ask 4 his autograph, so I just went for it and did what I always wanted to do- I pinched his bum (!!!) and I smelt his neck. He smelt of Ralph Lauren polo Sport (my bro wears it so I recognised it) and got into the car. We waited a while after that but Westlife weren’t doing a show that night, so we left, as they weren’t going to come out again. I took a lot of pictures that day! I could barely sit still in school on Monday. I went to the malmaison as fast as I could. When I got Shane was just going in to the hotel. The lads all came out at 6.30 to get on the tour bus. We were right at the front of the crowd! First came Bryan, then Kian then Nicky and Mark and lastly Shane. The crowd was wild and I was pushed on to all of them in turn! (Not that I’m complaining) as the bus drove off I ran after it. Well k8 and Tracey did 2, but I REALLY sprinted. I was wearing these mint new trainers (I later found out that Bryan, Nicky and Kian wear them) and one fell off as I ran! I picked it up, barely pausing; the bus was stuck on a red traffic light! I still had my trainer on my hand when I caught up with their bus and Nicky was on the bottom floor!!! I waved at him with my shoe hand and he waved back then stuck his tongue out he looked dead cute! He drew the curtain as the bus rolled off. We went back to mine. After much begging I convinced my long-suffering dad to take us back for when the lads returned! We were armed with valentines cards- one big store bought one for them as a group, and smaller hand made ones for each of the boys. In the car just as we reached malmaison my friend Sophy, who was at the concert, rang my mobile. When I answered I could hear what makes a man! That’s one of my two favourite songs. We got out of the car and walked round the hotel. Only 10 or so people were there- none of them we had chatted to on Sunday! The lads rushed in again I was at the front and again the crowd was pushing and shoving. As before, Fran and Paul did an ace job of making us wait more orderly, yelling “ladies get back,” “if you don’t move back they aren’t coming out,” and “somebody’s going to get hurt if you don’t all calm down.” But when Westlife came out, not even Paul and Fran could have controlled the crowd! Again I was pushed on to each of the lads. The last one to get off the bus was Mark and everyone pushed really really hard and I was literally thrown into marks arms! All of the other lads had had their arms loaded with trainers, skateboards etc but mark didn’t. He kinda gripped my arms and steadied me- it was all over before I knew what was happening to me! He kept walking and made it into the hotel safely! I kept pinching myself to see I wasn’t dreaming! It was then I realised k8 hadn’t been able to get the cards to one of Westlife! Luckily Fran was still outside, I think he was there to make sure the fans didn’t riot. I walked up to him and said (in my most politest voice!) “Fran could you please give this to one of Westlife? I’ll be your best friend!” he said he would. He walked into the hotel where I could see Westlife standing by the lift and gave the cards to Mark, who then turned and waved at us. I was so pleased to know they were really going to read the cards! K8 and me got back in my car we were both shaking my dad was just reading the paper and just mentioned that Westlife had been waving at his car from the bus. He was totally not excited that he had seen Westlife! I nearly died Mark Nicky Shane Kian and Bryan would of seen my dad sitting outside their hotel in a silver Peugeot 406 reading the guardian, I mean how embarrassing! The next day we couldn’t go and see them because they were filming for cd:uk at the arena all afternoon. My dad wouldn’t take us again on the night. :o( Wednesday was the night of the concert k8 had statistics after school so I went home to get my stuff coz I was staying at k8s that night after the show. Her Mam picked me up from mine and we then picked k8 up from school then we got ready at k8s house then we got dropped off at the arena early so we had the chance to see them arriving at the venue. We saw Claire and Dawn and asked them where they were going, they told us Bryan and Mark hadn’t arrived at the venue yet so we all went to the hotel and on the way I chatted to Dawn and we swapped our mobile numbers. When Mark came out the doors were stuck closed so poor Mark was stood there for a few minutes while they opened the door I was stood right next to him taking so many pictures I could not believe! We went to the show and it was so good I was so gutted when it was over. Since then we have been planning stuff already for when they come back I can’t wait! I have made a few friends and I’m ever so glad I got up at 7.30 on Sunday the 11th February! They were the best days of my life and I can’t believe I finally met them, as I couldn’t go to a coast-to-coast day. I will never forget how lush they were every time I seen them was special.  Jeni and Nicky (im the one behind him)  Bryan and Kerry in mcdonalds  Kian signing autographs >> Back to main Fan Encounters page |