Mr Milton Banana´s version

” Begin the day Wth a friendly voice” ...
that will be my start of “Turn the Page”

Part I
Mr Milton Banana and Stan Getz
"Piratez of the Black Country"

Mr Milton Banana´s version...

I´ll try to give you all an proper review of this adventure. I´m sure that Stans story will be a whole other one...!
Neil says that "The Point Of Departure Is Not To Return, Anything Can Happen" and that was my line when Stan and I were preparing ourselves for the journey. It all started of with me picking up Stan in Milton Town. Of course he already had a beer. We had our route planned. At first we´re going to get some “Big Money” that was to change Swedish money into pounds…. Ohhhh pounds that reminds of Stans weight… and my promise to carry him on my shoulders during Earhshine …. Uhhhhhh…. How can I get out of this deal? Well that´s a later problem… After “The Big Money” we´re going to buy a MacAllan… Hmmm! The MacAllan not a MacAllan it´s The MacAllan…. We made a promise to start our journey with The MacAllan and to finish the journey with The MacAllan …. We arrived at “Xanadu” had a beer, Stan carrying on with his tradition, a pee on my neighbours lawn, putting a few cigarette-butts in my pile of wood during some second hand smoking and another beer, just an regular evening at Mr Miltons place.
When Stan came in I putted the “Girls Gone Wild” bootleg in my recorder and we had another beer. Sorting out our travelling stuff: the travelling t-shirt, the cap, the tickets, The MacAllan and some pounds….uhhh... there it came again the pound, the weight….. I looked at Stan and said to myself he looks heavy….I already got an ache in my poor knees….to forget the pounds I had another beer. Awaiting the moment to open The MacAllan, the hour 21:12… I yelled at my wife a couple of minutes before that she had to get downstairs to take a photo… the photo is called “Grace under Stan and Milton” my wife said to us “You guys are not well”! We took The MacAllan another beer and once again went over our travelling gear. This was IT. We´re going to the UK to see RUSH. Not once but twice, and to meet our English friends FreeWill and Red Barchetta. Superb. So we had another beer and went to bed for a couple of hours. At 2 am I woke Stan up. The taxi was waiting to get us to the bus station for a three hour ride to Stockholm and then on the flight to Manchester. The trip went smooth and after three hours of flight we arrived in Manchester, great. Stan had to get a pee (my neighbour were probably pleased of not having Stan around) and some second hand smoking and we booth took a beer. Ahhh there it was aganin… three pounds for twoo beers…. I was terrified with that word “pound” I realised that in a couple of hours I would have to carry a lot more than three pounds, I had to get Stan on my poooooooor shoulders. We got on the bus to Birmingham. At Birmingham we took the bus further on to Walsall to meet our friend FreeWill. It all went smooth, we arrived at the hotel and had another beer. So far this trip was just like planed. We putted our stuff in the room and went down to the bar for a beer and waiting for FreeWill to come.
After another beer FreeWill came and that was a pleasant moment, to meet Stans friend after all those “chating” moments it was awesome to meet him. The next morning we had some breakfast at table “2112” The MacAllan and of we went. Freewill took us to a lot of great places. The most amazing place was “The Trumpet” Slade´s pub. Quite an experience… We also spended an hour in an elevator just to hear Nody Holders voice... Yes that´s right. We are not well! After a proper English lunch (beer and a pie) we were starting to prepare for the gig. Getting down to The NEC arena we established contact with Red Barchetta. We arrived at the NEC and the magic moment were getting closer… We made a deal with FreeWill and Red Barchetta to do the “ticket trick”, that means that FW and RB were going to get us down on the front row with the help of their front row tickets. Stan was very suspicious about the whole thing at the moment but now these days I think he´s quite pleased with us seeing RUSH just a few feet’s away from Pratt, our very first RUSH concert. The show started with the history and the baby dragons. And I thought to myself they would be nice to carry on my shoulders instead of Stan! The guys came on stage and oooooohhhhhhhhhhhh the show started…… Superb there we were… at the second row on RUSH in Birmingham…. Lerxst, Pratt n Dirk….. Wow……! “There is magic at your fingers” what a song…. “Goddess in my garden - Sister in my soul”…. “Subdivisions” one of the greatest songs ever….! Oh my good “Eartshine” a heavy song. I looked at Stan and I do think we agreed that this was not the moment to try to carry him on my shoulders!? I do think the RUSH security would have thrown us out of the arena!!! BIG thanks to RUSH security! The next song Richards song "Red Barchetta"…I sang along at the first part of the show so when the intermission was I had no voice left. At the intermission Stan, myself and our friends got an chance to catch our breath, a beer and a chance for Stan to have a pee and some second hand smoking. In the intermission Stan said to one of the guys who´d helped us down on the second row that “he would marry him” a promise that was not that popular to all in the crowd ;^) The second part of the show started… “Tom Sawyer” ... what a song… what a gig… what a show….and we were there…. On the second row…. Just a few feet away from Pratt. Words can´t explain the feelings I had….I looked at Stan and I do believe he had tears in his eyes... me too! The show carried on (I hope rush.com will publish our review) in the same superb way as it started… “Secret touch” not really one of my favourite from VT but a great song live…a song that was awesome live was “Between the Wheels” lovely light show…Dirks drum solo… “Resist”, “Heart full of Soul” to soon “Working Man” started and I realised that this was the beginning of the end. The three last songs “Summertime Blues”, my sons favourite, “Crossroads”, Stans favourite from Feedback  and finally at least the greatest at last, “Limelight”, the best song ever written. Starting of with Lerxst in the spotlight this was too much for me… there I was.. my first RUSH concert ever…I had listening to the guys for over twentyfive years ..and never seen them live before,,,. crying my eyes out to the greatest song of all… Good damned this was god.. I sang along every word of the song “In touch with some reality - Beyond the gilded cage.”, “One must put up barriers - To keep oneself intact” and “I can't pretend a stranger Is a long-awaited friend” looking at Stan and I do think he cried to. This was the greatest moment in my whole life. I thought to myself “and what now” . I looked at Stan and said what now? Well Stan said the next gig is tomorrow….

The Pirate of Syrinx…./MMB

Part II
Mr Milton Banana and Stan Getz
"Invades Manchester"

The following morning I woke up with Stan Snoring. Snoring, snoring, snoring! I gave him a zip of The Macallan and it became quiet for a while. After I had a shower I kicked Stan out of the bed and we went down to table 2112 to have some breakfast. After a great breakfast, Stan had some second hand smoking, a pee on the neighbours lawn and probably threw a butt on something that took fire. We went up to our room to get us prepared for this days adventure. We had the traditional MacAllan at ten a clock and off we went. Checked out of the hotel and took a bus down to Birmingham.
After the bus ride down to Manchester and listening to Stan snoring for about one and a half hour I was pleased to arrive in Manchester. Soon we had found a pub (there are quite a few of them in England) and ordered a couple of beers. Thank you lord no more Stan snoring! Aaaargh there I came again pounds… Three pounds for the beers we just ordered. It wasn´t the amount of money for three beers, that’s ok it was the word pounds, aargh. I looked at Stan and for a moment, he looked small, he looked just like three pounds of dead meat to carry on my poor shoulders. I liked the look of Stan through my beer glass so I left it there for a while and just enjoyed the sight, before I took the next beer.
After another beer we grabbed a taxi out to the hotel we checked in and soon we arrived at the local pub, luckily just next door to the hotel. Having a couple of beers and chatting about yesterday evening. Stan had some minor problems following me in the very deep analyze, Stan must have analyzed some discovery program he saw last night about mountain lions thought he bursted out “pumas”? right in the middle of my analyze. Feeling pretty annoyed with Stans engagement I ordered myself another pint of beer, and once again enjoyed looking at Stan through the beer glass.
I tried to focus on the upcoming show while Stan was focusing on I don´t know what.
After another few beers and some second hand smoking for Stan it was time to leave.
Waiting for the taxi Stan had a pee on the neighbours lawn (thy must not break traditions) probably threw a couple of butts on something that took fire and of we went.
During a very nice drive down to Manchester City with a very polite driver who entertained us all the way (and probably we him) we tried to establish contact with our friend Red Barchetta and his gang. We agreed to meet inside the Arena to see if it was possible to get downstairs on the front row. The security this night was much harder so we ended up at our own seats this evening. We had a great view so not that much to complain about even though I really like being on the floor on nights like this. We ran out to get a couple of beers before the show and ran in to some other fellow RUSHians. Syrinx, who also he had been travelling from Sweden to “celebrate the moment”, of course we met Red Barchetta and his friends just as we had agreed to do. Red Barchetta made some comments about a dispute Stan and I had the evening before in Birmingham that will not fit in this review. The subject was concerning Stans power shopping and some thongs he bought there. But some things are better untold. I hope Stan agree with me!? We also met Yodelmeister a nice guy that Stan met on the net. The only RUSHian we missed this evening was Freewill, tonight Will wasn´t free he was poor Will who were missing the show in Manchester. We all agreed to meet after the show. Stan and I went of to buy a few more beers for the show.
We landed at our seats just when the lights faded out. Ohhh show time again. It was a different experience to se the show from block 11 a whole different view. Yesterday standing just a few feet away from Geddy I must say that I missed a couple of things on the screen and on stage, this evening was a good complement to the superb yesterday show.
The show started … get on stage you guys it´s show time…. Habahabahaba …..Ooooooh and of we went to Xanadu…
That night I think booth Stan and I enjoyed the show as a show! Yesterday was magic, first time on a RUSH concert, the enthusiastic crowd, the pulse, well the whole kit. Tonight was different; tonight we saw the WHOLE show. All the god stuff on the wide screen, the lightshow all the little things that the guys did on stage and the sound was much better not standing so close to the stage. The show was just like yesterday superb, have to give it five beers, sorry I meant bananas. I really enjoyed the part when the crew came in with a party cake for Neil though he had chosen to celebrate his birthday together with all of us, GREAT. Another great memory from the show in Manchester are all the pictures that I took with Stans camera, a great memory. Our dear friend Barchetta succeeded to bring a video camera and managed to catch a few songs even thought the price for that could have been cost full for him. Thanks Barchetta for the video. At the intermission Stan went out for some third hand smoking and, well I don´t wanna know where he peed and threw his butts! At least he came back with a couple of beers, thanks Stan. The show carried on and I was just grateful to be there. Words can´t really explain all the feelings that went on in my head and all the great memories that comes back to me when I am writing this down. Clearly one of the greatest moments in my whole life. The only thing I could fell when the show was over and Geddy staid on stage a couple of seconds longer than Alex and Neil to say goodnight at celebrating the fans was emptiness. What now!
Stan nodded at me that it was time to go, it was over for this time. So went out to see if we could get a hold of our fellow RUSHians. Didn´t succeed in that so in plain despair Stan began power shopping!
He bought things both to himself, to friends and I think folks that he didn´t knew. After a while I gave up and every item he showed me and wanted to confirm that this was a good buy I just nodded, what ever I thought to myself. Let Stan power shop, at least he is getting rid of a couple of pounds and I knew that I had the cash needed for the ride home to the hotel so what the heck. As you all probably have guessed by now I never carried Stan on my shoulders during the Manchester gig. Great I thought to myself maybe he has forgotten all about it or is he waiting for the final gig. Arghhhhhh the Globe gig. After all the beer drinking he didn´t look any lighter. What have I done. Stan set my up for this. Playing those tricks on me. Well to punish him at least for the moment I watched and enjoyed him power shopping, buying all that stuff that he didn´t really need. When Stan was out of money we went out of the Arena without been in touch with our fellow RUSHians, to bad. While waiting for the taxi Stan found an opportunity to spend the few pounds he found in his pocket (must have missed them inside the Arena) on some “pirate” t-shirts, I saw in Stans face that he was happy. You know like that look on a little child that got the toy that he really wanted for his birthday, that kind of look. The taxi driver that took us to the hotel allowed us both to drink and smoke in his taxi even though all the signs in the taxi said no smoking and no drinking, thanks. We arrived at the hotel and just crashed in our beds.

The following morning I woke up with Stan Snoring. Snoring, snoring, snoring! I gave him a zip of The Macallan and It became quiet for a while.
After I had a shower I kicked Stan out of the bed and we went down to get some breakfast.
After a great breakfast, Stan had some second hand smoking a pee on the neighbours lawn and probably burned down some part of the hotel. We went up to our room, we had the traditional MacAllan at ten a clock and off we went. Checked out of the hotel and took a taxi down to Manchester City. We had a couple of hours to kill before the flight back to Sweden would departure. After a sightseeing tour in the city we went out to the airport to check in. Stan of course had a couple of beers, did both some second, third and fourth hand smoking but never really managed to burn down something with his butts, strange. The final shopping we did was a single malt whiskey and some perfume for our wife’s. We got on the flight and for two hours I had to listen to Stan snoring, snoring, snoring. We arrived safe in Sweden were my wife and my two kids met us at the airport.
Well friends, that´s the end of Mr Milton Banana and Stan Getz adventures in England from the view of Mr Milton Banana.
A great adventure with the greatest of friends, really something to tell to the grandchildren some day, well not all of it but some parts.

Witch hunting You all the best / MMB