Rosie Goes to See James at the Slayer Itacon - Part 2
So then we had a little time before the cocktail party which was an extra event so not everyone was going to it. We did some planning and ended up with a whole table full of English speakers so none of the guests would need a translator. There was also food provided - no cocktails, just soft drinks - which everyone fell on immediately! There were 5 tables in the end with about 9 people on each - leaving a chair for the guest. I sat opposite, hoping that we would be allowed to take photos (we weren’t - boo!) and then the guys came in and just split up to go to table each . We got Mark first - we said we were all English speakers- so he started talking in French instead! He is such fun - lovely guy. He got us to all pretend he had said something really funny and laugh very loudly so that we were the table having the most fun - though he then carried on and did it to all the other tables too! Then we got Nick - who having asked us where we all from (we had a nice international table going again!) decided to ask us all questions about our favourite books and movies - I think he tried to get us to do the false laughing as well but it didn’t work so well! Then we had a gap whilst they were all at other tables and after that we had J who is such a lovely guy - and really handsome. I remember asking him about the necklace he was wearing and somehow we got talking about “twerking” and it came out that I had been a dance teacher so J said I had to teach him how to twerk at the party on Saturday night - I checked with him again later and he said yes, it was date (so I had to go and find a twerking tutorial on YouTube later as I had no idea how to do it!)
And so we were the last table to have James and it was lovely. I said again that we were all English speakers to which he exclaimed “Oh good!” and Line then gave him a gift for his daughter which he was really happy about. He told us about taking her to Disneyland for her 16th birthday. She wanted the perfect tiara and found a really good one online and James said she was all “We’re going to Disneyland - I’m wearing the tiara!” and when they got there “...all the girls are wearing them cos of course its Disney so they are princesses for the day - but hers is the best and everyone is looking at it and admiring it. And I bought her a big Winnie the Pooh stuffed animal and the BIGGEST lollipop so she got to be like 3 years old again. And all the kids are looking at the lollipop and going...” and he made this big-eyed face “...and all the women are looking at her tiara going...” and he did an envious face which made us all laugh and go aww “It was adorable!”
Then he said that every time he left town he had top get her a Doctor Who t-shirt as she is really into Doctor Who! “If I buy her a good one it gets me out of all the angst of being away” I asked if she had “The Angels have the phone box” one and he wasn’t sure but was describing one of them. Jules told him about Teefury and Qwertee quite often having Doctor Who shirts.
From there we got onto The Who and Roger Daltry - James was saying how Roger had taught him how to be famous (I had heard the story before, but it’s always worth hearing) they were making a TV movie up in Canada (“Strange Frequency”) and at the time “I wasn’t married but I had a girlfriend back home and I’m like a romantic, I’m with one girl at a time - I don’t cheat. Well, I mean if you don’t want to be with someone you break up. But he wanted me to get him laid!” and then he did a quick Roger impersonation “I’ve got an open marriage, I’ve got an understanding - lets go out and get laid!” and I’m like “Dude! “Sorry Roger - but no” I’d just got famous and I didn’t like it - I was hiding from the world and cos I had this glowing white hair so walking down the street everyone notices you right away - like having a spotlight on your head and I was just not comfortable with being famous. But hanging out with Roger - no one noticed me any more! He was so good and explained to me “In life I’m a worm farmer - I’m not a rock star any more. I breed silk worms for a living. But people know me for the music I used to do and that’s not going to change and I can’t control that”
James said he was taking notes and said that being famous isn’t so bad “if you try and run away from it, it’s worse - if you don’t fight it, just give in and say this is what it is”
I added” And you are so good at it - you should give lessons to others!” James laughed at that but I added “Seriously - especially to the ones who just go...” and I demonstrated the ‘head down, sign and pass onto the next person without even acknowledging ‘ type which made him laugh more and agree . Then I said how I have heard him be asked the same questions “so many times and yet every time you make it sound like it’s the first time you’ve been asked it. It’s fantastic - you do such a good job with that”
“ I’ll give you the secret” he replied “The longer the pause I take, the harder...like “what is your favourite Buffy episode?” ( you could almost hear the whispered “Musical” go round the table!) I always do a really long pause at that cos that’s the one that’s asked all the time” and I added “And what’s it like to kiss John Barrowman is the other one that gets asked all the time” and I continued how we have been known to time exactly how long it takes for that question to be asked and how we celebrate when it isn’t asked, making James roar with laughter!
“I’m always so worried about you cos like “Rosie’s heard this one before (Me - “I don’t mind!”)but it’s always the same questions so it’s always the same answers. Sometimes I think I should make up some different answers!”which had us all laughing - I think he should.
The translator girl then said time was up (and we had had James at our table for all of 6 minutes at this point!) but he kept on talking. Someone asked him more about the drinking of the “blood” on the Buffy set (I think its actually Strawberry Quick - so it’s really sweet?) that he had been talking about earlier at the opening ceremony - “They told me - “James, don’t drink the whole glass - we’ve had problems, people have fainted, you have lots of different takes so...” (and I muttered “and you should never tell James what not to do!”) “...so another take - “don’t drink the blood” and I’m like “Fuck that! I’m a vampire - I don’t care!” He was very proud of that - I think because he didn’t faint!
They tried to take him away again - he was talking to Allie I think, she was showing him something on her phone, and he was obviously thinking about defying - so I encouraged him “be a rebel James - go on, rebel!” and he considered and said she did ask nicely so we grudgingly agreed and started to say thank you, but even as he stood up there was more talk - Ivana went across to give him a fridge magnet - and then he was saying “You never forget your first Doctor. Well - there’s only been 3 so far...” so I asked “ Have you been watching it?” (because he hadn’t when he was on Torchwood) and he said yes he had “I have taste!” So we asked who was his favourite Doctor and he replied “I should say Tennant but I have to be honest and say the dude that was in it first... what’s his name?” so I said “Christopher Eccleston” and then he added “You know who the best Doctor is? Me! I just haven’t been cast yet!”
Jules said “can you imagine the reaction if an American got the part...” partly to me and then to James “They’re making a huge announcement on Sunday”
“Write in!” said James and we all laughed “I’d do it! I asked Russell if I could be on Who with my Torchwood character and he was like “No. Way. In. Hell! Your character is too naughty for Who!” (I love the way James says ‘naughty’ - he makes it sound so naughty!) which made us laugh but we said at least he got to do Torchwood.
They did drag him away finally at this point so there was waving and we said thank you - and then immediately set to try and convince people at the table who hadn’t ever seen Doctor Who that they had to watch it!
They hauled us out of the dining room fairly pronto after that and so then it was comparing notes and getting fed and later we went downstairs to see what the party was like - the theme was Halloween and some people had done some wonderful costumes - Buffy in prom dress with crossbow, Little Red Riding Hood Buffy - but first off, the much-talked-up DJ apparently hadn’t arrived, so they were doing karaoke - mostly it seemed to be the fantasy Events staff doing their best to keep things going - but they were all pretty much songs none of us recognised. And in Italian. This seemed to be pretty effective at emptying the room and so we hung about outside a bit taking photos and having a laugh until the karaoke finished and they at least played some decent tunes to dance too. So we had a good bop about and there were a few more people in but generally it did feel rather like a lame school disco. I think the DJ guy did arrive much later, but by then we had given up and were upstairs again in the lobby having fun. Not too late to bed - more James in the morning!
And so we were the last table to have James and it was lovely. I said again that we were all English speakers to which he exclaimed “Oh good!” and Line then gave him a gift for his daughter which he was really happy about. He told us about taking her to Disneyland for her 16th birthday. She wanted the perfect tiara and found a really good one online and James said she was all “We’re going to Disneyland - I’m wearing the tiara!” and when they got there “...all the girls are wearing them cos of course its Disney so they are princesses for the day - but hers is the best and everyone is looking at it and admiring it. And I bought her a big Winnie the Pooh stuffed animal and the BIGGEST lollipop so she got to be like 3 years old again. And all the kids are looking at the lollipop and going...” and he made this big-eyed face “...and all the women are looking at her tiara going...” and he did an envious face which made us all laugh and go aww “It was adorable!”
Then he said that every time he left town he had top get her a Doctor Who t-shirt as she is really into Doctor Who! “If I buy her a good one it gets me out of all the angst of being away” I asked if she had “The Angels have the phone box” one and he wasn’t sure but was describing one of them. Jules told him about Teefury and Qwertee quite often having Doctor Who shirts.
From there we got onto The Who and Roger Daltry - James was saying how Roger had taught him how to be famous (I had heard the story before, but it’s always worth hearing) they were making a TV movie up in Canada (“Strange Frequency”) and at the time “I wasn’t married but I had a girlfriend back home and I’m like a romantic, I’m with one girl at a time - I don’t cheat. Well, I mean if you don’t want to be with someone you break up. But he wanted me to get him laid!” and then he did a quick Roger impersonation “I’ve got an open marriage, I’ve got an understanding - lets go out and get laid!” and I’m like “Dude! “Sorry Roger - but no” I’d just got famous and I didn’t like it - I was hiding from the world and cos I had this glowing white hair so walking down the street everyone notices you right away - like having a spotlight on your head and I was just not comfortable with being famous. But hanging out with Roger - no one noticed me any more! He was so good and explained to me “In life I’m a worm farmer - I’m not a rock star any more. I breed silk worms for a living. But people know me for the music I used to do and that’s not going to change and I can’t control that”
James said he was taking notes and said that being famous isn’t so bad “if you try and run away from it, it’s worse - if you don’t fight it, just give in and say this is what it is”
I added” And you are so good at it - you should give lessons to others!” James laughed at that but I added “Seriously - especially to the ones who just go...” and I demonstrated the ‘head down, sign and pass onto the next person without even acknowledging ‘ type which made him laugh more and agree . Then I said how I have heard him be asked the same questions “so many times and yet every time you make it sound like it’s the first time you’ve been asked it. It’s fantastic - you do such a good job with that”
“ I’ll give you the secret” he replied “The longer the pause I take, the harder...like “what is your favourite Buffy episode?” ( you could almost hear the whispered “Musical” go round the table!) I always do a really long pause at that cos that’s the one that’s asked all the time” and I added “And what’s it like to kiss John Barrowman is the other one that gets asked all the time” and I continued how we have been known to time exactly how long it takes for that question to be asked and how we celebrate when it isn’t asked, making James roar with laughter!
“I’m always so worried about you cos like “Rosie’s heard this one before (Me - “I don’t mind!”)but it’s always the same questions so it’s always the same answers. Sometimes I think I should make up some different answers!”which had us all laughing - I think he should.
The translator girl then said time was up (and we had had James at our table for all of 6 minutes at this point!) but he kept on talking. Someone asked him more about the drinking of the “blood” on the Buffy set (I think its actually Strawberry Quick - so it’s really sweet?) that he had been talking about earlier at the opening ceremony - “They told me - “James, don’t drink the whole glass - we’ve had problems, people have fainted, you have lots of different takes so...” (and I muttered “and you should never tell James what not to do!”) “...so another take - “don’t drink the blood” and I’m like “Fuck that! I’m a vampire - I don’t care!” He was very proud of that - I think because he didn’t faint!
They tried to take him away again - he was talking to Allie I think, she was showing him something on her phone, and he was obviously thinking about defying - so I encouraged him “be a rebel James - go on, rebel!” and he considered and said she did ask nicely so we grudgingly agreed and started to say thank you, but even as he stood up there was more talk - Ivana went across to give him a fridge magnet - and then he was saying “You never forget your first Doctor. Well - there’s only been 3 so far...” so I asked “ Have you been watching it?” (because he hadn’t when he was on Torchwood) and he said yes he had “I have taste!” So we asked who was his favourite Doctor and he replied “I should say Tennant but I have to be honest and say the dude that was in it first... what’s his name?” so I said “Christopher Eccleston” and then he added “You know who the best Doctor is? Me! I just haven’t been cast yet!”
Jules said “can you imagine the reaction if an American got the part...” partly to me and then to James “They’re making a huge announcement on Sunday”
“Write in!” said James and we all laughed “I’d do it! I asked Russell if I could be on Who with my Torchwood character and he was like “No. Way. In. Hell! Your character is too naughty for Who!” (I love the way James says ‘naughty’ - he makes it sound so naughty!) which made us laugh but we said at least he got to do Torchwood.
They did drag him away finally at this point so there was waving and we said thank you - and then immediately set to try and convince people at the table who hadn’t ever seen Doctor Who that they had to watch it!
They hauled us out of the dining room fairly pronto after that and so then it was comparing notes and getting fed and later we went downstairs to see what the party was like - the theme was Halloween and some people had done some wonderful costumes - Buffy in prom dress with crossbow, Little Red Riding Hood Buffy - but first off, the much-talked-up DJ apparently hadn’t arrived, so they were doing karaoke - mostly it seemed to be the fantasy Events staff doing their best to keep things going - but they were all pretty much songs none of us recognised. And in Italian. This seemed to be pretty effective at emptying the room and so we hung about outside a bit taking photos and having a laugh until the karaoke finished and they at least played some decent tunes to dance too. So we had a good bop about and there were a few more people in but generally it did feel rather like a lame school disco. I think the DJ guy did arrive much later, but by then we had given up and were upstairs again in the lobby having fun. Not too late to bed - more James in the morning!