Fan Mail: Kevin (and Eddie) Bulmer
Below is a message we received on FB from a gentleman We’ve been in contact with over the last few months about bringing his son to the Volbeat show at The Rapids Theatre. A big pat on the back to everyone as we’ve truly given a father and son a lifelong memory!
Hi Marc!
Thanks so much for the note. That whole adventure was something Eddie (my son) and I will remember forever. We both love Volbeat, of course, but their show was really just the excuse to get to pull him out of school and have an adventure together.
I’ve been divorced for 3 years and only have Eddie and my other son (who is only 7 years old) half the time. We always have a total blast (we call ourselves “the Three Amigos”) and though we were always close, we have never been closer than we are now. But I don’t get many chances to do something alone with just one son or the other.
My ex-wife (who re-married) and I have a very good relationship, and both she and her new husband were supportive of this. Part of that, I must say, was showing them the note you sent me months ago when I asked if it would be okay/appropriate to bring Eddie in the first place. They were very impressed, as was I.
Marc, everywhere Eddie goes, he’s the oldest. He now has step-siblings ,and my girlfriend has kids, too. Eddie’s always looked upon to set the example, know what to do, etc etc. I have no doubt that’s tough on him and frustrating at times. But coming to Rapids to see Volbeat was something he got to do BECAUSE he’s the oldest, and has earned it by being such a great student and great kid.
I pulled him out of school at noon on Monday and we arrived at the Canadian side of the Falls about 3pm. We hung around the Falls all day yesterday - I took 2 days off work and kept him out of school just so we could have the time together, just the two of us.
Marc, the people at Rapids could not possibly have been any cooler to us. They all talked with Eddie, high-fived him, patted him on the back and kept telling me what a great Dad I was. It was a whole new world for little Eddie, and though Volbeat was flat-out outstanding, it is all those personal interactions I will remember.
We didn’t “find” the VIP area. Your security found us and put us there. I can’t say enough about how impressed I was by that. When we got there, we found a spot to the far right, against a wall so Eddie could sit on the floor (about 10 feet up the wall from the merch table). He sat and played games on his iPhone. When Digital Summer came on, he was pretty excited to hear what it sounded like, but sat back down after a bit.
Trivium, though a great band, was not our style. They wore us out! Lol. Their precision was like a physical beating (I kind of mean that as a compliment to them, but it’s just not really my thing). After they were done, Eddie exclaimed he needed to go to the bathroom, so we “fought” our way to the back of the building. I feared we’d not get his spot back, but he said he wanted to go back there, so we tried. And again, people were very, very gracious and let us through, high-fived Eddie, moved each other out of the way, etc. Is it possible to feel emotionally “touched” at a metal show? Lol.
He was ecstatic when Volbeat started, but I could tell I was losing him. All he could see was the back of people’s heads, and I knew he was getting tired. After they started “Lola Montez”, I asked him if he wanted to go to the back, where he might be able to see more. He said yes.
So again, we had to try and push through the crowd. And again, people were great about it.
When we got back behind the bar, Eddie said he still couldn’t see. I wondered if our night was going to end early (I’d prepared myself for that). But there was a dude leaning against the ATM machine. He tapped me and said, “Hey man, let’s put him up here. What’s the worst they can do? Tell you to take him down?”
Though I knew I shouldn’t be putting him on your ATM (sorry!), I did. Once he was there, he was rocking out, fist in the air, singing every word. EVERYONE around noticed, and high-fived him, etc. It was really cool. But I kept waiting for one of your security guards to come tell me to take him down (which they should have, to be honest! Lol. I knew he shouldn’t have been up there). Instead, I could see the security guy by the washroom watching Eddie, smiling and laughing. I started to get the feeling that people were cool seeing that we weren’t hurting anything. I dunno.
During “16 Dollars,” another security guy came and asked me if I was Eddie’s Dad. He’s the one who told me he wanted to put Eddie in the VIP section. They found us. I didn’t ask for it. I was blown away. Next thing I know, we’re outside, then back inside, then in the VIP with the other kids. If that hadn’t have happened, we wouldn’t have made it through the whole show. Eddie was getting really wiped (he was fighting a bad cold, too), but the VIP section, and the chance to sit down, kept him going.
Marc, even when we left, people on the street were telling Eddie, “Way to go, bud! You Rock! You are a rock star!” and stuff like that. It was a wonderful thing for him to experience.
I won’t hesitate to come back. I can’t say thank you enough. I’m sorry this turned into such a long story, but I’d like for you and your event staff to know what a wonderful job they did. It might have been just another concert to the people that had to work it, but for an 11-year-old kid from London, Ontario, it was an experience he will remember and appreciate for the rest of his life.
Thanks again Marc. Keep up the great work.
See you next time!
All the best,
Kevin (and Eddie) Bulmer
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