'The Ticket of My Dreams'

You are going to fall in love with this.

David Cassidy in Australia. Today I have another extraordinary story for you. It has made me smile (and even laugh, braces!) and tearful and envious at the same time. Wonderful read. Emotional and even sensual..

While reading I've felt like actually was there with her. But first of all it has made me miss David Cassidy, his time has ended too soon. It still hurts. I feel very privileged that Erin's story is on my blog, and will stay here forever. Thank you xxx

"One day, not long after my 14th birthday, my cousin, Jamie, told me David Cassidy was doing a tour of Australia. I excitedly searched the newspaper for information. To my utter joy, I could see David in the flesh on March 15th, 1974 by sending away a $4.20 postal money order. In return, the ticket of my dreams arrived by mail. Unlike the usual DC teasing I endured, my school friends were truly excited for me as the special Friday approached. I was the only person from my school attending the concert. I was released from class early, as the drive to our capital city, Perth, Western Australia, was a 3 hour drive.

My big sister, Stephanie, along with her husband, rolled up in their brown Volvo and at this moment I felt very grateful that I had a Beatles fan as a big sister. She understood me.

The stars had aligned and this meant goodbye boarding school, hello David Cassidy! The parched paddocks from the dry Australian summer flashed by as we eventually reached Annette. She understood me too. My carefully chosen long purple hippy dress, brown leather Indian sandals, big sister's love beads, bracelet laden forearm, long brown hair and enthusiasm may cause love at first sight if David actually see me, I believed. A gentle smile and he wouldn't notice the metal braces on my teeth..

We walked from the car park to the WACA (WA Cricket Grounds) alongside many hurried and likeminded fans. At the turnstiles I presented my ticket, proudly guilt free of not smuggling in a camera, yet today, very regretful of my obedience back then. The stage was to my right and there I saw the mass of fans standing and sitting on the huge grassed area with standing room only, no seating.

As I made my way there, I came across a group of friends from my old school and we chatted until the sunlight faded away. Suddenly, there came a growing frenzy and chanting, 'Give me a D, give me an A' and so on. In the distance a glowing white figure appeared from the right of the stage and I heard my cousin, Annette say in my ear, 'Erin there he is!' I abandoned my less-of-a fan cousin along with any concerns for my own safety and merged into the wave of screaming fans. Squirming as politely as possible, I made my way toward the magnetic force that was David Cassidy, briefly interrupted by accidentally hooking my metal teeth braces on the dress of another fan.

I found myself at centre front stage, slightly left.

There was David, up close and right there in front of me. His figure was bathed in the white spotlight that followed his every move across the stage. He wore a white suit with tails that sparkled and gleamed. He carried a matching white baton and he looked like a vision of glowing white light, a star. I reached for him over and over, but the gap between barrier and stage was patrolled by roving body guards. He went through all the gorgeous familiar songs, he danced and jumped, wriggled and bounded about. I could see him clearly, the form of his face and finely built body, every blemish and drip of sweat. He was real, alive and close to me!

He changed clothes, this time something tight, overalls perhaps. The most surreal moment of the evening arrived as he began to sing the beautiful, slow and biographical, 'I Am a Clown'. His eyes met mine and they stayed there. Was I imagining this? Was he really looking at me while singing this song? The girl next to me said, 'He's looking at you, you know!' I think he was sitting at the piano as he sang this song, not the edge of the stage as he often did. More songs, then too soon it was over.

David left my view and the fans moved away, but I stayed a little longer not wanting it to end. On the trampled grass by the stage I picked up a purple fluffy 1970's gonk toy thrown to David from a fan. I unravelled and read the attached note, a love letter and invitation to visit at her house. Unrequited first love, the naivete of youth, innocence, hopes and dreams. looking back, that love letter was a precious example of what it was to be a fan of David Cassidy in the early 1970's.

The next day, newspapers reported that fans had passed out and ambulances were called. Why faint and miss it all, I thought. Although I didn't manage to have David fall in love with me, I was happy and grateful he had come to my isolated Down Under part of the world. My brother-in-law had filmed the concert on his super 8 camera. There was no sound, but it was in colour. I could lip-read as David sang, then synchronise the footage with the corresponding track from my LP collection. I wish I still had that precious footage.

Back at school, a week or so later, I received a letter from my teacher's girlfriend, a journalist for the newspaper. She sent me the sweetest letter explaining that she interviewed David during his visit to Perth and had also attended the concert. To my delight she had enclosed her own concert ticket, which David signed during the interview. A gift to me, signed with his name in black pen. A precious object for a devoted young fan and although I no longer have my original ticket, I've kept this one, along with my memories, safe and sound for 50 years.

Erin Sullivan

(Erin Jenkins)