It deeply saddens me to see London’s iconic staple, Fabric, shut down. When I read the news, I immediately burst out into tears. I was so fortunate to have had two unforgettable experiences there, during its 15 years of running. One of those nights, which is highly important in my life, is a story where I demonstrate the core principles behind The Secret without even realizing it.

You can decide for yourself if fate, luck, or The Secret landed me backstage on my sixth night in London at Fabric.

Flashback to the beginning of 2014, I am spending my semester abroad at The University of Westminster in London, England. Before my arrival, I was all over Bandsintown to see who was coming to London during my stay. One of the first few artists I encountered happened to be London’s Foreign Beggars, who were scheduled to play at Fabric. I was sold; I had always wanted to see Foreign Beggars. (They’re an iconic hip-hop/dubstep group who had been listening to since 2009.) I immediately began tweeting about the show, expressing my gratitude and excitement to see Foreign Beggars at Fabric.

Surprisingly enough they were interacting back with me! At first, they were just favoriting and retweeting my tweets, which fueled my excitement and imagination even more;  so of course, I began to tweet that I had to meet them. To which they replied and told me, to bring a glow stick to their show so they could find me!

The vision was clear and present in my head; somehow, someway, I was going to meet Foreign Beggars at Fabric that Friday; I felt it coming.

I have always been the type of person who willingly goes out to a show alone because if I want to see an artist, there is nothing stopping me from doing so. I couldn’t find anyone to go with me, especially since none of my new friends knew of Foreign Beggars, but I was stoked nonetheless. I got ready, had my flatmates snap this photo of me, and I was off to complete my mission.

I arrived at Fabric right on time to catch the opening. I was too excited and needed to obtain my front-row spot. I actually got there so early I was able to get an early entry ticket at the door, there was no line, and I went through security reasonably fast. What threw me off about security was how hard they searched for me. Coming from America, I had never been thoroughly patted down at the venue, while every pocket in my purse was checked, as well as my wallet pockets! I was even given a note card that read something like ‘beware of cellphone stealers.’

Fabric was HUGE, with so many rooms, and so many stairs, I was so confused. I followed some kids down to a room and started to scope out the place. It was empty because Fabric had just opened, and I couldn’t tell which was the main room. So I went up to a security guard and asked him which was the main room. Right off the bat, he could hear my thick American accent and asked me where I was from, to which I responded Chicago. He smiled, told me that this was the main room, and asked if I was alone; I said yes. I explained how I just arrived in London to study abroad, how I loved Foreign Beggars, and how I was here for the music strictly. I remember him saying in a thick Jamaican-like accent, “OOOh, you a good girl.” LOL, you know I am. He encouraged me to go check out the other rooms and told me he’d be right there if I needed anything.

Having just befriended the security guard, I went on to explore the other rooms. I was in drum and bass heaven, that accurate UK grimy bass, and with a British MC; it was DnB heaven, I tell you. Feeling the bass beating faster and my heart dancing along, I look at the time and decide to go back to the main room.

As I walked back into the main room, to my relief, it was merely empty. There was killer liquid drum and bass being played by some house resident DJ. I went to the middle front and began to again dance my heart out. Slowly but surely, the crowd started to pack in like sardines. By the time UZ was about to start, I was being touched, bumped, and elbowed into by nearby attendees. Which does annoy me; I don’t want someone’s gross sweaty skin touching mine; it’s an uncomfortable situation for me. Annoyed, now folding my arms, standing there with a resting bitch face. My security guard friend comes up to me and says, “you can go back to the other rooms; I’ll save your spot!!” I politely decline his offer and explain how I must stay in the front row for Foreign Beggars. He shrugged and walked back to his security post.

The next thing I know, he comes back up to me, and he says, “would you like to go on stage?” My face lit up, was that even a real question… of course, I would like to go on stage. I said back to him, “I WOULD LOVE TO GO ON STAGE!” He smiled at my reply and told me to follow him. He guided me across the crowd to the right, opened a door, walked me up a few steps, put a wristband on me, and just like that, I was on stage.

Immediately UZ’s tour manager started chatting me up, saying,”I don’t really know what that security guard was trying to say, but he was ranting about a girl from Chicago, and I said Chicago, well I am from LA bring her up here!” I was in utter shock and joy; this was the happiest moment of my life so far. On my 6th day in London, Friday, January 10th, I go out by myself to see Foreign Beggars and wind up in this situation. WHAT!?

Back to the story, I begin to tell Dominick UZ’s old tour manager about how I am out alone, studying abroad by myself; I remember asking him for a Red Bull because I wasn’t drinking. Meanwhile, UZ is still playing, and I happen to see some of my peers in my abroad program. Absolutely incredible; that’s how to describe that moment in time.

Next thing we know, tons of fog came into the main room, and I realized UZ’s set was also coming to a close. The moment we were all waiting for. Finally, Foreign Beggars was finally coming on, it was late, past 1:00 A.M., and I was ready! Dominick was still grabbing a Red Bull for me when the stage crew said even with a wristband, I couldn’t be on stage. The security guard I had befriended then quickly escorted me back to where I stood in the crowd front row dead center.

Ugh. This was fun, but not so fun because sweaty kids were now moshing against me. Dominick finally came back out and saw me in the crowd, mouthed w-t-f, and slid me a Red Bull. Classic. I did not want to be in the middle of that, realistically. But nonetheless, I made it and took videos! Maybe I will be able to link up here for you to see.

I couldn’t take the crowd after a few songs, though; I was out of the front to the back soon enough. My security bud saw me, though, and gave me thumbs up, lol. I knew in my heart that after the Foreign Beggars set, I was going to be able to get backstage. So I went back to dancing in the back of the crowd, admiring all the young British kids and their rad styles. Fully embracing this iconic British nightlife experience, and might I add, it had been an all-time dream of mine to attend a show at THE legendary Fabric.

Foreign Beggar’s set ended, and I pushed back through the swarm of sweaty kids to my security friend, who then led me back to Dominick. Dominick apologized for the mishap and explained that he couldn’t do anything. Nonetheless, it was fine. He then led me into the green room. It was poppin’ back there. Literally, bottles of champagne were being popped simultaneously.

Dominick started introducing me to everyone; I was now meeting Foreign Beggar’s whole family; it was insane. I even met Jack Beats and told him how he was the first act I saw when I walked into Ultra Music Festival in March 2012. LOL. The only person I didn’t meet was UZ, who returned to his hotel room after his set. Which was ironic because I was hanging with his tour manager.

I partied in the green room for the rest of the night but did not drink! Didn’t have a single drop of alcohol that night! I could have, for free, but I didn’t care. I only wanted Red Bull. Before I knew it, Fabric was closing; it was now about 6 AM the sun was rising. Promoters were standing outside of Fabric trying to solicit the club-goers to another after-after-hours club “Egg.” I walked back with Dominick to his nearby hotel, and we continued to chat about our lives. At the time, my biggest dream was to work for The Windish Agency. I remember Dominick telling me this solid piece of advice, “If you want something, go for it because the days that you spend slacking are the days that someone else who wants it more than you are going to get it.” That always stuck with me because we all know it is very real.

Our conversations finally came to a halt when Dominick had to go to the airport, and I had to go on a double-decker bus tour with my program. LOL, after this all-nighter… We said goodbye, Dominick put me in an Uber, and that, ladies and gentlemen, was my sixth night in London.

Picture Above: Ebow Graham of Foreign Beggars & I.