Angel

A Halloween Event 2004

All Treats, No Tricks featuring David Boreanaz & James Marsters

ngel and Spike - Two vampires, two souls and two Champions fighting on the side of good for the chance of redemption and the heart of a Slayer. Angelus and William The Bloody - Two of the most evil and malevolent demons ever to conquer and massacre the known earth and certainly two creatures that no one would want to meet face to fang during the annual Feast of The Dead. Yet as the full moon rose over England’s capital city on All Hallows Eve, close to 850 people gathered for such an intimate encounter as the men behind two of the most popular characters ever to grace the Whedonverse: David Boreanaz and James Marsters joined forces once more to host and headline Halloween 2004. Held at the York Hall in Bethnal Green, London. Getting David and James in the same place at the same time would have been a big enough attraction for most fans but when the likes of Angel’s principal female Amy Acker, one of Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s deadly and most elegant vampires Juliet Landau, the original leading man from the film that kicked off the phenomenon, Luke Perry and the executive producer/writer behind some of the most amusing episodes taken from paper to screen, Jane Espenson were added to the mix, then the weekend could never have been anything more than frighteningly good.

"WE DID IT OUR WAY"

Spike’s sire, Drusilla: Juliet Landau

Buffy’s first love, Pike: Luke Perry Halloween 2004 was an event put together in partnership with www.JamesMarstersLive.com and it was an experience that both actors had been involved with from the beginning. "We are all hands on with this event. We want to do it our way," David had said prior to the fan gatherings, a sentiment shared by his partner in crime James Marsters who had boldly stated, "The Halloween event will offer honesty, hilarity and poignancy. It all depends on how brave people are with their questions. It takes two to tango. Both David and I will say just about anything." The main festivities were due to kick off on Saturday 30th October although the fans got their first interaction of the weekend the day before with the opportunity for early registration. With the first 100 fans to register being guaranteed to be the first in the photo queues with David and James on opening day, the queues spiraled right around York Hall causing curiosity amongst those stuck in London’s congestion traffic. The organizers had asked their attendees to submit their questions for David, James and company a few weeks beforehand daring them to be as bold and as inquisitive as they wanted to be. Questions spilled in from everywhere and so for some opening the registration pack on Friday must have felt like looking for one of Willy Wonka’s Golden Tickets as they crossed their fingers to see if they had been one of the lucky ones to have a question chosen. Whether successful or not, no one walked away from registration empty handed because, as well as receiving the fluorescent bracelet that was to be the entry into the event all weekend, each and every attendee was given a Halloween treat goody bag made up of pens, sweets and postcards as well as a free copy of either the Buffy or Angel magazine.

An early start was called for on Saturday, as there was so much to get through during the day. Each fan in attendance was allocated a row within the hall dependant on their ticket number and this row number would be used when calling for auto and photo sessions. Only a photo and auto session with David and James had actually been included in the cost of the ticket and so tickets for the same opportunities with the other guests were on sale at the rear of the hall along with some newly commissioned (and extremely amenable) photographs of David and James taken during a photo shoot at David’s home in L.A. especially put together for the Halloween event. Unfortunately, having everything in one place and having only one person handwriting the photo/auto tickets for the supporting guests led to long queues and some confusion as some people waited in line only to have to leave it as they were called to their photo opportunity with David and James while others were being called to photo and auto sessions that tickets were still being sold for. There also seemed to be a little disconnect in communication between the main stage and the photo/auto session area as more people were being sent to the relevant sessions than the queue control could handle leading to a lot of people mulling around in a very confined space as well as some rushed-off-their-feet stewards who to their credit kept the atmosphere bright and cheerful despite their inevitable frustrations. The photo sessions themselves were taken in the dark recesses of the York Hall basement eerily decorated with a graveyard backdrop. David and James conducted a joint photo session with attendees having the not entirely unpleasant task of standing in-between the two handsome men as their picture was taken. James was very warm, shaking everyone’s hand as they took their place, sharing memories with those he had met before while welcoming those he hadn’t with a kind word. David was a little more laid back but no less charming, unleashing his trademark smile and the occasional hug. The auto sessions actually took place in the same room separated by a partition to the rear of the basement allowing the fans a lingering glimpse of what was going on at all times.

ME ANGEL, YOU JANE

In the main hall, fans were kept entertained by screenings of not only Buffy and Angel episodes but by music compiled videos, the guests appearances in other TV shows such as Andromeda and an absolutely hilarious compilation of Angel outtakes, some of which had not previously been seen on any DVD box-sets (especially those taken from Season 5 and David trying clothes on in the changing room in an extended clip from the Season 2 episode Reunion). The stage itself had been decorated with all things Halloween including broomsticks, bats, spider’s webs and a big inflatable black cat holding a pumpkin that would freak David out all weekend. The organizers had kindly asked that no part of the event should be recorded either on video camcorders or audiocassettes, a request that was reiterated fairly but firmly throughout the weekend. Five minutes before each scheduled Q&A, those who had been fortunate enough to have a question chosen were asked to form a queue to the side of the hall. The pre-submitted questions before the event actually turned into one of its highlights as it prevented the kind of repetition often found at other conventions keeping most of the Q&A sessions fresh and original. Jane Espenson was the first guest to hold a Q&A and she easily proved why she has built the reputation of being one of the sweetest and nicest people in the Whedonverse as she was very open and genuine but strangely enough, Jane’s Q&A actually happened before the ’official’ opening ceremony which happened shortly after.

Buffy executive producer/writer, Jane Espenson Each guest was brought on stage to a loud and boisterous reception with Jane, Luke, Juliet and Amy being the first to be introduced. Then it was the turn of the two headliners. James came on stage to a cavalcade of noise and took the plaudits while striking a classis Spike stance. David followed to an even louder and enthusiastic crowd reaction, (although it was mightily close), and with the kind of humor that he was to provide all weekend, he took the opportunity to have a small dig at some of the accusations that had been thrown his was way during his last UK appearance in Brighton in 2003. "Before anyone says anything," he shouts over the crowd, "No I am not hung-over, I am not jet-lagged and I’m not in a bad mood, I’m just here to have a good time and let’s rock this place!" The crowd didn’t seem to want to disagree with him. It wasn’t too long after the opening ceremony that David conducted his solo Q&A session. Dressed casually in camouflage combo pants and blue hooded top (which he removed later much to the delight of the females in the audience), David took an instant dislike to the large inflatable cat sitting in the corner of the stage. Grabbing a broom handle, he began to bash it repeatedly. "What can I tell you, I’m a dog person," he explained as a reason for his actions before sitting center stage in readiness for the first of a long line of questions awaiting him.

There was no way that David could play the same character for eight years without being asked about his time on the show and yes he was asked to sing Mandy and give a little demonstration of the ’unique Angel’ dance from Season 1 episode She both of which he did with great hilarity. David was on fine form. He was relaxed and witty if not a little mischievous and suggestive. He was asked why he thought that Angelus held such an appeal. "Angelus was wicked and there is a part of him that is dangerously strange and some people are attracted to the danger," he suggests, "he relished slow pain and he’s a very twisted guy. I definitely enjoyed playing him." Yet were there times when David felt anything but cool and instead felt a little bit more of a prat, "Season 4 had some huge arcs," he admits, "Cordy and Connor just freaked me out. It was weird to see that and there would be other times when I’m jacked up against the wall by some monster and I would think, ’This is stupid’." Was this the same kind of reaction David felt when he first heard about the storyline behind the episode Smile Time? "Oh God! I thought they were on the magic mushroom stage when they came up with that one," he laughs before admitting he had it easy, it was his cast members that suffered filming that episode, "It was very hard to do for the other actors just to keep a straight face." David was of course asked about the addition of James to the Season 5 line-up and it is no secret that David considers it to be a good move, "My first reaction was great as we had worked together on Buffy and he enhances Angel’s role," David explains, "Spike brought out the humor and the quick wit and he was a great addition." Spike was also the second vampire with a soul searching for redemption, so does David have anything that he needs to be redeemed for, "Oh God, there’s so much. Considering I was raised a Catholic there is just so much that I couldn’t even begin to go into," he sniggers mischievously and you just know that he is rerunning some of those nasty deeds in his head, "I was not a good boy and well I can�t even go into that," he laughs. Well if he can’t be reformed, would he want to be immortal, "No but then again I am immortal in a weird way as I’m captured on screen." He spoke with disappointment that Angel was over and joked about the kind of lame programs that been commissioned to replace it venting his spleen particularly on a small little show called The Mountain for some reason.

"I thought they were on the magic mushroom stage when they came up with that one." David on Smile Time Since the end of Angel, David has been involved in a couple of movie projects and spoke a little about his roles in the forthcoming films: Mr Fix It and The Hard Easy as well as the possibility of a starring in a new television series where he plays a married cop leading another life as a hit man unbeknown to his family and colleagues. He had just flown into London straight from filming in Canada and had been away from his family for just under a month and mentioned missing them very much especially his seeing his son dress up for Halloween. Considering his close relationship with his wife and child, David was asked if there were any plans for a brother or sister for little Jaden, "Well I have been away for three weeks," he replies with a glint in his eye, "so who knows. I hope to be blessed with another child, as I consider it a gift from God although Jaime and I have actually thought about adopting." If given the chance, he would start trying for his second child a lot sooner than planned and in the most seductive of settings as he was asked where he would go for a romantic weekend. David mentioned that he had been looking through a travel magazine and could picture himself on a white beach in The Maldives with his wife and huge carton of Haagen Daz ice cream. David’s active imagination ran away with him as he began to describe exactly what he would do and it wouldn’t be the last time that the famous ice cream brand would creep into conversation in a wishful way. David always comes across as a man with strong family ties and cites his father as one of his best friends and inspirational figures so is there any piece of advice that his father has given him that he would pass down to Jaden. "Respect people, your reputation and your name. Hold onto your name." he answers simply.

What was interesting in the James Marsters Q&A session that followed is that very few people actually asked James questions about his character Spike and more about his theatrical aspirations and musical career. James seemed a little nervous when he first came out, pacing the stage with a little excited agitation, which was in complete contrast to David’s outstretched, languorous approach just moments before. He told the crowd that he had spent a couple of days in London prior to the event and as well as making an appearance on MTV’S TRL he used the opportunity to replenish his CD collection by spending about 600-pounds at the Virgin Megastore at London’s Oxford street store. England should feel like James’ spiritual home as he has a great affection for one their most famous bards, William Shakespeare and would love to tread the boards of some of the most famous theatres in the West End although he admitted it couldn’t happen for at least 10-years due to family commitments. During the course of his time with the audience, James spoke a lot about the roles he had played and about the roles he wanted to play. He spoke of Arms and The Man as being something he would be interested in but it was another role entirely that a young girl wanted to ask James about. The poor wee young thing was too scared to ask the question herself but she wanted to know if James remembered anything from a school production he had appeared in where he played the adorable role of Eeyore in Winnie The Pooh. Not only did James remember playing the floppy eared donkey but he recited some of the dialogue in true Eeyore’ style, a far cry from the usual sarcasm associated with one of Europe’s most feared vampires, William the Bloody.

It’s his role as the bleach blond demon that most people associate James with and that has led to this fascination with fans to dissect his every word and to build an online world dedicated to him. Does it ever bother him to have every line he says analyzed and does he ever find it intrusive at all? "It’s not intrusive," he comments, "because I’m choosing to be in the public eye and I’ll be alright if I’m doing my job right. Fame is a double edged sword but it helps with my music career." James comes across as a genuine and thoughtful man and so when his sincerity is questioned, it seems to disturb him and throw him off guard a little. Someone asked James how much of himself he was actually sharing with crowd or how much is what he thinks we want to see? James took his time answering this, "What you think I am has a lot to do with Spike," he says finally, "for anyone who has purchased the scripts this weekend, you can see that Spike doesn’t come across in just words, you have me who gives him immediacy. Good acting is not putting on a mask, that’s just hiding. Good acting is revealing yourself." James’ other real love is music of course. Although he had split from his band Ghost of the Robot earlier in the year, plans are still very much in his mind for the recording of a solo album due for release in the Spring of 2005 just in time to coincide with a recently announced UK tour. "The album will include one old song called Smile and will include most of the material that was supposed to be on the band’s second album," he explained, "At the moment I am putting all my energy into making the album so I will have CDs to sell when I’m on tour." One of the other songs guaranteed to be on the album has proven to be a favorite with those who have followed James’ musical path. James describes This Town as, "trying to write a personal song but a story. It’s a longing of people wanting something they can’t have." It was also the song that opened James’ acoustic set later that evening where those in attendance were lucky enough to get a preview of things to come.

ILLYRIA NO LONGER

Fred or Illyria, the forever charming Amy Acker Motherhood looks like it is going to suit Amy Acker as she is positively glowing during her pregnancy. Just when you think she can’t possibly become any more beautiful, she proves the old wives tale that woman truly blossom when they are expecting a baby. Now in her seventh month, (even though she barely has a bump), Amy radiated on stage as ever as she talked about the Illyria, the role that truly brought her into her own during Season 5. A lot has been said and written about this character already in magazine publications and during Amy’s appearances at other events, but how Illyria’s role was due to develop had the show been renewed was a piece of information Amy did not mind sharing. "No one expected Angel to finish when it did," she commented, "so I was only supposed to be in three episodes with the blue hair before Illyria was transformed into someone more human. Joss told me he originally planned for a Fred/Illyria hybrid where Fred could have switched into Illyria’s powers whenever she needed to. If they had gone another year then hopefully Wesley wouldn’t have died and we’d have explored that more as it was fun to do." Amy of course was the principal female in Season 5, did this ever prove to be a problem in a predominantly male cast, "and all the boys played practical jokes on me. David was like my big brother and we joked around a lot and gave each other a hard time. I remember my first day on set as Illyria, I was working with David and James and I thought David is gonna make so much fun of me but after the first scene both David and James came to say, ’That’s so cool’. The crew wouldn’t talk to me however!" Illyria has quite a unique look, not only because of the blue hair and makeup but also because of the rather snug looking costume. Amy’s love of food is well documented so did Amy have to cut back on the tacos to get into it. "The costume looked uncomfortable but it was cotton and breathable and not very restricting," she says, "although it took about four fittings of me doing one kick and then having my butt hanging out. Just working with the costume designer made me realize how Illyria was going to have to move."

Squeezing into the Illyria costume now may be a little more difficult as Amy and her husband, James Carpinello await the arrival of their first child. "It’s going to be a boy," she happily tells everyone, "but we have not decided on a name yet. We have to find something that goes with Carpinello so it’s a really complicated decision." Since the show ended, Amy has made a point of trying to keep in touch with her former cast mates, "I’ve seen J (August Richards), Alexis (Denisof) and Joss. I try to see Alexis and Joss once a month and I was excited to see David in London. At the time we didn’t spend too much time hanging around together but now we make a point of trying to see each other." She was also planning to go to dinner with J that very same evening as he was in London at the same time attending another event in a different part of the city and wasn’t surprised to hear that he had been dancing until the early hours of the morning. "It’s strange," she admits, "J called me feeling a little low around the middle of July as that was the time we would usually get together to start filming the new season. I’m gonna miss Angel because I’m gonna miss going to work with people you look forward to seeing every day." Both Luke and Juliet also had Q&A sessions but their moments at the microphone unfortunately clashed with other items on the tight schedule. All day long, tickets had been drawn for a long list of approximately 100 raffle prizes. Despite the mouth watering prospect of collecting a full 12 inches of Angelus from the main man himself (in the shape of an action figure), or witnessing James willing enough to climb a balcony like a modern day Romeo to get to a lucky ticket holder, it must have been a bitter sweet feeling for those who had won the prizes earlier in the day as it made them ineligible for the early evening main prize draw which was a chance to have breakfast with David and James the following day.

THE GIRL IN QUESTION

If a poll had been taken by attendees minutes after Halloween 2004 had closed its doors, the most memorable moment cited by many would either be James’ acoustic session or perhaps more probably the absolutely hilarious episode commentary for The Girl In Question provided on Saturday night by Mr Boreanaz and Mr Marsters. Episode commentaries are a popular feature on DVD box sets as actors, writers and directors alike often give away trade secrets and interesting explanations as to how an episode is put together. If that was the mission statement for TGIQ commentary then somebody forgot to tell David and James. Sitting on opposite sides of the stage (after David had once again assaulted the inflatable cat and had his chair moved forward so he didn’t fall off the edge) and casting their attention to the large screen that played the episode, they took their attentive audience on a roller coaster journey. So quick was their wit, notebooks and pens were cast aside as it was impossible to keep up with their banter. David shone and showed he has a real talent for improvisational comedy to the point that at times he got carried away resulting in James finally handing David his microphone laughingly stating "you are so much better at this than I am." There are far too many jokes to list and remember but the ones that stick in the memory are - James complaining about the chaffing of the ropes during the dungeon flashback scene only for David to have no sympathy but instead complain about the wig they made him wear and how never in five years did they ever get him a decent wig - David’s comments about the mile-high club during the flight to Rome, "Angel’s just joined the Mile High Club -oh so has Spike!" - James’ impression of The Birkles and their bartering skills - the slow motion dialogue in the slow motion fight scene - James’ impressive impersonation of the villain’s getaway car while David countered with his pathetic interpretation of the pursuing vespa - neither one of them wanting to make fun of Amy when she was on screen and of course David bringing everyone’s attention to where James’ eyes wandered whenever the buxom Italian lawyer, Ilona came into view. David had a lot of fun with that one much to James’ denial and red-faced embarrassment.

"Angel’s just joined the Mile

High Club - Oh, so has Spike!" They did manage to make some comments about their fellow cast members at times, (although for most of the episode you got the feeling that this was actually the first time they had actually seen it all the way through), describing Tom Lenk as a ’funny guy to be with’, explaining that they couldn’t stop laughing at Julie Benz for some reason and James ending by saying that it was in this episode that he realized Illyria was more than just a blue wig and a costume, she was all about Amy’s acting. Before fans had a chance to catch their breath or stitch their sides after the TGIQ commentary, David once again graced the stage but this time on a more serious note. Although everyone was led to believe that David would be reading a spooky Halloween ghost story, this actually turned out to be a trick as David decided he wanted to treat some deserving people instead with gifts both he and his manager Tom had collected over the years. Deserving recipients of these gifts included Charlotte, a lady who had flown thousands of miles from Alaska especially for the event despite being wheelchair bound and suffering from cancer. David described her as having ’an amazing spirit’ and was truly touched by her presence. He also paid special tribute to Margaret who donated a ticket at auction for an AIDS fund, and another lady who had bought an extra ticket simply because her friend could not afford to go. He donated a memento from his collection to a young girl called Lisa who was attending the event with her blind mother and was trying to raise some money for the guide dogs association. He also couldn�t resist awarding the strange and quirky and a lady by the name of Alison walked away with a piece of David Boreanaz memorabilia just because she had the devilish privilege of being ticket holder 666!

A slight worry foreshadowed James as he stood on stage, guitar in hand ready to play his first solo European appearance since leaving his band earlier in 2004. "For all those who told me that they were nervous during the photo session," he anxiously admitted, "well this is right back on you now." Before he even played a note, he explained that he was using a different guitar as his usual guitar, [find the name of the guitar], has been damaged at the airport but he was more than happy with the replacement. He opened his set with This Town before moving on to Goodbye, Bad and Katie. At one point he paused in between songs as his hand had become very sore. Although the countless handshakes and innumerable autographs he had signed that day couldn’t have helped his cause, James told the story of how he had once broken his hand by punching a concrete floor rather than punching an over zealous and intrusive priest. As he didn’t have insurance at the time to have the injury treated properly, he actually ended up having to have his broken every couple of weeks or so to reset it as he couldn’t afford pins. He continued his set with Runaway, Dangerous, Every Man and Patricia before finishing with Over Now and Smile. Most songs had been played at various venues around the globe but there were a couple of rarely played or completely new songs also included. Although admittedly nervous James didn’t let the nerves get the better of him. All the notes may not have been perfect and he may not always have hit the right key but he played a heartfelt and extremely enjoyable session. Whatever inspiration James had drawn upon to write his songs he tried to convey to those sharing the experience with him. James’ passion for music will take him on a new journey in 2005, and although he may now be a solo performer, he will not be making the trip alone if the Halloween crowd has anything to do with it.

ANGELUS & WILLIAM THE BLOODY

Sunday morning brought more of the same as the day before with photo sessions, auto sessions and a lesson from Jane Espenson on how to truly run an episode commentary as she took on the task of telling some home truths surrounding the entertaining BTVS Season 4 episode Pangs. Primarily this particular episode was about "Buffy’s yearning for normalcy and not being influenced by a supernatural force," but it also brought about the return of Angel and the appearance of a very ’neutered’ Spike. One of the first things Jane mentioned was the Buffy the Vampire Slayer theme tune. She said that Anthony Stewart Head told her that the sign of a good theme tune is when you can sing the name of the show in time to the music. She then proceeded to demonstrate this and admitted that the ring tone on her cell phone just happens to be the ditty penned by Nerf Herder so every time she gets a phone call she thinks of Tony Head. Hearing the writer’s perspective on an episode is so intriguing. Jane talked about the need to draw or ’hook’ an audience to care about its characters before unleashing on them ’a roller coaster of menace’ citing this as one of the reasons as to why Buffy has been successful over other shows. She also knows that Buffy fans do not miss a trick and that, "if something in your script seems very familiar to something you’ve done before, you just have your characters reference it and it makes it less familiar and more intentional." This particular skill is apparently called ’hanging a lantern on it.’ As the episode ran its course on screen, Jane mentioned other little tidbits like how The Initiative were never quite as cool as they had hoped, how it had been planned quite early on that Spike would fall in love with Buffy, how Riley was from Iowa as is Jane herself, the amount of research Jane had to do in the museums at Santa Barbara to study the Shumash knives and costumes, the testy emails she received at declaring the tribe extinct and just how cuddly that bear really was. Unfortunately, if Jane thought her duties were completed once she finished the commentary, she was mistaken as she was asked to join fan fiction writers, website owners and one of the editors from Buffy magazine to discuss the quality and inspiration behind fan fiction in a special Writers Panel discussion. Jane is a big fan and had mentioned more than once during the weekend that, "fan fiction writers get the tone of the show in fact the show should be written by fan fiction writers" where as those who do tell their own tale about their favorite show suggests, "those who are authorized to write characters should try to write short stories as fan ficcy as possible and not be afraid to take characters away from the premise of the show."

"Put Angel in an embarrassing situation then the humor comes, add Spike to the mix

and it comes out even more, put them in dresses and it would have been hilarious!" Being the headliners of the event, of course David and James for a Q&A session made an appearance on Sunday but this time they appeared on stage together. Back at Flashback Weekend in Chicago in May, David had mentioned that he would loved to have seen Angel and Spike in an episode that rather resembled the movie Some Like It Hot but unfortunately it appears he had forgot to mention it to James who looked rather disturbed when it was finally brought to his attention. "It would be such an interesting storyline with these two," David reasoned, "Put Angel in an embarrassing situation then the humor comes, add Spike to the mix and it comes out even more, put them in dresses and it would have been hilarious!" There were a lot of Angel and Spike innuendo questions asked some of which David and James played along with although they drew the line at the request to kiss one another and suggested experimenting with Photoshop rather than ever seeing them in a naked magazine centerfold together! David’s obsession for ice cream and where to put it reared its head on more than one occasion as he wickedly answered if he only 24 hours to live he would use 8 to 9-hrs up to fly home to Jaime and the rest would be between him, his wife and a pot of Haagen Daz. In a similar vein both he and James food would they choose for their last ever meal. James immediately answered "proscuttio and melon�..mmmm salty goodness" and before he even had chance to open his mouth, the crowd shouted back at David - Haagen Daz! "Ah ah not necessarily," he retaliated, "I’ve just had a really nice curry so I think I’d spice it up baby. In fact I have spices dancing in my belly right now." At that point James moved the chair away from David.

Besides hearing David and James joke with fans and share a part of themselves with those around, the really good things to witness are those times when they do something a little out of the ordinary to make someone’s day. Whether it be James trying to encourage David to a cavemen versus astronaut debate (defiantly pointing out by the way that Fred uttered astronauts on her death bed) or David suddenly realizing that he’s being filmed on the big screen behind him and wiggling his ass to see what it looks like on screen, its often these small things that are the most memorable. A young woman came to the microphone to ask her question and at the daunting sight of seeing two of the most handsome men on television sitting before her she unfortunately found herself a little lost for words. Seeing her dilemma, David immediately came off stage and swapped places making the woman sit next to James as he asked the question instead. Whether it be James’ calming influence or not to her credit the young girl suddenly found her voice, turned to David and in true celebrity style said, "Now, now don’t be nervous, take your time, what’s your name?" David played along superbly, mumbling the words on the card as an incoherent sentence of nervous grumbles much to the amusement of others. When he got back to the stage he made mention of a young girl who every time she went to have her photo taken she would burst into tears. "It’s just to let you know whenever you’re ready honey, we’ll be here," David assured. "But if you don’t want to, that’s fine too. We still love ya." James added. Of course David and James were asked far more questions than covered in this review and it is obvious the mutual respect they have for another and it was their camaraderie that proved to be the winning formula of a successful weekend.

David initiated the goodbyes by giving his thanks to the fans for the support of Angel not only during the five years of its solo series but since his time on Buffy. He mentioned that he had witnessed two Indian Punjabi gentlemen greet each other by holding their hands over their hearts and then showing it to the other in an open gesture of affection. With no other words than a simple thank you and goodbye, this heart-opening gesture was how David bid his farewell to a standing ovation. James walked on stage for his final time armed with a multitude of flowers, which he deservedly distributed to the organizers and staff, all of whom he brought before the crowd to receive their plaudits. Like David, he thanked the attendees for their warmth and to a deafening cavalcade of appreciation; he walked off stage pulling the grrr argh man behind him. Halloween 2004 was an event that many had been dying to see happen. The two main star attractions won a lot of people over during this event as the two fan bases for the actors can be quite competitive and the supporting cast, (who in reality are stars in their own right), were as superb and as gracious as ever especially Luke Perry who turned out to be a little diamond. There were flaws as there are at every event such as this but they were few and far between and dealt with. Jackie who had flown in from The States to be a part of it can sum up the event. "This London event was my 6th con this year. I’ve found that each event has had it’s own little glitches which cause some bitching by the fans. This one was no exception. But overall, I have to say it was a wonderful experience. All of the con staff, stewards and security team were helpful and very pleasant. They seemed to be having as much fun as the fans. And while I did make some new friends, it was especially great to see many of the "Chicago Ultimates" again. That would have to be another big highlight for me. We had such a blast in Chicago, and got to relive the fun again in London. I guess we really have David Boreanaz to thank for bringing us together the first time, and for giving us a reason to travel such distances to meet again. I’d do it again, in a heartbeat."