Tag: amsterdam

Adventures in Amsterdam

Hola everyone.

How are you all doing today? I hope you’ve had a lovely weekend and that you’re enjoying the last bits of summer we’re being granted with. Can you believe it’s already September? Because I surely can’t. It feels like some elaborate joke, something someone made up. Even the thought that I’ve been home for half a ycear now sounds ridiculous to me when I say it out loud. Time is a strange thing, it really is.

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Likewise, it’s also insane to me to think that I’ll be moving back to London in less than two weeks. Like, when did that happen? Super super strange, truly. And it’s not just that, even just thinking back to the past few weeks and months makes me wonder whether I’ve dreamed it all or whether it truly happened. Did I really visit Lauren in Belgium? Did I really go to Berlin? Did I really get new two new tattoos? Did Lauren and I really visit Amsterdam? In the middle of a global pandemic? I guess it must be true, because I’m sitting in front of a ton of pictures that were definitely taken in the incredible Amsterdam and that is also definitely me in the pictures. But see, this is how I know I had the best time ever – because it sounds too good to be true.

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To be honest, the trip to Amsterdam is definitely something I will never forget. Not only because Lauren and I spent two amazing days there, filled with adventures and tons of fun, but also because it happened out of nowhere. See, that’s the good thing when a country is so small – you can reach nearby cities in a matter of a few hours. Pure luxury, I tell you. So when I came to Belgium and Lauren and I started planning our days we had together, we got the idea of going to Amsterdam and as it was only a few hours train journey away, we instantly booked it and started off the adventure two days later.

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And, god, it was just so so so cool. We went to amazing restaurants, sat at the canals, went on night strolls, basically walked through the whole city and we even visited their botanical garden, which was so beautiful, I can’t even put it into words. Out of all of this though, I think my favourite part of the whole trip was visiting STMPD RCRDS. Those of you who’ve been following me and my blog for quite a while now will know how much that labels mean to me, but for those of you who are rather new here – STMPD is my dream workplace. I know, might be a bit strange to say it like that, but it really is. Ever since I’ve fallen in love with EDM and ever since that label was started, I’ve been dreaming about working there. Not only because their artists are so freaking amazing, like SO good, but moreover because it just looks like the best workplace and best team to work with. So, because of that, actually being at their office and seeing that very building with my own eyes, a building I’ve seen countless amounts of times just by being a Martin Garrix fan, made me freak out a bit. In short, being there meant the world to me. I’m still so grateful for Lauren actually walking through the whole city with me just to see the studios. Made my year, truly.

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So, that was what we did in Amsterdam. As you can probably guess, the photographing came to no end during the trip, so right now I’ve got these amazing photos that I can’t wait to share with you. So, without further ado, please enjoy.

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And yeah, there you go, guys. These are my favourite shots from our adventures in Amsterdam. I truly hope you enjoy this post and the pictures. As always, I’d love to hear from you, so please don’t hesitate to leave your thoughts and comments down below. I wish you all a great week and, of course, thanks for reading. x

My favourite photographers

Hola everyone.

And welcome back to my blog, a new Monday and a new week. I hope your weekend was good and that you’re all feeling well and happy. Can you believe February is already coming to an end? Because I can’t, at all. It’s gonna be March in just a few days, which means my birthday is already lurking around the corner. And then I’ll be 24. Oh wow. Time really flies by. And I know this sounds a bit sad or dramatic, but, I think, I’m happy about growing older, because, generally, it means growth and moving forward and that’s exactly what I want to do. To grow and to do more and to see more. Make the most of my life, basically. And to continue sharing all of that with you guys. Which I also want to do today, but, as you could see by the title of this post, we’re not going to focus on my life today, but on that of someone else. That of Louis van Baar, to be exact. Welcome to part four of the “my favourite photographers” series. Let’s go.

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Louis van Baar

Let me introduce you to Louis. If any of you are fans of Marty – Martin Garrix – and/or have ever taken a look at his Instagram, you will most definitely have seen some pictures that were taken by the wonderful Louis. You will surely have, because ever since 2014, Louis has been Marty’s official photographer and has thus spent the last five years and a bit traveling the world with him and taking pictures of him and the beauty that can be found on our amazing planet. And I’ll say it right upfront – Louis definitely is one of the best photographers I know and it happens more than just a few times that I look at one of his pictures and wonder how he managed to get such a perfect shot. In the end, he makes a living shooting EDM gigs, which are probably the most thrilling and rapid concerts ever. There are lasers and fire and the hyped-up crowd and, of course, the DJ, who’s jumping around like there’s no tomorrow. Getting a super clear, stunning shot in such circumstances sounds like the most difficult thing ever to me. But somehow Louis manages to get those perfect shots every single time and that’s only one of the reasons why I would call him a genius behind the camera.

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There is also the fact that Louis is super freaking young. I mean, just 26 years old young. That kind of young. And that’s his current age. Which means he started touring with Marty when he was just 21, which, looking at the pictures he took at that time, is mind-boggling to me. I know it might be a bit weird to base it all on age, but somehow, for me, talent definitely must be on another level when it develops that early and leads to such a career that early on.

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Obviously, him being that young, also Dutch and that talented in one, makes him the perfect photographer for Martijn. Because he isn’t just his photographer, but, more importantly, he’s also a really good friend. Actually, their story is super cute – in 2014, Martijn and his team were looking for a photographer for his summer tour and found Louis. They toured for a few weeks and it all went so smoothly, they decided to keep on working together. And now we’re in 2020 and they’re still together. How cute is that? And on top of that, a bit more than a year ago, they published a photography book, made up of Louis’ best shots and some background stories from Martijn. And yes, I have that book. Twice. It’s freaking stunning.

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When you take a look at Louis’ pictures, you can clearly tell that he has a special style. Big shots with lots of colours and a feel of dimension that makes it seem as if you’re in the picture. He quite frequently takes pictures of landscapes, architecture, and cities they visit, most of the time during helicopter flights. In short, the photos are breathtaking. In my opinion, they are so grand and aesthetically pleasing, that I could easily see them hanging in someone’s villa or be part of some special photography installation at a gallery. That also goes for all the shots he takes during Marty’s gigs, which never fail to perfectly capture the feeling of his shows. The lasers, the fire, the energy, and excitement – you can feel it all through the pictures. That’s why Louis is such a genius photographer. He doesn’t only capture the colours, the view, but also the feeling, the moment. What an artist.

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I highly recommend checking out his and Marty’s Instagrams as well as Louis’ website to take a closer look at his art. I’ve also gone and picked out a few of my favourite shots of him, which you can see down below. I hope you like them. Obviously, none of them belong to me, all the rights go to Louis. Additionally, here’s the link to their photography book, which I can also highly recommend. It’s one of those books you can have lying on your table as a piece of art or decoration. It is that pretty.  And yeah, besides that, I hope you enjoyed this post and getting to hear Louis’ story and to see his amazing pictures. As always, please don’t hesitate to leave your thoughts and comments down below. And, of course, I wish you all a nice week and thanks for reading. x

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A Celebration of EDM

Hola everyone.

Do you ever feel like you should be at another place, somewhere else? Yes? Same. This is something that especially happens to me whenever there’s a concert or a festival I really wish I could be at while being stuck at home. Which is exactly what I went through the past week.

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If you’ve been following my blog for a while now, you’ll probably know what happened exactly a year ago. ADE. Or one of the best nights of my life. The night I went to Martijns show. The night I danced for three hours straight. The night I definitely lost some of my hearing. And the night I saw Martijn, up close, standing right in front of me, smiling. It was a night and a weekend I’ll never forget.

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Which brings me back to present time. And the one event that has been ruling my past week, even though I wasn’t there. You guessed it right – ADE. The best EDM festival – apart from Tomorrowland, of course – and the week where the whole scene, all the DJs, all the fans, get together in the one and only Amsterdam to celebrate this incredible type of music.

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But I don’t want to bathe myself in self-pity. I’m still very, very happy to be where I am right now – especially because of one massive thing that happened on Friday, which I’m going to tell you all about at the end. Actually, I want to use this post as a way of celebrating EDM and Marty – who was again awarded as the Nr. 1 DJ in the world for the third time in a row btw – literally gave me the best reason to with the release of his newest EP, which includes five new songs. He released one every single day for the last week, just another reason why last week was way more exciting than I had anticipated.

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For me, all of the songs are a masterpiece for themselves and I love how none of them sound anything like the other. And I’m more than proud that I get to share them with you guys. So, let’s go.

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Breach (Walk Alone)

This was the very first song that went out on Monday, so just about a week ago. It’s actually a collaboration between Marty and Blinders, one of the DJs he has signed at his label STMPD, known for the bop “Snakecharmer”. And from the very first beat on you can feel Blinders presence in the song. Until you get to the part where a female voice hits you and that’s when Martys fingerprint becomes more visible. Also, the small hints of violins basically scream his name, which I totally love and which seem like a theme throughout the whole EP. Apart from that the song is just a pure banger and literally perfect to get a crowd heated up.

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Yottabyte

The EDM lovers among you will probably know the beautiful melody of this masterpiece, which was premiered at this years’ Tomorrowland festival as the opening track of Martijns set. Besides the usual electronic beats, it also features a series of sounds that strongly remind me of the rewinding of a music box and its comforting tune. This is also what gives the song its special feel. And, of course, the beat just drives you into it.

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Latency

This is another collaboration, but this time with Dyro. I can still remember hearing this for the very first time this year, Martijn telling the crowd to clap in sync with the beat. It was breathtaking. The intensity of the beat, building up until it reaches its peak, with its harsh electronic shredding in the background, makes you throw up your hands in the air and jump like you’ve never jumped in your entire life. It’s EDM at its best.

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Access

Also known as Chinatown, this song is one of the highly anticipated tracks that got hinted by Marty about one and a half years ago during a YouTube live stream. After all this time, it is now here, out in the world. And following the electric beat of Latency, it almost has a sense of cuteness to it. You can feel that Martijn was younger while producing the melody and how he got older and more musically mature during the finish. It’s like you hear him grow up by listening to this song.

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Waiting For Tomorrow

Well, where shall I begin? This is it. This is the song that literally every MG fan has been waiting for (apart from Rewind, Repeat It – can we please release this too? Thank you). This is Waiting For Tomorrow, featuring Pierce Fulton and Mike Shinoda, which most of you will probably know from the band Linkin Park. This masterpiece of a track was first premiered at Ultra in 2016 and has ever since been a recurring highlight during Martijns shows over the past few years and months. Although I already know it by heart just from going to his shows and watching the sets online, it feels damn good to have it finally out there in the world, for everyone to enjoy it. From the very first second on, the song builds up, utilizing amazing vocals, energetic melodies, great percussion just to peak with a drop that turns the whole track into a breathtaking piece of progressive house music. All I can say is that it was definitely worth the wait.

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So, there you go guys. That’s what happened last week. I have to say, I do feel pretty sad that I didn’t get to attend this years’ ADE, but I’m already preparing for next year. Also, like I hinted at the beginning, one very cool thing happened just a few days ago, which would’ve never been possible if I hadn’t been in Brighton. Because, guys, guess who got to talk to the one and only Felix Kjellberg, aka PewDiePie. And no, I’m not joking. I did really meet and talk to my favorite YouTuber. And yes, I’m still floating around on a cloud of pure happiness and I don’t intend to ever change that. I don’t want to turn the little convo we had into a huge dramatic deal, but I just want to say that Felix was literally the nicest guy ever. I was quite nervous about talking to him, especially as I know that he doesn’t really like it that much. But I just told him that I loved his videos and thanked him for everything and then let him get on with his day. I don’t get fans who go up to their faves and literally ask them for a picture and then just walk off. That’s not me and that’s certainly nothing he deserves. And I guess, overall it was really a nice talk. Especially as Edgar seemed to really enjoy my cuddles. (Just a little insert by my inner fangirl – OMG, can you believe I really talked to Pewds? How is this even possible? Holy moly.)

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Okay, and now I’m going to end my brabble about EDM and special human beings. As always, I hope you enjoy this post. Please don’t hesitate to leave your comments and thoughts down below. I wish you all a nice week and hope you’re all doing good. Oh and guys, just for your info, I won’t be posting anything until next week as my parents will be visiting me and I want to spend as much time with them as I can. Thanks for your understanding. And, of course, thanks for reading. x

Welcome to STMPD

Hola everyone.

Guys, you know that I love talking about music more than anything. But as I guess that all these music lists are getting a little bit boring, I thought I’d change it up a bit. So, today I have the honor of introducing you to one of the coolest music labels on this planet.

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But before I begin I wanted to give you guys a little update on my last post and party a little bit, because it seems like Trump stopped working against the ban for elephant trophies. He stated that he stopped it because he wants to investigate further on how the conservation works, but I’m pretty sure that he stopped because the whole world was literally screaming at him and his administration. So yey and congratulations to all of us. Seems like we just helped to save this planet – at least for some time. Well done guys and whoever got active – thank you so much. You’re awesome.

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Okay, there’s that. Now let’s get back to this very special music label. The EDM fans among you will probably already know this supercool label called STMPD RCRDS. It was founded in May last year by the one and only Martijn Garristen – also known as Martin Garrix. And before any of you guys question my opinion about this label, no I’m not just interested in it because it’s his label. I mean, I was at first, but now that I’ve actually taken time to get to know it, it’s like Martijn introduced me to this amazing thing that I am now exploring on my own while being so damn thankful for the introduction.

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So yeah, it all started in May 2016, so you could say that the label is still pretty young. Martijn founded it after having some severe arguments and a disagreement about the ownership rights of his music with his older label Spinnin’ Records. And as the genius he is, instead of signing to another label, he just created his own, which now gives him complete freedom when it comes to his music and pretty much everything else. If I’m right the label now “belongs” to Sony Music and it seems like Martijn himself couldn’t be happier. Until today there are about 15 or so artists signed to the label, including Martijn himself (unfortunately I couldn’t find a complete list) and I have to say, all of them are freaking amazing.

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What I think is especially cool is that the label mostly consists of pretty much still unknown DJs and artists – I mean, at least I didn’t know them before. And also, like I said, Martijn is totally free when it comes to his own music and productions and so on, but of course he has his portfolio and type of music that people expect him to release and stick to, so he can’t just release anything. That’s why – another genius move – he just created side projects like GRX or Area 21, so he can release other music he enjoys to produce too. And I think that’s so damn amazing, because that way he’s able to show the world even more of his talent.

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STMPD is based in Amsterdam (like Martijn, of course) and just about a few months ago he and his team took over one of Amsterdams coolest recording studios called FC Walvisch, a spot used by international superstars like Pharrell Williams, Lady Gaga and of course Martijn. Actually, in the last of his videos YouTube series “The Martin Garrix Show”, you could see him and his team celebrating the official opening of their new headquarters. You can now find the studio under the new name STMPD Recording Studios – here’s a link to their website.

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I have to say that I am incredibly proud of Martijn for bringing this whole thing to life and making his dream come true. It makes me kind of speechless too. And let’s not forget the fact that all the signed artists are seriously so damn good. I mean, how perfect can a label get? Cool headquarters, fresh young vibes, the most amazing boss ever and freaking good artists and breathtakingly good music. That’s all anyone in the music business could wish for. Oh, and if you’re wondering why the label is called STMPD – the name was actually inspired by Martijns father’s stamp auctioning company. So it’s basically just another cute tribute and link to his family.

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Okay, so, that’s pretty much all the most important information about this amazing label that I can provide you with. And now let’s get to the most fun part, which is getting to know some of the artists. I actually highly recommend following the label on Spotify (if you do have Spotify), their playlists are amazing and also quite addictive. I’ve been listening to them on repeat the past weeks. So, without further ado, let me present you some of my favorite song releases:

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As you can see it’s pretty hard for me to not just add every single song the label ever released. I of course had to put Area 21 on the list, because I just love this side of Martijn so freaking much, and also CMC$ as his song features the one and only Conor Maynard. Like, can you believe it? Two of my favorite guys are working with and for the same label. That’s so damn crazy.

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And yeah, that’s pretty much it. There you go guys. Welcome to STMPD RCRDS. I have to say that I’m truly so thankful to Martijn for founding and introducing me to this amazing label and awesome kind of music and awesome artists. And it would actually make me so happy if some of you enjoy it too. So please don’t hesitate to leave a comment down below, I’m really curious. And yeah, I really hope you enjoyed this post and I wish you all an amazing week. And, as always, thanks for reading. x

Amsterdam

Hola everyone.

So, as recently mentioned in my last post about Martijns amazing show at ADE I was luckily able to visit myself (here’s the link), I was in Amsterdam a week ago for a short trip with my friend. And I can just tell you guys, it was freaking amazing. What a lovely city.

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Okay, so first things first. We stayed in Amsterdam for four days, from Thursday until Sunday. Martijns show was on Friday so we thought it would be better to fly home on Sunday, as Saturday was our literal hangover day. God, was I tired. I think we got home at about 5 o’clock in the morning and as excited and hyped I was, I just couldn’t sleep and basically slept for about three hours that night. But oh well. Sleep is underrated, right?

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Apart from Martijns show, which of course was the highlight of those four days, the trip was really really really amazing. I loved it so much. I mean, the city is so cute and you just feel so welcomed there. All the people are so nice – as you can see down below in one of the pics, as some guys came up to me all of a sudden while my friend was taking a picture of me and placed themselves around me for the picture. First I thought that they wanted to make fun of us or anything, but they actually were so nice and funny. Like, just look at the picture. How funny is that? And it came out looking so perfect, I just love it.

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And the city overall has such a cool vibe to it. I mean, I’ve never seen so many good-looking people in a matter of four days. No wonder I want to move somewhere up North.  And all the stores and restaurants and cafés are so cool too. They all look so modern and new and stylish, it’s nearly overwhelming. I couldn’t stop looking around in total awe. It was actually my first ever time visiting The Netherlands, but after those four days I fully understand why it’s one of the happiest countries on the planet. It was really hard for me to not smile during those days. Seriously.

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What made the weekend even more special for me was of course ADE. It’s so crazy to be in a city that is filled with people who share the same love for music. And let’s not forget all the DJs that were there too. I got a teeny tiny heart attack every time I saw the yellow flags around a corner. God, I can’t wait to visit the city and ADE again and make the most of it – go to all the different shows, of course visit Martijns shows on Friday and Saturday and go to different talks and masterclasses. The festival is literally such a cool opportunity to see different artists and meet so many different people from all over the world.

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And I think apart from ADE, we also made the most of our trip. We went to different museums – the museum for modern art and the Van Gogh museum -, walked around the city pretty much the whole day, went to supercool restaurants and cafés and visited basically all the important places you should see when you get to Amsterdam for the first time. I really really really loved it.

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Also, I just have to mention that Dutch is such a cute language, oh my god. No is Nee there. Nee. How cute is that? And the architecture, it’s so charming. All the crooked windows, walls and houses, the cute bridges and holy moly, so many bikes. I’ve never seen so many bikes in one place. And I think that also shows the amazing mentality of the people there, because most of them use bikes or if they use cars, they are mostly e-cars. What a green city. Really.

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So yeah guys, there you go. Those were the four days in Amsterdam in a nutshell. I really enjoyed my stay there and I can’t wait to come back, preferably during ADE. I can quite understand Martijn for living there and not moving to LA or something, like all the big names in the music business. Good choice.

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But guys, have any of you ever had the chance to visit Amsterdam or ADE? Did you enjoy it as much as I did? And do you maybe have some tips for me what to do the next time I get there or which city I should visit next? Please don’t hesitate to leave a comment down below. And until then I hope you enjoyed this post and the pictures down below. I’m pretty sure that Amsterdam is one of the most photogenic cities I’ve ever been to, so please enjoy. And, as always, I wish you all an amazing week. Oh, and Happy Halloween. x

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Oh my god

Hola everyone.

I can just repeat myself over and over again. Oh my god. Oh my freaking god. Guys. You’re not going to believe what happened in Amsterdam. Seriously. I myself am still so deep in shock, it’s overwhelming. But let me start at the beginning before I get a heart attack.

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Okay, so, as some of you may know, my friend and I flew to Amsterdam last Thursday for ADE (Amsterdam Dance Event), mainly to see Martijns show on Friday. And usually I’d start off this series by telling you all about the beautiful Amsterdam and showing you the pictures I took, but I’m literally too freaking excited to keep this to myself any longer. I just have to tell you guys, really. And just to warn you, this post will feature quite a lot of me fangirling and freaking out, so read at your own risk. And please enjoy. Seriously. I can’t freaking believe I really get to tell you all of this. I’m so damn happy.

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So, as already mentioned Martijns show was on Friday. It was my third time seeing Martijn in a matter of three years – let’s say I already can’t wait for next year. And the reason for us flying to Amsterdam and not to any of his other shows was actually the show in Amsterdam itself. I knew the show because as the fan I am, I watched the whole livestream of his show last year. And that included jumping around in front to my TV until 4 am in the morning. And goddammit, was it worth it. And as I was sitting on my couch at the end, happy tears glistening in my eyes and my heart racing, I thought to myself “one day I’ll see this live, one day”. But who would have guessed that one day meant a year afterwards? Not me, to be honest. Actually I’m still so baffled that this really happened. That I really flew to Amsterdam and went to Martijns show. It’s so unreal.

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For me, Friday was just about counting down the hours until I’d be seeing him. The show was scheduled to start at 10 pm in the evening and last until 6 am in the morning (holy moly), with Martijn playing from half past one until 4 am. That’s 2 and a half hours of pure heaven for me.

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So, half an hour before 10 pm we made our way to the venue. Thank god our hotel we were staying at had the best location ever, so the RAI, the venue, was only about 15 minutes away. Saying that I was really excited would be such an understatement, no joke. I was literally jumping around my friend with the biggest smile on my face. My heart was racing. After getting to the venue we immediately got into the queue and I got a little bit worried. I mean, not to be dramatic or anything, but Dutch are freaking tall. Holy moly. My tiny self standing behind all those tall ass men and women, not even being able to see the entrance. I knew that if we wouldn’t be able to get a spot right at the front or behind some magical dwarfs, I wouldn’t be able to see Martijn at all. So yeah, I got a teeny tiny scared.

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And then we got into the venue and immediately starting ticking off our to-do-list. I wanted to buy merch, we wanted to put our stuff into a locker and then we had to look out for a good spot. First thing was merch, of course I had to buy some, especially as Martijns merch is more like a clothing line on itself and not just a shirt with his name and symbol on. I chose to treat myself a little bit and bought his new jumper, which if I’m correct is his newest piece of merch and basically clothing heaven. It may have been a little bit on the pricey side but oh well. I’m literally going to live in this the whole winter, so it was really worth it.

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After that we secured our stuff and got into the venue. And holy moly, what a huge building. At first we went straight for the stage one of his support acts was playing on already but I thought that that could never be Martijns stage. And then I saw it, the stage we were meant to head for. His stage. What a beauty.

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So we got closer and closer and closer and then, and I’m not joking, we were suddenly right at the barrier in the front row. Can you believe this? Front row!!! We seriously managed to get into the front row at one of Martijns biggest shows. The show in his own hometown. And let’s get this straight, Martijn has this kind of fans that wait for hours just to see him. If I would have expected anything to happen, it would surely never have been this. I still can’t quite handle it. First freaking row right next to the stage. So crazy. During the three hours we waited for him, we sat against the barrier and I once in a while had to jump up and look at the stage to realize it. I freaked out every single time.

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And then, at half past 1 in the morning (what a crazy time to start a show), it was finally time. I think I went into trance the moment he walked up the stage, basically because we were just a few meters apart. I know, at that point I had already seen him twice, but being so close and being able to take everything in, his mimic, his moves, the way he works and plays his music, is something completely different. It’s mesmerizing, to be honest. And let me tell you something, this guy and his team work their asses of before and at these shows. Seriously. It’s the biggest party ever.

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And of course the show was mind-blowing, as always. I truly loved every single second of it and although he played for two and a half hours, he could have gone on for another few hours in my opinion. I just didn’t want him to stop. Ever. And I don’t really know why, but somehow being at his shows and experiencing it all live lifts all the weight off my shoulders. Like, I think those are the hours I feel the freest in my life. At those moments it’s just him, his music and me. The rest of the world is gone and with it all my worries and troubles and thoughts. I scream my lungs out, sing every single lyric like it’s the last time and dance like I’ve never danced before. Now you should know that I usually never dance when I’m not alone, so getting me to dance for more than two hours really means a lot. You know, it’s not just that I enjoy being in his presence so much that make this kind of shows so special for me. It’s everything combined. The music, Martijn, the crowd, the production, everything. It’s pure heaven for me. And means hundred percent happiness. The shows are literally like my own personal drug and right now I’m on a cold turkey and it’s driving me insane. I need more.

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Apart from that Martijn is literally the cutest sunshine ever. He sometimes had a camera behind him and then turned around and did a heart sign and smiled so brightly, it was like the sun just moved from the sky into the venue and was lighting up the whole room. And during the show he actually pointed at people in the crowd until they looked at him and then he did both a heart sign and put his hands together as a sign for saying thank you. I mean, how freaking cute is that? Who does that? He literally said thank you a hundred times.

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I recently read an interview he did with Nylon Magazine (here’s the link: nylon.com), in which they asked him what he is looking for in an artist he is watching himself and he said this:

“I just want to see that the artist is enjoying themselves. I don’t like it if an artist is on stage, giving this attitude, like, “I don’t give a fuck who you guys are. I’m getting paid.” I like it if I see an artist generally enjoying the show. It makes me enjoy the show a million times more. They have to care.”

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And that’s like so me. And describes him perfectly too. Because the moment he goes up on stage until he leaves again, Martijn makes you feel so appreciated. You can really see and feel that he enjoys and loves what he’s doing and that he’s grateful. And I think that’s so important. And it basically makes me love him even more.

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So yeah, the show continued and I was so so so happy. And then he played his last song, In The Name Of Love, and I’m just going to be honest now, yes, I cried. If you ever get to experience this song live, you’ll know why. It’s literally the most beautiful part of the show, as Martijn let’s the crowd sing and thousands of people singing with him standing on his pult, smiling from ear to ear with his hands up in the air forming a heart, that’s just pure magic. You could really feel the love in the whole room.

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And after playing this song he went off stage. Watse, his manager, came up and they hugged – I’m so happy that I got to see him too – and Louis, his photographer, hugged him too and then he was gone. Actually, due to the fact that I watched the lifestream last year and saw that he went down to the crowd at the end, I was kind of expecting him to do that again, but yeah, he was gone. But I was an emotional wreck anyway.

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So I turned to my friend, happy tears in my eyes and suddenly there was a huge uproar and I turned around and there he was, jumping down from the stage with his security guys. And from that moment on, I can’t really remember anything else than looking at him. I don’t know how I got this amazing spot at the front, I don’t know who was standing next to me and I didn’t even notice that another DJ was already playing again. The moment I saw him the world was literally gone. First I need to tell you that, no, I didn’t get a picture or anything, but I don’t even care. Luckily for me he knew the girl standing left to me – I guess she has a fan account, because he knows those -, so he stopped and stood there for maybe 5 seconds but for me it lasted for hours. I probably looked like the craziest freak ever, I was so shocked. Thank god he didn’t fully look at me, he would have probably thought I’m the biggest weirdo ever.

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Like, can you believe this? Martijn was literally half a meter away from me. I still can’t cope with the fact that I got to look into his eyes and see his beautiful smile up close. That’s just too unreal for me.

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He was down with the crowd for less than a minute but it seemed like an hour for me. After stopping in front of me he proceeded to the very end of the line, taking pictures with fans and hugging some of them. I remember that I suddenly heard someone talking over the speakers and saw that it was actually him. I don’t know how but he suddenly had a mic in his hand and was jumping around with the crowd, hyping us up for Brooks, who was playing at that moment. And he looked so happy. I just stood there, admiring him and his amazing smile. All I could think and say was oh my god. That was everything I was able to articulate at that moment. I didn’t even notice the pain in my ribs as people were pushing me into the metal barriers. And I didn’t care, to be honest.

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And can I just say this? He is so goddamn beautiful. Like, not just good looking. He truly is beautiful and I’m so damn thankful for everything he does and for every single time he puts a smile on my face. After he was gone I turned around to my friend and literally threw myself into her arms, happy tears streaming down my face and my whole body shaking all over. At that very moment, I felt like the happiest person in the whole universe. I think it took me about 15 minutes to calm down, I was so shocked – but in a good way, the best, actually.

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I was momentarily deaf, my voice was gone and my body was numb. In short, I was completely done. And so damn happy. We then walked home to our hotel and I literally couldn’t stop talking and smiling and laughing. I think if I took drugs, I would only be half as hyped up as I was at that moment. It still makes my heart race and my eyes light up in happiness when I think and talk about it. So you can probably guess how happy I am feeling right now.

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So yeah, there you go guys. That’s what happened last Friday and basically one of the happiest nights of my life. I still haven’t fully realized that this seriously happened. It’s like a dream come true. And I know, some of you may think “oh, what a crazy fangirl”, but you know what? Yes, I am a fangirl. And it’s literally turned me into the happiest person ever. I know, society has different thoughts when I comes to that. I’m used to people thinking that I’m weird for admiring someone who’s so out of reach, but honestly, at the end of the day, I listen to a song or watch a short video and get a huge smile on my face and a bubbly feeling in my stomach and that’s what matters. At least that’s what matters the most to me.

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I recently came across a tweet by the account “vodkawithjacob” that perfectly sums up my thoughts: “you know… i will never regret being a fangirl even though its probably the reason why ive never had a boyfriend or a social life and people think im weird but i dont care bc while being a fangirl i’ve had the greatest moments of my life and the best friendships i could wish for”

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And you know what, that’s so true. I will never ever regret being a fangirl. I get to feel emotions I would never be able to feel otherwise. And I get to travel to places and meet people I would never see or meet in any other way. Right now my heart is so full of happiness and love and you know, I’m so damn thankful for that. Martijn is a literal sunshine and he makes my world light up and I seriously can’t wait to see him again.

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So, guys, there you have it. My happiness on a plate. I’m sorry that this post turned out to be so long, but I just had to tell you everything and get it off my chest. I hope you at least enjoy me babbling on about the things and people that make me happy. Have any of you ever been to Amsterdam or to one of Martijns shows? Do you like EDM? Please don’t hesitate to leave a comment down below. And until then I wish you all an amazing weekend and, as always, thank you so much for reading. x

Ps: I literally just scrolled through the pictures of Martijns show and oh my god guys. There is literally a picture online with me and him together. I mean, I’m blurred and all but you can clearly see me as I had my flashlight turned on – I forgot to turn it off – and I’m freaking out right now. You can even see my shocked face, even though I’m blurred. Oh my god.

Here’s the link: facebook.com