And welcome back to my blog. How are you all doing so far? Are you getting through your quarantines okay? Here in Austria, we’re slowly reaching the end of ours, thank god. So far, it’s planned that most shops will reopen next Tuesday, but it all depends on how the numbers will look at that point. I’m hoping for the best, naturally. Maybe they’ll “give” us even more if the numbers are super low. Kinda insane though, when you think about it, isn’t it? We’re all stuck at home, waiting for men in a higher power to finally tell us that we can go out again. Very very freaky. But oh well. We’ll get through this together, right?
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And speaking about quarantines – guess who just saved 2020 for me? Made my day. Made my week. Mady my quarantine. That’s right. My boys. Ty and Josh did it again. Twenty One Pilots resurfaced to save the day. And they did it well because their new song with the title “Level Of Concern” brought smiles and tears not only to my face but those of countless others. The title was trending for hours on Twitter, the single swooped the charts within minutes and right now the uber-cute video has over 4 million clicks on YouTube. That’s what I call taking over the world in a heartbeat.
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It’s not just that the song is absolutely amazing and such a huge surprise as well, but also its backstory makes me incredibly emotional. Apparently, Ty’s mum told him to release a song for the fans in these tough times, to give us something to get our minds off all the negative stuff that’s happening right now and put a smile on our faces. And so Ty went and wrote a song about the time he last felt this lost and isolated. Once again, he dedicated it to his beautiful wife Jenna and turned it into a hopeful, shiny love song. And that’s how “Level Of Concern” came to be. How incredibly cute is that?
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On a personal note, the song really did save me yesterday and really managed to take my mind off things. In a nutshell, it feels like a well-needed hug from my favourite boys. I was actually in the middle of my online class when it got released, so, obviously, I had to leave the “room” for a few minutes. I was lucky, as the teacher had just given us a few minutes to discuss our current projects, so I could disappear without anyone really taking any notice. And then I heard the song and it just changed everything. For those three minutes and a few seconds, I was able to forget everything around me and just be with the guys, back in my comfortable clikkie cloud. The one that I had missed so badly. And after that, funnily enough, I watched the video while being back in “class”. Basically, I watched the video and had a bit of a fangirl freakout live on camera. Apparently, my teacher recorded the whole session for everyone to watch later on. So everyone will be able to watch me have a happy breakdown. Fun stuff. I know, it sounds very strange now, but once you watch the video I’m sure you’ll understand. It’s peak cuteness. Jenna and Ro are in it, glowing as bright as the stars, and Debby has the sweetest scene with Josh.
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Also, although the song and the video were released without the boys being cryptic in any way, it still manages to be cryptic, at least a tiny bit. The scenes for the video were all filmed in their homes, their own studios, and they all feature their families and loved ones. But what we also see are the past versions of Twenty One Pilots. Their past eras. Ty is literally wearing the same shirt he wore in, like, 2011. Back when it all started for them. So, while being so simple and sweet, the video and the song still stand for something more. They stand for everything. Another masterpiece, basically. Oh, and let’s not forget that it’s all for a good cause as well, as the parts of the proceeds go to the charity Crew Nation, which is supporting all the people that were supposed to go on tour with various artists now. I can just repeat myself over and over again – I love this band so freaking much.
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To be honest, ever since I heard the song for the first time, nothing much has been of any concern to me. Naturally, I’ve had the song on repeat all day and all night and I’m not even considering changing that. And another thing the song did is that it brought me hope. And an even bigger urge to see Ty and Josh in June. My mum and I still have our tickets for their show in Dublin on the 25th of June. One of 14 shows they’ll be doing this year. And their only headline show. I just have to go. I can’t have that be canceled. I just can’t. And if I can’t be in Dublin, I’ll go to one of those other 13 shows. I will see Twenty One Pilots this year. I swear to god and everything and everyone else. I will see them.
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In the end, I can just highly recommend you listen to this song. It will put a smile on your face, guaranteed. And hey, by listening to it you’ll actually be doing something good as well. I mean, how great is that? It doesn’t get better than this. And until you give it a listen, I’ll be here, blasting it on repeat and waiting to hear your thoughts and opinions and hoping you love it just as much as I do. I even did a photo shoot yesterday, after I had noticed that I was unintentionally dressed in the colours of the single cover – see pictures down below. That’s what I call fan love.
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Again, I hope you enjoy the song and please don’t hesitate to get in touch. And until then, I wish you all a lovely weekend and a happy Easter. Please continue to take care of yourself and others and spread positivity. We’ll get through this. I’m sending you all tight hugs and, as always, thanks for reading. x
How are you all doing? I hope you had a great weekend and that your Monday has been good to you so far. I’m currently cuddled up in a blanket on my couch at home, Aviator is on right now, so I’ve got the pleasure of getting to glance at Leo DiCaprio once in a while and I couldn’t be happier just thinking about what I’m going to share with you today. Some of you might have already heard about it on the news or seen it on Twitter or Instagram, but as it’s such amazing news, I just have to share it on here as well. And I don’t even care if this will turn this into a full-on Twenty One Pilots blog, I’m way too happy not to talk about it. So here it goes.
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Tyler and Jenna Joseph are expecting their first child. Jenna is pregnant. Tyler will be a dad.
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I can’t believe I’m really typing this right now. I’m so happy, I can’t even put it into words. But not just because of the news itself, but because of what it means, its story, its background. It doesn’t just mean that they’ll have a baby and that Ty will be a dad and Jenna a mum. Obviously, they’ll be the best parents ever. And they’ll have the most beautiful baby girl, with Jenna’s stunning blue eyes and hopefully Ty’s impeccable skin. And Josh and Debby will be the best uncle and aunt. But it also means so much more. It’s a story of hope and love and personal strength. It’s a story that shows that no matter how dark times might seem, it will always get better and it’s always worth it to keep going and, basically, to stay alive. So, let me tell you the story of Tyler Joseph and how he stayed alive.
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When Tyler was younger, he wrote a song for the album “No Phun Intended” called “Prove me wrong” in which he tells the world that he believes in love but that he thinks that love isn’t for him. He was about 18 then and I think he was in an even darker place than we can imagine. If I’m not wrong, he still suffers from depression and anxiety sometimes, but he seems to get better every single day. But at that point, I think he was really lost and struggling to find purpose in his life. And then he met Josh and they started the band that we now know as Twenty One Pilots – one of the best bands of our time and my own personal favorites. That was the first part. And then Tyler met Jenna and with her the love of his life. They married in 2015 and now, four years after that, they are expecting their first child.
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Tyler went from struggling to find his purpose to being in a band with his best friend, touring the world with him, having thousands and thousands of people all across the planet have his back and love him for who he is, marrying the love of his life and now expecting his first child, something he’s been talking about for years. If that doesn’t prove that life gets better, I don’t know what will. And I’m so incredibly proud to be able to watch this growth. It gives me so much hope that I will also find someone in my life, the missing piece of my heart and soul, the person I’m meant to be with. Tyler’s story is a story of true love and hope and that’s something we should all hold on to.
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I’m not going to lie, when I first saw the incredible news, I immediately teared up. It was like in some sort of movie. I had just come home from the cinema (I watched IT 2, can highly recommend it) and was just about to bring my mum her tea from the kitchen. So I had this huge cup of tea in one hand and my phone in the other. I mindlessly opened Instagram and, obviously, it was the first thing to come up. And suddenly everything around me went quiet. Like the world had stopped. I nearly let the cup slip. And after a few seconds to calm myself down and to let it sink in, I cried like a baby. Because of the news of a baby. Talk about being attached to people I don’t actually know. But I’m not ashamed to say that my heart nearly burst of happiness and love because of the news. Because this band and this man mean the freaking world to me. I couldn’t be happier for them. And the way they announced it, in front of the whole crowd of Lollapalooza, in front of the clique, makes it all even more special. Usually, people just post a pic on Instagram, but they chose to do it in such a special, loving, but still intimate way. It proved how much the clique, their fans, really mean to them, how they feel about us. And I love them for that. Also, I’ve never seen Tyler that happy and Jenna was literally glowing on the spot. It was perfect. But just see it for yourself:
My heart does a little jump every time I see it. It’s like I dreamt it and then I see it again and realize it’s real and I’m overwhelmed all over again. At the end of the day, I’m just incredibly, unbelievably happy for them and I already can’t wait to see this little girl grow up in this amazing family with these stunning parents. I. Can’t. Wait.
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Also, can we please talk about these pictures… I’ll never shut up about them… this is just way too cute…
I’m sure some of you might not be as interested in this news as much as some others or as me, but I hope that if you’ve come this far and are reading this right now, you at least take from it that true love exists and that you should always hold on to hope and your life. It’s always worth it to fight and to believe. Life will get better. Trust me. Trust Tyler. It will. I promise. And if you need anyone, I’m here. Always. Also, please don’t hesitate to leave your thoughts and comments down below. And, as always, I wish you a great week and thanks for reading. Stay alive, my frens. And most importantly, the biggest congrats to the most amazing soon-to-be parents ever. x
And welcome back to my blog. I hope so far you’ve had a great Friday and that your evening is going well. Sorry for posting so late. Ever since finishing work last week, I’ve been in this kind of “oh my god, I need to see everyone and do everything before I move”-stress, so I’ve been out and about all the time. Which resulted in me not really having time to just sit down and write this post. But now that I’ve finally managed to make myself comfy at home, I thought it would be nice to tell you all about the last day at Sziget. Let’s think of it as a short trip back to paradise, back to summer madness, back to the world of music and happiness. So, lean back and enjoy the ride.
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Day 7
To be honest, I can’t really put into words what this last day at Sziget meant to me. And it wasn’t even a day, it was a whole damn experience. An adventure that started the moment we got back to the hotel on day 6. Because that’s when I started planning and making my outfit for the boys (Twenty One Pilots, obviously). As some of you might know, it’s become a must to have a special outfit for TOP shows. Anything yellow, basically. I already had quite a nice outfit for their shows in London, but for Sziget, I definitely brought all my cards to the table. I put everything I had into this outfit and, honestly, I’m still so damn proud of it. I mean, just look at it. It’s fire. Be honest.
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I think I slept about five hours max that night. I was so damn excited. Especially because I had the plan of getting to the festival as soon and fast as possible and then trying to get as close to the front as manageable. I needed that barrier. Specifically, as it would probably be my only possible chance of ever getting front row for the boys. I mean, I could camp for a whole week at their UK gigs, but that doesn’t mean I would. I just could. Keeping that in mind, Sziget was definitely my best chance of getting to the front without having to camp. And I didn’t want to risk it. So I got up as early as I could manage, had a quick breakfast and then hurried to the festival. I might have to mention that I was alone as well because my mum was with my dad and his sister, who had also come for a visit for the last day (not for the boys, for Foo Fighters… I know… I’m not gonna say anything). So I had a little trip on my own and as soon as I got on the island, I ran to the main stage. And then I saw it.
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It was freaking packed. I got there and it was full. The whole area in front of the stage. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I mean, what even is the clique? I later read that people had actually camped next to the stage just to get to the front. How crazy is that? And the security had lied to me as well because I had asked them about the time they would be opening the main stage and they told me 2pm. I got there at 12pm. 12!!! And it was already open and packed. Thanks, guys. Very trustworthy. But oh well. No bad blood. Anyways, so I was standing there, looking at all the people sitting on the ground in front of me and, obviously, I immediately panicked and called my mum. The plan was to get to barrier, not 6th row with a good chance of actually never seeing Ty and Josh (quick reminder: people at Sziget are always taller than me, I don’t know why). I couldn’t just throw that plan in the bin. So I stood there for a while, weighing my options, looking for any good space for us to stand. And then I saw it. Like a small clearing in the middle of the dark woods. Like an oasis in the Sahara. A spot right at the front, at the barrier.
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At first, I was quite sceptical, because I was sure that it was someone else’s spot already. Either that or that I was hallucinating. But slowly, I made my way to the front until I felt my knees hit the metal surface of the barrier. I had made it. I was at the front. I couldn’t believe it. I slowly looked around at the people next to me, waiting for protest, but nothing came. It really had been a free spot. But now it was mine. My spot at the front. It still sounds like an absolute dream when I think about it. Like I had a fever dream or something. But I really was front row at a Twenty One Pilots gig. That’s stuff they write into history books right there. No joke.
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After two hours, mum also joined me at the front and then the big waiting game began. Thankfully, all the people around us were super nice and up for a chat and the acts before the boys weren’t that bad either. First to come on stage were Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes, who didn’t really fit into the musical genre I usually stick to, but who actually blew me away with their amazing show. Especially because of Frank Carter himself. He might not look like it, but he was the nicest guy ever. He talked quite a bit in-between the songs, lots of stuff about how the politics in the UK pisses him off, how women should be able to feel free in crowds and at festivals, without having to be afraid of men touching them inappropriately. Then they had an all-girls crowd surf and moshpit. And he chatted a lot about his own child and his highs and lows in his life. All in all, he was one of the coolest and most honest guys I had seen the whole week and I’m glad I got to experience his show. Such an amazing guy.
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Next to play was Johnny Marr, who was, without trying to be mean, the most boring act I had seen all week. No offence, but it’s true. After Frank Carter, he just couldn’t manage to get the crowd hyped up. And it wasn’t just me who felt like this. I could see it in the faces of the people surrounding me. They were all waiting for the show to be over. He wasn’t bad, musically, but there just wasn’t any fire, any excitement, any hype. And then, after one song, he said even “gracias”, which confirmed my assumption that he had no idea where he actually was. He was in Hungary, not in damn Spain. They don’t speak Spanish in Hungary. What even was that?
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So yeah, that was a bit of a bummer. But after that low, the highest high was still to come. I got the chills as soon as that mysterious music, that the boys always play before their shows begin, came on. That’s also when it hit me that I’d really be seeing the boys again. My boys. Ty and Josh. My favourite band in the whole world. And then even front row. I still can’t fully believe that it all really happened. And within the blink of an eye, Josh came on stage with his torch and then Jumpsuit started and I was immediately transported into heaven. I was home again. Finally.
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You can probably guess that the show was absolutely freaking phenomenal. I can’t even describe it. I just love this band so god damn much. And they were so good. I laughed and cried and screamed and sang my heart out and jumped and danced like there was no tomorrow. I gave my all to those two dorks on that huge stage. And it was so worth it because I got so much back in return. There was this one moment when Ty came to our side and, as some of you might know, he usually tries to suppress his smiles during the shows. I don’t even know why. Maybe he wants to look cool. I don’t know. But at that moment, he went up to us and threw us the biggest smile ever. And it might just be my observation, but I’m sure that every time Tyler smiles, the sun goes up somewhere. Even if it’s just in my heart. Maybe he’s the sun. And don’t even get me started on Josh. This man has the body and talent of a god and you can’t tell me otherwise. When he got onto the crowd with his drum set – I swear, he has the most beautiful back ever. And I might have to add that I know this show so through and through that I even managed to air drum together with Josh. I did all the parts. The drums, the singing, the dancing, all of it. That’s when you know you really love a band. When you could replicate their whole show all on your own.
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Another pretty crazy part was when they played Car Radio. Ty always climbs something during that song, that’s just his thing. So, knowing that, I was very curious to see what he would climb this time. Funnily enough, I already had an idea. I remember when we got to the festival on the first day, I saw these platforms next to the front of house-tower. The one where I had seen Gabe on Friday (click the link to read all about that encounter). Needless to say, it was damn high. But the moment I saw them, I told my mum “I bet that’s what Ty will climb during their show”. It was like I could feel it in my bones. And god damn, I was right. This completely crazy guy seriously freehand climbed that tower and then up to that platform that was even higher up. I’m pretty sure it was higher than 15 metres. And he just climbed that like it was nothing. How mad is that? From where we were standing, I could just make out his hand sticking up into the air. He’s such a crazy guy.
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Show-wise, my ultimate highlight and also one of the funniest moments of any concert I’ve ever been to, was definitely after Cut My Lip, when they did the “everybody to the left left left, take it to the right right right”-part. Basically, they bring some securities on to the stage, play that super hardcore EDM track by Dimitri Vegas and Like Mike and then they, together with the securities and the whole crowd, jump to the left and then to the right. It makes the whole crowd turn into a huge wave, thousands of people holding each other arm in arm, jumping around. I filmed the whole thing (see down below) and, yes, it was just as chaotic as you might guess. But it was the biggest fun ever. I loved it so much.
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Besides the whole show and besides really getting to see the boys that close, my definite highlight was also seeing their team/friends/family. Debby was there, looking good as ever, Brad Heaton, their photographer and, for me, the best one music photographer out there, even stood in front of us at one point and Mark, their video content creator, filmed some parts of the show with his new Super 8 camera, which he recently got into. And yes, I really know all that stuff. Because. It was so cool to see them, finally.
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Obviously, as soon as the boys started playing Trees, I felt my heart being ripped apart. I don’t know why, but that song always breaks my heart and then mends it again. Maybe it’s because I know that it’s their last song and that they’ll leave afterwards. Maybe it’s because of the meaning. Maybe it’s all of the above. I just know that I screamed my lungs and cried my eyes out during it. I was nearly bursting of happiness and love. And with all the people, the clique, surrounding me, I felt like I was part of a huge family. The best one. And when they both got onto the crowd to finish the song and the confetti came falling down on us, I was definitely the luckiest and happiest person on earth. I loved everything and everyone. I loved my mum for waiting with me for over 5 hours and for dressing up. I loved the boys for making that moment happen. And I loved my life for being what it was and is. And if that’s not what a concert should make you feel like, then what else?
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After that, Sziget was pretty much over for me. I was a mess. I had little to no voice (it was completely gone the morning after). My makeup was a shadow of what it was at the beginning. And my head was so full of adrenalin and happiness, I definitely needed some time to come down from that high. But for my dad and his sister and her boyfriend, the whole fun was just about to begin, because Foo Fighters were still to come. In hindsight, I have to say their show really was good, but, just like I said, after having seen the boys, there was nothing the festival could give me. My cup was full. Nothing could’ve been as good as them. That just wasn’t possible. But I’m still glad that I got to see them. And my dad had the time of his life, which made me happy as well.
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And after that and a quick stop at the EDM tent to hide from the rain, it was time for us to leave. Time to get back to reality, step by step. I kissed the main stage goodbye. Kissed the bridge leading to the island goodbye. Kissed the best week of my life goodbye. But it was a happy goodbye. A thankful one. And one with the prospect of coming back again. And now that I got to share all of this with you, I’m even more grateful and happier. I can’t believe that all of it really happened. What a week. I can’t wait to be back and do it all over again.
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And with that, I’m going to end this series about my time in paradise, aka Sziget festival. I really hope that you enjoyed reading about my week there and that it brought you some happiness. As always, I’d love to hear from you, so please don’t hesitate to leave your comments and thoughts down below. And, of course, I wish you all a great weekend and thanks for reading. x
And welcome to another week. I hope, so far, your Monday has been great and that you’re all doing good. I’m currently sitting on our terrace at home, typing this, while my playlist (link here) is playing in the background. I woke up today not really having a plan of what to write about, but then I got an idea – I love doing series on here and I’m also very much in love with photography, so why not combine those two things? So that’s what we’re going to start today – a new series, dedicated to sharing my favourite photographers and their fantastic works of art with you. I’m already so excited. So, let’s get right to it, shall we?
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Brad Heaton
Choosing the first photographer to talk about might seem like a difficult mission for me, if you know me, but trust me, it was the very easiest part. Because, if you’ve got a photographer like Brad Heaton out there in the world, doing his magic every single day, the decision is always easy. Most of you will know him as the official photographer of Twenty One Pilots, but I regularly refer to him as a damn genius. Because he simply is, which becomes very clear once you take a look at his pictures.
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Brad has been part of the boy’s team since about ever, I think, as he’s also from Columbus, Ohio, just like Tyler and Josh themselves, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they had already been friends way before the boys became famous. And ever since then, Brad has been touring with them and blessing the world with his breathtaking pictures. Apart from Twenty One Pilots, he’s also photographed the likes of Paramore, Fall Out Boy, Steve Aoki and Hoodie Allen, just to name a few. In short – he totally knows what he’s doing.
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But that’s not why I look up to him that much as a photographic idol. It’s more because his pictures are simply out of this world. They make me feel things, a complex mix of emotions. And whenever I look at them, I’m immediately thrown back to my own Twenty One Pilots shows and the excitement I felt while being there, in the crowd, having the best time ever. Which again turns them into utter magical pieces of art, as they make me speechless and ramble about their beauty at the same time. They have the power to create an instant connection between the person looking at the shots and the people in the pictures. It might sound weird, but he really manages to gather the whole meaning of the clique and the boys and our special connection within one picture. Especially looking at the last picture I’m going to show you, my favourite one of his, I look at it and I instantly feel like I can see myself in it. I nearly fell off the couch when I saw it for the first time. Not just because it’s just so damn good, but also because it’s not only a photograph but a representation of the clique and the boys and who we are in this world. It’s simply perfect. And that’s what makes Brad and his pictures so special – for him, the fans and the crowd are just as important as the boys on stage. Another reason why the pictures he takes of the fans holding Tyler’s hand or fully being in the moment during the shows have a special place in my heart. And besides all that, Brad’s pictures always make me wonder how he manages to take his shots, as some seem to have been taken within the midst of the crowd, and they make me want to hear all the stories behind them. And, especially important for me as a lover of that certain photographic style, his use of black and white and the way he likes to stick to less colour and let the pictures tell the stories is just so beautiful.
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Looking at all these aspects combined, I’m sure it’s no wonder why I admire Brad this much. For me, he’s one of the most talented photographers out there and an artist I aspire to be, even it’s just on a small scale. He’s a genius. And for that, I have to thank him. And also for always providing us with quality backstage content. Thanks, Brad.
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And now, without further ado, let’s get to the most important part – the pictures. I dearly hope you enjoy them just as much as I do. All of them are from their current Bandito tour, which started at the end of last year (I got them from their Facebook page, all credits go to Brad, of course). And yeah, what can I say – I just love them. Please enjoy.
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not my picture; credits to Brad Heaton
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Last but not least… my favourite. No words can describe how much I love this shot.
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If you want to find out more about Brad or simply can’t get enough of his pics, here are the links to his website and his Instagram. And yeah, please let me know what you think and until then I wish you all a nice week. Oh, and just a short info that I won’t be posting anything on Friday, as I’ll be spending the day chilling outside the stadium in Klagenfurt and then admiring Ed during his show. But, I’ll of course tell you everything about it as soon as I get back next week. So, see you next week and thanks for reading. x
And welcome back to my blog. Sorry for being gone for a bit, but what I’m about to share with you today was worth the wait – at least for me. Because the past weekend, I got to spend two nights with two of my most favourite artists in the world, also known as Tyler and Josh, also known as the band Twenty One Pilots.
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I mean, I know that I don’t need to tell you or explain why I love this band so much and why they are my favourite band, because if you’ve been following my blog for quite some time, you’ll pretty much know all of these things and reasons already. I can just say that they are eternally special and that their music is out of the world. And it might sound a bit crazy or exaggerated for other people, but for me, Ty is pretty much the most creative and most genius artist I know. What they created with Trench can’t even be put into words, it’s just so special and meaningful and unique. And that’s just one small reason why I adore them this much.
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As you can probably guess by now, this post is about the Bandito tour, which they are currently on, and the two concerts in London that I went to. Originally, it was only meant to be one, but as soon as the first show ended, I knew that I had to see them again. I would have just sat at home, drowning myself in self-pity and post-concert-depression, if I hadn’t gone to the concert the next day and I know that for a fact. Let’s just say that it wasn’t a surprise, to anyone. So, as soon as I got home, I went on the hunt for a ticket for the next day and then thankfully found one. This is the part where I have to thank Graham, the guy who sold me the ticket, because we just met up at the venue and it was all super easy and quick and just overall a really chill and nice experience. I’m usually a bit nervous about buying re-sold tickets, but this time it couldn’t have been any better. And honestly, I know people might think it’s a bit mad to go to the same concert twice in a row, but firstly, they are my favourite band, so why would I not want to see them again, secondly, the show is freaking amazing and absolutely mind-blowing, I could literally watch it every single day and wouldn’t get bored, and lastly, why the hell not? If your favourite band is playing in your town and you have the chance to see them twice, please just do it, seriously. You won’t regret it.
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And, as I’ve got all of these amazing memories now and crazy experiences from two of the most fantastic nights of my life, I thought it would be best to just split them up in day one and day two. I’m also kind of doing this for myself because I loved it all so much and still have so many emotions and happy feelings trapped in my body, that I need to get them out and just tell the world what happened. So, here you go world. Do whatever you want with the information, but most importantly, please enjoy.
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Night: Number 1
Okay, so, it would probably be best to just begin at the very start of the day, because oh boy, what a day it was. So, first, I got dressed in my specially created Bandito outfit, that I prepared a few nights before the show. It’s basically an all-black outfit with yellow tape stuck all over it, but there honestly haven’t been a lot of outfits in my life that I’ve been this proud of. It just looked so damn good. I’ll insert some pictures down below so you can check it out. I absolutely love it.
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So, with the outfit ready and in full Bandito mode, I went to uni in the morning and then took the train London right after that. The initial plan was to head straight to FOPP, a super cool music store in London, where the HMV signing was being held. I had seen online that the guys had gone out to the fans the day before, so I was hoping for that to happen again. So, the plan was: go to FOPP, wait outside and hope for the best. But as soon as I got there, I knew that this day wouldn’t be going as I had planned it. Because the moment I looked through the window of the store, my whole system basically crashed down. You want to know why? Because Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun were sitting inside the store, just about two metres away from me and I was straight looking at them. I felt like I was dreaming. After not seeing them for nearly three years, that felt like the biggest shock ever. But the funny thing was, all I could think was “Ty, why are you wearing sunglasses inside, you idiot”. Small disclaimer here: when I call someone an idiot, it’s basically me saying I love you. I’m like Robin from HIMYM. So, just so you know, Ty isn’t an idiot, but I call him one because I love him. And then I thought how freaking cute they both looked and how damn good Josh looked. I’m not going to lie, they are both super good looking, so props to Jenna and Debby. Well freaking done. Those four definitely count as some of my most favourite couples out there. They’re just way too cute.
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So yeah, there I was, standing outside the store, surrounded by other clikkies, and Josh and Ty sitting two metres away from me. It was quite a surreal experience. So, as any normal, sane human being, I called my mum. And then I called Leni. And then, as soon as the security, who were all super nice, just to mention that, started to get a bit fidgety, I secured myself a good spot next to their car, as by then, it was pretty clear that they would be coming out. But then they told all of us on my side of the road that we had to move, so they basically – in a non-violent way – pushed us onto the other side, which ended up in me suddenly being front row, right next to the car. You can probably guess that by now my heart was basically running a marathon. Which was quite weird, actually, because I wasn’t nervous when I was standing outside the store, looking at them. But as soon as I knew that they would be walking past me, in real life, as real people, I started to freak out.
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And then the moment came. First, Mark, their creative and content creator came out (if you ever see a cool vid of them online, it’s basically done by him), and, obviously, we all cheered. And then the two beans finally came. And then Ty, as cool guy he thinks he is, decided to throw up his hands and do peace signs while walking past us, with Josh laughing behind him. And again, I thought ‘omg you idiot’, but god damn, I loved them so much at that moment. Also, maybe I was just the only one who felt like that, but for me, it looked as if their skin was glowing. And they both looked so happy. No wonder Ty had to keep his sunglasses on.
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So, that was the first half of my Friday. It was only just 3 pm and already so much more had happened than what I had expected. I can just repeat myself, I felt like I was in a dream. Still do, actually. I then basically spent the day wandering around London, having dinner – which consisted of me following my mission of finding the best ramen/pho in London – and then heading to the venue. I had a seating ticket, which meant I didn’t have to worry about getting there super early, which was nice. I obviously had to buy some merch, so I got myself the tour shirt, which looks freaking amazing. I can’t wait to wear it. And then it was already time to head to my seat, which turned out to be crazy good. I was in the upper section right next to the stage, so I could see everything. Then the support band called The Regrettes came on stage, and although they weren’t really my cup of tea, I have to say that they indeed are a perfect support for TOP. They really managed to get the crowd hyped up and I was very thankful for that.
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And just half an hour later after the support had ended their set, it was finally time. The lights went off, some super mysterious music came on and all my thoughts basically vanished. It was just me and them. And oh my god, I can’t even begin to tell you happy I was to see them. It’s so crazy because, during the hiatus, I really did miss them a lot, but only when they came back with Jumpsuit and the video and Trench, I noticed how much I had really missed them. And suddenly there they were, playing that exact same song and I just couldn’t stop myself from crying and smiling like a maniac. When I think about it, that was actually how I mostly spent the two hours of the first night – either crying, or smiling, or just doing both. In short, I was an emotional wreck. But a happy one.
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Before I get started on the highlights, I just have to mentally bow down to Ty and Josh for creating Trench and this tour. I’ve been to quite a lot of concerts in the past, but only a few can compete with the absolutely stunning and breathtaking production of their shows. The lights, the lasers, the stage design, the graphics and videos for the screens, the whole concept of movement and most importantly the interaction with the crowd, it was all so out of this world, honestly. I’m not going to go into much detail, because some clikkie might just be reading this right now and actually trying to avoid spoilers, just like I did, so I really want to keep the surprise. All I can say is that it’s a jaw-dropping show production and I cannot even put into words how extremely impressed and proud and thankful I am. Being part of the clique and getting to experience this, even twice, feels like an absolute honour.
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When it comes to highlights, there are a few things that I will never ever forget. The most important one has to be the moment when they started playing ‘Bandito’. Just for the context, ‘Bandito’, for me, is the most beautiful song of Trench and it just really means a lot to me. When I first heard the Sahlo Folina part, I felt like it was the most beautiful thing I had ever heard. And like I said, I didn’t know which songs they were going to play, I had just heard that ‘Bandito’ was kind of being slept on, which worried me a little. So if I was hoping for them to play one song, it was that one. And then Tyler suddenly started playing it on his piano and, basically, all the emotions trapped inside my body came flooding out of me, all at once. Like, I literally cried so much, my whole body was shaking. I had this kind of weird family sitting next to me and they were looking at me like I was some kind of crazy person. Yes, I know all the lyrics by heart and yes, I will cry my eyes out now, thank you very much.
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So yeah, that probably has to be the most special moment. And straight after that comes the moment when Ty played a bit of “Can’t Help Falling In Love” on his ukulele and dedicated it to all the women in the room, as it was International Women’s Day. Most of you will probably know the cover they uploaded a few years ago. I’m one of those people who listen to it once in a while, just because it’s so beautiful, so I actually felt a bit blessed when he started to play it. I wasn’t expecting it all.
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And besides that, it’s just how incredibly talented Josh and Tyler are and how they interacted with us fans that made it all feel so personal and special. The jokes Tyler made in between and just the overall stuff he said during the shows, like “good to see you, my frens” or “let’s show them how we end the show”, it all made me feel very loved. If you’ve ever been to a show of them, you’ll probably know that Josh usually never talks, which totally makes sense regarding his anxiety. But that never ended up in Ty being the guy everyone focuses on because he makes sure that his best friend gets his own moments as well. There are thorough introductions to Josh, once done by a voiceover, once done by Ty himself. And let’s not forget the floating ‘catwalk’ they have at their shows now – which is the coolest thing ever – and the moment when Josh gets to walk over it and casually opens his jacket, which isn’t sexy in any way, I don’t know why you would think that. Hell, Josh, we know you’re good looking, stop it. So, overall, they both get their moments. Also, I just saw a video of Ty actually hiding underneath his piano while Josh has his drum solo and I don’t know if I’ll ever get over how adorable that is.
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Besides that, it’s just so cute when the camera focused on both of them during moments when they slightly got out of their serious characters and started to grin like the happy little beans they are. It just cannot get any more adorable than that. And also, there was this one moment when the camera was on the fans and Tyler looked at the screen and blew kisses at it. I know it was one of those things that usually get lost under all the crazy action that is going on, but I will forever remember that exact moment. It’s just so beautiful to see how much they love us, because of how much we love them. That’s why I always say that they’re something special. Their music, their fanbase, their ways of doing things, their incredible talent and their relationship with the clique are just all so unique and make me love them even more. Also, I might just add now that Ty’s sassiness is always part of the show and I honestly wouldn’t want to go without it.
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So yeah, overall, that was night one. I can still see myself standing there, singing to Trees, the last song of their set, as always, and bawling my eyes out like crazy because I was so emotional and happy and also a bit sad and just very overwhelmed. It was then that I noticed how much they really meant to me. And how much I wanted to see them again. I remember sitting down after they had gone off stage, tears still rolling down my cheeks, and deciding that I had to see them again. Which is exactly what I did and which is also the exact part at where I will end this post. I know it has already become incredibly lengthy, so I’m super thankful if you made it until here. You’re the best. Please do stick around for part two, which I will upload shortly. And until then, I really hope you enjoyed this post. As always, please don’t hesitate to leave your comments down below. And, of course, thanks for reading, my frens. x
that lemon life 