concert review – Page 2 – that lemon life

Until the sun comes up

Hola everyone.

So, I went to a gig yesterday. I know, what a surprise. Me going to a gig… that never happens. It’s not like I go to one every two weeks now. No big deal. But yesterday was a one. A big pretty big deal. And yes, I know, I say that about every single one, but it really was special. Because it wasn’t just a rock or indie gig, like usual. No no no. Yesterday, ladies and gents, I finally, after so many years of waiting and hoping, got to see the genius that is ZEDD live. I still can’t believe that I’m actually able to say this. I’ve seen Zedd live. What a time to be alive.

You might wonder now why it took me so long to see him. Well, you might as well ask him that, because I feel like some miracle happened when he decided to go on tour in Europe and not just America. And, of course, I know that he focuses on playing in clubs and at festivals and the US is just the number 1 spot for that. And he lives in LA, so it totally makes sense. Which just makes me even happier that I was finally able to attend one of his shows. And he did not let me down, not at all. I’m still on such a high. And my EDM gig addiction is back and stronger than ever. If I could push a button to rewind it all, I’d do it in a second. I’d just relive it over and over and over again.

But before I get into his show, I need to praise the venue Printworks in London for… being what it was, basically. Because it was freaking fantastic. I’ve never been to a place like this. It was so cool, I can’t even fully describe it. It was a factory hall, but wasn’t at the same time and had the highest ceiling ever and looked and felt very industrial but in the best possible way. You know what, I think you should just see it for yourself – click here to check out the website. Basically, it was the best venue for a concert like this and I can’t wait to go there again.

So much about the venue – now let’s talk about the real deal. Zedd. And his freaking jaw-dropping show. As already mentioned, it was my first time seeing him, so, frankly, I didn’t really know what to expect. Like any other EDM fan, I always thought that his music was amazing, but I never really listened to it, as it tends to be quite poppy. But obviously, I also knew that he was an incredible live act, so not going to his show wasn’t an option. And I don’t know what my expectations were, but Zedd crushed them. The show exceeded even my craziest dreams, it was that good. The visuals were absolutely amazing and don’t even get me started on the music. I’d call myself a fan of House and I’m especially into those drops that you don’t see coming. The deep, slow, intense ones that don’t make you jump but moreover lose your mind. You know the drop is like that when everyone around you goes “OOOOOHHHH” as soon as it arrives. And that didn’t just happen once last night. I actually found a compilation of his drops, so if you want to find out what I mean, just give the video down below a listen. I think it was this mix of his radio hits and other popular tracks (he even played Bohemian Rhapsody with literally the best drop ever) with those breathtaking electronic drops and his own remixes that made the set so damn good. Thinking back to it, there’s literally nothing I would change about it. Complete satisfaction. Also, I might add now that Zedd, or may I say Anton, isn’t just freaking talented, but also very very cute and I love that he still has a German accent in his English. Too cute.

I think the last cherry on top was actually the overall feeling I had throughout the show, which wasn’t just thanks to Zedd and his music, but also to my friend, who had kindly said yes to coming to the show with me and who I’ve now infected with my addiction, which makes her my official EDM buddy. Here’s to fighting for Tomorrowland tickets and me dragging her with me to Amsterdam to ADE next year. Dancing around in that big hall, being squished in-between that huge crowd of people, with Zedd in front of us playing his heart out and the beats blaring in our ears and hearts and the lights flashing in our faces – that’s heaven right there. And definitely an experience I’ll never ever forget. I already can’t wait to do it all over again sometime.

Also, if any of you guys are fans of EDM and ever get the chance to see Zedd live, please don’t miss out on it. Honestly, you will not regret it, I swear. He really is that good and definitely deserves all his success. Another musical genius. And another memorable, uber-phenomenal concert experience for the books. And with that we’ve come to the end of today’s post and my fangirling about last night. As always, I hope you enjoyed this post and I’d love to hear your thoughts and opinions, so please don’t hesitate to leave them down below. And, of course, I wish you all a great weekend and thanks for reading. x

The Sounds of Heaven

Hola everyone.

And welcome back to my blog and also with that to another week. I hope the last week and weekend have been great and that you’re doing good. First of all, I need to apologise for not posting anything the past week. I was quite busy the last few days – good busy, not bad busy, thank god – and could unfortunately never find the right time to actually sit down and write something, although ever since Saturday the 19^th – the one two weeks ago – I’ve had one post fully planned out. This one you’re reading right now, to be exact. And it’s a special one, I can tell you that. Because today, and finally, I have the honour of telling you everything about the very beautiful, super mesmerizing and absolutely unbelievable Amber Run gig I had the chance to attend. It was incredible. I can’t wait for you to read this.

Okay, so, first of all, the whole adventure started off with me – and buckle up for this – actually getting to interview these lovely guys from this incredible band. Joe, Henry, and Tom. The fantastic trio. And the ultimate reason for one of the most phenomenal days/evenings/nights of my entire life. I’m not gonna go into much detail about the whole interview, as all the gossip and stuff isn’t really my thing, but I do want to say that they were the nicest guys ever and that I still feel so incredibly honoured to have got the chance to meet them. I’ll definitely never ever forget it. And with that, it is also my pleasure to share the finished feature I wrote about our whole chat with you guys. So, if you want to check that out, please just click here and enjoy. Also, please don’t hesitate to tell me your thoughts if you do check it out. I appreciate any kind of feedback. Thank youuuu.

So, yeah, that was kind of the first part of the absolute madness that was that day. And I had every intention to fully enjoy every second of it. After the super lovely interview, I then obviously had to stay at the venue – the Roundhouse in London – in order to get to the front for the gig. You might think now that it could be a bit weird to be there as a journalist at first and then end up in the front row for the gig, but, in all honesty, I had waited for that gig for a long time and besides that, I’m also short, so it’s either the front or seats for me. And in that case, it had to be the front. Which I actually managed to get – I mean, it was second row, but let’s not be that strict, right -, which I’m still kind of proud of. I know, I know, I was one of the first people to actually get to the venue, so where else would I be, but still. I’m proud.

After quite some time of waiting outside and then inside, which mainly consisted of me sitting on the cold floor and fangirling about the interview with my friend, it was finally time for the support band – Stereo Honey – to come on stage and then, after them, Amber Run. I can’t even put into words how excited I was. Even after having spent quite some time with them chatting while being sat in a tiny room, it was still so incredible to see them on stage. Maybe also because it was my first time of seeing them live. Either way, if anyone ever looked professional and at ease with what they’re doing, it was definitely them. And I truly, truly loved that. You know, whenever a band is on stage, playing live, and really shows and lets the crowd know that they are enjoying the moment just as much as the people attending the gig, the whole thing levels up by about a hundred for me. It just completely changes the overall dynamic in the room when the artists are as happy as the crowd. And that’s why it matters so much to me. I want the band or the artist to be happy. Just as happy as I am in that moment. And I think, on that particular Saturday, the whole room was definitely just one big heap of happiness (and maybe a bit of melancholic sadness in-between, depending on the song they were playing).

Out of the whole one and a half hours, there were quite a few highlights, which I do have to talk about because I simply can’t help myself. The first one definitely has to be finally getting to hear ‘Amen’ and ‘I Found’ live. I cried during both of them. Both kinda broke my heart – ‘Amen’ a tad more simply because of its story and existence in general (or how Joe put it – it was peak emo). And both were an experience that I could only describe as heavenly and otherworldly. I mean, the whole gig in itself felt like a trip to heaven for a few reasons. For once, there’s Joe’s voice. If you don’t know how it sounds, please go and check it out now, because I simply have no words to describe how beautiful it is. Then there’s the fantastic band. And last but not least, there were the moments I will forever cherish when all three of them – Joe, Henry (their keyboardist) and Tom (their bassist) – sang together. I can’t even describe what their voices combined sounded like. Heaven. They sounded like heaven. And they made me feel like I was in heaven.

Besides that, there was also this very cute moment when they started playing ‘What Could Be As Lonely’, which is one of my absolute favourites and also funnily enough one of theirs as well, and Henry, who was right in front of me, and I had this very fun moment of complete understanding and excitement. The story to that is that we had discussed the song during the interview and at the end they had said that they would make sure to play the song. So, when they played it, Henry looked at me with that look of “AHA! There you go.” on his face and I just laughed at him and gave him two thumbs up. It was such a sweet moment, honestly. Actually having a real interaction with the band during the gig is literally one of the best things ever.

And last but not least I have to mention the moment when all the crying on my behalf started, which was when they played ‘Affection’. I mean, this one has always had a special place in my heart as it was the first song I heard of their newest album, but what made it all even more incredible was that they actually had the singer of Stereo Honey come up on stage to perform the song with them. Have any of you guys ever had to cry because something was too beautiful to cope? Because that was exactly what happened to me while I was listening to them and watching them. It was just so damn beautiful. And wholesome. And cute. It was simply perfect.

Actually, that’s what I would call the whole day/night overall. It was nothing short of perfection. As soon as the gig had ended, I fell in this kind of trance. It had really been this good. I felt like I was on a cloud or something. And I know this might sound super crazy now, but out of the over 170 artists I’ve seen live over the course of my whole life, that band and that gig definitely earned a spot in my top 10. And that’s really saying something. I’m easily excited and interested, but not like that. Amber Run did more than just excite and interest me. So much more.

Also, absolute probs to their whole team and especially their stage and light designers, because, heck, what a show. I mean, just take a look at the pics down below. How beautiful does that look? With the colours and the sign and just everything. So pretty.

So, overall, that Saturday, that interview, that gig and Amber Run created something magical that I had never experienced before and I will forever be grateful for that and cherish every single moment. If any of you guys ever get the chance to see these incredible guys live, please please please do yourself a favour and go to the show. Even if you don’t know their music. Trust me, you’ll love them. And obviously, checking them out on Spotify is a must as well. And until then, I can only hope that you enjoyed reading about this magical, heavenly day/night that I got to experience. I’m utterly happy that I got to share it with you and I can’t wait to hear all your opinions. And as always, I wish you all an amazing week and, of course, thanks for reading. x

Sziget Festival – Part One

Hola everyone.

Where am I? Why am I here? What day is it? And why did I not wake up in Budapest today with the prospect of spending another day at Sziget? Can I please go back? Honestly, reality is so overrated. Living the dream is way better, trust me guys.

But even if I don’t want to realize it, I have to face the fact that Sziget festival is officially over. That I’m officially back home again. And that normality is very dull compared to the past week. Very very dull. But I’m so glad I’m here and you are here, because together, we can and will relive that absolutely out-of-this-world crazy week I got to spend at Sziget. It’s going to be a treat, trust me. And I’m so happy I get to write this, because right now, I’m looking for any chance of reliving my time there over and over again. PCD (post-concert-depression) is really kicking my butt right now, so any chance of taking my mind back to Budapest is very welcome. And as so, so, so, SO much happened in those seven days, plus the tattoo appointment on the eighth day, I thought it would be best to split them up in twos. So, for the next two weeks, it’s officially all going to be about Sziget. Because this festival deserves every recognition it can get. And because it was, without a doubt, the best week of my entire life and I’m literally nearly bursting of excitement and happiness and pure love, so I need to just share it with you. So, let’s head right in, shall we?

Day 1

Okay, so, as some of you might know from my previous posts, one of the artists I was most looking forward to was Ed. Yes, my Ed. Ed freaking Sheeran. At Sziget festival. I’m still not over it. Never will, probably. And he was exactly the one who got to be the very first headliner of the week, so the seven days of madness started with him. I couldn’t have wished for anyone else, let’s be real.

So, on the very first day, my mum and I took the train to Budapest, got to our hotel – Brody House once again (still the most beautiful hotel I’ve ever stayed at) -, got dressed and then headed straight to the festival. God damn, I was so excited. One year had passed since I last had had the chance to be at Sziget, so the anticipation was out of this world. I nearly couldn’t take it. But, obviously, the festival didn’t let me down. It never does. It was as beautiful as ever. And as crazy and weird and fantastic and fun and literally perfect as ever. I loved it the second we got there. And with that, I left behind all my worries and thoughts about the outside world. You know, Sziget is like another universe. A universe, where only music, love, freedom and happiness exist. Nothing else. And now that I’ve been there for a whole week (which felt like a month, tbh), it feels like my second home. My place of absolute freedom and happiness. There’s no other place like this on earth. Trust me.

On that day, besides being in awe because of all the beauty of the festival, we got to see the following acts:

Ocean Alley
Kodaline
Michael Kiwanuka
Ed Sheeran

Obviously, Ed was the ultimate highlight, he was just as fantastic as always. And he played “Remember The Name”, which I was super excited about. It’s just such an incredible song. And I love that he always mixes up his sets. I’ve seen him three times the past three months and every single show was different. That’s what I call cool. Besides that, I was also super happy to finally be able to see Kodaline after all those years, but unfortunately, I didn’t get to hear all their well-known songs as we had to head back to the main stage to get a good spot for Ed. And here comes the small let down. The first day was apparently the only one that was completely sold out. No surprise, if it’s Ed. But they brought more people in than they usually do and the area around the stage wasn’t made to hold about 95.000 people, which we then noticed by the sheer endless amount of people surrounding us and pressing in on us. I literally couldn’t see anything else than just people everywhere. And, in all honesty, it was just too much, because at first, it kind of ruined the experience. My mum never got to see Ed, because there was just no place to go for her where she could see better. And after the show, as everyone wanted to leave at the same time, there was a huge crowd waiting to get out at the entrance, even after an hour when we wanted to leave as well. There were just too many people. I mean, I get that it was Ed and that they wanted to have a full crowd and a full festival, but that was just too much.

Still, the first day was absolutely fantastic and a nearly perfect start of the whole week. And I just loved seeing Ed at Sziget. I dreamed about it ever since being there for the first time in 2015 and now, four years later, the dream finally came true and I’ll be forever grateful for that.

Day 2

When I woke up the next day, I immediately knew that Ed has achieved what he always wants to get out of a show – I had pretty much lost my voice. But as much as my voice was gone, the more had my happiness and excitement grown. I was so ready for another day in paradise and it would be a great one, with The 1975 and many more to look forward to.

Compared to the first day, the second one was a lot more chill, simply because first of all, we got there far earlier than the day before and, secondly, because there just weren’t as many people. And I don’t know about you, but I’m always that teeny tiny bit calmer when I’m not pressed against human bodies all the time. And as we had quite some time left before the first act, we had time to go on a little walk on the island and check out all the other entertainment stuff and venues. Again, I have to point out, the sheer amount of things you can do and go to besides just to the shows at Sziget is absolutely mind-blowing. There’s something for anyone, whether you want to watch a movie, chill in the sun, go to the beach, paint something, make your own shirt or go to a dance class or visit a circus. You can do anything and whatever at Sziget.

One of my favourite venues definitely was the Luminarium. I can’t really explain what it is, but just imagine stepping into a huge balloon, where some calming, mysterious music is playing inside and only specs of sunlight can come through the coloured walls, creating the most beautiful rainbows inside in the process. I know, it might not sound that cool, maybe even a bit weird, but trust me, it’s absolutely magical. It’s like stepping into another world. Another world on top of the other world that is Sziget. I’m so in love with it. And it’s the most fantastic photo spot (check out the pics down below).

After that, we went over to the museum quarter and made our own badges (yep, that’s literally what you can do at Sziget, for free), which was super cool. I obviously had to make one in the design of an arc reactor (Tony stans rise) and then, for my second one, I wanted to make one just for myself, that wasn’t obviously representing anything. That just had a meaning for myself and that looked cute, so I could wear it every day. You can probably guess, as I was already so hyped for Twenty One Pilots, that it had to be TOP related. So, after a few minutes long brainstorm, I ended up with a light pink background and a replica of Ty’s “carpe noctem” tattoo (= seize the night). And I know, you might think now that it’s a bit corny, but if you know me, you know it’s fitting because I’m literally the most extreme night owl. I love the night. I need the night. I live the night. So yeah, it’s pretty much spot on and I’ve been proudly wearing it ever since.

Later on we went to the cinema and grabbed some popcorn, watched an extremely cool athletics/dance team, who were literally throwing their female team members around like they were some tiny, light balls and not heavy human beings (absolutely mind-blowing, honestly), checked out the funfair and just like that, it was time for us to head to the main stage for Franz Ferdinand, who I was super excited for.

In total, these were all the acts we saw on that day:

Franz Ferdinand
Pale Waves
The 1975
Cvrches

Looking at the whole day, I think my mum’s highlight definitely wasn’t a musical act, but someone very different and very special. As Sziget is built on principles like freedom, love, equality and the protection of our environment, being green was an especially important topic this year and thus they also had special events planned for that. And one of those events was a short talk by the one and only Jane Goodall. Yes, that amazing woman who spent many years of her life living with chimpanzees and who’s now made it her mission to spread the message that we need to act now and that we need to live in harmony with all beings on this planet in order to be able to save it. In short, this woman is a hero and I still feel so honoured that I could be in her presence. And as my mum is very much into all that stuff as well, it was extremely important for her too. I’m usually the one in the family to easily get teary-eyed (I cried a lot throughout the whole festival, trust me), but even she got tears in her eyes. And in that moment, I was just so so happy for her.

Still, personally, my highlight has to be The 1975 closing the main stage. I’ve seen this band many many times already, from small shows when they were still supporting Two Door Cinema Club back in 2013, to big headline shows like the one at Sziget. But out of all of those, that one on this very island has to be my favourite one to date. Matty was so hyped up, it was out of this world. I mean, he literally jumped into the crowd at full speed, changed his outfit on stage, did a shot and then handed the empty glass over to the cameraman and cursed at the organizers for telling him to hurry up. He didn’t give a single f*** that night and I was all up for it. You can say whatever you want about him, he’ll always be one of the coolest people in the industry. And he knows that, let’s be real.

And that pretty much was day two. Obviously, we stayed for a little while, walked around the area, checked out the Cvrches gig and did whatever we felt like, but it was just a chill night after The 1975 and I loved that. Sziget is a place where I could spend my whole life. A life surrounded by music, happiness, love, sunshine and good food. Sounds like a dream, doesn’t it?

Well, and there you go, guys. Those were the first two days at Sziget – in short, actually, even though it might not seem like it. Sziget is just so damn fantastic, I could literally talk about it for days. I would never shut up. But those were the most important parts. And I’m super happy that I get to share them with you. I hope you enjoyed reading about those two days and that you’re already excited for the upcoming two. You can be, honestly, because Marty’s show is about to be next and it was such a hell of a ride. I may or may not have had the chance to talk to Gabe (if you know, you know), but I won’t give away too much. I’ll just say this – get ready. And until then I wish you a lovely week, and, as always, thanks for reading. x

The Divide Tour – Part Two

Hola everyone.

Welcome back to my blog and to another Friday. I hope so far you’ve all had a great week and that you’re doing well. Before I get into today’s post, I want to apologize for not posting anything this Monday, like I had promised in my previous post. I went to a The 1975 gig in Vienna with my mum on that day, which was actually a little festival, so I didn’t get the time to write and post anything. I’m honestly so sorry. But better late than never, right? And yes, I’ll of course tell you everything about the gig later on. It was wayyyyy too good not to. But that’s for another day and another post.

For today, I’d like to tell you all about the second Ed Sheeran concert me and my friend attended in Klagenfurt. As mentioned in my last post about the first show (click here), our plan was to camp outside for the first night to get to the front – which we pretty much nailed – and then to sit in front of the stadium throughout the whole second show and basically just listen to him from the outside. I mean, yes, we could’ve bought tickets for the second night as well, in theory. But first of all, it would’ve all gotten a bit expensive, and, secondly, I’ve always wanted to listen to a concert from outside a stadium. And it was so damn nice, I’m honestly so glad we really did that. I know, it might sound quite bland or boring, even I thought besides the show it would be quite uneventful, but oh wow, I was so wrong. Get ready and buckle up for a hell of a ride.

Okay, so, we got to the stadium at half-past 8 at night, 30 minutes before Ed was supposed to come on stage. We quickly looked for the perfect spot to listen to the show and basically set up our whole camp once again. And yes, we had packed everything like we had for the first day – our blanket, the pizza (= our air mattress), food, drinks, basically everything we could take with us. And even just setting everything up in front of the venue was so much fun. I mean, imagine two girls inflating a huge pizza in front of a huge stadium, right at the entrance, surrounded by securities and other onlookers. The whole situation must have looked so hilarious to others, but we were just standing there, laughing and crying at the same time, while holding up a pizza slice made of plastic, and not caring about anyone or anything. Which was also kind of our mantra for the whole night. We had the biggest fun, no matter how many strange looks we got from other people. And it wasn’t like we were alone there. The whole space outside the stadium had turned into a huge sightseeing hotspot as soon as Ed had started playing. At one point, there was literally a group of cyclers who stopped by to listen to the show for a bit. And they weren’t the only ones. Parents came with their kids. A few couples settled down on blankets next to us. Other fans came to listen to Ed too, just like us. Usually, when I attend concerts, I never think that there could actually be people outside, listening as well. But there are. Far more than I would’ve ever imagined.

Overall, the whole night was one of the funniest and craziest adventures I’ve ever had. As always, Ed was absolutely freaking brilliant, even though we couldn’t see him. But we could hear him, very well actually, and it was just so nice to hear his voice so clearly. In the past, I’ve always asked myself how his show would sound like from the outside. Now I know. It sounds like heaven. And hearing the whole crowd sing and scream with and for him was so magical. The power he has, this normal, but crazily talented guy from a teeny-tiny village in the UK, is absolutely mind-blowing.

And although we were sitting outside and Ed was in there, we still partied like he was standing right in front of us. We sang, we clapped and we danced like there was no tomorrow. Again, we must have looked like the craziest weirdos ever. But also the happiest ones. I’m pretty sure you know you’re having the time of your life when you either can’t stop laughing or grinning. And that’s exactly what we did in those two hours.

But that wasn’t the only thing. Because, at the end, we did something neither of us had planned. Something that might even be kind of illegal (???). A teeny-tiny bit, maybe. You can probably guess what I mean. Yes, exactly. We sneaked in, right before the end. And it was literally the best thing ever. Just to mention, I hope I don’t get into trouble for saying this now, but as far as I can say, it was the best idea we had and I don’t regret it one bit.

When we got to the venue, I quickly made the plan to ask the security to let us in for the encore. Which I quickly discarded again as soon as I saw another person try exactly that. Needless to say, it didn’t really work out. They didn’t let him in. So I needed another plan. The plan to wait for our chance and to sneak in. And the chance came. I won’t explain how exactly it all worked out, but let me just say that people walking out of a concert BEFORE it’s even over (which irritates me every single time I see it happening) can be quite distracting for securities. So distracting that they don’t give notice to two girls slowly walking and then running past them at full speed in the opposite direction than everyone else.

So, we ran into the stadium and I swear, the moment we got to the crowd and we could see Ed on stage, it felt like we had just stepped into heaven. Naturally, we both started to scream like some super crazy weirdos, but that’s just what I call having a completely reasonable and natural reaction to seeing Ed freaking Sheeran. So we screamed and clapped and sang to the last 30 seconds of You Need Me, I Don’t Need You and then it was all over again. Ed left the stage, we both looked at each other and then we just started to laugh. We really had managed to see him one last time. And right then and there, we definitely were the two happiest people in the room.

Until today, I can’t really believe that all of this happened. That we really waited for such a long time outside and got through it, still being healthy and happy. That we saw Ed this close. That we even saw Ed. And that we managed to see him a second time, even just for a tiny bit and even though we weren’t really supposed to. Overall, those days in Klagenfurt have definitely become one of the biggest adventures I’ve ever had and I’ll honestly never forget any of it. And I’ll definitely tell my kids about this some time.

But for now, I hope that you enjoyed reading about this crazy, little adventure. As always, please don’t hesitate to leave your comments and thoughts down below. And, of course, I wish you all a fantastic weekend and thanks for reading. x

The Divide Tour – Part One

Hola everyone.

How are we all doing on this beautiful Friday? I hope so far you’ve had a good week. I just started working this Monday and am kind of having a bit of a rough time getting into it. But that’s what happens when you’re used to waking up at lunchtime, with your cat cuddled up next to you. Now I have to get up at 7 and needless to say that Peaches for sure isn’t there. But oh well. I’m just proud of myself for actually working for two months, so I can go and continue celebrating live music. Which is something I did last weekend and want to tell you all about today. Get excited. Honestly.

In short – last weekend was definitely one of the best ones of my entire life. Because I didn’t just get to spend it with a really good friend who I’m rarely able to meet up with due to me living in the UK, but because the other person I got to spend it with was Ed. My Ed. The incredibly talented guy with the red hair and the angelic voice. That Ed. And holy moly, I don’t even know where to begin. I mean, if you’ve been following my blog for a while now, you’ve probably already read that my friend and I were planning on driving to Klagenfurt together to see Ed again, before his Divide tour will come to a close. And you’ll probably also know that we had made it our mission to camp outside the whole day and then get front row (or at least very close to that). That was the plan. But oh wow, so much more happened.

So we drove to Klagenfurt on Thursday and thankfully got to stay at my cousin’s house, which was really close to the stadium, for the whole weekend. On the next day, Friday, we drove to the stadium at about 11 am, fully prepared for anything and everything. I had bought a big picnic blanket and a huge air mattress in the shape of a pizza slice (we now refer to it as the pizza, just that), we had packed heaps of food and water, overall, we were ready for what was to come. I think I need to mention that neither of us had ever done something like that before – camped outside a concert venue, waited for hours and hours, literally packed so much stuff that it looked like we were planning on moving into the place. So, it was a first for us. But after everything that happened that night and also the next one, I can proudly say that we totally nailed it. And that we regret absolutely nothing.

After we had gotten to the venue, we saw that the queue was far shorter than we had expected. From what I had seen last year, I thought there would be about a hundred or more people there already. I mean, yes, there were girls there who had actually spent the night outside the stadium, but besides that, it was pretty calm and chill. But it was hot. If I were to say that the sun was literally trying to burn us alive, I wouldn’t be exaggerating. It was so damn hot. Which is why we and a whole lot of other girls quickly decided that it would be best to sit down in the shadow of the stadium, which was about three meters away from the barriers for the queue, and just leave some stuff in the actual queue as a replacement for ourself. It was the smartest thing we could do. We sat down on the pizza, played Barbie Uno (yes, Barbie Uno), chatted with other girls and watched cringy reporters do cringy interviews. All was well. But unfortunately, that didn’t last for long.

Because crowds of humans still and always will function like big crowds of cows or sheep. I don’t mean that in a bad way, but deep down we are all just panicky herd animals and if one moment made it clear, then it was the one when two girls decided to basically ignore the respectful queue system we had previously created and just walked up to the front of the queue and took the first spot without deserving it. I mean, it’s always a first-come, first-serve principle. You arrive early, you’re at the front, you’re late, you stay at the back. That’s literally the number one rule when it comes to queueing. But I guess it just wasn’t for those two girls. So, obviously, after that happened, all of us jumped to our feet like the crazy fangirls we were and are and literally sprinted to the queue. Within a minute, my friend and I were squished together in this crowd of panting, sweating girls. It was half-past one. The doors were supposed to open at four.

You can probably guess that the hours until they finally let us into the stadium weren’t the best. At about two pm, the securities checked our bags and then kept us in a smaller area, still in the glaring sun. They had taken all our food and drinks (I still smuggled our food in, obviously) and while laying there on the hot asphalt, my head stuck between the barrier to at least have it in the shadows, and being handed water from a literal bucket, I felt like a cow waiting to be killed. Honestly. Like I said, herd animals. Needless to say, part of the securities made it their mission to embody literal jerks and laugh at girls who were close to fainting while smoking in the shadows, one meter away from us. That’s how close the place of heaven – also known as the shadow – was. One meter. And they still didn’t let us through, for over two hours. Three girls fainted. It was pure chaos.

Thankfully, they let us into the stadium shortly after that and we could find the spot we would then later stay at for the whole rest of the day. And again, I was so glad that we had prepared so much. We literally got to our spot, I took out the pizza, put it onto the burning hot metal ground, we both sat down and then we continued our game of Uno while snacking a bit and getting weird looks from the people surrounding us. And though so far it had really been super exhausting, we were still in such a good mood. And I’m glad it stayed like this for the rest of the night.

So, we got our spot at about half-past 4, the first support act, Zara Larsson, came on at about 7, shortly followed by James Bay at about 8. Personally, I liked both of them, although I have to add that Zara’s music is the complete opposite of what I usually listen to. Her music is what the radio stations in my home country love to play again and again and again every single day. It’s TOP 40’s music. Something I usually try to avoid (Ed is an exception). But still, I liked her show and especially her background dancers. Just, at least for me, James was so much better. I don’t listen to his music either, but I enjoyed his set so much more, simply because you could actually see how happy he was to be playing for us. He thanked us over and over again. It was really cute.

You might ask now how we managed to not crumble after such an exhausting day and, honestly, I think it was partly because of our preparation and my smuggle of food and also simply because of the prospect of getting to see Ed this close. Unfortunately, we didn’t get a front-row spot, but we were in the 6th row at least, and it was just so damn close anyway. I remember sitting there on the pizza, glancing up to the sky and the stage actually taking up half of the space because we were so close. We were actually sitting underneath it. How crazy is that?

Obviously, the moment Ed came up on the big screen (they always film him walking up to the stage), all the exhaustion, the slight irritation, the weariness, it was all gone. I cried as soon as he got up on stage and I actually saw how close we really were. I can still see myself turning around to my friend and us holding hands and screaming at each other because he was literally just a few meters away. After a whole year of waiting, it was finally happening. And we were both just so shocked to really be there. To have him really be there. I think I needed about half an hour until I finally realized that he was really there. Every time I looked back at my friend and then back at him, I felt this slight shock. He was really, actually there. My Ed.

I think I don’t have to say that the concert was freaking amazing. I mean, it’s an Ed Sheeran concert, of course it’s going to blow your mind. But it was also so damn special. Not just because we were so close that I could actually see his wedding ring and watch his feet work the loop pedal and so on. No. It was so special because of Ed and his absolutely fantastic mood. Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone smile this much over the course of two hours (besides maybe me in those very same two hours). And he also just kept on laughing and talking. I mean, he literally asked us how we were and then said, with the biggest grin on his face: “Everyone’s in a good mood. And it’s Friday. Yey.”. I mean, how freaking cute is he? He’s such a bear. I wish I could’ve run up to him and given him the biggest hug.

Apart from that, a few other highlights were that during Thinking Out Loud, the strap of his electric guitar (which is a new one, as I noticed, and looks fire) loosened and it nearly slipped out of his hand, which made him make the funniest face ever and then try his best not to burst out laughing. And that he changed up the setlist a bit and played a mashup of Kiss Me (which I’ve never heard live, but always wanted to) and Give Me Love and also, believe it or not, played a bit of Wayfaring Stranger at the beginning of I See Fire. Honestly, I was in shock. Because that was the very same song he covered at his 2014 show in Vienna, during which he took down the mic and continued singing without it. I hadn’t heard him play it ever since that show. It was such a throwback moment and I’m still so thankful that he decided to play it. Also, he played I Don’t Care, which I don’t like as the studio version, but literally adore live, and he premiered Beautiful People, which was super nice as well.

Overall, the show was definitely one of his best ones I’ve ever attended and it just made me fall in love with him so much all over again. Not that I ever stopped loving him. It just reminded me of the reasons why. He really is such a magnificent human being. One that I would love to cuddle at least once in my life, just to tell him how happy he and his music have made me. I wish I could thank him for everything.

My friend and I went home that night probably as two of the happiest people on earth. We were still humming Ed’s songs, despite being half-deaf and me having lost my voice (as always; Ed is just so demanding). To our luck, there was no need for post-concert-depression to take over, as we knew that we would be at least hearing him again the next day. Which, just like the first day, became an even bigger adventure than what we had thought. But I’ll keep that back for now until my next post for the second part. At the end of the day, I just have to grin whenever I think of the concert. And feel immediate gratitude towards Ed and his team and my friend and also my cousin and her husband for making all of this possible. It was such a dream come true.

And this, guys, is how I spent last Friday with Ed. But, like I just said, there’s still more to come, so please stay tuned and check by again next Monday. And until then I hope you enjoyed this post and wish you a lovely weekend (I’m going to see Spiderman: Far From Home tomorrow, so saying that I’m at the edge of my seat would be an understatement). And, as always, thanks for reading. x

News News News

Hola everyone.

How are you doing today? I hope so far you’ve all had a great week. While I was thinking about what to write for today’s post, I noticed that it has been quite some time since I last just chatted about this and that with you guys and told you about all the stuff that’s currently happening in my humble life. And this absolutely needs to change, so it’s exactly what we’re going to do today.

I’m currently sitting in my room in Brighton, which compared to a few days ago, looks quite bleak and empty. You’re probably wondering why. Well, believe it or not, I’ve already started packing up all my stuff, as the time has come for me to move back home for the summer. I, on my behalf, can’t believe it one bit. I mean, where has the time gone? It feels like I just moved here a few weeks ago and started uni and now I’m already done with my first year and moving out. When did that happen? Holy moly.

To be honest, I’m actually really looking forward to moving back home in a few days. Not that I’m not sad to leave Brighton, not at all. The thought of not coming back here feels weird. But I just can’t wait to see my parents again and my friends and my babies, Molly and Peaches. I’m just really happy to go home again.

Also, another peculiar aspect – my voice is pretty much gone today, because, as usual, I basically just got back from a concert. Actually, maybe it’s not that peculiar. Couldn’t be more on brand for me, could it? But oh my god, it was so so so good. I got to see the one and only Wallows live for the very first time at Electric Brixton in London and holy moly, what a show. I have to add that I’ve been wanting to see them live for ages now and was already so damn excited for their concert. And, in all honesty, they did not disappoint. I haven’t been to a lot of shows where the energy was as high as yesterday. The crowd was mad. And I wasn’t the only one who noticed that, as the band themselves pointed it out after about every second song. I loved how you could clearly see how much they were enjoying the night. There was this cute moment when Dylan, the lead singer, went up to the mic after they had finished an especially energetic song, waited for a few seconds and then said: “You guys are the best. That’s all I have to say right now.” I mean, how sweet is that? Isn’t it the best feeling ever when not just you, but the band as well is loving every single second of a concert? Before their last song, they even said that they didn’t want to start playing because they didn’t want the show to be over. So damn cute. I honestly can’t wait to see them again.

Also, on another music news note – Tim’s new album got released yesterday and I started listening to it the second it was out and I may or may not have cried on the underground in London. It’s such a bittersweet thing. The album is freaking perfect and all around the world there are people celebrating this new fantastic music, but the guy who’s behind all of it, the one who made it all possible, isn’t able to celebrate it with us. I’m utterly grateful that Tim’s team decided to finish his projects and release these songs, but it also makes me so damn sad. Reminds me of the fact that we lost one of the best artists in the world. We miss you, Tim. Every day.

I’m just going to share my two favourite tracks of the album for now, as I want to really get into all of it and then write a thorough post about it, especially as I went to an album release event last week. So, stay tuned for that. And please give the album a listen until then. It really is that amazing.

And last but not least, I’ve got absolutely mind-blowing news. Leni and I may or may not have found a place for us to live in London. I know, I know. How crazy is that? I honestly can’t believe it. I mean, my brain is literally unable to fathom this information. I mean, just yesterday I got to spend a whole day in this utterly beautiful city that I love with all of my heart and now I’m really moving there. To this city. Which is something I’ve been dreaming about for years. Forever. This is so crazy, holy moly. I think I still need time to fully digest this and then I’ll be able to really talk about it because right now I’m just on the verge of freaking out every single second.

And yeah, that’s all for now, I think. As already mentioned, I’ve got a few posts planned for the next few weeks, so do check by again. And until then, I hope you enjoyed reading this post. But more importantly, what about you? What’s going on in your lives? Please don’t hesitate to get in touch and leave your comments and thoughts down below. And, as always, I wish you all a great weekend and thanks for reading. x