concert – Page 5 – that lemon life

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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

‘The definition of ambition’

Hola everyone.

How are we doing today? I hope so far you’ve all had a great week and that your Friday is going great. Today, guys, I have the honour to share something very very very special with you. Some of you might remember that this February, I finally got see one of my favourite bands live – the one and only Hippo Campus (here’s my post about the show – click me). But that wasn’t the most exciting part, oh no. Easily the best part was that, before the show, I also got to interview them. And yes, I know. How crazy is that? I honestly still can’t believe that this really happened. When I think back to it, it feels like I had some kind of weird fever dream and that it was never real. But it was. I really met and talked to them. And they really were the nicest, coolest and most chill people I’ve ever met. I can’t even begin to describe how eternally grateful I am that I really got to do this. What a dream come true.

And, so, now that you know this, you also know what this post is all about. Exactly, the interview. But before you get all excited, no, I don’t mean I’m going to spill the beans of the whole experience. Oh no. Even better. Today, I finally get to share the finished piece I wrote about the interview with you. And trust me, I waited quite a while to be able to say this. But I’m so so so glad the day is finally here. So, without further ado, here’s my feature about one of the best bands ever – Hippo Campus.

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THE DEFINITION OF AMBITION

There comes a point in every band’s existence when the youthful enthusiasm of the early days has to give way to a more sophisticated version of themselves. Formed in 2013, the Minnesota band Hippo Campus was born from a group of high-school friends who were just looking to have a good time. But after releasing their first album, years of touring and gaining popularity, especially in the ranks of indie fans, they suddenly found themselves in a less inspirational atmosphere. They needed a change.

This special desire to shake things up has always been present in the five piece’s music, and their second album ‘Bambi’ is a liberal, maybe darker, more experimental realisation of exactly that. While their debut release ‘Landmark’ was full of bubbly excitement and youthful lightness, they felt driven to change direction and go that little bit deeper. They wanted an honest reflection of themselves. “I think it was mostly reflective of the times. We were all in this weird kind of state. The stress of creating a second album, there’s a lot of pressure on that. And we didn’t want to have that pressure. It’s darker just because of where we were at that time,”, says Whistler Allen, drummer of the indie group.

“Part of that was that we felt chewed up a little bit. You get out of high school and after the first couple of years of touring and after the first album, you experience something that isn’t what you thought it was,” adds Nathan Stocker, lead guitarist of the band and co-writer of most of the Hippo tracks. “People suck sometimes and there’s hurt. The process of maintaining the relationships that actually matter to you and to what you’re doing as a musician, artist or whatever you want to call it, gets really tiring.”

Thus, calling this new era of Hippo Campus “real” would be a strong understatement. As they turned the page to pave the way for ‘Bambi’, the band found freedom in being an open book lyrically, but also personally. “It’s a very vulnerable place to be a songwriter, because it’s like ‘okay, I’m going go outside and use a megaphone to let everybody know what I think and what is going on in my life and feel free to look over my shoulder and hate me or love me’. You’ve got open arms to the world and the audience you have and that’s so scary. Because they can chew you up and spit you out,” Stocker explains and pinpoints the one aspect, the sheer honesty, that gave their newest release a certain feel of relatability. “Really, there’s no reward in it other than making it for the sake of being in that place at all. There’s really no other tangible reward. Even if it resonates with people, it still sucked for me to write.”

It seems that the American band never shies away from acknowledging the fears and emotions of the current generation, actively addressing issues like the #MeToo movement, mental health or toxic masculinity, and using their album to process and accept them at the same time. Whether it be overwhelming worry (‘Anxious’), inescapable self-doubt (‘Mistakes’) or failing relationships (‘Why Even Try’), ‘Bambi’ covers nearly every area when it comes to the highly personal issues the band members had to face. The album fluctuates between blissful calm to vigorous chaos, while the lyrical discomfort fits in with the awkward, socially uncertain times that they were dealing with.

And although it’s a reckless existence, the Minnesota five-piece wouldn’t have it any other way – gig by thrilling gig – their path so far has surpassed even their greatest expectations. Now, it’s even the small issues and tiny stones that stop them in their ways they get excited about. “That’s part of why we love it so much, actually. If you don’t get irritated by little things, then you won’t know that you’re having a ton of fun with your friends every day,” exclaims DeCarlo Jackson, trumpet player and newest addition to the band. Stocker adds, “I’m excited to be irritated by stuff that actually matters. That’s the definition of ambition. It’s tackling problems that actually further us.”

This is where their newest LP comes into play, as where ‘Landmark’ only touched the surface, ‘Bambi’ dives in head first. It’s the new side of music and writing that the band hopes can shine a light on the gap between reality and society’s expectations of constant perfection. Especially at current times, social media and the pressure that comes with it push down on a lot of bands. A pressure Hippo Campus isn’t willing to accept. “Naturally, if you’re not being the most honest version of yourself, there’s nothing else you could be except somebody else. Because if you’re not being you, then you’re definitely trying to marble yourself after someone else. But you know, sometimes we dress up,” Allen insists.

It’s this way of wearing their hearts on their sleeves and being their truest forms that seems to capture their fans. Together, they share this powerful connection that has been there from the start and only gotten stronger through their newest release. “The fans are everything,” Stocker agrees. “They just continue to be unbelievable people, who, for whatever reason, love our music. It’s always really bizarre to interact with them. Because it’s like ‘what have I done to deserves this?’. It’s just really good to feel the love and support and to see they’re real people who are experiencing real things and sharing a space with us. I know it could be a lot more segregated in terms of feeling like we have some superior upper hand to them, but it is pretty communal, on and off stage.”

From the start, always returning to this certain kind of passion and unapologetic honesty, Hippo Campus have looked to create a release that is both enchantingly light and devastatingly dark when it needs to be. While it focuses strongly on issues that clearly mean a lot to the band, the general tone of their newest record is one of optimism, looking for the brief moments of joy in a world with little to spare. And at the end, it’s the sheer love for music that brings them all together and provides the album with its special glow. Stocker concludes: “Music is the most interesting and spiritual example of memory that humans can have, to me. There’s nothing else really that is as fascinatingly metaphysical than the feeling when you listen to a really good song for the first time. For me as a person, there’s no other thing that exists other than memory. In the end, that’s all we have. Our entire progress is based on it, it’s the foundation of life. The fact that we can remember, the fact that I can play my instrument, is entirely based on memory. And music is the prime exemplification and personification of memory. And fin.”

So, there you go, guys. I dearly hope that you enjoyed reading this piece. Also, please do go and check out this band, they really deserve all the attention they are receiving right now and so much more. Here are all their social media handles: Spotify, YouTube and their official website.

As always, please don’t hesitate to leave your comments and thoughts down below and do please get in contact if you’ve got any questions. And until then, I wish you all an amazing weekend and, of course, thanks for reading. x

New Music Monday

Hola everyone.

And welcome back to my blog and another New Music post. This time, a Monday one. I thought I’d change it up a bit and start this week off by sharing all the songs and hits we’ve you that I’ve fallen in love with over the past few weeks. As always, I hope you enjoy them just as much as I do. Oh, and I hope you’ve all had an amazing weekend. And that the following songs will make this week even better for you. So, without further ado, let’s get right to it, shall we?

It Won’t Always Be Like this – Inhaler

I present to you my current favourite song. And I know, who, why, what? Well, basically, I saw this band together with my mum at the Great Escape festival about two weeks ago and immediately fell in love with them. Not only are they amazing live, but all of their songs are fantastic as well. And I might just add that Elijah, the lead singer, is the son of Bono, so now you know where they get their talent from. I seriously can’t get enough of this band and am so excited for what’s to come for them in the future.

Hi – Indoor Pets

Another amazing band I got to see at the Great Escape festival. And oh wow, what a show it was. If you’ve ever had the desire to see a moshpit in a tiny room, packed with about a hundred people, go and see them, because they sure can guarantee a energetic-moshpit-packed concert. I loved every single second of their set and am so glad I found them.

Lula, I’m Not Mad – Hunny

Honestly, I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve already listened to this hit right here. I mean, I’ve always been a big fan of Hunny, basically, because their music is freaking awesome. But now that their new album is just about to be released and they’ve put out this gem, I’m even more excited. If you ever feel like you need a bit of a happy push, go and listen to this song. It works miracles, trust me.

Satellite – Two Door Cinema Club

I think I don’t really need to explain why this song is part of this list, right? I mean, TDCC has been MY band since 2013, ever since my very first concert, so yeah. I love them deeply and literally cannot wait for their upcoming album. Also, I’ll be seeing them live again at the beginning of July, together with The 1975, so you could say it will be like 2013 all over again. A family reunion, how lovely. Also, the video for this song is so good and so bad at the same time, I love it.

Devil Town – Cavetown

Another very recent find of mine, thanks to the amazing lineup of Sziget festival. They added a few last names a couple of weeks ago and, lucky for me, Cavetown was one of those names. I’m honestly so excited to see him at Sziget, it will be such a great show.

Headspace – Lewis Capaldi

Oh, how long I’ve been waiting to finally be able to listen to this song over and over again. Quick storytime for context: when I saw Lewis last year in October here in Brighton, I wasn’t as big of a fan as I am today. So I was standing there, in the crowd, taking it all in when he began singing this very song. Suddenly the crowd went really quiet and all I could hear was Lewis and his guitar. And while I stood there, listening to him sing, I knew that I was witnessing something utterly magical. I cried. And fell deeply in love with Lewis and his talent. A few weeks after that I saw him again in London, cried once more and now, nearly half a year later, his new album is finally out, with this song on it. Whenever I listen to it, I’m immediately thrown back to the show in Brighton and feel this incredible gratitude. That’s what Lewis’ music does to you.

So, there you go, guys, these are all the songs I’ve been loving the most the past few weeks. As already mentioned, I really hope that you enjoy them just as much I do. As always, please don’t hesitate to leave your thoughts and comments down below. And until then I wish you all a great week, and, of course, thanks for reading. x

Interview with Saint Raymond

Hola everyone.

And welcome back to my blog. I’m sorry for being gone for so long, but I hope you’ve all had a great time and that you’re doing well. I know at the end of my last post I said that I’d be coming back with a huge post about Avengers: Endgame, but, honestly, it’s been over a week since I saw it and I still haven’t been able to fully process it. My plan now is to watch Infinity War and then see Endgame again straight the day after, so I can really say which one I prefer. And then I want to put all my thoughts, emotions and opinions into one long, deserving post for you all to read. Unfortunately, that means it will be packed with spoilers, so I’ll just say it now – if you haven’t seen the movie, don’t read anything about it, don’t ruin it for yourself and just watch it. Also, props to you if you’ve made it this far without coming across spoilers. Well done.

So, now that we’ve talked about that, let’s get to the real deal, which is something I’ve been burning to tell you ever since it happened. Some of you might remember the concert review I did of the Saint Raymond show I went to in March (here’s the link if you want to check it out). I absolutely loved the show, but I didn’t tell you everything that happened on that day. So, here comes the crazy part: I didn’t just go to the concert, I actually met up with Callum (Saint Raymond) before his show in Brighton to do a little interview with him. I know, I know. Holy moly. I still haven’t been able to wrap my head around it either. And oh wow, it was such a lovely interview. I felt so welcome and it was just so chill and nice. And Callum was absolutely fantastic as well. Definitely one of those hours of my life that I’ll never ever forget. And I’m so happy that I finally get to share the piece I wrote about it for my university magazine with you. I really hope you enjoy it. Also, please don’t forget to show Callum some love (here’s the link to his Spotify and his website), he really deserves it. And, as always, please don’t hesitate to leave your thoughts down below and thanks for reading. x

‘It’s a show-off world’

Nottingham born and bred Callum Burrows, aka singer-songwriter Saint Raymond, exploded on to the music scene in 2013 with his EP release ‘Escapade’. Following that the young artist not only went on to open for some of the biggest names in music, but also toured festivals including Glastonbury, right before releasing his No. 1 debut album. After a short hiatus, the singer is now ready to go bigger than ever. I met up with Callum at Patterns in Brighton before his show to chat about standing your ground in the music industry, crime-podcasts and supporting music-star Ed Sheeran.

Did you ever expect to end up where you are now?

No, not at all. Obviously I hoped I would, but I never thought I’d be doing music as a career. I never expected it to get to a point where I get to do it for a living. Which is still weird for me to say, because I think I sometimes take it for granted. Like with anything, you have your highs and lows and I often forget that music is my job. Which is pretty cool. Ten years on, still get to play shows. It’s crazy.

What is the one memory you will never forget?

There was this special moment when I played a hometown show in Nottingham, at Rock City. I actually played it three times, but that first gig was an unreal experience, because I had grown up going to gigs there. And suddenly people were queuing to see me and I just thought ‘what the hell is going on?’. So, that will always live long in my memory. And besides that, the tour with Ed was super crazy as well.

Speaking of that – how did you get to support him?

I met him through a mutual friend and then ended up going to his birthday party, where we had a chat. And then, about a month later, he just texted me out of the blue saying ‘hey man, do you want to go on tour?’. I couldn’t believe it. I actually kept it a secret from my band until the official announcement. I just told them that we would be going on tour in October. That really was an amazing experience, which I’ll be forever grateful for.

Looking back on all your songs – what’s your favourite one?

That would probably be ‘As We Are Now’, because it meant so much to me at the time. I wrote it when I was kind of hoping to do music for a career, but I wasn’t sure that I was going to. All of my friends had gone to university, so they knew what they were going to do for their jobs after. But I was just in this period where I wasn’t a kid anymore and had to take some responsibility. So that one will always be a special one.

Is that why you released two versions of it?

Yes, that was a mad decision, to make the fast version. I don’t want to bitch too much, but I prefer the slow one. You know, there are a lot of things that happen with music, especially when you’ve got a big team around you, where decisions just get made that aren’t always the right ones. Or not solely what you want. But it’s hard when a lot of people are throwing in their opinions, because, at first, you know what you want, but then you get a bit lost in it. So that’s what I’ve learned over the last few years, to stand my ground a bit more and go for what I believe in. I was very young when I made that first record, it was a big learning curve.

What’s another part that you had to get used to?

Definitely social media. I think Twitter is such an important tool as an artist, but I struggle to use it to its full capacity. It’s easier now when I’m on tour because I can talk about that, but it’s really hard to interact when you’re not doing those things. At least for me. I know some other people who are amazing at it, like Lewis Capaldi. He’s got it nailed down. But then again, right now, there are a lot of people in the industry trying to copy that. And that’s when you look like an idiot. Because you’re trying to be someone you’re not. Which is mad. Especially now with the whole Instagram world, I think it’s so important to be who you are on social media. It drives me crazy how people are living a life that isn’t real. It’s a show-off world.

How about using Twitter and Co. to connect with your fans?

Oh yeah, I think it’s so important to interact with them. Before social media, bands were untouchable. You couldn’t access them unless you went to a show or met them somewhere, whereas now you can genuinely have a chat with anyone. You can literally send a message to the president of America, not that you would want to. But that’s how the internet works now. And I think sometimes people forget that if it wasn’t for the fans, they wouldn’t be doing what they’re doing. Because who would buy the tickets, the t-shirts, the albums? They start to think they are on a platform above them. Which isn’t true. That’s why, after every show and not just on social media, I’ll always try to come out and talk to people. I mean, them coming to the show means that I get to do in in the first place, so why shouldn’t I?

And would you call yourself a fan of someone as well?

Of course. Loads of people. But my biggest inspiration right now has to be Ariana Grande. I once saw her perform live at this charity event in Central Park in New York. She came on stage with Coldplay and, until today, it’s the best live vocal I’ve ever heard. The whole day overall was just absolutely crazy. I stepped on Jay-Z’s foot by accident and then met Leonardo DiCaprio. Weirdest day of my life. And besides that, I’m a huge fan of murder podcasts. They’re my jam.

The night of songs and roses

Hola everyone.

And welcome back to another week. Happy Monday – and also Happy Easter, actually. I hope you all had a lovely weekend. I spent most of it down at the beach here in Brighton as the weather has been so incredibly nice the past few days. I’m not doing to lie, I felt like I was on a holiday, lying there, in the sun, my lunch propped next to me. It’s crazy when you realize that you actually live in such a place. I feel incredibly grateful. Especially when I went for a walk in the evening, walking barefoot, feeling the sea water between my toes and the sun setting in front of me. Talk about feeling like you’re stuck in some movie scene. So, yeah, that was my weekend.

But let’s talk about today. Today I’d like to share a very very special evening of my life with all of you. One that I honestly never thought would happen and one that I will definitely never ever forget. The evening I met Tom Rosenthal and saw him live for the very first time. Still sounds absolutely crazy when I say it out loud, to be honest.

It all began last year when Tom suddenly announced the show in London. His very first show ever, like ever ever, to be exact. I couldn’t believe my eyes. But that happens when you listen to a guy who has two young daughters and an info on his official website saying that he’s not planning on going on tour because of them. So out of all the artists and bands I listen to, I wanted to see Tom live the most and was expecting to actually ever get to see him live the least. But there it suddenly was, the date of his first ever show, perfectly scheduled for me as I knew I’d be in Brighton/London around that time. And I mean, I don’t have to make a big story out of it, of course, I bought a ticket the second they were available. And of course, it was sold out within an hour. And of course, Tom had to add another two shows. And guess who’s in the middle of a full-on tour right now? Still can’t believe it, honestly.

For those of you who don’t know who Tom is, here’s why I love him so much in a nutshell: I adore his music with all my heart, listen to it 24/7, he has basically helped me through my whole Bachelor degree and has been my most listened artists for two consecutive years and counting. So, yes, I love him and his music a lot.

And on the 15th of March, it was finally time for me to make my way to London to see him. Obviously, I was very very nervous and uber-excited, but not just because of the concert. Before writing this post, I was debating on whether I should tell you this or not, but it’s just such an important moment in my life, I have to share it. I didn’t drive to London just to attend Tom’s show, I also went there to meet him beforehand and do an interview with him. There, I said it. Yes, guys, it really happened. I really had an interview with the one and only Tom Rosenthal and I still can’t wrap my head around it. And I still feel incredibly honoured and grateful that he agreed to chat with me. I’m obviously not going to make a big story out of it, that’s not who I am. I just want to say that he was incredibly nice and absolutely lovely and I felt so welcome around him, so yeah. Definitely something I will never ever forget. Thanks so much, Tom, for everything. Also, as I did the interview for my uni magazine, I’ll try and post the link of the published article on here as soon as it’s out, so stay tuned for that.

So, after that incredibly unreal interview had happened, I went to get dinner in London and went straight back to the venue – which was a literal church (St. Pancras Old Church) and also the most beautiful place ever. Obviously, the room was already packed, which just proved my point that the world had only been waiting for Tom to finally come out of his shell and do a few shows. He told me that he actually doesn’t want to get big, but I don’t think there’s anything he can do about that. It will just happen, naturally. Because everybody loves him and his music. That’s just how it is. Which was also something you could actually feel in the room as soon as Tom and his lovely band came on stage and started to play. God, it was just such an incredible gig. Tom even sounds better live than on his studio versions, which didn’t surprise me at all. He’s just that talented. And he was so funny, holy moly. Cracking one joke after another. Even though it was his third ever show, he already had the whole stage presence thing nailed down. And I was standing there, watching him and taking it all in, soaking up the beauty of the moment. I think throughout those two hours, I didn’t stop smiling, even when I was crying and silent tears were rolling down my cheeks. Happy, emotional tears, of course. It was just such a beautiful gig, honestly. A small church, about 70 people, Tom’s incredible band and his angelic voice. Nothing can compare.

I remember that I went home, completely mesmerized by what had happened in the past few hours. And I still can’t fully believe that it all happened. I can’t even begin to describe the feeling of gratitude and happiness and incredible luck I feel whenever I think about it. And I hope by reading this post, I could translate some of those feelings over to you as well. As I mentioned before, Tom is currently on tour, so I can just highly recommend attending his shows and experiencing this magic live – here’s a link to his website, where you can find his tour dates. And until then I hope you enjoyed this post. As always, please don’t hesitate to leave your thoughts and comments down below. And, of course, I wish you all an amazing week. Oh, and just as a short info – I won’t be posting anything until next Friday, as Leni will be visiting me here in Brighton this Thursday until next Monday. We’ll be watching Endgame on Friday and, honestly, if I could put into words how excited and also frightened we both are, I would, but I can’t. So yeah, I’ll see you next Friday, obviously with a whole post about Endgame. What else. And until then, thanks for reading, guys. x

I’m a Bandito //-// Part 2

Hola everyone.

And welcome back to my blog and the second part of this post. Or shall we call it a series? I’ll let you decide. Anyway, I hope you’re all doing good and that you had an amazing weekend. And not to be dramatic or anything, but I honestly can’t wait to tell you all about the second night I got to spend with Ty and Josh, aka Twenty One Pilots, aka one of the best bands ever (here’s all about the first night, if you’d like to check that out first – click me). So, without further ado, let’s get right into it.

Night: Number 2

Okay, so first of all, I probably need to tell you that going to this show was both one of the most spontaneous and also best decisions I’ve ever made in my entire life. I mean, I honestly wasn’t planning on going to the next night until the first one ended. I was literally so awestruck that I just had to see them again. I had to. There just wasn’t any way around it. So, when I got home from the first show, I immediately started looking for a ticket for the next show. I also deliberately looked for standing tickets, as for the first show I had bought seating ones, but as I now knew how the whole show would work, I knew I had to get standing tickets and try to get as close to the b-stage as possible. I knew which way Josh would be running during the crowd and I knew that they would be playing both Bandito and Neon Gravestones on the b-stage – two of my favourite songs – so yeah, it was pretty clear to me what I had to do. I had a plan.

And again, this is the moment I need to thank Graham, the guy who sold me the ticket. It was honestly the easiest and most chilled process ever and I’m so glad it all went down the way it did. I couldn’t have wished for a better overall experience.

So, on the next day (Saturday), I got up, had some lunch, then took the train to London and headed straight to the venue. I got there a bit earlier to make sure I would get a spot at the b-stage. And that’s where my plan came in, because I got in, immediately looked for the one spot I wanted to go for and as luck would have it, there it was, still free and waiting for me. Suddenly I was standing right in front of the b-stage, knowing perfectly well that just in a few hours, Ty and Josh would be playing right in front me, about two metres away. So, you could say I got a bit hyper.

But I still had to wait for a bit, which is exactly when that one thing happened, that reminded me why I freaking love being in different fandoms and being part of the clique and basically being surrounded by people who are a bit like me. Because you just get to know so many different people. Right next to me, there was this group of “older” – meaning full grown-up – couples, who turned out to be American and full-time clique-mums. It was my first time hearing the term, but apparently, that’s the name of clikkies, who are already mums. Super cute, I know. So, we started chatting for a bit and then we met this other girl, who, as it turned out, was part Austrian, part German, and living in London to study here. I mean, how crazy is that? Over 12.000 people in one room and I happen to meet another Austrian. I was shook. And the cutest part is that we also left the show together afterwards and we’re actually still in contact. God, I just love concerts so much. Literally anything can happen.

So we all chatted for a while and then it was finally time for the boys to start their show. And I can just tell you, it was an entirely different experience, standing there in the middle of the crowd. I mean, I couldn’t see as much as I had the night before, which was pretty obvious to me. Getting front row for TOP is like the biggest mission ever. Maybe, one day, I’ll do the whole thing – get there early, get my number, queue the whole day, get front row and then hold Ty’s hand during Holding On To You. But this show wasn’t that day and I was totally fine with it. Just the experience of being surrounded by clikkies like me, all dancing and singing and laughing and crying, was just so beautiful. I felt at home.

I actually cannot say which show I enjoyed more, just because the overall feeling and experience were so different. At least when it comes to the boys, for me, there are two ways: Either you buy standing tickets and try to get there super early or are simply fine with maybe not seeing everything all the time, but get the full-on crowd atmosphere. Or you buy seating tickets with the guarantee that you’ll see everything but also with less crazy crowd dynamics (also depends on how close the seats are to the stage).

Besides that, the biggest difference was definitely what happened as soon as it was time for them to make use of the b-stage. As I mentioned in my first post, TOPs show now features a huge bridge that floats down from above and hovers over the crowd for the boys to walk over to the other stage. And as soon as that came down, I knew it was time to freak out a bit. The first one to come over to us was Ty and shortly after that Josh came running past me and up to the stage. And, guys, I can’t begin to describe the feeling of absolute awe I got. They were so close. I mean, I know I had just seen them even closer the day before after the signing, but that was different. That was a more “normal” situation. But now they were in full concert mode, which meant a 100 percent more awesomeness. Which is actually quite fascinating. I’ve already done interviews with a few artists and bands and during the chats, they are always just normal people, like you and me. But as soon as they step on stage, they become these incredible, mind-blowingly talented human beings, who aren’t normal at all. And that is exactly what happened with the boys that night.

And it just changes so much when you can actually watch your favourite artists play. But not from afar or over a big screen. No. Like, actually watch them, up close. Watch how Tyler’s face changes when he sings and how his emotions translate to his every movement. Watch how Josh’s muscles flex depending on how hard he drums. And just live the moment, together with them. That’s something I will definitely never forget. And that they played Bandito in front of me is just the cherry on top, pretty much.

But out of the whole night, my favourite moment happened during the part when Josh ran through the crowd to get to b-stage. The lights were on him and everyone’s focus switched to him, obviously. Everyone’s but mine. Because while everyone was looking at Josh, I turned around and looked at Tyler, who was already sitting at his piano in front of me. And I don’t know exactly why, but it was just such a magical moment for me. Because I caught him in one of those seconds, where nobody usually focuses on him. I studied his face and suddenly everything around me vanished and I kind of got sucked out of the vortex I had been in. All I could see was Tyler, the talented guy from Ohio who hates bananas and balloons, and not Tyler, the uber-phenomenal artist. And then I felt tears running down my cheeks and with one blink of an eye, reality came back. For me, that was definitely one of the most incredible moments of my life and I’ll never ever forget that. It just felt so real.

And yeah, after that it was all just a mind-blowing night and super-fun party. I danced and screamed and laughed and cried and felt so good and so alive that I never ever wanted it to end. As always, I was bawling my eyes out as soon as Trees started, which then turned into both smiling and crying when at the end, yellow confetti came falling down all around me. Which is another reason why I love standing in the pit – if there’s confetti, you’ll be covered in it. And I’m one of those people, who always look up to the ceiling and watch the confetti fall down. Just another super beautiful moment that can’t really be put into words.

And that was it. I honestly can’t even describe how much I enjoyed those two nights and how absolutely breathtaking the shows were. Tyler and Josh really are two of the most brilliant artists out there right now and I feel so proud and so grateful that I get to be one of their fans and that I get to experience all of these amazing moments with them. I don’t know what I would do without them and their music. And I know it might sound super crazy, but I’m just so thankful that I get to be alive at the same time as them. I know so many people who are into bands from the 70s or 80s or 90s, who will never get to see their faves live simply because of time. But here I am, already counting down the days until Sziget and until I get to see my beans live again. My heart is literally filled with so much gratitude.

Which also brings me to the end of this post. Again, I’m sorry this got a bit lengthy as well, but I just love sharing these special moments with you guys. I dearly hope you enjoyed reading all about them and thanks so much for making it until here. You’re amazing. As always, please don’t hesitate to leave your thoughts and comments down below. Oh, and before I forget it, just a little info that I won’t be posting anything for the next three weeks as I’ll be spending some time with my family at home. Thanks for understanding. And, of course, thanks for reading. See you in three weeks. x