Tag: cool

My favourite photographers

Hola everyone.

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

By the Shore

Hola everyone.

How are we all doing? I hope you’ve all had a good week so far. On my behalf, I’m currently spending a few nice days with my mum here in Brighton and visiting the Great Escape festival, which I’m honestly so excited about. I can’t believe I’ll really be seeing HalfNoise and The Jungle Giants. Who would have thought that I’d ever be able to experience them live? Certainly not me. Which makes all of this even crazier.

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But now, let’s jump to today’s topic… as some of you might know, my best friend Leni recently visited me as well, which I was and still am so damn happy about. And it was actually kind of freaky too, thinking that we’ll both move to London together in a few months. Among all the awesome stuff we did during the time she was here, we went on this one special trip to the Brighton Marina, where we went on a little walk next to the sea and the cliffs, which was absolutely stunning. I had never been to such a place before, so obviously I had to take my camera with me to snap a few pictures, which is actually the purpose of this post. Because today, I’d like to share my favourite snaps of that day with you. As always, I hope you enjoy them and please don’t hesitate to leave your thoughts and comments down below. And until then I wish you all a great weekend and thanks for reading. x

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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Home

Hola everyone.

And welcome to back to another week. I hope you’ve all had an amazing, relaxing and/or exciting weekend and that you’re doing good. As most of you, who have been following my blog, will know, I’ve recently been at home for a short break – hence the absence of posts – and have now been back in Brighton since last week. And as I just went through my camera roll of those three wonderful weeks I got to spend at home and loved the pictures I flicked through so much, I thought it would be nice to share those special moments with you guys.

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Some pictures were taken with my camera, some with my phone. Some were taken during my birthday trip to a local chocolate factory (best day ever), some capture calm moments like lying on the couch with Peaches. Moments that I actually miss the most when I’m here in Brighton. It’s the normality, the ordinary I miss. Eating dinner with my parents. As said, lying on the couch with my baby Peaches. Playing cards with my parents. Going on a walk with Molly. It’s only when you can’t access these moments at any time you want, you start to cherish them the most. Because in the end, they are what matters the most. So, here they are. Moments that matter the most to me and moments that feel like home. I hope you enjoy them.

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As always, I hope you’re all doing good and wish you a great week. Oh, and please don’t hesitate to leave your thoughts and comments down below. And, of course, thanks so much for reading. x

New Music Friday

Hola everyone.

And welcome back to my blog – after quite some time, I might say. I’ve missed you guys, honestly. But on the other side, can you believe it’s already been over three weeks since my last post? And five days since I came back to Brighton from my break? I for sure can’t. Time is honestly flying by in full speed, it’s totally crazy. But I’m not here to moan about time and you surely aren’t here to listen to me doing that, so I’ll stop it right now. Today, we’ve all gathered together to not only celebrate this blog finally blooming again but also to have a little party. And guess what, I brought the music. I know, I know. I’m just that thoughtful. And there did happen quite a lot in the music scene while I was at home on my break, so right behind me, in a metaphorical way speaking, there’s a pretty big pile of music that’s just waiting to be shared and listened to. So, let’s get going, shall we?

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Kitchen Sink – Twenty One Pilots

It probably won’t surprise you that this list starts off by the one and only Twenty One Pilots. But this time it’s not one of their newer tracks, but a really old one, from their album ‘Regional at Best’ from the year 2011. I recently re-discovered the lp and basically totally fell in love with it all over again. And ‘Kitchen Sink’ for me is the one song of the album that stands out the most. Just the overall meaning and all the work that went into it never fails to blow my mind. Even more so, because you can actually hear Tyler’s raw emotions. Such a masterpiece.

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Stressed Out – Twenty One Pilots

Well, what can I say? There can never be enough Twenty One Pilots, can there? I recently found this live version of ‘Stressed Out’ on YouTube and after first being completely shocked that it only has about 5.000 views, I was even more shocked as soon as I started listening to it. I think apart from when I heard ‘Bandito’ and the ‘Sahlo Folina’ chorus for the first time, I was never so in love with Tyler’s voice. This is definitely the most beautiful version of the song that I’ve ever heard.

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SOS – Avicii ft. Aloe Blacc

When I heard that Tim’s team and friends would be releasing the tracks he was working on before his passing, I felt my stomach drop. As most of you will probably know, Tim’s music was a big part of me growing up and my musical journey, but I wasn’t really expecting to hear any new songs. But here it is, the new single he worked on, together with Bonn and Albin Nedler and Aloe Blacc. Needless to say, I had a few tears rolling down my cheeks while listening to it for the first time. Such a beautiful track. I wish Tim was still here to share it with us himself.

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Talk – Two Door Cinema Club

Oh how long I’ve been waiting to finally be able to say that TDCC have released new music. I’ve missed these guys so much. And I’m honestly so happy that they are back again. I may still be clinging onto their indie rock kind of sound from 2013, but I can’t deny that it’s simply impossible for me to not enjoy their newer sound as well. I really can’t wait to listen to their full album.

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Curls – Bibio

This is one of those songs that I usually listen to while writing or cooking. Or if I’m feeling a bit over-emotional on a car ride. Which happens quite often, to be fair. And I know I’m usually sticking to indie, but it’s nice to listen to something like this once in a while.

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Only Friend – Wallows

Holy moly, this freaking song. I can’t even begin to tell you how long I’ve been waiting for their debut album ‘Nothing Happens’. I remember lying in my garden at home and starting to listen to it and then it kicked off with this song and I couldn’t believe it. I’m planning on doing a whole post on the album in the next few weeks, but I just had to include this song in the list. It’s just too good. Pure indie goodness.

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Good Excuse – The King’s Parade

This is another very new track I just recently stumbled over. And I can’t really tell why, but it kind of reminds me of a mix between Lewis Capaldi and OneRepublic. As if you had put both of these in a box and shaken it really good. Which is a good thing, to be honest, because they are both absolutely amazing. Just like this song right here.

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So Now What – The Sins

If any of you guys have ever seen the movie ‘Wish I Was Here’ by Zach Braff, then you’ll probably know why this song is part of this list and where I’m coming from. It’s just another one of those tracks that will always be good. For all eternity.

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Who Could You Be – HalfNoise

Most of you guys will probably already know about my deep love for HalfNoise, aka Zach Farro, aka the guy most people in the world will know as the drummer from the uber-amazing band Paramore. But guess what, Zach is also doing his own thing and I can’t get enough of it. He’s got the whole indie deal nailed down, no joke.

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Mountain – HalfNoise

Long time no see, ha? No, but for real, I had to include a second song by Zach, I just had to. That may also be because I recently found out that he will be playing at the Great Escape festival here in Brighton and I honestly can’t even begin to tell you how utterly excited I am.

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Sin – Kakkmaddafakka

Such a weird band name. And maybe an even weirder band. And I know what I’m talking about because I just got to see them live last week. I’m not going to lie, it was such a cool party, oh my god. And they are even better live than on the studio versions. The room was nearly bursting with energy.

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HELP – AREA21

It wouldn’t be a ‘New Music Friday’ list if Marty wasn’t mentioned in any possible way, would it? So, here we have him, together with his friend Maejor. I’m usually not the biggest fan of rap and RnB, but what those two have created with Area21 is just incredible. Also, the meaning of this song right here is so good and important, I was shocked when I first listened to it. I’m really happy to see Marty address some current issues. Way to go.

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Style – Foster The People

When will these guys finally go on tour, so I can finally see them live? They are right up on my list of bands I still need to see and, to be honest, amazing songs like this one don’t really make it any easier for me. But I’m not complaining in any way, please give us more. More more more of this.

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You Might Find Yours – Tom Rosenthal

And last but not least we have the ultimate king of ‘New Music Fridays’ – the one and only Tom Rosenthal. This time shaking us all up with a spoken word song, that might hit a bit too close to home. Spot on, as always. But we wouldn’t expect anything less from this musical genius, would we?

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So, there you go, guys. Here’s another New Music Friday and another big big big celebration of music. I can just repeat myself – I’m honestly so happy and feel so honoured that I get to share all of these fantastic tracks and my obsession with them with all of you. It really means the world to me. As always, I hope you enjoy them just as much as I do. Please don’t hesitate to leave your thoughts and comments down below. And, of course, I wish you all a nice weekend and thanks for reading. 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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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).

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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