festival – that lemon life

Sziget Festival – Part Five

Hola everyone.

And welcome back to my blog. I hope so far you’ve had a great Friday and that your evening is going well. Sorry for posting so late. Ever since finishing work last week, I’ve been in this kind of “oh my god, I need to see everyone and do everything before I move”-stress, so I’ve been out and about all the time. Which resulted in me not really having time to just sit down and write this post. But now that I’ve finally managed to make myself comfy at home, I thought it would be nice to tell you all about the last day at Sziget. Let’s think of it as a short trip back to paradise, back to summer madness, back to the world of music and happiness. So, lean back and enjoy the ride.

Day 7

To be honest, I can’t really put into words what this last day at Sziget meant to me. And it wasn’t even a day, it was a whole damn experience. An adventure that started the moment we got back to the hotel on day 6. Because that’s when I started planning and making my outfit for the boys (Twenty One Pilots, obviously). As some of you might know, it’s become a must to have a special outfit for TOP shows. Anything yellow, basically. I already had quite a nice outfit for their shows in London, but for Sziget, I definitely brought all my cards to the table. I put everything I had into this outfit and, honestly, I’m still so damn proud of it. I mean, just look at it. It’s fire. Be honest.

I think I slept about five hours max that night. I was so damn excited. Especially because I had the plan of getting to the festival as soon and fast as possible and then trying to get as close to the front as manageable. I needed that barrier. Specifically, as it would probably be my only possible chance of ever getting front row for the boys. I mean, I could camp for a whole week at their UK gigs, but that doesn’t mean I would. I just could. Keeping that in mind, Sziget was definitely my best chance of getting to the front without having to camp. And I didn’t want to risk it. So I got up as early as I could manage, had a quick breakfast and then hurried to the festival. I might have to mention that I was alone as well because my mum was with my dad and his sister, who had also come for a visit for the last day (not for the boys, for Foo Fighters… I know… I’m not gonna say anything). So I had a little trip on my own and as soon as I got on the island, I ran to the main stage. And then I saw it.

It was freaking packed. I got there and it was full. The whole area in front of the stage. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I mean, what even is the clique? I later read that people had actually camped next to the stage just to get to the front. How crazy is that? And the security had lied to me as well because I had asked them about the time they would be opening the main stage and they told me 2pm. I got there at 12pm. 12!!! And it was already open and packed. Thanks, guys. Very trustworthy. But oh well. No bad blood. Anyways, so I was standing there, looking at all the people sitting on the ground in front of me and, obviously, I immediately panicked and called my mum. The plan was to get to barrier, not 6th row with a good chance of actually never seeing Ty and Josh (quick reminder: people at Sziget are always taller than me, I don’t know why). I couldn’t just throw that plan in the bin. So I stood there for a while, weighing my options, looking for any good space for us to stand. And then I saw it. Like a small clearing in the middle of the dark woods. Like an oasis in the Sahara. A spot right at the front, at the barrier.

At first, I was quite sceptical, because I was sure that it was someone else’s spot already. Either that or that I was hallucinating. But slowly, I made my way to the front until I felt my knees hit the metal surface of the barrier. I had made it. I was at the front. I couldn’t believe it. I slowly looked around at the people next to me, waiting for protest, but nothing came. It really had been a free spot. But now it was mine. My spot at the front. It still sounds like an absolute dream when I think about it. Like I had a fever dream or something. But I really was front row at a Twenty One Pilots gig. That’s stuff they write into history books right there. No joke.

After two hours, mum also joined me at the front and then the big waiting game began. Thankfully, all the people around us were super nice and up for a chat and the acts before the boys weren’t that bad either. First to come on stage were Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes, who didn’t really fit into the musical genre I usually stick to, but who actually blew me away with their amazing show. Especially because of Frank Carter himself. He might not look like it, but he was the nicest guy ever. He talked quite a bit in-between the songs, lots of stuff about how the politics in the UK pisses him off, how women should be able to feel free in crowds and at festivals, without having to be afraid of men touching them inappropriately. Then they had an all-girls crowd surf and moshpit. And he chatted a lot about his own child and his highs and lows in his life. All in all, he was one of the coolest and most honest guys I had seen the whole week and I’m glad I got to experience his show. Such an amazing guy.

Next to play was Johnny Marr, who was, without trying to be mean, the most boring act I had seen all week. No offence, but it’s true. After Frank Carter, he just couldn’t manage to get the crowd hyped up. And it wasn’t just me who felt like this. I could see it in the faces of the people surrounding me. They were all waiting for the show to be over. He wasn’t bad, musically, but there just wasn’t any fire, any excitement, any hype. And then, after one song, he said even “gracias”, which confirmed my assumption that he had no idea where he actually was. He was in Hungary, not in damn Spain. They don’t speak Spanish in Hungary. What even was that?

So yeah, that was a bit of a bummer. But after that low, the highest high was still to come. I got the chills as soon as that mysterious music, that the boys always play before their shows begin, came on. That’s also when it hit me that I’d really be seeing the boys again. My boys. Ty and Josh. My favourite band in the whole world. And then even front row. I still can’t fully believe that it all really happened. And within the blink of an eye, Josh came on stage with his torch and then Jumpsuit started and I was immediately transported into heaven. I was home again. Finally.

You can probably guess that the show was absolutely freaking phenomenal. I can’t even describe it. I just love this band so god damn much. And they were so good. I laughed and cried and screamed and sang my heart out and jumped and danced like there was no tomorrow. I gave my all to those two dorks on that huge stage. And it was so worth it because I got so much back in return. There was this one moment when Ty came to our side and, as some of you might know, he usually tries to suppress his smiles during the shows. I don’t even know why. Maybe he wants to look cool. I don’t know. But at that moment, he went up to us and threw us the biggest smile ever. And it might just be my observation, but I’m sure that every time Tyler smiles, the sun goes up somewhere. Even if it’s just in my heart. Maybe he’s the sun. And don’t even get me started on Josh. This man has the body and talent of a god and you can’t tell me otherwise. When he got onto the crowd with his drum set – I swear, he has the most beautiful back ever. And I might have to add that I know this show so through and through that I even managed to air drum together with Josh. I did all the parts. The drums, the singing, the dancing, all of it. That’s when you know you really love a band. When you could replicate their whole show all on your own.

Another pretty crazy part was when they played Car Radio. Ty always climbs something during that song, that’s just his thing. So, knowing that, I was very curious to see what he would climb this time. Funnily enough, I already had an idea. I remember when we got to the festival on the first day, I saw these platforms next to the front of house-tower. The one where I had seen Gabe on Friday (click the link to read all about that encounter). Needless to say, it was damn high. But the moment I saw them, I told my mum “I bet that’s what Ty will climb during their show”. It was like I could feel it in my bones. And god damn, I was right. This completely crazy guy seriously freehand climbed that tower and then up to that platform that was even higher up. I’m pretty sure it was higher than 15 metres. And he just climbed that like it was nothing. How mad is that? From where we were standing, I could just make out his hand sticking up into the air. He’s such a crazy guy.

Show-wise, my ultimate highlight and also one of the funniest moments of any concert I’ve ever been to, was definitely after Cut My Lip, when they did the “everybody to the left left left, take it to the right right right”-part. Basically, they bring some securities on to the stage, play that super hardcore EDM track by Dimitri Vegas and Like Mike and then they, together with the securities and the whole crowd, jump to the left and then to the right. It makes the whole crowd turn into a huge wave, thousands of people holding each other arm in arm, jumping around. I filmed the whole thing (see down below) and, yes, it was just as chaotic as you might guess. But it was the biggest fun ever. I loved it so much.

Besides the whole show and besides really getting to see the boys that close, my definite highlight was also seeing their team/friends/family. Debby was there, looking good as ever, Brad Heaton, their photographer and, for me, the best one music photographer out there, even stood in front of us at one point and Mark, their video content creator, filmed some parts of the show with his new Super 8 camera, which he recently got into. And yes, I really know all that stuff. Because. It was so cool to see them, finally.

Obviously, as soon as the boys started playing Trees, I felt my heart being ripped apart. I don’t know why, but that song always breaks my heart and then mends it again. Maybe it’s because I know that it’s their last song and that they’ll leave afterwards. Maybe it’s because of the meaning. Maybe it’s all of the above. I just know that I screamed my lungs and cried my eyes out during it. I was nearly bursting of happiness and love. And with all the people, the clique, surrounding me, I felt like I was part of a huge family. The best one. And when they both got onto the crowd to finish the song and the confetti came falling down on us, I was definitely the luckiest and happiest person on earth. I loved everything and everyone. I loved my mum for waiting with me for over 5 hours and for dressing up. I loved the boys for making that moment happen. And I loved my life for being what it was and is. And if that’s not what a concert should make you feel like, then what else?

After that, Sziget was pretty much over for me. I was a mess. I had little to no voice (it was completely gone the morning after). My makeup was a shadow of what it was at the beginning. And my head was so full of adrenalin and happiness, I definitely needed some time to come down from that high. But for my dad and his sister and her boyfriend, the whole fun was just about to begin, because Foo Fighters were still to come. In hindsight, I have to say their show really was good, but, just like I said, after having seen the boys, there was nothing the festival could give me. My cup was full. Nothing could’ve been as good as them. That just wasn’t possible. But I’m still glad that I got to see them. And my dad had the time of his life, which made me happy as well.

And after that and a quick stop at the EDM tent to hide from the rain, it was time for us to leave. Time to get back to reality, step by step. I kissed the main stage goodbye. Kissed the bridge leading to the island goodbye. Kissed the best week of my life goodbye. But it was a happy goodbye. A thankful one. And one with the prospect of coming back again. And now that I got to share all of this with you, I’m even more grateful and happier. I can’t believe that all of it really happened. What a week. I can’t wait to be back and do it all over again.

And with that, I’m going to end this series about my time in paradise, aka Sziget festival. I really hope that you enjoyed reading about my week there and that it brought you some happiness. As always, I’d love to hear from you, so please don’t hesitate to leave your comments and thoughts down below. And, of course, I wish you all a great weekend and thanks for reading. x

Sziget Festival – Part Four

Hola everyone.

And welcome back to another Friday, to my blog and, believe it or not, the end of August. Can you believe it’s really nearly September? Because I can’t. I mean, today was my last day at work and in three weeks I’ll already be on my way to London. How crazy is that? I can’t believe it’s all happening so fast. But on the other hand, I’m also very very very excited. I’ve dreamed about living in London for over eight years and now it’s really finally happening. To say that I’m almost bursting of happiness would be an understatement. Which also goes for how I’m feeling right now and regarding what I want to tell you guys all about today. Because today, we’re proudly continuing the Sziget festival series and I couldn’t be any happier about it. I hope so far you’ve also enjoyed reading about my time at the festival and that you’re just as much looking forward to hearing all about day 6 as I am to sharing it all with you. It was a phenomenal day. Please enjoy.

Day 6

It all started off with me waking up and immediately planning my outfit. It had to be a good one, a fairy-tale-like one, because it would be the day we’d finally be seeing the angel Florence Welch, aka Florence + The Machine, who is the ultimate fairy, let’s be honest. So, the outfit had to be good. And practical, because it would also be a day of actually sprinting from one gig to another. It was the most packed day of the whole week, I think in total we went to seven different shows. Yes, you read that right. SEVEN. In one single day. You can probably imagine now in what kind of stress we were on that day. I mean, it was the best stress you can think of, but it was still stress. Stress from excitement. I don’t know.

Despite the heat though, I was extremely looking forward to all of the shows, especially to Florence and to Tom Odell and Catfish and The Bottlemen and probably most of all Boy Pablo. I actually found him, or let’s rather say the band, because of the lineup, while I was checking out all the acts. I fell in love immediately. The music they make is exactly what I usually like to listen to. It just fits perfectly. And little did I know that that gig would be one of the funniest ones I’ve ever been to.

But before I get into this, let’s first start right at the beginning. Not to be dramatic or anything, but I think that Monday was actually the hottest day of the whole week. And after already having gone through five days of music and the sun trying to burn us all alive, you could definitely feel how we all were dreaming about a few clouds popping up here and there. Do you know these pictures of the Sahara where all the wild animals, Zebras, Lions and so on, are all lying under the trees, hiding in the few spots of shade they could find? That’s exactly how the island looked when we got there. Everyone was lying under a tree, either asleep or listening to the band playing on the stage in front of them. And here comes another aspect of why I love Sziget so much – the actual island is freaking beautiful. It’s literally the perfect place for a festival. A huge park that has everything you need and that’s located in the middle of Budapest, but that can still be closed off from the rest of the city. Honestly, it’s absolutely perfect. And definitely much better than just that plain field you usually get with most festivals.

And as it was so hot and we were one of those people who were going into their sixth day, we did just the same as them and sat down underneath a tree and just listened to the band playing in front of us. And shortly after that, it was already time for us to head to the main stage to see Tom Odell. That show was especially cool for me, because I had already seen him back in 2016 when I was still living in Berlin, and because he also went to BIMM. A guy, who had also gone to my university, was playing on the main stage at my favourite festival. You can’t dream up stuff like this, I swear. Obviously, he was absolutely amazing. I don’t know how he does it, but whenever I hear his voice live, I immediately get goosebumps everywhere. The power he has.

Unfortunately, we had to leave midway through his set, because Boy Pablo were just about to start playing and they were my number one priority on that day. And boy, they did not let me down. I can’t really think of a gig where I laughed that much in the space of one hour. I’m not even kidding, I really cried tears from laughing, that’s how weird and funny these guys were. I can’t really pinpoint one specific thing that made the whole gig so funny, but I can tell you who the definite highlight was – Erik, their pianist and background singer, who, funnily enough, did much more than that on that day. He played the triangle, the tambourine, the bongos, heck, he even played some maracas-like-shaker. This guy did everything. And on top of that he literally had the most fun on stage and danced and jumped around like crazy. At one point, he literally put on some freaky sunglasses and put his towel on his head and into a turban. That’s how he played one song. And I might add that some white shorts and shoes were the only other pieces of clothing he was wearing. I almost fell over from laughing. I also have to mention that all of these guys are around my age and just getting started as a band and you could actually see how much they were enjoying themselves. They even had a dance-off on stage, during their set. How crazy is that? Honestly, I absolutely adored them. And taking in all that happiness in that tent made me love them even more and made me want to see them again as soon as possible. After over two weeks that have passed, their concert still remains one of the highlights of the whole week. I’ll definitely never forget that set. Never ever.

But of course, the fun didn’t just end there. After that, we went over to another stage to see Bosse, a german band I’ve been wanting to see for quite some time now, and then Catfish and The Bottlemen, who were absolutely fantastic as well. I remember standing there, watching their set and finally realizing that they were exactly what had still been missing from the lineup – good, old indie rock. That’s what I had been secretly craving the whole week and they gave me exactly what I needed.

In total, these are all the amazing acts we got to see on that day:

I Love You Honey Bunny
Big Thief
Tom Odell
Boy Pablo
Bosse
Catfish and The Bottlemen
Florence + The Machine

Obviously, Florence was the ultimate highlight, right after Boy Pablo. God, she was absolutely breathtaking. Thankfully, mum and I managed to get ourselves a good spot to watch the show from, right at the second barrier, and it was just so lovely. I felt like I was in my own safe space as soon as she got on stage. The whole crowd became one big family, with Florence as our queen. I loved the energy she brought and how she interacted with us. I felt so included, like I was part of the show, part of the magic. And it might not be that relevant, but I absolutely adored the dress she was wearing. Just like I said at the beginning of the post – she’s a fairy. She doesn’t just sound and look like a fairy, she really is one. And her voice is the most magical thing of them all. The concert wasn’t just a gig like any other. It was an experience. An inclusive experience, full of love and freedom and magic. I loved every second of it. And I need to thank Florence and her phenomenal band for turning this Monday into such a fairytale-like evening.

And that pretty much was the whole day number 6. Besides the concerts, mum and I also got to screenprint our own shirts, which was super cool as well. I’ve actually been proudly wearing the shirt every few days and the whole thing also got me into the idea of cutting all the shirts I’m not so keen on wearing, but would definitely wear if they just looked a bit different, even if they were just a bit cropped. So, thanks for giving me that idea, Sziget.

Just like all the previous days, I absolutely loved spending time on this island, surrounded by happiness and love and music and people just like me. No wonder I‘m addicted to concerts and festivals. Why leave heaven? And while we were walking back home, away from the very same island, the very same heaven, I knew that the last day would be the one last high I had been waiting for this whole time. The day I’d finally be seeing Twenty One Pilots, my boys, Ty and Josh. The excitement was through the roof. And, without exaggeration, it also is right now, because I can’t wait to tell you all about that day. It was unbelieveable. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to post anything on Monday, as I’ll be away from home, but you can already prepare yourselves for next Friday. And until then, I hope you enjoyed reading all about day 6 of Sziget. As always, please don’t hesitate to leave your thoughts and comments down below and I wish you all a lovely weekend and week. And, of course, thanks for reading. x

Sziget Festival – Part Three

Hola everyone.

How are you all doing today, guys? I hope you’ve all had an amazing weekend and that you’re feeling well. Am I the only one who feels like time is literally flying by in full speed? I mean, September is just around the corner and, I swear, I’ll be moving to London in no time. How is summer already over? I can’t believe it.

No wonder I’m so drawn towards the idea of sharing every single amazing detail of Sziget festival with you. I just can’t let it go. So far, I hope you’ve had fun reading about the first three days. About Ed’s gig on the first day, how Marty’s show blew me away, how I met Gabe Fraboni (let’s go Team Garrix) and how my mum and I went to bed at quarter to 6 am and didn’t crumble into pieces the next day. Actually, the not crumbling part and the two fantastic days that followed will be today’s topic, so I hope you’re excited to hear all about that. I, for my part, am extremely happy that I get to share all of this with you. So, without further ado, here come day 4 and 5 of my week at the legendary Sziget festival.

Day 4

You can probably imagine how day 4, the day after Marty’s show and the day after I had gone to bed when the sun was already rising again, began… I woke up, felt like someone had whacked me on the head and immediately wanted to curl up into a ball under the covers again. I think we had slept for about four hours, which, for someone who usually sleeps about ten hours if she can, wasn’t nearly enough. Far away from it, actually. But obviously, I had to drag my body out of bed, because there was another phenomenal day at Sziget waiting ahead for me and no matter how tired I was, I wouldn’t let any hour I could spend in paradise go to waste. On another note, I also woke up with little to no hearing and my voice was pretty much gone, so yeah. I was in a STATE. But still happy. As always.

Thankfully, I already knew that day 4 wouldn’t be as extreme as the previous one, as it wasn’t filled with lots of concerts and I could give my ears and body a bit of rest. And here once again comes the reason why I love Sziget so much – even if the lineup isn’t for you, you’ll still have so many other things to do, you’ll never get bored. Never ever. Even the opposite, because if I remember correctly, we couldn’t even do all the things we wanted to and we were there for a whole week. That’s how much this island has to offer.

It all started off with mum and I making our own bracelets (I made a yellow one… I wonder why…) and then we went on the hunt for all the stamp spots on the island for our Szitizen passport. I know, what the hell am I even talking about? If you’ve never been to Sziget, that last sentence was probably very confusing to you, so please let me explain. At Sziget, once you arrive on the island, you get a Sziget passport to become a Szitizen. And as with usual passports, you can visit different areas where you can get stamps from, so you know you were there. You can also go have a picture taken and printed out and then you can go to the official immigration office and then you will become an official Szitizen. Which, obviously, my mum and I had to do. That means we are now official Szitizens. And I know it might sound a bit freaky, but it actually feels really nice. I’m happy to say that this island, this paradise, this place of music, love and happiness is my second home now. I feel honoured.

Besides that, we pretty much just wandered around the island, from one show to another, and enjoyed the moment to its fullest. Music-wise, the highlight of the day was definitely Macklemore, who I had never seen before but who actually really surprised me by how good the show was. I usually don’t really listen to his music, but I really enjoyed his gig. I loved how energetic he was and how he managed to get 75.000 people to party with him and his band (who was amazing as well and super hilarious). Also, from what I could tell, he seemed like the nicest guy ever and it looked like he was really enjoying himself, which made the gig a thousand times better. And just a side note – Foo Fighters were playing on the last day and you would think that they would have a big crowd, but I swear to god, Macklemore had a far bigger crowd than them. The field was packed. Not as much as for Ed, but close. Like I said, I was blown away.

In full, those are all the acts we got to see that day:

Tamino
Hearts Hearts
Roosevelt
Macklemore
Wanda
The National
James Blake

Another highlight, besides the gigs, was a venue called Fulldome, which again looked like a huge plastic, walk-in balloon, just like the Luminarium. But here comes the fun part: on the inside, it was like a cinema. So, you get inside this huge plastic bubble and then lie down on cushions so you look up, where the round top turns into a screen. It’s supposed to be some kind of virtual reality thing, but while I was lying there and watching some kind of magical sea creatures swim across the screen, I couldn’t help myself but think how amazing it would be to watch actual movies like that. Like, imagine watching Infinity War like this, where it actually feels like you’re part of the scene and the movie. It would be absolutely fantastic. Maybe I’ll change my career and just do that. The bubble cinema.

Obviously, we didn’t leave the island before 1 am that night, even as tired as we were. Sziget is way too amazing, leaving just isn’t an option. And just like the previous days, we had again spent a few fantastic hours in paradise and while I was finally falling into bed, I couldn’t wait for what was still to come.

Day 5

Here comes the most relaxed day out of the whole week. In fact, it could actually be described as a very long arts and crafts session with a few concerts squished in between. I remember the day the full lineup got released and I saw what Sunday looked like, I was a bit disappointed because there wasn’t much for me to look forward to. But now that the day had come, I was actually thankful for a bit of quiet and relaxation. No stress. No worries about how we would get to the front row. No waiting for anything. When I woke up, I already knew that it would be a good day.

Like I already mentioned, we spent most of the day walking around the island and taking part in different activities and doing anything fun we could find. We did some kind of pop-art, stick-different-magazine-cutouts-on-a-piece-of-wood-and-call-it-art thing, which was fun. I even made a Sziget magnet, which I’m actually pretty proud of. And after that, we went to an “all love is equal”-party at the main stage, which was super cool and then spent the rest of the night checking out different gigs and visiting the funfair again, which was another highlight. We even went on the small, new ferris wheel. It was super cute. Oh yeah, and we also went to the circus and watched a group of acrobats act as if their bodies were made to fly. Absolutely incredible.

All in all, the whole day was a nice mix of great shows and fun activities and I’m honestly really glad that it wasn’t fully packed, as I knew that the upcoming two days would be quite intense. In total, here are all the acts we saw that day:

Jungle
Post Malone
Honne

You might ask now, what I am doing at a Post Malone gig? Well, wait for him to play Sunflower, obviously. No, but in all honesty, he was actually really good. I’m not really a big fan of rap music, as you might know, but he actually has a good voice. Once he sat down with his guitar and it was just him and his voice and the instrument, it was really really nice. I think even my mum enjoyed herself. Just another reason why I love going to festivals so much. Of course you get to see your favourite acts and maybe bands you’ve already seen a few times, but besides that, you’re guaranteed to see bands and artists you’ve never heard of. Some will be good, some will be bad, maybe one will even become your new favourite band. But they will all be new. And that’s exactly why festivals are so much fun and so exciting.

In total, the day was absolutely beautiful all around. Again, I can only point out how absolutely freaking amazing Sziget is and how much love I’ve got for it. It really has its own special place in my heart and I can’t wait to go back as soon as possible. It’s something else, it really is. And while mum and I were walking home that night, night 5, I couldn’t wait for the next two upcoming days to come. I felt like I was living my ultimate dream and I never ever wanted it to stop.

And on that note, here’s the end of today’s post. If you’ve made it this far, thanks so much for reading all about my time at Sziget, I hope you enjoyed it. Of course, I would love to hear all your opinions and thoughts, so please don’t hesitate to leave them down below in the comment section. And, as always, I wish you all a lovely week and, again, thanks for reading. x

Sziget Festival – Part Two

Hola everyone.

And welcome back to my blog and another Friday. I hope you’ve all had an amazing week and that you’re doing good. And, regarding what we will be talking about today, I hope you’re in the mood for another trip to paradise – aka Sziget festival – and that you already enjoyed my recent post about the first two days of the festival (click here if you want to check that out). I am so excited to tell you all about day three and seeing Marty again and what happened after that and how my mum and I got home at half-past 5 in the morning. In short, I’m crazy happy to tell you about anything and everything and I can’t wait for you to read it and to relive all these moments with me. Are you ready? Yes? Then let’s jump right in, shall we?

Day 3

As I mentioned in my previous post, Sziget couldn’t have been more perfect than it was. It was an absolute dream come true and I’d do lots of crazy, crazy things to be able to go back and do it all over again. And Day 3 especially. The moment I woke up that day, I knew that exciting things were ahead. Because it was the day I’d finally be seeing Marty again, after a year. Some of you might know that ever since seeing him live for the very first time in 2015, also at Sziget, I’ve been to one of his shows every single year. It’s become a full-on tradition now. It’s become my thing to see him every year. And I couldn’t wait for the fifth time, especially because of the fact that it was at Sziget. Our five-year-anniversary and at Sziget, just like the first time. It was bound to be perfect. And on top of that, it was also STMPD-Day, so after Marty’s show, his label would be taking over a stage for the rest of the night and I was so ready for that.

So, as soon as my mum and I got on the island, we once again went for a little walk around the island and went to the beach (yes, the festival even has its own beach). There weren’t many acts on for us to see, so we still had some time left to just wander around, do some people-watching, visit the funfair again and get some food. Again, I need to mention that the whole festival is an absolute paradise and crazy beautiful. I love it with my whole heart.

At about 4 pm we walked over to the Volt Stage to see Wild Front, who I was super excited for, as I had already seen them at the beginning of the year in Brighton at a teeny-tiny venue. As you can imagine, it was pretty cool to see this small band play at my favourite festival. I don’t know, it just felt like some part of Brighton was visiting me there. And obviously, they were absolutely fantastic. If you haven’t heard of them, you should definitely go and check them out – here’s the link to their youtube channel. And after seeing them, it was already time for us to head to main stage and to get ready for Marty. Just like in 2015, mum and I wanted to save ourselves a spot at the second barrier, so no one would be jumping around in front of us. So we waited, about 3 hours, but unfortunately, at first, we didn’t really get a good spot for us to stay at. There was no way we would be able to see anything if we weren’t right at the front – I don’t know what happened this year, but somehow all the other festivalgoers seemed to have grown way more than us. They were all so freaking tall. But, obviously, it wasn’t the time to give up. So while my mum stayed at our spot and watched 6lack (some kind of rapper/RnB artist), I went over to another stage to check out Gang of Youths and then go on the hunt for a good spot. And guess what, we really managed to get front row, right at the barrier and I think even at the exact same spot we were in 2015. It was quite emotional, to be honest.

So we waited through Tove Lo, who we had both already seen at a Coldplay gig, and then it was finally time for Marty to come on stage. I was so hyped up, not only because I would be seeing Marty again, but also because I would finally be seeing his ANIMA show. Every year Marty and his team premiere a new show at ADE and then work with it until the next year. And this year, it was the ANIMA tour and as for all the pictures and videos I had seen online, I was more than ready to finally experience it all myself. See it with my own eyes. Feel it with my own body. And mentally bow down to Gabe Fraboni and Lorenzo de Pascalis and the rest of the team for creating something as genius and beautiful as this.

When I look back at how the whole show went down, I still can’t believe that I really got to experience all of it. For me, it actually started as soon as Tove Lo had left the stage and they started to build Marty’s set-up. Because that’s when his team came out. And when I got to see Gabe. I couldn’t believe my eyes. As some of you might know, I don’t just listen to Marty’s music and go to his shows. I watch his videos, behind the scenes clips, heck, I even watched the movie he was in. Usually, when I’m a really big fan of someone, it’s the most important part for me to familiarize myself with the whole team and not just the band. I basically want to know everything and everyone. And Marty’s team was no exception. So I haven’t just been a fan of Marty since 2015, but his whole team. Of Gabe, Louis, Lorenzo, Damien, everyone. And just the simple fact of actually being able to watch Gabe prepare for the show, set up the lasers and get everything ready cranked up my excitement by a thousand. It was all really happening.

And it didn’t just end there. Gabe (Marty’s show/creative director) wasn’t the only one who was there. I saw Louis (his photographer) and Watse (his manager) and then his mum came around and Julian (one of his closest friends and also DJ) and some of his other friends and I can’t even begin to tell you how happy I was at that very moment when I saw his whole team come together. All the people I had watched clips of for years were suddenly all there. And because of his mum and his friends, it felt like it wasn’t just another show, it felt like a family event, something very personal and special.

Obviously, my excitement peaked as soon as Marty came on stage. It felt so good to finally see him again and hear his music. And god damn, the show was absolutely mind-blowing. It was really out of this world. I remember once hearing Gabe say that ANIMA was their best show to this day and, wow, he wasn’t exaggerating. There were fireworks and lasers and breathtaking background clips and the phenomenal music and then the team handed out glowsticks so the whole crowd turned into a huge rainbow and it was all so perfect. And Martijn just looked so good. Holy moly. I felt like I was in a dream, like it all was way too perfect to be real. But it was really happening. I was really there, having the time of my life. And once in a while I turned around and looked at the back tower where the mixing board was and where Gabe was working his magic and just watched him do his work. Watched Marty’s mum dance a bit. And I might just add that one point, Louis was suddenly standing right in front of us, taking pictures of the crowd and I couldn’t believe my eyes. I mean, I literally have his photography book at home and now he was standing right in front of me. I was shook.

Altogether, I can just say that the show was freaking fantastic. I danced and jumped and laughed and cried more than once and I felt so at home and happy, I never wanted it to end. Marty is just such a phenomenal artist and live act, I could go to his shows every single day and I wouldn’t get bored. If you ever get the chance, I highly recommend going to one of his shows. You won’t regret it, I swear. And I loved Marty’s energy. You might know that about two months ago, he had to have an operation on his foot and then wear a plaster until about two weeks ago. I bet it still hurt a bit, but he fought through it like a trooper and just jumped around on one foot. Talk about being absolutely adorable. And he also looked so happy. And I was so happy that he was happy. In short, the field was packed with happiness.

But that actually wasn’t the highlight of the day. No no. The highlight happened when the show had already ended. You should’ve seen me at the end when Marty played his last song. I cried so freaking much, but not because I was sad, but because I was just so happy and full of gratitude and love. First I had watched his mum film the crowd from the tower during the last part of the show. And then after Marty had left the stage, everyone came up to Gabe and they all hugged and clapped and celebrated and by witnessing all of that, I felt like I was part of that too. Like I was seeing something very special. I cried so much, I think my mum was actually weirded out a bit, but in a good way. I mean, she knows me and she let me hug her very tightly and shed a few tears on her shoulder, so it should be fine. And then she followed me through the crowd, because, obviously, now that the team was packing up all their stuff, I had to try and get a closer look while they were still here. So I dragged her back to the tower and there he still was, Gabe, the first one to show up and the last one to leave. And I just stood there, looking up at the tower, watching him. But, you know me, obviously I had to say something. I don’t even know what got into me, I just knew that I probably would never get the chance again to talk to him. So I went up to the barrier and called his name. And what happened then is basically the cutest thing ever. He had his back facing me and then turned around when he heard me, but at first he didn’t know who had called his name, so I called again and then he looked at me and suddenly the biggest grin spread across his face. I’m sure I must have looked like a total mess who had just cried her eyes out, but I was smiling at him nonetheless. So we grinned at each other and I shouted how amazing the show had been and thanked him for everything and he thanked me back and smiled. And although the whole interaction probably lasted for about 30 seconds, it felt like an eternity for me. But it didn’t end there.

After having packed up everything, he came down from the tower and proceeded to head to the stage and then backstage, which meant he had to walk past us. You can probably guess what happened then. Of course I had to walk up to him and talk to him. And he was literally the nicest guy ever. I again told him how much I had enjoyed the show and thanked him for his work. And then mum took pictures of us, which turned out to be the cutest pictures in existence. And then he left, but not without taking the time to talk to everyone who was waiting for him. I wonder if it feels weird for him that Marty’s fans know him as well and want to have a chat with him. That he has his own fans too. I just hope that he knows that he’s an absolute genius and that ANIMA is a total masterpiece and that there’s a reason why people adore his work. Meeting and talking to him was the definite highlight of my week at Sziget, because, for me, he’s an absolute role model when it comes to believing in your own work and talent and to working your butt off to create something you can be proud of. And I never thought I’d ever get to meet him, but it truly happened and I’ll be forever grateful for that (after I’ve finally realized that it wasn’t just a dream).

After that, being all high on happiness and emotions, mum and I headed to the STMPD stage. The plan was to at least stay there until 4 am, so we could also see Julian, aka DJ Julian Jordan, so we knew that we had a long night coming up. But a fun one. I remember when Sziget announced that Marty would be playing again, the next thing I was hoping for was a STMPD stage. And I’m still so grateful that that dream really came true as well.

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

Wild Front
Grace Carter
6lack
Tove Lo
Martin Garrix
Bart B More
Mercer
Justin Mylo
TV Noise
Julian Jordan

I don’t think I have to mention that the whole night was absolute craziness. At one point, mum and I were even sitting on the ground in this huge tent, leaned against a pillar and having the music blasted into our ears at 3 am. Yes, we were tired, but I can promise you that we couldn’t have been in a better mood. All the acts were absolutely fantastic and I’m so glad I got to see them all. Also, at this point, I have to thank my mum for being basically the best mum ever and a real trooper and for staying with me the whole night. She’s the coolest and I’ll be forever thankful that she endured hours over hours of EDM music, that she’s not even the biggest fan of, just for me and just so that I could see all these acts and be happy. Mum, you’re the best. And I love you.

I went to bed at a quarter to 6 am that night (morning?). It’s the longest we have ever been at any festival and although I had little to no voice nor hearing the next day (which I will tell you all about in my next post on Monday), it was all totally worth it, because it had been such an epic night that I’ll never ever forget. Even the walk home was magical. The sun was just coming up, the sky turned into beautiful shades of pink and orange and I introduced my mum to the sunrise, as they hadn’t seen each other for a long time. Altogether, it was an absolutely unforgettable day/night and I loved and cherished every single second of it. And I can’t even put into words how much I miss Marty and his team already. I can’t wait to see them all again soon (hopefully).

And yeah, that’s basically the whole third day of Sziget. I’m sorry this post ended up being quite lengthy, but I just had to share all these phenomenal memories with you, guys, so I hope you still enjoyed reading all about them. Being able to share all of this with you means a lot to me, so thanks if you’ve made it this far. As always, 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

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

Let’s go to Paradise

Hola everyone.

And welcome to another Monday. I hope you’re all doing good and that you had an amazing weekend. I for my part am pretty tired and sore because I went climbing yesterday with my parents, which, despite me having no strength left at all, was absolutely fantastic and so much fun. But even more so, I am honestly in the best mood ever right now, because now, in two days, I’ll already be getting ready in our hotel in Budapest to go to Sziget. In two freaking days. I can’t believe it. And as my excitement is that big, I thought I’d tell you a bit about this phenomenal festival – or how I like to call it, the Disneyland for music lovers.

If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you’ll probably know what Sziget is, as I basically never shut up about it. It was my very first festival I ever attended, back in 2015, and, without exaggeration, I fell in love with it the moment my mum and I got there. It really felt like a dream, stepping onto this island full of exciting music and fantastic people. God, I loved it so much. And ever since then my mum and I have been trying to find a reason to go back every single year (sometimes the not so well-fitting lineups hindered us). We just adore it so much. And now, in 2019, the festival finally gave us another reason, after last year, to once again step back into paradise. And this time for a whole week. Yes, you read that right. A whole week. I would be lying if I said that I’m not a teeny tiny bit nervous about the one-week aspect, simply because I know how draining festivals can be. But in a good way, obviously. Once you’re a bit deaf and sound a bit croaky, that’s when you’ve reached the good kind of exhaustion. Exhaustion that comes from music and happiness.

And I have to say, this year’s lineup is basically the organisers thinking “who would Laura like to see the most?” and then booking those very same people. I mean, come on. Ed, Marty, Twenty One Pilots, The 1975, Florence and The Machine, Kodaline, Catfish and the Bottlemen and Boy Pablo? Might as well just put everyone from my favourites playlist on. It’s absolutely crazy. Especially as Ed, Marty and TOP are my all-time top three and now I’m really going to see all of them within the space of one week. Absolutely mind-blowing. I get happy/nervous tingles whenever I think about it. I’m just so damn excited, holy moly.

Obviously, as soon as I get back, I’ll tell you everything about the whole week. And I’ll of course also include the ultimate highlight, the one high note the whole trip will end on – my tattoo appointment. I’m not going to lie, I really tend to forget about it, simply because the whole week at Sziget in itself is so sensational that the prospect of getting a new tattoo on top is on the verge of being too much. In the best way ever, obviously, but still. And do you want to know what the best part about that is? I’ll get the tattoo, which is inspired by the one and only Twenty One Pilots, not even 24 hours after having seen them live. If that’s not the cherry on top, then I don’t know what is. Also, my mum and I want to try to get as close to the front as possible for their set on Tuesday, so I might just get to hold Ty with the very same arm I’ll get the tattoo on. Doesn’t that sound absolutely perfect? I’m already so in love with the idea. Watch me wait for hours at the front in the glaring sun just to hold him up during Trees. It would totally be worth it though, let’s be honest. The whole week will be an absolute dream, I can already tell. Can’t wait.

You can probably guess that I, unfortunately, won’t be able to post anything until Monday in two weeks, as I’ll be at Sziget. But you can already put down the date on your calendars guys because that post will be a hell of a ride. A “Sziget was freaking unbelievable / I held Ty’s hand / look at my new tattoo” hell of a ride. And I can’t wait to write it and for you to read it. But until then, let Sziget and the most fantastic week come around and regarding all of you guys, I wish you lovely two weeks and thanks for reading. x