happiness – Page 6 – that lemon life

Nothing But Them

Hola everyone.

And welcome back to my blog and another Friday. I hope you’ve all had a great week and that you’re looking forward to the weekend. Usually, at this point, I’d be starting to tell you all about my favourite songs of 2019, but I have to interrupt the usual program for an important announcement – Bombay Bicycle Club are back and have just released their album and I need to talk about it.

First of all, I have to explain why this album and this band’s comeback means so much to me. At the end of 2016, Spotify recommended a song called “Shuffle” by the band Bombay Bicycle Club to me and I, unsurprisingly, fell absolutely in love with it. And the band in general. That was the good part. But then I found out that I had been too late, too late for this amazing band that had broken up a few months before I stumbled over and into them. To put it short, I was devastated. For years I had been on the safe side, but now even I had found the one band that I had been too late for. The one band I was sure I’d never get to hear new music from, never get to see live.

Fast forward to this week’s Wednesday: I’m leaning against the barrier in the tiny Concorde 2 in Brighton, excitedly chatting to my friend Lauren with the prospect of seeing Bombay Bicycle Club live for the very first time. Even now, two days later, it feels like an absolute dream, like it never really happened. But it did. I was really there, dancing around in the front row of this small venue to the fantastic Bombay Bicycle Club. Needless to say that I teared up to all their old songs, the ones that have been accompanying me for several years, and cheered to all the new ones that I’ve been longing for for so long.

And now, after all this time, their new album “Everything Else Has Gone Wrong” is finally out and it’s both everything I’ve always wished for and a total surprise. A lot has changed, but Bombay still sounds like Bombay, with addictive guitar strokes, energetic beats, and enchanting lyrics. Somehow, their music has become more intense, the lyrics more direct, perfectly transporting the overall theme of finding comfort in music in troubled times. And with the beautiful “Racing Stripes” as the closing track of the album, the LP really does feel like a big, tight hug. One you definitely want to come back to again and again.

If I had to choose my favorites, it would definitely be “Eat, Sleep, Wake (Nothing But You)”, the first song to see the light of day after their hiatus, the amazing “I Can Hardly Speak”, the lovely “Do You Feel Loved”, which is pure heaven live, and the intense “Let You Go”, a track that feels more like an adventurous journey than a song. Obviously, this doesn’t mean that the remaining songs are any less amazing than my favourites, to be honest, I actually feel like this list of preferred tracks is bound to change about every day. And that just underlines how great this album truly is.

Concluding, I can only recommend giving this album a listen, you won’t regret it, I swear. A year ago, I never thought I’d ever be able to say that I’ve just listened to the new Bombay Bicycle Club album and that I was able to see them live. But now all of these things have come true and I really can’t believe it. And to make things perfect, I’m also going to see them again on the 7th of February. Life is beautiful, truly. And to Bombay, I can only say – welcome back, guys. Please stay this time, we missed you.

As always, I’d be super happy to hear from you guys, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch and share your opinion. I’d love to hear what you think about the album. Also, I hope you enjoyed this post and wish you all a great weekend. And, of course, thanks for reading. x

A trip to another world

Hola everyone.

How are you all doing on this wonderful Monday? I hope you’re feeling good. I, on my behalf, am feeling absolutely fantastic. The past few days couldn’t have been any better. I went down to Brighton with my friend on Saturday, had the best last shift at work yesterday and tomorrow I’ll be seeing Tom (Rosenthal, duh) for a special Christmas gig. And, let’s not forget, I’ll be on my way home in two days. Absolute perfection. And also, another thing I did last week, which is also the reason for today’s post, is that I visited the Natural History Museum here in London with my friend Lauren. And oh wow, it was absolutely fantastic. As you can probably guess, I couldn’t resist taking my camera with me to snap some pictures, which I can’t wait to share with you today.

Before we get into the mass beautiful black and white shots, here’s a walkthrough of the whole experience. For a start – I walked in and immediately felt like I had stepped into Disneyland. I’m not even joking. Because, hear me out, there was this huge escalator right at the entrance that disappeared into a planet-like orb at the top. Have any of you ever been to Disneyland and seen the Space Mountain roller coaster? Because this might as well have been the entrance to that. I was amazed. And after that little “ride” on that escalator (HA), the museum continued to blow me away with every single part of the exhibition. There were an earthquake simulator, glass cases full of twinkling diamonds and gems, too many to count them, the skeleton of a whale and even a complete model of the moon floating in the middle of a room. All in all, it was absolutely magical and I enjoyed every second of it. Not to mention that just the plain sensation of walking through the beautiful building was absolutely incredible. I couldn’t help but feel like I had just entered Hogwarts as we walked into the main hall.

If you ever get the chance to visit the museum, I can only highly recommend it. It’s so much fun and really damn interesting. And, on top of that, it’s a treat for your wallet, because it’s completely free. What is there not to love about that? But yeah, until then I hope you enjoy reading about my little adventure and the pictures down below. As always, I would 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 week and thanks for reading. x

Until the sun comes up

Hola everyone.

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Romantics

Hola everyone.

How are we all doing on this beautiful Monday? I hope so far you’ve had a great day and that the past weekend has been nice. I, on my behalf, am pretty good, thank you. I’m currently juggling uni, work and free time, but I can’t complain, as I think that, besides missing my family and my pets and my home in general, I couldn’t be any happier than I am right now. My time here in London has been the absolute best so far. I can’t even believe that it’s not even been two months since I moved here. It feels like I’ve been part of this city for such a long time. But that’s probably thanks to Brighton and just my overall situation. I feel right where I am. And I love it more than I could ever describe.

And speaking of that – this is also what I wanted to talk to you guys about today. Love. Or parts of it, at least. You know, I think nowadays it’s very hard or difficult for people to believe in love, to put their soul and trust into it. Although it’s the one constant in our life that surrounds us every single day, and we might not even notice it. Because love isn’t just what two partners feel for each other. It’s shared between family members, parents and their children, friends, grannys and their cats (or in my case, me and my babies). We might not think of these kinds of love as true love, but it is, just another version of it. I for my part am a hundred percent certain that there isn’t any bigger form of love than the one shared between parents and their kids. My mum once told me that I’m the reason for her to be on this earth (I’m trying very hard to not tear up at this part) and, in all honesty, I can’t imagine there’s any deeper version of love than this. At least in my opinion.

Ever since I can remember, I’ve always been a romantic. A hopeless one, to be exact. I want all of it. The cheesy gestures. Tons of butterflies. Sweaty, nervous, shaky hands. Throwing pebbles at windows. Finding a bunch of flowers on the doorstep. Goodnight and good morning texts. The whole deal. I’ve always been in love with the idea of true love, which is funny, as I’m one of the people who unfortunately have never been a recipient of such cheesy gestures. And sometimes it gets difficult to not lose hope. But then something happens, you experience or come across something and suddenly it all comes flowing back. And in the case of the past few weeks, that something was a new TV series I found on Amazon. Which is exactly what I wanted to share with you today. I know, what a dramatic way to introduce a TV show, but I felt like being a bit emotional and dramatic.

The show I’m talking about is called “Modern Love” and The New York Times fans among you will probably recognize that name from the column of the paper, which is exactly what the show is based on. The episodes embody the cinematic versions of the columns and the absolutely stunning stories that are told in them. And oh my god, I can’t remember the last time when I instantly fell so deeply in love with a series as I did with Modern Love. I adore it to pieces. And actually, I have to thank it as well, because it made me fall in love with love. With true love, in whatever form and between whoever. And it made me happy. So so happy.

The show itself features eight episodes with eight different love stories that explore this very phenomenal feeling in its multitude of forms – including sexual, romantic, familial, platonic, and self-love. They only have two things in common – all of them revolve and happen in the beautiful New York and all of them depict a form of love. So far there unfortunately only exists one season, but I’ve got high hopes that there will be another one to come (please please please).

As you can see in the trailer, the show doesn’t just contain super lovely stories but also features uber-fantastic actors and actresses and stunning cinematography. Needless to say that I cried more than just a few times. It’s just too beautiful. And too much for my romantic heart. If I had to choose, I’d probably say that the first two episodes and the seventh one are my favorites ones. All of them touched me in different ways, but these three earned a special place in my heart (especially the first one, just putting that out there).

But, of course, I love all of them. The show is absolutely beautiful and I can only recommend it to any and all of you. Please go and watch it, seriously. You won’t regret it, I swear. Open your heart and let it make you fall in love with love. It’s currently available on Amazon for free if you’ve got Prime, so it’s basically just a click away. You know, the show left me with a feeling of hope that isn’t easy to evoke, so it really is something special. If any of you have already watched it or want to watch it, please don’t hesitate to leave your thoughts and comment down below. I’d love to hear what you thought/think. And until then I hope you enjoyed this post and wish you not only a great week but also lots of fun watching the show (which I hope you’re going to do). And, as always, thanks so much for reading. x

Ps: you can also check out the column on Spotify and on their website.

The Sounds of Heaven

Hola everyone.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What’s up

Hola everyone.

How are we all doing on this beautiful Friday? I hope so far you’ve had a nice week and that you’re looking forward to the weekend. I am definitely. This week has been quite busy, so I’m really excited to just relax for a bit. Actually, this is what I wanted to talk to you guys about today. Quite some time has passed since my last update post and since I just sat down and chatted to you guys for bit, told you what’s happening in my life and how living in London has turned me into a whole new person (I’m only kidding, obviously). So, why not get straight into it?

This Sunday, on the 20th of October, it will, in all honesty, as much as I can’t believe it, be my first anniversary of living here in London. One month. I think this month has actually been the shortest of my whole life. Feels like a week. But at the same time, it feels like I’ve been here for ages, simply because of all the things that I’ve already done and that have happened. Concert season officially started two weeks, opened up by the fantastic band Inhaler, who were, as always and unsurprisingly, absolutely fantastic. They played at this tiny venue in Camden, which was sold out, of course. But you could really tell that they are one of those bands to keep an eye on right now. Also, the freakiest thing ever happened. Not only was one of the actors from the show Discovery of Witches (and I think he’s in Killing Eve as well) standing right in front of my friend and me in the crowd – his name is Edward Bluemel if you want to look him up. But when the gig had ended, after a few minutes of us waiting for the space to clear up and maybe another celebrity popping up out of nowhere, Noel freaking Gallagher walked past us. Yes, the Oasis dude. That one, yep. I couldn’t believe it. I mean, I was not even close to being as excited as my friend, who I think had a hard time trying not to squeal, but, I mean, it’s Oasis. Everyone knows Oasis. Everyone loves Wonderwall. And that guy literally just stood in front of us for so damn long. And nobody even cared. It was the coolest and most surreal experience.

The next gig I went to was actually just a few days ago – The Academic at Scala. I mean, what can I say. I just love those guys. It was such a fun gig. And on top of their whole amazingness, it was even Craig’s, their lead singer’s birthday, which made it all even more special. Again, another sold out gig, which didn’t surprise me at all. They deserve to play sold out shows, they really do. If any of you ever get the chance to see them, I’d totally recommend you checking them out. They’re worth it, trust me.

What I’m not counting as going to gigs though are all the shows I’ve been to the past few weeks due to my work. Yes, I did actually manage to get a job, within the first week I had moved here, to be exact, which I’m still incredibly proud of. I now work at a fantastic venue here in London, which I’m incredibly happy about. I wouldn’t say it’s the most chill job, but it’s definitely worth it. And I just love being in that space. There’s great music and everyone is happy and celebrating this phenomenal form of art. I love it.

And yeah, besides that, nothing much has been going on. Uni has been absolutely amazing so far, which I’m very happy about. Our cat here at home, Maisy, has officially become my new roommate, as she basically spends all her time in my room when she’s not eating or outside in the garden. I’m not going to lie, that’s actually one of the most prominent reasons why I love our place so much. I mean, I basically own a cat here. A cat. Me. The personification of love for cats. I’m the granny with 20 cats. That’s me right there. Although, I have to admit that it sometimes does make me miss Peaches, my baby, even more. I’ll be going home for the Christmas break again this year, so I’ll be seeing her and the rest of my lovely family again in less than two months, which I’m already so excited about. As much as I love being here in London, basically living (in) my dream, I’d still do everything to be able to shrink my house and my family and just bring them with me. But that’s the price I had to pay for this. And I can still “see” them whenever we facetime, so at the end of the day, it’s all good.

So, all in all, so far the month here in London has been absolutely stunning. I still haven’t fully reached the level of realization that I now really live here, but that’s alright. Maybe I’ll be walking around in Soho in one or two months and then it will hit me and I’ll burst into happy tears and everyone will think I’m crazy. Oh well. In the end, I again have to thank my family for making all of this happen. This is absolutely unbelievable and I feel like the luckiest person in the universe.

But, now, enough from me. What about you guys? Are you all doing good? How has life been? Please don’t hesitate to send me a message if you want to chat or leave your comments and thoughts down below. As always, I hope you enjoyed this little update and wish you an amazing weekend. And, of course, thanks for reading. x