Tag: london

What Now?

Hola everyone.

Well, where do I start? It’s been a tough few days and weeks and I’m probably not alone in asking myself when this hell of a time will finally end. I was actually planning on publishing a recent interview I did with the amazing LA indie band HUNNY back when I was still in London, but I thought an update would probably be a bit more beneficial. So here’s what’s been happening here in Austria and also in my own headspace.

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Let’s start with something positive first, as all I’ve been surrounded by in the past few weeks have been bad news and I can’t deal with them anymore. I’m officially 24 and 3 days old. Yeeeeeyyyyy me. That’s one thing this asshat of a virus couldn’t take away from me – my birthday. And despite all that’s been happening, it was actually a super nice day. Take that, Corona, you pain the ass. The whole day was dedicated to forgetting about the current events as much as possible and it really worked, which made me insanely happy. I spent a lovely day with my parents and even got to see my grandma (in a safe way, obvs) and just two days ago I had my Skype birthday party with my friends. Because that’s how you party in 2020 – via facetime. A few weeks ago I would’ve probably said that was quite lame, but it actually was really really nice to see all my friends and to have a chat together. Also, I got myself an amazing birthday present – an Olympus XA2 film camera, which I can’t wait to finally get my hands on.

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Besides that, I’ve been stuck on a shitty, emotional rollercoaster since I came home about two weeks ago (feels like I’ve been home five months, not two weeks). One day I’m feeling okay and pretty optimistic and then a few hours later I seem to have lost every sense of positivity. It’s a constant up and down. But through all of this, I’ve learned to accept my own feelings and to work with them. I feel like right now many people look down on people who are complaining about missing out on experiences, holiday trips, birthday parties, weddings, all that. Because it’s constantly about the greater good, about saving lives. And of course, that’s the top priority right now. But sometimes it’s also okay to feel depressed, to have negative thoughts, to be sad or simply to be egoistic. Because trust me when you’re stuck in the same house for over two weeks with nowhere else to go or nothing else to do, your world gets really small really quick.

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And yes, I’ve been feeling very anxious. I don’t know when or if I’ll ever be able to return to London and my old life. And I’ve told many people about my worries and have often heard that I need to accept the current situation and that there’s nothing I can do, but fuck that, honestly. Do you know what it feels like to live your literal dream life, to build a new life up somewhere else, a completely new place, and have it be this perfect and then have it ripped out of your hands in a matter of a few minutes? It’s shit, that’s what it is. And I know some of you might think I’m insane for saying stuff like this out loud because I should probably tell you to #stayathome and pray or tell you who I’m staying at home for or tell you how dramatic the situation is in Italy and that nobody should complain even once, but, again, fuck that. Quite a lot of us are losing quite a lot right now, by the simple act of staying at home for longer than any of us have ever had to in the past and it should be allowed to talk about it. People are losing to illnesses that have been here way longer than this virus has. People can’t watch their children being born. Happy couples had to cancel their weddings. People are losing jobs on a daily basis. My mum had to close her office and put her whole company on hold two weeks ago with no information about when she’ll be able to work again and little to no support from the government. My dad works at a bank and still has to go to work every day, risking his life and the lives of others day by day (although I’d do quite a lot to be able to go outside and see other people right now). And then there’s me with no idea when I’ll be able to return to London, my second home, again.

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So, every day has become a huge ass question mark, which is just another reason why I’ve started to live from one day to another. I’ve stopped making plans for anything, because I’d rather have no plans than having yet another event canceled that I was looking forward to (*cough* any concerts ever *cough*). And besides that, it has also kinda helped me to stay positive. Daily walks have become my highlight of the day. I’ve buried myself in a book I’ve been reading (The Nightingale; it’s fantastic, but definitely not for someone looking for a light, fun read) and I’ve actually resurrected my Nintendo DS and have been playing Harvest Moon in my urge of getting my mind off buying a Switch so I can play Animal Crossing, like 90 % percent of the internet right now (I’m so damn close to buying it though). And on a more artistic note, I’ve recently started drawing again, which has really helped me calm down when I’m feeling anxious. And cuddling with my loved ones, that’s a big one as well. Cuddle and hold your parents and anyone you’re stuck inside with right now. Talk to your friends. Go and press your cat or dog to your face. It really helps.

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In a nutshell, that’s what my life has been like in the past two weeks. It has been just as chaotic as this blog post right here. I go from straight-up positivity to the darkest of times in a matter of a few hours day by day, but I know I’m not alone in this and that kinda helps. I guess we’re all in this together. So let’s just try and be kind to each other. But as I’ve sworn myself, please promise me to never disregard your own feelings. It’s okay if you’re feeling down or feel like there’s nothing to get up for. Or if you’re feeling happy while people around you aren’t. Your feelings are important and so are you. Please know that. The only thing I want you to remember is that there’s always something or someone to get out of bed for and it might not seem like it right now, but a smile is always better than nothing. Go and spread positivity in any way possible. And if the news are getting too much for you, just turn them off. Do what makes you feel good.

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Please take care of yourself, guys. Again, we’re all in this together and we’ll get through this together. I’m sending you all tight hugs from my living room in Austria and hope you’re all doing good, as good as you can. If any of you feel like talking, I’m always here for you. And until then, thanks for listening to my rambling and, of course, thanks for reading. x

A walk through London

Hola everyone.

What a scary, uncertain place the world has become, huh? I can only imagine how some of you must be feeling right now, but I hope that you’re doing good, given the circumstances. I’m currently back home in Austria and waiting for this weird apocalyptic sci-fi movie that we’re currently stuck in to finally start rolling down its credits so I can leave the cinema.

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I’m going to be honest, before I got here, there was this point where I was debating whether I should stay in London or go home, but I decided that if shit was really going to go down, I’d rather be at home with my family. But I’m not going to lie, I really miss London and its normality of life. I mean, who knows what the situation is going to be like in a few days’ time, but for now I have to say I really enjoyed the stability this probably very mental and kinda dangerous dealing with this virus gave me. I’m just hoping everything will be back to normal again in a few weeks (hopefully even days), so I can go see my friends and celebrate my birthday. Maybe even go on that holiday to the south of France we booked before everything went downhill. And, naturally, so we can all continue with our usual lives and people can start feeling better again. I feel like we had to reach a point where we all had to fight for something together (besides the survival of our planet) and I think that time has come now.

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All I can say out of my current situation is that if you are planning on staying at home for a while, nothing is more important than your mental and physical health. I mean, that’s always the case, but especially now. I’m trying my best to keep away from any dramatic news to not make myself feel anxious and to just keep focusing on the bright side. I’ve been spending a lot of time with my parents and my pets, texting my friends, going for walks, but also taking some time for myself, because me-time is just as important as the time you spend with other people. So, look after yourself and your loved ones, do some exercise, cook something delicious and watch that movie you’ve been wanting to watch for weeks. Now’s the time. And please please please don’t give in to the panic. And – I feel a bit weird saying this, but I think it’s important – don’t go and buy more than you need. Toilet paper won’t keep you healthy, so just buy what you need. We’re in this together, so let’s make it the easiest it can be, yeah?

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In the light of current events, I’ve made it my mission to spread happiness and love and a bit of sun and that’s exactly what I want to do today. Before I flew home, I spent one of my last days in London with my friend Lauren. Surprisingly, it had been a beautiful, warm, spring-ish kind of day, so we decided to make the most of it and go for a walk. In the end, it turned out to be more than just a short walk and more like a stroll through a quarter of the city – over twelve kilometers in total – and I can’t even describe how glad I am that we did this. Walking along the canal, through Camden and Little Venice, and seeing all these new places while the sun kept lighting up our faces felt like a holiday trip. I absolutely loved it. And as it was such a nice day, I had decided to take my camera with me and the pictures I took are what I wanted to share with you today.

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Most of them depict the beautiful nature we came across during our walk, some buildings are in there as well and of course the overall theme is just the immense beauty of London. What a dream. Please enjoy.

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And yeah, that’s it. Please don’t forget to share your thoughts down below and if you feel like talking, I’m here. Before all of this started to go downhill, I was actually planning on taking a break from blogging during the time I’m home, but now that I will have a lot more free time, I’ll try my best to keep the blog updated. I know we’re all collectively struggling right now, so I’m sure you’ll understand. Also, I know this is a difficult time, but I’m convinced that we can fight this together. Again, please look after yourself and everybody around you and let’s just try to get through this as one. We can do it. Please stay safe everyone and I wish you all a lovely week. Thanks for reading. x

Meet Vincent

Hola everyone.

How are you all doing on this beautiful Monday? Another week, another new start, am I right? Actually, this is the last Monday I’ll be spending in London for over a month, as I’m flying home for my birthday and the Easter holidays on Saturday. And then, when I’m back, I’ll have about two months here and then summer will have come and my second year at BIMM will end. I’m sure the last year at uni will go by just as quickly as this one. And then it will be time for me to get a job and become a real adult. Ugh.

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But hey, let’s not think about that just now and worry about stuff that’s still in the future. Because, right now, I’m doing absolutely fantastic and I don’t think I could be doing any better. This is partly because of me living in London, basically the greatest city ever, and my amazing friends here and all the crazy, exciting stuff we do. And today, I’d like to show you some pictures of one of the events I went to with my very good friend Lauren a few days ago. It was beautiful. Please enjoy.

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As some of you might know, I’m a huge fan of art and painters, especially Monet and Van Gogh, and whenever there’s a chance for me to go to a museum or some cool art installation, you can bet that I’ll be there. So when I saw a few months ago that there would be a special Van Gogh exhibition coming to London, I immediately added it to my list of things I wanted to do in the city. And after a bit of a wait, it was finally time for us to the step into the magnificent world of Vincent Van Gogh.

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I’m not going to lie, it was pretty amazing and unlike anything I have ever seen. I don’t want to completely spoil it for you, as some of you might want to go and as I would totally recommend doing that too, so I’ll just say that the exhibition lets you get to know Van Gogh unlike any other museum or exhibition I’ve ever been to. It truly is absolutely magnificent. And if you go see it, don’t forget to take your camera with you, because there will be multiple occasions where you will want to take a picture, trust me. And speaking of that, here are some of my favourite pictures that I took that day. Some were taken on my camera, some with my phone. But all of them are fantastic and I’m so incredibly happy that we got to go to the exhibition. What a wonderful experience.

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And with that, we’ve already come to the end of today’s post. I hope you enjoyed reading about the exhibition and my pictures. If you’re interested in the installation or just want to find out more about it, here’s the link to the website. As always, I’d love to hear your opinions, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch. And until then I wish you all a great week and thanks for reading. x

I’m officially old

Hola everyone.

And welcome back to my blog and also another week. I hope you all had a lovely weekend and that you’re feeling great. As you can read from the title, today’s post is going to be a different one. And no, I’m not having a crisis, but only stating the plain and true facts. But let me explain…

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I’m officially old, guys. But not in the way you’re thinking. Yes, I’ll be 24 in just about three weeks (don’t talk to me about that please and thank you), but that’s not old. And no, I’m not telling myself that over and over again to keep my heart rate steady. I am fine. The thing that’s putting me off at the moment is that, for the first time ever, I felt too old to be at a gig. Yes, I am talking about the Cavetown gig I went to last Saturday. I felt like I had landed on some weird planet that was full of little kids with kazoos. And I didn’t understand a thing that was going on. At one point, there was a duet happening with – and I’m not making this up – an imaginary character from Animal Crossing. I mean… what?

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But it’s not like I wasn’t expecting it to be that way. For those of you who don’t know Cavetown, he’s a British singer-lad, who currently is 21, but who, from what I saw last weekend, is also trying really hard to not be an adult. And I’m not criticizing him for that in any way, because, clearly, it’s working. Selling out Shepherd’s Bush surely isn’t easy, so props to him. The thing is, he is incredibly talented, but he looks and sounds, and sometimes also acts like a kid. Again, not hating on him here, just recalling my experience. Maybe I was also just the wrong person to attend the gig. From what I could find out, his main fanbase is mostly between 14 and 19 years old. I am clearly about 5 years too old for him then. But I can’t even say that I didn’t enjoy the gig. To be honest, I’d actually say I loved it to bits, but maybe not in the way many others did that night.

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In short – my friend Lauren and I had a blast. We stood there, didn’t understand a thing of what was happening, were clearly confused when suddenly a huge teddybear named Patrick Stewart was brought on stage for emotional support, but nonetheless, we turned that evening into one of the funniest nights ever. And you know when something is so cute that it’s getting a bit too much, but you can’t be mad at it, because, yes, it’s still cute? That’s what that whole evening was like. Robin (Cavetown) is just the real personification of Peter Pan. An incredibly talented Peter Pan. At least that’s what I got from it.

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My favourite part of the whole night – besides finally getting to see HUNNY live as Cavetown’s support – was probably the end of the gig (no, I don’t mean it like what you think, I’m not that mean), when they played the concert-ending track. You know, with bands like Twenty One Pilots or The 1975 you get indie or rock songs. Or with Bombay Bicycle Club, you get a fun dance number from the 80s everyone can dance to. And then there’s Cavetown and we got the Wii music. I am not joking, please take this seriously. Yes, the Wii music. I had the time of my life. Nobody can imagine what a blast I had in that moment, with that utterly stupid but fun track playing, kids running around with their kazoos and Lauren looking at me in a way that said “please kill me now”. It doesn’t get better than this.

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But, all jokes aside, it really was a great gig and we really did have a fun night. HUNNY was an amazing support and an even better and funnier group to interview. Cavetown was incredibly talented and I absolutely loved his voice, even more so the stage design which was made up by tons of fairy lights in the background. But, nonetheless, I definitely wasn’t meant to attend that gig. Yes, I saw a lot of parents there, but we all know why most of them were there. I think I’ve just passed the point where I can go to fangirl-packed, kids-filled gigs. And that’s kinda sad, but I feel like also just a natural thing to happen. We all grow up, I guess. But my inner child that loves to dance to the Wii music will stay forever.

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And there you go, guys. That’s my story of being officially old. I hope you like it. As always, please let me know what you think. I wish you all a lovely week and, of course, thanks for reading. x

A night with the club

Hola everyone.

God, it feels like it’s been ages since I posted something. Probably because it literally has been ages. I mean, I know it only has been about two weeks, but it feels way longer than that. Also, I’m very sorry that it has been so long. I’m not even going to come up with any excuses, mostly because I’m currently working on not stressing myself because of everything, especially not my blog, because, in reality, it shouldn’t cause me any stress at all as it is my blog and I have the freedom to decide when I want to post something or not. So, there it is. But still, I’m sorry. I hope you had a great few days though and that you’re doing great.

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Today, finally, I’d like to share something very very very special with you. Those of you who have been following my blog for the past few months and especially the past few weeks will know that I recently had the honour of seeing Bombay Bicycle Club live for the very first time. In, like, ever. But the even more exciting part was that while I was seeing them in this tiny venue in Brighton and later on writing about it on here (click here to read that post), I already knew that I’d be seeing them again shortly after that. Which is exactly what happened last Friday and I just have to tell you all about that fantastic night and unforgettable show.

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First, let me just remind you of the fact that Bombay have been one of my favourite band ever since I found them in 2016, right after their breakup, and I would’ve never thought I would ever get to see them live. But now I’m sitting in my room here in London, with the experience of not only one Bombay gig but two. It’s been a week and I still can’t believe it really happened. That my friend Lauren and I went to Ally Pally and actually managed to get to the front row. That I got to talk to Liz Lawrence, who’s part of their live band, after the show. And that I felt like I had the biggest hangover the next day from all the excessive dancing, singing and screaming (I mean, I’ve never had a real hangover, but I feel like it might feel like how I did that day). That’s how good the gig was. I remember that I couldn’t stop smiling the whole time and that I never wanted it to end. Which, as far as I could tell, was something I shared with the band. They looked so proud and happy. I really loved every moment. And I can’t even begin to describe how happy, excited and damn thankful I am that they’re back. One of the best indie bands ever has finally returned and I couldn’t be any more thrilled about it.

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If any of you get the chance to see these guys live, please do it. Even if you don’t know their old or new songs or any of them – just go for the experience. Maybe you’ll walk out with a new favourite band, you never know. And until then I hope you enjoy me babbling about them, which will probably keep on being a regular part of this blog – I apologise in advance (but really I’m not sorry at all, they’re too good for that).

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As you’ve probably noticed, this would usually be the part where I either continue talking about the gig or end the post, but none of those two things are going to happen. As some of you might have noticed, I’ve recently been proudly sharing my reviews that I write for LDN magazine with you guys, which I also want to do now. As you can guess, I obviously had to write a review of Bombay’s show and I feel like it’s such a nice piece, I’d love for you to read it. So, here you go. I hope you like it (here’s the link to the original) and that you’re doing good, obviously. And yeah, please enjoy and let me know what you think. Until then, I wish you all a fantastic Friday and a lovely weekend and, as always, thanks for reading. x

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Live Review: Bombay Bicycle Club @ Alexandra Palace

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It was a sad day for the world of music when the British indie group Bombay Bicycle Club announced their breakup at the beginning of 2016 after many years of success and fame. For a very long time no one was sure whether they would ever hear from their beloved rockers again, but almost to the day, four years later, news was spread that seemed almost too good to be true: Bombay Bicycle Club are back.

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In addition to the comeback, their fans, who had been waiting for their return all this time, were also blessed with the announcement of a new tour and their fifth album “Everything Else Has Gone Wrong”, which was released on the 17th of January. Even I, who had been hoping for the Londoners to somehow resurface again ever since discovering them at the end of 2016, couldn’t believe my eyes and ears. Suddenly they were back. Hard to believe, since they had been the one band that I had been too late for, the one that I would never get to hear new music from and the one band that I would definitely never have the chance to see live.

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And yet, on a cool Friday evening, I find myself in the big hall that is the ever so famous Ally Pally in London, knowing that Bombay Bicycle Club would be appearing in just a few minutes to play the first gig of their two sold-out nights. A thought that still seems unreal to me while standing in front of the barrier and facing the enormous stage.

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Suddenly there is a loud uproar, followed by a sea of ​​shining, flashing lights that herald the lively start of the evening with “Eat, Sleep, Wake (Nothing But You)”. Their highly anticipated comeback single gives a clear signal that Bombay Bicycle Club still know who they are and where they belong, even after so many years – namely on the stages of this world. Despite the dark undertones of their new material, the live experience lights up the concert hall and is also reflected in the collective proud smiles of the Londoner stars.

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Since this is their comeback tour and also, as told by guitarist Jamie MacColl, the closest they can get to having a hometown show, the crowd is not only gifted with fresh material from their incredibly loved new album, but also with a setlist that gleams through its certain touch of nostalgia. Throughout the whole night, the old is united with the new and in one moment even merged seamlessly. Hits like “Luna”, “Shuffle” and fan favorite “Always Like This” make the crowd bounce and shake like nothing else, while newcomers “I Can Hardly Speak”, “Good Day” and “I Worry About You” offer brief insights into the new record and showcase the growth the band has gone through during their break. Ultimately, the London boys are still the same, with their emotional lyrics, haunting beats, and addictive guitar riffs.

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Given the quality of their show and the magnetism of the band, it comes as no surprise that loud, persistent screams fill up the venue before an electrifying encore and the Brits’ final goodbyes. It’s a special show that marks the beginning of a new era for Bombay. After all this time, they still remain one of the most progressive indie bands of the past decade, delivering every show as if it were their last. Let’s just hope that they really came to stay this time.

An evening with Tom

Hola everyone.

How are you all doing on this – at least here in London – grey and rainy Monday? I hope so far your Monday has been less grey and less rainy than mine. And if it hasn’t, oh well, at least there’s your reason to cuddle up in a blanket and watch a nice movie. Besides that, I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and that you’re looking forward to the upcoming days.

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Today, I thought, would be a nice time to talk a bit about the last Tom Rosenthal gig that I went to at the beginning of December last year – as promised – and share the review with you that I wrote about it for the LDN magazine (click here to check out our website). You all can probably guess that I absolutely loved every single second of the gig – and yes, I did. It was so beautiful and just straight-up lovely, I never wanted the evening to end. Tom never fails to excel even my biggest expectations, while still staying himself and just so down to earth. The crowds have become bigger, but he’s still the same Tom, with his dad jokes, strange concert outfits (this time, specially for the Christmas gig, it was a fluffy jacket that lit up like a colourful Christmas tree) and way too stunning voice. He’s definitely one of those artists that I will never ever stop being in love with and that I could see live over and over again without it ever losing its thrill and excitement. That’s just who Tom is. The perfect talent.

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Because of this, it was an absolute honour for me to write a review of the gig for our magazine. He deserves all the attention he’s receiving and so much more. And I already can’t wait to write more about him. But until then, I hope you guys enjoy this review (see down below) – according to Tom himself it’s a good one, so there you go. And speaking of him, he’s currently doing another small EU + UK tour and you should all definitely go and see him. I’m not even kidding. You’ll miss out on one of the best, loveliest and nicest gigs of your life if you let the chance of seeing him live slip. Really. So, go and see Tom. You won’t regret it, I swear. And on my part, I hope you enjoyed this post. As always, please don’t hesitate to leave your thoughts and comments down below and I wish you all a nice week. And, of course, thanks for reading. Hope you enjoy the review. x

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Live Review: Tom Rosenthal @ Islington Assembly Hall (10.12.2019)

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Tom Rosenthal has always gone a bit against the current. His special style of indie folk-pop has always been very self-contained to mainly acoustic songs that make you dream of long car rides under a starry night sky, but still, they have stayed on the right side of indie cheese. For the past ten years, Tom has continued to make songs that are ridiculously catchy but feel homegrown and more like a tight, warm hug than anything else. And until a series of small-scale 100 capacity gigs at the St Pancras Old Church at the beginning of 2019, most of them used to be cherished secrets, buried deep in the depths of Spotify & Co.

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Today, a few months, a handful of new songs and a whole UK/EU tour later, Tom has come back to London, with an added zero to his sold-out gig at the Islington Assembly Hall. But this where the changes begin and end again. The banner below Tom’s keyboard is still the one made by his wife. His accompaniment still consists of only a single cellist and a guitarist, which again reflects his musical style perfectly: intimate, emotive, and wonderfully personal. And he is still the same Tom Rosenthal, moving seamlessly from existential sorrow to jolly comedy. The haunting harmonies of the oh so popular ‘It’s OK’ make way for the uplifting brightness of fan favorites‘ P.A.S.T.A’, ‘Watermelon’ and ‘Red Red Red’, also known as the ‘fun sing-a-long bit’, where the audience does actually sing along.

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Through the usual dressing of overwhelming emotions, endless smiles and even the odd dance number to the sunny ‘Love Loosens Limbs’, it becomes clear that the true power of Tom’s talent flourishes in his live performances. He jokes that it may have taken him a bit long to finally play his own gigs and thanks the crowd for sharing the evening with him countless times. And as he leaves the stage to rapturous applause, everyone in the small venue silently agrees – Tom Rosenthal has finally arrived and he has come to stay.