love – Page 14 – that lemon life

This is Trench

Hola everyone.

Looks like we’ve come to another Friday, huh? How has your week been? I hope it’s been great. I’m honestly really looking forward to the weekend. And believe it or not, but while I’m writing this, I’m actually sat outside, at the beach. The weather has been close to perfect the past days and it kind of feels like the summer is having a little comeback here in Brighton. And oh yes, I’m more than loving this.

But besides the weekend, there’s something special that I’m even more looking forward to. The music lovers among you, who’ve read the title of this post, will probably already know what I’m about to talk to you guys about. Yes, I have the absolute honor of discussing the hot and new album Trench by the one and only Twenty One Pilots. God, I can’t even begin to tell you how long I’ve been waiting to finally say this. Long. But as the clock struck 12 tonight, the world was blessed with this new album. And I’m not just saying this because I’m a huge fan of Tyler and Josh and their amazing music. No. I’m saying this because those 14 songs on that album are freaking masterpieces. The whole album is a masterpiece. Welcome to Trench.

So, let’s start right at the beginning. Trench is the fifth album by Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun, better known as the band Twenty One Pilots. To be honest, when I heard that they were finally releasing a new album, after their one year long hiatus, I went nuts. You know, TOP aren’t just a band. They are special. Like really special. I’m just gonna go and say that I do know and listen to a lot of bands from different genres. But TOP are on another level, their music isn’t like anything I’ve ever heard before. A statement that became even truer when I heard their very first single Jumpsuit, then Nico and the Niners, Levitate and My Blood. And even more when I got to understand the meaning behind all of these songs. If you want to check out my review of them, where I explain the whole story of Dema and Clancy and what’s it all got to do with a jumpsuit, please click here.

Personally, after listening to those four songs and now the album, I’d say that we’ve all just got to witness TOP moving on to another level and another era. Not just because of the story, but also from the musical point of view. Because on the one hand, Trench gives us the typical sound of TOP that we all love so much, but on the other hand it’s a complete change and surprise. It’s still schizophrenia pop – yep, that’s their own genre, created just for them – but also very different. It’s a total rollercoaster, from start to finish. Genres change within the songs and between them. The rhythms seem very soulful, sometimes even moving towards RnB. There are breathtaking rap parts, followed by tear-jerking violin lines and lyrics that tell you nothing but the truth if you just listen to them closely. That’s what I’ve always loved about TOP and Tyler’s writing – he doesn’t hide anything, he just doesn’t make it too obvious.

But what exactly is Trench? Well, that’s a question that’s not easy to answer – like with most things when it comes to TOP and their music. After researching for hours and hours and listening to and reading the lyrics, I’d say that Trench is far more than just a story about an imaginary city called Dema and a trapped guy called Clancy. At the end, the album is about Tyler and Tyler only. About his ongoing fight with depression and anxiety (Morph), about suicidal thoughts (Chlorine, Cut My Lip), about the death of his grandfather (Legend), his love for his wife Jenna (Smithereens), his struggles as an artist and writer (Pet Cheetah) and about his relationship with the clique, their fanbase (The Hype, Leave the City). Once you look over those mostly cryptic lyrics and acknowledge the deeper meaning of them all, this album becomes a really personal one. This is also why while listening to it for the very first time, I didn’t know what to do with myself as soon as it ended. I had so many different emotions trapped inside me. I felt happy and sad, broken and mended, conflicted and ecstatic. And there were still tears glistening in my eyes, both happy and sad ones. And even after all these hours that have passed since, I still can’t fully get my head around it. It’s just too much. But in the best way ever.

Looking at the songs themselves, I kind of feel it’s really hard to split them from another. They just fit so perfectly and carry the story of the album like a red thread, that it becomes especially impossible to chose a few favorites. I can just tell you which songs had the biggest impact on me during the very first listen: Jumpsuit, My Blood, Neon Gravestones, Bandito, Legend and Leave The City. Some of these got me because of the lyrics, some due to the huge surprise of musical changes. But all of them are amazing. As are the rest, of course.

I would actually love to discuss every single song with you guys, especially as I literally googled and kind of analyzed every single one, but that would turn this post into a never ending one. Due to this, I’d just like to stick to most of the songs that I stated above and kind of go through all of their meanings.

Jumpsuit

I’ll never forget the very first time I listened to this and watched the video for it. It blew me away. As some of you may know and also as I’ve mentioned right at the beginning of this post, I’ve already analyzed this one, so please click here to find out more about the mind-blowing story behind this song and its followers.

Neon Gravestones

This is the one song that actually struck me because of how true and direct the lyrics are. The song starts off with a calm piano rhythm and then goes into the more upbeat drums by Josh, followed by an amazing rap by Tyler about suicide and how society nowadays glorifies those who end their lives. He especially addresses artists who end up being never forgotten because they ended their lives at the peak of their career. They are the ones who have their names in neon lights, which then become neon gravestones, once they die. Tyler then continues talking about his own death (“I could go out with a bang”), and that he doesn’t want us to remember him because of his death, but because of his life. The song then both peaks and ends with a powerful, rhythmic rap about how we should rather glorify life and celebrate those who spent their time living it, for example grandparents (this part especially gets a far greater meaning once you get to Legend and find out what’s it about).

Bandito

Do you know this feeling when you listen to a song and you never want it to stop? Ever? Because that’s what happened to me while listening to this. Bandito starts off with a distant beat that kind of resembles the noise of a heart rate monitor. Later on, during the chorus, the rhythm moves up a bit while still retaining the slowness of the beginning. And then Sahlo Folina comes. Those are the two words that act as a guide that moves you towards the second, more upbeat half of the song. What makes this song stand out for me are those exact parts when Tyler creates his own choir by singing Sahlo Folina over and over again, while the drums in the background become faster and faster and draw you into them. I couldn’t help myself but feel my heart beat faster with every second that went by. But what’s the meaning of the song? Honestly, yes, the lyrics are indeed as cryptic as you would think, but as always the clique is better than the whole FBI team out there. From what I could find the song actually is about Tyler and Josh and their lives between the Blurryface era and the Trench era. But even more so, the song is about Tyler being trapped in Dema and creating Trench to feel some sort of control. It’s about his creative life, which also connects to the translation of Sahlo Folina that I found on Reddit:

“In Bandito the line “Sahlo Folina” appears several times. I’ve seen several people think this is something backwards, but it actually has its own meaning. “Sahlo” means to enable in Somali. Folina is a name and according to a name website I found, it means this: “Your name of Folina has made you happiest when you are expressing in some creative, artistic way, and not conforming to strict routine”. So “Sahlo Folina” means to enable expressive creations. This makes a lot of sense considering the next verse is all about his ability to create the world of Trench.“

Legend

Don’t be surprised, but this is actually the only song on the album besides Smithereens that really has a happy sound to it. It has got it all – a light beat, a dreamy ukulele in the background and Tyler’s raw voice. Naturally, you would expect to be happy while listening to this, right? But nope. Because once you listen to the lyrics, you can say straight up bye to your makeup (if it’s still intact), because here they come, the tears. For me, this song is the saddest one. I mean, most of them have a deep, sad meaning to them, but Legend literally crushed my heart. Because this one is about Tyler’s grandfather and his death. We get to hear the story of how he got Alzheimer and how Tyler couldn’t really cope with it. And how he got to hear the beginning of the song, but not the end, because it took too long. And how his niece will never get to meet him. While listening to the song, I kind of felt like I was a part of Tyler’s life. And honestly, I just wanted to give him a hug.

Leave The City

This is the last song of the album and for me, also the perfect finale. And while listening to it, you can actually feel Tyler and Josh thinking the same. The song isn’t the last song just because. It has to be there. Not just because it’s a musical masterpiece, with extremely soft vocals and a slow beat that wraps itself around you like a blanket. It’s there because of its meaning. The city, Dema, isn’t just a city, but represents Tyler’s anxieties and depression. As we know from songs like Jumpsuit and Nico and the Niners, Clancy aka Tyler is fighting to break out of the city, he wants to leave it. And this is the point this song describes. Tyler is finally coming to terms with his mental health problems and knows that he will be strong enough to overcome them at some part of his life, but for now, he wants to focus on staying alive. It is once again an ode to the fans, the faces facing him, as he stays in this safe space that is Trench, together with them, and although he’s far from home he’s not alone. This thought is underlined at the very end of the song, which finishes with the lyrics “they know what I mean” (they = the clique) and also the same chord as the one in Truce. Overall, it feels like one of the most dedicated and emotional songs of the album, that resonates with you long after it’s over.

For me, those very meanings turn Trench into such a special album. When I heard that TOP were making a new album, I knew we would get something new, but I for sure wasn’t expecting this. And I can’t even begin to tell you how proud I am of these two guys. It isn’t just the breathtakingly amazing production (well done Tyler and Paul Meany) or the astonishing lyrics, it’s the overall package. In the words of my mum, this album doesn’t just feel like an album, it feels like a book, like a story. And yes, it is a story. It’s the story of Tyler and Josh and the clique altogether. Ultimately, Trench isn’t a city or a place, it’s us. We are Trench. We are Twenty One Pilots.

So guys, there you go. I know this has ended in being quite a lengthy post, but honestly, I could’ve said so much more. I just really wanted to share it all with you guys, even more because this band and the album mean quite a lot to me. And I really, really hope that you enjoy this album too and of course this post. I will leave the spotify link down below, so you can have a listen for yourself. As always, please don’t hesitate to leave your thoughts down below, please do tell me what you think about it. And until then I wish you all an amazing weekend and hope you’re all doing alright. And, of course, thanks for reading. x

Welcome to the Campus

Hola everyone.

And hello weekend. Or at least Friday. And also, hello to another music recommendation on my behalf. Because today, guys, isn’t just a simple Friday like any other, no no no. Today is a very special Friday, because today is the official album launch day of a very exceptional band called Hippo Campus, which I may or may not have talked about already (who am I kidding? I have because they are freaking fantastic).

So from today on there is an album out there called Bambi and unlike the movie, it isn’t meant to break everyone’s heart. But it is indeed meant to open everyone’s eyes (and ears) to the musical world out there and this new fantastic kind of music, that sounds sort of new and sort of old, both at the same time. In short, this album is a damn masterpiece and I’m going to tell you why.

I’ve been a fan of Hippo Campus ever since I first heard their song Suicide Saturday. And then I heard Monsoon and on top of that their live version. From that moment on I was head over heels in love with them. Actually, the live version, which I’ve shared on here probably a million times, is one of those videos I always go back to once in a while. It’s one of these special songs that I’ll probably make my grandchildren listen to, just to show them what was “in” back in the days.

But let’s now focus on this very new and very cool album. Personally, I would say that it’s quite a new sound for these American guys. I mean, they’ve always had their foot deep in the indie corner of the music universe, but I feel like this album gave them one last push. I mean, I was honestly completely blown away when I first heard their new single Bambi, the title track of the album. Even more so because the lyrics related so much to me. It just was the perfect song for this particular situation in my life. But the album does feel like the beginning on a new era. Of course the songs still carry their signature indie, synth sound and their evergreen trumpet lines, but especially with songs like Golden, Why Even Try and Honestly, they’ve introduced this more guitar-esque and indie-rock kind of sound to their range of musical talents. And on the other hand some of their new tracks have such an experimental and electronic vibe to them, which I totally love.

Overall the album isn’t just an utter masterpiece, but I feel like it’s also a huge step for the band too. It sounds bigger, more mature and it just fits. It’s an actual rollercoaster, where not one song sounds like the next, but somehow they are all perfectly in sync. There are ten songs in total and they all sound so unique and different, but together they become such an incredible cohesive unit. And if that wasn’t enough, the first and last song both fit so perfectly, it’s like you’re watching a mind-blowing sci-fi movie, but it’s an album with an epic opening and an even more epic ending. This is also why it’s extremely hard for me to chose a personal favorite. You know, when I listen to a new album that really means a lot to me, that I’ve waited for a long time, I always let myself completely fall into it. I lie down on the couch, turn down the lights, close my eyes and then let the music take over. But when there’s a part in a song that just completely surprises me or catches my heart, my eyes always fly open and I can tell you, that happened a lot in those 33 minutes it took me to listen through the album. So yeah. The album is that good, that I can’t decide which song I like the most. I can just tell you the ones I prefer mostly: Doubt (it’s love), Bambi (of course), Why Even Try (such a hit, omg), Honestly (yes, just yes), Golden (it’s pure gold).

But listen for yourself:

So yeah, welcome to the world Bambi. What an amazing album. I can’t wait to listen to it over and over again and fall for it more and more. As you can probably guess, I would highly recommend listening to it guys. Hippo Campus really are such a special band with a such a unique sound and honestly, they deserve far more attention than what they’re getting. I can’t wait to see them grow and gain popularity. So guys, stop whatever you’re doing right now and go listen to this awesome band. And then of course please don’t forget to tell me all your thoughts and opinions, because I’m more than curious. And yeah, until then I wish you all an awesome weekend, musically highlighted by Bambi, of course. And, as always, I hope you enjoyed this post/review and thanks for reading. x

Ps: Also, did I mention that I will actually be seeing this very awesome guys in Brighton next February? I can’t even begin to tell you guys how freaking excited I am for that. Seriously. When I saw that they would be doing a show here, I completely freaked out. Mostly because they are still very unknown I believe, especially in Austria. And of course they’re not coming to Vienna on their tour, but they’re coming to Brighton and I’m going to be there, front row, with the happiest smile on my face ever. The wait was real guys. But it was so worth it.

A new chapter

Hola everyone.

It’s me, Laura. And no, I’ve not fallen into a big black hole I couldn’t get out of. Yes, I do still exist. What a miracle. Ha. Ha. Okay, but seriously, I’m back, for real. I’m sorry it took me so long, but if you’ve been following me for the past months or even just weeks, you’ll know that I’ve had this big move to Brighton and I just had to fully concentrate on that. But yeah, this is over now. I mean, it’s still happening, at least in my head, which I still can’t get around the idea that I’m now living in the UK, where people live, think and speak differently. It’s so so crazy and I’m really glad that I get to share this journey with you guys.

As you can probably guess, my life here in Brighton and my new uni will be a big topic throughout, well, the next months and maybe even years. But for now I’d just like to share everything that happened in the past seven days with you guys. I know that nowadays it’s a bit more common to move to a different country or city to study or work there and everyone always tells you that it’s a great thing that will shape you, blah blah blah. But what noone really tells you is how hard it is to leave everyone and everything you know and love behind. I don’t regret any part of this move and I don’t want any of you to think that. It’s just that this really great thing also comes with a lot of heartbreaks and anyone who’s in the same situation as me should never feel like you always have to be happy from the first second on because you’re doing this really cool thing and basically fulfilling your dreams. Because it’s okay to not feel okay. Okay?

So, you can probably guess by now that the move wasn’t easy for me. The last week at home was a total dream for me and probably one of the best weeks ever. I saw all of my friends and I got to spend a lot of time with my family. And yeah, it was just really nice. And I was truly doing fine, even on the day of the move. But then I went into the garden to say goodbye to my cat and said “Peaches, I need to say goodbye” and it was the first time I had to explicitly say it and yeah, it was kind of my trigger word. From that moment on the tears just kept spilling. And you know what, I even let them, because I knew that this was the most normal reaction on earth. And I also knew that saying goodbye to my pets would be the hardest step. I mean, I kind of had an internal panic attack during the flight, but oh well. And you know what, the human mind is something truly crazy sometimes, let me tell you. Because suddenly I had all of these worries popping up in my head. “What if I don’t understand them?” “What if I can’t properly talk to people?” “What if I don’t like my new home?” “What if…?” It was driving me mad.

Rationally, most of my worries were pretty much total nonsense. Of course I still worry sometimes, mostly about uni right now and my new classmates. But you know, I always try to calm myself down by thinking that I can’t be perfect. I didn’t grow up in the UK and wasn’t raised bilingual, so of course I’m going to make some mistakes. But I’ve been progressing every single day and it’s actually really cool to notice how my brain slowly adjusts to the new surroundings and language. And I’m also already in contact with one of my new peers and yeah. Everything’s gonna be just fine, I’m hundred percent sure of that.

Besides that, I truly love my new home and Brighton and my new “family” and just pretty much everything. The house is freaking amazing, my room aswell, Nick and Silvia are literally the nicest people ever and the location couldn’t be any better. If I truly concentrate on it, I can even hear the waves crashing into the shore when I open the window. It couldn’t be any better, seriously. But for any of you who are planning on moving to a totally different place, I can just recommend having your parents with you for the first few days. I think that’s what really helped me to both adjust to my new home and not get a heart attack at the same time. I mean, watching my mum get onto the train and leave without me was probably one of the hardest things I have ever had to do, but moving to Brighton all on my own would have been a completely different and also harder story. I just really needed them and I’m happy that I had them with me. Also, I’ll be seeing them again in just 32 days and I already can’t wait.

You know, when I first got to Brighton I was asking myself whether I had made the right decision or not. Maybe it would have been better to just stay at home, do my Masters degree and then get a job at some magazine or whatever. Maybe that would have been easier. But then something very, very, very exciting happened. Some of you may know that Felix Kjellberg, aka PewDiePie, aka one of my favorite YouTubers, also lives in Brighton together with his fiancée Marzia Bisognin. And when my parents and I were walking to their hotel just after getting to Brighton, I actually told them all about Pewds and Marzia and was like “oh my god, imagine me walking around and then seeing Marzia with their two pugs. One is white and one is black. That would be so crazy.” I was probably annoying them, let’s be honest. And then we were passing this street and I looked to my left side and suddenly there was this guy, wearing a black jumper and black joggers. And I thought “hmm, why do I feel like I know him?” And then I looked down and saw them – Edgar and Maya, the two pugs. So, there he was. Felix. The one and only Pewds. I thought I was dreaming. I, of course, went completely crazy and whispered/shrieked at my parents “IT’S PEWDIEPIE. IT’S PEWDIEPIE.” And my mum was like “WHERE????” (she knows him – of course she does). And my dad was just staring at us like we were some crazy people. And then I looked back at him and he was looking at me and oh my god, I probably looked like a total freak. My mum then basically ordered me to turn around and walk past him, which we did. And as soon as he was out of sight, I basically went nuts. I couldn’t believe it. I had just moved to this city like five short minutes ago and as soon as I stepped outside Pewds walked by. How crazy is that? I still can’t get my head around it. And yes guys, he has got some looks to serve, I’m just going to be completely honest now. And it might be a bit crazy, but I took this as the sign that I had made the right decision. Because when mum and I visited Brighton two years ago, I was basically scanning every single face I went past and nothing happened. But this time I saw him, completely out of the blue. That just had to be the sign.

Since then I’ve used every singe day to get to know my new home better, street by street, house by house. Let me just tell you one thing – Brighton is damn beautiful and living next to the sea is one of the coolest things ever. Honestly, I feel like the luckiest person ever. Thanks to Silvia and Nick I don’t feel so alone here and they kind of prevent me from getting too sad about the fact that my family isn’t here. Which I’m very thankful for, seriously. I’ve already started to decorate my room and usually spend my days walking around in the city, doing a bit of shopping and stuff. And I’m also really looking forward to fresher’s week that’s coming up. In short, apart from missing my home, life couldn’t be any better right now. I’m basically living my dream and yeah, I’m just really happy and thankful.

And now I’m going to stop talking. Firstly, because this post if getting far too long and secondly, because it’s already past midnight and a new episode of Bake Off is waiting for me to be watched in bed. So I’m gonna go now. If any of you have got any questions about my move or Brighton or anything else, please don’t hesitate to leave them down below. I’ll try to answer them as fast as I can, I promise. Also, down below you can find some pictures of Brighton that I took the past few days and I really hope that you enjoy them. And yeah, I wish you all an amazing weekend. It feels really good to be back. Thanks for reading, guys. x

Budapest

Hola everyone.

Can you believe that it’s already a new week again? I can’t. The move to Brighton is getting closer and closer and next Saturday seems to be approaching much faster than I had anticipated. More and more people keep asking me how I’m feeling, whether I’m a bit scared or nervous. But honestly, I can’t really describe the state I’m in right now. I’m nervous and a bit anxious sometimes and of course sad, especially when I’m lying on the couch with my whole family and feeling their presence, fully knowing that I’ll be missing this exact feeling. But I’m also really happy and excited for this new chapter in my life. Seriously. I already have so many things planned and just the thought of seriously living the one part of my life I’ve always dreamed about makes my stomach fill up with butterflies. I think if you can feel ready for such a huge thing, then that’s what I’m feeling.

It’s currently a bit after one o’clock am on a Monday night and I’m sitting on our couch at home, Thor Ragnarok glimmering in front of me. You know, you can’t really go wrong with this movie and it makes me laugh, so. But that’s not what I want to talk to you guys about. I don’t want to talk about my love for Marvel or my move to Brighton. Today I’d like to talk to you guys about my trip to Budapest or even rather share my favorite pictures with you. To be honest, the cities beauty and coolness really did surprise me. I loved the whole look of the city and especially the crazy amount of historical buildings. I mean, have you seen the parliament? It’s freaking beautiful. And besides that I also loved the modernity when it comes to food and fashion. The whole city is packed with vintage stores and vegan restaurants and shops. It was just so so cool. And I think that also shows in the pictures. I hope you enjoy them just as much as I enjoyed taking them. As always, please don’t hesitate to leave your comments and questions down below and I wish you all a great week. And, of course, thanks for reading. x

New Music Friday

Hola everyone.

And welcome back to another edition of New Music Friday. A late night version this time, because, well, where I’m right now it’s pretty late already. But let’s be honest, there’s always time for some good new music, especially on a blog like this one, right? So, without further ado, let’s get right to it – here are some new songs I’ve been digging the past days or weeks or even just hours (yep, that’s how new some of them are).

Bambi by Hippo Campus

Some of you may already know this band from my previous posts, but if you don’t, welcome to this completely new experience, you’re going to love it, trust me. Because Hippo Campus just popped up with this new single and holy moly, what a good one that is. I fell for it the second I heard it. And then even more when I saw that they had also released their upcoming tour dates – guess who’s coming to Brighton when I’m there too… I can’t believe it, I would have never guessed that I would ever see this band live. But here I am, already counting the days to it. I seriously can’t wait to hear this song live.

To You Alone (acoustic version) by Tom Rosenthal

Well, what can I say? There’s no music list without Tom being a part of it, it’s simply impossible. And as if his music wasn’t beautiful enough already, Tom has now decided to bring out a sleepy album (I think I already mentioned it in a past posting), which means he’s producing even more relaxed and quiet versions of his songs, so that people can fall asleep while listening to them. And it works, at least it did for me, because when this song came out at midnight, I crawled into bed and listened to it in an endless loop and then, well, it knocked me out, pretty much. So yes, it’s a beautiful song and I love it. Oh, and it also perfectly fits for rainy weather. Well done Tom, as always.

My Blood by Twenty One Pilots

Attention everyone, we’ve got an extra special piece of music here. If you guys know Twenty One Pilots, you also probably know that they don’t really fit into genres. Josh and Tyler don’t just produce one certain kind of music, they basically experiment, all the time. So it was no surprise that their new song, this one right here, basically knocked me off my feet. It’s such a unique and also new sound for them and has such cool indie pop vibes to it. I love it so so so much. And I love the boys for surprising us all over and over again.

Bee-Sting by The Wombats

This song literally came out of nowhere, I swear guys. I wasn’t even ready and suddenly there it was, right in my recommendations on Spotify. And holy moly, what a great song this is. I mean, you all know how much I like The Wombats and I’d say that this little number here perfectly fits into their album, but it’s also just so good on its own. The drums and the guitars and of course the vocals – it just fits. And I’ve always loved a great indie bop, so thanks guys.

Y2k by The Montreals

To be honest, I just stumbled over this song thanks to Spotify and immediately liked it so much that I had to share it with you. I don’t know if I’ve ever told you about The Montreals, but they are one of those bands of mine that always come on when I just put my playlist on shuffle, which doesn’t make them any less amazing, of course. They produce this really cool indie pop music that is packed with happy, excited vibes and I completely dig that. But just like TOP, they wanted to surprise us all and released this fantastic song that sounds so new and modern and old and retro at the same time. It’s just so cool.

So yeah guys, I think that’s it. Those are all the new bops out there that I’ve been loving the most lately. I really do hope that you enjoy them too, so please don’t hesitate to leave your comments down below. And until then I wish you all a great night and an amazing weekend. And, as always, thanks for reading. x

The Band with the K

Hola everyone.

And welcome back to this new week. I hope you’re all doing great and that so far your Monday hasn’t been all too bad. On my behalf, I’ve got so much to tell you guys that I don’t even know where to start. And everything’s so exciting and I’m so glad that I get to share it with you. Otherwise I think I’d burst or simply bore all my friends and family into delirium – probably the second one, but oh well.

Anyway. In order to at least start ticking off all the topics on my list, today I’d like to tell you about the uber-amazing concert I went to last Friday. Those of you who’ve been following me and my posts long enough will probably know this band. No joke, if you haven’t heard of these guys you’re seriously missing out on something great, because these boys are freaking fantastic. And yes, I’m talking about the one and only band called Kraftklub. Yes, they’re German. Yes, they’re all pretty much crazy, as are their shows. And yes, I freaking love their music. I know I’ve already talked about them so many times, but I just can’t help myself. And when I saw that they would be doing a show, open-air, in the middle of summer and, on top of that, also at my favorite venue ever, I just had to see them again, although it was my actual fourth time. But hey, if a band is that good, you can’t see them often enough, am I right?

So, the concert was at the Arena in Vienna and like I said, it was an open-air concert, which is such an amazing concept on its own. I just really love the venue like crazy, because it doesn’t just have those special indie and alternative vibes to it, it also features a small lawn you can chill on before the show and the whole place has this kind of tilted ground. I know, what a rubbish description. What I mean is that the ground gets lower the closer you get to the stage, which also means that you can easily have perfect sight of the stage, because, like I said, those in front of you will always be standing just a bit lower than you. And that’s so cool, because let’s be honest, I’m not the tallest person and whatever gives me the chance to look over most people at concerts simply gets a yes.

So, the venue was amazing. And of course the show itself was too. Even more than that. God, I had so much fun, I can’t even put it into words. You guys have to know that Kraftklub shows are something else. Like, seriously. Firstly, because, like I mentioned, the guys are pretty crazy and weird and funny, in the best way possible, and secondly, because they have this special fanbase that just knows how to party and perfectly syncs with the band. And then there’s their music, which is like a mix of pop and indie and rap and is just so so cool and so much fun to sing and dance and jump to. And just the whole dynamics and atmosphere are so overwhelming and exciting and they completely draw you in and believe me, even if you don’t like the music, sooner or later you’ll start bobbing your head and it won’t end there. And last but not least there’s Felix, the lead-singer/rapper and for me the heart of the band or at least the show. Because while the other guys just simply step from one place to another, Felix floats, climbs, jumps and tops everything with dramatic hand gestures and a huge smile on his face. Watching this guy dance and party to every single song really gives me life and it’s just so so much fun.

In hindsight, I’d say that out of the four shows I’ve attended, this one has to be my favorite. And not just because of the phenomenal thing that happened during the encore, which I’m going to tell you all bout now. Buckle up. So, as you can probably guess, I know how Kraftklub shows work, I know what happens and when. Thus, when they went off stage before the encore, I knew they would pop up at some other place as a surprise. For bigger crowds they usually use some kind of mobile platform, which they use to “drive” through the crowd. And that’s why, while all the others there were screaming for the encore, I was twisting and turning my head in search for the platform. And then I found it, right at the back of the lawn, next to the tower for the sound and lights techs. And I got all excited and showed it to my mum and was like “THAT’S where they’ll be in just a minute!!!”. And it was so funny, because I was pointing at it, clearly seeing the mics that had already been placed on it, and everyone around me followed my gaze and then looked at me like I was crazy. And I thought “yeah yeah, now you think I’m crazy, but you just wait for what will happen in just a minute”.

Mum and I then decided to just make our way to the platform and started pushing through the crowd. And guess what, we got there right when the boys stepped on the platform. And it was so funny, because even then most people didn’t realize what was happening and Felix was like “hey everyone, we’re right behind you. I know, it’s a bit confusing.” Guys, we were so so close. And it was so much fun. But that wasn’t the best part. After the song they played on there, Felix proceeded to high five my mum and just a second later I was right by her side, shouting “mum, they’ll stage dive now, watch out”. You have to know that my mum is a teeny tiny person and if one of the boys jumped right at her, they would both end up on the ground with a loud thump. And at first she wanted to get out of the crowd that was building up, but I kept her right by my side and I’m so happy I did. Because just after that they all got ready to crowd-surf right back to the stage – which was quite a way to go, to be honest – in order to continue their official crowd-surf competition. Felix then decided to use the part of the crowd we were standing in. And when he looked at me – I was smiling at him with such a huge grin – I just knew he would go right our way. And before I knew what was happening, Felix jumped and I was holding his hand and tried to push him over the crowd. And then he was gone again, rolling over the crowd together with the others like a human ball dressed in black and white. Unfortunately he didn’t win – Karl, the second singer and guitarist, did and, if I’m not wrong, also won the whole contest (the show in Vienna was their next-to-last show of their tour before their upcoming chill-out-pause) – but he came second which is also something, right? And I know, some or even most of you probably won’t find this any special, but for me it’s still like the biggest thing ever, because before that I had always watched them do this kind of stuff from afar, wishing I was there, and it was also my very first time of being an actual part of a “a band does a crowd-surf”-moment and it just makes me so happy and feel all excited.

Apart from that there was simply everything you could wish for at a Kraftklub concert. Moshpits, people crowd-surfing and rowing on the ground, quite a lot of dancing, loud and pretty amazing music, huge smiles, funny outfits, underpants being thrown on stage (mens ones, for the first time ever, according to them), a spinning wheel to decide which song would be played next and someone being brought up on stage to spin it and of course political speeches and actions from both the band and the crowd. So yeah, a perfect show. But what I enjoyed the most was seeing how happy the guys were. I don’t even know how many times Felix thanked us for being such an amazing crowd and for dancing and singing. Which, I have to say, is seriously true, because the crowd really was something else. It was such a great evening, no joke.

So yeah guys, there you go. That was last Friday for me. Oh, and also, just before the concert I drove to my uni and handed in my second bachelor thesis, which means that I’m now officially finished with my studies. How crazy is that? I still remember the first day like it was yesterday. And the concert was literally the perfect way to end it and to celebrate. If any of you guys ever get the chance to check Kraftklub out, please do. They really are such a cool band and deserve all the appreciation they get and so much more. And until then I hope you enjoyed this not so short post about the concert. As always, please don’t hesitate to leave your comments down below and I wish you a great week. And, of course, thanks for reading. x