Tag: martin garrix

Adventures in Amsterdam

Hola everyone.

How are you all doing today? I hope you’ve had a lovely weekend and that you’re enjoying the last bits of summer we’re being granted with. Can you believe it’s already September? Because I surely can’t. It feels like some elaborate joke, something someone made up. Even the thought that I’ve been home for half a ycear now sounds ridiculous to me when I say it out loud. Time is a strange thing, it really is.

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Likewise, it’s also insane to me to think that I’ll be moving back to London in less than two weeks. Like, when did that happen? Super super strange, truly. And it’s not just that, even just thinking back to the past few weeks and months makes me wonder whether I’ve dreamed it all or whether it truly happened. Did I really visit Lauren in Belgium? Did I really go to Berlin? Did I really get new two new tattoos? Did Lauren and I really visit Amsterdam? In the middle of a global pandemic? I guess it must be true, because I’m sitting in front of a ton of pictures that were definitely taken in the incredible Amsterdam and that is also definitely me in the pictures. But see, this is how I know I had the best time ever – because it sounds too good to be true.

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To be honest, the trip to Amsterdam is definitely something I will never forget. Not only because Lauren and I spent two amazing days there, filled with adventures and tons of fun, but also because it happened out of nowhere. See, that’s the good thing when a country is so small – you can reach nearby cities in a matter of a few hours. Pure luxury, I tell you. So when I came to Belgium and Lauren and I started planning our days we had together, we got the idea of going to Amsterdam and as it was only a few hours train journey away, we instantly booked it and started off the adventure two days later.

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And, god, it was just so so so cool. We went to amazing restaurants, sat at the canals, went on night strolls, basically walked through the whole city and we even visited their botanical garden, which was so beautiful, I can’t even put it into words. Out of all of this though, I think my favourite part of the whole trip was visiting STMPD RCRDS. Those of you who’ve been following me and my blog for quite a while now will know how much that labels mean to me, but for those of you who are rather new here – STMPD is my dream workplace. I know, might be a bit strange to say it like that, but it really is. Ever since I’ve fallen in love with EDM and ever since that label was started, I’ve been dreaming about working there. Not only because their artists are so freaking amazing, like SO good, but moreover because it just looks like the best workplace and best team to work with. So, because of that, actually being at their office and seeing that very building with my own eyes, a building I’ve seen countless amounts of times just by being a Martin Garrix fan, made me freak out a bit. In short, being there meant the world to me. I’m still so grateful for Lauren actually walking through the whole city with me just to see the studios. Made my year, truly.

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So, that was what we did in Amsterdam. As you can probably guess, the photographing came to no end during the trip, so right now I’ve got these amazing photos that I can’t wait to share with you. So, without further ado, please enjoy.

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And yeah, there you go, guys. These are my favourite shots from our adventures in Amsterdam. I truly hope you enjoy this post and the pictures. As always, I’d love to hear from you, so please don’t hesitate to leave your thoughts and comments down below. I wish you all a great week and, of course, thanks for reading. x

My favourite photographers

Hola everyone.

And welcome back to my blog, a new Monday and a new week. I hope your weekend was good and that you’re all feeling well and happy. Can you believe February is already coming to an end? Because I can’t, at all. It’s gonna be March in just a few days, which means my birthday is already lurking around the corner. And then I’ll be 24. Oh wow. Time really flies by. And I know this sounds a bit sad or dramatic, but, I think, I’m happy about growing older, because, generally, it means growth and moving forward and that’s exactly what I want to do. To grow and to do more and to see more. Make the most of my life, basically. And to continue sharing all of that with you guys. Which I also want to do today, but, as you could see by the title of this post, we’re not going to focus on my life today, but on that of someone else. That of Louis van Baar, to be exact. Welcome to part four of the “my favourite photographers” series. Let’s go.

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Louis van Baar

Let me introduce you to Louis. If any of you are fans of Marty – Martin Garrix – and/or have ever taken a look at his Instagram, you will most definitely have seen some pictures that were taken by the wonderful Louis. You will surely have, because ever since 2014, Louis has been Marty’s official photographer and has thus spent the last five years and a bit traveling the world with him and taking pictures of him and the beauty that can be found on our amazing planet. And I’ll say it right upfront – Louis definitely is one of the best photographers I know and it happens more than just a few times that I look at one of his pictures and wonder how he managed to get such a perfect shot. In the end, he makes a living shooting EDM gigs, which are probably the most thrilling and rapid concerts ever. There are lasers and fire and the hyped-up crowd and, of course, the DJ, who’s jumping around like there’s no tomorrow. Getting a super clear, stunning shot in such circumstances sounds like the most difficult thing ever to me. But somehow Louis manages to get those perfect shots every single time and that’s only one of the reasons why I would call him a genius behind the camera.

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There is also the fact that Louis is super freaking young. I mean, just 26 years old young. That kind of young. And that’s his current age. Which means he started touring with Marty when he was just 21, which, looking at the pictures he took at that time, is mind-boggling to me. I know it might be a bit weird to base it all on age, but somehow, for me, talent definitely must be on another level when it develops that early and leads to such a career that early on.

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Obviously, him being that young, also Dutch and that talented in one, makes him the perfect photographer for Martijn. Because he isn’t just his photographer, but, more importantly, he’s also a really good friend. Actually, their story is super cute – in 2014, Martijn and his team were looking for a photographer for his summer tour and found Louis. They toured for a few weeks and it all went so smoothly, they decided to keep on working together. And now we’re in 2020 and they’re still together. How cute is that? And on top of that, a bit more than a year ago, they published a photography book, made up of Louis’ best shots and some background stories from Martijn. And yes, I have that book. Twice. It’s freaking stunning.

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When you take a look at Louis’ pictures, you can clearly tell that he has a special style. Big shots with lots of colours and a feel of dimension that makes it seem as if you’re in the picture. He quite frequently takes pictures of landscapes, architecture, and cities they visit, most of the time during helicopter flights. In short, the photos are breathtaking. In my opinion, they are so grand and aesthetically pleasing, that I could easily see them hanging in someone’s villa or be part of some special photography installation at a gallery. That also goes for all the shots he takes during Marty’s gigs, which never fail to perfectly capture the feeling of his shows. The lasers, the fire, the energy, and excitement – you can feel it all through the pictures. That’s why Louis is such a genius photographer. He doesn’t only capture the colours, the view, but also the feeling, the moment. What an artist.

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I highly recommend checking out his and Marty’s Instagrams as well as Louis’ website to take a closer look at his art. I’ve also gone and picked out a few of my favourite shots of him, which you can see down below. I hope you like them. Obviously, none of them belong to me, all the rights go to Louis. Additionally, here’s the link to their photography book, which I can also highly recommend. It’s one of those books you can have lying on your table as a piece of art or decoration. It is that pretty.  And yeah, besides that, I hope you enjoyed this post and getting to hear Louis’ story and to see his amazing pictures. As always, please don’t hesitate to leave your thoughts and comments down below. And, of course, I wish you all a nice week and thanks for reading. x

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New Music Friday

Hola everyone.

And welcome back to my blog and another Friday. A very special one, to be exact, because, after a way too long time, the New Music Friday is back again. FINALLY. So, you know the drill – I’m gonna tell you all about my favourite new songs that have recently come out or that I’ve recently discovered and your job is to sit back, relax and enjoy the music. Here we go.

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Simmer / Leave It Alone – Hayley Williams

Well, if it isn’t my female singer? I know, this sounds every undramatic, but the excitement I feel surrounding just the fact that Hayley is back with new music can’t really be put into words. I know, it’s still not like Paramore is back – although they haven’t broken up, everyone calm down again – but I’m so happy to hear her voice again. Also, I mean, the two new songs are freaking amazing. And it’s not even just the music, but the whole story surrounding it as well and the videos. Absolutely magical.

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Heavy Hearted – The Jungle Giants

It’s been quite some time since these Australian lads and girl (their badass guitarist) have blessed my and our all ears with new music, but a few days ago I finally stumbled across their new tracks and since then I haven’t been able to stop listening to this absolutely addictive dance hit. It’s literally SO good, holy moly. You definitely need to give this band a listen, if you haven’t so far. You won’t regret it, I swear.

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Fine Line – Harry Styles

I know what you’re thinking right now. What is a Harry Styles song doing on this list and on this blog? And I totally understand your confusion, because I usually really don’t listen to Harry at all and Ed is as far as I get in listening to pop in general, usually. But here we are. And I’m not going to lie, Fine Line is a fantastic track and I’m more than happy to share it with you. Actually, I think his whole album is very share-worthy (and a definite improvement from the first one) and if you haven’t given it a try yet, you really should.

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Beautiful Faces – Declan McKenna

It can’t get any newer than this. It’s definitely no surprise or news that I like to include any of Declan’s new stuff in my lists and that I am head over heels in love with it, so, here he is, again. And wow wow, what a great song. It’s the first single of his upcoming album “Zeros”, that will be released on the 15th of May, and, not to be dramatic or anything, but I really can’t wait for this album. And his tour. It’s going to be unbelievable.

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Used To Love – Martin Garrix featuring Dean Lewis

Don’t even act surprised – of course I had to include Marty in this list. And it totally deserves the spot, because the song is freaking amazing. From Dean Lewis’ beautiful voice to the magical strings in the background and the addictive drop – dance music royalty, I tell you. But it’s Marty, so who was expecting anything else?

Ps: If any of you get the chance, I highly recommend watching Marty’s diary series on YT, which also includes the making of this song (clip down below). The work behind the track is freaking incredible.

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Big Pot Of Hummus / It’s Been A Year – Tom Rosenthal

And last but not least, here’s the guy that always closes New Music Friday – Tom. And for a reason, because Tom is Tom and that means heavenly music is on its way. While the one song puts the biggest smile on my face, the other one made me instantly tear up. And that’s the magic behind Tom’s music. It never lacks emotions and it never fails to make me emotional, in whichever way. And that’s why I will never stop being addicted to his music and loving it to pieces.

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And with that, we’ve already reached the end of today’s New Music Friday. I hope you all enjoyed or enjoy all the clips and songs I shared with you today, but as always, please don’t hesitate to leave your thoughts and comments down below. And, of course, I wish you all a nice weekend and thanks for reading. x

Sziget Festival – Part Two

Hola everyone.

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

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Day 3

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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And yeah, that’s basically the whole third day of Sziget. I’m sorry this post ended up being quite lengthy, but I just had to share all these phenomenal memories with you, guys, so I hope you still enjoyed reading all about them. Being able to share all of this with you means a lot to me, so thanks if you’ve made it this far. As always, please don’t hesitate to leave your thoughts and comments down below and, of course, I wish you all a nice weekend and thanks for reading. x

Sziget Festival – Part One

Hola everyone.

Where am I? Why am I here? What day is it? And why did I not wake up in Budapest today with the prospect of spending another day at Sziget? Can I please go back? Honestly, reality is so overrated. Living the dream is way better, trust me guys.

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But even if I don’t want to realize it, I have to face the fact that Sziget festival is officially over. That I’m officially back home again. And that normality is very dull compared to the past week. Very very dull. But I’m so glad I’m here and you are here, because together, we can and will relive that absolutely out-of-this-world crazy week I got to spend at Sziget. It’s going to be a treat, trust me. And I’m so happy I get to write this, because right now, I’m looking for any chance of reliving my time there over and over again. PCD (post-concert-depression) is really kicking my butt right now, so any chance of taking my mind back to Budapest is very welcome. And as so, so, so, SO much happened in those seven days, plus the tattoo appointment on the eighth day, I thought it would be best to split them up in twos. So, for the next two weeks, it’s officially all going to be about Sziget. Because this festival deserves every recognition it can get. And because it was, without a doubt, the best week of my entire life and I’m literally nearly bursting of excitement and happiness and pure love, so I need to just share it with you. So, let’s head right in, shall we?

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Day 1

Okay, so, as some of you might know from my previous posts, one of the artists I was most looking forward to was Ed. Yes, my Ed. Ed freaking Sheeran. At Sziget festival. I’m still not over it. Never will, probably. And he was exactly the one who got to be the very first headliner of the week, so the seven days of madness started with him. I couldn’t have wished for anyone else, let’s be real.

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So, on the very first day, my mum and I took the train to Budapest, got to our hotel – Brody House once again (still the most beautiful hotel I’ve ever stayed at) -, got dressed and then headed straight to the festival. God damn, I was so excited. One year had passed since I last had had the chance to be at Sziget, so the anticipation was out of this world. I nearly couldn’t take it. But, obviously, the festival didn’t let me down. It never does. It was as beautiful as ever. And as crazy and weird and fantastic and fun and literally perfect as ever. I loved it the second we got there. And with that, I left behind all my worries and thoughts about the outside world. You know, Sziget is like another universe. A universe, where only music, love, freedom and happiness exist. Nothing else. And now that I’ve been there for a whole week (which felt like a month, tbh), it feels like my second home. My place of absolute freedom and happiness. There’s no other place like this on earth. Trust me.

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On that day, besides being in awe because of all the beauty of the festival, we got to see the following acts:

  • Ocean Alley
  • Kodaline
  • Michael Kiwanuka
  • Ed Sheeran

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Obviously, Ed was the ultimate highlight, he was just as fantastic as always. And he played “Remember The Name”, which I was super excited about. It’s just such an incredible song. And I love that he always mixes up his sets. I’ve seen him three times the past three months and every single show was different. That’s what I call cool. Besides that, I was also super happy to finally be able to see Kodaline after all those years, but unfortunately, I didn’t get to hear all their well-known songs as we had to head back to the main stage to get a good spot for Ed. And here comes the small let down. The first day was apparently the only one that was completely sold out. No surprise, if it’s Ed. But they brought more people in than they usually do and the area around the stage wasn’t made to hold about 95.000 people, which we then noticed by the sheer endless amount of people surrounding us and pressing in on us. I literally couldn’t see anything else than just people everywhere. And, in all honesty, it was just too much, because at first, it kind of ruined the experience. My mum never got to see Ed, because there was just no place to go for her where she could see better. And after the show, as everyone wanted to leave at the same time, there was a huge crowd waiting to get out at the entrance, even after an hour when we wanted to leave as well. There were just too many people. I mean, I get that it was Ed and that they wanted to have a full crowd and a full festival, but that was just too much.

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Still, the first day was absolutely fantastic and a nearly perfect start of the whole week. And I just loved seeing Ed at Sziget. I dreamed about it ever since being there for the first time in 2015 and now, four years later, the dream finally came true and I’ll be forever grateful for that.

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Day 2

When I woke up the next day, I immediately knew that Ed has achieved what he always wants to get out of a show – I had pretty much lost my voice. But as much as my voice was gone, the more had my happiness and excitement grown. I was so ready for another day in paradise and it would be a great one, with The 1975 and many more to look forward to.

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Compared to the first day, the second one was a lot more chill, simply because first of all, we got there far earlier than the day before and, secondly, because there just weren’t as many people. And I don’t know about you, but I’m always that teeny tiny bit calmer when I’m not pressed against human bodies all the time. And as we had quite some time left before the first act, we had time to go on a little walk on the island and check out all the other entertainment stuff and venues. Again, I have to point out, the sheer amount of things you can do and go to besides just to the shows at Sziget is absolutely mind-blowing. There’s something for anyone, whether you want to watch a movie, chill in the sun, go to the beach, paint something, make your own shirt or go to a dance class or visit a circus. You can do anything and whatever at Sziget.

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One of my favourite venues definitely was the Luminarium. I can’t really explain what it is, but just imagine stepping into a huge balloon, where some calming, mysterious music is playing inside and only specs of sunlight can come through the coloured walls, creating the most beautiful rainbows inside in the process. I know, it might not sound that cool, maybe even a bit weird, but trust me, it’s absolutely magical. It’s like stepping into another world. Another world on top of the other world that is Sziget. I’m so in love with it. And it’s the most fantastic photo spot (check out the pics down below).

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After that, we went over to the museum quarter and made our own badges (yep, that’s literally what you can do at Sziget, for free), which was super cool. I obviously had to make one in the design of an arc reactor (Tony stans rise) and then, for my second one, I wanted to make one just for myself, that wasn’t obviously representing anything. That just had a meaning for myself and that looked cute, so I could wear it every day. You can probably guess, as I was already so hyped for Twenty One Pilots, that it had to be TOP related. So, after a few minutes long brainstorm, I ended up with a light pink background and a replica of Ty’s “carpe noctem” tattoo (= seize the night). And I know, you might think now that it’s a bit corny, but if you know me, you know it’s fitting because I’m literally the most extreme night owl. I love the night. I need the night. I live the night. So yeah, it’s pretty much spot on and I’ve been proudly wearing it ever since.

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Later on we went to the cinema and grabbed some popcorn, watched an extremely cool athletics/dance team, who were literally throwing their female team members around like they were some tiny, light balls and not heavy human beings (absolutely mind-blowing, honestly), checked out the funfair and just like that, it was time for us to head to the main stage for Franz Ferdinand, who I was super excited for.

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

  • Franz Ferdinand
  • Pale Waves
  • The 1975
  • Cvrches

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Looking at the whole day, I think my mum’s highlight definitely wasn’t a musical act, but someone very different and very special. As Sziget is built on principles like freedom, love, equality and the protection of our environment, being green was an especially important topic this year and thus they also had special events planned for that. And one of those events was a short talk by the one and only Jane Goodall. Yes, that amazing woman who spent many years of her life living with chimpanzees and who’s now made it her mission to spread the message that we need to act now and that we need to live in harmony with all beings on this planet in order to be able to save it. In short, this woman is a hero and I still feel so honoured that I could be in her presence. And as my mum is very much into all that stuff as well, it was extremely important for her too. I’m usually the one in the family to easily get teary-eyed (I cried a lot throughout the whole festival, trust me), but even she got tears in her eyes. And in that moment, I was just so so happy for her.

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Still, personally, my highlight has to be The 1975 closing the main stage. I’ve seen this band many many times already, from small shows when they were still supporting Two Door Cinema Club back in 2013, to big headline shows like the one at Sziget. But out of all of those, that one on this very island has to be my favourite one to date. Matty was so hyped up, it was out of this world. I mean, he literally jumped into the crowd at full speed, changed his outfit on stage, did a shot and then handed the empty glass over to the cameraman and cursed at the organizers for telling him to hurry up. He didn’t give a single f*** that night and I was all up for it. You can say whatever you want about him, he’ll always be one of the coolest people in the industry. And he knows that, let’s be real.

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And that pretty much was day two. Obviously, we stayed for a little while, walked around the area, checked out the Cvrches gig and did whatever we felt like, but it was just a chill night after The 1975 and I loved that. Sziget is a place where I could spend my whole life. A life surrounded by music, happiness, love, sunshine and good food. Sounds like a dream, doesn’t it?

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Well, and there you go, guys. Those were the first two days at Sziget – in short, actually, even though it might not seem like it. Sziget is just so damn fantastic, I could literally talk about it for days. I would never shut up. But those were the most important parts. And I’m super happy that I get to share them with you. I hope you enjoyed reading about those two days and that you’re already excited for the upcoming two. You can be, honestly, because Marty’s show is about to be next and it was such a hell of a ride. I may or may not have had the chance to talk to Gabe (if you know, you know), but I won’t give away too much. I’ll just say this – get ready. And until then I wish you a lovely week, and, as always, thanks for reading. x

Let’s go to Paradise

Hola everyone.

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

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

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

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

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