A sold out Hallenstadion. Not many artists manage this but the 5 lads from Finland did. I gotta say I’m very happy for them. Years back I got to see them in a much smaller venue and I still remember it today that it was an amazing gig and one that I fondly think of. So let’s see how last night’s gig went down.
The support Tim Kamrad is a German singer songwriter. The songs are very mainstream and sound like I’ve heard them before. Ed Sheeran, Justin Bieber and Shawn Mendes will be happy to see that they inspired this young lad. I missed his personal signature but I am sure that it will work well on the radios. I do clapped a long and it made me want to dance.
Nearly at 9 on the dot the lights went off and an amazing stage with an incredible light show supported Sunrise Avenue. Normally I would go right into the review but this time I want to make something clear. Sunrise Avenue are a band. It’s not just Samu Haber. Yes, he is the lead singer and more famous then the others but I cannot stand it if radio hosts introduce the next song and say Hollywood Hills by Samu Haber. It is wrong that’s why I want to introduce to you the band members first Raul, Sami, Riku, Osmo and yes Samu too.
Sami
Osmo
Riku
Samu
Raul
They started with “Prisoner in Paradise” and a wonderful ballade called “Beautiful”. The atmosphere was amazing right away. Even the people seating were clapping and having a good time! The title track of their 2013 album “Unholy Ground” was next. Samu said that the band always feels a lot of love from the Swiss crowds and obviously everyone needs a “Little bit of Love”. The first chords of the newest single “I help you hate me” were played and everyone started to clap and sing a long again. It is one of the best songs to sing with large crowds and it made for a great moment.
Samu’s voice is so special and so incredible and in “Hurtsville” we could enjoy it in a slow ballade. “Heartbreak Century” the title track of their current record can’t be left out in this 20 songs strong setlist. “Never Let Go” and “Room” were next. Another great rock ballade is “Lifesaver”. The Hallenstadion was lit up with phone lights and everyone waved it in the right rhythm. Just beautiful. Each song had a brilliant rhythm where people could clap along too and that automatically creates a good atmosphere. In “Question Mark” I wasn’t sure if they spoke finish for a sec but it turned out that they just quickly speak English in their cute accent.
The band thanked his long-time friend Anna who had the great idea to put the flag onto the album cover. The huge flag of the Swiss Sunrise Avenue Crew hung at the back of the venue. A lot of Swiss and Finish flags were in the audience so the next song “Flag” fitted perfectly. I enjoyed another very old song “I don’t dance” before the Hallenstadion was turned into a sea of lights again for “Afterglow”. Last time they played this song in this venue they were at the Energy Star Night and Samu tripped over the moving camera on the floor. Again he mentioned how much he hurt himself but like a pro he finished the set.
This next song was my highlight of the evening! Sunrise Avenue changed up “Forever Yours” to a complete new song. So intense, so dark and so good. Imagine this song is 9 years old! Sunrise Avenue already played two hours and they weren’t looking tired so we got see and listen to even more songs such as “Let Me Go” and “Point of No Return”. Riku and Raul always made sure to include the people on their side even out on the stands. I honestly love to see so much interaction with the audience. Sunrise Avenue seemed to be the same rock band from way back when just on a bigger stage with a huge production.
The production is amazing. The lights and the 3 screens are part of this great rock show. But what makes them so likable is their charm. Samu addressed the audience quite a few times and joked with us. When he didn’t manage to open his water bottle he just ripped it only to realise that it was already open. Boys will be boys so he squeezed the bottle and water came out. 😀 Obviously Sunrise Avenue couldn’t leave the stage without playing one of their biggest hits “Fairytale Gone Bad”.
Unfortunately the two hours fly by and the lads had to leave the stage only to come back for 2 more songs. A slow song called “Home” and their uber hit “Hollywood Hills”. Finally everyone was standing and partied and sang along to. It was the perfect ending to a great gig. Are you party of the Sunrise Avenue Crew? How did you like the gig? Leave a reply below.
Thanks to Gadget I was able to attend my first Franz Ferdinand concert. They’ve worked together with Just Because to bring the legendary Scottish band to Zurich. What I love about Just Because concerts is that they publish the times late afternoon. This means you can actually plan your evening and know when to be there and how long you need to wait.
When it was announced that Crimer was the support of FF I was so looking forward to see him too. I’ve heard so much about him and I gotta say he didn’t disappoint. The three lads on stage put on a great show of a mixture between Pet Shop Boys, Depeche Mode and maybe David Bowie. I really liked their 30 mins performance and honestly he gave his best. The dance moves were crazy and people warmed up perfectly for the main act.
I am completely honest with you guys now. I knew Franz Ferdinand but I don’t think I have ever listened to a song… I thought they’d be rock – rock like Foo Fighters, Kaiser Chiefs or The Killers. But they were so different to what I was expecting. They had this kind of 80’s vibe going. Yes, they were rock but not too hard core. At 9 o’clock the perfect party could start when the band took the stage. I was shocked I didn’t expect them to be this old haha But hey they were famous when I was little so what did I expect?! 😀
With the title track to their newest record „Always Ascending“ they opened the 90 mins show. I really couldn’t get my head around the fact that I was expecting something completely different. The people loved it and were already dancing and singing. „Walk Away“ and „Lucid Dreams“ were next and I really loved the atmosphere. Plus you could sense that the lead singer Alex Kapranos knew what he was doing. The kind of energy and presence he was presenting cannot be taught. You just have it or you don’t.
I really liked the song „Lazy Boy“ which was followed by „Glimpse of love“ and „No you girls“. I went to the venue Halle 622 without preparation and to be honest I started to like this. I used to listen to every song and get as much info on the band as possible beforehand but I learned that sometimes you need to surprise yourself. What I love is to check out the songs after the gig. Memories of the concert will flood in and you have an automatic connection to the song.
Franz Ferdinand continued with „The Dark of the Matinee“, „Lois Lane“ and „Do You Want to“. I felt like I knew the latter but I couldn’t singalong to so it must have been a distant memory 🙂 Before the crowd went wild for „Take me Out“ the band played „Slow Don’t Kill Me Slow“. Lots of hands and people jumping around and singing along which made for a great party and an amazing atmosphere. After witnessing two DJ gigs at this venue I was so glad to see a rock band play.
Their newest single „feel the love go“ (which you can also find on my Spotify playlist: Kekoas Korners Favourites) was another one that sounded familiar. This made for the perfect time to introduce the band members to everyone. Alex Kapranos asked the Zurich audience:
Do you feel the love?
And of course we felt the love. We felt the love for Boyb Hardy, Paul Thomson, Julian Corrie and Dino Bardot! „Love Illumination“ and „Ulysses“ completed their great 80’s rock set. A few mins after 10 Franz Ferdinand left the stage for their long encore. I was really tired but I enjoyed the whole concert so they deserved to come back to a huge applause/roar from the crowd. The people partied even more for „Paper Cages“, „Jacqueline“ and „Huck and Jim“. The cherry on top was „This Fire“. Eeeeveryone knew the song and was dancing like crazy. Almost at the end Franz Ferdinand asked us to kneel down and everyone did it only to jump up for the chorus! The atmosphere is hard to describe but you can have a look at the highlight in my instagram profile. Let me tell you this. If you weren’t there you missed out on a great party! Have you been to the Franz Ferdinand gig? Let me know your experience in the comments below.
The Swiss The Script Family has been waiting for this for three years and finally on March 8th we were blessed with a gig or so we thought. Unfortunately the flu made the rounds and Danny caught a chest and a viral infection so the gig was cancelled. However the outcome I had an amazing day with lots of good friends. Let me share some emotions with you.
I woke up feeling very excited which is very unlike me before a The Script gig. I couldn’t wait to get to Hallenstadion and meet everyone. So at 2.30 I walked to the venue and met already people I know on the way. I felt really happy and excited. It was like a big family reunion. Two of us stood at the other end of the venue and tried to catch a glimpse of the band. The majority gathered in front of the entry. So what to do for the next 3 hours? Two of us found 2 Lime Bike’s laying around so they circled the venue.
The 2nd time they came around they brought bad news. The gig is cancelled. Our first thought: Yeah right. I don’t believe it. Then I got a text from the 2 on the other end. Security went home. Gig cancelled. No way?! Let me call the venue. Yes, gig cancelled. Seriously? This can’t be happening?! We decided to stay and wait for the lads to tell us or tweet us. Again people started circling the venue to get more info. We don’t believe it. Finally we found Matt – one of the roadies – Yes, gig is cancelled. Unbelievable…
We all started getting texts from people at home. We heard rumours that the gig is cancelled is it true? Do you know more? It was 3, 3.30 and more and more sources started to confirm it. However Good News the organiser still told people they don’t know anything while the venue confirmed it right away. I think they were already trying to reschedule the gig. I’ve heard they tried to do it on Saturday but I am glad that they didn’t do it. People forget that performers are still human. Yes, they get most likely super great care but still a chest infection hurts and takes weeks to heal. We love them and we want them to be healthy and happy to perform. A cancelled gig is never fun but we understand.
I completely understand if people are upset about having paid accommodation and travel fees but then again would you really want someone sick performing? Put yourself in their shoes and then ask yourself would you be able to perform a two hour gig? No. I read a few comments when Lady Gaga and Helene Fischer cancelled their gigs of people saying they should pay for their travel expenses. They were angry and didn’t even consider another persons health! That’s why I am glad they The Script didn’t reschedule to Saturday! In fact I would have understood if they cancelled Milano and Vienna too. This would have given them a week of rest and they’d be ready to rock out the two sold out shows in Amsterdam and Paddy’s day in Brussels.
But you know them they don’t cancel gigs lightly. So I’m actually sitting on the train to Milano not knowing if the gig tonight is going ahead or not. But you know what?? I am not even the slightest bit worried. If it doesn’t go ahead I still had a nice day out and I’m meeting another member of our The Script family! How great is that?!
Back to yesterday’s events. Like I said we all had messaged floating in from people at home and we all told them to stay at home and wait for the announcement at 4! At 4 The organiser finally announced that the gig was cancelled. So it was finally official plus the lads posted a video which got deleted shortly after for whatever reasons and got replaced by an official message. So if people traveling from far away didn’t have someone at the venue who told them to stay home by the time the cancellation was official they would have been already on their way. That’s why we saw lots of people with sad faces later that night.
All 18 of us stayed at the venue because we wanted to quickly speak to Glen and Mark. Me personally I wanted to know about Milano and what they were planning about tomorrow’s gig. So a little while later someone managed to see Glen and he was quite positive about Milano so let’s see! I will keep you posted. At 7 Mark came out and spoke the ones left however I was too cold and too hungry so we left right before. But seriously can I just say how cool it is that they come out at this huge venue and talk to us? How many artists do this? Not many…
And what did Ella Eyre do? She went to the zoo and enjoyed her day off like the other guys from the crew. They finally had some time to get a drink in Zurich. So to some it was a blessing, to some it was devastation and to others it was a fun day out. To finish this article with words of the Script: All we heard is nothing… but at least we got a poster! 😉 Want to share your experience? Leave a reply below.
For years I wanted to see The Script in their home town and after 10 years I finally managed to fly over to witness one of the best gigs ever. Little did I know that Night 3 turned out to be the best of the 3. But as Mark said Night 3 was the first on sale so all the people who really wanted to go got their tix for Saturday Night.
Leaving Zurich on Wednesday meant that I had some time to wander around Dublin and obviously visit Grafton Street. Another thing that you have to do is a tour around the Guinness grounds. The history was fascinating and yes I did like that Guinness straight from the factory. Last year I interviewed Danny from The Coronas and asked him what to do in Dublin. Click here to read the full interview. He said to visit Temple Bar and Dun Laoghaire which I did and it was well worth it. Another beautiful area is Bray – a little town with a beautiful beach just outside Dublin and a little bit further than Dun Laoghaire.
Now back to reviewing the gig. I was not only excited to see The Script but also to finally see Ella Eyre live. Having a seat meant I had to dance sitting and I’m telling you it was the hardest. She started her set with “Good Times” one of my favourite songs of her. I couldn’t believe how lucky I was to be there and enjoy a little Ella Eyre gig. Another good one “Together” followed before she sang her new song “LOVE”. A beautiful ballade “We don’t have to take our clothes off” showed off the amazing voice of Ella Eyre.
With this next song it took me all my strength not to stand up and go crazy because this one is my go to on a night out. Believe me you have never seen me like this! 🙂 I enjoyed every second of “Waiting All Night”. Ella sang another new one “Answer Phone” before she sang Sigala’s feature song “Came here for Love”. Her support performance went by waaay too quickly but I was excited to see The Script too so I guess the 30 mins set made sense.
Finally at 8.45 the lights went off and the first chords of “Superheroes” started. Again I couldn’t believe I was here. My boys, 10 years, first time in Dublin, Night 3 it couldn’t get any better. Everyone jumped up and Danny, Mark and Glen rocked our world with “Rock the World”. They started the show on a square in the middle of the 3Arena. One of my favourite songs “Paint the town green” is a hymn and tonight the lads were supported by a local drum group who made this song even more special. Lots of green confetti was blasted into the air and the lads walked back onto the main stage. They finished the song and more green confetti came out.
Mark took a minute and spoke to us and said: “You know what!? Night 1 was great, Night 2 was brilliant and we didn’t think that this could happen but you guys topped the two nights already after 3 songs. Saturday was first to go on sale so thank you guys for supporting us”. I was stocked to be there and so glad they enjoyed Night 3 as much as everyone else in the building. We went “ohh ohh ohh, ohhh ohhh ohhh ohhh” which means that “It’s not right for you” was next.
Danny sat down and said let’s create something similar to last year’s Croke Park. So he started and we took over:
Going back to the corner where I first saw you
Gonna camp in my sleeping bag I’m not gonna move
Got some words on cardboard, got your picture in my hand
Saying, “If you see this girl can you tell her where I am?”
Some try to hand me money, they don’t understand
I’m not broke I’m just a broken hearted man
I know it makes no sense but what else can I do
How can I move on when I’m still in love with you
‘Cause if one day you wake up and find that you’re missing me
And your heart starts to wonder where on this earth I could be
Thinkin’ maybe you’ll come back here to the place that we’d meet
And you’ll see me waiting for you on our corner of the street
So I’m not moving, I’m not moving
It was magical. Let’s see the 8 world “Wonders” before we’re six feet under. Danny and Mark ran around the stage like crazy and I remembered singing it super loud in my car 😀 Being part of the Script Family means that you have family members all over the world who take you just the way you are. But most importantly we welcome everyone with “Arms open”. Such a beautiful important message.
One of the crowd’s favourites is “Nothing” and they put it back into their setlist for the Freedom Child tour. This followed by their first track on the record “No Man is an Island”. I was really looking forward to seeing this song long live and they turned it into a brilliant performance. The slow song section came next with “If you could see me now” and “For the first time”. The first one means so much to the band and us it was a very special moment we all shared.
For the next two songs the lads stood in the midst of their fans on the balcony and sang “If you ever come back” and “Never Seen Anything quite like you”. Just the three of them like when they were busking the streets of Dublin. It was very intimate but also very funny since they were joking with the people around them. Mark and Glen were heading back to the stage but Danny to the long route through the rows of people singing “The Energy Never Dies”. Honestly I wish I sat right there and not over on the right side haha
Back on stage Danny asked us take out our umbrellas for “Rain”. This took me by surprise because in Switzerland we are not allowed to bring umbrellas into the venue but apparently here in Dublin it’s ok. Those two hours were over way too quick when they headed backstage for the encore. The crowd was super loud and wanted them back on stage. Just a little later the first chords of “No Good in Goodbye” filled the 3 Arena. I knew this meant we are close to the end and I really really didn’t want it to end.
I think for this song literally everyone stood up and sang along to “Breakeven”. Another magical moment of an amazing concert. The Script finished their set with their most famous hit “Hall Of Fame”. Danny gave us a speech and told us to take out our cell phones and film this magic moment. We should be able to whatever we wanted. Dye our hair the colour we want (Like he did), love the people we want to love and do the things in live we love. The 3 Arena was lit up with lights and a really special moment was created to end this beautiful Night 3 of the Script’s Freedom Child tour in Dublin. Calling all Family Members have you been to one of the 3 Night’s in Dublin? Want to share your memories? Leave a reply below. 🙂
When Liam Gallagher announced his gig in Zurich I knew I really wanted to see this legend. But I was a bit cautious and I didn’t want to buy tickets right away. To be honest with you I was afraid of him not showing or showing up and leaving after 20 mins. So when I won the Gadget concert pass I was super happy and I was looking forward to the gig.
I walked into the venue and I felt like I was transported into the 90’s somewhere in England. Lots of people looked like part of the band and I felt right at home 🙂 At 8 the supporting act The Sherlocks from Sheffield took the stage and they really had a hard time warming up the crowd. It is not easy to perform in front of a rock legend but they did quite a good job however you could sense that everyone was waiting for Liam Gallagher.
At 9 on the dot the lights went off and the long intro started. Liam Gallagher did show up and what a show it turned out to be. He started his set with “Rock’N’Roll Star” and the crowd went crazy. Everyone was singing along and people loved it. I have to admit I think I was too young to actually understand how much influence Oasis had on everyone back then. But I understand it now. Another Oasis song “Morning Glory” followed before “Greedy Soul”. “Wall of Glass” should be used in speech therapy for all the people who have got problems with their “S”. It was absolutely hilarious how he highlighted the S at the end.
Whatever he said between songs was either not understandable or swearing. But to be honest I liked it and I didn’t expect anything else. Everyone had a brilliant time and were singing their hearts out. “Paper Crown”, “Bold” and “For What It’s Worth” were some of his solo songs and the crowd went a bit quiet since I think most people were there to listen to the Oasis songs. The smart rock star that he is he mixed in another 2 Oasis songs into the set list and people absolutely loved “Some Might Say” and “Slide Away”.
“Come back to me”, “You better Run” and “Universal Gleam” followed. Honestly I didn’t know a lot of the songs but I still had the best time watching this legend perform and looking into the crowd and seeing how much they enjoyed themselves. The time flew by as “Be Here Now” started. Then finally the song literally eeeeveryone knows started. 1 guitar and Liam Gallagher singing
Today is gonna be the day
That they’re gonna throw it back to you
The huge singalong started and during the chorus the crowd took over. It was magical to witness “Wonderwall” live. A truly special moment. Time to leave the stage after an hour.
Liam Gallagher came back for 2 encore songs. First up “Cigarettes & Alcohol” . A classic. Then the last song “Live forever” was another song that everyone seemed to be able to singalong too. The little time capsule we stepped into was unfortunately over. I have to say that this was the first gig after the Script in Dublin of course that I really enjoyed in 2018. Plus Liam Gallagher proved to be an absolute professional. He played his set even though City was playing. I really hope that he was able to catch the highlights after the show 🙂 Have you ever been to an Oasis or Liam Gallagher show? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
Thanks to me winning Gadget‘s concert pass 2018 I am able to choose gigs and experience different kinds of music for free. So I decided to give Galantis a shot at winning me over even if house dance music is really not mine. I went to the concert completely unprepared and was ready to just be open minded.
Luckily I found two good concert buddies. One has seen them before (Check out Loads of Music) and one is a pro in this genre. At 9 the two Swedish lads took the stage and the party started. However my party didn’t start. I realised that it really wasn’t my music and I only liked the songs where they remixed “Rather Be” and Katy Perry’s “Feels” into it. Of course the only two songs I knew “Runaway” and “No Money” were pretty cool too. Galantis had also a pretty cool feature with a guy called Wrabel. He’s got an amazing voice! You should check him out. After a little more than an hour Galantis left the stage we were quite disappointed. My friend said that they weren’t good at changing songs and the messed up the drop. So I won’t be going into much detail here and let short videos on instagram and pictures speak for themselves:
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P.S: I loved the confetti! 🙂 And my Loads of Music concert buddy wants me to add that “Peanut Butter Jelly” was just the best and believe me it obviously was her highlight. My highlight of the evening was being together with two incredibly lovely ladies and having a good time! So Galantis did make us have a good time which I think is so important. Have you seen Galantis live? Leave a reply below and let me know your opinion! 🙂
Thanks to Loads of Music I got a last minute invite to the sold out Dermot Kennedy show at Papiersaal last night. I was pretty excited since this Irish lad got hyped the last few months. I wanted to see for myself if this hype and my Artist2watch is justified or not.
Dermot Kennedy chose Sam Fender as his supporting act. I am sure you’ll be hearing more of this British talent from Newcastle. He was named onto the BBC Sound of 18 list and yesterday we got to see more of this young artist. His 7 song set started with “All is on my side” and “Living without”. My favourite song was “Millennial”. It was very powerful. He mentioned that normally he’s playing with a band but today he was alone on stage with 2 guitars and a keyboard.
After some more jokes he continued with “Greasy Spoon”, “Start again” and “Hold out”. He finished the set on the keyboard and sang a powerful ballade called “Use”. I like the set and I am sure that we’ll be hearing more of him soon.
Dermot Kennedy came on stage shortly after 9. He seemed like he was either sick or drunk. He wore trainers, a hoodie and a hat it seemed like he was ready for bed. Dermot Kennedy started his set with “Evening” and his incredible voice resonated through the venue. You could hear a pin drop and no-one was chatting. It really was a special atmosphere. He continued with “A Closeness” and “All my friends”. All of his songs are slow ones and his voice is full of struggle and pain. The stories he tells with his songs are powerful and full of emotions.
After each song he said a quiet thank you and if we were lucky he murmured a short explanation into the mic how the song came about. I was actually asking myself how people understand him who don’t know English that well. He didn’t make us feel welcomed even though he is still a new artist. Tom Grennan has got some pretty deep sh*t as well but he has been a joy to watch. He looked at the audience spoke with us and owned the stage. I am honestly not sure if Dermot Kennedy is arrogant, shy or just doesn’t give a damn anymore.
My highlight of the set was “Young & Free”. This will be his next single. I loved it and enjoyed this song a lot. I was fascinated by the drummer Micheal who was super passionate and did an amazing job! Dermot Kennedy said that everyone has a place or a person to go to where you feel safe. So for him it’s a little island off the west coast of Ireland and this is what the next song “For Island Fires and Family” is about. I spent the whole song listening to his every word. A very beautiful ballade and my depressing mood skyrocketed. Like I already mentioned in my Artist2watch post Taylor Swift put “Boston” on her Spotify playlist and we got to listen to it live now.
Apparently it was the best time in Dermot Kennedy’s life busking on the streets of Boston. On the Setlist it says “Malay” but it doesn’t have a name yet. It’s a new song and a work in progress. The song everyone knew came on “Moments Passed” and a little more than just the super fans started singing a long. “Glory” and “After Rain” finished the set without an encore. After 50 mins Dermot Kennedy has done his job for the day. He left a sold out venue wanting more and clapping and wooping for minutes hanging. People couldn’t believe that it was finished already and hung back. Only after a few minutes of disbelief people started queuing up to reclaim their jacket.
I felt his struggle. But was it also a struggle to be on stage for him? I was left wondering and a bit disappointed to be honest. I get the hype around his voice but I don’t think he deserves a hype around his person. If he really was sick he could have told us. I think everyone would have understood. But his performance yesterday doesn’t make me want to see him again which is a shame really. Did you feel the struggle? Leave me a reply below and share your opinion on Dermot Kennedy.
Yesterday I enjoyed my first gig in 2018. Alt-J played their biggest show in Switzerland to date at Hallenstadion Club and it was a super special gig. I am very grateful to Just Because for bringing these interesting artists to Switzerland and for always supporting my blog.
Like I said in my New Music post I am so curious about these british lads. So I got to the venue with mixed feelings. As soon as Alt-J started their show they had me. I was in awe of their light show and I still am. It was fascinating to see how it matched the music. The patterns and the colours were absolutely incredible. Who would have thought that a few light bulbs can make for such a show!
I do have a few pictures to show you but this show is really hard to catch in a picture. This is why I recommend you to go onto my Instagram page and have a look at my Alt-J highlights. The trio started their show with “Deadcrush”, “Fitzpleasure” and “Something Good”. I spent the first few songs staring at the lights and was mesmerized by it. “Nara” and “The Gospel of John Hurt” followed. I finally got round to focus on the voice of Joe Newman. He’s got a super special way of singing but it totally matches their sound and their show.
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Before “In Cold Blood” Alt-J spoke to their Swiss fans and the first woop’s were heard. But I gotta say the crowd was very quiet but I guess everyone was just fascinated by the show. What I really loved about last night’s audience was that they were really relaxed. Everyone had a good time even if they weren’t the loudest crowd I’ve seen at least they seemed to enjoy themselves. “Ripe & Ruin”, “Tessellate” and the Intro of “This is All Yours” followed my favourite Alt-J song.
The lights sparkled and changed colours from green to pink to blue. “Every other Freckle”, “Hunger of the Pine” and “Bloodflood” were next. I wasn’t really dancing because I was watching the show so I started to get really cold. I think there was also a draft in the Hallenstadion and I looked like an eskimo with my jacket and scarf on 🙂 Finally for Matilda the crowd started to wake up and dance a little more. For the last few songs “Dissolve Me”, “Pleader” and “Taro” there was quite a good atmosphere. After an hour they played “Left hand free” before Alt-J went off stage for the encore.
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Joe Newman, Gus Unger-Hamilton and Thom Green obviously came back for two more songs before they sent their Swiss audience back into the snowy rain to get home. The encore began with an intro of their debut record An Awesome Wave. Their huge hit “3WW” followed. But my favourite song because of the light show and the up-tempo feel of the song was “Breezeblocks”. Alt-J put all the lights in action with as many colours as possible and it was a brilliant to their 90mins set. Were you at the gig yesterday? Did you enjoy the light show as much as me? Leave a reply below.
This is most difficult task I’ve ever had to do for this blog. I cannot choose my highlights! I loved each and every gig I attended this year. So many special moments I witnessed thanks to incredible artists who gave 100% to their audience. So I will try to name a few gigs and I will let you know why they were special to me. I apologize already since this blog post will probably the longest I’ve ever done.
My gig highlight of the year: Marteria
I saw him twice – at Gurtenfestival and at his headline show in Zurich. Both times he completely took over the whole venue and the people were at his command. The atmosphere was incredible and the energy blew the roof of the building. But my fondest memory is actually the morning after the Gurten gig. We literally stayed awake until the clouds were purple again which is one of Marteria’s songs “Lila Wolken”. It was the perfect ending to a very special four days at the Gurtenfestival.
The most special venue: P!nk
When it was announced that P!nk would only play 5 odd shows this summer I knew I had to go to Berlin to see her. I’ve never been to Berlin so it was even more special. I love the city and I loved the two gigs at the Waldbühne. A stage set into midst of a very green forrest just outside the city. It was raining a lot but that didn’t matter. Finally after years I saw my P!nk again. I grew up with her and her gigs and it will forever remind me of my childhood. It was just perfect.
My first interview: Naturally 7
I’ve always been a huge fan of the 7 lads from America but this summer they actually made a huge accomplishment possible. They agreed to give me my first interview for Kekoas Korner after their wonderful gig at the Live at Sunset the day before. I will always be very grateful for that and will support them forever. Their shows are brilliant and I would suggest if you haven’t seen them – go see them!!! It’s well worth your money plus they really make an effort to meet the fans after the show. Go say hello.
My first time as a Merch Seller: Welshly Arms
The guys from Welshly Arms were looking for a volunteer to sell their merchandising. Obviously I took that opportunity 🙂 Let me just say each and everyone of them were super nice and very grateful that I helped them. I was happy to help plus I got to witness an amazing gig! Being a Merch girl is great and I loved to talk to all the fans about the band. I also got to interview the guys from Welshly Arms before their show.
The best entertainer EVER: Robbie Williams
Robbie Williams is hands down the best entertainer and knows how to put up a good show. He rocked the Letzigrund for around two hours and blew fireworks and confetti and fire into the air like there was no tomorrow. He also brought out his dad which gave the show a very cute touch. Only recently it was brought to our attention that Robbie Williams actually was quite sick during that performance after which he flew directly to London into the intensive care unit for a week. It was actually a miracle that he performed that night! Thank you for that but please next time listen to your body Mr. Williams and cancel the show.
The longest show with the most stars: Capital’s Summertime Ball
We spent 7 hours at the Wembley stadium in London and got to see so many stars. Bruno Mars opened the show. JP Cooper, Niall Horan, Charlie Puth, Dua Lipa, Clean bandit and this is just the beginning. My highlight was that I finally got to see Sean Paul live. He did an amazing job and since he was quite close to the end he took my last energy so that I was seriously knackered and couldn’t enjoy Little Mix who closed the show.
The hottest gig: Pegasus
It was July and it was boiling hot. The Pegasus gig was at 8 IN THE MORNING on a ferry on lake Zurich. It was the perfect weather and the perfect gig. Pegasus are a super talented band from Switzerland and everyone just had a good time and by the time it finished we were already sweating.
The most colourful gig: Coldplay
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It took me years to like Coldplay and to make me want to see them. This summer I suddenly felt the urge so within two weeks I organised a little trip to go to Frankfurt and see them. The weather was awful but the gig was great! Tove Lo and Femme Schmidt supported them. But what I liked the most were the colours. I have never seen such a colourful concert and what I also loved was how appreciative the band was.
The best rock gig: Stone Sour
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That’s a hard one. I really loved Guns ‘N Roses and you know they are just legendary! Mando Diao were incredible to see live and I want to see them soon again! But I think I will give this one to Stone Sour because they seriously f*****g rocked and Corey Taylor has an amazing voice aaaand he looks gorgeous! 😀
The most special voices: Tom Grennan
This one was also very close. Jacob Banks and Tom Grennan went head-to-head. Both have super special voices which give me goosebumps and both are very very talented. But Tom Grennan got the call because he seemed more open to his fans and made the effort to meet each and everyone. This is what I want to see in an aspiring artist.
Best Newcomer 2017: KARAVANN
I got to meet the two lovely lads from KARAVANN for an interview before I even seen them live. They seem really serious about their venture and I have a good feeling about their journey. In August I finally got to see them live and believe me they didn’t disappoint. They have an incredibly international sound and they make sure that you have a good time at the gig. Please check them out and go say hi after the gig 🙂
The worst gig EVER: Kings of Leon
I didn’t think I would ever say this but unfortunately I had to witness the worst show ever from Kings of Leon. They didn’t want to be on stage, they didn’t know where they were and they played songs no-one wanted to hear. For an hour you could hear a pin drop in the Hallenstadion and everyone was quite baffled at how bad they were. Since I paid a lot of money to see them it was even worse. So two big thumbs down for you guys!
The most relaxing gig: Anastacia and Baschi at Bossard Arena
The people were super relaxed and to be honest the arena was quite empty. Nonetheless did we have a brilliant time! Anastacia was amazing and she is just a force on stage. Baschi is our Swiss Robbie Williams and entertained the sh*t out of the Arena. So I had space to dance, I knew the songs, I had an amazing time! 🙂
The Scandinavian gigs: Lukas Graham & Mans Zelmerlöw
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I got to see the sound check of Lukas Graham and we spoke a little afterwards. Super lovely lads and just very talented and grateful to travel the world with their music. I’ve seen them twice already and they’ve done a brill job both times. Mans Zelmerlöw won the ESC and came to Switzerland twice already. Always very special gigs!
Kekoas Korner’s soft spot: Gavin DeGraw
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I literally grew up with his music. His song “I don’t want to be” is my hymn for anything. When I listen to the song I always have to sing out loud. He is an incredible musician and I am so glad that I was always able to meet him after the show. He is so nice. If you have the chance please listen to this guy.
The Irish frenzy: Walking on Cars, The Coronas, Tom Walker
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As you might know I go a little crazy for Irish bands.. 😉 The lovely Walking on Cars came to Switzerland 4 times this year and I saw 3 of them. Zurich, Lausanne and Lucerne. Each gig was different and I just love their music! They were supported by Tom Walker. Another Irish lad who’s very talented and is coming to Switzerland on 20th April 18. Go check him out! Lastly I got to interviewthe Coronas in October and the lovely Danny gave me some tips for my trip to Dublin.
The good times with Bastille
Bastille always make sure that everyone has an amazing time. We jump, we kinda dance, we sing. They are an incredible live band and unfortunately I won’t be seeing them next year on April, 20th 18. But please go and let me know how it was. The very talented brits are coming back with their newest record and I’m very much looking forward to see them some other time…. maybe at a festival again.
Best Merchandising Top 5:
1. Welshly Arms – This has to be number 1 since I sold their merch and I proudly did so because they really were amazing. I love the designs of the T-Shirts and the Jackets. They also had Vinyls and hats too. I still wear their stuff every other day.
2. Guns N’Roses – The designs of the shirts are amazing and I nearly got two shirts.
3. Ed Sheeran – He had a various range of Merch. I really loved the Army Jacket and the lumber jack shirt. The jacket was one of my favourite this summer.
4. Stone Sour – Lots of nice designs on T-Shirts plus signed Vinyls.
5. Amber Run – I loved the lion on their shirt and I still regret that I didn’t buy that shirt. Jacob Banks came really close to making it into the Top 5. He was selling a shirt where it said in this is merchandising and below Jacob Banks. I thought this was hilarious and I was this close to buying it.
All those gigs wouldn’t have been possible without the help of ARTNOIR magazine, Just Because, Mainland Music, ABC production and Goodnews. Thank you for supporting Kekoas Korner!
Lastly I want to thank all my concert buddies for joining me at various gig and for having as much fun as I did! <3
I cannot wait for all the gigs in 2018! So bring on the new year 🙂
I’d love to know what your concert highlights 2017 are. Please leave a comment below or on Kekoas Korner social media channels Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
Just Because brought Tom Grennan to Papiersaal. He’s one very talented singer songwriter from the UK and will be huge next year I guarantee you that. Grennan is one the BBC sound of 17 list and will release his first album Lighting Matches on 9th March 2018. All of this made me really excited to see him live for the first time.
Josh a Swiss band opened up for Tom Grennan and they were really very cute and the two girls had both great voices. They talked around a little technical problem easily even if they were nervous. Wonderful job 🙂
Finally at 9 Tom Grennan and his band took the stage and they started with a bang. First song was his most famous so far and an uptempo song called “Found what I’ve been looking for”. The atmosphere was brilliant and everyone clapped, danced and sang along. I love artists who sing their biggest hits at the beginning! It really gets the crowd going and it’s the perfect set up for the rest of the night. Next was “Make ’em like you” and Tom Grennan said it’s pretty easy so sing along and we did. Another brilliant song from the upcoming record. The title track “Lighting Matches” followed.
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Tom said that he was really lucky this year and he is incredibly grateful and happy to end his tour in Zurich tonight. Coming to another country and people coming out to see you is just brilliant so here comes the next song called “Lucky Ones”. During “Aboard” I started to think… Who does Tom Grennan remind me of?? And there it was! He looks and talks just like Cook from an English TV Series called Skins!! I had to smile a little and enjoyed the next song “Giving it All”. I think “Barbed Wire” will be one of my favourites from the new record. It has that kinda feel good vibe topped off with Tom’s incredible raspy voice.
Tom Grennan asked us now if Chase & Status were big in Switzerland I replied “No, not really” and shook my head. He said “Good, no I’m joking. Check them out they’re really good”. So the 4 musicians and him played the Chase & Status track “All goes Wrong” where he lent them his voice. It is also the single which got him his first charting single. The band started a reggae beat and we had to sing “Um a Um a Um a yeah”. It sounded very very good and Tom seemed to be satisfied too so he sang “Praying” with a Swiss backing choir. He said: “Normally I go off stage now and you make me feel incredibly good about myself but today I feel the vibe so I stay on and play three more songs for you”.
For “Old Songs” it was just Tom Grennan and his guitar on stage and WOW just wow. His voice, the guitar and the lyrics are incredibly sophisticated! His very released single “Royal Highness” was a little more upbeat again and the band came back on stage. People were dancing and just had a good time! Tom made sure of that with little stories in-between songs and a great setlist. So the next song was the intended last song but my concert buddy said very disappointingly “What about “Patience”?” and Tom Grennan seemed to have heard that and said “We might play it later!”. So “Something in the Water” was the last song and the crowd was feeling the groove. When it finished he said:
I’ll be back definitely back I promise you that. Grennan’s coming for ya!
Then he remembered what he promised my friend. So he stepped into the audience and sang “Patience” with people from the left and right side standing on stage. It was an incredible moment and why I love small concerts. In addition to these special moments you get to meet the artist after the gig most of the times. Today was no exception and let me tell you he is a very lovely down-to-earth lad from Bedford and as he said Grennan’s coming for ya next year so watch out! Have you been to one of his gigs? Share your story in the comment section below or on Kekoas Korner’s social media accounts Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.
