Thursday, 9th April 2009
Thank you for the music!
I’ve always had my suspicions, and the prognosis was always very bleak, and now my suspicions have been proven as I’ve confirmed once and for all that I suffer from an incurable condition. Unfortunately for me and those around me I was born in the wrong musical era, and until the advent of the time machine there is not much hope for me.
You see, although I am (only) 33 years old, my music gene is defective and has not caught up with the times yet. Although I’ve been to many concerts and many musical shows with many different genres of music, and although I’ve paid good money to travel to different concerts held in different cities around the world, every time, I found myself totally disappointed at my inability to enjoy myself.
Back in my twenties I had the grand opportunity to go to the MTV Europe Music Awards. My friends considered this a once in a lifetime opportunity so I dragged a few along with me. The next year I once again had the same opportunity and the same friends hooked up. To their utter disgust and incomprehensibleness, I (supposedly the leader of the pack) managed to sleep through both shows. The first show took place in Stockholm and the next one in Frankfurt. Both times I stood there freezing my bits off in the middle of a mad crowd of people screaming their hearts out. Huge loudspeakers blared their woofers at me and alcohol was out on the loose. Yet still, even though I was so close to the stage that Wyclef Jean could have heard me snoring, I struggled to keep my eyes open. During the show, Robbie Williams, Madonna, Moby and U2 could have thrown their microphones at me, but nothing would have jolted me out of my bored insanity.
A few years later, and again to my friends’ repugnance, I got the opportunity to interview Sister Bliss and Maxi whatshisname of Faithless – apparently, or so I was told, Faithless is one of the most famous British Electronica Bands. Again I struggled through the interview and it took a lot of effort not to fall into a self-induced coma during the concert.
It’s not that I don’t like or don’t appreciate music, and it’s not like I don’t own thousands of CDs and a state of the art sound system, it’s just that the music that gets me going or feeling anything at all, is either sung by my all time favourite Ira Losco, or was produced and released long before I was even born. So, because Ira does not spoil us with too many concerts, and because I am stuck in a time warp, I never get the urge to immerse myself into a moshpit to spend hours singing at the top of my voice, dancing on my toes, smashing my body against police barriers and exchanging bodily fluids with like-minded concert goers- up until a week ago when I went to Abba – The Show!
At the ripe old age of 33 I attended a concert that finally got me out of my music death bed. Some might think that it is very sad indeed that I got to experience this so late in life and at a concert where the average age in the seated section was over a 100, but sad as this might be, this is when I experienced an epiphany. For the first time in my life I had no problem staying awake as I danced and sang my lungs out to tunes that were first released when not even the thought of me existed.
There I stood or rather jumped, screaming out the lyrics of Waterloo, Fernando, Dancing Queen, Mamma Mia and finally understanding how my friends feel at a good concert - exhilarated, wanting more, unable to keep my heart in my chest and constantly needing something to cool me down. My friends were shocked. They turned their back to the stage and looked at me in awe. They could not believe that I was well awake and not looking at my watch or leaning against a barrier with the face of a flogged pigeon, and most of all they could hardly believe their eyes when they saw me jumping and singing, with my hands held high beating the air above my head like my life depended on it.
For the first time in my life, I was not counting the minutes and hoping for the last song to put me out of my misery. Finally, a tribute band managed to transport me to the delirious state I had never experienced before, and all I can say now is – Thank you for the music, thank you for giving it to me!
RSS
Comments
Show was great but it did not impress me that much. However the sight of thousands singing song after song was impressive, i didnt see it even when artists of greater caliber were in Malta.
Having said that, we are lucky to have had some great concerts from local artists, the list of great bands is now endless. My favourite concert of late has to be Winter Moods (my all time favourites) at the waterfront, with Ira at the Hilton a close second.
Come on Maltese bands give us another summer to remember
but if your in a hyper, lets shake the world up mood then go for matalica. music is all about moods and the state of mind you are in at that point in time. this also applies for who is writing the song in the first place ? or writing the play for that matter think about it!
You mentioned a lot of things without a word on the concerts in Malta of Elton John , Sting , Roger Waters and the Austrailian Pink Floyd. Did you attend these concerts ?????
Ira is a good local product for sure (not enough exposure is being given to her abroad).
FAITHLESS was and still is the perfect night for a party.
Try and dont miss out on UNDERWORLD. It will surely be an experience not to be missed.