Ed Sheeran - +

This album has been chilling on my iPod since forever but I never really listened to it, I don't even know why. I didn't do a live blog in a while, so I thought this album would fit pretty well. You can join me here if you like or on Spotify of course. 

The A-Team

Hands down, we all heard this song already a million times but do you ever get tired of it? I don't. I still love it as much as I did when I heard it for the first time. I still get really dramatic and imagine I'm in my own music video whenever I listen to it and it's great. The meaning of the song isn't that great though, apparently it's about a person being addicted to drugs like heroin (which is called a "class A" drug). 

Drunk

I've never been drunk before. Like, never ever. A little tipsy of course, but I always stop before something bad might happen. 

There are so many songs about being drunk (I got a hangover ohooo) and troubles with the girlfriend but I genuinely believe that Ed Sheeran is the only songwriter out there who can make these topics sound classy, almost like poems. I mean: "I wanna be drunk when I wake up, on the right side of the wrong bed, and never an excuse I made up, tell you the truth I hate, what didn't kill me, yeah it never made me stronger at all."

U.N.I

A love song again. It doesn't sound like a love song though, well not really. I mean, he's kind of rapping what makes me nervous but the lyrics are really cute again. (Sidenote: his accent even emphasises the lyrics and makes every song sound a lot more elegant.)

Grade 8

I bet it's one of the best feelings ever to have somebody tell you "I'm never gonna let you down" and actually mean it, eh? 

Wake Me Up

This song has lullaby-material. It also makes me slightly sad because the lyrics are so beautiful again that my heart aches a little from reading them.
Don't we all wish to be in a relationship like Ed sings about (in case you aren't already, of course) because I really wish. 

Small Bump

Hold on a second, Ed Sheeran is a dad? It already confuses me a lot that he's only one (!!!) year older than me and then he sings about an unborn child? Good lord what is happening.

This

Songs like this one make me want to play the guitar really badly, wow. When you listen to this one, make sure it's silent around you, use your headphones and turn up the volume a little. 

The City

The closest I ever was to a big city was when I lived in a suburb of Madrid for three months. However, it was still quite calm and silent there, so no real city-feeling for me. Anyway, this song is about London and maybe about how Ed played on the streets before he became really famous. 

Lego House

I'm in love with this song. Not only because Rupert Grint plays in the video but also because there's nothing I could possibly critisize. 

You Need Me, I Don't Need You

Nice title. Also nice way of rubbing his fame into people's faces who didn't believe in him. You go, Ed!

Kiss Me

Next time somebody asks me why I want to be with a musician, I'll show them this song. It speaks for itself, I suppose. 

Give Me Love / Parting Glass

"All I want is the taste that your lips allow"

I guess it's pointless to mention what a talented singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran is. Furthermore I'm still not over the fact that he's one year older than me but already makes something out of his life. I have so much respect for this dude. 

I'm Married To The Music, For Better Or For Worse - Y Like You Me At Six

The band that put the purpose of my life into one sentence is also the last band in my band alphabet: You Me At Six. I clearly remember the first time I listened to them, it was No One Does It Better. It was on a Saturday night, I was in a terrible mood and for some reason I opened Spotify and clicked on this song. As soon as I reached the chorus, the tears started falling, maybe from happiness because this song gives me this ache in my chest what usually means I'm falling for a band. Maybe from sadness because this song touches parts of my soul which I usually lock away very carefully, especially when I'm not coping well. There's just something about Josh's voice that makes me enormously happy and terribly sad at the same time and this may be strange, but I love it. I love listening to You Me At Six because they let me cry when I feel like crying and they let me smile when I feel like smiling. When I listen to songs like Jaws On The Floor or Reckless, all my worries step aside and for a little moment, I believe that I'm capable of doing everything I dream of and that's one of the best feelings ever. When I listen to Bite My Tongue, I stop doing whatever I did before and just bath in the lyrics because they're fantastic. I'll definitely get I'm married to the music, for better or for worse tattooed when I've got the money for it! 

However, most of the time I basically crawl into bed, hide under the blanket and turn up the volume really high because that's the best way of enjoying You Me At Six at their fullest.
I just really hope they'll make it to Germany soon (after releasing their new album???) because I want to see them live and just celebrate that I discovered them in the first place. 

I'd love to say more about my connection to You Me At Six, but I discovered them not long ago, so there aren't many moments or memories I could share. 

Do you have any stories to tell? Did you meet the guys, did you attend a concert? Let me know in the comment below!  

Album Of The Week: Green Day - American Idiot

Post concert depression aside, I totally fell in love with Green Day when I saw them play and yesterday I bought this beautiful thing for only 5€:

Actually it's not necessary to write a review about this record because one sentence would be enough: This is the best record Green Day gave to the music world.
However, if you need some more reasons to love this band, let me help you a little.

Kicking off with the song which gives the record its name, American Idiot, Green Day take you on a journey of pop punk music while they critisize the country they come from. 

The next three songs are probably the most famous songs the band has to offer: Jesus Of Suburbia, Holiday and Boulevard Of Broken Dreams. All I can do concerning these songs is to emphasize how perfect they are because let's be honest here: We all can sing along to Boulevard Of Broken Dreams, being a fan of Green Day or not. 

After enjoying the first four songs, you can lean back and relax a little while listening to Are We The Waiting. It's a rather slow song, so turn up the volume and enjoy Billie Joe's voice. 

With St. Jimmy, song number six, we're back to jumping and dancing around your room, keep the volume high!

I skipped some songs because they're all great and typical for Green Day but I'd like to mention one last song now: Wake Me Up When September Ends. Apparently this is what happened: Billie Joe's dad died on September 1st, 1982 and after the funeral, Billie Joe locked himself in his room. When his mum knocked on his door, he only said: "Wake me up when September ends."
Songs always get a deeper meaning when there's a personal story behind them like this one. It makes it easier to find a connection to the band. Now that you know the background of this song, listen to it again and pay attention to the lyrics. I guarantee goosebumps. 

I can't really express how happy I am about finally finding my connection to Green Day, it only took about literally forever so it's no big deal. There are so many more songs I have to listen to, so be prepared for some more reviews about this band. 

ROCK AM RING: Day Three aka the best day of my life

From the moment I ordered my ticket to the moment it actually happened, I was beyond excited for the last day of the festival. If you're wondering why, the answer is simple: two of my favourite bands played within a few hours: All Time Low and Pierce The Veil. Hands down: I would have been okay with not attending the festival but when I saw that these two would play, too, I just had to go and it turned out to be the best decision I ever made. 

When we arrived at the festival venue at around 12pm, there were already many people lining up to get in because they all wanted to get a spot in the first row for Green Day. When the gates finally opened, I literally ran for my life because I promised myself to be in the first row for All Time Low. While running, my phone fell out of my pocket but I didn't notice, so a random guy ran after me and gave it back to me - if you're reading this now: Thank you so so much, I would have been screwed without my phone! 
I ended up in the second row with three extremely tall guys in front of me. Talking to strangers is still quite a big deal for me but this time I got over myself and asked them if they'd let me stand in front of them for All Time Low so I could see properly. The guys were super nice and immediately made some space for me so I had the perfect view. If we met again, I'd bake rainbow cupcakes for you guys because you made one of my biggest dreams come true and I was so scared of actually asking you this and I hope all of your dreams will come true, too. 

Just in time at 2pm All Time Low came on stage and I still can't believe this actually happened. It was super crowded again so I couldn't really move but I had enough space to jump around. The first thing Jack said was: "Did anybody already get a blowjob today?"
With this he already won the attention and sympathy of the whole crowd.
The setlist was the same like they have while touring with Green Day, they just left out Backseat Serenade (a pity, I would have loved to hear it) and So Long And Thanks For All The Booze. I'd also love to know how many energy drinks Jack had before they went on stage because he complained about being highly hungover and how he didn't get laid on Saturday night even though he was drunk and he went totally crazy on stage. He shook his ass, stuck out his tongue to the photographers, asked people in the crowd to call him and jumped around as he usually does. Then he found a guy in a shark costume in the crowd, got him on stage and let me tell you: the shark guy created the best vibe. Both Alex and Jack asked us to give him a blowjob because he'd deserve it. Jack said: "This guy deserves a blowjob!!" and Alex added: "Yeah, he needs some oral sex right now."
At one of the last songs, Jack jumped on Zack's back, kissed him on the cheek and ran away before Zack could catch him. Zack was the only one I could take a picture of because he didn't constantly move. 

These were the best 40 minutes of my entire life, I don't even know what else to say. As soon as All Time Low left the stage, I got pulled out of the crowd by a security guy and ran to the place where the signing sessions happened. The other girls were already lining up for Simple Plan so I lined up for All Time Low. I still didn't realise that I actually saw them on stage and would see them closer in an hour. 

Finally they arrived at the signing and a few minutes later, it was already my turn. Unfortunately we weren't allowed to take pictures but Jack grabbed my hand, shook it and said: "Hey, nice to see you!" I only replied with a short hey because it was like I was in a trance and how Rian's teeth glared totally distracted me. With this beautiful smile, he could totally do a commercial for tooth paste.
Then I stood in front of Alex and somehow I managed to give him my phone and asked if he could sign it. He only smiled at me and said: "Sure!" 

And then there was Zack, not saying anything, not even looking up to anybody but quickly signing everything, so I grabbed my card and phone and waited for the girls because before we had time to realise what just happened, we ran to the Clubstage where Pierce The Veil were already playing. They only played for 30 minutes and we arrived after the first 15 minutes. They played Caraphernelia, Bulls In The Bronx and King For A Day - three of my favourite songs by them. I noticed that I lost my camera but luckily somebody found it and gave it to the security guy at the signing so we ran back, got my camera and went to the Centerstage for Simple Plan. 

This entry is already too fucking long so I'll make it short: Simple Plan are so lovely, they seem to like Germany a lot because they practised some german what was really cute. After that we took a break to eat and sit around before Green Day played. I've never really been a big fan of Green Day (shame on me) but their show was fantastic. Never before have I experienced thousands of people singing along to a song, check it out here, I still get goosebumps whenever I watch it. 

One week ago we sat on the campground enjoying the sun, today I'm still dealing with the worst post concert depression ever. Rock am Ring was such an important experience for me, not just because I had the time of my life but also because it taught me that not everybody automatically judges me for my looks or whatever. I met such open-minded, nice people, I met my heroes, I'm a happy child. 

ROCK AM RING: Day Two

Compared to Friday, Saturday was very relaxed. We went to the venue at around 3pm to see Papa Roach - I have to admit that I only knew Last Resort but the atmosphere was awesome. After being a band for 20 years, these guys know how to please such a huge crowd.

After Papa Roach, we had to kill three hours so we walked around on the venue, got something to eat and relaxed a little before Biffy Clyro played. I didn't know them at all but the girls wanted to see them and I don't regret joining them. The vocalist has such a pleasant, powerful voice, I could listen to him forever. They're definitely worth a listen, I'll take a closer look at their current record soon! Go check them out in the meantime!

The next band we watched was Phoenix. Again I didn't know them and I didn't like their performance either. Their vocalist was cute but the band didn't manage to transfer any energy or passion to me, in fact they bored me pretty much. They were okay to watch but if they played in my area, I most likely wouldn't go. 

However, they weren't the worst band I saw on that day, in fact it was Hurts. First of all I don't really like their music, just not my cup of tea. Furthermore the bass wasn't tuned properly but much too loud, I could literally feel my inner organs shaking and I don't need that. To be honest that was annoying as fuck so I couldn't enjoy their performance at all. The only thing I liked was the singer throwing white roses into the crowd, that was cool. 

After waiting for around eight hours, The Killers finally played. I never really found a connection to them until I actually saw them live. The atmosphere was fantastic, everybody was so excited and happy and we danced and jumped and sang and there was confetti and a firework and yeah, I finally realised what an amazing band they actually are. (Unfortunately I couldn't find pics of their show anywhere, sorry for that!)

That was already day two, time flies at a festival, I don't even know. Day three was the craziest, best, most unreal day of my life - more tomorrow! 

PS: You can find all the pictures I used in this entry and more here!

ROCK AM RING: Day One

Sup everyone, I'm back from four days of camping and three days of perfect music, hope you are excited to read what I have to say! I'll skip the two days before the festival because we arrived Wednesday night and spent Thursday killing time and getting a tan. 

Friday, June 7th, 12pm. We arrive at the festival venue, there are already quite a lot of people here waiting to get in. At 1pm the gates open, we get our bags checked and run to the Alternastage where we'll spend half of the day. We actually manage to get a place at the first row what turns out to be good for many reasons. Reason number one: We have the perfect view on the stage. Reason number two: We can clinge to the barricade when the crowd goes nuts so we don't end up being smashed in a pit. Reason number three: We can be pulled out of the crowd after A Day To Remember to go see Paramore. 

The first band we saw was called Love & Death, some really creepy guys. I think the bassist was high as a kite, he had this crazy look like he was insane and I don't know, creeps. I didn't really like their music either.
The Ghost Inside were up next and they were amazing. They played in Germany for the first time, it makes me really happy that I was a part of this. They only played for 30 minutes though and then the first band I wanted to see was up: Asking Alexandria.
First James came up on stage and let me tell you this: In real life he's even more stunning than on pictures. Same with Cameron that sexy motherfucker. I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed in their performance as a whole because Danny's voice cracked often. However, the other guys did a fantastic job with their instruments and kind of compensated Danny's part.
There was a mosh pit opening right in front of me but I hid behind this tall guy because I didn't feel like being smashed on the first day and I'm scared of pits but shhh

One british band followed the other: Right after AA, Bring Me The Horizon played. I had seen some of their live performances on youtube but damn son, Oli is super aggressive as soon as he steps on stage. There was one pit after the other, he even tried to arrange a wall of death two times but there was always only a small amount of the crowd doing it. However, people in the back started to push forward and tried to make their way to the stage because Oli said so. To that I have to say: Fuck you Oli, it became really tight there in the front and I got pressed against the barricade so I couldn't move anymore. Anyway, I loved it. Screaming along to the bands you listen to 24/7, screaming your favourite songs with thousands of other people was fantastic. They played Sleepwalking what's my favourite song by them and if you say that Bring Me The Horizon suck live, you're wrong. 

I wasn't able to take pictures but luckily there are people getting paid for doing that. I took this one from SWR3, a german radio station. 

The last band we saw playing on the Alternastage on Friday, was A Day To Remember. I never really listened to them but apparently they're sick live, so I was actually looking forward to their performance. However, it got super crowded so I was busy staying on my feet and couldn't pay as much attention as I wanted to. I saw Adam Elmakias sneaking around and taking pictures though, for example this one: 

After ADTR, we let us pull out by the security guys because there was no other way out. PS: If you're one of those people who crowd surfs at a concert, you're an idiot and I don't like you. Seriously, if others in the crowd want to get hurt, they get into a pit and don't wait for you to push your foot into their faces. There are a million other ways of having fun at a concert. 

I'm done ranting, we moved to the Centerstage for the rest of the day. First Paramore were up, what I was quite excited for. I gave their music many tries and never found a connection but Hayley is so badass, I may fell in love with her a little. No seriously, I finally understand why so many people adore this band, they're sick live. The atmosphere was great, everybody just sang along and danced and had a great time. Also Hayley is one of the most beautiful women out there.

(pic taken from SWR3 again)

The next two artists were german rappers. First a guy called Cro and then a band called Fettes Brot. I don't really have to say much about them because it's not my kind of music and we were just there because we waited for 30 Seconds To Mars who were the main act on Friday. 

As you may or may not know, I already saw Mars two years ago on their huge tour and that was when I fell in love with them. It was unreal to see them again, to sing along to the old songs like Kings And Queens as well as the new songs like Up In The Air. Jared looks like Jesus, there was confetti, a firework and there were balloons and gymnasts who did some crazy things during the breaks. Jared's voice sounded incredible, their break was really good because he needed a rest after touring so long and now he sounds better than ever. It was so good to see them again after all that happened, it felt like coming home after a long journey. 

We saw the most bands on one day on Friday and went to sleep at 3.30am or something only to be woken up at 8am again on Saturday. I have to catch up on some sleep now and part two with Papa Roach, Biffy Clyro, Phoenix, Hurts and The Killers will hopefully come tomorrow!

ROCK AM RING

In around 25 hours I'll get on the train to travel to my first festival ever. In the past few weeks I went from feeling sick because of anxiety to feeling sick of excitement, currently it's like a mix of both. I honestly can't believe that I'll really be there to see almost all of my favourite bands. While I was on my way home from work tonight, I realised how damn lucky I actually am. I mean, I just got into this kind of music around six months ago and some people have to wait for years until they get the chance to see some of their favourite bands. I'll try to watch as many bands as possible, simply to keep my mind busy and obviously to discover some new music.
I highly believe that I packed too much but I don't know what I'll need and what I won't need. If you have any quick tips for me, shoot!

Long story short: I'll be back on Monday if I survive day one (Asking Alexandria, Bring Me The Horizon & A Day To Remember), see you then!

By the way: If you have new music for me to check out & write about, don't hesitate to contact me! Just drop a mail or ask on tumblr or tweet me, whatever! Feed my postboxes!

Interview: Parachutes

Before their show in Stuttgart on May 30th, I sat down with Carsten and David, the two guitarists of Parachutes, and had a little chat. This was my first interview ever, so I'm very grateful for actually getting a chance at all. Since the guys are german, too, we did it in german and for my english-speaking readers I translated everything. Just check the read more!