Vans Off The Wall Music Night presents: Like Moths To Flames, Memphis May Fire, We Came As Romans and Parkway Drive

Music never fails to make my life at least a tiny bit better. I had a pretty crappy week but I made it through and as some sort of reward so to say, I went to see these four amazing bands. Unfortunately, I didn't have an interview though but it was still a blast. 

Like Moths To Flames started the insanity with the perfect performance to get the crowd into the mood to mosh, the first circle pit happened maybe two minutes after the guys from Columbus, OH started to play.

Memphis May Fire were up next and I'd really like to talk about Matty's Legacy-speech. I don't remember his exact words, but it went somehow like this: "each and everyone is so special in their own way, I love you all from the bottom of my heart, screw everyone who tries to bring you down! Chase your dreams because all of you are capable of making them come true. I belive in you!"

I actually got goosebumps because sometimes it's just nice to hear encouraging words like these, even if they come from a total stranger. I mean, these bands are the reason why you're reading this right now and I have no clue where I'd be without them.

Memphis May Fire played a good mix of their two albums, for example Alive In The Lights, The Sinner, Vices and The Victim. I'm pretty excited for new stuff though! 

My personal highlight was finally on stage after MMF: We Came As Romans. I was really excited and had certain expectations but these crazy guys exceeded those expectations by far. I'm still fascinated by Kyle's pleasant presence on stage - as soon as he started to perform, I stopped thinking about all the things that were bothering me and just paid attention to his voice. He has this very special sound which is a big part of the things that make this band so special. They mostly played songs from their current album Tracing Back Roots (for example Fade Away, Ghosts or Present, Future and Past) but when they played their version of Glad You Came (which is originally by The Wanted and if you don't know what I'm talking about, check it out), they got this party started. Instead of moshing, people were actually dancing and screaming along and that was a beautiful thing to experience. However, not only the crowd had fun, but also the band what was even more beautiful to watch. I really hope they'll be back in Germany soon because these guys totally cast a spell on me (is that a cheesy expression to use when it comes to a metalcore band?)

The final performance belonged to a bunch of guys from Australia: Parkway Drive. As aggressive as their music might sound, the people behind it are super nice. They were at least as excited to play as the crowd was to see them and what can I say? The Australians burned the place down. Crowdsurfers were literally flying around, basically the whole performance was one big circle pit and things got totally insane. I loved how the band interacted with the crowd, for example when they blew out these little white pieces of paper, and their vocalist was like "We don't have snow in Australia, so we thought we'd bring some for you."

Some people got a little mixed up in the pits (bleeding noses, black eyes, whatever you can imagine) but I'm pretty sure that every single person in this room had a fantastic night. 

That was my last concert for this year, so I'll focus on reviews for the last few weeks that still remain in 2013. If you have any wish or request, just drop a message and I'll have a listen!

Last Concert Of The Season!!

Hey guys, I'm just here to apologize for the lack of posts (business as usual) and to give you a quick update! Tomorrow I'll attend the last concert of my season, so to say, the Vans Off The Wall Music Night feat. Like Moths To Flames, Memphis May Fire, We Came As Romans and Parkway Drive!! I'm so so so so so excited for We Came As Romans, I gotta admit that I developed a thing for them during the last couple of months, so it's pretty cool that I'll get the chance to see them. I'm also very pleased to see Memphis May Fire again and I'm 100% sure that Parkway Drive will tear the place apart. Long story short: If you'll be there, come say hi! And if you won't be there, I'll provide you with some lovely pictures and a review on Sunday or on Monday. 

I also plan on doing a little summary of my concert season and a little foreshadowing for 2014 (yes, I already started planning concerts for next yea!), so yeah, stay tuned! 

Go To Hell For Heaven's Sake - A Playlist

I'm in the best mood today *raising my sarcasm sign*, so I felt like doing a nice little playlist for everybody who pisses me off and who pisses my readers off. Let's kick some asses!

Bring Me The Horizon - Go To Hell, For Heaven's Sake

The title speaks for itself, I suppose; I chose this video because a) I couldn't find the album version and b) I was there and it was awesome. 

Bring Me The Horizon - Antivist

Middle fingers up, if you don't give a fuck!! Also this song contains so many swear words to scream that you'll immediately feel better. 

Bullet For My Valentine - Leech

Hey, leech, no longer will you suck my blood, you can't keep away, you need another taste.

Hey, leech, you think that you are here to stay, you can't keep away, you need another taste.

Memphis May Fire - Generation: Hate

This one is for our whole generation, especially for those who are so brave and cyber bully others. 

Of Mice & Men - I'm A Monster

Austin (or whoever wrote this song), is better with words than I am, so I'm just gonna quote again: "For every backstabbing lie and the whispers, I'll shove this down your throat!"

I can only recommend to sing/scream/yell along. 

Of Mice & Men - Ben Threw

Gather around children, I'd like to tell you a story. In my last year at secondary school, I had one friend. We were close, it was great, I really liked her, I thought she'd like me, too. I was pretty unstable around the time of final exams, I made it through somehow when suddenly this girl stopped talking to me. I tried talking to her but she always ran away until I called her and asked what her problem was. The reply I got was the following: "You're so depressed, I can't do this anymore."
Well, you know, good thing that you never walked a single mile in my shoes, so of course to you, my time at school didn't seem as horrible as I experienced it. That's okay though, fuck you. :-) 

Paramore - Anklebiters

When I find myself in times of trouble, mother Hayley comes to me, speaking words of wisdom: "Fall in love with yourself because someday you're gonna be the only one you've got."

It's sad enough that she's completely right with this. Sooner or later, everybody's gonna leave you, apparently that's how life works. 

Pierce The Veil feat. Kellin Quinn- King For A Day

So sick of playing, I don't want this anymore. The thought of you is no fucking fun, you want a martyr, I'll be one because enough's enough we're done!

Sleeping With Sirens - If You Can't Hang

It took me quite a long time to learn that you can't force people to stay. If they don't want to be your friend anymore, alright. If they want to go, let them go. In 99% of all cases you're better off without them and in a couple of years you'll look back and think "Thank God I got rid of that *insert whatever you like*"

Asking Alexandria - A Lesson Never Learned

Because no matter how many people I will meet in my life, I will always make the same mistakes and trust the wrong ones. 

Concert Review: Parachutes, House vs. Hurricane, Betraying The Martyrs & Memphis May Fire in Stuttgart on May 30th

This was the first show I attended since my taste in music drastically changed for good, so describing it as intense seems to be the most appropriate in my eyes but let's start from the beginning.

When we arrived at the venue, which was a little club in the city, there were some members of House vs. Hurricane sitting outside drinking beer and one of the guitarists of Betraying The Martyrs sat there and read a book. Since we had to wait for my interview to start, we just watched them and wondered who belongs to which band and who does what for the band.
After around one and a half hours, the guys from Parachutes were done with their soundcheck and came out for a quick interview (I'll upload it in a second). It was super nice chatting with them, they were so easy going and really comfortable to be around. Huge thanks to Carsten and David for turning my first interview ever into such a great experience! 

Album Of The Week: Memphis May Fire - Challenger

Challenger is the third album the band from Dallas, Texas has to offer and by far my favourite. I finally got it in the mail last week, stopped listening to any other albums and now I think it's time for me to say something about it. 

The first song, Without Walls, sounds quite mysterious at the beginning, then some people start to shout "This is who we are! These are the roads we paved, the strength we found and the mistakes we made along the way." over and over again, until the instruments join in and only Matty screams until the end. 

The next song, Alive In The Lights, is already one of my favourites of the whole album. The lyrics are directed to all the people who didn't believe in Matty, who don't take his way of living serious. It's directed to the people who think music isn't a solid job, the ones who don't see how many lives Matty and the whole band already saved and will save in the future. Personally I can relate to this song a lot because I can't imagine having a job at an office, leaving the house at 8am and coming back home at 5pm. I want to see the world, connect my passion for music with having a job and to quote this song: "I need to feel alive!"

I have no idea if this will work out in the end, it actually has to because there's no Plan B. Music is all I've got. 

This isn't about me though, so let's move on to the next song: Prove Me Right. The first two lines sound quite general: "We put our lives in the hands of the ones that claimed they truly cared. Come to find it's all just a lie and when we needed them no one was there." and could be about anything but as it moves on, I assume it's directed to record labels and the struggles many bands sometimes have. Furthermore, there's a really fine guitar part in the middle which I always enjoy a lot.

I don't really have much to say about Red In Tooth & Claw apart from the bitter sound it has. I think many of us can relate to it because sooner or later everybody gets hurt by somebody they love.

Vices is one of those songs I could listen to forever without getting tired of it. It's one of those songs which remind me so much of myself that it gives me a really weird feeling in my stomach, especially this part: "And I've been thinking this could be the end of me, who is this person in the mirror I see? And I have come so far, thought I was so strong, the truth is I just fed myself a lie for too long. I never thought this would be me." Looking back at the time I struggled with depression, these are my exact thoughts. 

The next song is the one I listen to when I'm about to give up. Legacy is the perfect boost I need to take a breath and focus on my dreams again because Matty screams: "You'll never know what you can do if you don't try now. Lift up your eyes discouraged one. Keep moving forward until your battles have been won. They say you were created to do great things, 

but words only come to life when you believe. Stop blending in. Start speaking out! Don't miss your opportunity." 

I believe that I have what it takes to work in the music industry, I just haven't found my spot yet. I haven't gotten my chance yet. I also consider getting "Lift up your eyes, discouraged one" tattooed one day. 

Memphis May Fire got a little help from other vocalists on this record, for example from Kellin Quinn, who usually sings for Sleeping With Sirens. Whenever I listen to Miles Away, I get this big lump in my throat because it's about how the guys leave for tour and leave their wives back home alone. I can only imagine how hard it must be to be separated from each other for quite a long time and how it doesn't get easier no matter how often it happens and then there's Matty singing "She needs me but I know they need me, too". That's usually the moment I want to tell him that it's okay, that we'll be fine and he shouldn't leave his wife because I don't want him to be lonely and oh dear, I'm getting emotional again, let's move on. 

Danny Worsnop from Asking Alexandria sings in Losing Sight what I find very interesting. The whole song is pretty interesting because it deals with the flip side of being a touring musician. I think what we as fans often don't see is how hard being on the road and playing almost every night can be. How exhausting it can be to keep up our expectations and it makes me always so angry when fans are pissed because their idols didn't come out after a show to take pictures or sign stuff. I know how excited you are for getting the chance to meet them but they have their reasons for not doing it, they're only human, too. 

I think this is the longest review I wrote so far so guess you can tell how much I enjoy this album. 

Run Away, Baby - A Playlist

Most of the time I'm like the laziest person ever but all of a sudden I get the urge to look for my running shoes and go out for a run. If you need a soundtrack that can push you a little, here it is: 

Asking Alexandria - A Lesson Never Learned

I always start with this song, I don't even know why. Maybe because it sounds dramatic enough for the fact that I finally go on a run again or maybe because it's just a damn good song. 

Asking Alexandria - Breathless

Because obviously I'm on a good way to be breathless by the time this song is over. 

Bring Me The Horizon - It Never Ends

Usually when I go on a run, I'm angry because of something. And when I'm angry, I listen to Bring Me The Horizon. 

Of Mice & Men - O.G. Loko

More angry songs, yaay! 

Of Mice & Men - Ohioisonfire

Fun fact: that's the first song I ever heard of them and it's freakin' awesome.

Pierce The Veil feat. Kellin Quinn - King For A Day

King For A Day is the perfect song because it fits to so many occasions and it definitely fits to a run. 

Sleeping With Sirens - If You Can't Hang

There's no certain reason why it's on the list, I just like it a lot. 

Okay so I'd stop here because I'm not in shape at all, for those of you who actually are in shape, I have some more songs I find appropriate: 

Of Mice & Men - I'm A Monster

Memphis May Fire - Alive In The Lights

Memphis May Fire - Vices

Music is cheaper and sometimes more effective than therapy

Today I want to show you my playlist for moments when I have troubles coping with my mind, unfortunately today is one of those days, so let's go. 

Of Mice & Men - Second & Sebring

As you may know I got the lyrics of the chorus tattooed on my arm for several reasons. First of all to cover up some stuff I didn't want to see anymore but mostly because I'm so thankful to have this band in my life. Second & Sebring is probably the most special song I know, it's so powerful, emotional and contains a very important message. 

Of Mice & Men - The Great Hendowski

Read this book, you were meant to live

It all means so much to me

But note what's written in red

It says…

It speaks of hope, trust, and love,

The fear of never being good enough

We are all made the same

I know it's tough, but please don't give up

Don't speak that way, 'cause I won't allow you

You're too young to live this way

Just close your eyes and see

The true meaning

You're too young to live this way

Just look around and see

That life is beauty.

I don't think I have to say more, do I. 

All Time Low - Time Bomb

In my opinion this is the best song they wrote so far, I don't know what else I should say about it, it's just brilliant.

All Time Low - Under A Paper Moon

This is one of the songs that makes me feel like I'm floating around, like everything's gonna be okay after all. 

All Time Low - Remembering Sunday

Yeeeeah, I like torturing myself with songs like this one. Listen to the Straight To DVD version, it definitely kicks you in the guts, especially when Juliet Simms' part starts. I don't really know why I listen to this when I'm sad anyway but sometimes you just need to cry a little, right? (If you say this doesn't make you tear up, you're a liar or plain weird.)

Bring Me The Horizon - It Never Ends

Sometimes all you need is Oli screaming into your ears. The louder you turn up the volume, the faster the voices in your mind shut up. 

Bring Me The Horizon feat. Lights - Don't Go

Another song I sometimes cry over. Oli sounds so desperate and sad that I just wanna hug him and tell him that it'll be fine but then again this song contains lyrics I'd paint on the walls in my room or print on a shirt and wear it on bad days or even ink it on my body: "We all have our horrors and our demons to fight but how can I win when I'm paralyzed? They crawl up on my bed, wrap their fingers round my throat, is this what I get for the choices that I made?"Guess I don't have to mention how perfect Lights' voice is and how perfect it fits to the song. 

Pierce The Veil - Hell Above

Tony Perry is a damn fine guitarist, that's something you can't only tell from this song, but I love blocking out Vic and only concentrate on the guitars. That's a) really nice to get your mind off the stupid thoughts and b) awesome because as I said Tony is awesome. 

Pierce The Veil - Props & Mayhem

After King For A Day my favourite song on Collide With The Sky and definitely one of my favourite PTV songs in general. 

Pierce The Veil feat. Kellin Quinn - King For A Day

I'm so proud to be able to sing along to this freakin' song, it took me forever and my voice can't keep up with Kellin anyway but it's definitely fun. The person who decided to let Vic and Kellin sing together deserves an award and I really hope they'll do this again soon!

Pierce The Veil feat. Lindsey Stamey - Hold On Till May

Well, what can I say... huge thanks to Pierce The Veil for writing this song, I lost count of the times it helped me more than any other song, especially this part: "If I were you, I'd put that away. See you're just wasted and thinking bout the past again, darling you'll be okay."

Yes, I will be okay. It took me a while to realise that and sometimes I don't really believe it but yes. 

(No offense but I prefer the version with Jenna McDougall from Tonight Alive: [x]

Sleeping With Sirens - Who Are You Now

Don’t wake me up if I’m sleeping this life away 

Tell me that I’ll never be good enough 

Sometimes it hurts to think it could really be that way 

It won’t be that way

I’m tired and I’m lost 

I don’t wanna be found 

I put my heart and my soul 

And strength in this now

So forgive me ‘cause I won’t forget that 

Yeah, this world has changed me 

So you know when you ask me

Who are you now? 

Did you say what you want? 

Don’t go back to the start 

I’m asking, who are you now? 

Did they break you apart? 

Won’t you fight back for what you want?

Sometimes you gotta fall before you fly 

We’re gonna work it out.

I'm considering "Sometimes you gotta fall before you fly" as my next tattoo, the rest of the lyrics isn't less accurate and sometimes it scares me how much lyrics fit to my situation. 

You Me At Six - Liquid Confidence

I don't even know what to say about this one, Josh is one of my favourite vocalists on the planet and this song is just pure brilliance and I know this sounds exaggerated but I love it more than coffee and just okay. 

You Me At Six - No One Does It Better

The song that made me fall in love with You Me At Six. There are days when I don't do anything else than listening to it and I don't seem to get tired of it, it's just good for my soul. 

Memphis May Fire - Legacy

Stop blending in and start speaking out! 

You'll never know what you can do if you don't try now. 

Lift up your eyes discouraged one. 

Keep moving forward 'til your battles have been won.

They say you were created to do great things, 

But words only come to life when you believe. 

Stop blending in. Start speaking out! 

Don't miss your opportunity.

You know, when you don't hear encouraging words like these from people around you, you stick to lyrics like the ones above. These are the things that keep me going, that keep me chasing my dreams (by the way you support this dream if you're reading this right now so thank you so much!!) and that help me focusing instead of giving up.

Looks like this is my longest blog post ever, it would be super awesome if you guys could leave a comment, throw your opinions at me and I'll bake cookies for you (no seriously, let me know if this playlist helped you or if you want me to do more playlists in the future, JUST FINALLY TALK TO ME OKAY THANKS!)

Me versus me has always been my biggest fight - M Like Memphis May Fire

Memphis May Fire literally sneaked into my life and took my soul when I least expected it. I remember that I kept having them on my dash on tumblr so one night I decided to “just have a look at their music“. Hahahaaa yeah, it didn't stay that way. While listening to their current album I liked them on facebook, followed them (and all the band members) on twitter and started watching interviews. In other words: It took them around half an hour to take my heart and it doesn't look like they'll let it go anytime soon.
I assume you can tell that I listen to many bands (I'd actually need more hours in the day or more ears for all the music I want to listen to) but there's only a handful of bands I'd travel the world for in order to meet them. Memphis May Fire definitely belong to them because there are so many things I'd love to tell them. I'd love to thank Matty for keeping me going, for inspiring me with his lyrics and for giving me so much hope. I'd love to thank all of them for making music that calms me down, that makes it easier to cope, that keeps me from doing things I'd definitely regret. I'm just thankful for knowing that they're around, ready to pick me up when I'm done with the world and don't know what else to do than listen to them. I don't know what it is but Matty's voice has something that makes me think everything's gonna be alright if I just keep fighting. I'm so anxious about everything all the time so it's always a good feeling to take a break from thinking.

I feel like there are so many things left unsaid but I can't think of anything else to add right now so yeah, Memphis May Fire have a special place in my heart and I don't even have tickets yet but I'm already beyond excited to finally see them in May.