Friday, June 9, 2017

My head's above the rain and roses, making my way away.

You can probably guess what this post is going to be about. The concert last tuesday of course. This one was special. I barely waited for this one. Why? Because it was in my own country. C'mon how many times can one say that one of their favorite bands actually played in their country? Well I suppose Americans can say that often. Us Slovenians? Never. Up to the last second I was convinced this is just a tribute band, that they didn't get the real Green Day but some cover band because they wouldn't know the difference anyways. I was prepared for anything at that point. Imagine my insane happiness the first second their drunk bunny came dancing on the stage. I was freaking out. Like literally completly freaking out. To a point where the next morning my voice was gone. So worth it.
Green Day are my boys. I started listening to them when I was a 12 or 13 year old kid, when American Idiot came out and my mom bought it for me, purely because she liked the cover *cheers mom*. Love on first sight and listen. I started wearing all black, using eyeliner and studs and spikes all over because of Billie Joe, can't say my parents were too happy about that, or my teachers...And I had to admit I had the biggest crush on Billie too, come to think of it I still do. A little bit at least. Those green eyes and eyeliner...enough to make me weak in the knees. Hah. On a serious note and his good looks aside, I admire him so much, he stands up for something, he stands up against Donald Trump, he hates homophobia, racism, any kind of hate, he says love will win that all we have to do is spread love. He's amazing like that. Did you know that when he was a child he'd pretend to be Elvis, dancing in front of his mirror to The Sun Sessions? As if I needed any more reasons to love him. Hah. Not that I'm playing favorites, I love Tre and Mike just as much, great guys as well.
Now back to the concert. I actually saw them before in Austria in 2013 *my god was is 4 years ago already?* but as I said before, favorite band and your home...that is different. The energy on the concert, the love, the passion...it was breath taking. They play Bohemian Rapsody before coming on stage as a part of the act and it is amazing when everyone in the venue starts singing along as loud as they can. I love Queen, always did always will and seeing so many kids *yes kids they were that young* there singing along to one of the best songs ever written...hair raising moment. I just love seeing younger generations enjoy old rock instead of all these new types of ''music'' that are really far from actual music.
I said this before and I'm saying it again, there is nothing on this planet that could compare to the moment of anticipation and excitment, when the lights in the venue go dark and you know the band will come on stage any second, and then that first note hits. It's amazing. Better then any kind of drug, better then alcohol, fight me on this but better then sex too. My favorite thing on the planet, that one moment. That one moment when the music hits you and you feel no pain, everything disappears and it's just you and them and ''real life'' doesn't even matter in that moment.
They came on stage with a bang, literally, there were explosions, there was fire, there were sparks flying. Amazing. Billie talked about how it's been 19 years since they were last here *please guys I beg you don't make me wait another 19 before you come back again, though I can always go to Austria or Italy but still* and then he said that they are not even going back home that Ljubljana is their new home. I wouldn't complain. I'd welcome them with open arms. *I can hear my best friend in my head just now ''you mean open arms and open legs don't you?'' hah sorry, I just had to*...
There's this moment when he talks about leaving all evil outside behind closed doors, evil doesn't exist inside the venue, on their show, no hate, just love. He said that in that moment we have one another and that's all that matters, we're all one, he told us to just hug eachother and spread love. It was beautiful. I was a little surprised when there were none of his usual rants, but then I realized that it must be because he wants the shows to be a get - away. A safe place for the fans so they don't have to think or worry about events all around us. The world is ugly, and if we can forget about it for at least 3 hours that's a welcome change. Yet despite all this he didn't forget to say ''Fuck you Donald Trump'' during American idiot. Got to be one of my favorite moments on the show. I could never get enough of it. I hate Trump just as much as he does. There was also the usual ''repeat after me, no racism, no homophobia and no Donald Trump''. Amazing. If only people would listen to that. Actually listen. But most of them lost the ability to listen a long time ago.
''This is not a tea party this is Rock 'n' roll'' hah. That is true, the audience was fired up from the start. From the first moment to the last, everyone was on their feet, screaming, singing along. It was amazing. I've noticed that Slovenian crowds are usually pretty shy but not this time, they were loud, they were passionate, they sang along to every line. Billie has this amazing charisma, people do everything he says and it's amazing to watch. I was a bit concerned before that maybe they won't get the reaction they usually get, because of our shy nature but I was not disappointed.
There was fire, a shower of sparks falling from the ''sky'', there were explosions, some really loud. REALLY loud. I heard some people were jumpy and nervous, I suppose after Manchester and Bataclan it's somewhere deep down in you and you can't really help it? I myself wasn't worried. I felt completly safe, a ton of police and security left nothing to chance. So nothing really made me jump, I love pyro, I love fire, I love big bangs, they make the show even better if that's even possible. Like Guns n' Roses with fireworks? And sparks falling during November rain? Ahhh I could just die on the spot, it's beyond perfect. How will I even survive next months Guns n' Roses concert? I probably won't…
So they played 25 songs, old hits, and music from the new album which by the way I think is beyond perfect *fuck the haters*. There was Know your enemy, Bang bang, Revolution radio, Holiday *where I completly lost it for the first time hah*, Boulevard of broken dreams *where I lost it for the second time*, When I come around, Minority, Are we the waiting, St. Jimmy, Basket case, Still breathing, American idiot and obviously more, plus the medley of songs that is so cool oh my god! During those songs Billie said how awesome it is that he see's no cellphones in the crowd *there were very few and mostly just to light up the venue during slow songs*, he said he loves that we are living in the moment not saving it for later. I bet he liked that after that tiny incident a while back where he told a fan in the first row that he can't really see him if he's looking at him through a phone screen. Hah. I actually saw a couple of lighters in the air too. I mean can we forget about the fire hazzard for a second and bring that back? I want a ''sky full of lighters''. Just once.
There were of course fans on stage too, two were singing and one was playing the guitar. A guitar she got to keep later on. I know jealousy aint pretty but if it would burn I would burn the entire city down. So jealous. Though I'm happy for them, they got to live their dreams. Everyone should get a chance to do that someday. A hug from mister Armstrong though? I'd do anything for that. Heh. Big fan yes. Moving on. One of the fans singing with him, she was so cute, totally stole the show, he just hung back let her do her thing. It was the best thing ever. Specially when the crowd started chanting her name. Nothing but love and support in that venue that night and I loved it so much.
What I probably loved most though was this little speach he had that he believes music, rock n roll music in particular has the power to change the world. He said he believed in that since he was 6 years old. I get it. I believe the same thing, maybe not since I was 6 but I do strongly agree. Music has the power to make a difference in the world, to change the world because it can change the people, inspires the people to do better, to be better, to love instead of hate.
And let's not forget about how he mentioned plenty of times how beautiful our country is, how they spent all day in Ljubljana and loved it or how he was saying ''hvala'' which means thank you over and over again as well as ''ljubiti'' which means ''to love'' or just love. It was pronounced slightly wrong but oh my gosh so adorable you have no idea.
All in all, woah what a night, amazing, breath taking, perfect, wonderful...I needed that get - away more then I thought I did. I needed one of my heroes telling me everything will be alright and that love and music is all that really matters in the end. Not hate, not all the bad things happening around us, not the ugly things which there are too many in this world. Love is what matters, loving those close to you and loving those who aren't close even more, because hate will burry us all. And I needed to get lost in the music and forget about everything that is wrong right now and just live in the moment, feel alive and happy and surrounded by so much positivity that would make the sun look pathetic. I love music above all else and getting to experience concerts like this one is just....mindblowing. I am forever grateful to be able to do that.
Which brings us to the end of this post, I'd like to give a big FUCK YOU, not to Donald Trump this time even if let's face it he'd deserve it, but to all the haters in this country, all the people writing dumb comments, saying how horrible they are, how their careers are falling apart that's why they played here, how they haven't put out a good album after American idiot, how they don't really know what punk music is. Sincerly fuck all of you. YOU don't know what music is. And though I could sit here and write at least 20 paragraphs on why you're a bunch of dumb fucks *I apologize about the strong language* I won't. The guys taught me to be better, to be above the petty hate comments and verbal violence *you're still idiots though* and besides I know the truth and the truth is that they are amazing musicians and that the concert was absolutely magical and a couple of salty people can't ruin that for me. So here enjoy these pictures instead....
Cheers to Rancid as well, they couldn't pick a better support for their concerts because they are just as energetic, loud and totally badass like Green Day are. Now guys, remember spread love not hate, leave a nice comment on someone's page for a change and just...tell the people you love that you do, there's no such thing as telling them too many times.
P.S. Music aside for a second, I doubt there is anything sexier then a man completly in love with his wife. My couple goals right here. They are perfect together.

1 comment:

  1. Quote "I just love seeing younger generations enjoy old rock instead of all these new types of ''music'' that are really far from actual music." Unquote
    You sound just like my grandma defending mainstream music when I started on Rock in the seventies, and her grandma about Jazz, and her grandma about the Romantics and so on.
    So has punk rock become mainstream? Sounds like it.
    Else, your energic, loving and just perfect way of writing is inspiring as always. Reading your post felt as if I´d been there, sort of, if you know what I mean.

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