Monday 16 April 2012

Wow.

Wow. I mean, Wow.
I am a very bad blogger.
Which, I must admit, is slightly disappointing: over the last few months, since I last updated, the problem has not been that I have been lacking in ideas, but lacking in time. The lead up to my GCSEs has meant that time for writing anything outside my academic studies has been virtually non-existent,  which I suppose is good, because it means that I might actually be working.
So lack of time is one thing. The other is the inconvenient time at which my blog updates itself. In my head. Usually just before I try to go to sleep. Or in the middle of the night. And that's just plain annoying.
So, I shall now give you a list of all the things I have been meaning to post about and haven't:

  1. Music
  2. How amazingly lucky I am 
  3. Snow Patrol (I feel they deserve a different post entirely from no.1)
  4. Friends
  5. Knowledge
  6. There was another one but I can't remember.
  7. ah, yes, I remember: travelling
I think I might try and write about some of them now.

Yes.

I will.

Let's start with.....


SNOW PATROL.
Gary Lightbody, Paul 'Pablo' Wilson, Nathan Connelly, Tom Simpson, Jonny Quinn and Johnny McDaid.
So you've probably heard of them.
I went to see these fabulous boys on 3rd February 2012. I will admit that I have never been what one might call a 'devoted fan' of theirs. I have listened to their music in passing, as I suspect most people have, and one Christmas I was given their "Up To Now" album. I was probably a bigger fan than most, having listened to more of their music than just Chasing Cars and Run. I'm not discounting those songs, they're amazing, but if they are the only ones you have heard, I beg of you to listen to more, because that is really just the tip of the iceberg. But on that Friday night, I can honestly say that I think they might have changed me.

Gary Lightbody is probably one of my favourite musicians now. Ever. His connection with the audience, his seemingly boundless energy, his humour, his love for his band mates, his love for his music, his lyrics and not to mention his voice simply captured my heart and I haven't looked back since.

So. When my dad told me he was flying out to Miami to have dinner with the band, you might imagine how much I freaked out.
I literally had to fight back tears because I knew I couldn't go with him. But I think it was probably best that I didn't.

I suppose this leads me on to my post about how lucky I am.
I think it's reasonable to say that most people my age feel they have a difficult life and let's face it: compared to a lot of people, they have it pretty easy. These last few months has been, in one word, incredible for me. Sure, I've had a lot of school work to keep up with, but outside of that has been amazing. I am a massive music and theatre fan and since September, I feel like the luckiest person alive in relation to that.
1. 24/09/11 Molotov Jukebox
2. 31/01/12 An Inspector Calls at the Lowry
3. 01/02/12 Katherine Jenkins at The Bridgewater Hall
4. 03/02/12 Snow Patrol at the MEN
5. 09/02/12 All New People at the Royal Opera House
6. 11/02/12 Meeting Zach Braff and Eve Myles (after the All New People Matinee)
7. I've started singing lessons (finally)
8. Next Friday I will be on stage singing my heart out at my school's cabaret evening.
So really, it's been a pretty damn good year so far.
Every time I see a live event like a concert or a play, or I sing, I feel alive.
That sounds incredibly cheesy.
But I do. Every time, I am simply astounded by the emotion that the energy of other people brings to the surface, how much we feel due to lyrics or music or words written by the playwright, and it makes me want that. I want to inspire other people to write, I want to give people emotion and an experience that they will remember, whether it be in a room in a dingy backstreet converted mill in Salford (the venue of the Molotov Jukebox gig) or in an arena full of people (Snow Patrol or Katherine Jenkins) screaming lyrics at me (more at Snow Patrol, considerably less of that at Katherine Jenkins) because they can relate to the music.

And I suppose that covers music too, doesn't it?

I'm probably boring you (if anyone is actually reading my bumbling, fangirling mess of words) so I'll stop babbling and leave you to do something constructive with your day. I have 2 English essays and 3 maths papers to finish, so I should probably get on with that...
Anyway, the original purpose of this post was actually to say sorry for not posting, and if you're reading this thank you for your patience, and to say that I probably (though not definitely. But probably. Almost definitely.) won't be posting anything again until after my exams.

Thank you for reading! :)
Hannah x

p.s. if you do research Snow Patrol a bit, I will warn you that there will be a lot of Gary fondling both Nathan and Pablo on stage. You may find it odd at first, but it's actually hilarious. 
And also Gary is a complete goofball.
E.g. at the concert, he suddenly turned round during the first song and no one could see what he was doing. He then apologised. "I just sang half a song with my fly open. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to expose myself. Can we still be friends? I didn't come on stage with my fly open on purpose, I'm not that guy! I guess this means it's going to be a good night..."
Also, we went into the crowd and high fived everyone on the front row. "You nearly got my shirt. Nearly. You really must try harder. As an Irishman, we don't generally high-5 people. I think that might be a  world record for the most people an Irish bloke has high-fived at once. Congratulations!"
He also dedicated Run to all of the babies of their crew. "None of the band have any kids yet, but the crew have been busy. I think they have about 6 babies between them. So I'd like to dedicate this to those babies. They're not actually here...they're, you know, like, seven months old so, I don't think they are here..."

Anyway, I'm going now.
Leaving.
Bye! x