First of all there was the concert of Explosions in the Sky in Paradiso, which might have given me the most profound punch in the guts I’ve ever experienced during a concert. We were with five; Ol, Marco, Tijs and Kat. I stood in a Paradiso that was full of people, and I bawled like a fucking baby and I had no care in the world. Why, you may wonder? First of all, they played really solidly. They make beautiful, intimate, and emotional music, they’ve always had this warmth to them that I can’t really put my finger on. If you listen to all of it, it’s all rather alike, but it’s so listenable and comfortable that I don’t really care. And their best songs are pure golden. They really delivered in Paradiso.
They started off with the best song of the new album, Last Known Surroundings. Which is a great song, and I was loving it already. The second song I can’t even remember, because the third song made the audience cheer. Kat wondered which song it was, because it was really familiar – and in the first chords I knew it was from my favourite Explosions album, but I thought it was the wrong song.
But when my heart swelled and I suddenly felt tears running down my face I knew it was The Only Moment We Were Alone. You know, the song that I dubbed my wedding song. My end of year song of 2005. I had not expected that it would move me so deeply to hear that song played-a-live. I mean, I thought our wedding rocked and I think the song is beyond beautiful, but something that would make me cry as if my heart was breaking? I didn’t think so. Yet there it was. It was a glorious moment in the Paradiso, and right now it’s topping my moment of the year. It was a moment so GSG that the rest of the concert – while very good – paled in comparison. By the end I was exhausted, the audience was annoying, and the music was getting too mellow for me so I was done with it. I think they didn’t build their setlist right where it comes to audience mood and tension, and that is a bit of a pity.
But they gave me The Only Moment – something I had never dreamed of wishing for, and that’s something nobody can ever take away from me anymore. 
What else? There is so much to tell, but now that I’ve got the Explosions thing off my chest I suddenly don’t know anymore, haha!
- There was much sunshine
- a day on the beach with Aurélie
- a night of sushi with Brenda
- Lie’s birthday on the beach of Scheveningen where I got to see everyone again and beautiful pictures were made
- Brenda bought a house
- Lie and Bart hooked up (yeah, THAT Bart)
- lots of busy days at work
- but also a contract extension of a year & a payraise of 10% (!)
And now we have a long weekend off for Pentecost, then one more day of work, and then I have two weeks of vacation!
During which we’ll go to Provinssirock (with Johanna, and we get to see System of a Down live! *squee*), then have a two day breather, and then we’re off to Graspop Metal Meeting, where we get to see Soilwork and Slipknot.
Music wise, I am having one hell of a blast this spring, sweet people. And people-wise as well, I suppose.
Good times.
