Optimus Alive - 2nd Day

Yesterday I went to another music festival, Optimus Alive, to see Lisa Hannigan, Noah and the Whale, Mumford and Sons, Florence and the Machine (originally - it was cancelled), and The Cure. I thought the line-up was brilliant and I felt like partying, so I decided to go just a few days ago.

I have been partying/going out a lot for my usual standards. I seem to go by periods of almost complete lack of activity, during which I feel like being alone all the time, and then there are other times (like now) when I feel like there are so many possibilities in the outside world that I want to take every chance to be out and about with people I like. I enjoy everything about going out, mostly the sense of diffuse, fuzzy freedom and how lazily relaxed I get to feel. I like anticipating and preparing things before going, feeling the music on my whole being, being in the middle of a huge crowd, feeling connected to so many people, looking at all the different faces around and wondering about them, doing and saying silly things just for the sake of it, wandering around from a place to another, jumping and singing and dancing, getting tired and having to sit down for a while talking to a friend, and then going home and finally getting some warmth and rest. Sleep feels so satisfying - gloriously so - after nights out, like a complete turning-off of my system; and I like waking up at lunch-time feeling dizzy and apathetically peaceful (funny how I used to hate it, it made me feel sick), and spending the afternoon in a hazy laze. The summer is the right time for this (moderate) destruction of my usual structure: this will allow me to perceive and think in a clearer way when I need to because it increases my sample of experiences, sensations, and emotions.

As for the music: I have to admit I was disappointed, though probably my expectations were too high. The first disappointment was when Florence+the Machine cancelled their gig: I am not a huge fan, but I like their songs and, having seen them live two years ago, I know that their concerts are truly electrifying. Their replacement by Morcheeba definitely weakened the line-up. Morcheeba did a good show - their music is nice and the singer has an attractive and joyful stage presence - but the audience was (understandably) cold, and it wasn't a very interesting gig.

Lisa Hannigan (who you might know, as I did, as the woman who sings with Damien Rice) was the opener. Her soft, mellow folk, though at this point quite unoriginal, is still very cute and her sweetness charmed the audience, leaving everyone in a good mood.

Noah and the Whale delivered their variety of joyful hipster pop-folk with gusto. The frontman Charlie Fink is also a joy to look at, and their classy attitude - mannered and genuine at the same time - on stage made them very interesting to watch and easy to connect with. The fun tonality of their songs makes them perfect Summer music, and they contain just the right amount of melancholy for my taste.

Much in the same note, only on a deeper emotional current, Mumford and Sons played afterwards. I was surprised by the audience's enthusiastic reaction - I hadn't realized that they were so popular -, which certainly contributed to the high quality of their concert. Everyone jumped, danced, and sang he lyrics, so one felt really connected to the crowd, which is one of the best things about concerts. Marcus Mumford has an excellent voice, dripping with emotion, and the strong instrumentation increased the emotional punch of the experience, which was made even more beautiful by the sun setting and the whimsical stage lights. 

Aftewards, it just all went downhill. As I've said, Morcheeba was all right; the bit I saw of Awolnation was very stale rock; Katy B looked like a Barbie and her musical style - danceable and empty - really doesn't appeal to me.

As for The Cure: what a sad concert. I don't know many of their songs (though the ones I do know I like, and I want to start listening to their discography), so probably I wasn't the target audience. The music sounded good, but the concert was absolutely dead: there was no interaction with the public, no movement on stage, and so the songs quickly became monotonous and the audience seemed to lose interest. Personally, it was like listening to an album, only instead of being comfortably at home, while being squashed by a mass of people - not the best experience. They seemed to be a cover band of themselves.

All in all, it was worth going to, though I do wish that the first three shows had been later on (after sunset: music at night sounds so much more thrilling). 

Super Bock Super Rock 2012 - the music

I'm back! I had the chance to see some amazing shows at Super Bock Super Rock. I had never been to a music festival for more than a single night, so my experience this time was really different: I felt I connected to the music in a much more visceral way. I could just go from one concert to another, even from a band or an artist I had never heard of before, be sucked in by the sound almost immediately, and dance and share in the feel of the moment. 

Of course my favourite concerts were still those by artists whose songs I knew and loved already. The connection you develop from listening many times, taking advice from, and generally interacting personally with their music (often more than you do with real people - the songs won't judge you, an they show you you're never alone) is so wide and deep that your heart just keeps leaping and jumping and soaring and flying while they are performing. I don't think saying that musicians often play the role of demi-gods is going to far: most people do experience a kind of catharsis due to music, and certainly idolise them for being able to express more about our inner lives than we ourselves.

The sum of these two types of experience - the open fun of dancing and smiling to refreshing songs and the emotional pull of seeing some of my favourites perform - made me feel everything in a more complete way.

The first day, the effect of the music was impressive. I was feeling, for a variety of reasons, miserably nervous and distressed; however, as the evening progressed, I forgot and let go of everything that was bothering me. Time flew by without me ever feeling tired or out of place.


The energy and warmth of the Alabama Shakes' concert certainly contributed to make me feel at ease. Their music comes straight from a weary, but joyful, acceptance of life, and they are natural, sincere performers on stage.

I then saw a bit of Bloc Party's concert, which was certainly absorbing and got me dancing. I was sorry to go, but I really wanted to see Bat for Lashes at the secondary stage, and I was not disappointed. She  and her music (of course) are the most entrancing mix of light and darkness: sensuous, honey-voiced, moving in sweet abandon between hope and despair, with a flow of sounds (a powerful use of drums and keyboard) that balances theatrical antics and self-expression. Listening to Travelling Woman that night was one of those crisp moments of realisation that inspired me to make some peace with my own mind. (I will definitely write about it later.) Her new songs seem to have a slightly happier, more danceable tonality - I liked them and look forward to her new album.

After seeing Incubus perform their classic (Drive, better known as that song that goes 'Whatever tomorrow brings I'll be there...'), I surprised myself by being gripped into a state of thoughtlessness by Battles. I generally hate electronic music, but for once I got into it, maybe because of their strong use of fast-changing bright, colourful images, of their attractive presence on stage, and of the structured feel of their music.

The second night, the first act I saw was the main one - the controversial Lana del Rey. My opinion? She is a dream-catcher and producer; she weaves an appealing fantasy world for many people of my generation, and that is an achievement to be praised. Her artificiality is not a bad thing: the emotions she sings about are all too human, and the shiny gloss she adds to them allows the listener to find a meaning in common experiences - isn't that one of the purposes of music and art in general?


I liked her show - her coy shyness, 'perfect' prettiness, good voice and diva-like poses are seductive to watch - but I think she loses some of her mellow shine when performing live. Besides, it was much too short (45 minutes leaves you wanting more).

I then danced for the rest of the night: first, to Oh Land's sweet, happy and very colourful pop (a pleasant surprise); then to Friendly Fires (devilishly Summery music), and finally to MIA, with her powerful mix of sonorities and god-like stage presence. It was great fun!

The last night started with Perfume Genius - a quiet, sensitive type who sang ballads and looked a bit like a young, blond Morrissey -, who gave a very nice early evening show.

I was touched by Peter Gabriel's show with his New Blood Orchestra. The orchestra made all of the songs sound majestic, and I liked it that he read a few critical excerpts on politics and society. Of course, my favourite moment was his duet with Regina Spektor singing Aprés Moi.

St. Vincent's show was also impressive - her broken-doll figure, twisty movements and devil-may-care attitude made her riveting to watch, particularly when she crowd-surfed! 

The concert I most enjoyed was definitely Regina Spektor's, which was the last one I saw. She is one of my very  favourites: I have listened to her songs almost daily since I was fourteen, and keep finding new layers of meaning in the lyrics and new forms of beauty in the sounds. I had already seen her live, and been amazed. This time, though she played less songs and none of her endearing back catalogue curiosities (she kept to the singles and to songs from the last two albums), it was even a more intense experience because I was literally in the front row, which I had never been before! She (and her band) played beautifully, and her attitude on stage is the definition of sweet, which is something I admire.


The audience was a strange mix of Regina Spektor fans, excitedly singing every word and interacting with Regina - the most beautiful moment was, for me, when she sang "For all the friends that we have lost/Let's give them one more round of applause" and the audience started clapping and Regina looked so moved -, and Skrillex fans waiting for his performance afterwards. It was really a very poor decision by the organisation to put two artists that are so different performing one after the other. I found the Skrillex fans' attitude really disrespectful: they kept complaining about having to wait, asking for the time, making unpleasant comments on Regina, and generally looked very bored/almost asleep. Except for that, the concert was perfect!

All in all, it was a great musical experience I hope to repeat!

Off to a Dreamscape

I am heading off for a few days to a music festival with a friend. I am both uber-excited and nervous, though I know that will pass the moment I leave home (the same things always happens when it comes to new experiences, I suppose it is natural to both fear and desire the unknown). I like this feeling of excitement, and I hope to have a lot of fun and to feel free.

Summer Reading

The best kind of reading! I long for the end of the exams, so that I can dive headfirst into a good book, and I hope you give yourself the chance of doing the same - it's one of the best ways to relax, travel,  get some mental fresh air (let books guide your thoughts to new places!), all while feeling pretty good about yourself for increasing your culture. In my opinion, a good Summer read should be engrossing enough for the pages to turn themselves and for you to forget the heat. I will post a few personal recommendations, but for now this fun, sprawling diagram will help you choose a good book (or remember past good reads):

School is out!

I have to say this is a frankly anticlimactic climax to 12 years of full-time schooling: no teary goodbyes, no prom, no party, no speeches (by the way, this is a very interesting and relevant speech which articulates a wise ethical perspective in a clear, humorous way) - which means, unfortunately, that I had no occasion to wear a silly dress and pathetically high stiletto heels. It felt pretty much like any other day. 

I feel happy school is over (well, let's pretend there aren't exams...). First of all, I know I have worked well throughout my education, and this gives me an inner sense of calm satisfaction that doesn't require outside recognition or compliments for it is based on the progress I sense within myself and in my knowledge and communication with the outside world.

I am very lucky to be in a position where I no longer need to worry about my future for the next three or four years, because everything is set already. And it is exactly what I had dreamt of, believing at the time it was a wild fantasy. The end of classes has made next year - with the biggest change in my life up to this moment - seem more real, because there is only the Summer between me and University. However, as it is so hard to imagine my life come October (me + University = ?? - I can picture a girl who looks like me living on her own in Oxford, but that scenario changes the girl into someone who does not seem to be me), the Summer seems an infinite extent of long sunny days with a kind breeze coming from the sea and bringing with it a serene and complete joy of the senses, a feeling of being alive and embodying in myself each second that passes. 

I don't feel nostalgic at all about school. I felt relief when I walked out, knowing I will never again have classes there. I suppose I never felt at home at school. Actually, the space and the faces I saw were always alien to me, unknown and seemingly unknowable, and thus often made me uncomfortable. It is liberating to know that it is all over now, and that my mind will cherry-pick the beautiful memories and inspiring people I met there, and allow me to forget the dullness and restlessness of most days, and the people who never meant anything to me. I am happy about my life, but I believe there are much better things in store for me, and that I will be wise enough to appreciate them.

And I can now breathe in deeply, feeling the body I am and the outside world in harmony, and perceiving only future through that warm Summer mist. I am moving ahead.