Still Thursday, July 31st: Soon after I woke up from the most beautiful dream, we get to line up at the doors. There’s a lot of discussion, we don’t get anything, but try to stay somewhere near the English speaking Bogofans. Finally the doors open. And what time it takes to discuss the stupid parents‘ paper … We are right there, two adults, two kids, they are small, we will take care. K1 is in tears, all the good spots will be gone now. I tell her to run and look for one of the Bogofans on the left side. We somehow make it and they give her the front spot at the rail. My husband is getting drinks and pizza and everyone is settling for the start of the concert. I don’t dare to look at the crowd. I really don’t like crowds and I don’t know how this works well with me liking concerts. But I mostly stand somewhere in the front, so I realise a few days after that there were 30.000 people behind me when I see the pictures.
K2 decides to also see the concert from the front row, so my husband has to stand there as well. I need to go to the toilet, it’s a long way through an already pretty big crowd. When I come back, Hoonine is playing. She looks like a nice person and seems to be excited to be here, but I can’t really tell if I like her music or not. It’s much better than a lot of things I’ve heard, but it’s not really my taste. I feel bad again.
At just like that it’s nearly 22:00. Equipment is getting unwrapped, camera people are taking their positions, team members are checking the instruments.
And then it begins. The intro we have seen so many times on videos from other people in other places – we can now hear it with our own ears and see it with our own eyes. And feel it. And everything. Suddenly they are all there and I have to blink several times – if it was true and I had met them just hours ago, they were so different. A bit shy, very polite, like every mother’s and mother-in-law’s secret dream. And on this stage there are these incredible powerful beasts, made of pure adrenaline and Rock’n’Roll, of fire, lights and coloured glass, which every mother and mother-in-law would comment with a raised eyebrow and a „you really sure, kid?“ But all people here look like they have never been so sure of anything. It’s an incredible evening.
Amazing. I have no words. It’s all like we had dreamed it, but much better. They are so much fun on the stage, and it’s even more fun to watch. And the fans are as amazing as I thought they would be. At some point we even waved the flag together, our little Niedersachsenross, we danced together during Torre Picasso and so many more pictures and videos were taken. I can’t wait to experience this again some day!
And the band! I love when artists make eye-contact during the show so everyone feels seen when they go home, but this was another level. There were things like „I’ll stay like this to make sure you get your picture“ or „the kids in the front still doing fine?“ and as we had seen it at another concert, in Santander someone also signalled they needed help – the band completely stops, informs the security and waits calmly until the thumb goes up that everything is fine again. And how I love that the fans respect that. No pictures, no screaming, they are waiting patiently. It could be you or your friend needing help. Oh, I hope they can keep this spirit alive for a very long time.
I also remember at the end of the show that Antonio was looking at us and smiling like he was saying: „You guys are absolutely crazy for driving this far just for a concert.“ Well, you’re not wrong, I have to admit. This is probably the craziest thing I have done, but also one of the best and the most rewarding. It was a pleasure meeting you all.
But the night did not end before an even more amazing thing did happen in the end – I got another souvenir from Wonderland! The guys were throwing guitar picks and drum sticks into the audience and I guess the people around me just stepped aside – next thing I know is a drum stick is hitting me in the face and falls right into my arms. Thank you! WOW! I need more shelf space with all these precious things I’m bringing home.
On the way out, another fan hands me a bottle of water because I feel like I have dried out. On the way to the parking lot is a drinking fountain where I refill the bottle twice and drink it both times in one go. A man is asking K2 if he was at the concert and if he enjoyed it. I tell him he doesn’t speak Spanish, so he continues in English. I tell him that we are from Germany. He stares at me: „But they sing in Spanish! How do you know them? Do they play them on your radio stations?“ Oh lord, I wish they did.
