The year is 2010. One Direction are together and highlighting does not involve making your face shiny. Life is good.
2010 is the same year I attended my first official gig – to see the American 90s band, Train. I will clarify, I had previously been to concerts, such as S Club 7, but I had never been to a “gig” – with head-banging, sweating, drink spillage, and personal space invading. I was in Year 9 and the gig was during October half-term. As we longingly anticipated this week off school, we asked each other what we were up to; some were visiting relatives, some were having a week off homework. I, unlike anyone else, was going to see Train, the indie band of the moment.
Although, they were not deemed ‘mainstream’ at the time – apparently making me like them more – Train had become widely popular with the release of their 2009 album featuring their most loved song to this day, ‘Hey Soul Sister’. This song happened to be the soundtrack to my two-week relationship with my Year 8 boyfriend, so obviously this gig meant a lot to 13-year-old me.
Train had become widely popular with their most loved song to this day, ‘Hey Soul Sister’
As my dad is responsible for most of my music taste, he introduced me to Train. The band formed before I was born, but this album brought them back into the charts. So, I eagerly anticipated this gig at Manchester Academy, obnoxiously informing all my friends that the music scene was so much better in Manchester.
When I arrived at the gig with my Dad, I had many questions: are we stood close enough to the front? Can the lead singer see me from here? Am I meant to awkwardly dance? Should I film the whole thing on my pink LG Cookie to show my friends? When they appeared on stage, however, I was amazed by the whole event, singing along to all their songs (yes, I was a hardcore fan who loved the less famous songs, though ‘Drops of Jupiter’ will always be my favourite).
I remember eagerly anticipating the encore, knowing that ‘Hey Soul Sister’ would be the final song. After the last “hey, hey, hey, tonight” was sung, the lights came on and everyone filtered out with smiles on their faces. I remember feeling amazed that everyone in that small room had shared those few hours of singing, dancing, and laughing; I couldn’t wait for my next gig.
After the last “hey, hey, hey, tonight” was sung, the lights came on and everyone filtered out with smiles on their faces.