Thursday 30 October 2014

Ed Sheeran @ The O2 12.10.14


Ed Sheehan is uniquely talented. He stood on that O2 stage in front of 20,000 people and commanded the stage only armed with his voice, loop pedal and guitar; a fate which few others could achieve. The crowd hanged of every word and knew every note to every song. Ed's easy going nature and interaction with the crowd made it feel like a local small town gig as opposed to one of the biggest venues in the UK; with the continuous backing vocals from the crowd being the only clue to how many people were watching. 

There are few people you talk to who say they do not like Ed Sheeran- he is one of the few artists in the world that my University Flat all agree on listening too, which is a challenge considering everyone has different music tastes. I think it is the mixture of slow and up-tempo songs; which people can relate too as well as, his image of being 'normal'. He is one of the biggest artists in the world, but he has never lost his natural image. He is not 'cool' or unrelatable, you can imagine meeting him down the pub or being one of your friends; and he continues this attitude throughout all his gigs. Chatting to the crowd, laughing at his own jokes and encouraging a sing-a-long so epic that he wants you to go home 'without a voice.' 

A mixture of tracks from both albums '+' and 'X' meant a continuous change and variety in the setlist. I love hearing the build up of tracks as he adds more guitar and vocals, as well as tracks you normally wouldn't hear such as 'Gold Rush and the mash up of 'Don't' and 'No Diggity'.  I would have loved to have heard his cover of Snow Patrols 'Chasing Cars' but, I am sure the YouTube covers do it all the justice in the world. 


I would also like to congratulate Saint Raymond on actually gaining the attention of the crowd, the biggest challenge for any opening act. I had looked up a couple of tracks before the gig and he is defiantly an artist that I am going to keep my eyes open for in the future and add to my Spotify playlist. 

I travelled all the way back home to London to see Eddy and boy he did not disappoint; seeing everyone's pictures from him still touring the UK is making me insanely jealous. Let me know what your favourite Ed Sheeran song is and let me know if you've seen any other blog posts of him, I would love to read them! 

Peace Out My Lovelies xxx

Fall At Your Feet- Saint Raymond 

Thursday 23 October 2014

The good, the bad and the 'brilliant': Freshers Edition #2

So here's round 2 of the 'The good, the bad and the 'brilliant': Freshers Edition' and this post will focus on the flip side of freshers. I have had a fabulous time so far at university but, that defiantly doesn't mean there aren't some aspects you miss from home! 



Side note : this is obviously only my experience of freshers and is only my opinion on the first 2 weeks of university; my opinions, I can guarantee will change over the three years of completely my degree! 

The 'bad':
1. Fending for yourself! I never realised how much time or thought goes into cooking all your meals and doing your own laundry. At home there was a magical fairy (my mum) that took care of all these chores whereas, now I've had to learn how to cook and look after myself like an adult. 

2. Missing home! It's so much more than missing your family and friends with it getting down to ridculous things such as your bed and arriving home to your dinner being on the table. 

3. Getting lost; I have spent the last 2 weeks aimlessly walking with absolutely no idea of where my destination is. Although, this has made me meet loads of new people, due to the fact I have to always ask for directions, it does get a little tiresome at points 

4. Education. With the build up of freshers I think people, myself included, sometimes forget that we go to university to gain a degree. The learning style at university is drastically different to school and initially can be slightly overwhelming; though everyday it does get a little easier. Be warned that the library is in fact a place of nightmares and feels very much like a maze 

5. Juggling the work load. This is the case in every aspect of life, struggling to balance your social life and your studies! However I have found it a little more challenging these past few weeks; partly because after the lengthy summer holidays I am no longer used to studying but also because I am now basically living with my best friends meaning distractions 24/7 

As you can tell these are minor little problems that are even ironing out as we speak. But, I think it's important to note for myself and for you guys that it's completely normal to feel overwhelmed or emotional during the first few weeks! 

For the highlights of freshers, and let me tell you that it has been truly amazing, check out my other blog post here: http://theamygill.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/the-good-bad-and-brilliant-freshers.html

Peace Out My Lovelies xxx

Track of the week: Shake It Off- Taylor swift 

Saturday 18 October 2014

The good, the bad and the 'brilliant': Freshers Edition

Sorry for my lack of Internet activity but, I've been a busy little bee over the last couple of weeks- moving away from home and embarking on the challenge of university! So I'm going to catch you up on my life but, also give you some suggestions and reality checks if you are considering going to university! 

One blog post is going to be all the positives and highlights of the first couple of weeks at uni- all the aspects you would probably associate with freshers! The other will show my struggles and the reality of moving away from home. 

Side note : this is obviously only my experience of freshers and is only my opinion on the first few weeks of university; my opinions, I can guarantee will change over the three years of completing my degree! 

Toga Party 
The Good: 
1. Partying! This is what everyone associates with freshers and it is honestly awesome. There are different events every night; varying from silent discos, bar crawls and the freshers ball. This is the best way to meet people and bond with your flat mates. It is a completely different experience to normally going out at home and it's amazing to explore the bars that another city has to offer.

2. Independence, you know longer have to answer to anyone (apart from ringing home every couple of days to assure your parents that you are in fact alive.) There is no one their to judge you for being a little to drunk, sleeping in or staying out too late

3. Meeting new people! I have to admit I was petrified about this aspect but I have been seriously blessed with amazing flat mates. From day dot we bonded instantly and have supported each other ever since. Just make sure you jump in with as much enthusiasm as you can muster because otherwise you will miss out on so many opportunities. 

4. Freshers fayre= free stuff! I have now got enough pens to last me 3 years and enough domino pizza vouchers to feed my whole halls complex; embrace the free stuff, especially when you realise you'll be living on your student budget. 


5. Confidence! Since arriving in my new city I have embraced the saying 'if you don't ask, you don't get'. This has made me meet so many new people; in bars, in my lectures or on campus and I have also been known to gain a couple of cheeky discounts too 

I can honestly say that starting this new chapter in my life has resulted in some of the funniest and best weeks of my life and that now things have calmed down a little, I will hopefully be back to my usual blogging updates! 

Peace Out My Lovelies xxx

Track of the week: Bleeding Out- Imagine Dragons