On Music

On Places

That first concert | Gorillaz &amp; Little Simz

Yesterday, I had one of the most fun&nbsp;days of my life. By means of coincidence (if you believe in such a thing), one of my favorite bands "The Gorillaz" was making their return to stage for the first time since 2022 in Paris at the We Love Green festival after their recent release of <span class="entry-link" data-url="https://open.spotify.com/album/1RvJmGd47lKS4XMXs9j8hD?si=pUb9X5V6Tb2zm3fZ_4CWjQ">The Mountain</span>. Guess who landed in Paris 36 hours prior to this festival - yours truly. And I can confidently say, it was the best&nbsp;€90 I've ever spent (<span class="entry-link" data-comment="I moved from Namibia to Europe | Post still coming">and the first</span>).

My friend <span class="entry-link" data-comment="Alice? Who the fuck is Alice | More on her in my upcoming post about Paris">Alice</span>, who I've been staying with, had to work late and only joined us at the festival much later (around 21:00). Instead, Alice put me in touch with Mpho, a fellow Namibian who lives in Paris and also really digs the Gorillaz. We hit it off straight away. By the end of the night, we felt like brothers:

After meeting at Gare du Nord, we took the Metro to the festival, which is located near this really cool castle called <span class="entry-link" data-url="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C3%A2teau_de_Vincennes">Château de Vincennes</span> (Keep of Vincennes). Upon arrival, we entered the gates, scanned in our tickets (I am really impressed with the systems that go into setting up these&nbsp;events) and started exploring the venue. Lucky for us, there was plenty to see and although we browsed&nbsp;all the stalls around us, what we were really doing, was making our way towards the Massive "Bar" sign in the distance. Within 10 minutes of&nbsp;entering the event, we were standing in a queue waiting to spend €10 on an IPA (way too expensive - delicious though). Funny story, after we had been waiting for 15 minutes, we noticed that the event was cashless and that we had to top up our wristbands first. This minor detail meant we only got our beers half an hour later...

The above map gives an idea of the place. What was really interesting, was the way that the 4 stages could coexist without any audible interference. A combination of the festivals layout, as well as&nbsp;densely packed trees acting as natural sound barriers, ensured that you could only hear 1 stage at a time from anywhere on the map. Just imagine trying to enjoy the Gorillaz perform, while having bass-boosted techno music in the background (again, the engineering that goes into such an event is truly fascinating).&nbsp;Alright, let's get to the highlight of the evening. It's around 20:45 and among 40k people, I run into Alice, who had just arrived. We couldn't believe it either... Shortly after, we met Mpho, who had just returned from the bar with 3 cups and a 3L jug&nbsp;of the same IPA - euphoria, I know. Now it's 21:00, we are fired up, and the Gorillaz finally make their entrance:&nbsp;

For context, the Gorillaz are a virtual band, formed by Damon Albarn (was the lead singer of <span class="entry-link" data-url="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blur_(band)">Blur</span>) and Jamie Hewlett (comic book artist),&nbsp;who wanted to see what music would look like if it lived inside a comic book. That said, the coolest part of the performance were the crazy visuals that were perfectly synchronized with the songs. I really encourage you to have a look at some Gorillaz music videos on <span class="entry-link" data-url="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfIXdjDQH9Fau7y99_Orpjw">YouTube</span> - epicness.&nbsp;

The sound was remarkable and I didn't expect the vocals to sound so true to the actual songs. Hearing the iconic radio microphone effect used by Damon in every song felt amazing - I mean look at this guy:

<div>The commitment to his outfit and the microphone used show how unique this group really is. The guy literally looks like he's still living in the&nbsp;1960s&nbsp;in Vietnam. Regardless, they unified a crowd of 20 thousand people (at the Gorillaz stage) without fail. Being there live, listening to songs I love, creates a whole new perspective of their music. Listening to them now feels completely different.</div>

I'd like to add how impressive the following performance by Little Simz was. If you don't know her, she is a British hip hop artist&nbsp;and she has such a unique grandeur on stage. And boy does she entertain. I was introduced to her music around 2 months ago, but she brought this energy to stage that made you vibe with her music&nbsp;so comfortably without being exposed to it beforehand. The way that she interacted with the crowd felt truly special. You have to experience it live, but here is a glimpse of how it felt:

This was my first proper festival and although I can't really compare it to any other, it truly felt like it couldn't have been better. I am looking so forward to experiencing numerous more concerts like this one. 

Check out We Love Green. It's a really cool concept for a festival.

I was extremely fortunate to be able to experience the most attractive city in the world at least a little through the eyes of a local. Yes, at times I did the touristy things, but thanks to my dear friend Alice, I got a glimpse of what it is like to be a Parisian.

On Monday, 2nd of June, <span class="entry-link" data-comment="Namibia to Europe | Post coming soon">my 160-hour journey from Namibia</span>&nbsp;came to an end and I had finally made it to Paris! And I had a week to take it all in. In my experience, it wasn't half bad.

<div>First and foremost: the food in Paris. What is there not to like? There are probably enough pastries, meticulously crafted to perfection, to solve world hunger. Biting into that first chocolate croissant was an experience I'll never forget. Alice and I had just been in the city center and after visiting one of the many corner bakeries around, we enjoyed our pastries overlooking the <span class="entry-link" data-url="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seine" data-comment="a relatively well-known river...">Seine</span>. It was perfect. Later that day, Alice showed me a curious little restaurant that specialized in falafel pita. We got two, made our way to an awesome park around the corner (<span class="entry-link" data-url="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Place_des_Vosges">Place des Vosges</span>) and although our digestive systems had to work overtime, we devoured them. The bread tastes amazing - baguettes are definitively not overrated. Oh, and don't get me started on the cheese. At this point, it's unhealthy how many times a day I enjoy&nbsp;<strong>a piece of buttered baguette</strong> with a slice of cheese.</div><div>&nbsp;Have I mentioned the pastries? Well, they deserve another mention. Alice showed me my new favorite bakery when we visited the&nbsp;<span class="entry-link" data-url="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrondissements_of_Paris" data-comment="Paris is divided into 20 disctricts/arrondissements">17th</span>. I think you can judge by the expression on my face that I sincerely enjoyed it.</div><div><span class="entry-link" data-url="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seine" data-comment="a relatively well-known river..."></span></div>

<div>Enough of food. On to the incredible architecture in Paris. Everywhere you go, Paris surprises you. I'm not suggesting everyone should see Paris in the order in which I did, but in my experience, this timeline isn't too shabby. Let me share.<br>On the day of my arrival, Alice and I went for a run and visited a nearby lake called <span class="entry-link" data-url="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bassin_de_la_Villette">Bassin de la Villette.</span>&nbsp;I observed how locals had come for a drink, for exercise or just for fresh air after work. Everyone coexisted around this space, creating a lovely social vibe. Experiencing this makes you feel less like a tourist. I loved it.</div>

The following day, we visited&nbsp;Montmartre, which is around 15 minutes away from Alice's place in the 18th.&nbsp;Definitely&nbsp;worth visiting.

<div>I actually visited&nbsp;Montmartre&nbsp;one more time on my last day in Paris (recommend to turn audio up):</div>

One of the coolest places I visited was <span class="entry-link" data-url="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parc_des_Buttes_Chaumont">Parc des Buttes-Chaumont</span>. This park mesmerized me.

So I spent a full day in the center of Paris with Alice. This was perfect for me. I got to see the main touristy spots, as well as some local gems that Alice knew about. We basically spent a day walking and stuffing ourselves with pastries and falafel. It was lovely.

<div>Thanks to my private local guide, I got to know this really cool 
restaurant, built on top of an old railway. La Petite Ceinture was a 
32km circular railroad line around Paris. After its closure,&nbsp;the city <strong>has made use of</strong> the abandoned tracks.&nbsp;This place, often hosting
 trivia events or music shows, is one example of this. I can only 
recommend it.</div>

Alice and I enjoyed an IPA called La Petite Ceinture by the&nbsp;brewery "Brasserie du Grand Paris". A beer created as a tribute to this former railway system.

Seeing the Eiffel Tower at night is spectacular. It actually started sparkling the moment I arrived and walked out of the metro station.

On to the art. I think it's best if I just show you some of the cool 
pieces I found around the city. My absolute favorite is the first one.&nbsp;

An honorable mention goes to Alice's cats. All three of them grew on me within a few days of my stay. Meet them: