In the year 2023, I went to two concerts. The first one was on March 5 with Robbie Williams. You can read it over here. The other was Pet Shop Boys on July 5. It was a lucky year when it came to concerts. The duo had been to Finland before and will return this year. But it’s a festival and I don’t do them. I prefer concerts. When I was younger, I didn’t participate in big crowds. I didn’t have money either. I have no one to go with, but I like doing things independently. I go to events to see bands and don’t socialise with others. The sound at concerts is loud, so it’s not the same as listening to music at home. But you don’t go to concerts to see something similar. You go for the atmosphere and see your favourites on stage.
Pet Shop Boys performed their old hits, such as It’s a Sin, West End Girls, and Rent. But they also had new songs, like Monkey Business. If you’re unfamiliar with their songs, you probably don’t know the new ones either. If you’re not, I suggest you do because their music is incredible. If you like pop music, that is. They have shown that you don’t need a lot of things happening on stage to have a great show. All they had was the band and a female singer. In their earlier concert that I have seen on screen, they had dancers on stage too, but now it’s simpler. I had a great time at the concert; I might go again if they return for a concert.
Photos from the concert
I have really become a fan of concerts. I’m going to see Bryan Adams in July. I’m looking forward to that. I’m a late bloomer when it comes to performances. My first concert was in 2017, and that was Robbie Williams. After that, I’ve seen Duran Duran, Toto, Robbie again, and Pet Shop Boys. I could have gone to two more, Elton John and Take That, but both got cancelled. Maybe they didn’t want to come because Finland is too close to Russia. Either way, it’s a shame I’ll never see them live again. Especially Take That. The last time they were here was in the 90s when my mother didn’t let me go and see them. Even then, there were only about 4500 people in the audience, so they weren’t that big over here, after all. At least I’ve seen Duran Duran, the band I didn’t want to miss to see live. It’s not the end of my world if I don’t see certain bands and artists’ performances. But if I didn’t see DD live, I would feel disappointed. I have ticked that box now, so life can go on.
I love music, and I listen to different kinds of music. I don’t like some music styles, but there are only a few. This post is about bands that I love more than life itself. They are bands I’ve listened to for decades. They are bands that no one can compare with today’s bands. I don’t follow the music scene as I used to when I was younger. If someone asked me about bands that young people listen to now, I wouldn’t know. I’m too busy listening to bands I already like. They still make music and perform for people. These bands are not in order. Let’s get started.
They are a boyband from Manchester, England. Members were/are called Gary Barlow, Mark Owen, Howard Donald, Jason Orange and Robbie Williams. You can’t longer call Take That a boyband since they are over 50. They were formed in 1989, but it was in 1992 when they released their debut album ‘Take That and Party’. They were most popular in the 1990s, mainly in Europe. I’ve liked them since 1992 when I saw an interview with them on cable. Their humour was one of the reasons why I took notice. They were a big part of my teenage years. Without Take That, life would have been empty. Also, the solo artist Robbie Williams wouldn’t be there without them. The band split up in 1996 but returned in 2005 as a four-piece. They are a trio today, and their new album ‘This life’ will be out on November 24, 2023. They still sound great. They’ve been to Finland twice, but that was 29 years ago. Their concert here this year was cancelled, which is a shame because I was looking forward to that. They’re going on tour next year but won’t come here. Their most famous song is ‘Back for Good’. It’s a single they released in the USA, but they didn’t get the big break over there. They’ve sold millions of albums and sold out concerts in the UK, so it doesn’t matter. They have so many good songs that I don’t know which is my number one favourite. It could be ‘Pray’ or songs that weren’t released as singles.
Now, this is a band that I’ve seen live. It took them 40 years, but it was worth it. It’s already over a year ago since I saw them in concert. You can read about it over here. Since I saw the video of ‘The Reflex’, I wanted to see them live. They’re a band that was formed in Birmingham, England in 1978. There were 5 members: Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, Andy Taylor, Roger Taylor and John Taylor (no relations). They’ve changed the number of band members over the years, but Simon Le Bon and Nick Rhodes have remained the same. I don’t know when I heard their music for the first time, but it must have been in the late 1980s. I remember my mother taped music from the radio and ‘A View to a Kill’ on that tape. It’s a James Bond tune, one of the few Bond songs that became number 1 in the US music charts. The song and video that could have been the first one I saw of them was ‘Rio’. It was released in 1982. Either way, it was in 2010 that I became a fan. Before that, they were a band that I liked and nothing else. I own all their albums except one because I didn’t find it anywhere. Their next album is called ‘Danse Macabre’ and is released on September 27, 2023. It’s their 16th studio album. I can’t wait for it. The most popular song of the band is ‘Ordinary World’. It’s been covered a few times by different artists. One of them is Adam Lambert, and that version is excellent. My all-time favourite song of Duran Duran is ‘Save a Prayer’. I have many others too because they have so many great songs, so choosing one is tricky.
They’re a duo from London, but you can still call them a band. The members, Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, started in 1981. Their music style is synth-pop. I saw them live this summer and loved every minute. I don’t remember when I heard their music for the first time. It must also been in the 1980s. The song could have been ‘It’s a Sin’ or ‘West End Girls’. Their videos were shown on MTV and other cable channels, so it could have been anything. Still, they make great music after all these years, and their older songs sound like they were made yesterday. My all-time favourite Pet Shop Boys song is ‘Heart’. FYI, the legendary actor Sir Ian McKellen appears as a vampire in the video. It’s an excellent video. The band have fantastic videos. YouTube is a great place to find them. PSB is also making and mixing songs for other artists. There will be a new album from them, but there is no release date yet. It will be their 15th album. Their talent will never die.
The American rock band was formed in 1986 in New Jersey, USA. One of my classmates was a big fan of this band. She even had her hair a bit like Jon Bon Jovi. I also liked this band, but I didn’t become a fan. The band is one of my favourites, and that’s it. I don’t remember when I heard their songs the first time. Maybe it was ‘You gave love a bad name’. That’s one of my favourite songs of the band. ‘Living on a Prayer’ was the first video I saw of them. It was during the time when their album ‘New Jersey’ came out in 1988; that’s what I remember. The first album I got was ‘Keep the Faith’ when my friend made a copy of it. It doesn’t have the whole album because the tape ended. I liked the band already before that. Another album I got is ‘This House Is Not for Sale’, released in 2018. I’ve listened to the band on Spotify. They’ve often been to Finland for concerts, but I have never been able to go. Maybe I would if they came on tour over here. The drummer, Tico Torres, said in an interview that the band will record a new album in 2024. I will be looking forward to that. I hope it will come true.
I also like many other bands, but those are my favourites. To mention a few, Queen, The Rasmus(Finnish band), Aerosmith, Green Day, The Beatles, Toto (I saw them in concert a couple years ago) and Roxette. There are many more, but that list would be too long to post. I don’t like or care about some bands, but I only want to concentrate on the ones I like.
My only itch lately is my skin when it’s hot and sweaty outside. I’ve had no itch to blog. I have thought about other things. But writing, in general, hasn’t been one of them. Summer is when my mind doesn’t work the same way it does other seasons. I think it’s the heat. Being outside has been better than being inside. I mostly write on my laptop because it’s easier and faster. Having a break from blogging and writing is good, anyway. I don’t want to write if I have nothing to say. When the Autumn comes, I will have more to write about, I’m sure.
Next Tuesday I’m going to see Pet Shop Boys in concert, so I won’t have time to write then, either. Just showing up here to tell you I’m still here. I don’t know when I’ll be blogging again. But you have a good summer and see you later. I know the blogging and writing itch will be back again.
In my world 