Tag: duran duran

An interview about me

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Photo by Ann H on Pexels.com

I thought it would be fun if you could interview yourself. Asking yourself questions you wish someone would ask, but no one ever does. This is not a selfish act like a particular American presidential candidate does *cough* Trump *cough* It’s only a bit of fun, and maybe get to know me better. The questions are from Gemini (Google AI)

Questions to Get to Know You Better

General Interest

What are you passionate about?

I’m not passionate about anything. I have opinions and things I like to do, but I wouldn’t call them passions.

What kind of music do you enjoy listening to?

I listen to all kinds of music, except music styles where they scream. My favourite band is Duran Duran and Bon Jovi. My favourite singers are Robbie Williams and Bryan Adams. If I wrote every band and singer, it would take forever to write them down. Besides Robbie, Bryan and DD, I’ve been to Pet Shop Boys and Toto concerts. That might give you a general idea of what kind of music I listened to.

Do you have any hobbies or interests?

My prominent hobby is writing this blog. But I also do photography, write fan fiction, cycle, and watch movies.

What is your favourite book or movie?

I don’t read much, but I like biographies and books about different subjects. I love movies, and I have many favourites. (FYI; When I was 10 years old, I belonged to a movie club.) I love Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean. I’ve seen those movies several times on DVD. I also love The Hobbit movies, the most underrated trilogy ever.

Where would you like to travel if you could go anywhere in the world?

New Zeeland, but I probably never will. You need money to travel, and I can only afford cruises to Stockholm or Tallinn. Being unemployed sucks when it comes to money.

Personal and Background

What is your ideal day like?

I could sleep all day and stay up all night, but life is too short to do only that. It would be nice to do things I like, but you don’t get paid to do that.

What are you proud of achieving?

I might be proud of having a good upbringing and the courage to stay alive even if things weren’t always good.

What is something you’ve learned recently?

I feel that all my hard work on social media is being ignored. Maybe it’s the algorithms, or I’m not good enough to be liked for what I post there.

What’s one thing you’d like to improve about yourself?

I wish I weren’t so lazy about starting things. I also wish I could make decisions faster than I do now.

What kind of environment do you thrive in?

Where I can be alone most of the time.

Future Goals and Aspirations

What are your long-term goals?

To find peace. Since my dad died in February, I still have things to do. Some things take so long. I will sell my flat, but the cleaning and all that takes forever.

What kind of work environment do you prefer?

I need a place where I can do my work in peace. I can work if the music is on, but if someone is talking, it’s a different manner.

What motivates you in your career?

I don’t have a career. You need a job to have that.

What challenges are you excited to overcome?

Excited isn’t the word, but I was happy to finish or leave an education I didn’t like.

What do you hope to achieve in the next five years?

I don’t have a job, and it looks like I won’t either. I hope I can be an entrepreneur by then. But I haven’t even started yet, so maybe it won’t happen. If I do, I hope it succeeds fasten then in 5 years.

Deeper Questions

What makes you laugh?

Comedy. People that have a particular look on their faces in comedy shows or movies. Kelsey Grammar (Frasier) has the best one. That’s what made the show funny to this day. Also, Jim Carrey makes me laugh.

What are you grateful for in your life?

I had parents who let me be me. Without them, I’m not the person I am today. I’m also grateful for having a sister, even if I only had her for six years. Having both of my grandmothers was also a blessing. May they all rest in peace.

What is your biggest fear?

My biggest fear used to be dogs, but I got over it. Now, I don’t mind if one sniffs me. I used to be terrified if they got even close. My other fear was losing my parents, but now they’re gone anyway. At least I had them around while growing up. If I lost them as a teenager, then things could be different. Death is part of life, and one day, I will be gone, too. My biggest fear is that I get cancer like my mother or I will get some other illness with lots of pain. I also fear needles. That’s one of the reasons why I don’t donate blood or get a tattoo.

What is something you’re struggling with right now?

To go to bed early and wake up early, too. I don’t have a reason to get up when I don’t have a job.

What is your life philosophy?

You get born, you live a decent life, and then you die.

THE END

Last concert I went to

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Pet shop boys on stage
Pet Shop Boys concert in Helsinki 2023

What was the last live performance you saw?

Daily Writing Prompt

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.

Neil Tennant on screen
Chris Lowe on screen
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.

Bands that I love more than life itself

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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.

TAKE THAT

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.

DURAN DURAN

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.

PET SHOP BOYS

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.

BON JOVI

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.