I never went to concerts when I was a teenager in the 1990s, but I’ve been to some as an adult. I don’t have a favorite concert because they’re so different from each other. Different music genres. The concerts have been in Finland. I can’t afford to go abroad.
The first concert I was ever in was in 2017, when I saw Robbie Williams in Finland. I’ve been to several concerts since then.
I’ve seen Robbie Williams, twice. Toto, twice. Duran Duran, twice. Bryan Adams, twice.
Once with Kylie Minogue and Pet Shop Boys. And the Finnish rock band, The Rasmus.
Last year I was at 5 concerts, but only 2 this year. Those were Finnish artists, and they were on a cruise ship.
If I had to choose one concert I’ve loved the best, then it must be Duran Duran. They are my favorite band. In both concerts in Finland, I was close to the stage. The first one was in 2022. It was outside, and the weather was rainy and chilly. But it didn’t matter because it had been a long wait, 40 years since they were here. The concert was on my birthday (June 2), so it was even better.
The 2nd was last year (2025). It was one day after my birthday. That one was inside. It was a bit unfortunate for me because I slipped in my hotel room and had to go to the emergency room. I thought I would miss the concert because I had to wait for so long to get treated. I managed to get to the concert, but I only saw half of it. I was so uncomfortable that I couldn’t fully concentrate on the show. I was in the pit, so I could move around. I forgot my discomfort for a while because their music and presence are a good cure.
All the concerts I’ve been to have been great. But the best ones are the ones where you can see the band or artist as close as possible. Not too close because you see best a little further away.
Sometimes the sound is so loud that you hardly hear what song is being played. But you go for the atmosphere and seeing your favorite in real life. You fold experiences into your memory, and you remember them for a long time. If not in your mind, at least in the photos you take.
I prefer concerts to festivals. I’ve never been to a festival because there is always some band or artist I can’t stand. I would rather spend money on music I like than on something I don’t. So long live concerts.
Photo by Miguel u00c1. Padriu00f1u00e1n on Pexels.com
What’s something most people don’t know about you?
Daily Writing Prompt
Oh, happy days! I can talk about myself—not. I don’t like talking about myself. I’m not that vain. But I’m not talking; I’m writing. There are a lot of things people don’t know about me. My family members are all gone, but not even they knew exactly everything about me. I’m also not the person I was when I was a kid. Life experiences change you. You lose people in your life, but you also gain them. The same goes for how you see life. If you don’t grow and stay the same way you were when you were younger, you’re stuck in the past. I try to think positively because the world seems to be a depressive place right now. I don’t know how to plan ahead because I want to live in the present. Things I plan ahead are what I’m going to do next year. Will get back to that later. But now, things you might not know about me. Just a short list, though.
I use Duolingo as a game
I’ve started to use Duolingo recently again. Had a break from it for a couple of years. Not to learn a language. But to gain points and achievements. I have the language I know how to speak English, Swedish and Finnish. I try to learn other languages, too, but it doesn’t get stuck in my head. Some languages are easy to understand and learn, like Norwegian and Danish. I’ve started Italian, French, Irish and Spanish but haven’t used those in a while. I also use the app where you can learn music and math. So it’s entertaining to me, so I hardly remember much.
I love ice hockey
I watch sports often on TV, but my absolute favourite game is ice hockey. In fact, I’m going to see a game this evening (October 18) with my local team for the second time this year. They don’t show the games on free channels, so I usually listen to them on the radio. Seeing a match live has its own rewards. Even though no one ever talks to me or I don’t get to meet new people, the atmosphere is incredible. I would go more often if it was less expensive and the stadium would be closer. I watch the World Championships on TV every year. They show all the matches of Team Finland on the free channel. I only follow the Finnish league, so no NHL ones, even though I read the news if Finnish players have been playing. Sometimes, they show NHL games on TV, so I have seen some of them.
I love going to concerts
Silly, isn’t it. Especially when I didn’t like big crowds when I was younger and didn’t think I would ever go to a concert my entire life. But then came 2017, when I decided to see Robbie Williams in Tampere, Finland. The concert was outside, and the stadium was full of people. It was probably the best decision I ever made. The concert was fantastic, and I also got to see Erasure (pop synth duo) as a warm-up act for Robbie. You could say the live concert bug hit me that day. Now I’ve seen him twice, also in Finland. Concerts abroad are too expensive. The concert music is too loud, but you get used to it. The best part of concerts is to see your favourite act on stage, so it doesn’t matter. Besides Robbie, I’ve been to see Toto (next year, too), Duran Duran (best birthday party ever), Pet Shop Boys and Bryan Adams this year. And the plan for next year is; Kylie Minogue in June 2025, yeah! It’s been one of my dreams to see her live in concert. Fun fact. When I was younger, I wished she was my sister. I don’t know why, though.
I like driving a car
I got my driver’s license three years ago. Since my late dad wasn’t allowed to drive anymore, I decided to go to driving school. I tried it in 1995, but I didn’t finish it. Maybe I wasn’t ready. I didn’t like driving then. I didn’t need a car anyway. My late mother never had a license, so I thought it unimportant. But times changed, and I got my license. I don’t think I would have been so keen if my dad wasn’t with me when I was driving. He’s the reason why I got more confidence in driving a car. You get used to many things; the more I drive, the better it feels. Now I like driving. Driving long distances is a different matter, but I guess you also get used to that. Since my dad passed away, I own his car now. I’ve thought about buying a new car, but I just started to learn to drive this car, so maybe in the future. The vehicle is at least 25 years old, so it has its problems. I haven’t driven in the dark or slippery conditions that much, so I don’t know if I dare use the car in the winter. When the road is clear, it’s easier to drive. I don’t know if I ever get used to driving in the dark when other cars blind me with their bright lights on the roads. I plan to drive to an event in November, but I’m worried about driving that far. It will be close to Helsinki; the fastest way to get there is by highway. You never know the weather by then, so I’ll wait and see.
Those are some of the things people might not know about me. If you don’t know me by now, you might learn something after reading this post. There are Happy Days ahead, and one is happening tonight. Especially if my team wins. I’m just happy to be there, whatever the results.
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.
In my world 