Firsts are pretty important in your lifetime. I’m not talking about the big things like your first day at school, getting married, laying eyes on your kid, I mean the little things as you go along. The things that make your life fun, that keep you on your toes, that shape who you are for when those massive moments come along.
My tastes in music have been shaped from my teens by a free download on iTunes. The week of getting a new computer, Mirror Ball by The Colour was the weekly offering, and I lapped it up. I spread into Monarchy Music label-mates Cold War Kids and Delta Spirit and despite being left a little heart-broken when the The Colour eventually split up, from their ashes bore a new love, We Barbarians.
Not only writing great music, but some of the best guys you’ll ever meet, I’d caught them a few times in the States before the turn of the year, but there was never going to be anything quite like welcoming the Brooklyn three-piece to the UK for the first time. And that time was just last March.
We’d met up a few weeks prior in New York with talk of a potential tour, maybe playing Great Escape, maybe some bigger shows. Well it happened.
If you could handpick a venue to catch your favourite band for the first time on home shores, Brixton Academy would probably be near the top of the list, but if they’re a small act, it’s probably never going to happen. Well I guess we had a miracle.
Opening for Foster The People, when the boys walked out on stage, on UK soil for the first time, it was pretty much a dream come true. From seeing them play a tiny venue in Costa Mesa a few years back to this emphatic performance in front of a packed, boisterous crown, and in one of London’s most renowned venues was a wonder. I felt proud for how far they’re come, and where they’re headed, though perhaps most importantly, happy that a whole heap of new faces would be seeing them play for the first time.
When things come together, it brings a tear to your eye. I feel like the next time is going to be just as good too.
When was the last time you did something for the first time? Get some inspiration from Eastpak.