Slash

Slash: the Legend

OK where should I start this… I am a Guns N Roses fans. But of course it means the ‘old’ GNR where Slash and Duff were still there. And as a fan I think my life is incomplete because I never had a chance to watch their concert. They never come to Indonesia and now they never reunite. I used to envy my distant cousin because he lived in the US and saw GNR concert.

So when I saw a poster about Slash concert in early December, I was so excited. Finally I could watch ‘GNR’. Of course it’s not the original one. But it’s Slash that made the GNR (guitar) sound so classic, and he’s among the best guitarist of all time in any list that ever made. So he’s a real deal of GNR.

Slash concert poster

His band now is called Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators. Myles Kennedy is the vocalist of Alter Bridge. So after I read that poster, I started to plan to watch it. The concert is on February 25^th, so at that time I still got two months for preparation. I started to YouTube their songs and performances, learning their songs.

Meanwhile I tried to ask some of my friends here to come along. But apparently the time wasn’t quite right. Most of them had spend much money for their New Year holiday so they are in a recovery state, don’t want to spend so much money for a concert. It costs €45 which is quite a lot for one concert. But hey, I am here to help German economy… Another friend of mine was sick in early February so she’s afraid that she might get sick again if she got too tired. Oh well, nothing can stop me, for sure. Even though I have to go alone…

Slash concert ticket. It costs 42,90 Euro before tax.

The Concert

So there I was, going to the concert alone. Luckily, I had been to the concert location before (see: The Hives) so I didn’t have to go very early to find my way.  The concert official time is at 8 PM. But again, based on my experience, it would start at 9 PM. Therefore I tried to be on the location at around 8.30 PM and I managed to do that. When I arrived, the opening act was playing. I went directly to the coat counter to drop my coat and then I was ready to rock! The coat counter price has increased, by the way, it now costs €1.50.

Then I realized the good thing of watching the concert alone, I can make myself go to the front row! People would just allowed one small girl to pass them. So when the show about to start, I was standing in the fifth row from the front.

Before the show. I was pretty close.

And the show started at around 9 PM. I can’t believe I could see Slash (and the rest of the gang) so close!!! I watched them on YouTube so many times lately, and now it feels amazing to be able to see them directly. So awesome!

The concert house was full

The concert was full house. The capacity of the place is 2,800 people and I think that’s exactly the number of the people there. The balcony classes were full and so was the festival class. And the range of the audience was so diverse; I think it started from 50-year-old to teenagers. Well GNR first album was in 1987! If you were in late twenty back then, surely you’re around 50s now! I saw a father with his teenage son watching the concert: amazing, even the music taste is inherited. Hmmm, I will also inherit my music taste to my future children, so I can still rock during my old age :)

The adorable: Myles Kennedy

Anyway, back to the concert. It was so entertained. I don’t know how many songs that they play but they played 7 GNR songs from the Appetite for Destruction album!!! Yes, seven! I think mostly they only play four, but this time was seven. They are: Nightrain, Mr. Brownstone, You’re Crazy, Rocket Queen, Sweet Child O’ Mine, Welcome to the Jungle, and Paradise City. Their album title, Apocalyptic Love, was not even played! Damn, I have memorized that song for the concert. So it’s like AfD live, actually! Although Myles sang most of the songs but Todd Kerns, the bassist, also sang; and they surely nailed the GNR songs. I felt like I finally watch GNR live!

Myles and Slash in background

I kept jumping, screaming, and singing very loud during the whole show. My swimming training here had finally paid off! I could sing my lungs out. Really. I sang so loud until I felt my lungs were out of air, but I didn’t collapsed. I was still standing! So crazy! I sweated so much because of the jumping and also because of the crowd. I was all out.

Myles & Slash in a cool blue light

After around half of the show, I managed to go to the third row from the front and stayed there until over. Unbelievable, it’s so close! I even think Myles Kennedy looked at me when he sang ‘Starlight’. OK, maybe I am a bit over confident, but who cares?!

Myles & Slash under the red light

And then after two hours, the concert was over. The closing song was ‘Paradise City’ as usual. It has become their signature closing song lately. But what I think even cooler is there was confetti coming out to close the show. I watched this on their concert on YouTube, but when I experienced it, it felt way cooler! Especially only the front row that could get the confetti. The middle, back, balcony rows didn’t get it. So I was covered with confetti all over my body. And after the show when people see me has confetti, they know I was at the front row. Or maybe that’s only on my mind… Again, who cares… I could be at the front row, that’s all that matters.

A guy shows his rock sign

After the concert

The concert finished at 11.05 PM. I was so hungry and thirsty after all the madness. I wasted no time to lining up for my coat and went out. The journey to the tram stop was pretty struggling, suddenly it seems I have to walk a very long way. I needed to drink and eat. But the only available meal was hotdog with pork sausage, which I can’t have. And the drinks available were beers and soft drinks. My stomach was so empty, drinking soft drinks wouldn’t be a good solution for my thirst.

Slash mostly occupies the right section of the stage

I had to change my tram at city center where there’s a dönner shop. I finally fulfilled my body’s need at 00.15 AM while waiting for my second tram. I arrived at home around 1 AM and went straight to shower. However, I couldn’t sleep until 3 AM because the adrenaline still remained. Some of the songs were still playing in my brain over and over again… Oh God, what a nice concert. It such a good escape for me. I loved it!

Slash featuring Myles Kennedy & the Conspirators

Smartphone Charger

I use Blackberry for my communication need. I use it because my family also uses it. So I won’t miss any news, gossips, or unimportant progress that happened in my family. It’s kind of peer pressure, actually. But hey, if you have five cute monsters as your nephews and nieces, you don’t want to miss any story about them also…!

I use Blackberry since 2011, since I was still in Indonesia. I brought it here and changed the SIM card. Everything else remains the same. However lately, I found problem whenever I want to charge my battery. The phone couldn’t be charged right away. I have to shake the cable in order to get charged. Sometimes I need about five minutes to shake the cable. And then I have to make sure that the cable stays still until the charging process ends. Otherwise, the battery doesn’t get recharged although it has been plugged in for the whole night.

In the beginning I thought it’s the battery that caused this problem. Until one time I realized that the cable of the charger had torn apart somehow. Then I realized, it’s the charger that caused the problem…

My Blackberry charger. Notice the torn cable.

So there I was, thinking that I need to buy a new Blackberry charger. But when I went to buy it, the original charger was sold out. There were only the ‘compatible’ ones available. They are sold in two parts: the USB data cable and the plug head. Total cost: € 18,80! OMG, it’s not original but it’s expensive. How could that be… In Indonesia it costs probably around € 5.00. But I didn’t have a choice; I needed it.

My new smartphone charger

So finally I got a new charger. I can charge my Blackberry without shaking the cable first or make sure it’s still charging every 15 minutes. But then, my brother reminded me that actually I could also charge my Blackberry in a computer!!! Aaaaarrrrggghhh… why he told me so late?!!!!

Changing Temperature

The hardest thing living in Germany for a tropical species like me is the weather! (See: Weather). But since I have lived here before, I thought I wouldn’t have much problem in dealing with the weather. Well, of course I am wrong…

In early December 2012, the snow started to fall all over Germany. Even the train schedule was collapsed due to the heavy snow. At that time I thought I would experienced a white Christmas. And I wondered how cold would it be in January.

Snow in early December

Picture was taken on Dec 2nd

But a week before Christmas, the snow was melted. No more snow at all! The temperature increased to 8 degrees Celsius! It was a shocking changing, from around minus 4 to 8! Suddenly it felt warm.

This 8 degree Celsius remained until New Year. But around 2 weeks after New Year, the temperature dropped again to minus and the snow started to fall again!!! This time the temperature even got colder than in December. It went to minus 8 degree Celsius!!!

Snow in mid January

Icy tree in mod January

My outfits from December era couldn’t sustain the cold anymore. I had to wear thicker gloves and more layers for wrapping myself warm. I even had to change my shoes because they couldn’t handle the wetness from the snow anymore. I had to dry them every night on the heater so I could wear them the next day. Until there was a point that my shoes were not dry enough and I had to buy new ones. Crazy!

My new shoes, for snowy environment

My old shoes can't handle the snow anymore

By the end of January, the snow melted again. This time it changed into raining and wind. I don’t know when it will last. Maybe the snow still comes again within the next weeks. One thing for sure, this changing temperature (and weather) costs people in buying outfits. What an expensive way of living!