All photos & videos in this post courtesy of Alex (@spiritusvision), unless stated otherwise
So, I’m on a plane, on my way back home from Greece, (that’s when I’ve started writing this post, but finished it at home!) and it’s for the first time I am relaxed enough to make myself think of something else, than you know… going down, fast. This whole trip has been such an incredible adventure, from start to finish. The only problem are my shaky hands. It’s so stupid, I cannot control it, it’s one of the side effects of my depression medication. But I’m trying.
I really don’t know where to start. When I learnt about the concert I knew I would be crazy enough to take a plane for LP. When I received an invitation from a fellow LP fan, Alex from Greece, I quickly checked flights and hotels, and to my amazement I found both and cheap! Both flights were from and to the city near me (that was important), and a hotel that popped up first, was like 700 m both from a city centre and the venue as well.
So, I didn’t hesitate. I booked everything on spot. It was one of the quickest and most spontaneous decisions I have ever made. I was a bit scared going into a totally new place, all by myself, but thankfully it turned out, that I shouldn’t have. People are incredibly friendly and kind (apart from a rude, screaming lady at my so called hotel). The food is amazing, and prices are affordable, especially compared to other places I visited before.
with Alex
It was my first time in Athens, I was dreaming of visiting this city for a long time, because both mythology and ancient Greece are something I’m very into. And on top of that Alex, kind man that he is, took me to the Acropolis and to its museum and showed me around the Athens. Being there, sitting in a place that’s been such a huge part of history of our world, I was simply overwhelmed with emotions, I felt like crying but I pulled myself together, too many people around.
This trip, also, was another very important step in my LP-journey, because I knew I wanted to meet personally Mr Panagiotis and I wanted to thank him face to face for the gift of LP. I was looking forward to that! On the day of the concert I was very tired, but waiting at a venue was really pleasant and time flew by. At first I was surprised by the choice of the venue, but all became clear very soon.
LP arrived by car with Alex, Mike and Mr Panagiotis. They came to the entrance and Mike, who was first, stopped and hugged me while saying it’s so crazy to see me again, this time in Athens, and LP followed afterwards with a kiss and thank you for coming… I must say I felt incredibly honored to be welcomed like that. When Mike passed us for the second time, he said, I need to hug you again… He’s such a warm and friendly guy, I adore him!
When we entered the venue, and I saw that amazing view, it all made perfect sense. It was the time of a sunset with a cloud in a shape of heart with an arrow! (I kid you not, I have a photo as a proof!). We could also see Acropolis in the distance, I don’t think anything ever will top this venue and that view… The stage was very low and near us. And we were all standing in a front row, in maybe a metre and a half from the stage.
There were many photographers and a camera lady, I believe the whole concert was recorded and it should be released in a near future. And thanks god for that, cause let me tell you, it was one of THE best shows I have ever witnessed. For the first time (for me) it was only LP, Alex on guitar and Mike Del Rio on keys. LP looked and sounded incredibly relaxed, she was very chatty and happy, there were so many cute and funny moments.
LP said that she has chosen Greece especially to take a break (before her private show in Cyprus), because of her love for the country, people, food and coffee. Then we’ve heard this loud noise from her sound board?, which made everyone jump, so LP joked:” I’m such a pro”, then Alex dropped his capo, so LP joked some more, “what is happening, it’s such a good start”.
LP also thanked Mr Panagiotis and her Greek label. For the moment she blanked on the name of the label, but when she remembered she joked “but I love you, I really do”, she also thanked Radio Pepper and its listeners. First song of the evening was ‘Girls Go Wild’, so the crowd was in a great mood very soon. In total LP played 10 songs. Alex got a setlist and I’m attaching a pic of it.
We’ve heard ‘When I’m Over You’, and I must say I think I prefer this song in a lot more intimate setting and arrangment. Just as LP has played it that night. ‘Dreamer’ was followed by a truly amazing rendition of ‘House on Fire’, the crowd was dancing and enjoying that one very much, myself including. ‘Other People’, though I’ve heard this song like a million times, I love listening to it, especially acoustic. But let’s be honest, LP acoustic is a treat!
‘Shaken’ was unbelievable, though not without a funny glitch. I have a recording for you, so you can watch this funny banter between LP and Alex. LP mistook Alex’s smile and thought she was ruining the song, while Alex was absolutely amazed by LP’s vocals, so perhaps his facial expression was a bit unreadable for LP. But what I’m seeing at each and every concert is the admiration that Alex has for LP and for her vocal abilities.
He truly enjoys playing those songs and listening to her voice, he is absolutely amazed by her. But aren’t we all… I believe they’ve grew closer as friends and have this nice and tight connection. I’m sure LP needs friends on tour, so I’m very happy to see that all her band members are so close with her. But back to the concert. After ‘Shaken’ LP started saying that it’s such a weird feeling to move from huge concert crowds to this intimate setting.
That they are used to playing these songs loudly and rockish and this is a total opposite. But you know me and how much I love LP acoustic, so I screamed “but it’s amazing, amazing”. LP smiled and said “aah, you’re so sweet, thanks”, but when she realized that it was me who said those words, she started joking “damn it Anna, it should have been somebody else Anna, I know that you love it”.
So I did this funny face and said “I’m sorry”, when LP saw this she said: “I’m just kidding, she’s the best. You’re all the way here from Poland. You’re a maniac. It’s so cool, thank you”. Then LP asked the crowd how many out of towners are here, this resulted with another funny interaction, this time with Zenia from Greece. It’s all captured in the video, just after ‘Shaken’, so enjoy!!
When LP brought back ‘Switchblade’, I couldn’t hold my tears, those were streaming down my face, but frankly I didn’t care. This song means so much to me, the emotional level in this song, the lyrics, the mood, it was simply impossible not to cry, not in this setting. LP kicked me even harded with her version of ‘Muddy Waters’. I was stunned. She mentioned the situation with the tambo, which I think hurt her a lot more than she’s showing…
You see, this tambo was a gift from her her ex, the ‘Lost On You’ one, and LP found it amazing that she got to took it all around the world… And at the second to last concert of her European tour, she realized that it’s time for it to be retired, to hang it on the wall as a memento, and then, those drunk women were able to steal it from the backstage during her last show! I mean, I still can’t wrap my head HOW was that even possible??
Wtf was wrong with the security? Can someone explain this to me? Anyway, LP never got to play that last show’s ‘Muddy Waters’ on her old tambo, cause it was already stolen, so she dedicated the ‘Muddy Waters’ in Athens for her instrument, hoping that maybe some day their paths will cross again… It gave such a bitter-sweet taste… LP finished her set with ‘Into The Wild’, another song I can listen to over and over again, and of course ‘Lost On You’.
LP was really enjoying that part, she stood up, she encouraged us to sing with her, to which we all happily obliged… It was a lovely ending to this truly stunning concert. LP was otherworldly, despite a really heavy tour she just finished, she sang with such lightness, that it was a huge pleasure to look at her and to listen to her talent. Also new fans, who’ve never seen LP in a concert before, had such a unique opportunity and were in absolute awe.
After the band left the stage, LP went downstairs to give an interview for Radio Pepper (it also should be up in a near future). I honestly thought we won’t see her again that evening, but my heart was full… Then I’ve got to talk to Mike, who was brilliant on keys, he added something extra to the set. We’ve finally took some photos, which are one of my favourite pics ever. What a kind soul Mike is!
Before Alex dissapeared, I walked over to him and I was finally able to say my words of admiration. I didn’t ask for a picture, knowing he hates that (he said, each time he does this it feels like a part of him is dying, so he is not doing this anymore, it’s his personal choice), but he seemed genuinly pleased, he was very kind, he thanked me several times, asked me again about my name and the country and mentioned they will play in Gdynia.
Also, since he wasn’t taking pics, he offered me his pick from guitar, but I was like, “no, it’s OK, I’m just happy to be able to meet you”, but he insisted saying it would be the least he could do. So of course, I happily took it. Then I’ve finally got to meet Mr Panagiotis, and to thank him personally. What a great guy he is, such down to earth, very modest… He happily posed for the photos and we’ve got to talked a bit.
Afterwards, we’ve stayed at the venue and just talked about the concert. Here, I would like to mention LP fans that came over to me, thanking me for the blog, hugging, offering roof and food, and being so incredibly kind and nice to me. It was one of the warmest welcomes for me ever. For real. And I’m very thankful and grateful for all your beautiful words! Thank you!
When Efrosini came up to me (she also offered her invitation to the concert for me), she wanted to make sure that I’m aware that LP is currently downstairs talking to her fans and taking photos. But when we moved to the stairs, to our amazement LP walked straight into us. I laughed “it’s me, again”! But she was so cool and kind, I’ve got to hug her and thank her and take few pics. LP was heading for the bar, so we’ve kept distance.
We wanted to give her space, but of course, soon other fans followed but LP, as always, was happy to pose for the photos, she was handing autographs, talking to her fans and even recording some video messages. We all stood and obeserved LP and her interaction with fans in awe. I mean, we’ve tried not to stare or to listen to, but just you know, to be near and simply in her presence. She has such a beautiful aura around her.
LP got to relax at the bar, she joked with Alex, Mike, Panagiotis and some other Greek friends, we were in nearby, just looking from time to time… Fans kept coming and going, but LP not once said no, she kept taking photos. At some point LP was invited by her friends to go somewhere else, so I walked over and I said, “I have to, again, you know”. LP laughed, we’ve hugged, and she said “I know, but I’ll see you soon!” and gave me this deep look and squeezed my hand…
Then I felt like crying, cause for me it was a very intimate moment… But somehow LP stayed longer… She came over to me, and we’ve talked and joked about the choice of drinks, and other things. My friends seeing LP this relaxed took selfies with her. I loved the moment between Alex and LP. He met LP personally for the first time in Rome, but he was sure she won’t remember him. So I joked, LP has a memory of an elephant, she will remember your face.
Alex & LP
So when Alex asked for a selfie and said, don’t know if you remember me, she said, “I do, I remember your face”, I laughed and said, “that’s exactly what I told him earlier”, but what was even more endearing to me, was this motherly gesture LP sometimes do, when embracing someone’s face, she just stroked Alex’s cheek with a palm of her hand and my heart melted… This tiny moment of intimate connection, between the fan and the artist… It was simply beautiful.
I asked Alex if he could take photos of myself with LP and Mr Panagiotis, it seemed important to me. After all, Mr Panagiotis brought LP to us, LP is thankful to him for her success, and I’m just thankful so much to both of them, so I’m very happy to have this memento! And what made it even more special to me, was LP mentioning to Mr Panagiotis, ‘It’s Anna, she does the blog!”… I simply felt proud…
We knew they will leave soon so I’ve started saying, “could you say like few words”, and I’ve stopped. I really thought I already received too much and I felt ashamed about asking for more. But LP, said “for the blog? Of course!”. But I kept saying to forget it, that it was silly of me, that all is good, but LP kept insisting. She said, “no, I wanna do it”. So Alex recorded this incredibly kind message from LP for the blog, and I’m so, so grateful for her kind words.
I love my blog and its readers, this brought me a lot of wonderful moments… But since it’s also like a second work for me now, it feels really great, to hear those words of encouragment from LP herself. Because it really makes a difference if an artist respects you and your work, and is truly appreciative, and says that it’s a great ‘representation’… There’s nothing better than this. Apart from messages and comments from my dear readers of course!
Shortly afterwards LP left, thanking us all once again. But for the first time, I didn’t feel like crying. I was in peace with myself. I knew a night like this might never happen again, so I was thankful to be able to live through those amazing moments. To be in the presence of the person I admire so much. To talk to her, to see her so happy, smiling and relaxed. I was happy she was happy, and I knew that finally now, she’ll be able to rest…
She’s been working very hard, trying to make everyone happy and always with a smile, so I knew that she deserved this and a lot more. So I happily accepted that LP has left… Of course, knowing, that what I’ve experienced was simply magic, and it was a lot more than I have ever imagined. Thank you LP for everything, and I will keep saying, for you, untill the end of time…
I’ve had one more day in Athens and I’ve got to spend it with a newly met LP fan from Sweden, Maria. We’ve got to sightsee, do some shopping, eat amazing Greek cousine and talk about our mutual love for LP. I wanted here to thank again, to all the lovely people that I met while I was in Greece, it was such a great trip. I’ve had a wonderful time and came home a lot more stronger. I’m feeling a lot better recently and every trip made me more and more whole…
photo by @malui – thank you!
I honestly don’t know how to end this post, you’ve heard and read it all before… I simply know that as long as LP and her music will be in my life, I will keep fighting for myself… It can be really hard at times, tireing, sometimes I feel like I have to start over everything from scratch. But each of this battles teaches me something new and paradoxically in the end, makes me stronger and feeling grateful for the journey I’m going through…
photo me
Cause in the end, I prefer to be myself, with all my insecurities and weaknesses, but also with an enourmous sensitivity and this passion for music, travelling and meeting new people. At least at such times, I feel like I’m living my life to the fullest and pushing myself from the comfort zone… And I keep growing personally, and that’s the most important thing. And it’s all because of my love for LP. LP – thank you!
