Photos in the gallery posted with kind permission from Peter Fulop Photography – PeetPhoto.co.uk
Thank you! For full gallery click here.
Let me get back again to LP’s European Tour, as I still haven’t written about my last concert, that I’ve been to during it, and that’s of course the second show in Prague. For that concert I bought a VIP pass, so if my meeting with LP wouldn’t happen, I made sure that I will be able to thank her in person for coming back to Europe with her new album and to finish my personal tour with a memento.
Since I’ve had this pass I was pretty much relaxed, and came to the venue a little bit after 5 pm or so. I’ve met and talked to many fellow LP fans. Again I wanted to thank to each and every one of you who came up to me and thanked me for the blog. It really meant a lot to me, it always does. More than, probably, that I can say or express, when we’re actually talking.
A little bit after 6 we entered the venue, where we received the instructions. And just when I was least expecting it, I saw my friends and other people turning and looking straight at me. At first I didn’t comprehend what was happening, but other girls who knew my full name said, Ania they are talking to you! Only then I realized that my name was being called. So I’ve said, yes that’s me.
The rest is pretty much a blur, but I’ve received a backstage aftershow pass, my first ever. I mean for the first time it was taken care before, cause most of my meetings with LP usually happen out of a total blue. Anyway, I was ecstatic. And very much surprised as I honestly didn’t expect it. Not at all. Then we entered the main room of the venue, where our meet and greet with LP took place.
I was one of the first people in a group of 10 or so, that came up to meet LP. Per usual everyone was reminded not to ask for signatures, videos and to simply hurry up, but as you know some people obey others not so much. And frankly I understand, for many it’s first such a meeting and they want to make it memorable. And they want to speak to LP, and express their love and gratitude, though often they simply can’t…
photo by Nancy
When LP saw me, she said I looked beautiful. It felt awesome, cause for the first time ever I’ve decided to wear a dress instead of my usual concert outift. And surprisingly my choice was a hit! Thanks for all the compliments. But what was even more special to me, that LP said sorry (!) that she couldn’t see me they day before, but she promised we’ll see each other that night.
photo by Nancy
I’ve said that of course, no worries, that I understand, I was simply glad seeing her and being able to say thank you. We took our photo and since I was shaking as always, LP laughed and said, “you’re so funny, stop shaking!”, so I replied “OK, but I’ll gonna have to do this”, and held her closer, remembering LP’s tight grip to calm me down during our meeting in Amsterdam.
And that was it. Then we’ve waited for others and their turn. The meeting took quite long, I think almost an hour. Just after 7 we could enter the main zone (those who bought tickets with passes to the 1st zone). Again I was in a front row, but this time almost in the centre. I was pretty happy with the spot, if not those damn huge black things (additional speakers??) sticking out way above the stage level.
And the stage was a lot higher and further than last year at the same venue. It didn’t strike me as much during the first show, as I was at a very far right end anyway, but this time, since I was almost in the middle, and if you’d be as short as me, yeah it drove me mad. Powers took the stage slightly after 8 and I must say they rocked Prague really hard that night.
They seemed to enjoy the venue and the people, as compared with the previous night, Forum Karlin was packed! I mean it was a full house! The energy was quite palpable, and I loved their set! I also loved that Mike noticed me in the crowd. It’s always so nice when an artist takes a moment to acknowledge your presence even though there are hundreds of other people around.
When LP finally entered the stage, the whole room erupted! The tension was killing us, and ‘Dreamcatcher’ was a perfect intro into my final night of the tour. Most of the setlist was the same, but LP brought back ‘Up Against Me’, making many of her fans incredibly happy. We’ve heard her practising it before our meet and greet, what made us hungry for more.
And then listening to it live, after more than a year, it was a total blast. To me, this whole concert felt like a dream. Perhaps because I knew that I will meet LP afterwards, and perhaps because I’ve decided not to ask about the interview already during the concert. For the first time I wanted to simply enjoy the experience and not to stress about anything else.
And I truly did. Each song brought incredible emotions. I remember that already during Dreamcatcher, I forgot that there were many photographers and cameras around me, and I sang from the top of my lungs. At one moment I noticed both camera and a photographer shooting straight for my face, while I was having my mouth wide open. (for full video by TV ÓČKO, click here).
But I’ve said, ahh fuck it, it won’t even make it the final cut. But I was sorely mistaken, I have both photo and a video as a memento! But you know what, I love it. I almost never take pics or record anything, cause my hands shake too much anyway, so pretty much always (if not my friends) I have zero photographic evidence of being at a concert, and this time I finally have!
What I also remember very clear, is that I felt like LP was singing only to me. Of course she didn’t, but this time I’ve had this feeling a lot stronger than ever. Sometimes there is a short interaction, a wave and a smile, but this time I’ve felt like we’ve had this deeper connection, which I can’t quite really explain. It felt really awesome… It was one of the concerts I’ve enjoyed the most.
Don’t get me wrong, LP is always great, but sometimes, I’m too stressed, my anxiety gets the best of me, other factors can fuck me up too, and I can’t always be as present as I would like to, but this time I really was. Time flew by incredibly fast. I remember crying my eyes out to ‘One Night in The Sun’, and blasting in full power to ‘The Power’. That night the crowd was really wild and loud. And LP felt it too.
Before ‘Recovery’ LP expressed how much she was enjoying herself, that watching other people, on that Sunday night, having fun without a care in a world made her feel simply great! She also dedicated this song, for the second night in the row, to her friend on his birthday. And from this funny and ‘high-on’ mood we were brought into LP’s inner world dimension. Dimension that only her voice her create. You all know perfectly what I mean.
I also recall this small girl that stood next to me, she might have been 10 or so, it probably was her first concert ever, and I just looked at her from time to time and was seeing LP concert through her eyes. The smile, the awe, the disbelief if LP is real, if it’s all actually taking place. I simply saw myself in that little girl, she reminded me of my very own first LP concert. And I wanted to thank her for that!
Also, just before ‘Special’ LP turned to 2 guys who were dancing for the entire concert somewhere in the back, and said, ‘yo, Jon Snow over there!’, she said she loved how much they enjoyed her performance. She also thanked the entire room for coming to her show, that we could be anywhere in the world and yet we were there with her.
And another incredibly nice thing happened just at the very start of ‘Lost On You’, LP saw one guy with a phone before, she encouraged him to throw his phone earlier, but somehow he didn’t, and finally during that song, LP didn’t let go, she kneeled down and instisted on throwing that phone, aaaand…. she missed it! The phone dropped on the floor.
Thankfully the security guy picked it up and passed it to LP, who in return recorded this tiny video, for her fan Kuba, during his first ever LP concert! Thank you Kuba for sharing the video and Oksana for your help! As I mentioned earlier already, the whole concert was very intense and during ‘Muddy Waters’ LP got so carried away that she almost broke Neal’s drum station.
She beaten her old tambo so much, that she turned one of the cymbals upside down, as captured here in the video. After the concert I felt like floating in the clouds. Partly, I was sad cause I knew with that concert my tiny tour came to an end, but at the same time, I was very excited as I was yet to meet LP. And this made that night even more extra more memorable than it already was.
I was a bit worried, since security hurried everyone out from the main room, and even though I’ve had a post show sticker, they didnt seem to care. Thankfully LP’s tour manager came up pretty quickly and I felt safe and secure. The rest you already know, as I have written about our meeting in my earlier post (just click here)…
photo by Nancy
I only wanted to add again, how much I appreciated the whole experience. LP’s patience and kindness. Understanding of my readers to not go through with the interview, but simply enjoying LP’s presence and not to stress if I will make a fool of myself, by asking some dumb questions and so on. As I was leaving the venue, I’ve felt this peace and quiet.
Cause finally I’ve re-taken control over my mind and my body. It’s still a struggle, some days are good, some not so much, but I keep on going. And I’m very happy to have those memories and I can’t wait to create some more during this Summer Festival tour. I won’t be able to do many shows, but those few that I intend to go to, I want to enjoy as much as possible.
Thanks Karolina & Aneta for showing me around the Prague! Photo by Karolina’s mum
And if God (LP) willing, I will have another interview for you all after the Summer tour. So keep your fingers crossed! As this time I think I’m ready to move forward, I think I feel stronger and this time I could actually enjoy it! Also, if you want to re-live LP’s Prague magic, visit Valonika’s YouTube channel, as she recorded almost the entire concert. Click here!
Thanks for reading, I’ll be back soon, as LP’s tour starts in less than a week!
