Thursday, April 18

My Lawson Experience

13th April 2013 was one of the best nights I have ever had.

Lawson is a four piece band from UK. The band consists of Andy Brown (acoustic guitar and lead vocals), Ryan Fletcher (bass and vocals), Joel Peat (lead guitar and vocals) and Adam Pitts (drums).

They only have one album so far called Chapman Square which was released late last year.


The album is brilliant - it's pop rock, which is what I listen to the most. Their songs are catchy and addictive and the lyrics to some (most) ((all)) their songs are so sad and so beautiful. Most of the songs on the album were inspired by Andy's past relationship with Mollie King. As you can tell by the length of this introductory paragraph; I really, really like them, all thanks to Susan.

So they came down to Malaysia for a showcase as part of their Southeast Asia tour. To gain entry to the showcase, all we had to do was pay RM 59.90 for the deluxe album (the showcase pass AND an autograph session pass were inclusive). I bought my album the weekend the news was announced.

I went to the showcase with Farah, Ksherah, Uma and Nik. The showcase was scheduled at 7pm and we arrived just before that.


Walking to Stage Club, Avenue K from KLCC


Not really surprising to find that the line was incredibly long. Though it was much, much longer than I expected. I went to the VIP section with Farah, and we were initially bummed out that it was upstairs and not right in front of the stage, but hey, take a look at the view we got:




Couldn't be more thankful for this.

We didn't have to wait long for them (unlike Demi Lovato and AAR - we had to wait two hours, thanks to the rain) and I really don't know how to put into words what I felt when Andy, Ryan, Joel and Adam came on stage. My favourite member is Ryan, and guess what? He was the closest to where I was standing. Like seriously, that was the closest I have ever been to a performer during a concert:




Of course I zoomed for this photo - but it wasn't even a full zoom and look at how good he looks! Ugh!

They started with Everywhere You Go - and when I first listened to it months ago I didn't really like the opening line: Suicide when I'm not with youuu. Hm. But the chorus is AMAZING and it's now one of my favourites, I think.

Everywhere you go, my heart will follow. Down this broken road, I will be your shadow.






By the end of the first song I swear, I couldn't contain my happiness. Neither could Farah. We were squealing non-stop, but good news is so were the girls around us.







After that, they sang Gone.


Whoa, whoa, whoa. Whoa, whoa, whoa. You say that you wanna live your life. That you wanna take some time away from you and me.

I just love the "Whoa, whoa, whoa" part. I think this was when I started tearing. They were so close to us and they looked so good and sounded even better.



They sang Taking Over Me next, and of course, everyone in the crowd was singing along.


I'll fix your broken heart, I'll make it beat again. I'll never let you down, on me you can depend :-)

It was so nice being able to witness everything from where I was - all four of them and also the audience. Something I'll always remember.






How legally sexy can one man be?


Next was Make It Happen. This wasn't a song I found very personal, but this song showed how good they were live. And let me tell you, with all bias aside, they were really good. If I'm not mistaken, they sang Moves Like Lawson after that - and this totally made up for not watching Maroon 5 live. This also reminded me of their performance of Moves Like Lawson during a previous show and how The Wanted sort of "ambushed" them on stage. If only that happened in Malaysia.

They were so sexy. Seriously, Andy and Ryan's built - just, wow.



Hello boys .

Learn To Love Again. One of the first songs I listened to and yes, one of my favourites. It's one of the songs that makes me want to sing at the top of my lungs when I hear it, and having heard it live, that was exactly what I did. It's not an easy song to perform live - I mean have you heard Andy's voice?! It's so unique and distinctive.

That you and I can learn to love again after all this time :-)



One of my favourite shots. Look at how into it Ryan was?!



From where I was standing, I could see the setlist from where the Sound Manager was stationed and saw that the next song was When She Was Mine. This too was written about Mollie, and they lyrics is just so.. light. And easy. But sad. If that makes sense? 

Like stone turned into dust, my heart wasn't enough, so far from where I used to beee
When she was mine everything was easy, everything was simple, never felt so good when she was :-(








What they sang next would have been a surprise had I not looked at the setlist - they sang a cover of Don't You Worry Child/Good Feeling. So sexy. This almost made up for the fact that I missed Swedish House Mafia's concert a few months' back. Things really do happen for a reason, no? Of course it wasn't the same thing, but it was so much more than what I expected to happen.

The final song they sang was Standing In The Dark. To introduce the song, Andy said something along the lines of "I wrote this song about my ex-girlfriend when I found out she was with a new guy" to which Ryan said "I was that new guy! I'm joking, I'm joking, I wasn't"

(I absolutely love their bromance, by the way. Ryan uploads photos of them on Instagram and hashtags "Randy". Good God?!?!?!)

This is also my favourite current song. I love everything about it, mostly the lyrics, though. It's so sad, if you've read my post until here then please please Google the lyrics and be sad with me. So beautiful.

I'm standing in the dark, she's dancing on the table.
I'm looking through the glass, she's someone else's angel :-(



Standing In The Dark panorama attempt


Farah and my excited face ^^^



Here are some shots Nad took, they're so so good but that's nothing new:










After the showcase, those with albums and VIP passes were the first in line for the autograph session. Farah and I only had to wait 15 minutes for our turn, and what you're about to read may make us seem psychotic, but this was what we did: We weren't allowed to use our phones or cameras in any way when we meet them, so we used Voice Memos to record the whole process. I met them for exactly 52 seconds and it was the best 52 seconds of my life (I haven't really experienced any other significant 52 seconds to be honest).



See, the night before I spent two hours drawing the four of them. Any artist would say it's horrible, but I personally was quite happy with it considering I'm hopeless at art. I wrote them letters too, and although I couldn't give it to them personally, I managed to pass it to their team.


 Here's what my drawing looked like:


It doesn't look like them at all, though I guess you can sort of make out who's who. I hope this reached them.





First in line was Ryan. Oh my God, needless to say, he was so beautiful up close. I couldn't say anything I planned to say weeks prior to this day. I did manage to ask for a high five though, AND I GOT ONE!!! I got one from Adam, Joel and Andy too. THE BEST 52 SECONDS I SWEAR. I regret now though, not being able to say all I wanted to say. Andy was the last I met though, and this was what happened:

Me: Hi! YOU LIKE LIVERPOOL RIGHT?!
Andy: ......... ah uh yeah!

God. I bet he thought I couldn't speak English and meant "You're from Liverpool, right?" but what I really meant was "You support Liverpool FC, right?" GOD GOD GOD!!! I mean I know he does and that's why I love him so much but - haih. I'm sure he doesn't even remember it and it's so typical of a fan to do something like that, but still. What a way to end the autograph session.

Quite frankly, the album cover which was what they signed on really just looks like a toddler took a Sharpie and scribbled all over it. I don't blame them, everything was so rushed but I can't even tell whose signature is whose!



Happy faces after meeting Lawson!


After the session we freshened up at the hotel we were staying at and decided to go to Doubletree, which was where they were staying at. We waited for half an hour til - lo and behold - we found out they had already arrived. Can't say we were that surprised but it was just as sad anyway.









We had supper nearby afterwards when suddenly I saw Jin upload an Instagram photo of Joel and Ryan trying durians. That means they were still out!!!




You beauty


We rushed (and even left Farah's tapau food! Hahahah!) back to the hotel and just stayed there. They only arrived back at the hotel at 2.45am.



Can you imagine how many mosquito bites I got from waiting for hours?!

We half expected them to sort of sympathise with us for waiting so long and agree to take a photo with us which was the only thing we wanted, to be honest. But the moment their manager saw us he said "Nope, sorry, nope!" and just walked past us. I was so speechless. Ryan, however, did say "Sorry guys, we're really tired" but it was just as heartbreaking nonetheless. I did get a few shots of him and Joel, though, which I guess is better than nothing:






We went back to our hotel after that. Considering what time we slept, we woke up pretty early that morning, and tuned in to their Google Hangout with Jin. They looked so great, my heart just - sigh. Someone told them to give a shoutout to "Hanna" - AND THEY DID! Andy even sort of sung my name. That moment was when I was most thankful to my parents for naming me Hanna, man. HAHAHAHA


If this isn't adorable, I don't know what is. Joel baby.


Spontaneously, we decided to wait for them at Doubletree again.




The night before the guard told us that artists usually exit from the back lobby entrance, so we waited there for about an hour because we saw this tinted white van which obviously was for them. Then we reasoned things and thought that Lawson surely would want to meet with fans before they leave, right? And why would they use the back entrance if all times before they used the front one? So we walked all the way to the front entrance again.

AND GUESS WHAT?! 10 minutes after that we saw the white van pass us and all of them were inside.

Patah hati.

I really wanted to follow them to KLIA, man. But then again I want a lot of things I cannot have, right? So sad I missed out on this though:




I mean WHO DOES THAT?!

This post concert depression I'm still having is the worst it's been for me. I've never actually gone out of my way to meet celebrities. I really wouldn't mind doing this again.

I hope they come to Malaysia again. Although if they do, I am so sure they will have a larger fanbase and this only means that it will be even harder to meet them personally. But I'll keep hoping.


Love you, Lawson.

xx

Jellybeans