Zurich Open Air - the worst festival / Reading & Leeds, UK - the best comes for last

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.. After spending one night in Cologne, Charlotte came to my hotel and stayed the night, before we had to leave for Zurich. We left early in the morning, as our interrail ticket was only valid for one more day. It took us about 6 hours to reach Zurich and when we got there we immediately started walking to the festival, which was 7km away. We gave up after half of the way and took the train. It was a really hot and sunny day, so as soon as we reached the festival, which wasn't open yet, we sat in the cold and realxed, before the real stress began. 


The Festival was supposed to start at 4pm and an hour before it was still closed and people couldn't even get in to build up their tents. At the check-in they also didn't have a guest list, so we couldn't get in, without a confirmation of the crew or band. We barley had any water and were dying because of the heat, when after running around for 1 hour, calling people and stressing the festival crew, they finally found the guest list and we could get in. 

The NBHD was supposed to play at 4:45pm, but there was clearly not enough time for everyone to get in before that, since they only opened the doors around 4:30pm - the first act had to play without a crowd. When we got in there was barley anyone in front of the stage where the band would perform, while there were still tons of people outside wearing The NBHD merchandise.

The heat was unbelivable and Charlotte and I couldn't stand being right in it. We waited for the crew to see us or come out because we were planning on watching the show from the sound tech tent, which consisted of 2 floors this time. We wanted to run away from the sun and were more than happy when the sound tech took us with him. We went upstairs and were able to see the whole crowd, which wasnt that big because of the organization issues of the festival.

We talked to the crew until the show began and when Jesse came out he also tried to run away from the sun. He was shirtless, leaving the stage, jumping behind the barrier, coming our way - the whole crowd following him. He went to the shadow of the sound tech tent, waved at us when he saw us sitting upstairs and performed in the middle of the crowd which had followed him all the way to the back. After a while he went back on the stage where he continued to run away from the sun, so he hid behind the stage and performed in front of the camera or took off his clothes while he was performing in the heating sun, until he had only been wearing his underwear. It was a fun sight to see and really made the show stand out out of all the shows we had seen before. 

Devon - Jesse's girlfriend - had also been there, as she joined the band on the tour, the day of Jesse's birthday. I had always wanted to see her, because she seems so lovely. At some point during the show she came upstairs to the sound tech tent and talked to the light tech for a while before she left again to watch the show with the crowd. It was cute to see her standing in the middle of the crowd watching the band perform. 

After the show was done and the band back in the cold, we went out of the tent to go watch CHVRCHES again, before we already had to leave. People were waiting at the entrance to the backstage because they wanted to meet Jesse. We went there and asked the crew for some water because we were dying of the heat, laughing about the girls thinking Jesse would come out to meet them in this heat. We got our water and then went to see CHVRCHES and a little bit of The Last Shadow Puppets, before leaving to catch our train to Belgium, where we would take a few hours off before leaving for the last two festivals in the UK. 


Reading and Leeds 

We spent a few hours in Belgium, had some proper food and watched some series before we left for the bus at night, with some wine and food, for the 10 hour bus ride that was expecting us. 

After sleeping almost through the whole ride, we finally reached London in the morning. We took our things and left to buy some food before taking the train to somewhere outside of London where a friend of Charlotte picked us up and took us to Reading, the first of the twin festivals in the UK. What was expecting us was a day of seeing The NBHD, Foals, Die Antwoord, CHVRCHES, Crystal Castles and Twenty One Pilots.

Reaching the entrance, they told us the guest entrance was on the other side so we had to walk around almost the whole festival before finally being able to walk into one of the most popular festivals around the world. It was an incredible feeling. The sun was shining and we were motivated to see The NBHD - especially we had only heard good things about the crowds in the UK.

We still had a lot of time so we walked around the huge festival ground and looked at everything, before going back to the guest area. When we got there we both layed down on the ground and fell asleep, unintentionally taking a nap at the festival. Luckily we both woke up just in time to see Die Antwoord and the crazy show they put on. It was incredible to see how much they were able to jump around on the stage even though the sun was burning us all down. After we couldn't stand the heat anymore we went into the tent where The NBHD was supposed to play. 

We didn't notice one act had cancelled his gig and kinda freaked out when we didn't see the Crew of the band anywhere near the stage or the sound tech tent, so we asked a crew member of Twenty One Pilots, who happened to be in the sound tech tent, next to us, if The NBHD was gonna play and he said yes. We checked our apps and saw that one act was cancelled so the whole schedule changed and The Internet started playing. 

Charlotte and I sat down and listened to them. When they were done we got up and talked to the sound tech again before climbing in and watching the show from there, since we couldn't get through the huge crowd to the front row. The crowd was huge and everyone seemed to know all the songs. We have never heard so many people sing along to every song and dancing around. Our view was all over the crowd and the hands they had thrown in the air, while dancing. It was an incredible view and we really enjoyed the show with goosebumps everywhere. It was so amazing that I was sad for a moment that the tour was about to end. 

We spent the next few hours walking around seeing some of the bands we had already seen at other festivals before we went back to the tent where The NBHD played because I wanted to see Crystal Castles who were playing right before Twenty One Pilots. I only sat down in the tent because I was still tired from everything we had done the past two weeks. 

After the set of Crystal Castles we got ready for Twenty One Pilots, who we had seen in February. The tent slowly started to fill up and I had the impression that it was way too small for the amount of people who wanted to see Twenty One Pilots perform. We stayed close to the sound tech tent and when the show started we went absolutely insane. Suddenly all the energy we had lost during the last two weeks came back and we were feeling the moment, jumping up and down, singing along and dancing the whole time without a break. There was sweat everywhere but nobody seemed to care. They put on an amazing show, went into the crowd, as usual, and even walked over the heads in a big ball. It was incredible and even during the show I couldn't wait to see them again a day later. 

When the show of Twenty One Pilots was over I still wanted to see Foals again. They played on the main stage and the cold felt like a relief when we went out of the sticky and sweaty tent. But that didn't last for long. 

We had clearly lost all the energy again and only sat on the ground watching Foals play. It was freezing cold by then and all I wanted to do was leave, but I couldn't miss their show as the next day they were playing at the same time as Twenty One Pilots. I got up when they played my favorite song "Spanish Sahara". A red bengal fire went on in the middle of the crowd as I walked closer to the stage. All I could feel was how my whole self calmed down and forgot about everything. It was the most beautiful view I have ever had during the whole festival tour. 

I went back to where Charlotte was sitting when the song was over, and after we stayed there for about ten more minutes we decided to go into some tent to warm up a little, so we went to see Asking Alexandria, before leaving the festival. 

Charlottes friend picked us up and we spent the night in a hotel, with a proper bed and shower. In the morning we all took a shower and then went off to Leeds - the twin festival of Reading. 

We reached Leeds and took the shuttle bus to the festival. The weather was the complete opposite of what we had seen in Reading. It was cold and rainy the whole time, but we didn't mind. We took the bus and when we reached the festival immediately went to look for Dina and Aileen who stayed at the festival with the weekend passes we had gotten from the Tour Manager of The NBHD. They were already in the tent where The NBHD and Twenty One Pilots were playing. We walked through the dirt and the rain and then made our way through the huge crowd to look for Dina and Aileen in the first row. 

When we found them we gave each other the biggest hug ever. The front row was already filled only with people who wanted to see Twenty One Pilots, so Charlotte and I stood right behind Dina and Aileen in the second row and the waiting began. Most of the acts before The NBHD weren't really our music and we mostly just talked while they were performing. When it was time for The NBHD to perform we all went insane, not knowing whether to feel happy or sad about the last time seeing them. 

All of a sudden the old Ferrari intro started to play. It was the first intro we all had ever seen of The NBHD and connected to a lot of memories together. Out of all shows this summer they came on stage with their old intro at their last show and our last squad reunion. We couldn't believe it and went absolutely insane as all the memories we have together flashed back into our minds. All the times seeing the band coming on the stage with that intro and they hadn't done it all summer, besides at Leeds. 

We enjoyed the show even more then, singing and dancing along, crying some tears, thinking about all the good things that happened to us. It was the last time seeing them and no one knew when they would come back. It for sure was an emotional show. When the show was over our jaws dropped, I started crying a little bit and we all gave each other a big group hug. I couldn't believe I had just seen them for the last time for 1 or maybe even 2 years after seeing them 16 times within a year. 

The show was over and we started waiting for Twenty One Pilots, Dina's favorite band. When they came on stage everyone went insane, especially the people who had been missing the whole day of the festival, waiting for them since 11am. 

Once again they put on an incredible show and we had more fun than ever during the show. When they played "Car Radio" one of their most emotional songs, Dina, Aileen and I started crying, just that I cried because I knew the show would be over soon and with it the whole festival tour. It was just so hard to belive that it all ended so quickly. All the things we experienced, all the people we met, all the places we saw - everything was about to end and I couldn't believe a few days later I was supposed to go back to school and pretend like nothing of this had happened. 


After the show of Twenty One Pilots and crying our eyes out, we walked a little bit over the festival talking about everything and being sad. We had to leave as Charlotte's friend wanted to go home, so we group hugged and then left. Charlottes friend dropped us off at the train station he had picked us up at and after waiting a few hours for the first train we went back to London where we had to wait another day until our bus left at 2pm. We went to Brussels and I said goodbye to Charlotte before taking my bus back to Hamburg. 

I reached Hamburg, looking like totalk wreck with swollen feet that barly fit into my shoes, but I still wasnt' sure whether I was supposed to be happy or sad abour being back home. All I knew that I wanted nothing more than my bed and a proper shower. 


I clearly had the time of my life on this tour.  Following The NBHD on tour isn't just something I do in my free time because I have too much money and time left. It's something I live for, something that brings me to the end of my nerves, that has me saving up money for months, calculating everything for months and being excited for for months. It's my biggest passion and I'm so grateful to get the chance to do all of this - even though I barley get food, sleep, water or time for myself on tour - it's the one thing I live for. 

Herewith I want to thank everyone who made this tour possible for me. A special thanks goes out to the Tour Manager of The NBHD who is by far the kindest person I have ever met. Without him I couldn't live my dream the way I do now. It's been a pleasure being invited to this tour and I wouldn't hesitate doing it again. I also wanna thank the band for touring so often since their second record dropped - for giving all their energy away being on tour for almost a year straight and barley having time for themselves. It's been amazing. I can't put all my emotions into words, but I just want everyone to know, I don't take this for granted. I feel honored to able to do this and all the words in the world couldn't express how happy and grateful I am to have gotten the chance to live my dream. 

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