Tag: Ed Sheeran

Allgemein, Concerts

Can you feel the Zurich Love Rudimental?

kekoaskorner

Rudimental has been one of my fav artists to dance to for years. All I needed to like a party is a song by Rudimental haha From UK fans I heard that their live show is freaking amazing so when Gadget finally announced a Rudimental gig I was over the moon!

I think Rudimental is one of the most underrated artists in Switzerland just like The Script. These guys fill stadiums and over here they struggle. I really don’t understand it but your loss is my gain. At a little after 8 I walked in and managed to score a 2nd row spot right in the middle. I was so much looking forward to this gig and the energy. I was super giddy and my expectations were super high.

At 9 pm the lights went out and everyone was ready to party! The stage filled with 9 musicians during a short intro and off it went with “Right Here”! The energy Locksmith & Co. brought on stage was incredible! The atmosphere was amazing and literally everyone was dancing! What I loved is that you actually had space to dance! And with Rudimental songs you really need space because you go mental without even knowing it haha

“Not Giving in”, “Summer Love” and the title track of their brand new album “Toast to our Differences” were next. With Rudimental it’s hit after hit after hit. No wonder Locksmith is drinking grey goose vodka on stage toasting to our differences πŸ˜€ At this point I really want to point out the amazing musicians Rudimental got on stage. The two female and 1 male singers replace BIG names such as Rita Ora, James Arthur, Ed Sheeran, Emeli Sande and you actually do not miss them at all. They are incredible singers doing an amazing job! But of course their brass section is brilliant too! I still got the sound of the trumpet in my head!

Afronaut Zu literally blew me away with his voice. James Arthur you may or may not like him but his voice is super special and brilliant live. But Afronaut Zu made “Sun Comes Up” to his own song. I bet it would’ve become a hit even with him singing it. Then the stage turned red and with the first chords of “Bloodstream” I couldn’t stop moving! I remember it so vividly last summer when Ed Sheeran performed it. The energy of this song is sooo gripping. I think you just have to dance! πŸ˜€ And wow it really kicked in just have a look in my IG stories.

With “Walk Alone” we calmed down a little until Locksmith asked the guys on the balcony to stand up. I loved that haha I was like okay what song is next that we need to get prepared to get mental. It was “Let me Live” which I’ve also heard last summer performed by Anne-Marie. SURPRISE SURPRISE MAKE SOME NOISE FOR ANNE-MARIE!! YES, freaking Anne-Marie was there! She performed her song live for us and not only that. She stayed on as a 3rd backing singer. So now you got 10 musicians on stage for 50 francs?! Yes, this time I paid for my ticket and I would do it again. They all deserved my money. They worked hard, put on an amazing show and they love what they are doing plus they appreciate us coming to the show!

“Lay it all on me” from their 2nd record We The Generation was next. And again what A tune! “Run” and “They don’t care about us” followed. DJ Locksmith asked us then: “Do you want to feel free with Rudimental?” A roar he got as an answer! I Loooooove “Free” which Emeli Sande also sang at her last gig and again I wasn’t disappointed by the live vocals tonight. Just On Point!

During “Go Far” Rudimental recreated the famous Daft Punk video “Around the world” where they moved in a circle around the centre. I love the rhythm and the throwback moment. For “Rumour Mill” Anne-Marie sang her part again! πŸ™‚ Usually those surprise performances only happen in the UK or the US. So thanks Rudimental for flying her in! The guys performed their only cover of the night “Human” by Rag’n’Bone man. The brill voice by Afronaut Zu took centre stage again.

As East-Londoners they love to rave so we all went on a little rave (That kinda rave I even love :D) with “Trouble” which turned into “Feel the Love”. Of course we felt the love and the energy in the room so when Rudimental left the stage the whole Halle 622 sang the chorus:

You know I said it’s true
I can feel the love
Can you feel it too
I can feel it ah-ah
I can feel it ah-ah

We were still singing when the Rudimental returned with “These Days” and finally my all-time favourite party hit “Waiting all Night”! And with those two Uber-Hits they let a very happy energetic crowd into the night. And we literally were in a party mood because when Earth, Wind & Fire’s hit “September” came through the speakers everyone continued dancing until we were ushered out by the party poopers πŸ˜‰ While we got some water into our systems some people were still shouting “Oh oh oh” to the tunes of Seven Nation Army.

Rudimental just gave me one of my highlight gigs in 2019 and we are just 32 days into the new year. I am dying to see if anyone can beat their energy, their hits and their brilliant musical performance including a surprise guest!

Check out my latest gigs: Snow Patrol, Jacob Banks, Black Eyed Peas

Allgemein, Concerts

Concert Highlights 2018

kekoaskorner

2018 was a year with lots of good concerts but also a few bad ones which usually doesn’t happen a lot! So unlike 2017Β this year is pretty easy picking my highlights. Of course I can’t name just one but let me highlight a few for you.

The Script gigs:


Like I already warned you in 2017 this year would be a very scripty year. But it ended up to be quite different than expected. First up was 3rd Night in Dublin which obviously was a highlight. Seeing a band in their hometown is always special. Read more here.
A month later the lads should have played the Hallenstadion in Zurich…. the important word here is SHOULD. Unfortunately Danny got a chest infection and wasn’t able to sing at all plus Glen felt slightly under the weather as well. So in 10 years of The Script this was only the 2nd time they had to cancel a show. We were all gutted but read some more of my thoughts here.
With that I was travelling to Milano where I learned that the gig was cancelled too. But hey, we still had a great night out.
Luckily 10 days later Danny and Glen were back and Amsterdam gig could go ahead as well as the Paddy’s day gig in Brussels. Unfortunately I couldn’t get around to write down those memories yet but let me tell you not only The Script had a magical night but also Ella Eyre. She spent the whole gig with technical problems only to have a complete shutdown during her song “Answerphone”. We all got our phones out and lit up the stage. It was magical. I still get goosebumps thinking about it πŸ™‚
Lastly I thought the Caribana gig was the last one on this tour. It really would have been a great end. Read more here.
But thanks to a lucky draw from my friends at Loads of Music we got to see the lads on their final gig of the Freedom Child tour at the Moon and Stars Festival.

The hottest gig: 2 nights of Ed Sheeran

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The two nights with Ed Sheeran, Anne Marie and Jamie Lawson at Stadion Letzigrund were unforgettable. Not only because it was one of the hottest outside gigs I’ve ever witnessed but also because all of them are incredible musicians! But you can read some more right here.
If you want to reminisce in 2019 you can since Jamie Lawson and Anne Marie are back in Zurich! Get your tix via Starticket.ch.
Jamie Lawson 13.4.19 at Plaza
Anne Marie 2.5.19 at Halle 622

The woodiest gig: Justin Timberlake


Justin Timberlake transported us into the Woods and it was incredible – Just like I imagined. I had this vision of how he started and finished plus I had a few deja vu’s from the last time. It was perfect. Plus having my two friends from Loads of Music front row across the room was even more special! You were actually rooting for them to see the Man of the Woods very much up close and they did. Read more here.

The wow gig: Katy Perry


Katy Perry’s show was incredible! I remember her playing Volkshaus and even then the shows were great. Flying planets, huge mosquitos, a basketball court, a huge mouth, a flying clock…. I could go on and on. Try to top that! I had an amazing time. I was dancing and singing and being blown away by her show. But look at some more pics here.

The two biggest surprises:
Jason Derulo


I’ve seen a few of his gigs on TV and I always thought he was dancing more than singing or talking. I guess it must have been the TV’s cut. Jason Derulo is a great singer and entertainer but most importantly he appreciates his fans and the money they spend on him. He tries to give us more than 100% of his energy and that laid back super cool energy infected the Hallenstadion. People were dancing and singing and having a ball. Read more here.

Charlie Winston


Charlie Winston has been around for ages. 10 years ago he sang one of my fav songs of the year “Like a hobo”. For some reason I thought he’d be a singer songwriter who puts up a very thoughtful slow song show to enjoy to listen to but not dance to. I couldn’t have been any more wrong. His energy that came on stage with him infected the whole room. Within seconds people were dancing and clapping and having an amazing time. Shirley from Loads of Music described the gig exactly like I would have done so have a read here. I think this really has been on of my top highlights this year. I walked out with aΒ huge smile and that’s always a success.

Crazy is good: Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats


I saw Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats before so I knew I had to go there and I wanted to be front row however I didn’t know how crazy it got being front row at Nathaniel Rateliff gig! If you want to know have a look at my review: click here.

The king/queen of ballades: Sam Smith


Sam Smith was actually another surprise. He’s hands down one of the best ballade singers but his gig wasn’t all sad gloomy at all. We were actually dancing a lot which I loved – even though I was a bit handicapped at the time. He might not be top of mind if I think of gigs 2018 but he sure deserved a mention in my highlights blog post! Read more about this surprising gig here.

The punkiest gig: Billy Talent


Like Charlie Winston Billy Talent have been around for a long time so when I finally got to see them at the Winterthurer Musikfestwochen my 15 year old self was very very happy. πŸ˜€ I was so surprised that I actually knew almost every song… I guess I really like them so please read more here.

Getting my rock on: Foo Fighters


Since I saw Dave Grohl hosting the EMA’s and after I watched the documentaries I knew I needed to see the Foo Fighters live. And they didn’t disappoint – over two hours of guitar riffs, drum solos and loud screams. It was amazing and well worth the money. I do hope I get to see them again sometime. But read more of this amazing legendary rock gig here.

Behind the Scenes with Saint City Orchestra


Seeing them at the Caribana as a warm up for The Script was perfect. As it happens sometimes I was able to shadow them for their gig at Rock the Ring in Hinwil. It was pretty cool being backstage with a band the first time. A new view of the tour life that I haven’t actually seen like that before. The lads of Saint City Orchestra were super welcoming and we had such a good time there. If you don’t know please check them out. They’re a great band from Switzerland and if you wan’t know more have a look at my review.

The tric-iest gig: Kate Voegele and Tyler Hilton


While I was about to fly back to Zurich from my trip to Wilmington I learned that Mia Catalano and Chris Keller aka Kate Voegele and Tyler Hilton are coming back to Zurich. I was over the moon and I couldn’t believe the coincidence! So of course I got home and bought myself a ticket. Nothing can beat the feeling of being in your favourite series whilst you’ve actually visited the set – or what’s left of it – a few months back. When they started “When the stars go blue” I could actually see myself in Tric rocking out to it πŸ˜€ #fangirling I know…. if you are ok with that read more here.

The Swiss love Aussies: Sons of the East


I haven’t heard of them before but thanks to Loads of Music I got to meet the three lads from Sons of the East before the interview. They were pretty laid back, nice and funny just how you imagine Aussie guys no? πŸ˜€ It was also a super hot summer day so it all fit together. Dynamo was like an oven and we got enjoy a summery show but read some more here.

Getting my Country on: Country Night Gstaad


I got very lucky this year I found someone actually two people who are as obsessed with country music as I am. So finally we were able to go to our first Country Night Gstaad. Midland, Maddie & Tae and Brett Young were the artists playing this year. Little did I know that we’d be screaming like crazy because apparently Brett Young is a huge Gavin DeGraw πŸ˜‰ Yes, country and pop music go together! Read some more of our Country adventure here. Oh and stay tuned for our C2C weekend in London in March! πŸ™‚

The cool Germans:
Max Giesinger


Max Giesinger is cool dude. He’s super down to earth and sooo funny! His music is great and I love to listen to it live. His gigs are always a mix between enjoying good music and trying not to pee yourself because you have to laugh so much πŸ˜€ I don’t know why but each time I walk out of his gigs I’m a little bit in love with this guy. But I guess this is a very good thing and I bet I’m not the only one who feels like that. He’s back in March but unfortunately I just realized that I’ll be getting my country fix in London. So really bad timing Max! πŸ˜‰
Read more of his last gig here.

Nico Santos


I had the pleasure to interview Nico Santos who sang one of my fav songs of 2018 “Rooftop”. He’s such a cool down to earth guy. Read more of our interview here. I can’t wait to see him live on May 3rd at X-tra. Get your tix now: ticketcorner.chΒ 

The funniest gig: Lewis Capaldi


Let’s face it Lewis Capaldi should be a Comedian but then again the music industry would love an amazing voice so why not combine those two features into one show. That’s what Lewis Capaldi did. Seeing him supporting Sam Smith was a joy especially since we discovered that we never ever do any exercise because it will kill us haha. I immediately knew this guy needs backing so when he announced his headlining show I was in – little did I know that he apparently reached some more couch potatoes. Lewis Capaldi’s show was sold out! But this guy doesn’t seem to tire because he’s supporting Bastille next year and tix are still available: starticket.ch

The gig from the future: Black Eyed Peas


The Black Eyed Peas are back and celebrating their 20 year existence. They’ve evolved quite a bit from their first record. Taboo, Apl.de.ap and Will.i.am are three childhood friends making music. Even if they don’t fill the big stadiums anymore you can see and feel that they enjoy what they do. The guys are musicians through and through and that’s what I like to see. In addition to this they’ve not been bitter about people having phones at their gigs but actually thought about it and come up with an idea how to involve the phone in the gig. It was one hell of an experience actually sending big hearts to the stage! So much fun! Read some more here.

The good and now the bad ones…

Unfortunately this year we had a few very bad ones like I mentioned at the beginning. I’d like to name them quickly here. Nena, Billy Idol, Kim Wilde, Lily Allen and Hozier were all very disappointing. They didn’t spread good energy and I didn’t leave with a smile on my face. However in all of those gigs some people enjoyed it. It just wasn’t for me.

But I want to end my last blog post of 2018 on a good note. I am so grateful to have spend so many hours with lovely new and old concert buddies sharing what we love – Music. Being able to see my favourite artists is a blessing. Moments like we’ve had this year at gigs are unforgettable and will stay with you forever. So if you see an artist you like is coming to town go and support him – it’s worth it πŸ™‚

Allgemein, Concerts

Selah Sue shuts up the crowd with music

kekoaskorner

Thanks to Just Because I always get to try out new music I don’t know yet. So on Tuesday I went to see Selah Sue – a Belgian musician who came back from the mommy break to shut up the Kaufleuten crowd.

A little after 9 a piano player and cello player took the stage and played an intro and then Selah Sue came from the blackness into the light. It was a super weird intro at least that’s what I thought. I really didn’t know if I was going to like what I’m about to hear. I was pretty critical. Selah Sue started with “So this is Love”. I was still observing…

09-Selah 5
Credit: Patrick Holenstein from BΓ€ckstage Magazine

She then told us that she became a Mum this year and that she loves laying down in a hammock with her son. I could picture her just doing that. Of course Motherhood inspired her so the next song was written for her little boy called “In a Heartbeat”. I loved it and I loved how she explained the story behind this song. She warmed my heart already.
Plus she started playing the guitar now. Soft chords for the last song and loud ones for “Fyah Fyah”. Surprisingly the Kaufleuten crowd knew the song and sang with her! What I feared the most seeing her at Kaufleuten was that the crowd would constantly chat and you could hear the bar people working. This is what normally happens. However she must attract a different audience than most. They were quiet! I was really impressed and happy πŸ™‚ When looking around into people’s faces they were actually listen to her singing. I absolutely loved the atmosphere. “Fyah Fyah” was my favourite and after seeing Julian Marley a few weeks ago it was right up my alley πŸ™‚ She must have grown up with a lot of Jamaican buddies.

07-Selah 7
Credit: Patrick Holenstein from BΓ€ckstage Magazine

Selah Sue brought out the loop thingy too and you know I’m a huge fan of it. Ed Sheeran can fill a stadium with his guitar and a loop station. This little thing is so impressive. She created a whole band and backing singers with it. So for the next few songs I was focused again on her being a very talented musician and her special raspy voice: “Peace of Mind”, “I won’t go for more”, “Alone”, “Full of life”. Then she explained that she was working with another Jazz musician on a cover song the past month so she started with some very famous lyrics:

When I was just a little girl I asked my mother what will I be?

Of course it’s “Que sera, sera”. “Always home” and “I Need” followed. I don’t know why but I seem to know the next song. It’s “This World”. Her last official song. For this one she brought out another gadget. It replaced the drummer. It’s quite difficult to explain so best to have a look in the highlights on my Instagram account. Of course the effect of the that gadget was supported by the lights and those two things together made for a great show.

08-Selah 6
Credit: Patrick Holenstein from BΓ€ckstage Magazine

The three musicians left the stage and I really didn’t think they would come back. But Selah Sue came back with her guitar and asked us so what songs do you want to hear? 5 different songs were shouted at her. It came down to two songs after trying the loud-o-meter with audience. First she sang “Summertime” a very lovely ballade. The 2nd favourite song was “Raggamuffin”. Another song with Jamaican roots. She changed the lyrics again and sang:

In ZΓΌrich they want me

And yes we really do! I hope Selah Sue comes back really soon! Thank you for surprising me and turning me into a fan πŸ™‚
Have you seen Selah Sue in concert? Share your experience in the comments below.

Check out my latest gigs: Justin Timberlake, Billy Talent, Sons of the East

 

Allgemein, Concerts

Ed Sheeran: 2 nights, 1 man, 1 voice, 1 guitar and 96'000 backing singers and dancers

kekoaskorner

In 2011 I got to see a young man without any tattoos playing the Kaufleuten Festsaal for the DRS3 showcase. I knew every song of his newest record “+” and stood in the front row and he won over the whole crowd. Fast forward 7 years that young man is full of tattoos and goes by the name of Ed Sheeran and turned out to be the biggest popstar of our time selling out stadiums around the world just like he had the last two nights in Zurich with the Letzigrund Stadium.

Jamie Lawson was unexpected

Jamie Lawson is signed up to Ed Sheeran’s record label so he got to be the first opening act of the night. Starting out is hard especially in front of people who didn’t come to see you! So I have so much respect for Jamie Lawson. With “Fall Into Me”, “Letter Never Sent”, “The Only Conclusion”, “Can’t See Straight” and “A little Mercy” he started his 30mins set. He’s such a lovely and funny guy and I really love his mellow songs especially “Wasn’t expecting that”. I bet a few people recognized this song when he started playing it. He did a fine job warming up the crowd and during his last song “Ahead of Myself” the crowd helped him out by singing “Badam Badam Badadada”. Love it!
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Continue reading “Ed Sheeran: 2 nights, 1 man, 1 voice, 1 guitar and 96'000 backing singers and dancers” →

Allgemein, Concerts

Concert Highlights 2017

kekoaskorner

This is most difficult task I’ve ever had to do for this blog. I cannot choose my highlights! I loved each and every gig I attended this year. So many special moments I witnessed thanks to incredible artists who gave 100% to their audience. So I will try to name a few gigs and I will let you know why they were special to me. I apologize already since this blog post will probably the longest I’ve ever done.

My gig highlight of the year: Marteria

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I saw him twice – at Gurtenfestival and at his headline show in Zurich. Both times he completely took over the whole venue and the people were at his command. The atmosphere was incredible and the energy blew the roof of the building. But my fondest memory is actually the morning after the Gurten gig. We literally stayed awake until the clouds were purple again which is one of Marteria’s songs “Lila Wolken”. It was the perfect ending to a very special four days at the Gurtenfestival.
oznor

The most special venue: P!nk

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When it was announced that P!nk would only play 5 odd shows this summer I knew I had to go to Berlin to see her. I’ve never been to Berlin so it was even more special. I love the city and I loved the two gigs at the WaldbΓΌhne. A stage set into midst of a very green forrest just outside the city. It was raining a lot but that didn’t matter. Finally after years I saw my P!nk again. I grew up with her and her gigs and it will forever remind me of my childhood. It was just perfect.

My first interview: Naturally 7

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I’ve always been a huge fan of the 7 lads from America but this summer they actually made a huge accomplishment possible. They agreed to give me my first interview for Kekoas Korner after their wonderful gig at the Live at Sunset the day before. I will always be very grateful for that and will support them forever. Their shows are brilliant and I would suggest if you haven’t seen them – go see them!!! It’s well worth your money plus they really make an effort to meet the fans after the show. Go say hello.

My first time as a Merch Seller: Welshly Arms

mde
The guys from Welshly Arms were looking for a volunteer to sell their merchandising. Obviously I took that opportunity πŸ™‚ Let me just say each and everyone of them were super nice and very grateful that I helped them. I was happy to help plus I got to witness an amazing gig! Being a Merch girl is great and I loved to talk to all the fans about the band. I also got to interview the guys from Welshly Arms before their show.

The best entertainer EVER: Robbie Williams

oznor
Robbie Williams is hands down the best entertainer and knows how to put up a good show. He rocked the Letzigrund for around two hours and blew fireworks and confetti and fire into the air like there was no tomorrow. He also brought out his dad which gave the show a very cute touch. Only recently it was brought to our attention that Robbie Williams actually was quite sick during that performance after which he flew directly to London into the intensive care unit for a week. It was actually a miracle that he performed that night! Thank you for that but please next time listen to your body Mr. Williams and cancel the show.

The longest show with the most stars: Capital’s Summertime Ball

oznor
We spent 7 hours at the Wembley stadium in London and got to see so many stars. Bruno Mars opened the show. JP Cooper, Niall Horan, Charlie Puth, Dua Lipa, Clean bandit and this is just the beginning. My highlight was that I finally got to see Sean Paul live. He did an amazing job and since he was quite close to the end he took my last energy so that I was seriously knackered and couldn’t enjoy Little Mix who closed the show.

The hottest gig: Pegasus

sdr
It was July and it was boiling hot. The Pegasus gig was at 8 IN THE MORNING on a ferry on lake Zurich. It was the perfect weather and the perfect gig. Pegasus are a super talented band from Switzerland and everyone just had a good time and by the time it finished we were already sweating.

The most colourful gig: Coldplay


It took me years to like Coldplay and to make me want to see them. This summer I suddenly felt the urge so within two weeks I organised a little trip to go to Frankfurt and see them. The weather was awful but the gig was great! Tove Lo and Femme Schmidt supported them. But what I liked the most were the colours. I have never seen such a colourful concert and what I also loved was how appreciative the band was.

The best rock gig: Stone Sour


That’s a hard one. I really loved Guns ‘N Roses and you know they are just legendary! Mando Diao were incredible to see live and I want to see them soon again! But I think I will give this one to Stone Sour because they seriously f*****g rocked and Corey Taylor has an amazing voice aaaand he looks gorgeous! πŸ˜€

The most special voices: Tom Grennan


This one was also very close. Jacob Banks and Tom Grennan went head-to-head. Both have super special voices which give me goosebumps and both are very very talented. But Tom Grennan got the call because he seemed more open to his fans and made the effort to meet each and everyone. This is what I want to see in an aspiring artist.

Best Newcomer 2017: KARAVANN

oznor
I got to meet the two lovely lads from KARAVANN for an interview before I even seen them live. They seem really serious about their venture and I have a good feeling about their journey. In August I finally got to see them live and believe me they didn’t disappoint. They have an incredibly international sound and they make sure that you have a good time at the gig. Please check them out and go say hi after the gig πŸ™‚

The worst gig EVER: Kings of Leon

oznor
I didn’t think I would ever say this but unfortunately I had to witness the worst show ever from Kings of Leon. They didn’t want to be on stage, they didn’t know where they were and they played songs no-one wanted to hear. For an hour you could hear a pin drop in the Hallenstadion and everyone was quite baffled at how bad they were. Since I paid a lot of money to see them it was even worse. So two big thumbs down for you guys!

The most relaxing gig: Anastacia and Baschi at Bossard Arena

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The people were super relaxed and to be honest the arena was quite empty. Nonetheless did we have a brilliant time! Anastacia was amazing and she is just a force on stage. Baschi is our Swiss Robbie Williams and entertained the sh*t out of the Arena. So I had space to dance, I knew the songs, I had an amazing time! πŸ™‚

The Scandinavian gigs: Lukas Graham & Mans ZelmerlΓΆw


I got to see the sound check of Lukas Graham and we spoke a little afterwards. Super lovely lads and just very talented and grateful to travel the world with their music. I’ve seen them twice already and they’ve done a brill job both times. Mans ZelmerlΓΆw won the ESC and came to Switzerland twice already. Always very special gigs!

Kekoas Korner’s soft spot: Gavin DeGraw


I literally grew up with his music. His song “I don’t want to be” is my hymn for anything. When I listen to the song I always have to sing out loud. He is an incredible musician and I am so glad that I was always able to meet him after the show. He is so nice. If you have the chance please listen to this guy.

The Irish frenzy: Walking on Cars, The Coronas, Tom Walker


As you might know I go a little crazy for Irish bands.. πŸ˜‰ The lovely Walking on Cars came to Switzerland 4 times this year and I saw 3 of them. Zurich, Lausanne and Lucerne. Each gig was different and I just love their music! They were supported by Tom Walker. Another Irish lad who’s very talented and is coming to Switzerland on 20th April 18. Go check him out! Lastly I got to interview the Coronas in October and the lovely Danny gave me some tips for my trip to Dublin.

The good times with Bastille

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Bastille always make sure that everyone has an amazing time. We jump, we kinda dance, we sing. They are an incredible live band and unfortunately I won’t be seeing them next year on April, 20th 18. But please go and let me know how it was. The very talented brits are coming back with their newest record and I’m very much looking forward to see them some other time…. maybe at a festival again.

Best Merchandising Top 5:

1. Welshly Arms – This has to be number 1 since I sold their merch and I proudly did so because they really were amazing. I love the designs of the T-Shirts and the Jackets. They also had Vinyls and hats too. I still wear their stuff every other day.
2. Guns N’Roses – The designs of the shirts are amazing and I nearly got two shirts.
3. Ed Sheeran – He had a various range of Merch. I really loved the Army Jacket and the lumber jack shirt. The jacket was one of my favourite this summer.
4. Stone Sour – Lots of nice designs on T-Shirts plus signed Vinyls.
5. Amber Run – I loved the lion on their shirt and I still regret that I didn’t buy that shirt.
Jacob Banks came really close to making it into the Top 5. He was selling a shirt where it said in this is merchandising and below Jacob Banks. I thought this was hilarious and I was this close to buying it.
All those gigs wouldn’t have been possible without the help of ARTNOIR magazine, Just Because, Mainland Music, ABC production and Goodnews. Thank you for supporting Kekoas Korner!
Lastly I want to thank all my concert buddies for joining me at various gig and for having as much fun as I did! <3

I cannot wait for all the gigs in 2018! So bring on the new year πŸ™‚

I’d love to know what your concert highlights 2017 are. Please leave a comment below or on Kekoas Korner social media channels Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Allgemein, Concerts

Huge party with Hoodie Allen

kekoaskorner

Hoodie Allen partied hard with his Swiss fans on a Tuesday night. It was the first time the American rapper came to Europe and he was blown away by the reception of his European/Swiss fans. Before the gig Hoodie himself stood by the merch table and sold his own T-shirts. Of course I had to say hi and got his signature onto my ticket.
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Goody Grace warmed up the crowd for Hoodie and he did quite a good job. However I was super annoyed by the people constantly chatting and disrespecting the artist. Seriously it was so loud I could barely hear him sing. From what I’ve heard though I can tell you guys that he is quite talented. He did two acoustic songs and a few party songs. Unfortunately I didn’t get his set list but please check this lovely lad out.


A little later Hoodie Allen took the stage with “Believe” and the people already went crazy. I gotta say that I was among the oldest people in the crowd. Hoodie attracted lots of teenies. With “Sushi” the Swiss audience could prove that they knew the lyrics inside out. “Fun” and “Fakin” were next and I was seriously amazed how good the crowd was.. I think Hoodie Allen was too. You could see how much fun he and his four musicians had on stage. He spoke a lot and told us how much he appreciated us coming out to see him since without us he’d still be in the garage at home.
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“Something Dangerous”, “Robot” and “Act my Age” followed. It was good fun and I wish I would have know a bit more songs but unfortunately I couldn’t really listen to the songs since I had so many gigs this week. “Small Town” seemed to be a crowd’s favourite and I get why. I loved the song as well. The fun continued with “Surprise Party” where balloons where thrown around and for the crew it really was a special day. It was the official tour photographers Birthday and of course we sang “Happy Birthday” to him. Hoodie Allen was really happy with the audience and asked us to choose between 3 songs. “Cake boy” and “Two Lips” got around the same amount of noise so he just played both.
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During “Cake Boy” they threw two cakes into the audience! I was like “Wait what?!” but the crowd seemed to love it. “Two Lips” was done acoustically and all the cell phone lights went up. It looked great! Hoodie addressed the people who were just dragged along and said you just need to know three words for the next song “Champagne and pools”. The gig continued with a brilliant drum solo and the song “Fame”. For “Heartbreak” Goody Grace came back on stage to sing/rap with Hoodie. “Know it all” and “No Faith” were next and I was still amazed how everyone seemed to know all the lyrics to every song! It made for a great atmosphere and I was so glad I came to witness this gig.
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Hoodie Allen said then you might know of a very talented musician called Ed Sheeran and we did a song together! Yesss! I finally was able to singalong to “All About It”. Back when it came out I played it constantly and it’s the reason why I came to this gig. “Ain’t Ready (for love)” was the last song before the encore. When Hoodie left the stage the audience started to shout “Hoodie, Hoodie, Hoodie” and after a minute he came back on. He asked the crowd to form a circle in the middle and I was like wait a minute I’ve heard that before… Oh right Marteria on Saturday. This was the baby version of Saturday’s mosh pit. It still was great fun and it looked like we were celebrating a huge party with Hoodie in the middle. The final song of the night was “No Interruption” and people started jumping and singing. It was a great finish to a brill gig!
Enjoyed the party as well? Share you story below or on Kekoas Korner’s social media accounts Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Check out my latest gigs: Jake Isaac, Marteria, Xavier Naidoo
Allgemein, Concerts

Party Night at Baloise Session with Kool & the Gang and Dabu Fantastic

kekoaskorner

It’s Friday night and it’s party time! That’s why tonight’s motto “Let’s celebrate” fits perfectly and is a perfect match for these two artists: Kool & the Gang and Dabu Fantastic. Please click here to read more of my interview with the latter. Again I’d like to mention that the staff at Baloise Session is incredibly friendly and helpful! Plus the concerts shown on the screen is a treat. They chose Parov Stelar again who will be coming to Samsung Hall on 9th March!
Dabu Fantastic
First up was Dabu Fantastic. They are a band from Zurich singing in Swiss German. Even if you don’t understand the lyrics you gotta see them live. Their energy is off the chain and they are super entertaining. Unfortunately it’s only been the 2nd time I’ve seen them live. The first time was at a free concert on a float at Badi Enge. It was an magical gig and a lot of fun. They started with “Autobahn” and “Grosse MC” which was mixed with one of my favourites “Vo Vorn”. This song is perfect for a gig! “Vo Vorn” means to start again so it makes perfect sense to say let’s start again.


The 3rd song was “MsG” – Mir seget GrΓΌezi which is a translation of the German Fanta 4 song “MfG”. They did a whole set with those kinda song and in my interview you’ll hear about Fanta 4’s reaction. Next up was “SchΓΆn” and “Fredi” before they got a bit quieter and mellowed down a bit for “Min Ort”/ “My place”. It is a beautiful ballade about Dabu’s hometown. You don’t expect these guys to be able to do slow but they really can do slow! Just before they suddenly vanished they played a song called “Maybach”.
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Suddenly Dabu and DJ Arts showed up on a B-stage in the middle of the room. They had a short old school break where just the two of them were doing their thing πŸ™‚ On the way back they were dancing with the audience. Another favourite moment of mine was when they remixed Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of you” and KRS-One “Sound of da Police” and replaced it with Jeans and made it to their own song. Such a funny song! Before the next song “HΓ€sslich”/”Ugly” they announced that either we have to dance really bad or really good and the best people get a shirt for free! πŸ™‚ And yes, people were dancing or the posh people sitting where trying their best. One lady won and she put the shirt right on and stood on a chair. How great is that??!!
Dabu Fantastic
Just before the encore we enjoyed “Paradiis and Het Sie Xeh”. They came back just to say “Gang Jetz” which means “Off you go” and they remixed it with another Swiss artists “BrΓΌtigam” by Dodo. And lastly the song a lot of people have been waiting for – their “Angelina”. It basically is about a relationship where it’s working on top of each other but not next to each other if you know what I mean πŸ˜‰

Will mir hΓ€nd so viel Liebi zge
Als wΓ€r das ΓΆppis wos LΓ€be lang hebt
Aber morn bisch wider weg
Will ufenand gats aber nΓ€benand nΓΆd

I was ready to take pictures of Kool & the Gang but I wasn’t really ready for this! The 11 musicians took the stage and their energy just blew me away! But I wasn’t the only one within seconds they’ve managed to get the people standing and the security had problems keeping them back for the first 3 songs. They started with “Fresh” and I took pictures but I was also singing. I guess that looked quite funny so the lads on stage smiled at me a few times. A singing photographer must be new to them too πŸ˜‰
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Shawn McQuiller and Lavell Evans and Walter Anderson switched the lead vocals between each other. Plus the latter took to play the keys a few times. It is incredible how versatile all these musicians are. I expected old men on stage but they managed to bring on the new generation too! In “Tonight” and “Too Hot” the guys showed off their dancing skills and the people in the audience were too. As soon as the security released them onto the dancing floor I had to flee! I’ve never experienced anything like it and thankfully there was a tiny space left out for the camera which I fled into. I really didn’t envy the camera guys’ job that night! πŸ™‚


 
The crowd was on fire that night. We were dancing, singing and just having a good time. These incredible musicians were giving it their best and you could sense it. “Joanna” and “Open Sesame” was next and during “Jungle Boogie” I found myself way back onto the dance floor. The boys were dancing in sync to Hollywood Swinging and it just looked incredible and by then I knew that it was going to be a very good gig. For all the lovers in the house Kool & the Gang played their huge hit “Cherish” and the lights of the phone and lighters went up.

What followed can only be described as a huge party and everyone joined in to celebrate this wonderful evening. With “Let’s Go Dancing” we were turned into a big backing choir to sing the “Oh la la la’s”. Now the next song they sang for all the beautiful ladies in the house:

Oh, yes, it’s Ladies’ Night
And the feeling’s right
Oh, yes, it’s Ladies’ Night
Oh, what a night (oh, what a night)

And the feeling was really right! I think by then everyone at Baloise Session was standing or should I say dancing. “Get Down on it” was so so cool and it was amazing to see these Legends on stage. All those songs were written in the 80’s and I still know them and they can travel the world singing it. This must be the dream of every musician. The final song of the night was of course “Celebration”. What impressed me the most was that the band stayed on stage and shook a lot of hands and said thank you. They do not need to this anymore. They are huge stars and still they thank every person who came out that night.


 
Those are real musicians and are well worth supporting and seeing. I adore artists who show their appreciation and I tend to see those kinda artists more than once. For example Naturally 7 are like that too and they are coming to Zurich next week! After the 3rd night at the Baloise Session I can tell that I am in love with this festival. If you want to read about my first two nights check out Clean Bandit/Goldfrapp and Asgeir/Kaleo.
 
Have you been to the Baloise Session? Let me know in the comments below! πŸ™‚

Allgemein, Artist2watch

Artist2Watch: Cary Balsano

kekoaskorner

Cary Balsano brings the Italian summer to Merseyside. He’s been busking the streets of Liverpool for a while and released videos on YouTube. So you maybe already listened to him but you didn’t even realize it. So let me bring him to your attention. He’s originally from Biella, Italy but now lives in the beautiful city of Liverpool. We all know that Liverpool is a music city with very famous musicians coming out of it.
He names Ed Sheeran, Bryan Adams and Coldplay as his musical influences. Very fine artists and absolutely brilliant live. Like Ed Sheeran busking helped growing his following over the years. I was contacted on Twitter and sent the link to a new song called “Horizon”.

 
I always love to listen to links that new artists are sending me and this one did not disappoint. Listen to it! You won’t regret it. It has a summery positive feeling to it. I instantly loved it and check out Cary’s voice! It carries out the singer songwriter feel and I cannot wait to hear more music. I am able to announce that Cary Balsano’s debut album comes out on 18th October. If the album is anything like his first single “Horizon” then we are in for a treat. So mark your calendars and check him out. His 2nd single will be out on 15th November.
Support this wonderful emerging artists on his social media accounts:
Twitter
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
Let me know what you think of his fist single “Horizon” in the comment section below.


 

Allgemein, Concerts

MTV Video Music awards 27.08.2017

kekoaskorner

For years I’ve been watching the VMA’s and it’s been one of my musical highlights but lately the video music awards weren’t the same anymore. A big part of that problem is MTV. They’re programme changed from music videos to reality TV shows which is a pity. So even though it is called music TV it’s not showing any music unless you wait until 1 pm and watch all night – but who has time for that?
Enough moaning let’s have a look at this years line-up. Katy Perry is hosting the show again – what a treat! She is funny and has experience and does always a good job. P!nk is awarded the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award 2017 – her 7th Moonman. Past winners are BeyoncΓ©, Justin Timberlake and Madonna. So let’s see what she has in store!
The guest list looks pretty average if you ask me. It used to be the hottest stars but now there’s a lot of newcomers with only a few top acts. But you never know, it might be the best show ever – doubt it! πŸ™‚ So let’s watch it now:
The pre-show was super boring and filled with long commercial breaks so I was tempted to turn off the TV and go to bed. But luckily I didn’t and saw P!nk, Carey Hart and Willow in matching outfits and it was just the cutest! They seem like a normal family and throughout the evening we got to see lovely family moments. During P!nk’s red carpet interview she said:

I used to get grounded for watching MTV and now I’m on it. It’s full circle.

Finally after a long hour the show started! Katy Perry came back from outer space just to host the VMA’s 2017! Kendrick Lamar opened and did a good job. His rhymes were dope and surprisingly without swearing so the performance wasn’t muted. He had a burning man and a back ground. P!nk wouldn’t have liked that! πŸ™‚ (Click here to read the review of her Berlin concerts)

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Hostess Katy Perry

Ed Sheeran was next and his β€œShape of you” got everyone dancing. He brought out a US rapper Lil Uzi Vert to remix his song and to co-perform Lil Uzi’s Song of the Summer β€œXO Tour Llif3”. I really loved this combo! Paris Jackson held a political speech when instead she was there to present Best Pop Video. It went to β€œDown” by Fifth Harmony ft. Gucci Mane. Fifth Harmony lost their fifth member and they didn’t take it lightly which we saw in their performance later on.
Julia Michaels was nominated for Best Newcomer and performed half of her song β€œIssues” the rest was cut off for commercials. Maybe that’s why she lost Best Newcomer to Khalid who sang the full song during the Red Carpet show. After the commercial break we got to witness Taylor Swift’s video premiere to β€œLook what you made me do” and apparently the old Taylor is dead. I really don’t understand why she would give Kanye West so much limelight. She should have been the bigger person and just let it go but we all know that she isn’t that kind of person… see Bad Blood. No I’m not sharing the link here because I do not support this at all.
Shawn Mendes stole Coldplay’s Xylobands and lit up the studio during his performance of β€œThere’s nothing holding me back”. I just love that song and he’s legal now, girls! (His words :-)) Lorde’s performance was quite unexpected. She put a cassette into a recorder and her song β€œDynamite” started. She didn’t start to sing but she danced throughout the whole song. It was kind of weird but also funny and I did like what she did with the performance.

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Lorde

The Award for Best Dance went to Zedd and Alessia Cara. Pete Wentz (All One Tree Hill Fans have a little crush on him) presented it and yes Fall Out Boy has got new music coming! Katy Perry came on stage with a fake baby and I am not sure if DJ Khalid really crashed the stage with his real baby and fought her about who has the best baby.. WEIRD! Anyways they announced the next performers. It looked like Fifth Harmony were back together but then the fifth person got pulled back and so they were only four to perform the winner song. Bam take that Camila! Gucci Mane had a guest appearance too and the girls finished in pouring rain!
Best Collabo won Zayn Malik and Taylor Swift but both had no time to pick up their award. Goes to show how much a moonman means in this business – Not a lot anymore.. This guy from a band called bleachers picked up the awards. But behold you don’t need to google him. He performed during the pre-show and it was awful. The instruments and the his voice were out of tune!
Jared Leto took the stage to remember Chester Bennington and his friend Chris Cornell. He did an amazing job and it was a memorable moment worthy of those two amazing musicians. After the 100th commercial break we saw Miley Cyrus’ VMA comeback. It was okay and very different to her last show with Robin Thicke and the infamous foam finger. Instead of naked people she had old people and babies dancing in rockabilly 50’s style on stage.
Best Hip Hop went to Kendrick Lamar who quickly accepted the moonman and off we went to a pink birdie who nearly showed her nipple if she had one.. Let me tell you it looked like Barbie! She announced our next performer in VEGAS, BABY! Demi Lovato was β€œSorry not so sorry” and had a strong voice and did a brill job with entertaining the people in the pool!


Finally my highlight of the evening! P!nk flew in a pink Cadillac and rode a lawn mower and performed all of her hits at one point she even mashed up three songs (“Don’t let me get me”, “Just give me a reason” and “Fucking Perfect”) into one! And then she went on to sing her new single “What about Us”
P!nk’s speech was breathtaking and I had to make sure I didn’t start to cry. She said this to everyone but especially to her 6 year old daughter:

She said to me out of the blue, ‘Mama, I’m the ugliest girl I know,’ And I said, ‘Huh?’ And she said, ‘Yeah, I look like a boy with long hair.’ And my brain went to, ‘Oh my God, you’re six. Where is this coming from? Can I kick a six-year-old’s ass?’

P!nk then went on and said that she went home and made a powerpoint presentation of androgynous rockstars like Michael Jackson, David Bowie, Annie Lennox, Prince, Freddie Mercury, Elton John, Janis Joplin, George Michael and they are all artists who live their truth, are probably made fun of every day of their life and carry on and wave their flag and inspire the rest of us. So she said:

I asked her what do you think of me. ‘I think you’re beautiful’. Well, thanks! πŸ™‚ So when people make fun of me, that’s what they use: They say I look like a boy or I’m too masculine or I have too many opinions or that my body is too strong. And I said, ‘Do you see me growing my hair?’ And she said, ‘No, mama.’ ‘Do you see me changing my body?’ ‘No, mama.’ ‘Do you see me changing the way I present myself to the world?’ ‘No, mama.’ ‘Do you see me selling out arenas all over the world?’ ‘Yes, mama.’
“So, baby girl, we don’t change. We take the gravel in the shell and we make a pearl. And we help other people to change so that they can see more kinds of beauty. …And you, my darling girl, are beautiful. I love you.”

Isn’t this the best speech you’ve ever heard?! Made my night and my day after. Thank you P!nk for being you <3
Kyle had the hard task to perform right after P!nk and well yeah it was nice… So the 2nd biggest award of the night was Artist of the Year and everybody’s darling Ed Sheeran won. With a super cute but quick thank you he left the stage again. Alessia Cara sang her wonderful song “scars to your beautiful” and while she got undressed and got her make-up taken off she was able to maintain a steady voice. I like her! πŸ™‚
Ke$ha presented Alessia Cara, Khalid and Logic who all tried to raise awareness with a song against suicide attempts- “1-800-273-8255” is a powerful song especially if the three artists were joined by survivors who had a white t-shirt on where it was written You Are Not Alone! Very meaningful moment especially in light of the deaths of Chris and Chester.

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Jared Leto

30 Seconds to Mars are back!! I loved their performance of “Walk on Water” for which they used a thermal imaging camera. It looked absolutely incredible! WOW you have to see this. Travis Scott quickly jumped into the picture too.
Back to Vegas DNCE performed together with Legend Rod Stewart his song “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?!” Just a little note on the mustache of Joe Jonas – that’s a no no. Can we appreciate now how a 72 year old totally out rocked a 28 year old! Video of the year was awarded to Kendrick Lamar for his song “Humble”.
Katy Perry and Nicki Minaj closed the show with “Swish Swish” and absolutely slayed it. A basket ball court was put on stage and with that I’d like to appreciate the huge production this show is – even if it isn’t like it used to be.
So what did you think of tonight’s VMA’s? Are you happy with the winners and who was your favourite performer? Let me know in the comments below.