As long as I can remember music has played a major role in my life. When I was very young my music taste varied from bad to very bad, to cheesy and then back to awful. Luckily enough I had influential friends. Boys mainly, and quite a bit older. They took good care of me and dragged me along to almost everything they did. And then it began …. my deep and eternal love for music started to develop and my taste in music was born. The initial injection to my passion was a Depeche Mode ticket from my friends for my 12th Birthday. Gosh, was that exciting. My first concert ever. Weeks before I wrecked my head about what to wear. Of course it had to match the look of the band. So I bought some shiny fabric and persuaded my best friends Mom to tailor a coat for me, like the ones on MTV, from the videos of the bands I adored. Now I felt properly equipped for the big day.
That day, on the 13th December 1983, my life changed. Forever! A venue that holds only 800 people, guys on stage, in their 20ies, on the Synthies, me in the middle of the crowd; jumping, dancing, screaming, blown away by the harmonies that changed my way of life. It was electric! I suddenly could feel the music. Finally I wasn’t just listening to them on my tapes (yes at that time it was tapes) I was seeing them live. The highlight of that concert was us screaming “I just can get enough” after Depeche Mode went off stage for their encore. They came back and Dave screamed at the audience “what do you want?” holding his hand to his ear, holding the mic to the audience. I’m sure you all know that picture of Dave well. The fans started to scream even louder and than those signature keyboard sounds started….
As videos weren’t popular at that time, there are no videos from my concert but this is on from the same year.
From that day on I became a music addict and a total Depeche Mode fan. When I was a bit older I started to travel to London and England. Mainly because my English merely consisted of some pretty questionable vocabulary, which I had learnt from translating lyrics of my favourite songs late in the evening – alone in my room, with my flashlight and my dictionary. Besides music England, and especially London became my second big love. I met wonderful people who I’m still friends with today through our shared passions. Over the years I have learned, there are only a few things in the world, which can give you the same experiences, memories and friendships that music and traveling can.
I was so infected by Depeche Modes live performance that I started to go to every concert that I could get to. A lot of faith and devotion from my side and from their’s. Good times and bad times. Concerts where I was genuinely afraid, Dave wouldn’t survive the gig. Personal Jesus himself even doing a resurrection. I can’t count how many times, on Daves command; I would raise my hands and wave with the crowd. I’m still in sheer excitement when Dave has that micro stand over his shoulder and starts turning around. Like a crazy eye of the hurricane. On each and every concert there are moments when I get goose bumps. Last time on their Delta Machine Tour. It was absolutely pouring it down. Of course the fans couldn’t have cared less. The band didn’t care. Then it was Martin L. Gores’ turn with “But Not Tonight”
Martin was singing, the Fans where singing:
“Oh God, it’s raining, but I’m not complaining it’s filling me up, with new life”
it rained, everyone raised their hands towards the sky, everyone was singing. Martin stepped out into the rain with the fans. Everyone including the band felt united. Felt alive. Those are the one in a lifetime moments you will never forget.
My deep love and passion for music lead me to do things I never thought I would. Like writing about my favourite bands for a music magazine. The best part is interviewing bands and artists I have adored over years and discovering new up and coming stars. Talking to them about what they love most and what inspires them is truly a great pleasure and such an inspiration. Can you imagine how nervous I was for my first Interview? Holly Johnson, Oh Gosh. I was a big fan of Frankie Goes to Hollywood so I was extremely excited to interview the man himself. Such a nice, open and great guy to talk to. No need to be nervous. Second interview was Marc Ronson. I had a hard time not showing my nervousness when I met him in his Hotel room. God was I proud when I had finished this interview. I was even more proud when I met him two month later him being No. 1 with “Uptown Funk”. He still remembered me and our interview. It was as if becoming Dame Katje Metz, knighted by Mark Ronson.
So music not only became my passion, starting on that day in 1983. It also became my beloved hobby 33 years later. I will always be eternally thankful to my friend Gabi who owns http://fastforward-magazine.de . She pushed my to do this when I didn’t believe I could do. I never ever thought I could be close to becoming a music journalist. Gabi always said, if you want something enough and have passion for it, people will always relate to what you create. It inspires, it makes you proud, it pushes your limits and drives you to push your boundaries. Feels pretty damn good as well. There are still times when I think I’m not good enough or not writing my best work, but those are the moments when something fantastic waits around the corner. That’s why I know, nothing can match what I love doing. Here’s me daring to combine my own blog with both my passions: music and travel. So bam, here it is.
Join me on my Rock ‘n Roll journey,
Kate Rock
My route to happiness- from India to my true self
For me nothing tops music on the road. With the breeze in your hair and the radio on extra loud, you see the world in a completely different light. Sometimes euphoric, sometimes upsetting, but always something special. Suddenly your ears fill your mind with memories both good and bad and that’s something not many things can do.
Somehow a pity that at the time was not yet the whole world of music German dance band “Scooter”. I wonder if a time once the two bands would be been able to compete with each other?