Time flies fast when you are having fun. In fact, it passes so quickly that if we get distracted, we might forget the ideas we wanted to act on. I had a big plan to make a post about the best gigs I saw last year as it was the year when I managed to see nearly 70 artists.
Today marks exactly one year since I had a chance to see my very first concert at the Union Chapel.?Natalie joined forces with her twin sisters?Meegan and?Allison to form the band JOSEPH from Oregon. I?ve been following their journey since the release of the single ?White Flag? which became one of the best songs of 2016 and it made a debut in my Indie Top 25 on the 6th of June, 2016.
Looking back, I have to say it was a fantastic evening as I was trying to make a surprise birthday gift to a friend of mine. She had no idea where she was going, but she knew Joseph?s music well. I had to blindfold her, and even while queueing outside I made sure that people wouldn?t mention anything.
The atmosphere was magical, and when OLD SEA BRIGADE started singing, I knew it?s going to be a night to remember.
Of course towards the end of his performance, he asked: ?are you ready for Joseph?? Then my friend freaked out and started screaming out of excitement.
I was a bit surprised but super happy that the UNION CHAPEL was completely sold out. I asked people sitting next to us how did they know about the concert. And all of them said that they saw this performance:
?White Flag? performed acoustically at Jools Holland show on BBC Two
Then after the short break, it was time for JOSEPH. I think that bands that are made out of family members especially sisters when two of them are twins – always sounds insanely good. The harmonies seem to be very natural yet magical.
There was something different about JOSEPH. It?s their honesty with the audience, connection with each other and passion for music. Each song tells a story of their life, and they introduce it. In each song, one of them takes the lead. It?s like looking into their souls, and it doesn’t? matter if the song is as moving as ?I Don?t Mind? or as powerful as ?White Flag? you still feel like smiling inside. It leaves you with that wonderful feeling of joy.
To understand what I am talking about have a look at their very intimate performance:
Watch Meegan, Ally & Natalie perform live at the NPR Music – Tiny Desk Concert
I have to admit, that when I saw sisters perform for the first time, I mainly knew ?White Flag? & ?S.O.S.?. Other songs, even though I have listened to their debut album ?I?m Alone, No You?re Not? (2016) were a beautiful surprise that took me on an emotional journey.
You can listen to the album here:
I was so impressed with their performance that I went to see them again when they returned to London on the 30th of June. This time they were performing at the Shoreditch Town Hall. At first, I was a bit reserved about the venue as it looked old school and the opening acts had issues with the sound. However, from the first song, everyone got the vibe, stood up and danced their hearts away.
Once the gig was over, sisters invited everyone to come and say hi. Of course, I couldn?t miss the opportunity. However, instead of asking for a selfie we had a chat, and I shared a story of how ?White Flag? inspired me when I was back from travelling, and I was trying to look into myself and understand what I want to do next in my life. The girls were terrific; they signed a CD to a couple of my friends who sadly were unable to come.
I?d be more than happy to see them live again! And I am sure I will.
When I fall, I remember the following lyrics; then I automatically start smiling and singing ?I?ll Never Give Up?. You shouldn?t either.
Noises closing in from all sides
Warning all the ways to die
They say “you’d better give up
You’d better give up.”
I say
“I’ll never give up; I’ll never give up.”I could surrender, but I’d
Just be pretending, no I’d
Rather be dead than live a lie
Burn the white flag
I made the playlist of the artists I have seen performing live in 2017, you can follow it on Spotify:
Stream JOSEPH?on Spotify / Youtube
Follow JOSEPH?on Facebook / Instagram?/ Twitter
