Concert’ed’ Effort!

As the kids are now not really kids, I’ve recently been exposed to concerts!  By concerts, I mean the actual going to the event - not an at home, sitting in your comfy armchair watching on TV type of concert.

Admittedly, in my youth, I too attended many concerts.  Wait for the embarrassing bit…. These included Thunder, Aerosmith and Bon Jovi on many, many occasions.  Ably supported by acts such as Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Manic Street Preachers, Billy Idol and a number I can’t even remember anymore…

Well, as I’ve grown a little older, I cannot think of many worse things than attending such events in person these days.  So when my daughter booked to see The Arctic Monkeys and said I was going too… I was not impressed!!

Although I’m sure they are great, it was just a lot of loud noise to me, in which I could not make out many words and kept pointing out that the group next to us were being sick into their beer glasses.  Yuk!

However, that’s not the worst! 

My daughter had decided she wanted to go to Wembley with a couple of friends to see Taylor Swift. Thankfully, I didn’t have to attend but was “instructed” to be the chauffeur.  Wow, that’s a tricky journey at the best of times but with 150,000 Swifties en route, it’s a nightmare!  

I know Wembley doesn’t take 150,000 but that’s at least how many actually go there.  Thousands just sit outside listening to the whole thing. All dressed in completely whacky outfits like something out of an alien visitors movie.  Oh, and using the six toilets that are outside the stadium.  I’m not joking either, there were so few it was madness. I’ve never seen anything so disgusting as the portaloos by the stadium!  Probably enough said on that - massive pukey and poo emoji!!! A brown stream running through the Wembley Village explains it graphically enough I hope!!!

My daughter absolutely loved the concert.  It by far exceeded her expectations and she was totally made up when another one of her favourite artists Gracie Abrams made a guest appearance.  Lots of happy tears!  As for my wife and I who had waited for her outside,  just tears of boredom and ear pain as we waited for the thing to finish. We actually went back to the car at one point and played cards. Pontoon anyone?

In leaving, you can probably imagine the nightmare departure as all the car drivers tried to extricate their vehicles from the car park like a “Road Blocks” game. Each moving a minute distance at a time as we all shuffled our way to the exit.  I was less than impressed.

As I look back, I guess the most important thing is that we all safely returned and our daughter had the most amazing experience.

Now that the kids are no longer “kids” things do get slightly better.  The latest concert she went to…I didn’t even have to drive! She went with mates on the train and stayed in a hotel.  I simply helicopter-parented from home constantly watching the “where’s my iPhone” icon to track where she was… and asking my wife if she’d texted back yet!

Oh well, when you look back at it all, at least I can say I made a “concerted effort”!