Not just because I loved LIVE gigs or seeing my favourites artistes on stage, but because I wanted to be a part of something bigger. A part of love.
The tremors of terrorism can be felt all over the world. In almost every continent with the exception of maybe Antarctica. In the words of The Black Eyed Peas, “People killing, people dying, children hurt and you hear them crying”. Of course, it’s not just the children crying anymore, it’s the adults too. It’s happening in schools, in metro stations, on the footpath, in places of worship and most recently at an Ariana Grande concert venue in Manchester.
When musicians put up posts of sympathy with terror incidents in the past, it never really meant anything. This time around, terror had struck one of their own. This time it wasn’t just business. It wasn’t just sympathy. Terror had struck music. Music, the one thing that was supposed to help take away the pain. Was supposed to help us forget our problems, even if for just a few hours.
The worst part is, you know Ariana’s biggest fans’ average age is 15. Kids. They’re just kids. Kids enjoying cheesy pop. When did that become scary?
It wasn’t gangster rap in the streets of Compton. It wasn’t a heavy metal mosh pit. It was literally an arena full of mostly teenage girls. Those could have been your girls. Your neighbours. Mine. Heck, it could have been me. Ariana herself is just in her early 20s. She claimed to be broken. I don’t blame her. Had that been me, I would probably never have come out of my shell. But she did. She stood up, and brought the international music community with her.
To see the otherwise very competitive music world come together for ‘One Love Manchester’ was magical. Yes I do wish we all came together for every single tragic event around the world, but I’m also a realist. A dreamer mostly, but a realist.
Ariana Grande could have well performed by herself, but the world needed a message. A loud and clear message with a beat. A message that the music must and will go on. That even with so much hate, love will always conquer. Coldplay+ Katy Perry + Justin Bieber + Usher + Miley Cyrus + Take That + Pharrell + Niall Horan + Little Mix + every other musician there proved just how powerful music is and how if there is anything in this world that can unite us, it’s music.
Images of families and friends, strangers and lovers from the event. It was beautiful, inspiring and I almost felt like being there with them. Fear took a back seat. I wish it would take that seat forever. I also hope for a day and time when we won’t need to do tribute concerts or listen to songs dedicated to victims of an attack. Till then, let’s be thankful for each other and the music that unites us.
