A Day In... Birmingham (feat All Time Low)

All Time Low is one of my favorite bands.

That's a simple enough fact.

Until last Saturday I didn't know they would be my all time favorite live act, too.

Saturday

The day started with a two hours train travel. I have to admit, I prefer trains to coaches, but sadly the latter is a lot cheaper, especially on long journals. Birmingham is close enough to not empty my pockets luckily.

I arrived at 12am and still had about two hours until I could check in into my hostel, so I decided to go into the shopping centre right next to Moor Street Station. And boy, that's one gigantic shopping centre! Three floors, very long and with everything you could possibly want. Not to forget about the market on the street and in a market hall just outside. Those are mostly groceries, but I also saw a few Tshirt booths.

The hostel was ok. It's close the the city centre, though the area was actually an industrial area and looks a bit scary when you walk back in the middle of the night on your own. The entrance hall where the breakfast would be was nice and cosy, but not the best I've ever seen. The staff was very friendly and funny. I got an upgrade from a 12 to a 6 bed room and went there immediatly. It is definitely safe, you need two codes to go into the room and your room, the bed seemed clean and even the toilet/shower was good.
Not the best I've been to, but acceptable.

After that I went straight to the Barclaycard Arena. Or, I tried to. I actually needed far longer that I thought because I got lost and had to walk for a while to get back on track. Of course there was already a rather big line when I got there 2,5h before the doors would open. At first I was disappointed, but as the line got longer and longer I realised I was actually lucky to be where I was. Turns out, I was really far in th front of the arena.
The nice thing about concerts is that you meet people who like the same bands you like, too. So go out there, make some friends and let them hold your place when you need a pee break, Cause you will definitely need one at some point.

The concert was fantastic. Against the Current and Good Charlotte were the opening acts. I know AtC but I'm not a fan, though I have to admite they are great live performers. GC one the other hand got me excited when I found out I'd be seeing them. They are really funny, too, and know how to get the fans worked up.

All Time Low was... I can't even describe it. Fantastic. Wonderful. Fucking alive.
Like I said, I was in the front and Jack's side, which is already the best place you could be in cause that guy is on fire. Jumping around, dancing, twerking?!, pulling bras that were thrown over stage on his head. And let's not forget that he stripped down to nothing but Union Jack boxers in the mini-break before the encore. He takes fan's cameras and takes videos of the crowd, his fellow band
members and his nipple. he licks Alex'es mic when is isn't looking, he is just having the time of his life. I would love to party with him one day.
Rian (my fav tbh) was right in my line off sight, too. One great drummer, I can totally understand why he won awards for his talent. He was shredding it up there, a shame he didn't have a mic.
I'm not saying Alex and Zack aren't good, they were fantastic, too. Alex is a great singer and entertainer you could say. I have no idea how many "your mother" jokes he made. Sadly I couldn't really see Zack most of the time.

However, all good things come to an end, and after the encore the lights came back up and I walked back to the hostel. Or, I tried to. First I had to get something to eat cause I was starving and my knees hurt so much I was nobbling rather than walking. I got back a bit before midnight and just fell right into my bed.

The Setlist:

1. Kids in the Dark
2. A Love Like War
3. Dancing with a Wolf
4. Backseat Serenade
5. Lost in Stereo
6. Poppin' Champagne
7. Damned If I Do Ya (Damned If I Don't)
8. Runaways
9. Tidal Waves
10. Bail Me out (feat Joel Madden)
11. Therapy
12. Missing You
13. Coffeeshop Soundtrack
14. Don't You Go
15. Old Scars/Future Hearts

Encore:

1. Weightless
2. Something's Gotta Give
3. Dear Maria, Count Me In

Sunday

Sunday didn't start very good. I didn't sleep well and woke up way too early, way before breakfast would start, but I also wasn't able to fall back asleep. So I decided to go have a shower and pack my things while I waited. Breakfast was good, toast and fruits. The problem was that my train back was at 4pm, so I had a lot of time to kill.

My original plan was to go to the art gallery, than the library and maybe another detour to the shopping centre. Sadly, my left knee didn't agree. It hurt so bad I had to sit down instead and wasn't able to walk too far. The gallery was still near enough to walk to, but the library just wasn't possible. Instead, I went to the church right next to the shopping mall to sit down and have a few quiet minutes. All of this plus useless shopping and sitting in cafes finally got me to 4pm.

My knee problem also meant I couldn't go to the Chinese New Years party in Central London. I was already too late for the parade anyway, but though I could at least drop by for a bit. Instead, I went straight home. A shame, but my health is more important that anything.