Stay | lrh [sequel to Moonlight]

six

If I could ask anybody in the world one question, it would be to people who didn't love music. What do they do with their lives?

How can someone not experience the comforting warmth of listening to their favourite song? What do they do when they're on long car journeys, with the radio turned off? What about nights in bed, when they can't sleep? How can they not feel the urge to listen to music and block the world out, captivating themselves in the instruments and the vocals?

To me, the idea was completely incomprehensible. To me, there is no better feeling in the world than being able to shut your eyes at a concert and just take everything in. The beating of your heart. The feeing of wholeness within you. Turning to your right and seeing your best friend beside you, smiling and singing along proudly to the lyrics that will always have a deeper meaning. Being able to grab her hand and dance stupidly but not caring. Knowing that no matter what happens, you will always have this one moment to hold on to for the rest of your life?

Working at a concert, being up at the back of the arena and being able to witness all of this was breathtaking. There was that girl, three rows down from us who broke down at that one certain song. Or the couple to the left, who held hands since the moment the band walked on stage. However, the one moment in the whole concert that I enjoyed the most was Amnesia.

After Michael had signalled at me to turn up his acoustic guitar in his ears, he blindly gave me a thumbs up and then the boys continued their usual joking around onstage. As they began to play the song, the whole arena was hushed to silence. Calum stood proudly at his microphone, and Michael began to strum the guitar.

Within an instant, the whole arena darkened and the crowd took out their phones. Turning on the flashlights, they all began to sway them in unison.

"I drove by all the places we used to hang out getting wasted..." Calum began to sing, but you could barely hear him. The whole crowd sang along proudly, friends wrapped their arms around each other. Tears welled up in that one girls eyes. The couple engulfed each other. Throughout the whole arena, there was an atmosphere of acceptance. An atmosphere of completion.

"Wow," I said to John, looking out over the deck and at the crowd.

"Pretty amazing, isn't it?" He said to me, sitting back and smiling, moving his headphones from his ears.

"Do you mind i-if I go and?" I asked him quickly, indicating towards my phone.

"Not at all," he smiled at me.

Stepping out of the booth, the sound instantly intensified. Finding myself singing along quietly with Calum, I walked across until I was standing with the stage straight in front of me.

Just as the chorus began, Luke's voice filled the arena. His voice sent a calming wave over my body, and I cursed that he still had that affect on me. After all the hurt and all the pain, paradoxically his voice was the only thing that could take it all away.

Unlocking my phone, I opened the camera and took a panorama of the crowd. Smiling to myself, I leaned across the back wall and continued to listen to the song. My favourite part was coming up, and I didn't want to miss it.

Luke began to strum his Les Paul, the tone a complete contrast to the warm acoustic Michael was playing. Smiling widely, I glanced around at the crowd and saw that almost everybody had tears in their eyes. The boys started up the chorus again and everyone sang along passionately, swaying their lights proudly and holding onto each other.

Glancing around at everybody, the same feeling came back in the pit of my stomach. Acceptance, completion. I couldn't help but think of the first concert I ever went to. All Time Low on Dublin at the Love Like War Tour. After Alex had finished singing Therapy, he said something that will always, always linger in my mind.

There's nothing more beautiful than a bunch of people singing about how broken they are, even though in that very moment they've never felt more complete.

Music has that power. That's is why I'll always love music. Because no matter how hurt, ugly or down right broken you are, music will always be there to piece you back together again.

I love this chapter, I hope you liked it too