Well, this is an interesting one to type up.
Our first ever house in the sand gig happened and it probably couldn't have been any better.
Not only did we have a brilliant lineup, we also got to celebrate this debut in a city that has been so important to house in the sand - Berlin.
I honestly don't know how to structure this post and how to stop myself from repeating what I have been saying ever since I got back from the show.
Hosting a house in the sand gig has been on my bucket list for many years now and I always thought I had to be in the business longer and learn more before I could even think about doing it.
But sometimes you'll meet people and you'll chat to people who ask you about your goals, and when you name them, they might actually help you to make them happen.
And that was exactly the case with this gig. I e-met the brilliant Christian Müller through the blog and when I told him about the visions I had for HITS, he helped me make it happen.
So, he told me about this brilliant venue in Berlin, that also serves vegan food (which was enough to convince me!) and after briefly checking it out online, I knew it was the one for this first show.
And then the artists came on board and I had my lineup together faster than I could've imagined.
I want to say though, that if it would've been possible, I would've wanted every one of my music friends to play.
But three acts were a decent amount for a gig and so we found a date and confirmed the gig.
I'm not gonna lie, the day before I flew to Berlin, I was just waiting for someone to cancel or for something to go horribly wrong - but that wasn't the case and this show happened.
And of course - this would've been a very lonely gig without everyone who came down.
It seriously made me so happy to see so many wonderful people at the show. You were all so attentive and just open to new music and that was the best visualisation of the house in the sand community.
But also - thank you to everyone who sent me a message on the day of the show. My phone was going nuts with all the notifications and messages from you wonderful people and with each message coming in, I felt even more empowered.
Now, enough blabbering - please enjoy our video from the gig:
I'm probably the queen of cheesy posts, so this is just my way of proving that I've still got it.
I want to thank the brilliant and super talented lineup;
that's Dylan Cassin, whom I've known for almost six years now and who has become one of the people I annoy the most. Thank you for flying in not only to play a brilliant set, but also to show your support. You're alright, I guess.
Thank you to Josh Savage who hasn't been trapped in the house in the sand gang for that long but has already been a part of some special HITS moments. Thank you for celebrating this milestone with us and for dealing with all the Golden Girls gifs I send your way.
And then there's Martin Kelly, who is part of the band that inspired me to start this blog.
The band let me steal a line from their song to make it the blog name and luckily they still haven't sued me.
For over six years both Martin and James have said yes to everything I threw their way and they've done that without hesitation.
So thank you playing the title track of the blog and for all the support.
Talk about things coming full circle!
Another huge thank you goes to Ryan McNeil who is the coolest member of Martin and James.
(Yes, I said it.)
Thank you for always helping out, always being supportive, teaching me how to babysit artists and for treating me like a pro when I was just 16 and trying to figure all of this out.
THANK YOU to Ardalan Aram at RAWCREATION for gifting us his time and talent - without Adi this video wouldn't even exist. You've been so generous and so brilliant, so thank you so so so much! I really hope I didn't butcher your work with my edit.
Also, thank you to Jack Grewe who was the sound engineer at the gig and provided us with perfect sound - which of course made the gig so enjoyable. The sound is such an important part of a gig and I'm so glad that you've nailed it. Thanks so much!
Thank you to Christian Müller - this gig wouldn't have happened without your help! Thank you for donating your wisdom and for helping me to make this happen - you've literally made the biggest HITS thing ever happen and for that I'm so thankful.
Of course - thank you to everyone at Barkett! What an iconic venue you are and you might not even know it! My vegan heart was so happy about the food and also the atmosphere. I cannot wait to be back and eat my weight in food. I hope you're ready for that.
And finally - thank you to everyone who has ever supported house in the sand - you're all brilliant and I'm so thankful.
Now that was a long post, wasn't it...
Sorry about that, but I had to get it all out.
Thank you for your visit and support!
Credits // Words, Image & Video Edit: Vanessa Jetwash | Camera: RAWCREATION
