Above & Beyond at the O2 Arena, London
Welcome to another blog update from me.
As before, if you could follow me on social media, that would be awesome.
Click the words to 'Like' and 'Follow': Facebook / Twitter
Images and video can be found on the FSOEBirmingham Facebook page. Click Here!
The review:
Disclaimer: Above & Beyond got me into Trance, so this is why I aim to see them at least once per year.
18:45pm.
As I approached the O2 at North Greenwich, the big advertisement boards displayed the Above & Beyond logo, as well as advertising the 'Common Ground' event on May 26th.
The #Anjunafamily were gathering around the area, and on the outskirts of the venue at nearby bars.
I headed over to the 'Slug & Lettuce' as there was some form of 'Unofficial Pre-Party Meet' gathering and I wanted to see if any of my friends were in there.
Many of my friends had standing tickets, unlike myself who had seating.
20:00pm.
Above & Beyond were scheduled to start at 21:00, so I decided to head in an hour before they were on, to avoid the crowds. Getting in was straight-forward; Metal Detectors, Bag Screening, Pat Downs done, I headed up the escalator to Level 1. 'O2 Angels' were around the whole floor, giving advice on where bars, cloakrooms and toilets were located.
As I walked around, I discovered there was a Sky Backstage Bar. As a Sky customer, I hastily tried to register on the app to get in, but naturally, it was fully booked way in advance.
I did meet some more friends who had access, and were able to gain admission to the floor, as well as the seating area. I'll know this for next time!
20:36pm
Knowing A&B were starting in less than 30 mins, I decided to head to the back of the venue, and find a seat. Fortunately, there were plenty of seats to choose from, so I opted for one directly in view of the stage and the control area.
21:05pm. A&B start.
Above & Beyond's London shows are unique, in that all x3 members of the group join together on stage, and play their latest releases. They also throw in old favourites too, such as 'Dream On Little Dreamer', 'Can't Sleep', 'Sun & Moon', 'Blue Sky Action (w/ Push The Button)' and 'Counting Down The Days', to name a few.
A&B also played 'Northern Soul', which has just been released, alongside 'Alright Now' (Ft. Justine Suissa) and 'My Own Hymn' (Ft. Zoe Johnston).
A beautiful set has to close at some point, so they did with 'Thing Called Love', blasting out confetti during the drop for a good minute, high into the atmosphere.
23:03pm.
The lights came on, Above & Beyond post the message 'Life Is Made Of Small Moments Like This' and the 'Common Ground' logo appears on the screens.
The crowd applaud and wave goodbye to a spectacular performance. Some shed tears, others just cuddled their loved ones.
I made my way out and met up with some friends.We decided to check out Studio 338, the venue that was supposed to have the official after-party for Anjunabeats.
At about midnight, I decided to call it a night as I was very tired. So I headed back to the O2, caught the Jubilee up to North London, and had a good night's sleep.
Welcome to another blog update from me.
As before, if you could follow me on social media, that would be awesome.
Click the words to 'Like' and 'Follow': Facebook / Twitter
Images and video can be found on the FSOEBirmingham Facebook page. Click Here!
The review:
Disclaimer: Above & Beyond got me into Trance, so this is why I aim to see them at least once per year.
18:45pm.
As I approached the O2 at North Greenwich, the big advertisement boards displayed the Above & Beyond logo, as well as advertising the 'Common Ground' event on May 26th.
The #Anjunafamily were gathering around the area, and on the outskirts of the venue at nearby bars.
I headed over to the 'Slug & Lettuce' as there was some form of 'Unofficial Pre-Party Meet' gathering and I wanted to see if any of my friends were in there.
Many of my friends had standing tickets, unlike myself who had seating.
20:00pm.
Above & Beyond were scheduled to start at 21:00, so I decided to head in an hour before they were on, to avoid the crowds. Getting in was straight-forward; Metal Detectors, Bag Screening, Pat Downs done, I headed up the escalator to Level 1. 'O2 Angels' were around the whole floor, giving advice on where bars, cloakrooms and toilets were located.
As I walked around, I discovered there was a Sky Backstage Bar. As a Sky customer, I hastily tried to register on the app to get in, but naturally, it was fully booked way in advance.
I did meet some more friends who had access, and were able to gain admission to the floor, as well as the seating area. I'll know this for next time!
20:36pm
Knowing A&B were starting in less than 30 mins, I decided to head to the back of the venue, and find a seat. Fortunately, there were plenty of seats to choose from, so I opted for one directly in view of the stage and the control area.
21:05pm. A&B start.
Above & Beyond's London shows are unique, in that all x3 members of the group join together on stage, and play their latest releases. They also throw in old favourites too, such as 'Dream On Little Dreamer', 'Can't Sleep', 'Sun & Moon', 'Blue Sky Action (w/ Push The Button)' and 'Counting Down The Days', to name a few.
A&B also played 'Northern Soul', which has just been released, alongside 'Alright Now' (Ft. Justine Suissa) and 'My Own Hymn' (Ft. Zoe Johnston).
A beautiful set has to close at some point, so they did with 'Thing Called Love', blasting out confetti during the drop for a good minute, high into the atmosphere.
23:03pm.
The lights came on, Above & Beyond post the message 'Life Is Made Of Small Moments Like This' and the 'Common Ground' logo appears on the screens.
The crowd applaud and wave goodbye to a spectacular performance. Some shed tears, others just cuddled their loved ones.
I made my way out and met up with some friends.We decided to check out Studio 338, the venue that was supposed to have the official after-party for Anjunabeats.
At about midnight, I decided to call it a night as I was very tired. So I headed back to the O2, caught the Jubilee up to North London, and had a good night's sleep.