Hans is THE music!

            Hans Zimmer is made out of music; I have no doubt. On Wednesday I made my dream come true. A dream that has been with me ever since I was 4 years old and watched The Lion King for the first time. This rainy night, the 20^thof April has imprinted my brain forever. There is no going back now, I will only push… Onward.

I have a little something for you Lot. Click on here and enjoy!

Dune/Inception (House Atreides, Mombasa)

            Even though as a child I wasn’t really aware of the TLK soundtrack, I knew it would become my dream eventually. Then in high school someone opened my eyes to the wonderful world of soundtracks (thank you, Szymon) and I knew, I just knew. I needed to hear this music live, I needed to embrace it with my young heart. 

After all, I missed my chance in 2016, I think? Don’t even know why. Maybe I wasn’t into concert-ing that much. Regardless – I am happy I waited. Now, at the glorious age of almost 29, I know my shit. Both in the movie and about myself…

This show was postponed twice and the entire journey to Prague made me question if it is meant to be. What if the Universe was trying to tell me that I can’t make this one dream come true? Well, if that truly was the case… In your face, Universe. I won this one. Ready for another match?

Wonder Woman (Thymescira, Games, Open Roads)

            Drive to Prague should be around 3 and a half hours. It took us nearly 6. Traffic, road sheriffs in trucks blocking the entry to the highway… I don’t ever remember cussing so damn much. Jeez, this was supposed to be the most important day of my adult life. No, I am not exaggerating. I’ve waited my whole life to listen to this music live. 

Naturally, that caused a bit of tension between me and my parents. But it’s okay, I mean we all were excited. Plus, my parents never visited Prague. It was my 6^th or 7^th time, so… I knew my way around. A friend of mine prepared an amazing map with great spots (mainly eating). But… We were on a tight schedule.

And obviously, every time I am in Prague, it’s raining. Every. Goddamn. Time. So, as you can imagine, I was a bundle of anxiety. A wet bundle of anxiety on my way to make my biggest dream come true. What could go wrong? 

Man of Steel (What are you going to do when you are not saving the world? If you love these people)

            Maybe that’s the reason I never liked Prague this much. Sure, it is beautiful. It has a wonderful charm that keeps you spellbound throughout the entire trip, but… But. There is always something – for me it’s the rain. I like it, but I wish I could see Prague with some sunlight in the background. 

Also, I never went to Prague with a car so I did not care about parking much and that was something that gave us a lot of grief. We managed to find a spot near the city center. From there, it was a 20-minute walk to Charles bridge. In rain, because why not? My mum was enchanted. And that part made me smile a lot, because this entire trip to see Hans Zimmer live was her birthday gift. 2 years overdue. 

The bridge was mildly crowded, which was nice – every time I visit Prague in the summer, it’s flooded with people. Near the bridge, there is one of my favorite spots in Prague – John Lennon Wall. I like the history of this iconic place.

Gladiator (Duduk of the North, The Battle, Earth, Honor Him, Now We Are Free)

            In the 60s, this wall near the French embassy was decorated with love poems and short messages against the regime. The first “love letter” and dedication connected to John Lennon appeared in the 1980, following his assassination. An unknown artist painted a single image of late musician along with some of his lyrics. 

This place is an important part of Czech’s history. For me, it’s a way for people, artists, anarchists and just everyone else to express whatever they are feeling right now. It’s a symbolic place – when we visited, it was full of poems against the war in Ukraine.

The Lennon wall always makes me nostalgic for some reason. It’s a musical mecca for a lot of people and a popular destination on truistical map of Prague. For sure worth seeing. I am wondering if Hans Zimmer visited it… 

Pirates of the Caribbean (Jack Sparrow, Davy Jones, At Wit’s End, He’s a Pirate)

            We were hungry, a tad tired and in desperate need of a drink. Mum and I at least, because Dad is our designated driver. He found a spot for us on our way to the bridge, somewhat half way back to the car. 

It was more of a bar rather than a restaurant, and I am not sure if it was a pin on Oskar’s map, but it for sure should be as well! The food was great and had big portions! And my Aperol Spritz was strong and in a way – calmly comforting. 

We finally had a moment to take it all in. But… It was quiet before the storm. If driving to Prague was stressful, these 2 hours before the show were mayhem. But hey – nobody said it was easy… 

Rango/Sherlock Holmes/The Last Samurai (Rango suite, Discombobulate, A Way of Life)

            Like I said, parking was never my concern when in Prague. I am a walker and a public transportation user, so… Why even bother? So, the day before I booked us a parking spot online. It was 30 minutes away from the venue – not ideal, but the closest one available. 

To get in, I was supposed to call one of three numbers. None of them worked which caused obvious and justified friction between me and my parents. The clock was ticking and we couldn’t get into the bloody parking lot. 

Luckily, almost everyone speaks English there. You might think that Polish and Czech are similar, but damn – it’s not that simple. Anyway, the guy let us in through the first gate and then with the second one we didn’t have issues. One thing is certain, though – I will never use Mr. ParkIt services ever again. 

The Dark Knight (I’m Not a Hero, Like a Dog Chasing Cars, Why So Serious?)

            The 30 minutes’ walk in the rain was quiet at first but then we finally found comfort and happiness in our little adventure. We were so close to making the dream come true! HANS ZIMMER LIVE! After so many years; after 25 years in the making… It was finally so close.

And yet so far. We arrived at the venue at 7:20 PM, soaking wet. I looked like a goddamn sad-flower, not a sunflower, despite the suggestive ribbon in my hair. 40 minutes till show time, till I finally see one of the people who pushed me (indirectly) towards writing… Hans Zimmer.

My anxiety started to tingle my ribs and the space around my lungs as I saw the river of humans. Long-ass queue to the venue, moving extremely slowly. Like one person every 5 minutes. And there was a lot of people ahead of us. Fuck. 

X-Men: Dark Phoenix/Dunkirk/Dune (X-MDP, Supermarine, Pauls’ Dream)

            Our coats? You could squeeze water from them. I am so happy I ditched the idea of putting some kind of makeup on. Like, for what purpose? To have it all washed away by my tears? Hans Zimmer will do that to you… 

We finally reached the door and got an answer as to why it was so slow… There are metal detectors at the entrance (which makes perfect sense) and people arguing about their OWN water bottles (which as usual makes no effing sense). The tree of us got inside without any trouble. But it was 5 minutes till show time, so no time to leave our coats (which is a good idea, because of the long queues after every show) or get something from the bar (which in this case would be a terrific idea to calm our nerves).

There was only time for a quick bathroom break. I showed my parents to their seats (we got them the tickets long after I bought mine. They were in the sector next to mine, but a bit higher. Once they settled in, we hugged, they wished me luck (!) and I moved to find my seat. Which took me a bloody minute, because I misread my ticket. 

Interstellar (Dust, Detach, Coward, S.T.A.Y.)

            If there is something that Hans Zimmer and I have in common is the idea. Idea of his and min brain being an un-simple collection of universes and galaxies. Each of them is different, but they have things in common: passion, love, cheer, curiosity… 

And my brain is working nonstop – there is always a light on in at least one universe. I’m not talking about my work or life… There are some switches I can pull to turn it off or just tune it down. But the creative galaxies? This work is never done. 

My seat was pretty close to the stage – I could see musicians and instruments; I could see THE piano… It was finally happening. Right this second I realized the gravity of the situation. By now, you Lot probably think I am a bit crazy, but hey – that’s not really a secret… Fifteen minutes later, the show began. 

The Lion King (Circle of Life, He Lives in You, This Land, King of Pride Rock)

            I saw Hans Zimmer going up the stairs to the stage. I was one of the first people to see him smile and just run on the stage, as if he was a teenager. And I think that at heart he still has that… Youthful spirit. He is the music and the music is him. If you need a definition, a living example of how to enjoy life, go see Hans Zimmer live.

By now you probably realized that every headline of this post creates a setlist. Can you imagine, I was able to take notes as well? And I am hella proud that I recognized all of the tunes… Felt like I was awarded for a lifetime achievement. The show kicked off with Oscar-worthy Dune mixed with Inception.  A strong entry to cast his first spell on the crowd. Crowd, that was silent throughout the entire set to give him a standing ovation as a warm welcome. 

I could not stop smiling, even though tears were streaming down my face. I made it. My biggest dream! Something that felt so… Unreal, so out of reach for so long. I made it here through extreme traffic, pouring rain and crippling anxiety. I was home. 

No Time to Die (Gun Barrel, Cuba Chase, Back to MI6)

            With Hans Zimmer, few things are certain: the dialogue, connection with audience and never-ending love for his band. Every now and then, he made a pause to introduce his band members, to tell a story behind them joining his group… Like Pedro from Venezuela! This guy was so tender while playing his instrument… 

This concert was everything I ever wanted and more! I never expected Hans to play the theme from The Last Samurai. Especially that he didn’t play it live (it’s so hard to find a performance video with “A Way of Life” …). 

Also, I didn’t think I would ever hear the score from Dunkirk live. I was speechless when I realized it; I couldn’t make a sound; couldn’t even take a breath. I had great expectations and Hans has completely out-done himself. 

Inception (Time)

            If there is a way to end a show THAT spectacular, then it is with a fan’s favorite. “Time” is probably one of his most recognizable tunes. My heart was racing like crazy when he hit first notes on the piano – especially considering that I am learning this tune as well. 

When I heard Lion King’s music, my heart stopped. I know it’s not really safe or healthy, but it’s true. I felt a slight burn on my left forearm as well – the warm tears were slowly dropping on it, leaving a wet trail around Simba. My story with this film made a full circle; “The Circle of Life”. 

But score from Inception… My heart exploded with joy. What a way to end, what a way to send us on our way! Fantastic. Right after the show, I had no words to express my feelings. It’s still hard for me to put it in writing, so this is more of a travel journal, rather than… What? 

Why get up in the morning unless you’re going to have an adventure?

            I am happy I took the entire week off to cool down after Easter and this show. Hans Zimmer will do that to you! His energy will stay with me for years – probably until he announces new tour dates for Europe. Because that is another certainty with him – you will always want to hear him live again. 

This show gave me… Something I was lacking lately. Serenity, hope and sense of belonging. I belong to the vast ocean of creativity. No more floating circles in my fishbowl – it’s time to swim out there and enjoy life to the fullest. 

If there was something I could say to Hans Zimmer it would be… Thank you! You know, there are different levels of inspiration in life: my family and friends inspire me to be the best version of myself, to be better and happier, to enjoy my time on this planet. 

Get rid of the shitty sound. Life’s too short.

            Hans Zimmer (and Chris Nolan, but it’s not about him tonight…) pushed me to pursue my dream of putting my art out there. I don’t do it for fame, I do it for me and for a few people who stop by for coffee and a rather long story. Soon, it will be 3 years since I opened up the Museum of Galaxies and Universes for you Lot to enjoy – for free, at any time or any place.

Because life truly is too short to hold back, do wrong things for wrong reasons and just… Waste it all away. Some would say it’s obvious but… Every once in a while, everyone needs to hear it out loud. 

I was lucky enough to get that message through his live music. How can I not listen to Hans Zimmer? How could I ignore the best advice? Life is too damn short to look back. Especially that there is so much to look forward to…