Nov 23 A concert, a moment, a stepping stone

We were November 13, a day that should have been just like any other. The guys were having their last rehearsal before leaving for Japan. A very different show, a very different ambiance, a moment they were envisioning with great excitement. Halfway through the set, they took a short break, and this is when they learned about the tragedy that happened in France. The night took a very different turn. Suddenly, the main focus shifted. They all took to their computers to contact their loved ones, to write to the people who, there or not, were deeply affected by the tragedy that took place. It continued all night long, none of them slept, through to the very moment Alex and Jeff’s boarding took place. Unable to sleep, unable to calm down, even from a distance, I think we were all affected by what happened… It didn’t matter if it was in France, across an ocean… It continued until the guys boarded the plane (that they almost missed). And then came the doubts… “What do we do? Are we really going to Japan? Are we really going to give a concert? In such a poignant time of need, is this really what people need? Is this really what best we have to offer them?” But music has the power to unite people in the most wonderful way… 

And this is exactly what happened… A powerful moment. A moment that was lost in time and space, that became a little universe of its own. It brought us to a place we didn’t know existed before. A place where chaos was peaceful. Where noises were melodies. Where a punch in the face was soft. It was not music. It was way beyond that, way beyond what my understanding could see. I knew it was real, but it somehow didn’t feel like it. It felt as if I was dreaming awake. The guys played the album “Between Illness And Migration” from top to bottom. For the very first time. An album I love to hate, hate to love. It brought me through so many different emotions, and I know it’s the same for many people who were there at the show, and many others around the world who didn’t have the chance to be there. The show started with a brand new intro, making it sound as if you were about to lose your mind. Too much speaking all at once, different voices, different sayings, all different, but all the same in the way that they were coming from the deepest of the soul of those who were uttering these words. And then the music started… Satsuki Yami took a complete different turn, where the lyrics changed completely, and where the words “my heartbeat” were repeated over and over, sometimes in a way that seemed painful, sometimes in a way that seemed joyful… And I stopped for a second, and looked around me, and I could say: “Yes, this is what it feels like to be truly alive”. 

The show continued, and went on and on and on. I didn’t feel I was listening to an album. I felt like I was witnessing the birth of something that had never happened before. It might be strange to read this, and I do acknowledge it’s not exactly common. I have been with the members of Your Favorite Enemies for over 10 years now, and I have had the privilege of being closely involved in the making of the album “Between Illness And Migration”, probably giving me this love-hate relationship with the album itself. There’s always a lot of illnesses around us. Some we can just push away, some we don’t notice, and some that just keep coming back. And no matter how much you want to migrate away from these, the steps you need to do are not always easy. But that night, I felt like we had flown to the moon and back. No limits, no constraints, no holding back, no “what if”. Nothing was impossible… 

We always talk about the fact that “Between Illness And Migration” is a journey. And it truly is. But as we thought we knew what direction it was going, as we thought we were in control, we were blessed to see our course being changed by this wonderful communion we’ve had with you all. It’s as if, all of a sudden, we don’t know where we’re going anymore. And we can simply, once again, enjoy what “migration” is all about… Discovering oneself, discovering the world around us, with a simplicity we tend to forget. Our eyes are no longer on the finish line, on where we want to go, but they’re back to the world of wonders that surround us, and that we sometimes do not take the time to see… And those wonders, they were the heart of the people we’ve met all over this journey that “Between Illness And Migration” is. Hearts that accompanied us throughout the worst and best moments… 

And even though I have been to Japan for several times before today, as I am about to leave, I can say I have discovered a brand new country… maybe only because the eyes I lay on it are now seeing with a brand new perspective… 

Please join us on December 5th, 5:00pm (ET), to get to know more about this unique moment during our special edition of the Bla Bla Bla: The Live Show! You’ll be able to hear the testimonies of Alex, Ben, Sef and Jeff about their time in Japan! You’ll also be able to watch a short excerpt of the concert! To know more about how you can watch the live broadcast of the show, please check out the event we’ve created on Facebook: http://j.mp/YFEGALAevent

And if you want to push your experience a little further, join the SFCC fan club to watch the band do a live performance of a song from the album “Between Illness And Migration” for the members of the fan club only!

– Stephanie

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