Intern Alice Camps Out for Florence
Yes, this morning, I was one of those people. Those strange people who sets their alarm ludicrously early, who leaves the house without make-up, who walks to the subway under streetlights, all for the name of a free gig. Worth it? Read on.
Having been well-informed of the horrifically early start and daybreak-crowd-crush that comes with the territory of GMA’s Summer Series concerts, I was still itching to go. And with a line-up including Florence, Beyonce and Nicki Minaj, there was no doubt I was going to go to at least one.
New to the city (I’m from Manchester, England) and still getting my bearings (note: my Topshop backpack doesn’t come with a compass), I took the wrong entrance to the park – the really wrong entrance. Walking a good mile or two on a pre-breakfasted stomach in an eerily empty grass, I did start to wonder why I wasn’t still in bed. Nevertheless, bleary-eyed and weak, it was elbows out as the crowd shuffled in with heavy eyelids and espressos. Multiple sound-checks and crowd-prepping attempts from the camera crew ensued, and then Florence showed.
Sporting a stylish sheer blouse and denim hot pant combo from Gucci, it wasn’t just her red hair that looked fierce. Despite the constant drizzle and narky morning-moods, the crowd was pretty pumped and the show went live at around 8:30 am. I bagged a good position, was thrown a stray sunflower to wave with encouragement. With timely claps and ‘hands thrown in the air’, everyone swayed with Florence and her enchanting performance. As for ‘The Machine,’ watching the enchanting strums of a golden harp is definitely up there on the ‘best way to start the day’ list. (Certainly beats the bleep of the alarm at any rate.)
Yes it was early, and it’s my day off, but there’s no doubt I’ll be setting my alarm for the same time next Friday.
Beyonce, show me what you’ve got.