PIGS CAN FLY: Busted Tour 2016

Hiya!

I'm so excited to be able to say that I have finally seen my all-time favourite band (who I've adored since I was a toddler!) and it was everything I was hoping it would be! After so many years of anticipation and assumptions, it was relieving to hear that Busted were getting back together, giving me a chance to experience a Busted concert for real (rather than watching their 2004 tour DVD over and over!).

When I first heard that Busted were reuniting, I was obviously super excited, but there was a slight sense of suspicion as to what Charlie's motives were, after his refusal to take part in the McBusted era. However, after watching a couple of interviews, I soon realised how wrong I had been and how enthusiastic all three of them were to be back together!

The show itself was amazing - the support acts were Youtuber, Emma Blackery and punk band, Wheatus. We didn't arrive early enough to catch Emma's set but we saw Wheatus and it was like stepping back in time! I didn't recognise some of their newer material but as soon as 'Teenage Dirtbag' started playing, I was up on my feet and dancing; the whole arena was buzzing!

Then it was time for the main event: it started with a giant, somewhat eerie, pig floating around the arena, while snatches of a VT were played on the screens, building the tension and anticipation. Then all of a sudden, the lights were off, the music was playing and Busted were on stage in London for the first time in 12 years!

The gig featured the big hits like 'Air Hostess', 'Crashed the Wedding' and 'What I Go to School For', as well as some new songs including 'Coming Home' and the brand new tracks 'Easy' and 'One of a Kind'. My personal favourite was 'Sleeping With the Light On' as this has been my favourite Busted song since forever! And naturally, they finished with the killer 'Year 3000', along with smoke, lights and confetti canons, which sent the crowd absolutely crazy.

It was a super memorable night and I'm so happy that I had the chance to see my faves live for the first time! I also managed to buy a tour t-shirt (which is linked on my 'Charlotte Loves' page) which added to my excitement!

I hope you've enjoyed this post - if you've been to see the Pigs Can Fly tour or saw Busted the first time round, tweet me or leave a comment below. I'd love to hear about your experiences!

See you soon,
Charlotte x

 

BOOK REVIEW: Sing by Vivi Greene

Hiya!

"I chose this... I get to make music and sing my songs and live my life in front of millions of people. I don't get to be normal. I'm just the fool who keeps trying. But this summer is going to be different."

'Sing' is the debut novel of pop-culture obsessed Vivi Greene, which documents the low-key summer that one of the most famous pop stars in the world, Lily Ross, tries to have. It is a summer in which Lily is trying to forget about romance so she has time to find herself, but then Noel Bradley, local boy-next-door which throws a spanner in the works!

I absolutely LOVED this book! As always, it took me a while to immerse myself into the fictional world that has been created but as soon as I had got my head around the plot, I was hooked. The main character, Lily is so naive and oblivious that I instantly warmed to her; her innocence and care-free attitude sculpted her into a very lovable character! I'm also completely obsessed with anything to do with the celebrity world so maybe that had something to do with why I loved her as a character!

The romance factor in the novel was super cute and I loved the portrayal of Noel's family, especially his crazy little sister, Sidney who seems to be just as singer-obsessed as me, which is reassuring! I thought that the relationship that Lily and Noel had was the perfect balance of real-life and fairytale, making it seem believable but also amazingly cute and out of this world. Also, the bond of friendship is so prominent in the novel, shown between Lily and her best friends, Tess and Sammy. I think everyone will agree with me when I say that books that feature girl power are the absolute best!

'Sing' is the perfect, most irresistible novel that is guaranteed to get you in the mood for an enticing summer of new beginnings and adventure; grab your sunnies, hit the beach, pull up a sun lounger and read to your heart's content!

****************************************************************

I hope you enjoyed this week's post, leave a comment if you're thinking about reading 'Sing' - I'd love to hear what you think! As always, tweet me @charlyblogs if you want to have a chat about the book... or a chat about anything really!

See you soon,
Charlotte x 

 

 

Revision and Exam Advice

Hiya!

Today is my last official weekend of freedom before exam season starts so I thought that I would share my top tips for revision/exams that I find useful and that help me. I actually took one of my GCSEs last year so I'm well prepped for exactly what sitting public exams feels like so hopefully this will help!

1. Vary your revision

As an avid note maker, I used to hate people telling me to 'mix up' my revision because I just couldn't see the benefits. However, I've finally finished all of my notes and I've been able to start using past papers to practice and it's been really useful! My advice would be to start writing notes as early as you possibly can, which gives you the maximum amount of time to read through them and do past papers.
  
2. Be organised
I cannot stress how important organisation is when it comes to tests and revision - it's helped me so much over the last couple of months and has helped me feel calm and in control of my revision. The main ways that I've stayed organised is by making a colourful exam timetable, so that I know exactly when all of my exams are and also by making a list of all the notes that I still needed to make. If you struggle to decide what to revise each night, make a revision timetable so you know exactly what you should be revising.

3. Try group revision sessions

Revision can be boring, I know! To make it more interesting and enjoyable, try organising a group revision session with you friends, lots of food and maybe some music. You may not get as much  revision done as you usually would, but at least you've made the effort and still seen your friends!

4. Focus

Right before the exam, you might be feeling nervous, anxious, and maybe even a little bit sick! However, you can't let this ruin how hard you've worked and the time that you've spent preparing for them. The best piece of advice that I can give is: don't listen to anything that anyone says right before you go into the exam room! The worst thing you can possibly do is join in with someone's last minute panic revision ramble - I guarantee that you'll start to feel panicked and worry that you can't remember what they're talking about and that's exactly what you don't want before you go into an exam! Just take a moment to chill yourself out and get into the right frame of mind so you can walk in and absolutely smash that exam!

5. Stay positive

Finally, make sure you stay positive throughout the revision period and the exams! The minute you let the stress and pressure get the better of you, you'll lose focus and won't revise as well as you could! If you're lacking in motivation, just think of all the amazing, fun, enjoyable things you can do once exams are over - the main things that I think about are going on holiday, prom and sunbathing!

 I hope that these tips have helped you or given you some inspiration for exams and revision in general - if you're also sitting your exams this month, good luck! Also, if anyone has any other tips that help them, feel free to leave them in the comments below or tweet them to me (@charlyblogs). Finally, I'll try and post as much as can during exam season but I can't make any promises because sadly, exams and revision take priority! As soon as my exams are over, I'll be back to posting regularly :)

See you soon,

Charlotte x