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buck-nialled · 4 years

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Two Million Minutes (6) - N. Horan

NOTE: to the anon who wanted an update on the ring, this part is for you! to @cxld-play , i hope you aren’t dead yet and are able to read this. and to all the people who have given support to my writing/this series thus far, i thank you but also secretly hope i grind your gears with this chapter. the climax is coming soon babyyyy so yall better be hype! <3

PLAYLIST // PART ONE // PART TWO // PART THREE // PART FOUR // PART FIVE

While Niall was determined for answers to his suddenly racing heart and quivering stomach whenever Veronica smiled at him, or touched him, or was even in the same room, he kept quiet. He needed confirmation first, something to assure him that a side effect of amnesia-related concussions was not insanity. But his body was so goddamn irresponsible when it came to keeping things quiet. His hands would fidget whenever he would find the courage to speak to her at an average volume. There were points he would nearly trip on his feet when he would catch a glimpse of her in a tee-shirt that seemed like it would fit Niall’s build more comfortably while she stood cooking, or eating, or talking.

His knees suffered undeniable wobbles he knew were not caused by his past injuries. The root problem was her voice. The way each syllable that left her heart-shaped lips in a perfect pitch, at a perfect cadence, in just the right volume; it gave Niall the same feelings he had listening to his first solo album upon its completion: giddy, lovestruck, in awe. Veronica, of course, feigned cluelessness at the tells she recognized from the beginning of their friendship. He spoke the same way when he asked her out for the first time. His thumbs danced similar to that of their first date. Seeing him act this way gave her feelings likewise to his own, and also hope. A feeling she was yearning for like a drop of rain in a desert.

Now it was all a waiting game. Veronica had no clue when Niall would be ready, or how thin his patience would whittle down to be. But she knew she would wait another two million minutes just to have him back. Unfortunately, it only took days of premiditated planning for Niall and Jake to enter a Skype call together to catch up.

“What’s up, man? How are ya feeling?” Jake smiles at his friend from the other side of the screen. From his friend’s end, Jake glanced downward to the engagement ring sparkling on his desk. Niall chose well, and Jake knew it would look dashing on Veronica’s finger. But the image of him locking arms with her, adorned in a lacy white number was a ravishing one to envision. Jake did feel a pinch of guilt hanging on the back of his tongue since swiping the ring, like a dry pill impossible of swallowing. It was washed away immediately, however, when Niall grinned back impossibly wide. A small part of him hoped that a heated tension would build between the two of them, leaving one to explode.

“Great, really good.” Niall’s head bobbed up and down as he began explaining the memories which have been popping up these last few days. They all pertained to his music and their shows, leaving Jake curious if Veronica was remembered at all. His impatience grew quickly once minutes passed of Niall spewing away how his fingers kept remembering random songs from his two solo albums that his mind seemed to struggle with, and his newfound appreciation for muscle memory.

“How’s Vee?”

Niall’s puzzled expression was easily readable from across the screen. The man blinked a few times to process Jake’s sudden interest and use of the nickname Niall was told he had ownership of. The man decided not to question it though, rather choosing to shrug it off and answer.

“Fine. A little bumpy at the beginning but…we’re okay now.” Niall was satisfied with his answer. Jake, however, was determined to press further. Leaning closer to the screen, the man furrows his brows.

“Bumpy how?”

Niall’s mouth opens and closes continuously for a few seconds. There was no easier way to put it. “I was kind of a dickhead when she was trying to help me remember some stuff. Like tour, the band…”

“The band?” Jake repeated.

“Not you guys. Harry, Liam, the whole lot.” Niall waves off. “She showed me a picture from our last night together and I just…got a little emotional looking back, I guess.” Niall lifts his shoulders in a shrug. Jake felt the familiar sting of jealousy burning deep in him.

“Oh, so she didn’t show you any photos of us on tour together. Of me, or Lou…” He tosses various names out, letting his hands go out of frame to latch onto the sides of his desk.

“Well, we kinda stopped looking after that. But a couple of days later I’d realized what a prick I’d been, and we agreed to go at my own pace.” Jake nods.

“I see…so you two made up then?”

“Yeah…” His friend’s voice trails, piquing Jake’s interest further.

“Or did you not?”

“No, we did. But…can-can I ask you something?” Jake’s hands tightened their grip as he nodded to encourage Niall to continue.

“You would know better than me, but were…were Veronica and I ever together before…”

“Before the accident?” Jake’s eyebrows raise. “Yeah…” Time to initiate Plan B, he thought.

“Really?” Niall sounds elated, but his hopes would not be high for long.

“You broke up before the accident, too,” Jake informs, taking a casual sip of the beer beside him. He hopes for Niall not to notice his red knuckles as they re-enter the frame.

“Oh…”

“Oh, did she not tell you that?” Jake asks, before scoffing at his question. “Well, obviously she couldn’t have if she never told you that you were together in the first place.” He shakes his head, while Niall stares away at his keyboard.

“You alright, man?”

“Yeah, 'm fine. S’just…I kept having this feeling that we were something more, y’know? Like all these images kept flashing in my mind of us cuddling, holdin’ hands…all the couple stuff. You’d think some negative points would be in there, too…” Niall sighs, placing his chin on his hand.

“Well, to be honest, you two never fought that often, from what you told me at least.” Jake shrugs, sipping his dark drink. That part was the truth, something Niall could not use against him because the couple never felt any anger or resentment toward each other. If anything, they drew each other away from it with a single glance. That was something Jake always craved to have with his exes, but alas, none of them were as strikingly beautiful or graceful as Veronica. None of them had her kind eyes or smile that would earn double-takes everywhere she went. More importantly, he never had somebody who could dissolve tension with a single stare. He needed that release, he needed her wrapped around his finger like he was for, and he was going to ensure of it. Niall looks up from his ‘V’ key to send his friend a confused stare.

“Then…what happened?”

“You both just decided you were better off friends. You both wanted other people…” Niall found this answer an enigma, considering what Veronica had revealed about both of their relationship statuses that night at his mother’s house.

“And…did we? Did we see other people?”

“You did…she was a little heartbroken after so I don’t really know if she ever found somebody but—”

“So she’s still in love with me?”

“Woah.” Jake set his glass down with a chuckle. “Slow down, Nialler.” The man thinks he hears a slight growl behind Jake’s tone as he says this.

“We never even got to that?” A devilish cocktail of sadness and guilt intoxicated Niall’s heart like no ninth pint of Guinness could. Not only did his ex-girlfriend’s so-called broken heart insinuate that he initiated their split, but the fact that they never even worked out long enough to profess the most pungent human emotion there is to exist did not sit well with Niall in the slightest.

“How are we still living together?” He was asking more himself than Jake, shaking his head in his hands. His friend, however, finds it necessary he be left with a logical answer.

“Well, you both still felt strongly about one another. And you were living together at the time neither of you wanted to kick each other out. So the only logical thing was to…”

“Move to the guest room.” He remembers buying a set for it with her, how they laughed while strolling the aisles, and joking the idea of a drunk friend being desperate for it in the nights to follow. He thinks about his dresser drawers, one side still left vacant. He may have put on a show to convince Veronica, or maybe more so himself he was over it. But with the things he had not done to take her out of the picture, from all the empty spaces he had not filled with someone new. Hell, the fact that he was still single had Niall internally questioning himself: is he really over her?

“How long ago did we uh…”

“Break up? About…” Jake cranes his neck up as if he was performing calculations on his ceiling. “Gosh…it’s been about eight months now, I’d say.” Niall hums.

“And she hasn’t moved on at all?” Niall glances up, eyes swimming with sorrow. Jake pretends he simply does not notice and rolls his head from side to side.

“Well…” Jake begins, making Niall’s body go stiff. “No, I shouldn’t—”

“Tell me,” Niall demands. He raises his hands in surrender, before repositioning his seating.

“Okay, well…I never told you this. But whenever you and Vee were dating,” Niall’s body twitches at the name. The name only he called her, supposedly, “and you’d bring her around us. She always seemed invested in something else. Like her eyes were elsewhere…”

“Where?”

“On me.” Jake bites his lip and turns his head down to scratch the back of his scalp. “I always sensed it but didn’t want to come in between you two. And then one night after a show, she just…she just threw herself on me, I don’t know. Shit, mate please don’t be upset with me. I pushed her off before she could try anything.” Niall muttered something that Jake’s ears could not catch. After asking him to repeat himself, Niall’s words were loud and clear.

“That bitch.” Niall guffaws, in total disbelief for the woman he had grown infatuated for all over again. “To say she was afraid to lose me. That I’d throw her out and glimpse her over?!” He exclaims, voice livid. Niall leaps from his chair, lining his floor with hot prints as he paces back and forth. Jake fails to hide the smirk turning the corner of his lips up but is not too worried considering Niall is occupied with his burning thoughts. His phone chimes, leaving him to peek down and have his smirk grow larger.

Can we meet up after I get off work? I need your opinion on something.

His eyes flick back up to a furious Niall, who was combing his fingers through his obstructed locks in a frantic manner while simultaneously whispering strings of curses. Jake focuses back on his phone and is typing a reply instantly. He had a much bigger priority to attend to now.

Of course, it’s a date

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sagehaleyofficial · 4 years

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HERE’S WHAT YOU MISSED THIS WEEK (1.1-1.7.20):

NEW MUSIC:

· Angels & Airwaves teased a new song, while providing some information about the new documentary about them. According to frontman Tom DeLonge, the sing is titled “Time Bomb.”

· Travis Barker of Blink-182 fame and his son Landon Barker took to Instagram to briefly tease the idea of them working together. On Instagram, the drummer classically banged away on his kit and Landon appeared to be nodding his head.

· Vic Mensa dropped a new video for his song “It’s a Bad Dream.” The song comes from the project 93PUNX and features Good Charlotte, as well as notable names such as Travis Barker of Blink-182 and Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine.

· All Time Low’s social media, as well as all the members including Alex Gaskarth and Jack Barakat, posted a cryptic video to their respective accounts. We see the iconic panda from the “Birthday” video as he lights a barrel on fire that contains a Last Young Renegade jacket.

· Green Day‘s newest album track listing might have been leaked online. A fan of the group claims he was sent the Father of All… vinyl sleeve in the mail from someone in California, which is where the band is based.

· After a surprise track released earlier in December, Set It Off dropped another new song called “So Predictable”. The band previously dropped another song, “Catch Me If You Can,” in mid-December after teasing a new release on Twitter.

· Post Malone is reportedly going to be a featured performer on Justin Bieber‘s new album, due out later this year. In addition to Posty, Coachella headliner Travis Scott is rumored to feature on the album as well.

· The 1975’s label Dirty Hit sent out a tweet requesting people to submit some information and a picture of themselves and their partner. The label says they’re shooting in London on January 18th and are searching for couples to star in a new music video.

· Paramore’s Hayley Williams posted three mysterious black squares on Instagram, sparking theories that the music will soon be here. Fans spotted a poster of Williams and the phrase “Petals for Armor” around the U.S. including New York and her Nashville hometown.

TOUR ANNOUNCEMENTS:

· Motion City Soundtrack made their triumphant return to the stage last Tuesday on New Year’s Eve in Chicago, rocking the House of Blues. Before the return, the band posted a hype image, reminding fans to get tickets while they could.

· Green Day began 2020 with a performance on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest. At the event, the band performed their hit “When I Come Around” in celebration of the 25th anniversary of Dookie.

· The Academy Is… posted a photo that is strikingly similar to the cover of their debut album Almost Here‘s cover art. The band’s debut record is coming up on its 15-year anniversary in February, leading to speculation about either another run of tour dates.

· 5 Seconds of Summer Ashton Irwin teamed up with Palaye Royale at NYE 2020: A Rock + Roll Carnival at the Taix Champagne Room. The night featured a host of covers of classic hits such as “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen to “Black Dog” by Led Zeppelin.

· After countless rumors regarding who will be playing this year’s Coachella, several of the speculated artists have now been confirmed after the full lineup announcement. Weekend one is sold out, but weekend two presale begins today at noon PST.

· My Chemical Romance’s latest post spawned speculation they will announce a show in the UK. The band posted across their social media accounts a cryptic photo of a cloaked skeletal face person with a simple caption containing the UK flag.

· Halsey recently came under fire for some comments she made while performing at Bay Dreams Festival in New Zealand. She then relayed that it was just crowd banter to get them really going and she would say the same to anyone about their rival of sorts.

· The surviving members of Nirvana reunited on Saturday in Los Angeles for a show with Beck, St. Vincent and more. The concert was for a charity gala hosted by charity organization the Art of Elysium.

· Post Malone recently showed off his screaming skills while screaming along to Pantera‘s “Walk.” Recently, videos of Posty were posted by New York-based, indie-rock band Beach Fossils.

OTHER NEWS:

· Dan Reynolds of Imagine Dragons took to social media to address concerns about the band recently taking the top three spots on Billboard’s Hottest Rock Songs of the Decade chart. Reynolds laughed off the negative comments.

· Post Malone showed off his newest face tattoo, an armored hand holding a medieval flail. It takes a sizable spot on his face and was created by Kyle Hediger, who has tattooed Posty previously.

· Pierce the Veil revealed that their collaboration with Sleeping with Sirens’ Kellin Quinn, “King for a Day,” went platinum. In November 2014, the song went gold and held its own in the Top 40 Rock chart.

· A very dedicated My Chemical Romance fan compiled all the high-quality footage that everyone posted throughout the band’s return show. They edited them all together and made a one hour and forty-minute video of the entire gig.

· Jeffree Star posted his first video of the New Year, in which he takes us on a 36-minute tour of his new multi-million-dollar mansion. Star also talks about how he had a dream and made it come true with less than $500 in his pocket after quitting music.

· In anticipation of the release of Birds of Prey, merchandise for the film has officially dropped via Hot Topic. Among the items is also an impressive jacket from Her Universe resembling the one Harley Quinn is seen wearing in the film’s trailers.

· New Years Day vocalist Ash Costello made a post on Instagram explaining the ups and downs of 2019 for her personally and professionally while confirming she is now engaged. Costello and her fiancé Jered Boeving made the move together at Disneyland.

· Lil Peep’s management and label, First Access Entertainment, is disputing claims filed by his mother in documents filed on December 23rd in Los Angeles Superior Court. Liza Womack filed suit against the company over claims they overworked him and encouraged drug use.

· Billie Eilish launched a sustainable merchandise line with H&M. The line features everything from oversized t-shirts and sweaters to joggers, which are all made from sustainably-sourced materials.

· We the Kings drummer Danny Duncan announced his engagement to longtime girlfriend Valentina Guerrero. The couple have one son, Carter, who adorably posed with the newly engaged duo after the proposal.

· All Time Low is teaming up with Full Tilt Brewery to create a new beverage called “Beer Maria Count Me In.” Full Tilt founders Nick Fertig and Dan Baumiller originally opened the brewery using Peabody Heights Brewery’s facilities in Baltimore six years ago.

· Benji Madden of Good Charlotte and his wife, actress Cameron Diaz, welcomed the birth of a baby girl. The couple kept it a secret to protect the privacy of their little one, who is named Raddix Madden.

· Twenty One Pilots frontman Tyler Joseph and wife Jenna continued to invite fans into their world as they prepare for the birth of their first child. The mother-to-be shared a photo with a caption revealing approximately their daughter is due in approximately one month.

· The Panic! at the Disco track “High Hopes” was used for an epic same-sex skate routine in the UK show Dancing on Ice. During the premiere of the program’s latest season, pro ice-skater Matt Evers and Welsh actor/singer Ian H. Watkins had their first routine together.

· The iconic venue Koko in the Camden district of London last night. Firefighters worked hard to put the flames out as smoke and flames blow out from the roof scaffolding of the venue, which is currently undergoing renovations.

___

Check in next Tuesday for more “Posi Talk with Sage Haley,” only at @sagehaleyofficial!

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louistomlinsoncouk · 4 years

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He became a bona-fide teen pop superstar as part of One Direction, then suffered unthinkable personal loss. Louis Tomlinson talks to Guy Kelly about fame, family and what comes next.

Louis Tomlinson took part in an online video recently, in which he was tasked with answering the internet’s most-searched questions about him. It was fairly tame, as you might expect of a pop quiz thrown at a pop star. ‘How do you pronounce Louis Tomlinson?’ the first read. There’s an interesting answer to that, actually, but we’ll come to it. ‘How old is Louis Tomlinson?’ was the second. He’s 28. And then came the third. ‘How is Louis Tomlinson?’

In the video, the man himself looks a little bewildered, dismissing the query as ‘random’ before moving on. But underneath, in the YouTube comments – one of the few nooks of the internet where love and goodwill still thrives – a fan repeated it. ‘“How is Louis Tomlinson,”’ they wrote, ‘the only question that matters.’ More than 7,000 people ‘liked’ it.

Given all Tomlinson’s been through in the past four years, it seems reasonable to ask. In 2016, the band he’d been in man and boy, One Direction, went on an indefinite hiatus after six years. Since being welded together by Simon Cowell on The X Factor in 2010, ‘1D’ had enjoyed perhaps the most stratospheric rise in music (five platinum albums, four world tours) since The Beatles. It hadn’t been Tomlinson’s decision to break up the band, and he wasn’t – still isn’t – particularly happy about it.

In December of that year, his beloved mother, Johannah Deakin, died a few months after being diagnosed with leukaemia. She was 43. Tomlinson pressed on with his nascent solo career, but unimaginable tragedy struck again. In March 2019, his 18-year-old half-sister, Félicité, was found unconscious at her flat in London and couldn’t be revived. An inquest later found she had died of an accidental drug overdose. Again, he buckled down, looked after his remaining siblings, and committed himself to finishing his debut album.

Settling down with Tomlinson in the corner of a west London photo studio, then, it seems as good a place as any to start: how is he?

‘I’m good, mate, I’m feeling good,’ he says, spreading his arms across a sofa. After wearing a series of high-end outfits for our photo shoot (‘I never feel super-comfortable on shoots; I’ve got one f—king pose – moody’), he’s in a black ’90s-inspired collared jumper, black trousers and black trainers.

He pushes his fringe to one side. The Doncaster accent, which softened in his 1D days, is back to pure, unfettered South Yorks. It’s all ‘in t’band’, ‘I didn’t know owt’, and swearing like a navvy. He’s honest, funny, and if his feet were planted any more firmly on the ground he’d be unable to walk.

I tell him about the YouTube comment, which seems to reflect the genuine care his fans have for him.

‘Ah, yeah I know, they’re considerate, they are. We’ve got a special, interesting bond. They’ve grown up with me – and I’ve been through some personal stuff and they’ve always been there for me.’

Tomlinson’s album, Walls, has been a long time coming. Immediately after One Direction split, he released a couple of singles – dance-y pop collaborations – which were fine, but not what he wanted to make. Halfway through writing Walls he realised, ‘If I’m chasing radio with every song I write, I’m not going to be doing this job for very long.’

So he relaxed, and the result is a mix of strong, melody-driven pop of the kind One Direction mastered, and what Tomlinson is really into, namely guitar-driven indie and Britpop. Some songs for the fans; some nodding to the future.

‘It’s a five-album plan. There’s bits where I’ve been almost selfish, and bits where I’ve been respectful to the fan base and what they love listening to,’ he says. ‘Then the next will be a step closer to the stuff I want to make. But I’ve got to earn my stripes.’

The dominant theme, I say, appears to be resilience. On the single Don’t Let It Break Your Heart, he advises, ‘Even when it hurts like hell / Oh, whatever tears you apart / Don’t let it break your heart.’ On the rousing title track (which features a writing credit for Noel Gallagher, who gave his blessing for a chorus strikingly similar to an Oasis tune), he sings, ‘These high walls that broke my soul / I watched all come falling down.’

It could be to do with grief, professional struggles, or his relationship. He nods.

‘Yeah, I write very autobiographically and had so much going on in my head, but in the struggle I’m trying to paint the message that you’re always left with a choice: to see the glass half-full or half-empty. It’s showing there’s hope.’

Some songwriters have found grief productive, others paralysing. Tomlinson was the former. One track on Walls is the previously released Two of Us, a beautiful, simple song written about his mum (‘You’ll never know how much I miss you / The day that they took you, I wish it was me instead’).

‘What’s amazing about this job is that regardless of the situation, you get something positive at the end of it. That’s obviously an emotionally heavy song for me, but fans have come up to me in floods of tears and talked about how it’s helped in their own tragedy. It’s incredible. From the dark, you can give hope.’

For the first three years of his life, Tomlinson was raised alone by Johannah, who split from his father, Troy Austin, when he was a baby. They lived above a launderette in Doncaster, where his mother worked multiple jobs, principally as a midwife, before she married Mark Tomlinson, a van salesman who became Louis’s stepfather. The three moved into a two-up, two-down, which was soon filled with half-sisters: Lottie, now 21, Félicité, then twins Daisy and Phoebe, now 16.

‘It was mad. They’re manic, young girls…’ he says. ‘Mum and Mark had a decent income but they couldn’t spread it around [a family of] seven. At times things were really good, you’d get 20 quid in a birthday card, but others were really difficult. I remember the electricity meter – you’d get five quid on the house as an emergency when you couldn’t top it up. Sometimes it’d be a gamble when it’d run out…’

Tomlinson wasn’t particularly academic – ‘though I’m not daft or owt’ – but loved school. There, he joined a band at 16 and found he was OK at singing, so he applied to audition for The X Factor. He failed, twice, but succeeded on the third try, in 2010, performing a fairly terrible (he admits it) version of Plain White T’s Hey There Delilah.

A few months later, at the ‘bootcamp’ stage, Cowell had the idea of creating a band comprised of Tomlinson and four other solo boys: Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Liam Payne. They were to be called One Direction. Tomlinson, who’d been intimidated by the standard of other vocalists in the competition, ‘bit their hand off’ at the offer. ‘I was like, “This is my ticket.”’

The show came just after his second run at the first year of his A levels. He’d failed the first time, with UUE in psychology, PE and English, which his mum had ‘absolutely ripped [his] head off’ for. The second time he’d gone one better, UEE. So he lied, telling her he got a smattering of Ds, and came up with a plan.

‘I waited until after the X Factor final, when we were all sat around drinking champagne, and told her, “By the way, I bulls—tted you on those results. I failed again, but hopefully we’ll be all right now…”’ he laughs. ‘She was fine. I picked my moment well.’

One Direction came third in the final, losing to runner-up Rebecca Ferguson and winner Matt Cardle, a former painter-decorator who now performs in the West End. But it was always felt that the group would go furthest, not least because Cowell was such a supporter (all the other boys have now left his record label, Syco, but because ‘loyalty is the biggest thing’ for Tomlinson, he’s stayed).

Eighteen when the group started, Tomlinson was the oldest member (the others were 16 and 17), ‘just allowed to drink, just allowed to drive’, but suddenly everything in his life was controlled.

‘You’re ready to be reckless and stupid, but then I was in the band and couldn’t ever act like that, especially not publicly,’ he says. They went on their first headline concert tour in 2011, and soon had fans surrounding their hotels overnight, wherever in the world they went. Naturally, they embraced partying.

‘There was a good 18 months where I was going out all the time. The press love to write about that as if it’s this chaotic thing, and at times it was, but it’s also an escape. Once you have a couple of drinks down you in a club, you’re just someone in the club, part of everyone else, and not everyone is looking at you.’

Even when he was away, he kept in contact with his mum by phone – or in person, when she could join him – as much as possible. The two were impossibly close: she had access to his emails; he told her when he lost his virginity; she knew about his finances.

‘One thing I’ve learnt since losing her is that any decision, even if I knew the answer, I’d call her,’ he says. ‘I didn’t realise how reliant I’d become on her. That was the hardest thing for me, understanding that living life after meant making decisions on my own. I thought I’d always have a sounding board. There was a different level of credibility with my mum, because I idolised her.’

Styles has recently joked that One Direction were ‘grown in test tubes’ by Cowell, but Tomlinson insists that part of their appeal lay in the fact that they all had their own personalities and talents, which weren’t forced on them. Still, it took him years to know where he fitted. Styles was cool, a heart-throb. Malik was moody and mysterious. Horan was cute and Irish. Payne was whatever Payne was. But Tomlinson wasn’t sure.

‘You’ve got to be dead cocky in Doncaster to survive – it’s either that or be picked on. So I used to walk around with a chip on my shoulder. But I’d always been the funny guy, centre of attention, so I never struggled to make mates,’ he says. ‘It was weird suddenly being in a situation where one or two members are constantly in a better position. It took me a while to understand my strengths. I was the oldest and it wasn’t until the third album when I made it my mission to write the most.’

He succeeded: Tomlinson’s writing credit appears on 39 of the 96 songs One Direction recorded, four more than Payne and dozens more than the rest. But it was intense. There were times when he considered quitting the band, if only to allow him to escape the attention, but he likens that to children running away from home. ‘By the time you get halfway down the street you regret it and go back…’

‘Directioners’ were ‘fanatical’ about the boys, to a frequently absurd degree. And not every encounter was surreally funny. The year after the hiatus began, in 2017, Tomlinson and Calder were involved in a scuffle with paparazzi and fans at the airport in LA. Fists possibly flew, and Tomlinson was arrested, only for no further action to be taken. The fans now are still loyal, still ardent, but they’ve matured with him.

What kept him grounded, as the money rolled in (I have heard that each of the boys amassed a £40 million fortune from the band, and that collectively they still earn around £38,000 a week from royalties, merchandise and so on) and the fans bayed, was keeping friends from Doncaster around. When I arrived at today’s photo shoot, Tomlinson was busy doing his singular pose at one end of the room, while at the other, near the free pastries, a young redheaded bloke in a tracksuit lurked, scrolling through his phone.

He introduced himself as Oli, Tomlinson’s ‘mate from Donny’, who has spent the better part of a decade travelling the world with his pop-star friend, and seems to operate as a walking comfort blanket. They live together when Tomlinson’s in LA.

They also live together when he’s in London. I imagine there’s space for house guests wherever he is, though: it has been reported that he put his Hollywood Hills mansion on the market last year for $6.995 million, and the previous year valued another property in California at $13.999 million, after apparently renting it out for $40,000 per month.

‘I’m hoping to do a bit of work with Louis’s tour manager this year,’ Oli says, cheerfully. I later discover he’s so ever-present with Tomlinson that he even has his own fan accounts on social media.

‘I remember bringing a mate out for our first US tour. He called from his hotel with his mind blown by being able to pick up a phone and they’d just bring you food,’ Tomlinson says. ‘I go back to Donny and hear heavy s—t – struggles with jobs, money, family, health. That humbles me, and gives me a better emotional intelligence.’

He reckons ‘eight out of 10 people have an ulterior motive’ when they meet him. Luckily he can tell if someone’s a pre-fame friend. His name is pronounced ‘Loo-ee’, but he wasn’t keen on it as a child, so had mates, like Oli, pronounce it ‘Lewis’, which they still do. Unfortunately Cowell guessed at ‘Loo-ee’ on The X Factor, so that was that for the stage name.

By 2015, some members of One Direction felt an itch to break off – or just have a break – and try their own thing. Malik had gone in March, and while a full split seemed inevitable, Tomlinson was still caught off-guard.

‘I was f—king fuming at first. We were working really hard – people [namely, Payne] have said overworked, but we weren’t overworked, that’s just what happens when you’re a band that size, though I understand. I thought I’d mentally prepared myself for a break, but it hit me hard.’

He was finally feeling comfortable in the band, and hadn’t thought about a solo career.

‘About a week after, I sat there thinking, “Strike while the iron’s hot,” but I wasn’t ready. I was bitter and angry, I didn’t know why we couldn’t just carry on. But now, even though I don’t fully understand everyone’s individual reasons, I respect them.’

They’re ostensibly all still mates, despite going in radically different musical directions, though some are closer than others. Tomlinson seems to mention Horan with most affection, and the pair performed at the same event in Mexico in November, titillating 1D fans by sound-checking together with one of the band’s old songs.

If it was up to you, I ask, would the group still be going? He considers this for a moment.

‘It if was up to me, yeah. I’d maybe have said, “Let’s have a year off.” But yeah, probably. I’m sure there’s a better analogy out there but it’s a bit like [shutting down] Coca-Cola. You don’t say, “Right, let’s hang the boots up on that,” because it’s a massive thing.’

Afterwards he muddled around for a bit, including releasing those early singles – one of which he performed on The X Factor, rigid with grief, just days after his mum’s death. Then he returned to the show last year as a judge, alongside Cowell, Robbie Williams and Williams’s wife, Ayda Field.

Did he get on with Robbie? He smiles, arching an eyebrow. ‘Why do you ask?’ Well, he came out of a boy band, went solo…

‘Oh, yeah, he was all right. He’s a good man, we were just different from each other. Certain moments I thought, “F—king hell, Robbie, just sit down for five minutes, I’ve got something to say.” I love his missus though, Ayda, she’s sound.’

Tomlinson liked mentoring, and during our conversation it becomes clear he’s fuelled by responsibility. He was the oldest sibling in his house, and although Mark Tomlinson and Johannah’s second husband (after divorcing Mark in 2011, she married Dan Deakin in 2014; they had twins Ernest and Doris) are still around, he became a paternal figure after she died. He’s particularly involved in the lives of Daisy and Phoebe, to whom he’s ‘a kind of second parent’.

‘Without being too soppy, I like looking after people, it’s cool. At the moment I’m stressing trying to convince Daisy and Phoebe to go to sixth form. They’ve been to private school near Donny, and it’s proper expensive. I’m paying for it thinking they’re staying on, but now they don’t want to go. I told them education is important. I’m like, “You’re 16, you haven’t got a f—king idea what the real world is,”’ he says.

‘What’s difficult about those two is they’ve only known the 1D craziness. They’ve grown up in this elitist way, which is very different from my upbringing and Lottie’s, and the values my mum taught us.’

He gives a ‘kids, eh?’ sigh. ‘Consistency is the big thing. I’m trying to get better at being in their heads enough so they think, “I wonder if Louis thinks this is a good idea?”’

Lottie lives in Hackney, east London. When she was a teenager, Tomlinson got her a job assisting One Direction’s make-up artist, and within a few years she’d become a ridiculously popular Instagrammer (currently with 3.4 million followers, still 10 million shy of Louis). Her big brother told her Instagram’s fine, but she must ‘become a proper businesswoman’ in case the bubble bursts. In 2018 she launched Tanologist, a successful fake-tan brand.

‘I’m so proud of her. She’s just been in Australia, where she’s stocked in Melbourne’s version of Boots!’ Tomlinson says, beaming.

Félicité, known to the family as Fizz, was also a budding Instagrammer. After her death last March, a post-mortem revealed ‘toxic’ levels of anti-anxiety and pain medications, as well as cocaine, in her blood. Six months later, an inquest heard that she had visited her GP in August 2018 and ‘gave a history of recreational drug use… on a consistent basis since the death of her mother’. She had taken overdoses and been admitted to a rehabilitation clinic.

Tomlinson hesitates to say anything was ‘easier’, comparing the deaths of Félicité and his mum, as ‘both felt very individual, and hit me with a big impact… but I think dealing with the family, how I can be there for them, that was a lot easier the second time because the first time I was grieving and didn’t know what to say. As time went on I grew to understand what to say to my sisters.’

Prioritising the feelings of your sisters in the immediate aftermath is understandable, I say, but I wonder if anyone took care of you. He looks surprised.

‘No, but friends and family, my best mate… I feel their support but I get most out of doing stuff for other people. I don’t say that to sound like a good guy, it’s genuinely what gives me strength.’

Did you ever consider grief therapy?

‘Nah, a lot of people recommended it but I’m a little bit old-fashioned when it comes to therapy. I’m sure it’s incredible, but I thought I’d be all right, and I have been till now.’ One of his many tattoos consists of the words ‘It Is What It Is’ across his chest. ‘I know the things I’ve been upset about in my life are s—t, but I can’t change them, so you have to make the best of what you’ve got.’

Tomlinson gives his own big smile. Our time’s nearly up, and he’d like a cigarette. After all you’ve been through, I tell him, people would have understood if you’d called it a day. You could have lived off royalties, enjoyed a quiet life.

‘Definitely, definitely. But do you know what? It didn’t cross my mind once. I somehow have an inability to worry, and just get on with things,’ he says, shrugging. ‘It’s definitely made me stronger. I’ve gone through every emotion, and I’m just f—king excited now.’

I think we have an answer. How is Louis Tomlinson? Hopefully, he’ll be just fine.

Walls is released on 31 January

#some things have been removed #louis tomlinson #17jan20

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elceeu2morrow · 4 years

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By Guy Kelly 17 JANUARY 2020 • 8:00PM

He became a bona-fide teen pop superstar as part of One Direction, then suffered unthinkable personal loss. Louis Tomlinson talks to Guy Kelly about fame, family and what comes next.

[complete article below the cut]

Settling down with Tomlinson in the corner of a west London photo studio, then, it seems as good a place as any to start: how is he?

I tell him about the YouTube comment, which seems to reflect the genuine care his fans have for him.

It could be to do with grief, professional struggles, or his relationship – he’s happily with his girlfriend, 27-year-old fashion blogger Eleanor Calder, but they’ve been on and off over the years. He nods.

Eighteen when the group started, Tomlinson was the oldest member (the others were 16 and 17), ‘just allowed to drink, just allowed to drive’, but suddenly everything in his life was controlled.

They also live together when he’s in London, along with Calder, to whom it was recently reported that Tomlinson is engaged (his representatives denied the rumour). I imagine there’s space for house guests wherever he is, though: it has been reported that he put his Hollywood Hills mansion on the market last year for $6.995 million, and the previous year valued another property in California at $13.999 million, after apparently renting it out for $40,000 per month.

He was finally feeling comfortable in the band, and hadn’t thought about a solo career.

If it was up to you, I ask, would the group still be going? He considers this for a moment.

Did he get on with Robbie? He smiles, arching an eyebrow. ‘Why do you ask?’ Well, he came out of a boy band, went solo…

He gives a ‘kids, eh?’ sigh. ‘Consistency is the big thing. I’m trying to get better at being in their heads enough so they think, “I wonder if Louis thinks this is a good idea?”’

‘I’m so proud of her. She’s just been in Australia, where she’s stocked in Melbourne’s version of Boots!’ Tomlinson says, beaming.

Prioritising the feelings of your sisters in the immediate aftermath is understandable, I say, but I wonder if anyone took care of you. He looks surprised.

‘No, but friends and family, my best mate, my girlfriend, my son… I feel their support but I get most out of doing stuff for other people. I don’t say that to sound like a good guy, it’s genuinely what gives me strength.’

Did you ever consider grief therapy?

What he’s got is an album to launch, a world tour to prep for and, immediately, a flight to catch. He and Oli are off to see Freddie. ‘When I’m working I definitely don’t see him enough,’ Tomlinson says, ‘but he looks just like me, which is cool. I’m excited to see his big smile.’

I think we have an answer. How is Louis Tomlinson? Hopefully, he’ll be just fine.

Walls is released on 31 January

#unedited #lt interview #lt news #telegraph 2020 #1.17.20 #walls promo #elounor 2.0 #baby stunt #rip jay #rip fizzy #family #oli #1d mention #who's taking care of you #paying for the twins #being a parent

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theloniousbach · 3 years

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COUCH TOUR: FLY HIGHER, CHARLIE PARKER co-led by RUDRESH MAHANTHAPPA and TERI LYNNE CARRINGTON, DETROIT JAZZ FESTIVAL, 6 SEPTEMBER 2021

One of these years I’ll physically go to this renowned festival with the host of Toledo Public Radio’s Jazz Spectrum. But I made it virtually thanks to a reminder from Rudresh Mahanthappa whose Hero Trio album release I attended and evidently am on a mailing list. The whole festival has been streaming free, so I won’t even look to see what I missed.

There were several moldy old figs who wondered where the bebop was and that stating a Bird theme and going out there for ten minutes was something oh no that Charlie Parker never ever did. Moldy old figs.

Clearly they don’t know Mahanthappa’s stellar album “Bird Calls” with contra facts and reimagining of the canon. That album featured trumpeter Adam O’Farrill who is on this gig and Kevin Sun’s similar < 3 Bird which I saw at The Jazz Gallery stream last month. Both call to mind that Parker was quite a composer actually, both in the traditional sense and spontaneously, giving this body of work a rich structure well worth exploring in precisely this way. Kind of like Parker built on I Got Rhythm, the blues, and other tunes to go out there on for ten minutes are longer when he wasn’t confined by the limitations of the recording studio. Moldy old figs.

Teri Lynne Carrington set brisk, infectious grooves while locking into what the others in the band were doing. She arranged Constellation and kicked it off smartly. She also led off My Little Suede Shoes melodically to establish a Latinish groove that O’Farrill settled into. But her conversations with Matt Penman’s bass were subtly powerful. He too kept the pulse.

O’Farrill was a calmer voice in conversation with Mahanthappa who is a fount of solo ideas. That is Parkeresque, not that the moldy old figs would notice. They probably expected Supersax which faithfully transcribed Bird solos into charts which didn’t ever grab me.

Instead, besides the tunes I’ve mentioned, they did Segment, Sure Why Not? (A reimagining of Confirmation from Bird Calls), Dewey Square (in Mahantappa’s arrangement from Hero Trio), a fairly straight but brief Now’s the Time as the closer, and Kris Davis’s Bird Call Blues based on Blues for Alice).

Davis is as always intriguing and a somewhat odd choice. She is an out there player, it’s true, but it’s not in flurry of notes but in quirky rhythms and inventive voicings. She played with the grooves but didn’t fall into them. She roared but often quietly. She also played some electric piano, most strikingly on Constellation where her echo effect sure sounded like something from Bitches Brew and, sure enough, O’Farrill came in with a spacious solo helping me realize the rather obvious lineage of Miles Davis the trumpet player no matter what Miles Davis the bandleader was creating.

And the moldy old figs were wrong as the solos were quite concise and dependent on the band listening to one another and returning to the themes as ready touch points.

It was an exciting set.

#concert review #jazz #couch tour #Detroit Jazz Festival #2021

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magic-magpie · 7 years

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Forever Yours, Prompto

Sheesh, I haven’t been on in a while. I just haven’t had the motivation to write or anything, and so I kinda stopped going on Tumblr ‘cause then I’d feel bad for not writing. Not that I need to write, but I want to. But I’ve finally written something! I’ve gotten hella into FFXV, and Promptis has become my favourite ship of the series (I guess that was to be expected... the character dynamics are strikingly similar to my OTP of all time). I just love they way they interact and the brilliant, wholesome friendship they share! And yes, I do wish they’d be more than friends. Idk, I just feel like they’d be a really awesome couple. I’m not past Chapter Eight yet, though. But anyway, have this little Promptis fanfic I wrote! It’s an idea I’ve wanted to do for so long, but I’ve only just now been able to execute it. First time writing for FFXV, so my characterisation’s probably not perfect. Prompto’s incredibly similar to America from Hetalia though, and I write America frequently enough, so hopefully the characterisation works! Words - 1,883 Also, imagine the strikethrough stuff to be like actual scribble-outs.

Dear Noctis To Noctis Hey Noctis Hey Noct,

Okay, so, um, I’m writing this in the dead of the night outside of the tent using my torch ‘cause why not, eh? I mean, I don’t WANT to write out here (it’s cold and dark and SHIT I THINK A SPIDER CRAWLED ONTO MY ROCK FUCKING SHIT I JUST MOVED TO A TREE STUMP HOLY SHIT IF I WOKE ANY OF YOU GUYS UP I’M SORRY OKAY NOW WHERE WAS I) but writing out here where none of you know I’m writing is kinda safer, don’t ya think? (haha that transition tho) If I was writing some poetry or story or whatever I wouldn’t have to hide it so much, but it’s... not that. D’ya remember when we DID do that kinda stuff, back in high school? We’d make up lame-ass stories on the rooftop at lunchtime, trying to make weirder and weirder ones. I remember, my favourite was the one about the boy named Alaric Wrye who was actually a wolf in disguise and would sneak out every full moon to howl at the night but then his parents found out and so he was sent to the Wolf Institution to become a fully-fledged wolf and had to take a whole load of wolf tests and shit and then when he finally became a wolf he was crowned King of the Wolves and everyone had to bow down to him and –

I kinda just realised how WEIRD that story is.

I think your favourite was the one about the small ant who wanted to be a super-duper famous singer so he made a rock band and started playing in gardens and stuff but then he grew enough of a following to start doing world tours and basically this small ant band was like hella famous in the human world but because none of the humans could see him properly ‘cause he’s tiny he took drugs to make himself massive but the drugs kinda killed him so he died as a massive-ass ant.

Yeah, that’s pretty weird too.

...Why am I talking about stories again? I’m not even WRITING a story. I’m writing a letter. To you. You’re not ever going to see it, but it’s for you.

Man, this is weird.

Well, I guess you’re wondering why I’m writing this, huh? Well, you WOULD be, if I gave it to you. But I’m not going to. I guess Ignis would call this a waste of his paper, but it’s only one sheet!

Okay, maybe it’s a little more. But STILL.

...Am I EVER going to start on why I’m writing this? I SHOULD, but, like... even the thought of WRITING it makes me nervous. Writing it would be like... making it definite. Absolute. Certain. That kind of thing. Currently, I can still pretend it’s not happening. I can still pretend I’m not thinking these thoughts, I’m not feeling these feelings. The thought of putting it down, of writing it in stone (or, well, paper) makes my stomach go all weird. Y’know how people talk about getting butterflies in your stomach? Yeah, I’ve got a whole KALEIDOSCOPE (yup, the word for a group of butterflies actually is ‘kaleidoscope’! I found that out, uh... two minutes ago).

Having a kaleidoscope of butterflies inside your stomach is a WEIRD sensation, lemme tell ya. Like, imagine if EVERY time I hugged you the kaleidoscope started fluttering wildly and made you feel the things those protagonists of bad dating sims feel (although it’s impossible to be as cheesy and awful as that ‘Namco High’ dating sim. God, that was HILARIOUS. And terrible. But funny. I can’t believe we stayed up all night playing that shitty-ass game. We could’ve played King’s Knight or Mario Kart, but nope, we play shitty dating sims.).

...I just gave it away, didn’t I.

Anyway, as I guess you’ve guessed (or WOULD guess if you were actually gonna read this), I... love you like you think you’re hot want to date you want to kiss you want to just do stupid romantic stuff with you

Ah, fuck.

Okay, now I’m ACTUALLY going to say it. Just... gimme a minute.

Well, I just walked around the haven about twelve times and scrunched up the paper and threw it and then ran to get it back and almost got into a fight with some daemons but here we are.

I’m gonna say it. I’m gonna say it. I’m gonna say it.

Look, Noct. You’re my best friend, and the best person I know (don’t tell Ignis and Gladio). You’re funny (sometimes unintentionally), nice, fun to be with, and have really great hair. I guess it was only natural that I... started to like you.

Not like as in friend-like (although I still like you like a friend too), but like as in... like-like. As in, I want to go on stupid dates and randomly kiss you and cuddle when we have to share a bed and stroke your hair and give you flowers and wear each other’s clothes and touch our foreheads together and do those nose bump things and just do everything I’ve wanted to do for years now.

There. I said it.

...Why don’t I feel better? Why do I just feel WORSE? That wasn’t supposed to happen! I was supposed to confess everything into this letter and then I’d feel unburdened and I’d be able to finally let go of these goddamn feelings for you!

Oh. Right. It’s because I’ve liked you for years and my stupid heart’s become too attached to you.

I looked up stuff on how to get over your best friend, but it was all pretty unhelpful. They were all telling me to distance myself for a while! Um, no thanks. First of all, I don’t WANT to distance myself. Like I said, you’re the best person I know. Why would I want to spend any less time with my favourite person?! That would just be... boring. And second of all, I can’t distance myself, even if I wanted to. We share a TENT.

So... yeah. I like you. I like you too much, and I KNOW I shouldn’t, but I can’t help it! I’m really sorry, but I... just can’t.

I want to tell you upfront, I really do. But I don’t know whether you like me back. Sometimes I get these little feelings that you do. I dunno, sometimes I just catch you looking at me with this odd little smile on your face and then you’ll suddenly look away... or sometimes you’ll be a bit more touchy-feely than you need to be... and you tend to gravitate towards me whilst we’re walking... and you always seem to be closer to me than friends should be in a tent. But then, well, I’m probably misinterpreting all that because I so desperately want you to like me too. It’s confusing, isn’t it?

And then, well, if you don’t like me back, confessing to you would just be a dick move.

YOU wouldn’t class it as a dick move. Hell, you’d be pretty chill about it. But... I would. You’ve got so much on your shoulders right now. King Regis was murdered, Insomnia fell, Jared was killed, you’re going to get married, we’ve got to take back Insomnia, you’re pretty much the King... the list goes on. I know you, Noct. You’d feel guilty over rejecting me, and it’d weigh on your mind more than you care to admit.

Especially because, well... ‘cause you’re getting married.

I don’t know if you love Lady Luna, I don’t know if you love me, I don’t know if you love anyone at all. But I do know that you’re getting married to Lady Luna, not me. And if I ruined your special day with a stupid confession, I’d hate myself for it. It’s your special day where people are celebrating your marriage. That’s a day that’s supposed to make you happy, and it will, even if you’re not in love with Lady Luna (and if you are, then you’ll be on Cloud Nine!). She’s your friend, and you’ll be happy with her. I don’t want you to look at me on your wedding day with pity, I don’t want you to look at me and remember that I’m not enjoying the day as much as I should be.

So I’m not going to tell you how I feel. I’m just going to... just going to bottle it up and act like I always do!

Although, I get the feeling that my normal actions don’t cover it up well. I mean, I don’t think YOU’VE guessed (you’re kinda as emotionally-perceptive as a rock), but I feel like Ignis has, and maybe even Gladio. They haven’t said anything, but, like, I dunno, they just give me these... looks, sometimes. Like, I’ll just be leaning on you whilst playing King’s Knight and Ignis will just kind of... smile? It’s a small, tiny thing, but he still does it, I swear on the Six. And then I’m SURE that both of them just sorta... glance at me whenever we start talking about your wedding. I might be imagining things, but... I swear I’m not. So, like, I try to remove suspicion. Whaddaya think all that stuff with Cindy is? Yeah, she’s cool and nice and pretty hot and would probably be fun to date, but it wouldn’t be half as awesome as dating you would be. I just gush over her so that you’ll actually believe I’m head over heels for her instead of, well, you.

Come ON, we’d be so awesome together! We could go on dates to the arcade and order pizza at three in the morning and stay up watching shitty movies and I know we already do that but we could do it as boyfriends instead of best friends and I just

...Sorry. Haha, I’ve gotta work on keeping my fantasies in check, huh?

...I wish I was the one getting married to you.

Okay, right! I guess that’s, er, my confession done then! I’ve written my feelings in a letter addressed to you which you’re never ever going to read, and so I should stop wanting you so badly!

...I’m never going to stop, am I?

But... even if I’m never going to stop liking you, I’m still going to be your best friend. I’m still going to do stupid stuff with you and take funny pictures and loudly sing terrible songs at one in the morning. I’m never going to be the one who you kiss, but dammit, I’m going to be the greatest best friend ever! And on your wedding, I’ll be the best best man Eos has ever seen.

Because loving you means accepting that I’ll never be anything more than a best friend. But it also means finding happiness and enjoying the special bond we do have.

Well, that’s that. I was going to throw this away into the lake, but... I think I’ll keep it. Just, don’t wear my jacket, yeah? And ESPECIALLY don’t check my front pocket. I’m warning you, Noct!

Love From Yours sincerely Best wishes Forever yours,

Prompto ✌

P.S. Sorry about the wet patches. They’re... not rain.

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gyrlversion · 5 years

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The TRUTH about Geri and Mel B: They were lovers for a YEAR…

When Melanie Brown flew into London ten days ago from Los Angeles, she couldn’t wait to catch up with her old friend and bandmate Geri Horner.

Such are their busy lives on either side of the Atlantic these days that the pair can go for months without chatting.

But as they hugged each other at a friend’s home that afternoon, it was as if they had never been apart.

On the show, recorded at ITV’s studios on March 22 and to be screened in the summer, Mel was repeatedly pressed by Morgan about persistent rumours that she and Geri had been more than just friends. The singer finally conceded it was true

Certainly they had plenty to talk about – not least the much-anticipated £10 million Spice Girls tour.

The two women – known during their 1990s pop heyday as Scary and Ginger – were looking forward to the rehearsals and meetings that will bring their band together once more for 13 dates this summer.

Little did they know that, just over 48 hours later, their friendship – and potentially the meticulously laid plans for the whole money-spinning tour – would lie in tatters.

It came after Mel unexpectedly confessed on Piers Morgan’s Life Stories to a one-off tryst with Geri in their early days. The bombshell revelation left their fellow band members – and, indeed, the nation – agog.

While the band was managed by the Herberts, before the girls eventually hired pop mogul Simon Fuller, it was Ginger and Scary who were really in charge. ‘They were two women who knew what they wanted. It was very much a case of those two against the world,’ says a friend

It was laughed off by Mel, 43, who joked that Geri is ‘going to hate me’. But Geri, 46, it is understood, was heartbroken. And her hurt may run deeper than it first appeared.

For The Mail on Sunday now understands that Mel’s admission of a one-off night of passion is far from the full story. Friends who knew them back then have revealed their relationship lasted at least a year.

One recalls: ‘It was in the very early days of the Spice Girls and their relationship lasted far longer than one night – it was at least 12 months.

They deeply bought into the whole Girl Power phenomenon – they wanted to lead it.

The source described their relationship as very much a case of ‘lust at first sight’ when the two met for the first time in 1994 after being chosen to join the girl band, then known as Touch. They are pictured in 1997

‘They felt what better way was there to do that than for girls to enjoy one another?’

The source described their relationship as very much a case of ‘lust at first sight’ when the two met for the first time in 1994 after being chosen to join the girl band, then known as Touch.

Mel and Geri, then aged 18 and 21 respectively, instantly gelled when they were moved by their management into a house in Maidenhead, Berkshire.

The pair, who shared a fierce ambition to succeed as pop stars, soon grew so close that they confided their deepest secrets – and also regularly shared a bed.

They were, according to friends, ‘absolutely inseparable’.

While the other three band members – Melanie Chisholm, Emma Bunton and Victoria Beckham (then known as Victoria Adams) – would visit their families at weekends, Mel and Geri stayed at the house.

‘They were so close,’ the source continued. ‘They were together in every sense of the word.

‘They were brought together through the circumstances of being in the band but their living arrangements in Maidenhead meant that they had lots of time alone.

The pair, who shared a fierce ambition to succeed as pop stars, soon grew so close that they confided their deepest secrets – and also regularly shared a bed. They were, according to friends, ‘absolutely inseparable’. They are pictured in 2013

‘Both were very open-minded young women and they wanted to break boundaries.’

It is, of course, no secret that Geri – now married to Christian Horner, boss of Formula 1 team Red Bull – has previously enjoyed sexual encounters with women.

In an interview in the early 1990s, she said: ‘I don’t mind boobs but the other bit is not my cup of tea. I realised I was not a lesbian. It is part of experimenting.’

But the girls’ relationship was far from exclusive. Friends say they still enjoyed encounters with men.

Geri – now mother to Bluebell, 12, and Monty, two – had been working as a glamour model before replying to an ad for girl-band members placed in The Stage magazine by father-and-son management team Chris and Bob Herbert.

‘Hurt’: Geri with husband Christian Horner

‘Geri was a woman of the world, even back then,’ says the friend. ‘And Mel had spent her teenage years in nightclubs. She was around at the time of the anything-goes Hacienda days, so both were very worldly.’

They were strikingly similar characters. Both girls oozed the brand of feistiness that came to define the band; both came from working-class families; and both possessed the dogged determination to make something of themselves.

In the early days at least, they saw themselves as the ‘driving force’ of the Spice Girls.

While the band was managed by the Herberts, before the girls eventually hired pop mogul Simon Fuller, it was Ginger and Scary who were really in charge.

‘They were two women who knew what they wanted. It was very much a case of those two against the world,’ says a friend.

‘Geri’s father had not long passed away and she was hurting from that, while Mel was a long way from home. While things were very exciting for them, it was also daunting.

There have long been rumours in the industry that some members of the Spice Girls (picture in 1996) had enjoyed sexual encounters with each other

‘They were one another’s support, they got one another and were actually very similar.

‘They were the stand-out best friends in the band. They loved one another like sisters – but also fell out in the way siblings do.’

There have long been rumours in the industry that some members of the group had enjoyed sexual encounters with each other. But it wasn’t until Mel’s confession that these were confirmed.

On the show, recorded at ITV’s studios on March 22 and to be screened in the summer, Mel was repeatedly pressed by Morgan about persistent rumours that she and Geri had been more than just friends.

The singer finally conceded it was true, telling him: ‘She is going to hate me for this because she is all posh with her country house and her husband, but it’s a fact.

‘But it wasn’t a thing, it just happened and we just giggled at it and that was it.’

When Morgan enquired how frequently they had slept together, Mel retorted: ‘Oh, stop it, you pervert.’ She then insisted it had happened only once.

Her bandmate Mel C, who was in the audience, added: ‘This is all new to me.’

Mel B, who divorced film producer Stephen Belafonte in 2017 after a turbulent ten-year marriage, is known for her straightforward honesty and described in a recent autobiography a chaotic life of sex and drugs.

It may have seemed curious, therefore, that she would prove reticent on this subject. But her refusal to tell the full story was, those close to her insist, out of respect for Geri.

Geri had already made an admission to American chat show host Howard Stern in 2003 that she had slept with a famous woman.

Mel, who later starred with Stern on the panel of America’s Got Talent, learned from him that Geri was talking about her.

It meant that when Morgan asked her about Geri, Mel felt able to say that she’d slept with her but chose not to reveal anything further.

‘She didn’t want to put too much on the record that would have embarrassed Geri,’ says the source.

‘The view is very much that Geri wants to zip up the past. Her life is now all about cooking and country estates, and Mel likes to remind her of her younger years at times but she actually wouldn’t want to invade her privacy completely.’

Indeed, twice-married mother- of-three Mel has been more candid about her own sexuality, admitting to Morgan on the show that she happily enjoyed a five-year relationship with another woman.

‘You fall in love with whoever you fall in love with. I just don’t have a preference,’ she said.

It may have been a useful promotional tool for Mel, but the timing of her revelations could not have been worse for the band’s upcoming reunion. Rehearsals are due to start in just over a week.

While the other three band members – Melanie Chisholm, Emma Bunton and Victoria Beckham (then known as Victoria Adams) – would visit their families at weekends, Mel and Geri stayed at the house. The band are all pictured above in 1997

While Victoria, 44, decided against joining her bandmates for the tour to focus on her fashion range, she has not been able to resist stirring the pot.

In the days following Mel’s interview, she is said to have called Geri in solidarity to tell her how appalled she was that details of her personal life had been shared so publicly.

Whether Geri will be able to put it behind her – and continue with the band’s plans – remains to be seen. She would not comment on the latest claims last night.

What is proving particularly irksome to Geri is the reunion was designed, in part, to help Mel B financially, following her expensive divorce. Once worth £80 million, by the end of her ten-year marriage to Belafonte she was left with just £961 in the bank.

That, coupled with a huge legal bill she ran up while fighting a custody battle, meant she needed to earn money – and fast.

‘The view is that the others didn’t need to do the tour,’ says the source. ‘Now Geri wonders why she bothered. Especially, she feels, because she has her young son Monty to look after.’

So what exactly does it mean for the 500,000 fans who have paid up to £100 for tickets?

‘It’s very wobbly,’ says a source close to the band. ‘Mel has apologised to Geri and she hopes that will be enough, but with her living in LA and Geri in the UK, it’s taking longer to sort out this situation.’

Forefront in everyone’s minds is the fact that Geri has walked out on the band before – in 1998, in the middle of a tour.

This time, it is feared, it could be less a case of Viva Forever – and more of a permanent Goodbye.

The post The TRUTH about Geri and Mel B: They were lovers for a YEAR… appeared first on Gyrlversion.

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grubisarukavina · 6 years

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Spring New Releases Album Review Round Up

Once again, we’ve had a cavalcade of fresh new releases flooding in this Spring, which is going to make for some epic Spotify playlists and other enjoyable listening this summer. Here’s a recap of some of the cream of the recent crop.

Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks – Sparkle Hard

Stephen Malkmus has been indie rock royalty for decades, going back to his critically lauded work with Pavement back in the 90s. Since their break up in 1999, Malkmus has released a string of well received solo albums with his backing band The Jicks. For my money, his masterpiece as a solo artist remains 2008’s Real Emotional Trash, where Malkmus let his freak flag fly with a full four tracks breaching the six minute mark and the title cut even stretching out over ten jammy minutes. His newest album, Sparkle Hard, represents his strongest work since that high water mark. The lyrics are as offhandedly witty as ever, with Malkmus critiquing everything from the proliferation of bike lanes to social media, while taking a few swipes at confirmation bias on the earworm highlight “Brethren”. Musically things are still pretty casual, although there a couple instances of rocking out, like the big fuzzy guitars of “Cast Off” and “Shiggy”. But most impressively, there’s also a willingness to experiment a little, such as the sophisticated string section on “Solid Silk” and the country swing of “Refute” where guest Kim Gordon delivers a winking verse about infidelity and dysfunctional families. Not all of it gels, I’m still not completely sold on the autotune vocals of the chugging “Rattler”, but you have to hand it to Malkmus for at least trying out some different approaches. Which ultimately is one of the great pleasures of the album, it’s a portrait of an artist comfortable enough to deliver the goods effortlessly, but also with the confidence to take a few risks and throw in a few well placed curveballs.

Skee Mask – Compro

German producer Bryan Müller has been generating some serious heat with his second full length under the Skee Mask moniker, Compro. Not only did it snag the coveted Best New Music seal of approval from Pitchfork, but the initial vinyl pressing sold out in just a couple of days. With good reason though, not only is Compro now a front runner for best electronic album of the year, but it may just be a new classic. Throwing out the classic tag is not just hyperbole here, this is a strikingly mature effort that has an oddly timeless quality to it. Occasionally it even calls to mind the early work of the great Aphex Twin, especially on the brooding “Via Sub Mids“. Even though Compro sounds like it could have come out in the 90s, it doesn’t come off as dated or recursive. The album also embraces a wide variety of moods and tempos, from the enveloping ambience of “VLI” to the muscular breaks of “Dial 274” and the skittering drumnbass of “Soundboy Ext.“. But what’s extraordinary is that despite the array of subgenres that Skee Mask tackles, he nails each with equal aplomb. Additionally, he manages to weave these styles into a cohesive whole that flows naturally from track to track. Technically this is a masterfully work, the mix is crystal clear with each sound occupying just the right amount of space, even when elements become stacked high upon each other. But it’s the callbacks to earlier classics that give the tracks emotional heft. By tapping into the sense memories of the giants upon which Skee Mask is standing upon, a new dimension of depth is added to his music and it opens up the possibility of him joining the pantheon of electronic music greats one day.

Courtney Barnett – Tell Me How You Really Feel

When Courtney Barnett broke through to a wide audience with her full length debut, Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit, it was a breath of fresh air, injecting a much needed authenticity and rawness back into rock. She followed that up with last year’s collabo with Kurt Vile, Lotta Sea Lice, which was decidedly more laid back and breezy. That project’s aesthetic, at least in terms of the music, has seeped into her latest effort Tell Me How You Really Feel, which for the most part is a slow burning affair of ballads and midtempo material. There’s certainly nothing as punchy here as the snarl Barnett unleashed on Sometime’s big single, “Pedestrian at Best“. Lyrically, the opener’s “Hopefulessness” advice of “Take your broken heart/ Turn it into art” seems to be the album’s manifesto, as much of the album deals with relationships problems and disillusion. There are a couple more energetic numbers, including “Crippling Self Doubt and a General Lack of Self Confidence“, but the oversharing title really says it all in terms of the song’s meaning. Elsewhere, Barnett ruminates on the isolation and monotony of touring on “City Looks Pretty” and just when it seems things might get too grim, she busts out an unabashed love song with the closing “Sunday Roast” which builds to an uplifting coda and ends things on a positive note. There’s been some negative buzz around this release, but that may be disappointment on the part of those who were looking for a raucous summertime album to play while partying in the sun. While this isn’t that, the songwriting is still strong and Barnett’s loose guitar leads have a shaggy dog charm. Plus, summer isn’t always all bbqs and beach days, this album will be a good one to spin on those cloudy mornings while waiting for the sun to break through.

Jon Hopkins – Singularity

Jon Hopkins has been making intellectual leaning electronic music for a while, but previously he was best known for his production work for Brian Eno and Coldplay. However, that changed in 2013 when he knocked it out of the park with his fourth full length release Immunity, an album superlative enough to land on my own top ten list of that year. One particular standout from that set was the pulsating “Open Eye Signal” that featured a modulating bass synth that sounded like electricity coursing through corroded circuits over a house beat. Unfortunately Hopkins’ new album opens with a trio of tunes that practically sound like reworks of that track, with the same dirty tones and similar chord progressions appearing throughout. To be fair, these are still well made compositions with an admirable attention to detail. One of Hopkins’ most remarkable feats is that he makes music that is both expansive and yet also somehow feels like a window to the molecular. If there were a soundtrack to the relatively enormous swaths of empty space between an atom’s nucleus and electrons, this could be it. But having said that, it’s hard not to hear Singularity as merely treading the same ground Hopkins broke open so creatively with Immunity. The second half of the album skews more toward the ambient and cinematic, and it’s here that there’s a little more room for the music to push forward. But by then we’ve already spent nearly a half hour traversing Immunity 2.0. Hopkins remains a world class audio sculptor, these tunes will sound simply miraculous on your speakers, but it’s hard not to wish that there was a bit more in terms of ideas to fully flesh those elements out into something that builds upon his earlier work.

Spring New Releases Album Review Round Up published first on https://medium.com/@123movieshub

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podcastcoach · 6 years

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Podcast Icing To Bring Your Audience Back

Got a Comment? Call it in

888-563-3228

Social Media Marketing World Reflections

Looking back on social media marketing world, I wanted to share my thoughts as this was the first time I was there and there are some things we can learn from this mammoth event.

The first impression was WOA. I walked in and got my badge and as they started to hand me a swag bag (you know the thing you throw on your bed, leaf through once and then ditch) and they asked what gift I would like. One was a cool cable organizer, and the other was a battery backup pack to charge my phone or tablet. This wasn't a cheap bottom of the food chain device. For me, this was awesome as I was going to buy one at Best Buy before leaving and ran out of time. To me, this shows they know their audience. Either gift was valuable.

Becuase Of My Podcast

Becuase of my podcast, I know Paul Colligan, and Paul Colligan knows JJ Virgin who is now coming on my weight loss show (and I got to sample some cool stuff)

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– The conference offers over 100 sessions on topics ranging from the technical aspects of setting up your equipment and the audio production to marketing and monetizing your current or future show.

– The expo hall features over 60 podcast service and equipment providers, so whether you're in the market for a microphone, or trying to figure out where to host your podcast, anyone who matters will be on site to help you out

It's July 23 – 26th in Philadelphia PA.

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Look at All The Icing

At first glance, one might say that the major draw of SMMW is icing. For example, the opening night you have a networking event on an aircraft carrier. This is not something I had ever done. It made the event unique. Now, you might say, but in the end, you still have a bunch of people talking, drinking, and networking. I see that point of view, but every corner had a sense of adventure. I toured the top of the ship with Ray Ortega and Lou Mongello. If this had been in a restaurant back room, I was still hanging out with Ray and Lou. If I was doing this at another conference, it would be an event. I great event, but throw in that we are talking to a veteran about planes and now this is not only an event - it's an experience. It is a stronger memory than hanging out in the hotel bar.

The second networking event was at a club that had a live band playing Karaoke. It was very loud, but I was walking in with somewhat of a "What am I walking into? experience." I was with Ray so we ventured further into the club and found ourselves on what looked like an outdoor patio except we were inside. This again brought on kind of a "What is this place?" feeling. We then walked through a hallway of white Chrismas lights into a room with booths lit up with neon green. We picked up some awesome cake in a cup and enjoyed our sugar rush. We walked over to one station where they were making some sort of dessert that was part ice cream cone meets cinnamon roll, meets strawberries and chocolate, meets, WHAT THE HECK IS THAT THING. You could even walk into the giant vault. Did we need an exotic building? No, but did it add to the experience? Sure, as now Ray and I felt like we were in a live dungeons and dragons game waiting to see what the next room would bring.

Their networking room was categorized by subject. There were three tables for podcasters, more tables for YouTubers, etc. It made it very easy to meet your tribe, and then introduce yourself to a new one. The one that was really above an beyond, I was in the speaker's room (a lovely quiet place to go with refreshments and snacks). When the crew I was sitting with mentioned walking over to the place where you could pick up your lunch, a staff member took our order and brought it over to us. This wasn't necessary, but as this was day two anyone had put a few miles in their shoes and this was a super nice touch.

Don't Write Off Icing - It's Important.

According to Betty Crocker's Website, 2 tablespoons of chocolate icing is 130 calories and 95 grams ug sugar. According to the Fat Secret website, a cupcake without icing has 105 calories. With this in mind, 55% of the calories come from the icing, but I'm pretty sure the part of the cupcake that gets people drolling is 100% the icing. This got me thinking about the phrase, "Icing on the cake" and I did some googling as to items that draw people's attention. Here is what I found.

Physical need. When we’re hungry and we see food, we pay attention. We wake up in the night when we need to go to the bathroom.

Self-made choice. We decided to buy a new BMW 325 and suddenly see them everywhere. This effect is also called priming.

Your name. We notice the name dearest to us.

Emotion. If something evokes an emotion in us, they have our attention. Ask anyone about the show this is us.

Contrast. We pay more attention to things that are in contrast to other things.

Novelty. The brain pays more attention to things in the environment that are new to a person’s experience. (see)

Another website stated:

3) You can't understand it: Do you remember the last time you were searching for some information online? Do you remember when you stopped? Most probably you stopped when you got your answers. The things that we don't understand quickly grab our attention and force us to think about them even more.

4) Because you want to run away: Sometimes things catch our attention because we want to run away from the current moment. Nostalgia is a great example where something pleasant that happened from the past quickly grabs our attention and forces us to indulge in thoughts about the beautiful past

5) Because it's cute: You might wonder what does cuteness have to do with attention-grabbing but in fact, studies have shown that we are wired to get distracted by cute little things. Whether it's a small cat or a beautiful baby the algorithm in our brains gets us hooked quickly when we encounter cuteness (See also 7 psychological reasons cats are so popular on the internet)

A Cupcake Without Icing is a Muffin

Although cupcakes and muffins are strikingly similar in appearance, the taste and texture of the two are quite different. Cupcakes are a small, individual cake. They are lighter, cake-like and sweeter. Muffins are defined as a quick bread, usually denser. Another difference between cupcakes and muffins is that cupcakes are almost always topped with frosting and muffins are not.

What Kind of Icing Can Podcasters Provide to Their Show?

Keep them Informed

One of the things at SMMW is I never wondered what was going on. They had an app for your phone and an army of volunteers. I knew when buses were leaving and coming back. I knew where to go, etc. I listen toa lott of podcasts and many of them are like a bus. My friend Erik K Johnson from podcast talent coach says it's like getting on a bus with no name on the front. You have no idea where it's going (so you probably wouldn't get on), and if it took off with you on it you might be a little nervous. At SMMW I felt taken care of. When Emily Prokop of the Story Behind to a Hiatus to have a baby, it was well planned out, and here audience was aware of what was happening. She has some shows in the can to carry us over, and we knew there would be a small break.

Get Your Audience Involved

I know you are probably saying, "I would love to get my audience involved but I haven't got a single bit of feedback." End your show with a question, and ask them to respond. MAKE SURE you have an EASY way to leave feedback. Did you know that in some apps if you put your voicemail number (say from www.podcastvoicemail.com ) your audience can often click it and it will dial your number? If you do get feedback, RESPOND. If possible play it on the show. For the person that hear's their name on a show, it is a mountain of icing. I was listening to Podcast Junkies with Harry Durran and they ended up saying my name three times before the show was over. Did you notice I counted? Do you know why? Icing. Did you notice what else happened? I just mentioned his show.

How is the Subscription Experience?

Contrary to popular belief, rating and reviews are great social proof, but don't do much for really building your show or boosting you up the rankings of Apple. The muffin, in this case, is "Find me in Apple Podcasts." The icing is having an EASY TO FIND subscribe page with step by step instructions on how to subscribe or do it live on Facebook and embed the video. Guide your audience by the hand.

Give Them What They Need

My gift from SMMW was something I needed. It was so cool, and it made a great first impression. How did this happen? This was their sixth year doing this conference. I have a few conversations with Michael Stelzner and he's no dummy. He doesn't rest on his reputation and tries to make each year better than the last. Keep in mind this means when you first start your podcast it may not be hitting a home run, but work with your audience and you can create a podcast they start telling their friends about.

Do What Other People Don't

Jordan Harbinger has a popular show. His interviews are great. Jordon does something that most people don't. Some call it, "the work." For example, if Jordan is interviewing an author, he may put the episode out of few weeks so he can read the author's book. What does this do? First, it is going to be OBVIOUS to the author that Jordan read the book. This will make Jordan stand out in a sea of podcasts hosts who want to do as little as possible in hopes that said author will share their show on twitter. This also leads to better questions and a better interview. Now put yourself in the author's shoes. Which podcast do you want to promote to your audience the one where the host read the book, or the other guy? Who has a better chance of building a relationship with that author? When the author has a new book out in a few years, which podcast is he going to want to appear on. Why? Icing.

Go One More Level Deeper

I sat in Jason Van Orden's session on how to grow your email list. Jason used a word that really hit home for me. The word resonates. You want your content to resonate with your audience. How do I know his talk resonated with me? Well, I'm telling you aren't I? Exactly. He said when it comes to your content you need to know the following

Why does it matter to you

Why does it matter to your audience?

Why does it matter to the world?

When you know WHY it matters to your audience it shows you really know your audience.

Mentioned In Episode 609

Alive Inside Documentary Official Website

Jason Van Orden

Jordan Harbinger

Emily Prokop

Podcast Talent Coach

The Feed Libsyn Podcast

Podfecta Nashville Conference

Craft Content Nashville

Paul Colligan - the Podcast Report

Gary Leland

Check out this episode!

#podcasting #podcast #coaching #new media

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danielanduranb · 6 years

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5 Prominent Indian States Well-Known for their Customs & Costumes

India’s rich cultural diversity is probably the greatest gift that God has ever given to mankind. Accurately mirrored in a vast spectrum of customs and costumes, India’s rich heritage has been aptly visualized by the bard and Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore in these lines extracted from his poem “Dispenser of the Destiny of India”, the first stanza of which has been adopted as India’s national anthem:

“We heed to your gracious call The Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, Muslims and Christians, The East and the West come together, to the side of your throne And weave the garland of love.”

Standing in the 21st century if one had to inhale the beauty of India’s diversity in one breath, he shall have a Himalayan task at hand. With so much to see, feel and experience, it is advisable to explore it in the costumes and cultures of places located in these five different Indian states, each of which is unique in terms of its ethnic wear, festivities and traditions.

Leh-Ladakh: Frozen in Time and Rooted in Tibetan Buddhist Traditions

Photo: https://goo.gl/Q9pr4d

The crowning jewel of India, Leh-Ladakh, located in the state of Jammu & Kashmir, makes time stand still in the frozen and arid landscape of the Himalayas. The biting cold of the region, heavy snowfall, sporadic cloud bursts and snow caped mountains leave their imprint on the ethnic dress code of the local inhabitants of Ladakh. Men sport the traditional thick woollen robe called the “Goucha” that is fastened at the neck and tied at the waist with a sash called the “Skerag”. Women wear a similar robe called the “Kuntop” and sport a shawl on their back called the “Bok” that allows them to carry a baby or essentials of daily chores. Women in Ladakh also wear a traditional hat made of Yak wool or leather called the “Perak”. The “Perak” has three, five, seven or nine streaks of colours, depending upon the social standing of the incumbent. Nick named the Last Shangrila and also the Little Tibet, Leh-Ladakh has strong imprints of Tibetan Buddhism. A major festival is the Hemis, celebrated on the tenth day of the lunar calendar of the Tibetan month to commemorate the birth anniversary of Padmasambhava, the Buddhist monk that along with BhikhuShankarakshita is credited with establishing Buddhism in Leh-Ladakh in the eighth century.

[ Book Hand-Tailored Tour Packages to Leh-Ladakh at Best Price ]

Arunachal Pradesh: The Land of the Rising Sun in India

Photo: https://goo.gl/YbqBQC

From Leh-Ladakh in the north, the garland of Himalayas stretches to the far end of the north eastern region of India. Arunachal Pradesh, known as the land of the rising sun in India is the home to 26 different ethnic tribes and 100 sub-tribes. Each tribe in Arunachal Pradesh follows a unique dress code that is rooted in its folklore, mythology and culture. As on today, major tribes in Arunachal Pradesh include the Adi, Aka, Galo, Nyishi, Apatani, Sherdukpen, Bori, Tagnis, Miji and Bokar. The Apatani tribes use fibres from trees, goats, yaks, deer, bear and human hair to create strikingly beautiful coats, shawls, skirts, sashes and loin clothes that are embellished with various forms of embroidery work. Among other major tribes the Sherdukpen males wear sleeveless silk material of knee length with edges attached to shoulders, while the women wear sleeveless dresses till knee length with a full embroidery jacket. The West Kameng and Tawang districts of Arunachal Pradesh are highly influenced by Tibetan Buddhism. The fourteenth Dalai Lama was born in Tawang. Festivals like the Torgya celebrated on the 28th day of the 11th month of the lunar calendar at the Tawang monastery draw thousands of visitors from India, Western Europe and South East Asia. The bonfire offering of Torma to bonfire symbolizes the destruction of all evil.

[ Book Customized Holiday Tour Packages to Arunachal Pradesh ]

Rajasthan: Sagas of Steel and Sand Soaked in Royalty

Photo: https://goo.gl/dssoch

If there is any place on earth where arid sands narrate a history of valour, chauvinism and pride, it is Rajasthan. The people of Rajasthan led by the local martial race of the Rajputs love their culture, language, music and costumes. The bright colours, designs and embroideries of Rajasthani costumes are an instant hit with travellers from foreign lands. Male attire in Rajasthan consists of turbans, dhoti or pyjama and a kurta. Turbans worn by people offer an insight into their social standing and ethnic origin. People from Udaipur wear flat turbans, while those from Jaipur sport angular turbans with curved bands. Men born into the warrior caste of Kshatriya wear an Angarakha made up of cotton and can portray either a frock style or waist length. The attire of women in Rajasthan consists of a Ghaghara; an ankle length long skirt with narrow waist. Common print styles of the Ghaghara include laharia, mothra and chunari and popular colour codes include red, maroon and dark pink dotted with streaks and dots of yellow. The look becomes complete with shoes called the Jooti made of sheep, camel or goat skin. On festive occasions like Dhulandi, Diwali, Holi or the famous camel fair in Pushkar, men wear silk dhotis with a Zari border. It is customary for women in Rajasthan to wear bangles that cover their entire hands.

Also Read: Most Famous Tourist Getaways in Rajasthan

Chhattisgarh: Baptized in the Name of Thirty Six Forts

Photo: https://goo.gl/F5EaGv

Chhattisgarh derives its name from a legend that there once existed thirty six forts in the period leading to the British Raj. The proximity of Chhattisgarh to Jharkhand and Odisha on the east and Maharashtra on the west means that the state lies in the tribal inhabited stretch of India endowed with the riches of minerals, mined and metals along with a beautiful lush green and dense forest cover. Chhattisgarh is the home of tribes who are the indigenous colors of India such as Gond, Korba, Baiga, Bison Horn Maria, Abhuj Maria and Muria that stay in and protect the natural endowments in the forest areas. Gonds; the major community in the state are known for their unique Ghotul system of marriage and tribal dance forms like the Salai, Suwa and Karma. All tribes of Chattisgarh are proud of their heritage and carry their costumes as symbols of tribal legacy. Both men and women love to wear bright and colourful ethnic tribal attire. A major highlight of tribal wear is jewellery made of metal casts, silver templates and wood. Tribal men wear dhotis made of cotton and linen and top it with head gear that reflects tribal design styles. Tribal women in Chhattisgarh wear silk, linen or cotton saris of knee length that are painted in bright colours with molten wax, called Kosa silk or the lost wax art.

Also Read: Popular Tourist Attraction to Visit on Your Chhattisgarh Holiday Trip

Kerala: Backwaters, Houseboats and Ayurveda; Chicken Soup for the Soul

Photo: https://goo.gl/RfAjFE

Legend has it that Lord Parasurama had recovered Kerala from beneath the seas by throwing his axe to force back the waters. Consequently, Kerala is also called Parasurama Kshteram. There is a certain alluring charm in the natural beauty of Kerala and the natural healing powers of Ayurveda. In fact Kerala is the birthplace of the age-old science of Ayurveda and the amazing tranquillity in its lush green environment augments the recovery of patients from ailments. The lazy elegance of houseboats gliding on the backwaters in Kerala, the ancient temples and a colourful festive calendar dotted with Onam, Vishu and Theyyam and the historical places and monuments that narrate the confluence of the native Syrian Christians, the Malabar Muslims and Dravidian Hindus aptly justify the rationale behind people from across the world lavishing praise on the visual treat in the God’s own country. The fact that white colour defines the most common colour code of the attires of both men and women, only reflects the peaceful ambience of Kerala. Women in Kerala dressed in the local Mundum Neriyathum, a two piece cloth worn around the waist, embellished with a golden border called Kara symbolize the simplicity of Kerala’s culture, except for special occasions like Onam when they wear heavy gold jewellery while breaking into the traditional Kalkotti Kalli dance.

Men in Kerala bear a conservative streak in their dress code and are seen wearing the Kasavu Mundu, made of cotton with a silk border for both daily work and festivities.

[ Check Out Best Deals on Kerala Holiday Tour Packages ]

From the Kerala backwaters in down south, the endowment rich vegetation of Chhattisgarh, the red sand stone built environment of Rajputs in Rajasthan, the tribal heartland of Arunachal Pradesh that is blessed with first rays of the sun every day in India to the timeless Buddhist bliss in snow-capped mountains of Leh Ladakh, India showcases diversity in form and content like no other nation in the world. Each different culture, costume and topography is one of the many colours in the rainbow called India.

The post 5 Prominent Indian States Well-Known for their Customs & Costumes appeared first on Tour My India.

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