#louis is everything

[yslharryvanslouis]

Crying about Louis’ James Dean photoshoot for The Observer magazine

[theirloveisgross]

what the fuck is this. he's an absolute masterpiece. fucking hell.

[paigeschapterbook]

My recap of Louis’s LTWT2022 Melbourne night 1 show:

This is very late but had a bit of a hard week. And it is a mess of emotions, which is probably pretty apt considering my emotional state during Louis’s show.

I apologise for the rambling. Even a week later, I am still in a state of shock. The PCD is hitting hard but I am still in shock. The truth is, I feel like I am never going to be able to properly express how seeing Louis made me feel. Before I went on Tumblr, I loved Louis in my soul and was the only solo Louie I knew. I spoke about him to friends and family and probably annoyed them with my way of turning things around to Louis. I loved him, hoped for more for him, sent out good thoughts into the universe and hoped they reached him and that he could somehow know that people out there loved him for him, for his artistry and solo career. So seeing the singer, artist, songwriter I chose 10 years ago - although it really wasn’t a choice, I was hooked when I heard him sing and saw his beautiful sunshine smile and perceived the sweet personality that radiated from his very being - was an experience that will live on in me forever. It will stay; a core experience.

I was very anxious leading up to Louis’s Melbourne shows, battling my own head and the night before I received some bad news about work. That wasn’t a great feeling and so that was on my mind. As a result, I was excited but worried. I also didn’t want to have my experience of the show marred by the actions of the crowd. I knew I was so lucky and blessed to be able to see him so I was trying to focus on that.

In the venue, waiting for Louis was a breathless experience. My heart was beating fast, I was feeling so many things. That moment when the lights go down and the music starts, it was electrifying. The screams were loud, piercing, when Louis arrived on stage and took over. The environment just felt special. When Louis is on stage, it feels like everyone in the audience actually is a Louie, no matter how they came to be there at his show. I wasn’t close to Louis but his presence just reached around the arena, wrapping everyone there in the warmth and beauty of his energy. He is just so pretty, even from far away. All this energy and life wrapped up in a beautiful talented slight frame. I think I get why Louis seems small. Obviously he has a slight build, slim shoulders and a narrow waist - and wears oversized clothing and is around men who are bigger and much burlier than him 🫣😊 - but he just radiates energy. Even though I was far away, it’s like his presence just radiates out from him, like his presence is so much bigger than the body which contains it. His physical body seems smol in comparison.

He was in blue and I loved that because my favourite colour is blue, and of course Louis looks fantastic in blue. His voice sounds higher than it does through livestreams. The energy in the room felt high, even through the slower songs. The crowd were swaying, standing for most of it (including me). The music reverberates in your soul and Louis does too, there in the warmth and beauty of his tone, in the emotion, in the way he is a storyteller. I feel like that is who Louis is an artist and live that becomes even more clear. What I live for in loving and supporting an artist is connection and Louis has that ability to connect, to feel that emotion along with the artist and to have it change something within you. Live music is transformative and that is Louis. That personal connection also makes you feel like you actually matter, your support matters, whatever you can do to show support matters and Louis can feel that with you. There is so much warmth and hopefulness and truth in that and it is beautiful, it does matter.

We Made It. It’s been said but it really is the perfect way to open the show. The way the music reverberates and then there is Louis, arriving on stage like the rockstar he is.

DLIBYH is very personal, and I felt that. It’s another song that has always been comforting to me and hearing it live is even better.

TOU is emotional, always. I am so grateful to Louis for sharing this song which is so personal in its expression of grief.

Always You sounds so good live!

Change(s) live is magical. I already loved it and live it is even better. It’s such a warm song, comforting like Louis is.

Fearless live is *chef’s kiss*. The drums. The guitars. Louis. Always Louis. Need I say more?

OTB is so beautiful, a safe space that envelops you in loving light. It is just such an experience; there is nothing like that feeling of safety and warmth that you get from Louis. His beautiful tone moving through this shirt song which makes you want more. I want more of OTB 😭

I just have to focus on Habit as Louis’s song, a song he wrote for himself on his debut solo album - which was released - as he even says: Louis is the storyline. It has some wonderful lines, things that Louis clearly strongly relates to, and I have always enjoyed how the song itself - especially the chorus - reinforces the concept of what a habit/addiction is.

I will never be over Copy of A Copy of A Copy. It is an arresting song that howls through the space, an expression of solo strength but also community comfort and care. Please officially release it, Louis 🙏🙏 OTB and Copy just remind me of each other and I love them both so much ❤️

Defenceless is so strong, vulnerable and heartbreaking but strong in execution and message. It’s like you can hear that Louis in the live version understands, even if he didn’t always, how much he deserves his love and support to be reciprocated. If Defenceless (album version) is a bit of a cry for help, live it is even more of an acknowledgment that there is great strength in vulnerability.

Walls (song) is so beautiful. Screaming ‘You were my because’ at Louis is actually cathartic, a way to in part express how much this human means to me, how his music and warmth have helped me when I could only see the world as dark and cold.

KMM is just so fun, so energetic and the perfect way to close out this beautiful journey of music and artistry and human connection. It was amazing to witness.

There is such a fascinating journey through Walls (album). It shows how respect and vulnerability has to be reciprocal for a relationship to be equal but it also points out that love is personal, love is yours to give or not give, love is a solo song you can choose to share with others (for those who feel love).

Through The Dark sung in Louis’s voice is very comforting. I did always like that song in 1D era despite my mixed feelings about 1D (which really was that I didn’t hear Louis sing solo lines enough), and once Louis started covering it, I only hear Louis singing it in my head and live just cements that. DMD and LBD are better, more rocky and high-energy with Louis singing live than they were for me in 1D. And Michael’s LBD guitar moment is certainly…something.

Louis’s cover of Beautiful War is a truly wonderful experience. The drums, the way the song twines around you, reverberates in your being. Louis’s gorgeous voice, emotional tone, the way he squats to take it all in like the babie he is. 7, amazing. His high note, the way he moves, just his voice on this song 🥵 Louis’s voice covering these songs is transcendent. I can hate comparing covers to the original version but I will say this: before Louis covered these songs, I liked them. They didn’t stick in my brain, didn’t really touch my soul but I thought they were good songs, nice to listen to. Now I love them. I adore them. I hear Louis singing them in my head. I can’t help it, it’s the Louis/Louie effect.

Louis is such a rockstar. He really is. My favourite Walls (album) songs sound even better live - and to be honest even my least favourite Walls (album) songs are still songs I would listen to over most other songs by current artists - and I will never be over Walls (album). No matter what comes next - an album where Louis makes music that is 100% him, which I am eagerly awaiting - I will always hold Walls close to me, for everything that it was and is. Hearing it live is life-changing.

Louis’s band are so good too. Steve is just wonderful and I love his energy. Drummers are objectively sexy - they keep the rhythm, I don’t make the rules - and Steve is just awesome. Michael is obviously so good on guitar, you see why Louis admires his talent. But that is Louis, isn’t it? A genuine appreciator of music. There is something really nice in the chemistry between his band and they all complement each other well. Of course, I also couldn’t really look away from Louis’s figure owning that stage, except when Louis left the stage for Michael’s Fearless solo. I can’t help it, I just look for him always.

The crowd was loud where I was. People were actually doing the projects, especially in certain sections. Unfortunately my section didn’t seem to know about the green lights for the OTB project and so used just normal lights - in videos of the crowd being panned to during OTB, I am one of those green lights - but people were screaming/singing his lyrics and it was everything. It feels like a blur. I was so happy and moved and feeling the moment and it was all so beautiful. I felt connected to the other people in the room, even though I know I would have profound differences of opinion with a lot of the people there. When the break before encore happened, I was waiting with baited breath. I was ridiculously happy when the crowd chanted Louis’s name rather than sing No Control or other 1D songs. Instead, some of the audience tried to do the Oi Oi Oi call, which I think was from the sport chant (Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi) and then people in the crowd started a wave. Not everyone noticed, so someone called out for it again and so it happened again. And then again. That was a nice moment. My sister and I actually had sore ears and a headache from the night so there’s that so at least it was loud enough for that to happen. And my sister goes to gigs with metal bands and the like so she is used to louder crowds.

Louis is so charming and cute and lovely and I adore him more than I can adequately express. He’s truly captivating, glowing up there on stage where he belongs. He fosters that connection to his fans so beautifully, creates a space and a relationship that feels special, real. The way live music is so transformative with Louis and Louies is special. A heartbreaking album transforms into a further expression of strength, of coming out the other side of difficult situations and circumstances and keeping your heart open and loving. Louis understands the strength in vulnerability and he really knows what he is talking about when he talks about music which sounds good live. To witness his first solo world tour is something I will forever be grateful for. To see him on that stage, owning it, having so much fun and being so happy and full of life. It means the world to me. He deserves it so much.

Louis is Everything.

Ending thought: if I could only attend one artist’s show for the rest of my life, I would choose Louis Tomlinson.

Below are photos of my sign, both sides. Not the best photos but I forgot to take them before I got into the venue. I’m just grateful my sister took them, she’s much better at taking photos than I am 🫣:

[so-idialed-9]

Jortsrry on Twitter with the perfect caption and video - look how much eye contact and care he gives to this fan with a trans pride flag

[goldenlarry24]

He is so fucking hot jesus christ🥵

[alarrylarrie]

I just... he DOESN'T HAVE TO DO THIS. You know? He doesn't owe us this. This is HIS life. And yet. And there are still people who don't see it.... I'm so thankful. I'm right here Louis. I see you. I know. It's okay baby. It's okay.

[yslharryvanslouis]

[yslharryvanslouis]

Perfect cozy night at home 🩵