From One Direction to Faith In The Future: One Fan’s Review
Jae (@Adorethebrave28), has been a fan of Louis since 2012. They saw One Direction perform live in Oakland and, after seeing Louis perform his solo in Moments, became an instant fan. So far, they’ve seen Louis as a solo artist during the Walls and Faith In The Future tours at Red Rocks, Troutdale, Berkeley, and LA, and they also have plans to see him in New York on July 29th. They have chosen to focus on their experience at Troutdale for the purpose of this article.
On the 27th of June 2023, Louis performed at McMeamins Historic Edgefield Manor in Troutdale, Oregon, and Jae was one of the lucky fans who saw him at that performance.
Seated in the front row of the pit, Jae was looking forward to taking some close up pictures of the show and knew that this show would likely be the only time they would manage to get barricade. Usually, only those who wait for hours, and sometimes days, get barricade and Jae’s life circumstances make that difficult for them to do. However, thanks to a fellow moot, their whole group got some of the best seats in the venue.
Jae spoke about their favourite songs live, stating that Kill My Mind had always been a favourite of theirs because of the amount of energy the crowd and Louis himself have when it’s performed. With regards to the Faith In The Future album, they picked Silver Tongues as their favourite, stating, “I knew right when I first heard the song that the line ‘I don’t feel like going home’ would be amazing live, and it does not disappoint.” They also stated that Louis’ cover of 505 by the Arctic Monkeys was another favourite because of the vibe of the song. Although they admit they hadn’t heard the song before Louis chose to cover it, they now love both the cover and the original.
Jae then spoke about Louis’ infamous barricade run being their overall favourite aspect of the show.
“The barricade run was probably the part I was most excited about, hoping Louis would come close, but I wasn’t expecting him to actually jump directly on top of me! When Silver Tongues first started, Ben (Louis’ security) asked me to remove my pride flag that had been draped over the barricade the entire show, so that Louis wouldn’t slip. I still wasn’t expecting him to come right to me, I thought it was just in-case. He went to the opposite side of the barricade first, and then walked along the front and we all put our arms out to try to touch him as he walked past, but then he stepped up directly in front of me and before I knew it, my hand was on his chest and I could hear him singing directly over my head, not through the mic. It was an experience I’ll never forget.”
Jae confesses this wasn’t their first time having physical contact with Louis. The first time was during a group photo when their finger brushed against his tic-tac–toe tattoo, and then again when signing autographs, a mere brushing of fingers when Louis gave them their sharpie back. However, the barricade moment was clearly Jae’s favourite moment of contact, as it wasn’t a passing and fleeting moment, but prolonged contact during an emotionally heightened part of the show.
“My hand was all over his chest, and he was warm, obviously, because he’d been onstage for over an hour, and firm. The man says he doesn’t work out but he is solid muscle. And then I touched his back and his hair at the next show in Berkeley for another group photo, but it doesn’t compare to the first two times.”
Although the Troutsdale show was clearly an amazing experience, it wasn’t all perfect, as they were pushed and their belongings were trampled by other fans behind them who were desperate to get to Louis.
“Someone from behind clawed at my face, pulled my glasses completely off, scratched me, and trampled all of my belongings that were under my chair. My forehead was bleeding once Louis got back onstage, and I ended up finding my glasses under someone’s foot after the show. A lens was missing, which someone next to me had found and handed to me. I was able to pop it back in, but it’s scratched and the arms of my glasses are broken. They’re still wearable but they fall off and are very scratched. I’ll get them replaced eventually.”
As much as this negative interaction hasn’t tainted their enjoyment and amazement at such a once-in-a-lifetime experience with Louis, it needs attention drawn to it. Going to a show shouldn’t result in physical harm from other fans, nor should it result in damage to your property. We all know how crazy it can get in the pit, and understand that everyone would love to touch or be near Louis, but we must look after each other and take care. We really hope you’re ok Jae and get your glasses fixed as soon as possible.
