The kids are alright.
This Saturday, I travelled to Birmingham with my 16 year old son and his friend for the gig at the Utilita.
Sam has every album on vinyl, with a preference for the earlier stuff. Music is his identity in the same way being Bi is a core part of his essential self.
I just wanted to say how awesome it was, as a parent, to see how radiant with joy my kid was coming out of that concert. He has learned the most important lesson in life as far as I'm concerned, that mostly life is a serious slog, a chore, but that some days are treasure you hoard forever.
The fans were all so friendly and cool, the atmosphere was incredible outside the stadium and I had no qualms about letting two green little teens go off inside without me.
It's like my kid has had the equivalent of a religious experience. He is radiant, buzzing, almost transformed. This is what music was to me as a teenager (still, to be honest) and I'm delighted that he has such edifying food for his soul.
Just wanted to say, you fans rock. Thank you for being so cool with your younger folk. They're not all Tiktoky dickheads, some of them are as hardcore as you are.