#Just a boy from wolverhampton

[harrybirthdaytoya]

At one 1D concert I attended where I was very close to the stage, I was shocked when Liam made eye contact and winked at me less than 5 minutes into the concert. I wasn’t particularly attractive or special. As I watched him, I noticed he did it again, and again, and again, to any fan whose eyes he managed to catch.

That was Liam. Liam wanted every fan to have the best experience possible. He wanted everyone to feel noticed. He wanted everyone to know they were loved. I wasn’t a Liam girl but he saw me, and he cared.

Liam certainly had his flaws. I don’t deny any allegations. But I am devastated (and frankly, a little angry) that mental health, drugs, and arrested development from fame at such a young age broke him.

I will always remember Liam for the heart that was within him that I saw firsthand.

[rbbtruther]

The thing that has me crying now is all of these signs and moments at the memorial gatherings for Liam around the world.

He always wanted us to know how much he loved us, the 1D Family.

[themultifandomgal]

From 2010- Grimmy Chats to One Direction

Part 51

2015

“Hello One Direction”

“Hello Nick Grimshore” Niall says into his mic. I sit in between Niall and Louis while Liam sits next to Louis and Harry on the edge of the sofa

“How are you all?”

“Tremendous” Liam responded

“No Harry you’re not well are you?”

“No. The doctor told him he either had to pick singing or talking so obviously he picked singing” Niall says “he’s downloaded an app so everything he wants to say is going to be spoken through his phone”

“Thanks for having us at radio one” Harry’s phone says

“Now the point of this interview is that you guys will be going on a break, which hasn’t started yet we thought we would get your fans who have been so loyal over the past 5 years to take control of this interview. In 2 days we got 200,000 questions. We’re gonna get through these”

“Hi I’m ebony I’m 16 and I’m from Barnsley. My question is do you have a WhatsApp group chat and if so what’s it called?”

“We don’t actually, but I have them all saved into my phone under different names. Like Louis is 007 because the amount of times on tour he’s snuck up to me is ridiculous, Niall is leprechaun, I know original, Liam is save as koala and Harry is just H” the boys then talk about how we see each other everyday. After a while we finally hear Harrys phone say

“Your still in my phone as Ariel from when you had your red hair”

“Really? I hope I have a mermaid emoji next to it” Harry then smiles nodding his head

“Ok next one”

“Can you do an impression on each other now that you’ve been together for 5 years”

“I’ll go first” I say I take my hair bobble out and just keep running my hand through my hair

“Harry!” Liam laughs looking at Harry. The Louis then does an Irish accent

“Harry?” Nick says

“I’m Liam, im from Wolverhampton” Harry then puts his thumb up

“Sounds perfect. Just like him” I say laughing

“Hi I’m Sasha. What’s your Hogwarts house”

“No one really wants to go in hufflepuff or Ravenclaw” Louis says making me pout

“But I’m in hufflepuff” I say

“You really are a hufflepuff” Liam laughs “I’m Gryffindor”

“Ok boys thank you for that”

“Thank you for having us”

“Can’t wait for the live lounge later”

[mightdeletelater]

when fame turns fatal: the tragic cycle of celebrity exploitation

this blog post was originally posted on my substack

How do you capture the unknowable life of someone else? Someone only seen through interviews, music videos, and invasive paparazzi snapshots? Maybe starting by laying out the simplest biographical details? Liam Payne was born in 1993 in Wolverhampton. He first auditioned for The X Factor at 14. Joined the boy band One Direction at 16. Had a son named Bear at 23. Released his only solo album at 25. And passed away at 31 after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina.

Another approach could be to focus on the photos, the ones from both the beginning and the end. In 2010, when One Direction was formed, judges Simon Cowell, Louis Walsh, and Nicole Scherzinger hovered over a polaroid of a 16-year-old Payne, arranging it with pictures of three future bandmates – Niall Horan, Harry Styles, and Louis Tomlinson – as if they were playing with dolls. "That looks good." "That looks great." "It looks unbelievable." When Payne passed away in 2024, TMZ published zoomed-in, cropped photos of his lifeless body. His arm, and section of his side, both with his distinct tattoos. The article had no warning of the contents. 

Denial of dignity in death is a tragic culmination of a toxic kind of fame, one especially endured by pop stars and teen idols. Payne was simply just another one who was dehumanized throughout his life – by the music industry that propelled him to stardom, by the tabloids, by social media, and even by his own fans. Being idolized can be as depersonalizing as being vilified. He became a pin-up poster, and eventually a literal doll (fans could collect all five members of the boyband). 

The cycle of objectification persisted even after One Direction disbanded in 2015. Payne's solo career and erratic interview behaviour became a source of online mockery. Once endearingly called the "dad" of One Direction for being more serious, ambitious, and occasionally a bit awkward, these traits grew exaggerated over time. His ‘cringe moments’ became viral content on social media. Despite being open about his struggles with mental health and substance abuse, he received little empathy. He was open about by long periods of boredom that came after the highs of performing to sold out arenas which led him to an alcohol and drug addiction and suicidal thoughts. Speaking on the Diary Of The CEO Podcast in 2021, Payne said: “I was worried how far my rock bottom was going to be. Where's rock bottom for me? And you would never have seen it. I'm very good at hiding it. I don't even know if I have hit it yet. I can either make that choice now and pick my last moment as my rock bottom or I can make a whole new low.” While the exact circumstances of Payne's fall from the balcony remain unclear, emergency services were called to the hotel for “a guest who has had too much drugs and alcohol.”

Before his death, Payne was accused by his ex-fiance Maya Henry of physical and emotional abuse, including chasing her with an axe and forcing her to get a self-induced abortion. Last week, Henry had issued a cease and desist against Payne, accusing him of repeatedly contacting her. She also alleged that the singer continuously contacted her friends and family, including her mother. 

The fantasy that One Direction embodied for a generation was always deeply co-dependent – a symbiotic relationship between the fevered daydreams of millions of teenage girls and the dream come true for five young boys. But what once seemed like a fantasy looks more like a nightmare. There is something undeniably troubling about adults marketing 16-year-old boys to children for maximum profit, despite the clear risks to their well-being and mental health. Why do we only recognize this when tragedy strikes? How can we justify doing this to such young people – isolating them from their families, their normal lives, and their sense of self – only to mock them as they struggle through adulthood? How many more lives must the pop industry claim before something finally changes? It all just feels irredeemable. What is someone supposed to do with all that fame and then all that vilification? What does it say about us when there is a market for identifying tattoos from a corpse?

And there will never be closure. Henry will not get justice. Payne will have never beaten his battle with addiction. While the tributes pour in for Payne, it is clear how most of the decisions he made – and that were made for him – never were in his best interest. But that never mattered because the industry chews and spits out young people but will continue to thrive and produce entertainment. Unregulated fame has horrific ramifications, for the person in the spotlight and all the people in their lives standing just outside of it. 

[inkywarden]

This is a long one (fr sorry in advance) but it seems I can't quite put this out of my mind. I've never really listened to One Direction, even if I as a now 32 year old, probably was in the main target audience. I never got the hype, or much more likely, I never attempted to get the hype. I remember seeing them everywhere, and since I do have eyes, I noticed they were good looking boys. I also remember (silently mind you, I was much too edgy for 1D at this point) quickly finding my fav. He looked kind, he had a nice laugh and kind eyes. He was gorgeous, with the kind of smile I fear I will never see again. Tbh I have gone until last week without listening to, or even thinking much about 1d since. I do remember him though, Liam. I've seen him in the news, on social media, and again since I do have eyes, I noticed how the boy with the beautiful smile turned in to a very, very (like extremly??? hello?) handsome man. A man who still had the most genuine, contagious smile. A smile that always spread to his eyes. That was pretty much it for my knowledge of this band, and this man, until last week.

I saw it in the news, and it made no sense to me. How did we go from there to here? I felt.. something, still unsure what exactly. I later saw my old university post a memorial type post about him on facebook. My old university being the University of Wolverhampton, where I graduated as an illustrator in 2015. That's two things, two coincidences that weirdly made me feel more connected to this stranger. The unexplained, undefined feelings I was having suddenly felt heavier. This is when I hyperfixated and consumed just about everything there is to consume about this band, and this man. I'm still not a 1D fan, but I can now, after all these years say I get it. I've seen and read so much about this man and his life now, ups and downs. In the end, tragically, it seemed to be most of the latter in later years.

Most notably, and this actually broke my heart, I noticed how that genuine, beautiful smile that used to spread across his entire face, at some point stopped reaching his eyes. This is sad, it is tragic, and it is infuriating.

The time leading up to, and the aftermath both - the takes i'm seeing out here is wild and lacking in nuance. It feels like everything always is weighed in extremes, and it is neither fair or realistic. I dont know if I feel this way due to my own personal experiences and struggles with mental health, substance and/or alcohol abuse, or if its because this is the field I am soon graduating (career change dw) to work in, and I see many of these issues close up daily. These issues are things I would argue always goes hand in hand, and it is a never a choice one makes. It is a disease. I will never have anything in common with internet people today, and I will never understand this. Whatever the reasons. I will not speculate further. What I choose to believe in and live by is whatever the circumstance, people suffering from these issues deserve some grace. It is hard, constantly, and every day. No one chooses to stay in this illness, and even if they do manage to get out, it is almost impossible to stay out.

Whatever people have done, that is still just an aspect of a whole. A single line on a piece of paper, a small piece of a bigger, much more complex picture. We are more than the worst thing we have ever done. I have to believe this, both for my own sake and for the sake of others. Life is not black and white, it exists in shades of grey.

I am confused about the range of feelings i've experienced over this, and I'm still unsure why I'm affected to this degree but here we are.

I am sad, I am frustrated, I am disappointed and I am angry. Most of all my heart breaks for Liam, who never got the chance to get better, heal, and find his smile again. I also feel actual despair at the thought of this man, that young boy, passing away thinking the world hates him. There's no fixing that now. He is gone. Please, I beg you to be kinder next time. Show some compassion. Give some grace, be kind or at the very least be quiet.

I'm not even sure why I felt the need to post this, as I mentioned before I never had a horse in this race. The only opinion I ever settled on before this last week was that if I, in an alternate universe was a Directioner, I would be a Liam girly. It appears, after all these years, I still am. I dont know what comes when life ends, but I hope you find your smile again. Whatever else, you deserved so much more than this. You were a complex piece, but still so, so beautiful.

You meant so much to so many, and I wish you could have known that in the end.

Rest in peace, Liam. 🎤🎨💙

[allwaswell16]

One Direction fics where one main character is a servant to the other main character as requested in this ask. If you enjoy the fics, please leave kudos and comments for the writers! You can find my other fic recs here. Happy reading!

—Louis/Harry—

🫧 Truth Behind Golden Eyes by MyEnglishRose / @lwtisloved

(E, 228k, servant Louis) A Fantasy AU loosely inspired by Merlin BBC where one relationship has the power to define the destiny of the whole land.

🫧 The Murmur of Yearning by MediaWhore / @mediawhorefics

(M, 93k, land steward Louis) The sudden, and slightly suspicious, death of the Marquess of Haxshire, however, brings great disturbance to Crescentfield Hall and, as his late's husband's closest male relative, Harry unexpectedly finds himself the head of a family he never felt he belonged to. 

🫧 Shooting Stars in the Woods by frenchkiss

(E, 81k, knight Harry) A Tudor era AU. Prince Louis I of England has everything a man could ever dream of, but his lack of husband is driving his father, the King, to madness.

🫧 Behind The Lights by Tomlinsontoes / @pianolouis

(M, 61k, maid Louis) Inspired by Maid in Manhattan, but not the same at all.

🫧 When The Wolves Come Out (series) by NiamJenn1994

(E, 54k, alpha servant Harry) A sort of Bonnie and Clyde AU series with A/B/O thrown in the mix.

🫧 To Be a King Beside You by hilarry13

(E, 32k, royal au) Harry scrambled to his feet quickly and bowed. “Your majesty” Harry mumbled, not making eye contact but instead staring at the ground. “Please forgive me- I was just- um-I’m sorry”. Harry guiltily tried to hide the half made flower crown behind his back.

🫧 dip you in honey by delsicle / @eeveelou

(E, 28k, a/b/o) Anxious about his performance on his wedding night, he enlists the help of his loyal handmaiden Louis to help him practice everything he needs to know

🫧 a dream is a wish your heart makes by orphan_account

(T, 22k, royal au) Fairytale retelling of Cinderella, where Harry is a servant boy who's too kind, Louis is a prince in an arranged marriage, Liam is Harry's step brother, and Niall is Louis' dutiful grand duke.

🫧 Away From Home��by @marchessa

(E, 12k, shipwreck au) the one, where Harry is a servant to the Tomlinson family and he ends up as one of the lone survivors of a shipwreck. But maybe he can still find paradise in the tragedy.

🫧 If I Had One Wish I Know What I'd Wish For by @hilourry

(E, 10k, royal au) Louis is the new servant at the Styles’ castle, and Harry is the Prince of England.

🫧 Maid in the A.M. by @lainy122

(E, 9k, famous/not famous) “You’re not supposed to be here.” The lad frowned at him.“Sorry,” Harry said automatically. Which, wait. No, that wasn’t right. “Um, actually, I sort of live here?”

🫧 The King's Omega by HunterMay18

(M, 8k, servant Harry) An omega with a really dark past becomes the King's new love interest.

—Rare Pairs—

🫧 If I Fall For You, Would You Fall Too? by @slashter

(E, 29k, Louis/Harry/Zayn) the one where Louis is a uni dropout who's just managed to land a new job as a housemaid, and he ends up getting to clean the shared apartment of well-known socialites Harry and Zayn

🫧 wish I could be (part of your world) by carbsoncarms

(E, 3k, Zayn/Liam) Zayn Malik is a servant at the palace of the Wolverhampton kingdom, and Liam Payne is the said kingdom's crowned prince. 

[sweetdreamsjeff]

Jeff Buckley March 2, 1995 Wulfrun

Set List:

Dream Brother

So Real

Last Goodbye

Grace

Eternal Life

Kick Out the Jams

What Will You Say

Lilac Wine

All That I Ask

Mojo Pin

Lover, You Should've Come Over

Hallelujah

Vancouver

Kanga Roo

Venue History:

1990s

During the decade an incredible 1,271 performances were given:

On November 6 1991, just 756 people were in the Wulfrun Hall to see Nirvana play what was to be one of their last gigs in the UK.

The Wulfrun Hall was host to the first of Blur's many visits to Wolverhampton. The band played to 483 fans in the October of 1993.

756 Oasis fans came along for the Manchester band in August '94.

There were very few Britpop bands that didn't play in Wolverhampton – just some of the other nineties names included Pulp, The Charlatans, Cast, Shed Seven, Elastica, Space, Dodgy, The Boo Radleys, Kenickie and Sleeper.

Female musicians were also taking centre stage during the decade with acts including Bjork, Hole, Suzanne Vega, Garbage, Sleeper, Tori Amos, Skunk Anansie, Elastica, Echobelly and Babes in Toyland rocking the halls.

American rock acts also travelled to the halls during the nineties, with performances from Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson, Smashing Pumpkins, Soundgarden and Green Day. Former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl returned to Wolverhampton in '95 and '97 when his band Foo Fighters played to sell-out crowds.

More pop acts including Robbie Williams, Boyzone and Backstreet Boys made sure audiences were bopping while artists such as Salt-N-Pepa, Public Enemy, Naughty by Nature, Cypress Hill and Ice-T and Body Count brought rap and hip-hop to The Halls.

---

From: @darrenashton957 On YouTube

769 views? I was at this gig and Jeff and the band were incredible. It is impossible to do it justice with words, he just blew us all away. I knew we were witnessing something very special. Obviously his voice is like no other, but he had an amazing presence on stage and total commitment.

@chrisseventeen Just one of the greatest gigs I ever saw - a treacherous solo drive to Wolverhampton through ridiculous snow made more than worthwhile by the tightest rockingest band i’d Seen in years. Thanks for posting this gem of a show. Snowball fights with Beastie Boys fans after the show......

@frankdonnelly5475 I made this recording. Takes me right back there to that snowy night in Wolverhampton every time I hear it. Jeff in a half full Wulfrun Hall while a sold out Civic Hall next door hosted the Beastie Boys. People who witnessed Jeff's magic surely had the more unforgettable experience. Thanks Jeff - 21 years gone.

[mooseyspooky]

Spooky!

I have 2 nosy questions: 21 and 44.

😉🌟

21: What I love most about myself

I'm driven. If I want something I try and commit to it. I also really love being able to come with new smut ideas at the drop of a hat. Really handy, that, if I'm honest with you

44: A random fact about anything

I've never had a long term relationship with an American. My first relationship lasted 7 years and was with a boy from just outside Birmingham, near Wolverhampton, and I'm currently in an open nesting relationship/long distance marriage with a transgirl from Dublin, Ireland. We've been together for a little over 6 years.

[didhewinkback]

there's this sadness in my throat that i can't let out because im at work but man this is affecting far more than i expected, liam had never been my fave and i'd written him off a lot time ago and only more so when i found out about the abusive behavior but still there is grief i suppose feelings are just not that simple as not mourning someone or what they represented because they did bad things

yeah i think its all things at once. it is devastating that that boy from wolverhampton died in this gruesome and shocking fashion, that he grew up to be this abusive man. its horrifying how abusive he was to maya and how he treated countless other victims and its all just very very very sad that he had been struggling w substance abuse for so long and could not get the help he needed. it doesnt excuse anyhting he did because many people struggle with addiction and do not abuse or manipulate others but i just cant stop thinking about the boy who would sit in his hotel room doing those twitcams and now hes gone and thats very sad to me

[kingsofeverything]

My dramione loving ass is definitely down for some famous/famous Tom Felton Emma Watson if you’re still willing to share! I hope it involves a skateboard board ride because that Instagram post STILL haunts me

omggggggggg ok so the plan does definitely include that and the famous jeep pic but i haven't written it. so far it's just pretty much a carbon copy of the interview where emma's like "oh yeah i had a crush"

funnyish story, but i was thinking of trying to combine this with my other famous/famous wip where harry's a dick lol but i haven't put much thought into it. anyway here it is!

Traffic in LA is maddening. Louis sighs as he finally pulls into his garage, exhausted from a long week on set. Adjusting to the drive is rough. Maybe Zayn was right and he should pay a driver so he can nap on the ride home. 

At least the weather’s nice. As he’s done every day since moving to California, Louis strips out of his clothes, pulls on a pair of trunks, and dives into the pool in his backyard. He swims laps until his arms and legs feel like noodles, then lifts himself up on the side of the pool and sits there catching his breath. After shaking some of the water from his hair, and tipping his head side to side to clear it from his ears, he climbs to his feet and wraps a towel around his waist. 

On the way to the shower, he checks his phone, finding a text from Niall telling him to watch Graham Norton—which he always records. As soon as he’s washed and dried and dressed again in his softest sweatpants, he turns on the television, but before the show can start, Niall calls again. 

Rolling his eyes, Louis answers, “Neil?”

“Lewis.” Niall scoffs and asks, “Skip ahead to Harry's bit.”

“What?”

“Graham Norton. Harry’s on. Skip ahead to his interview.”

“Harry?”

“Styles.”

“Oh!” Louis chuckles quietly, and fast forwards while he talks. “Thought you meant Prince Harry. Harry Styles. Haven’t seen him in— There he is.” Beautiful. He’s grown into his features and he’s cut his hair, but he’s still obviously Harry. 

“Right, mate. Talk to you later,” Niall says, and hangs up before Louis can say goodbye. 

Louis frowns at his phone, but turns up the volume to listen to Harry's interview.

“Does it bother you? Still being asked about the Super Series?”

Shaking his head, Harry replies, “No. Not at all, actually. I wouldn’t be here if not for those movies. And I know they’re… They're important to a lot of people in a lot of ways. They’re important to me. If, in twenty, fifty, a hundred years I’m remembered for playing a teenage superhero, I’d be thrilled. Happy to be remembered at all, actually.”

“That’s a good way to look at it.” Graham smirks and, “Just one more thing about it then. You’ve said that the Super Series was pivotal for you with regards to your sexuality. Is this because of the fans and the, erm… shipping?”

Louis sits back on his couch, watching as Harry laughs and shakes his head. They haven’t seen each other in years. After the movie series wrapped, they were all off doing their own thing—different movie projects, television shows, guest spots, magazines, charities. Liam even moved back to Wolverhampton and worked as a volunteer firefighter, though that was kept secret for the few months he did it, so none of the fans would become arsonists in an effort to meet their favorite superhero. But the boys all kept in touch, except for Harry. He disappeared completely from Louis’ life, and until a few years ago, he thought Harry just didn’t want to be connected to the movie series or his co-stars. Turns out he just didn’t want to be connected to Louis. 

“Nothing to do with shipping, no. I was very young when we first started, you know. But I think everyone remembers their first crush, don’t they? Only I’d never thought about it. We were a few weeks into filming and I quite suddenly had a crush on a boy.” The audience whoops and hollers and Harry frowns, but clears his expression immediately. “I didn’t know I was gay at the time, so it was a bit jarring. At first I thought I just wanted to be him, so I tried.”

“Oh. Been there, mate.” 

“Yeah. Bought myself a skateboard and helmet and knee pads and everything. Would’ve cut my hair like his, but it was in the contracts that we had to keep the same hairstyle.”

Louis leans forward, studying the telly as if that will help him understand what Harry is talking about. 

Graham Norton laughs. “A skateboarder? I’m sure the fans have probably figured this out already, but enlighten me.”

“Oh, sorry,” Harry says, covering his face with his hands. “I had a horrible crush on Louis Tomlinson. For the first few films actually. It was terrible.”

“Oh, no. Did Louis know you had this crush on him?”

“Oh, yeah. It was obvious. It was so obvious. Everyone knew. I asked him to teach me to skateboard. He was always so sweet—nothing like a villain in real life—and he did try to teach me, but I was hopeless.”

Louis sits there blinking at the screen. He remembers it then—little Harry, a Harry that was shorter than Louis was, with round cheeks and out of control hair stuffed under a helmet. Aside from tutors, the studio had to provide them all with things to do in their down time, and he had begged for a half-pipe. They’d settled with letting him skateboard in the back lot with a few small ramps as long as he promised to practically wrap himself in protective gear. He and Zayn spent most of their free time out there. And Harry joined them once or twice, pushing himself along on his brand new board while keeping one foot a half-inch off the ground. Louis tried to show him how to tick-tack, but as soon as Harry got both feet on the board, he panicked, jumped off, and that was that. He stopped coming around. But Harry hadn't had a crush on him. Or at least, it wasn’t as obvious as he seemed to think it was. Louis had no idea. Besides, they were children. 

He tries to tune in and listen to the rest of the interview. Harry talks passionately about his charity work and what he’s doing in the UK involving LGBTQ+ youth. But Louis’ mind keeps drifting back to the almost decade long working relationship they had while filming the Super Series, wondering when the crush faded, and when Harry decided that Louis wasn’t worth keeping around for even friendship, especially since he talks of their past so fondly. Finally, he gives up and turns the telly off, calling Niall again.

Niall doesn’t answer with a greeting, just says, “Harry and Louis sitting in a tree—”

“Shut up, Ni. I had no clue about any of that. Did you?”

“Nah. But it’s Harry. He flirted with everyone before he knew what flirting was. Think it’s just his personality.”

“Well, thanks for the heads up. I’m sure that’ll be a talking point when I’m on the Late Show next week.”

When he goes to New York for The Tonight Show, it’s the first thing Jimmy asks him about and all Louis can do is tell the truth. No, he didn’t know about Harry’s crush, but they were practically babies back then. All he remembers is being worried about his hair and his spots and whether he’d get any taller. 

He fields the question at all of the other interviews to promote his new show, and by the time James Cordon asks him about it, he’s tired of the question. Unlike the other repetitive talking points, this one starts to bother him and a part of him wants to respond to Cordon’s follow up about whether he and Harry have discussed it with the truth. Which is that they haven’t spoken in years. But he knows that would only lead to more drama and more questions and he’s not up for that. Thankfully, Late Late is the last stop on his short promo tour. 

On the way home in the back seat of the car he hired for the day, his phone rings. An unknown number. Of course, he dismisses the call, but they leave a voice message, and as soon as he sees the beginning of the transcript, he listens to it. 

“Heyyyy this is Harry Styles. Wanted to apologize for the trouble I caused you. Call me if you can.”

[natromanxoff]

Roger Taylor live at the Wulfrun Hall in Wolverhampton, UK - March 30, 1999

Fan Stories

“I'll never forget the night I saw Brian and Roger at Wolverhampton Wulfrun Hall, my home city (well, actually, it was a town then, we didn't become a city until the end of 1999!). It will stay with me forever, although I live in hope they will return one day with some new material! We had no warning in advance about Brian coming, not even as a guest just to watch. The band arrived quite late on at the venue (well, I'm not sure if it was late but it was getting on for 5pm I think), they didn't mention it but we heard them soundchecking 'Rock And Roll' and according to legend one of the roadies told someone that BHM was coming when they asked if there was a special guest. We thought it was going to be Robert Plant as he lives nearby, about ten miles out of the city. It certainly wasn't going to be one of Slade, lol! We weren't let into the venue until really late and when we got in we could see tinkering with some AC30's by someone that looked suspiciously like Pete (BHM's roadie). He had a really naff rain mack on and was desperately trying to hide the Red Special underneath it. Well, it looked remarkably like the nick of the RS! Nobody knew for sure that Brian was going to be there, most people seemed oblivious to Pete being there even. My mate said maybe someone was going to play an RS copy but I told him he was being silly. The set list was different to usual and I was waiting for Brian every time they played a Queen song. When he eventually emerged (dodgy shirt!) for 'Under Pressure' the place went mad. In between 'Under Pressure' and 'Rock and Roll' he did say something which was lost in the moment but listening to the recording of the night sounds like 'Lot of fun, init?'. The roar was immense. When Roger announced they were going to do something from the past I was hoping it was going to be an early Queen track, I suppose I should have guessed it was 'Rock and Roll' having heard the sound check. The final moment of the evening brought us 'Radio Ga Ga' and I have to say it was one of the better moments of my life seeing two of my heroes up on stage and being part of the mass of people doing the hand movements. I missed the real Queen, but this was the next best thing for me. Treana's guitarist (Alden Evans?) looked totally swept away being on stage with Brian. Mind you, wouldn't you be? Apparently Brian arrived in a VW Camper van and was mobbed when they left afterwards, leaving Roger to walk to his mode of transport almost unnoticed! It was just after this that Roger announced they were going to do some new stuff (still waiting...) but events around that time seem to have led to the musical and the current status of tour rumour. I walk by the Wulfrun quite often and I can never get that night out of my mind. I was buzzing for weeks, months afterwards, even now it sends a shiver down the spine. Wonderful!” - Dave

“Arrived with Cathy Highfire (many many thanx to Cathy for driving and even suggesting going to Wolverhampton) around 11.30 and joined up with the small queue (Hi Sandie, Kevin & Lisa). Quite a subdued wait, until the gorgeous Treana was spotted getting off the bright orange Tour Bus. A mass exodus followed to greet Treana, who as always was extremely charming. Managed to get the Surrender 7" signed by her and also a 9"x6" photo that I took during her fantastic performance at the Leadmill. Had a very brief chat with her, which resulted in her telling me that she was enjoying the tour, although it was very tiring. She then mentioned that we were in for a treat in tonight's performance (teasing us with the line 'That's if HE turns up'). Who could this special guest be?????? Waiting for RT to turn up at the soundcheck, we discussed the special guest. Could it be local boy Noddy Holder (Surely not!) or a repeat performance from Uncle Bob Geldof?????. Our suspicions were roused when the band started to intensely rehearse Led Zep's 'Rock and Roll', and we all jumped to the conclusion it could be local lad Robert Plant. We just had to wait and see. RT once again managed to slip into the soundcheck (at around 6.15pm) with only a couple of clipboarders getting autographs. Then no sooner had we heard the soundcheck, it was time to be let in. AAAAArrrrrrrrgggggggghhhhhhhhhhh. Very annoyed to be extensively searched before going in and finding that the doors to the hall were actually locked and we had to congregate in the bar next door. After all those hours of queuing, a disorganised array of fans was waiting impatiently to get in. Finally we were let in and rushed to the front. Phew managed to get there OK. We then had to endure a 90 minute wait before Treana came on to do her routine set. Absolutely storming as usual. If you've not seen this lovely lass weave her magic spell with that fantastically powerful voice, then you must!!!!!!!!!!. Long may she continue. With an empty stage, and lights back up, tension was mounting with the crowd for the arrival of RT, which we all knew to be imminent. The suspicions of the special guest were roused even more, when there was some tinkering with a vox amp and a very familiar guitar being tuned (with the technician trying not to show the guitar to us). The tension became greater when the lights dimmed and an aural opening of someone entering a room and turning on the electric fire, at which the cue of strobe lights and the fire on the stage backdrop lighting up. The drums of We Will Rock You belted out with Prior and RT behind his Sleishman drum kit thrashing out that familiar beat. Moving down to centre stage, RT (wearing that same jacket and Armani shirt) took to the raw and vibrant vocals (this time word perfect); a somewhat more energetic performance than that of BM in '98. Still a storming show opener. Then it was straight down to recent times with Pressure On, Haircuts and Believe in Yourself, with the crowd getting behind the lyrics of Haircuts and pointing at RT during 'You're so f**king cool', with which RT pointed to us all on the front row, smiling away. Roger particularly enjoyed the green pair of skimpy knickers thrown at him by Lisa of Newcastle during I Want To Break Free ("This ones for John Deacon" - RT), which he duly picked up and threw at Jason Falloon ("rhymes with Balloon" - RT), laughing. Treana joined RT for London Town and Surrender and then they were off. RT managed to shed those shades for the 1st encore, which consisted of I'm In Love With My Car and Strange Frontier, which Cathy and probably most of the females, screamed uncontrollably.

For the 2nd encore, RT announced that he "found someone wandering outside" and duly announced... "Mr Brian May!!!!!", who entered (wearing another very loud shirt) the stage to a receptively large applause. A quick friendly gesture with RT and then straight down to business, with Under Pressure (Treana once again with immense vocals). Then it was onto Rock And Roll (in place of Happiness), with BM taking his 'normal role' of lead guitarist and letting RT have all the limelight. Finally the superb set ended with Radio Ga Ga, finishing another great performance (fuelled by the appearance of BM). Good to witness RT + BM back on stage together again. The sound was awesome, although a little distorted sometimes at its' loudest. My ears are still ringing the day after!!!!!!!!!!!!” - Dr. Andy Green

(x)

[live-laugh-loverpool]

Who Heals The Healer?

Tags: @millythegoat, @alissonbecksfan234 @moomin279, @rubybecker-rb2, @lfc-fanfiction

Warnings: angst

Song is "Why Worry Now" by Nana Mouskouri

I'm not going to do that again. I won’t let it happen this time.

It had been six days since the Brighton game. Six days since Klopp had ran away from the stadium without a trace. Six days since Lijnders had decided not to go look for him, and, soon after, saw something completely unavoidable. For the first time in forever, he saw what a broken promise looked like.

I hope this will teach you your lesson, Pep Lijnders, the awful voice in his head had screamed at him once Klopp had disappeared into the elevator. That same voice had convinced Lijnders to leave Klopp alone, something he would regret for the rest of his life. He’d broken a promise they'd made: we'll find each other, even when we're lost.

Indeed, the voice showed Lijnders some of the worst things in his life. It had also shown him the consequences of his actions—including a fight that had been threatening to break their friendship.

Klopp had seemed pretty forgiving, if the events on Wednesday were anything to go by. But Lijnders still continued to be eaten by guilt; he hadn't deserved such forgiveness. He needed to do something more.

So after losing heavily and humiliatingly versus the Wolves, Lijnders swore to himself that he would never do that again. He would find Klopp, wherever he’d run off to, and tell him that it was alright. He was and always would be there for him, and he’d never let him go.

But first, Lijnders needed his phone. He knew next to nothing about Wolverhampton, and the last thing he needed was to get lost while trying to find Klopp.

Lijnders jogged into the away office, huffing and puffing after running up three flights of stairs. It took him exactly half a second to completely forget about the phone.

Klopp had the phone at his ear, so loudly that Lijnders could hear it from the door. But he didn’t speak into it, or even seem to regard what was being said. He simply rocked back and forth in the chair, at the same rhythm and intensity.

Lijnders had never seen Klopp behave like this, not even after some of their worst losses. The younger man was about to ask what was going on, when Klopp’s audio switched from what seemed like news, to a more familiar voice. 

“Hallo, mein kleiner Junge!”

Mein kleiner Junge. Lijnders didn’t know much German, but he identified enough to know that the audio had started with my baby boy. He concealed himself behind the door jamb so he could hear more without alerting Klopp of his presence.

“Einen schönen 4. Februar – haha, ich weiß, das ist keine Sache nach dem Kalender. Aber wie ich immer sage: Es ist unser Leben und wir entscheiden, wann wir Urlaub haben. Am 4. Februar ist dieses Jahr ein Biertag! Stellen Sie also sicher, dass Sie Ihr Bier trinken ... aber nicht zu viel und definitiv NICHT, wenn Sie sich in unmittelbarer Nähe eines Lastwagens befinden. Wir wissen, wovon ich spreche, Sohn.

“Bleib gesund, Juri. Dieses Coronavirus zerstört unsere Welt von Tag zu Tag mehr und diese verdammten FIFA-Leute tun nichts dagegen! Liebe, Mama.”

Lijnders smacked his palm against his forehead hard—it all made sense now. How could he have been so oblivious before?

He stepped out from behind the door, suddenly alerting Klopp of his presence. “You’ve archived your mom’s messages, haven’t you? That’s why you ran off on Sunday.”

“Bingo.” Klopp didn’t even bother to turn the phone off, or look at Lijnders. “I guess you were right after the match. I did want some time alone.”

“You didn’t have to run away to get some time alone,” Lijnders gently chided him, taking a seat at the desk. “Just tell me, and I’ll kick everybody’s behinds out of the way.”

Klopp smirked at Lijnders’ little joke, but it was only temporary. “The boys must be so worried…”

Lijnders could read Klopp's thoughts from a mile away. “Enough about that. Hendo and Milly will manage for fifteen minutes while we stay here. And while I apologize.”

“For what?”

“Leaving you alone on Sunday. I was so worried you'd run away again today that I started searching for you like crazy. This place is huge.”

Klopp nodded, but still refused to grant Lijnders eye contact. “It's all forgiven. After all, I can't stay mad with you for long.”

Lijnders raised an eyebrow. “Why's that?”

Lijnders expected Klopp to say something like “you're my best friend” or “it was just a misunderstanding. He did not expect what Klopp actually said.

“It's February 4th and I don't know what to do. Mom would always find random objects to celebrate, and in 2020 it was beer. But I don’t know what to celebrate now.”

Lijnders couldn't believe his ears. “You want me to choose the random celebration object? But isn't that…”

“Yes, it's a family tradition. But you're like a brother to me.” Klopp got up from the chair, turned off his phone, and rested his hands on Lijnders' shoulders. “And honestly, I can't figure out what to celebrate today. I mean, in 1999 it was shower gel! And in 2014 we celebrated dirt, and in 1986…”

“Let's talk about that on the bus. We only have half an hour before it’s time to go,” said Lijnders, glancing up at the clock. He felt guilty for forcing Klopp to stop telling the anecdotes—it seemed to be helping him. But the officials would come searching for them if they didn’t leave within the time frame. Then again, if they left now they’d never get to do anything for February 4th.

“I know…” Lijnders dug out his phone from his pocket, quickly swiping through it and going to Youtube. Klopp had done this for him three days ago, and now seemed the perfect time to repay the favor. “Let’s celebrate Nana Mouskouri. How does that sound?”

Klopp shrugged, leaning against the desk. “As long as you don’t remix it with Kostas’ rap songs, I’m good with the Greek.”

Lijnders hit the play button, and the slow yet sweet melody diffused from the phone, filling the room. Mouskouri’s coloratura voice accompanied the instruments in dulcet tones.

“Let’s dance,” Klopp suggested out of nowhere, taking Lijnders’ hand.

“Dance?”

“Come on, it’s not like we’ll be the next Michael Jackson or anything. Just slow dancing.”

Lijnders hesitated before taking Klopp’s hand, resting his other hand on his shoulders. “I sure hope none of the boys catch us now.”

It turned out that while Klopp was a terrible dancer, he could manage a slow dance without too much miserable failure. They quickly apologized every time they stepped on each other’s toes, the apologies quickly dissolving into laughter.

“I swear if the boys catch us, they’ll try to set us up,” Klopp joked. He and Lijnders were on their third song and still dancing. “This was a good idea, though.”

“I’m glad it was. I hate seeing you like this,” Lijnders admitted. “I wouldn’t mind if the boys tried to set us up, though.”

Klopp slapped his shoulder, but he couldn’t keep his chuckles in check. “Shut up.”

Why worry, there should be laughter after pain

There should be sunshine after rain

These things have always been the same

So why worry now

[themultifandomgal]

From 2010- The Start Of The Live Shows

2010

Part 3

Nervous is not the right word to describe how I’m feeling for the first live show. We’ve been rehearsing everyday and night. We’ve gotten to know each other really well in such a short amount of time and I’m so lucky to be in a group where we all actually get along. At first I think it was a little weird for them having a girl in the group, but we know that if we do well in this competition then we will have to just get used to being around the opposite sex. I just get off the phone with my dad and walk back into Harry and Liams shared room where everyone else is

“YN we’re needed to film our VT”

“Ok let me just run to my room and slap some makeup on”

“You don’ need any” Harry says. I give him a small smile

“Thank you, but I’m in a group of good looking lads, that girls will fall head over heals with. I don’t want to be the slob of the group. I’ll be 5 minutes, tops” I quickly go to my room opposite and put on a little foundation, blush and mascara, nothing crazy just enough to make me look alive. Then we all head to the room where VTs are being filmed. I sit on the floor between Zayn and Liam

“I’m Louis, I’m 18 I’m from Doncaster”

“M’Harry, m’ 16 and m’Cheshire”

“I’m Niall I’m 17 and I’m from Mullingar in Ireland”

“I’m Liam, I’m 17 and I’m from Wolverhampton”

“I’m YN in 16 and I’m from Shrewsbury”

“I’m zayn I’m 17 and from Bradford. When we were practicing this song I was off time with the music. Obviously I can’t make a mistake like that on the live show”

“We’ll be ok” I smile at Zayn next to me. Once our VT filming is over we’re told to go and rest up ready for our first live show tomorrow.

Nervously we stand waiting to be introduced. My hands are shaking while holding on to the microphone. I take some deep breath trying to settle my nervous stomach

“We’ve got this” Niall puts his arm around my shoulders and gives me a squeeze.

We get into positions and music starts playing. The stage is revealed in front of us and we start singing Rule The World. During the song all of us become more and more comfortable and confident, especially when seeing Simons smiling face.

“Well guys I loved what you did with the song, you made it your own. I love how YNs voice stands out, but also blends with the rest of you. Well done” Louis says smiling

“You look like you fit together. You look like the perfect band. When I heard that there was going to be a girl in a boy band I was confused” Danni laughs “but it works”

“I have to agree with Danni. You look fantastic you sound good but I can tell you just a little more time getting to know one another and get comfortable with each other, but that will come with time. I am so happy that Simon agree to have you YN because although I couldn’t see you as a solo artist, I couldn’t see you and your talent go. You fit in so well”

“We took a risk and what was so impressive is how you help each other. I know YN you’ve been very nervous today and yes you could hear that in your vocals, but you all supported one another and that’s what a band does. It was brilliant”

Thankfully we stay in the show week after week and we are so so grateful.

[wikifoxnews]

Who was Cody Fisher ( Footballer, 23, stabbed to death on packed nightclub ) Wiki, Bio, Age, Crime, Incident details, Investigations and More Facts

Cody Fisher Biography                                                  Cody Fisher Wiki

A man stabbed to death on the dance floor of Crane nightclub in Birmingham on Boxing Day is named Cody Fisher.

Cody Fisher 23 , from Redditch, was stabbed to death while 'spending an evening with friends' at the Adderley Street headquarters in Digbeth, West Midlands Police said. A relative of the family at the Fisher home in Studley told MailOnline: "As you can imagine this is a very difficult time for the family. We are devastated and trying to make sense of it. "Cody was a wonderful boy and the family had a wonderful Christmas. It's all really heartbreaking. West Midlands police were called to the Crane nightclub just before 11.45pm following reports of stabbings. Cody Fisher was pronounced dead about 30 minutes later. Partygoers slammed security raids at the event, recalling a "gloomy" atmosphere inside the venue. Sydnee Power from Birmingham described "groups of children" who were "trying to stir up trouble". The 23-year-old said: "When my friends and I walked in we were in a very strange mood and the mood was not good. "There were just groups of guys everywhere, most of whom looked in a bad mood. "A lot of them were definitely trying to cause trouble, they clearly weren't there to enjoy the music." An 18-year-old man from Wolverhampton, who declined to be named, said the accident was a "disaster to come" as security searches were rare and "anyone could have brought something up". He said of the security searches: "Not once were me and the friend I was with asked to empty our pockets, even though mine were full. I was wearing cargo pants with full pockets. "They didn't even touch me when they smelled me, they just followed the outline of my body with their hands and then stroked me to tell me to go. "Obviously you want everyone to have fun and have a good time (but) when we walked in I said to my friend, 'This is the worst quest I've ever seen. Everyone could have contributed something." Crane canceled its New Year's Eve event in light of the incident and said it was working closely with police as they continue the investigation. Cody was a footballer, previously at the Birmingham City academy and before that as a youth trainee at Walsall FC.

In September 2018:

He was signed by Stratford Town where he established himself as a first-team regular before joining Stourbridge FC. Stratford Town Football tweeted in memory of their player: "Everyone at Stratford Town Football is saddened by the tragic loss of one of our players, Cody Fisher. “Our heartfelt condolences go out to Cody's family and friends. Our thoughts are with you at this very difficult time.” Tributes for the "great guy and good friend" rained on social media following the news. Among those paying tribute was former professional footballer and current manager Darren Byfield, who said: "I've seen tweets before about the boy who was stabbed in Digbeth and just found out he was a player I love under contract when I was at Stratford Town. "Cody Fisher RIEP, your family will be in my prayers." Meanwhile, one person said, "One of the good guys, Rip Cody." Another wrote: "Rip Cody a great guy and good friend will always cherish the memories bro." A third added: 'What a shame to tear Cody was a great person. Police have opened a murder investigation, but no arrests have been made.

CCTV Footage

Detectives watch CCTV from the nightclub which hosted an event featuring Italian DJ Marco Carola and British artists Steve Lawler and Mason Maynard. Video from inside the club, captured before the stabbing, shows hundreds of revelers enjoying the music amid flashing lights. The crime scene remains closed today as police gather evidence, with increased patrols in the neighborhood over the coming days. Cody Fisher has been named as the man who was fatally stabbed on Boxing Day on the dancefloor of a Birmingham nightclub https://t.co/3pkN0wHhDH — The Times and The Sunday Times (@thetimes) December 27, 2022 A statement posted to the club's Instagram page said: "We are all deeply shocked and saddened that a man lost his life last night as our Boxing Day event drew to a close. Our hearts go out to the victim, his family and his friends. "We are working closely with West Midlands Police in the investigation of this crime. We encourage anyone who has witnessed this incident or this information. “We know there were hundreds of people in the nightclub at the time. Although we have already spoken to a number of them, we still need to hear from everyone who was there and witnessed or even filmed what happened. "We believe the victim was approached by a group of people and then stabbed, so we are working hard to identify everyone involved." Read the full article

[moonrver]

I can unload a whole essay about this but yes, I agree. I'm not a linguist, I'm just a Scouse who went to Oxford and made a lot of observations about the different layers of poshness and how they're presented via accent

Alex is the poshest and that checks out bc Alex has a classic old money background which I think people don't realise bc he lives with his mum and barely mentions his biological dad (I don't know if he's even in contact with him these days?) but he was literally born in the same hospital as the royal children. I think he also has a slight lisp as well? Which I've found a lot of posh people tend to have, almost like they're tripping over their own pronunciation (I call this the boris johnson effect)

If you watch videos of Lando as a teenager he has a *very* posh accent which he seems to cover up now. His accent now I think makes him sound like he's speaking English as a second language? Probably something he picked up from his mum but I think it's also as an effort to cover up his naturally posh accent. As others have mentioned, the poshness comes out in force when he's angry though.

George is SO interesting to me bc I think he's actually the least posh of the three, despite his very carefully constructed image of Britishness and poshness. In my mind, George is the opposite of myself as a very self-consciously constructed Scouser bc regardless of his actual wealth and background, he will construct his accent and identity around those stereotypical images of poshness. I think he's actually quite new money with his dad being from? Wolverhampton? I think? And his mum being a hairdresser? Unless I've got it wrong. His family seem to be what I call the classic 'Thatcher Family'- from East Anglia, small business owners that have done well for themselves and so have made a very considered effort to blend in with the old money (the opposite of my own upbringing in Liverpool lol). I think George is the most 'normal' in his actual personality- he's the biggest football fan of the three, his turns of phrase and cultural references are very 'normal' and I think his natural accent is just your standard Southern accent, something you can hear when he's pissed off (most notably when he crashed with bottas and said "is 'e a fuckin' prick or WOT")

This was rambling but yeah. Alex and Lando are you're established posh boys. George is one of the many many many people who are desperate to be.

And Lewis....Lewis has left the UK behind him, he has one of the most shining examples of a modern transatlantic accent hehe

Any of u British or know British F1Blr people? I just got curious about how British people read George, Lando, and Alex's accents respectively. To me (from the US) and a lot of US based fans the accents all kind of sound the same, which is why I think George gets the extra reputation to US fans of sounding "posh" when UK fans don't necessarily perceive him that way.

Meanwhile I've noticed that Alex's accent almost sounds like how the Royal Family talks on The Crown (flattening ahhs into ehhs, like pronouncing "lap" as "lep" and "accent" like "eccent"). And Lando just sounds like. British? IDK.