Avril got me through...

It’s fair to say that if Snow Patrol and Regina Spektor got me through leaving my home and its mortgage after the breakup of a long term relationship, then Avril Lavigne got me through being single.  I have often spoken about what a large role music plays in my life.  I read into the lyrics, find them beautiful or moving, sometimes just a bit of fun or a call to action. 

In the days, weeks and months following my life upheaval, I moved in with my very own set of cute marrieds.  I was worried that this would be some kind of sweet torture, we were and are all still best mates and I was concerned that they would show me all that I was missing out on, and perhaps regret my decision.  The truth was far from that – they showed me what I should have had those 5 years, and that my decision was the best that I could have ever made.

But, they must have been sick of hearing Eyes Wide Open by Snow Patrol.  I became attached to that cd like nothing else.  I would get up on a Saturday morning, throw open the windows and doors and clean to that album.  And when that one finished I would put on Regina Spektor.  I would play it in the car constantly and listen to tortured love songs…

And then along came Avril’s album The Best Damn Thing and everything changed.  She sang like a woman scorned and who deserved better.  With songs like I can do better and I want everything back but you – I began to grow stronger and realise that I did deserve better and that there was no way that I was the pushover that I was pretending to be.  In a strange co-incidence my sister became single not long after me.  We used to sing/scream out Avril in the car on the way home from town, watch her DVD after we had put Sam to bed – strangely he is not a fan???  In fact when I emailed my sis to tell her that I had tickets to our pint sized punk idol, she sent me back a one line email.  You are a c!*t.  And I laughed as she was so very jealous.

This Thursday, I indulged my addiction and trekked out to Hammersmith to see Avril Lavigne put on the second of her two London shows.  I was feeling average with this stupid virus that has seen me ill for the last 6 weeks and was wondering if I should be at home rather than embarking on what would be a highly charged show. 

 

The reviews of her Wednesday show were not good, she had been faced with a stalker that day and had reportedly lost her voice.  When we were awaiting her arrival and a box of tissues was bought out on the stage I was disappointed to say the least.  I had been looking forward to seeing her for ages.  She did not fail me though.  Although she was 20mins late, which in the grand scheme of things is about normal, and could not hit the high notes, she put on a high energy show.  The woman is tiny, both in stature and limb, but the voice and the passion that comes out of her is large.  She sang with vigour and was jumping around the stage like I expected of her.  For someone who was clearly unwell, and god knows, I know how she feels right now, she stood up for the crowd and did her thing.

I happily sang along to all of my favourites and a few of the new songs, whilst giggling at the 8 year olds in front of us who danced around and screamed the lyrics to Girlfriend.  The crowd was a very strange mix of people.  There were the people who had been fans since they were teenagers – like me.  There were lots of Japanese people, woman wearing head scarves, punk looking men, children with their long suffering parents and a load of people from Essex.  So I guess I am not the only one who is moved by her.  I guess when your music reaches such a wide range of people, you have done your job and then you never work a day in your life.

So who or what got you through a rough patch, do you associate songs with times in your life like I do?