⭐️It's Publication Day for Are You With Me!⭐️

Yes, it's here! Publication day for my brand new romance Are you With Me is here!

This story, set over four days at a fictional electronic dance music festival, was inspired by my own visit to my very first festival back in July - Tomorrowland in Belgium - and quite a few of the things that happened to us at Tomorrowland appear in this book: dancing in the rain; extreme weather; fabulous food... Let's put it this way, I did my research!

So, this story is very special to me, because it brings back a lot of memories of my time at Tomorrowland, a truly magical festival. It reminds me of what a very special place it is; how music can bring people together. It's a happy place. So this story is an uplifting one, and I just hope some of you out there enjoy reading it as much as I loved writing it...

Book Blurb

Five people.

Five stories.

One festival…

After quitting his job, Markus arrives at Ethergy – one of Europe’s biggest electronic dance music festivals – with the realization that he’s come to a bit of a crossroads in his life. But he’s determined not to let reality get in the way of the weekend, that can wait until he gets back home, to Iceland. And after striking up a friendship with Sonny – the English girl who’s pitched her tent next to his – he begins to believe that this year’s Ethergy just might be the best one yet. He feels an instant connection with Sonny. She’s beautiful, but guarded, and he wants to get to know her more but she keeps pushing him away at every turn. Has he got time to make her feel that connection, too? Could they be more than just festival friends…?

Sonny has come to Ethergy – her first ever festival – alone. She wants to mark the beginning of the rest of her life, after escaping a controlling relationship, and despite feeling instantly comfortable in Markus’ company, it isn’t long before she’s putting those barriers back up that she thought she’d finally torn down. And she begins to wonder if she’ll ever really be free. But with the help of Markus, a new friend called Winter, and the magic of the festival, maybe she can be. Maybe…

Dutch DJ and producer Arne Vos has played Ethergy every year since the festival began. And this year he’s celebrating twenty-five years in the business by playing an epic eight-hour set on the final night of the festival. He should be having the time of his life, but what the outside world doesn’t know – doesn’t see – is that he’s struggling with the kind of self-doubt that’s caused him to suddenly start questioning everything from his career to his personal life.

He’s been in a relationship with Dutch-Belgian Techno/House DJ Elia Ida for a few years now. A rising star in the world of electronic dance music, Elia’s had to deal with people claiming she’s only with Arne because of who he is and what he can do for her, but they both know the truth. She doesn’t need Arne. It’s him who needs her, and that’s something Arne has trouble dealing with. That, and a past relationship Elia had with fellow DJ Magnus Jennsen, a.k.a. Magma. It got in the way, for a while, and it almost destroyed them all, but they got through it. Or maybe not, in Arne’s case. And with Magnus also playing Ethergy, and Elia still insisting he’ll always be her friend, can Arne continue to accept that? Or fight it. This year’s Ethergy is going to be a very different one for Arne, that’s for sure. In a way he can’t even begin to imagine…

For German couple Johan and Heidi, Ethergy is a very special place. They met there, five years ago. And they’ve been coming back as a couple ever since. But this year, Johan has something very special planned. He’s got it all mapped out in his head, the perfect moment, and Heidi’s going to love it. Isn’t she…?

Heid has an inkling that Johan has a surprise planned for this year’s Ethergy, after all, they have a lot to celebrate. Johan’s promotion. Moving in together. Their future, it’s an exciting one, and Heidi couldn’t be happier. Until she receives a phone call that turns everything they both thought they wanted upside down, in a heartbeat. And they only have the weekend to work it all out…

Can a festival really change your life?

For Markus, Sonny, Arne, Heidi and Johan, yes. It can. It did.

It changed theirs…

Are You With Me - the second book in the Superstar DJ Series - is available to download now, and it's also FREE to read with Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon UK / Amazon US / Amazon CA / Amazon DE / 
Amazon NL / Amazon AU

Want to check out the first chapter? You can do that right now, just click the link below.

Are You With Me Teaser Chapter

And if you'd like to find out more about the characters in the book, and a little background to their stories, you can do that, too...
Are You With Me - Meet The Characters

And if you want to find out more about the inspiration behind the book, check out our Tomorrowland Journey blog posts...

Our Tomorrowland Journey - Part One
Our Tomorrowland Journey - Part Two
Our Tomorrowland Journey - Part Three
Our Tomorrowland Journey - Part Four
Our Tomorrowland Journey - Part Five

And if you'd like to check out Before Today - Book #1 in the Superstar DJ Series, it's available to download right now, also FREE if you have Kindle Unlimited.

Before Today Buy Link

Huge thanks to all of you who are still supporting me, reading my books, and giving me a reason to keep going with this. I'm more grateful than you'll ever know. Thank you! 😍

Michelle x

'Striker' & 'The First Christmas Without You' now available *FREE* with Kindle Unlimited!

I'm now pleased to announce that two of my books published through One More Chapter - a division of HarperCollins UK - are now available to read for *FREE* with Kindle Unlimited!

The two books are sexy soccer romance Striker, and Lapland-set The First Christmas Without You.

This is the first time any of my traditionally published books have been available with KU, so I'm curious to know how successful this is going to be, as it seems to work pretty well for my self-published books. But as these are books I wrote around six years ago it might take a little bit of a push to get people to notice them.

Striker was the first of three books in The Beautiful Game trilogy. Check out the blurb below...

Footballer's Wives meets Jackie Collins in this sizzling scorcher of a read!

Amber Sullivan is an ambitious, beautiful and feisty Sports reporter for a local TV news programme. With an ex-professional soccer player for a father, she's grown up in and around the world of Premiership football, and she knows better than to get mixed up with the men who play the game. 

One of the biggest names in football, Ryan Fisher is young, hot, and talented. He has it all - looks, fame, money, not to mention women falling at his over-insured feet and a lifestyle he's in no hurry to give up. At the centre of a multi-million-pound transfer deal back to his home club, Ryan's a big scoop for a local sports Journalist, and Amber can't afford to miss this career-making opportunity, even if that means having to interview a man whose ego is as big as his talent. But once the tape starts rolling it's clear Ryan's got more than just an exclusive on his mind... and he's used to getting exactly what he wants...

Delving into the lives of those who live and work within the so-called Beautiful Game, 'Striker' is a story of sex, secrets, and the true cost of fame...

The First Christmas Without You is an emotional but heartwarming story set in Lapland, and inspired by my own visit to Finnish Lapland a few years ago...

A story of love and hope at Christmas, this is a truly magical Lapland fairytale...

Jessie Collins has always wanted to visit Lapland. But this Christmas, more than any other, it's the place she feels she really needs to be as she tries to come to terms with a painful past, and a future she really needs to start living...


'Magical' -  Rachel's Random Reads

'A gorgeous book filled with hope' - Amazon Reviewer

'A wonderful Christmas story' - Love For Books

Both of these books are available to read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited through Amazon UK and Amazon AU. So, if you have KU, and you fancy either a new guilty-pleasure, or a moving Christmas read, click the links below to download your copy. And if you don't have Kindle Unlimited, both books are, at the moment, just 99p each!

Striker - Amazon UK

Striker - Amazon AU

The First Christmas Without You - Amazon UK

The First Christmas Without You - Amazon AU

Michelle x

⭐Are You With Me (Superstar DJ Series Book 2) - Release date & Pre-Order details!⭐

We might be hurtling head-first towards Winter, and dare I say it, Christmas, but I'm not one to bow to conformity, which is just as well because we're halfway to November and I'm about to release a book set at a music festival, which are rarely held at this time of year, Tomorrowland Winter excepted, of course.

Anyway, Are You With Me was inspired by my own visit to my very first music festival back in July - one of THE biggest electronic dance music festivals in the world: Tomorrowland. And quite a few of my own experiences at that truly magical festival have been written into this story, but there'll be more about that in the coming weeks. Watch this space... 😉

OK. Check out Are You With Me's book blurb below, and all the details you need to know about its release date, and pre-order info...

Book Blurb

Five people.

Five stories.

One festival…

After quitting his job, Markus arrives at Ethergy – one of Europe’s biggest electronic dance music festivals – with the realization that he’s come to a bit of a crossroads in his life. But he’s determined not to let reality get in the way of the weekend, that can wait until he gets back home, to Iceland. And after striking up a friendship with Sonny – the English girl who’s pitched her tent next to his – he begins to believe that this year’s Ethergy just might be the best one yet. He feels an instant connection with Sonny. She’s beautiful, but guarded, and he wants to get to know her more but she keeps pushing him away at every turn. Has he got time to make her feel that connection, too? Could they be more than just festival friends…?

Sonny has come to Ethergy – her first ever festival – alone. She wants to mark the beginning of the rest of her life, after escaping a controlling relationship, and despite feeling instantly comfortable in Markus’ company, it isn’t long before she’s putting those barriers back up that she thought she’d finally torn down. And she begins to wonder if she’ll ever really be free. But with the help of Markus, a new friend called Winter, and the magic of the festival, maybe she can be. Maybe…

Dutch DJ and producer Arne Vos has played Ethergy every year since the festival began. And this year he’s celebrating twenty-five years in the business by playing an epic eight-hour set on the final night of the festival. He should be having the time of his life, but what the outside world doesn’t know – doesn’t see – is that he’s struggling with the kind of self-doubt that’s caused him to suddenly start questioning everything from his career to his personal life.

He’s been in a relationship with Dutch-Belgian Techno/House DJ Elia Ida for a few years now. A rising star in the world of electronic dance music, Elia’s had to deal with people claiming she’s only with Arne because of who he is and what he can do for her, but they both know the truth. She doesn’t need Arne. It’s him who needs her, and that’s something Arne has trouble dealing with. That, and a past relationship Elia had with fellow DJ Magnus Jennsen, a.k.a. Magma. It got in the way, for a while, and it almost destroyed them all, but they got through it. Or maybe not, in Arne’s case. And with Magnus also playing Ethergy, and Elia still insisting he’ll always be her friend, can Arne continue to accept that? Or fight it. This year’s Ethergy is going to be a very different one for Arne, that’s for sure. In a way he can’t even begin to imagine…

For German couple Johan and Heidi, Ethergy is a very special place. They met there, five years ago. And they’ve been coming back as a couple ever since. But this year, Johan has something very special planned. He’s got it all mapped out in his head, the perfect moment, and Heidi’s going to love it. Isn’t she…?

Heid has an inkling that Johan has a surprise planned for this year’s Ethergy, after all, they have a lot to celebrate. Johan’s promotion. Moving in together. Their future, it’s an exciting one, and Heidi couldn’t be happier. Until she receives a phone call that turns everything they both thought they wanted upside down, in a heartbeat. And they only have the weekend to work it all out…

Can a festival really change your life?

For Markus, Sonny, Arne, Heidi and Johan, yes. It can. It did.

It changed theirs…

Are You With Me - the second book in the Superstar DJ Series - will be released on October 30th, and is available to pre-order right now over on Amazon.

Amazon UK / Amazon US / Amazon CA / Amazon DE / Amazon NL / Amazon AU

And just to remind everyone that, although some characters may appear, or at least be mentioned, in some or all of the books in this series, all of the books are standalone stories.

And if you want to read a little teaser chapter from Are You With Me you can do that right now by clicking the link below.

Are You With Me Teaser Chapter

And if you'd like to check out Before Today - Book #1 in the Superstar DJ Series, it's available to download right now, for FREE if you have Kindle Unlimited.

It's also available in paperback. Click the link below to check it out.

Before Today Buy Link

Have a great day! 😍

Michelle x

⭐️COVER REVEAL! 'ARE YOU WITH ME' - Book #2 in the Superstar DJ Series⭐️

It's time to reveal the cover for the second book in the Superstar DJ Series - Are You With Me.

And here it is! 😊 

Five stories

   One festival...

Are You With Me is a completely standalone story to the first book in the series, BeforeToday, and takes place over the course of four days, at Ethergy, a fictional electronic dance music (EDM) festival, concentrating on five major characters: German couple Johan and Heidi, Dutch DJ and Producer Arne Vos, and solo festival goers Markus, from Iceland, and Sonny, who's from the UK. And you can find out more about all of them, and their stories, right HERE.

Inspired by my own personal experience attending one of the biggest EDM festivals in the world - Tomorrowland in Belgium - back in July (you can read all about those experiences right HERE), and this beautiful track from Lost Frequencies...

... Are You with Me will be out in eBook and paperback in October, but watch this space for pre-order details, which should be coming soon.

But, in the meantime, you can read the first chapter of Are You With Me, for FREE, by clicking the link below!

Are You With Me Teaser Chapter


Before Today - Book #1 in the Superstar DJ Series, and a completely standalone story, as all the books in the series will be - is available to download right now, or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited.
Also available in paperback. Click the link below to check it out.

Before Today Buy Link


Are You With Me - A story about finding yourself all over again, while losing yourself in the music... 


Have a great day! 😍

Michelle x

Are You With Me (Book #2 in the Superstar DJ Series) - Meet the Characters

5 Stories.
One Festival...

Are You With Me - Book #2 in the Superstar DJ Series - is a festival-set story based very heavily on my own experiences at my first ever festival: Tomorrowland in Belgium. (And you can read all about those HERE).

Focusing on five main characters in particular - Arne, Markus, Sonny, Heid and Johan - all from different parts of the world, it tells their very different stories over the course of a weekend at a huge fictional electronic dance music festival called Ethergy.

The book is due for release on October 30th, but for now, come and meet the characters, and find out a little bit more about the stories Are You With Me will be telling...

After quitting his job, 27 year-old Markus arrives at Ethergy – one of Europe’s biggest electronic dance music festivals – with the realization that he’s come to a bit of a crossroads in his life. But he’s determined not to let reality get in the way of the weekend, that can wait until he gets back home, to Iceland. And after striking up a friendship with Sonny – the English girl who’s pitched her tent next to his – he begins to believe that this year’s Ethergy just might be the best one yet. He feels an instant connection with Sonny. She’s beautiful but guarded, and he wants to get to know her more but she keeps pushing him away at every turn. Has he got time to make her feel that connection, too? Could they be more than just festival friends…?

26 year-old Sonny has come to Ethergy – her first-ever festival – alone. She wants to mark the beginning of the rest of her life, after escaping a controlling relationship, and despite feeling instantly comfortable in Markus’ company, it isn’t long before she’s putting those barriers back up that she thought she’d finally torn down. And she begins to wonder if she’ll ever really be free. But with the help of Markus, a new friend called Winter, and the magic of the festival, maybe she can be. Maybe…

 

Dutch DJ and producer Arne Vos has played Ethergy every year since the festival began. And this year he’s celebrating twenty-five years in the business by playing an epic eight-hour set on the final night of the festival. He should be having the time of his life, but what the outside world doesn’t know – doesn’t see – is that he’s struggling with the kind of self-doubt that’s caused him to suddenly start questioning everything from his career to his personal life.

He’s been in a relationship with Dutch-Belgian Techno/House DJ Elia Ida for a few years now. A rising star in the world of electronic dance music, Elia’s had to deal with people claiming she’s only with Arne because of who he is and what he can do for her, but they both know the truth. She doesn’t need Arne. It’s him who needs her, and that’s something Arne has trouble dealing with. That, and a past relationship Elia had with fellow DJ Magnus Jennsen, a.k.a. Magma. It got in the way, for a while, and it almost destroyed them all, but they got through it. Or maybe not, in Arne’s case. And with Magnus also playing Ethergy, and Elia still insisting he’ll always be her friend, can Arne continue to accept that? Or fight it. This year’s Ethergy is going to be a very different one for Arne, that’s for sure. In a way he can’t even begin to imagine…

For twenty-something German couple Johan and Heidi, Ethergy is a very special place. They met there, five years ago. And they’ve been coming back as a couple ever since. But this year, Johan has something very special planned. He’s got it all mapped out in his head, the perfect moment, and Heidi’s going to love it. Isn’t she…?

Heid has an inkling that Johan has a surprise planned, after all, they have a lot to celebrate. Johan’s promotion. Moving in together. Their future, it’s an exciting one, and Heidi couldn’t be happier. Until she receives a phone call that turns everything they both thought they wanted upside down, in a heartbeat. And they only have the weekend to work it all out…

30 year-old Winter is very much a secondary character in the book, but she's also a very important one, for Sonny.
From Michigan, USA, she's the complete opposite to Sonny - wild, outgoing and super-confident. All things Sonny would love to be - all things Sonny once was. Can Winter help her regain her confidence? Her love for life? Her trust in people?

Kristos Garcia is another secondary character in the book, but it's where we're introduced to this charismatic and charming French DJ and Producer, and close friend of Arne's.

The character of Magnus Jennsen (a.k.a. Magma) is a Swedish House DJ. An unpredictable, somewhat edgy character, he's had his fair share of demons to face up to. He has a challenging relationship with a few of his fellow DJs, and sometimes clashes with them for various reasons. Has a reputation as a bit of a 'playboy'. 
A secondary character in Are You With Me, Magnus will have his own story in book #3 of the Superstar DJ series.


                       **All images courtesy of Unsplash**


Told over the course of four days - the length of the festival - Are You With Me is a story about finding yourself all over again, while losing yourself in the music...

Out October 30th, 2019.

Before Today - Book #1 in the Superstar DJ Series, and a completely standalone story, as all the books in the series will be - is available to download right now, or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited.
Also available in paperback. Click the link below to check it out.

Before Today Buy Link

And you can now pre-order Are You With Me right HERE! And get ready to live the magic...



Michelle x

Our Tomorrowland Journey Part 5 - Lessons Learnt...

So, our Tomorrowland experience is over, but, would we do it again? Damn right we would! However, next time - should we be lucky enough to get tickets - there are a few things we'd do differently, thanks to lessons learnt in our first outing...

Get a Comfort Pass

We'd toyed with the idea of doing this this year, but then decided it wasn't worth the extra money. Then the weather happened, and now we've decided the extra money is very much worth it as an insurance against the weather, if nothing else.

Comfort Passes give you extra access to various covered/shaded areas at a few stages, and if we'd had one of those we could've avoided getting so wet on Saturday night, and maybe found a few more comfotable places to sit down during Friday's way-too-hot weather. We definitely could've stayed drier. So, even though you have to pay 0.5 Pearls more for your drinks in the Comfort Areas, we couldn't care. We're saving up and are prepared to fork out the extra to make next year a slightly more enjoyable experience, should adverse weather strike again.

Stay in a Hotel

My husband would've done this this year, if it had been left up to him, but I'd wanted to experience the whole Dreamville camping thing. And, to be fair, the camping experience wasn't all that bad. Our neighbours in the Relax Room area were, on the whole, pretty quiet and respectful, and The Montagoe Area is really impressive. But, by Sunday, because of the rain, our stuff was starting to feel a little damp. And with the shower/toilet blocks being outside, with no shelter, there was one night when I was brushing my teeth out in the rain. So, we've decided that the longer walk to the shuttle buses after the festival is a price worth paying for a good night's sleep, a private bathroom, and a much more comfortable experience, for us. We're a little older than your average festival-goer, remember!!

Don't Even Attempt To Have A Plan

It doesn't work. We tried to have a plan, but very rarely kept to it. Until you've actually been to Tomorrowland, and got to grips with the layout and the time it takes to get to each of the different stages at various times of the day, you can't possibly plan anything. Some advice we were given by a seasoned festival goer was to have one must-see artist per day, and for the rest of the time just go with the flow, and that's exactly what we're going to do next year. We know the layout now, we'll be much better prepared next time.

Invest in A Better Raincoat

Those cheap ponchos are actually OK, to be honest. They leaked way less than the slightly more expensive raincoat I had on, but, next year, I'm going to invest in a better quality rain jacket that's lightweight, but will keep me dry should the rain hit again. It's very much possible to still enjoy Tomorrowland in the rain, you just need to be wearing the right gear.

Make Time To Eat More of the Food!

Because it all looked FAB! Everything we ate was good quality and tasted really good, and there were so many things I wanted to try and never got around to eating. I'll make sure I try a lot more of the food next year.

Dance More

Being slightly older than your average festival-goer, it took me a bit of time to realise that nobody else actually cared about that, and that it wasn't wrong for me to dance/jump/fling my arms in the air and just enjoy myself in the same way everyone else was doing. Next year I'll be getting straight down to the dancing, but my husband's still banned from hardstyle!! 😏

See a Full Armin van Buuren Set

Not denying that 15 Year Tribute he did this year wasn't something else, it was the BEST moment of the entire festival for me. But, I still would've liked to have seen either his full Mainstage set or, preferably, his State of Trance set. He's one of my favourite DJs, so, next year, as long as he's playing the weekend we (hopefully) get tickets for, I'm going to try and make sure I see him play.


Live In The Moment More

I'm a worrier. I worried about the weather, about the heat, the rain, how my husband was handling it (not as well as I was); were we enjoying ourselves as much as we should've been? Was going there a mistake? All of that was going through my head at one point or another, because that's what I do. I worry and dwell on things and then end up regretting that when I get home. Next year, I'm leaving all that crap at the festival gates, and living in the moment more. We won't be able to afford this festival more than a couple of times, so I want to enjoy the times I can get there. I'll have a word with myself before next year... 😉

So, yeah... Our first Tomorrowland outing was an experience, no doubt about that. There were good bits, and there were bad bits, and that's OK. That's fine. Nothing's perfect, not even Tomorrowland. On the whole, it's pretty close, I mean, the sheer amount of organisiation that goes into something as HUGE as that, it's undeniably very, very good. It DOES live up to the hype, but at the same time, it also does have its problems. Not many, granted, but one of the most important ones we came across was leaving the Mainstage on Sunday night after the final end show - that almost got dangerous! With so many people all leaving at exactly the same time, and with some of those people deciding that taking it slow wasn't the way they were going to go, they'd rather force their way through the crowd and try to get out faster, it resulted in a lot of pushing, a lot of frayed tempers (my husband got accused of deliberately shoving some bloke - who kept insisting he was doing it on purpose - when he wasn't, we were literally being shoved against those in front of us by those behind us, and by those who were just trying to force their way through) and there was a point when it started to feel quite dangerous. The bottleneck of people was immense, and because some kept insisting on shoving their way through it really did feel like we were close to some kind of crush happening. And that needs to be sorted, because one day it could quite possibly happen. There were a lot of drunk people there, a lot of people who thought it was their god-given right to push through and not wait in that crowd, and all it would've taken is for one of those people to kick-off, push too hard; all it would take is for someone to start on someone else and a disaster could happen. It was the one part of the festival that just didn't seem organised at all, it felt quite scary at times, to be honest. And Tomorrowland know that, come Sunday, with the majority of people at the Mainstage, way more people than normal will all be trying to leave the same place at once, heading for one of only two exits. But something seriously needs to be sorted out, and a much more organised plan is needed, in my opinion, to get everyone out of the Mainstage area and out to the exits in a safer way, because I didn't feel safe, at times.

That was my only real niggle, however, it's quite an important one. Apart from that, everything else was pretty much there. The stages, the music, the food, the organisation... all of it seems a cut above your average festival, but then, the price of visiting Tomorrowland kind of reflects that. But at the same time, the prices of food and drink there is quite reasonable, for a festival. We spent way less than we thought we would, meaning we got quite a bit of money refunded from unspent Pearls, so, that's all gone straight back into next year's Tomorrowland fund. Because we will - if we're lucky enought to get tickets again - be back. We've learnt from our rookie mistakes, and second time around we'll try and make the experience even better...


If you want to catch up with the first 4 parts of our Tomorrowland Journey, just click the links below.

Our Tomorrowland Journey Part 1

Our Tomorrowland Journey Part 2

Our Tomorrowland Journey Part 3

Our Tomorrowland Journey Part 4

See you next year, Tomorrowland! And thank you. When people say this festival changed their life, they're actually not wrong...


Michelle x

Out Tomorrowland Journey Part 4 - The Music.

So, now it's time to talk about the artists we actually got around to seeing during our first time at Tomorrowland.

We did have some must-sees, and I'm pleased to say that we got to see almost all of those, so, who exactly did we see...?

Friday

This was the ridiculously hot day, way too hot to actually move half the time, so our plan to visit a few stages in the afternoon kind of went out the window. We stuck our heads inside L'Orangerie and saw a little bit of CID, who we'd originally wanted to see, but it was just too hot to dance, to be honest.

Same for the Q-Dance stage, where we saw the end of Zany's set. 

Our day really began around ten to 5, when we went to the Mainstage just in time for the opening show, followed by Mike Williams' set. We found a nice little shaded bit at the bottom of the hill, just to the side of the Mainstage, and sat there and watched for a while before FINALLY getting up and actually dancing! His set was a lot of fun, perfect for the Mainstage at that time of day, as was the next artist to play - Kungs. Both my husband and I really like Kungs, but we hadn't actually intended to see his Mainstage set, however, our original plans were torn up by now, I can't even remember who were supposed to have been seeing at that point, I'm just glad we hung around for Kungs, because his set was GOOD! We had a blast, stuck around and danced for the most part, but then the heat exhaustion kicked in again and we sat back down on the hill, and just chilled out watching the end of the set. Which was nice. And he did a cracking mix of Fisher's 'Losing It' which transitioned perfectly into his own hit 'This Girl'. Clever! 

Next up were my absolute must-sees for the day, all of them at The Garden of Madness - Laidback Luke, Yves V, and Timmy Trumpet. 

Laidback Luke at The Garden of Madness

None of them disappointed. Laidback Luke was on another level, he was amazing! He's just so good at what he does! Doesn't interact with the crowd much at all but that makes no difference, he engaged us all with the music. He played a really great set, in our opinion.

Yves V was next up, and I LOVE Yves V! He's been a favourite of mine for a while now, I just love his sets! And it was great to be able to get closer to the stage than I would've been able to at the Mainstage. The atmosphere was incredible at The Garden of Madness that night for V Sessions vs Freakshow, it was packed! But not so packed that I couldn't have a dance, I mean, I was throwing myself around like no-one was watching, having so much fun at Yves Vs' set. Loved it!

Yves V at The Garden of Madness

Towards the end of Yves Vs' set, though, it started to get really busy, because Timmy Trumpet was on next. And his set was an absolute blast! I mean, it was crazy good! The atmosphere shot up ten fold once he started playing.

However, I'm not sure The Garden of Madness is built for the level of craziness Timmy Trumpet brings. This stage is, basically, a floating stage erected over a lake. And at one point, people were jumping up and down so hard water started to seep through the flooring, both mine and my husband's feet got soaked, so we stepped to the side fearing the whole floor could cave in! Thankfully, it didn't. But there was another point, during 'crowd control' when, again, people were jumping so hard that the roof over the stage was vibrating so much even the Tomorrowland Crew standing next to us were raising their eyebrows! It was insane! The guy ended his set by smashing a bottle of vodka over his head! We couldn't have asked for a better way to end our time at The Garden of Madness, a stage I've always associated with more laid back, chilled out music. Not that night. It lived up to its name, quite literally, that Friday.

We ended the night at The Lotus Stage - mainly because my husband needed the loo and those were the closest ones! But we stayed for a beer and the end of Martin Solveig Live, which I really enjoyed, to be honest. He was good. And it was a nice way to end the night after all the craziness over at The Garden of Madness.

Saturday

Rain put paid to our planned early start, but we finally got to the Q-Dance stage around 3-ish for the end of MANDY's set, followed by most of Keltek's set. And they were both good. I've already said I'm not a huge fan of hardstyle, but my husband is so I wanted him see a couple of sets, and he wanted me to experience some hardstyle live, and to be honest, I actually had a great time dancing around and just letting go, the energy at that stage was wild! However, when my husband also decided to jump around and 'just let go', he sprained his ankle - hardstyle dancing! He got it strapped up by First Aid, though, (who were very, very helpful), and it was only a slight sprain, he could still walk on it, but I've banned him from hardstyle dancing from now on!

We also saw most of Coone's set at the Q-Dance stage, and a little bit of Ferry Corsten at the Kara Savi stage as we made our way back toward the Mainstage, which was packed despite the rain. But Ferry sounded GOOD, so that wasn't really a surprise.

First on the Mainstage for us on Saturday was Salvatore Gannaci, who I wasn't expecting to enjoy all that much, we'd just got there early because Fisher was on straight after him. But I actually loved his set! I mean, the man is a certified nutjob, but he really knows how to play the crowd, and he was so funny! But his set was also really good. One of the surprises of Tomorrowland for me.

After him, it was Fisher. Someone we'd wanted to see, and he was also very, very good, but at this point the rain had started again, and it kind of distracted a little bit from the music, but not too much. I thought this was one of the best sets of the weekend, in my opinion, and of course he ended with 'Losing It'. Which, despite the rain, got everyone up on their feet. Including me.

Next, Vini Vici. Another great set, although it was plagued by a couple of technical problems which saw the music stop a couple of times, which we initially thought might be something to do with the weather, but as no-one else seemed to have had any problems (either before or after them) it possibly wasn't that.Maybe their equipment...? I don't know. Anyway, they got back on track, and again, despite the rain, I was up and dancing.

After Vini Vici, it was David Guetta. By this point my raincoat had been discarded because I was just as wet with it on as I was without it, so I just let myself go, danced in the rain, and tried to enjoy it but, if I'm being honest, David Guetta was one of the sets I'd been looking forward to the most, but probably enjoyed the least, and that was because of the weather. Which was a pity, but that's the weather for you. You can't control it. At least I can watch the set back on YouTube, but I DO remember thinking it was a way better set than last year's, one of the best I've ssen him play. And I did dance a lot! 😃

Sunday

Another slightly later than planned start due to waiting for the rain to FINALLY stop, which meant we only caught the last few songs of Ben Nicky on the Mainstage. After that it was off the the Freedom Stage for Andrew Rayel's State of Trance set. Which was everything I'd hoped it would be, just pure, unadulterated trance. And for some reason, he always makes me smile, because he's always smiling! So glad I got to see him play.

The Freedom Stage - Sunday

Next on the Freedom Stage were Cosmic Gate, who we hadn't planned on seeing, but we hung around the Freedom Stage anyway, grabbed something to eat and a beer and sat down and listened to them while we waited for NWYR. Who were good, we'd wanted to see them, even though we'd already seen them as W&W at The Gathering. But their NWYR sets are quite different, and I, personally, prefer them as NWYR.

Despite Armin van Buuren being on next, we left the Freedom Stage after NWYR to grab more food before heading over to the Mainstage, because no way was I missing out on a decent view for Lost Frequencies, who was the only artist we had no intention of missing. After something to eat we got ourselves a beer and found a place up on the hill at the back (so hubby could sit down, because of his ankle) to watch the end of Solomun's set. And here was another surprise for us. We aren't really Solomun fans, but his Mainstage set was actually really good! It was quite nice, just chilling out, drinking beer, and listening to his music. 

Solomun - Mainstage Sunday Night.

But the one we'd really been waiting for was on next - Lost Frequencies.

And this guy, he was just out of this world! He is so unique, so different, he just blew me away. I couldn't believe I was actually standing there, watching him play, singing along with his songs, he's just something very special.

Lost Frequencies - Mainstage Sunday Night.

And his set was incredible! At the end, when the fireworks started going off, and the music was playing, I remember looking up and just feeling nothing but calm. A beautiful moment of happiness. I really hope I get to see him play again, more than once, and hopefully next year at Tomorrowland.

So, after Lost Frequencies, it was someone else I'd been looking forward to seeing, after missing both his Mainstage and Freedom Stage sets - Armin van Buuren with his 15 year Tomorrowland Tribute, which was just AMAZONG!! I absolutely LOVED it, in fact, it was probably one of my favourite parts of the whole Tomorrowland experience, it was just magical! The music he mixed, the fact he looked like he was thoroughly enjoying himself, and people all around us dancing and singing, it was an incredible moment. One I'll never forget, I was just completely lost in the music. 30 minutes of trance classics mixed by an absolute EDM god! 

Mainstage - Sunday Night

And the last set of the night, which should've been Swedish House Mafia but I don't think anyone's talking about them anymore now after thier last-minute cancellation, was 3 Are Legend, which is Dimitri Vegas, Like Mike and Steve Aoki. I wouldn't have chosen to watch them, to be honest, because I'm not a fan of Dimitri Vegas and Like Mike, and Steve Aoki is just OK, in my opinion. But, they were the final set, and I wanted to stick around for the end show, and in reality they did what they do best - whip the crowd up into a frenzy and create a good party atmosphere. I still danced and sang and I enjoyed myself, but I - and a lot of other people - think Armin should have closed the festival. An hour and a half of those trance classics would have been such a fitting end to the 15 year celebration...

And talking of the end show, how emotional was that? The music, the words being spoken by The Book of Wisdom itself; people throwing themselves into the final few moments of Tomorrowland 2019, it was just incredible to be a part of that. I can't really describe it, it just felt really, really emotional. Especially when the Book of Wisdom closed its pages for the very last time, I swear, I had tears in my eyes! 

Mainstage - Sunday Night

It was the most beautiful end to a bit of a mixed Tomorrowland for us. But I'll remember it for all the right reasons. I saw so many DJs I really wanted to see, a few I hadn't planned on seeing but loved that they surprised me, and I missed some I would've liked to have seen. But, you know, there's always next year...

Next time, in my final post in Our Tomorrowland Journey, I'm going to talk about my thoughts in general on the festival and how, next year, we'll learn from our rookie mistakes. Check that out by clicking the link below...

Our Tomorrowland Journey Part 5 - Lessons Learnt 

And if you want to catch up with the first 3 parts of my Tomorrowland-themed posts, you can do so by clicking the links below.

Our Tomorrowland Journey Part 1

Our Tomorrowland Journey Part 2

Our Tomorrowland Journey Part 3

Michelle x