Interactive Introverts in Malmö

When I came back from my UK exchange, I thought I would never get a chance to see Dan and Phil in real life again. But by some stroke of luck, the Interactive Introverts tour was announced. Denmark was still not on the list of locations but thankfully Malmö was and with rapid heartbeat I managed to book myself a VIP ticket back in November. The Amazing Tour Is Not On Fire had been an incredible show and I was ecstatic to see their new and more personal second stage show as well as getting an opportunity to hug and talk to them.


I'm not the best with unfamiliar travel routes but similarly to what I did in autumn 2015 when I travelled to Cardiff from Bath to see TATINOF, I embarked on a train journey from Copenhagen to Malmö to see Interactive Introverts. It's not so much the travelling alone part - I know that would be fine if I had done the journey before, so it's more that I have to find my way in unfamiliar territory and I always get lost. This time was no exception, despite the theatre being a mere 500 meter from the train station I walked out of. Don't ask me how I managed that. But I asked for directions at a nearby hotel and found the place, while fought to keep myself calm.

VIPs were arriving three and a half hours before the show, so there was a lot of waiting around. A lot of Danes had crossed the bridge to see them, like myself. I don't like crowds full of stranger but I did causally talk to a couple of people waiting and everyone just seemed lovely and nice. It's a nice community, which I already knew from my online engagement. Still, my social anxiety was bubbling below the surface but I managed not to let it stop me. As a VIP ticket holder, I later ended up sitting on the fourth row with all the other people who I had queued with earlier in the day and I was a nice sense of togetherness. Sitting so close to the stage also made it feel extra intimate and comfortable.

The first few hours was a lot of queuing but that was to be expected. First, we queued to get our wristband on, then in two different sections to get to the boys and then finally I queued for the merch booth, which can be seen below. Standing in the queue to the meet and greet, I could sense the jittery nerves of the people around me but it was a good type of excited. It was slightly surreal to see people exit the little room at the top of the stairs with trembling hands and nervous but happy laughs and smiles. For some, Dan and Phil are their idols and I can relate though I would not classify them as my idols (or as my father called them the next day: my heroes), I do appreciate them as people and I love the content that they make and they have had a positive presence and influence in my life.

It was a bit surreal to see the queue growing shorter and shorter. I actually had a coughing fit pretty early on. I don't know if it was nerves or what but I'm glad I was calm by the time I reached the end of the line. The boys' manager Marianne was so nice and we struck up a brief conversation about Dan's selfie skills and it helped take the edge off even more. Granted, I almost walked around the backdrop before it was my turn but it was an accident. 

The moment I rounded the backdrop and I was greeted with the faces I have seen on screen more times than I dare to count, I just felt my heart swell. I remembered it from when I saw them for their book signing in Bristol that they look softer in real life. They also radiate kindness. The moment Phil saw me, he opened his arms while and I walked right into them. I was a little nervous but he gave me a proper and calming hug. Once I pulled back, Dan opened his arms and I quickly hugged him as well. No joke, I had actually asked Marianne beforehand if it was okay to hug them despite knowing the stories from previous meet and greets because it felt important. I know they know that they signed up for but they are still just people and we are essentially strangers. 

I had brought some phan art that I had bought a couple of years ago because I already had their signatures in their two books and some posters and the art tied in nicely with a story that I wanted to tell them. I fumbled with my phone and Dan offered to take the photo and I stepped in between them. I have no doubt that almost everyone says it but they are very tall and I felt so petite standing between those two British lads. Dan quickly snapped four photos and the one below is the best of them and despite not really posting my face on this space, I just wanted to add this photo anyway. (Sidenote: I sent it to Mum later and she commented on how happy I look and she's absolutely right because in that moment I was just bursting with joy).

However, I did feel like everything was passing rather quickly - the hugs, signatures and photos done in about 30 seconds flat, so when Dan handed back my phone I asked if I could just take a moment to tell them something. Both of them paused and I had their full attention. I stumbled over my words at first but I corrected myself and told them how much I appreciate that they are doing something creatively and showing that is a way to succeed. I also got to explain why I wanted them to sign art of them hugging with slight tears in their eyes (art can be seen below and it is by the talented maddox-rider). Sometimes, their videos and even more so their liveshows have been just like the digital hug that you need when everything feels a bit overwhelming. I also got a chance to thank them for the sense of community they have created and for coming this close to Denmark, so I had a chance to see them. Their voices sounded deeper in real life and I saw how they took my words to heart and they genuinely thanked me. I finished by wishing them a good show and rest of tour. 

Like I had observed from others descending the stairs, I felt a slight shake in my hands but a bright smile on my face as I clutched the VIP bag with a little poster, a VIP card to hang around your neck and a rubber bracelet. I got to tell them what I wanted to say, I had a gorgeous piece of art signed, I got to hug them and just seeing their face in real life again made happy. It was the third time I saw them in real life and unlike the Bristol book signing, I did not feel one bit rushed and I felt like I got to have a unique experience with them. Dan even commented how describing their videos as the hug you sometimes need was such a nice way to describe their videos.

Once I had finished, there was still a while until the show, so I lined up to the merch booth and I bought a marble-effect grey T-shirt with the tour dates added in a very non-cliche way as well as the denim jacket I had been eyeing since they announced their tour merch. I couldn't help myself. I also had enough time to walk around and explore the Malmö Live venue a bit. I must say that I was impressed with how things was handled by the staff and the place in itself had an interesting design, which the boys also commented on almost as soon as they had finished the meet and greet. 

I was subjected to more queuing to get to my seat once the doors finally opened but by the time I got settled in the fourth row around the middle, I could marvel at how close we were to the stage. The front row could literally reach out and almost touch the edge of the stage if they wanted to. The show in itself was bloody amazing and I had expected nothing less. Having watched the boys for years, I knew they would never enter into something like this half-hearted.

Like promised, the audience had a lot of say over how the show turned out, partly from interaction on the spot but mostly from the surveys and questions we filled out beforehand. I don't feel like writing down the details because it's really something that should be experienced rather than retold through someone else. I don't have a single photo from the show itself as I refused to break the rule about no photos. There was so many laughs, causal and chill moments just connecting, banter and taunting, smiling 'til your face ached and so much fondness displayed from everyone in the room. I had managed to stay mostly spoiler free but obviously from the video from rehearsals, we knew that Dan was playing piano in some capacity but I still did not feel prepared when that was the last part and they somehow ended on a original song again, just like they did with TATINOF. 

They are not singers but the way that they write songs that instantly connect with us and what they have together is perfect. It doesn't feel as weird as it should. It feels like it makes sense because of the way they go about it. I was blown away by the show, the sheer effort they put into it - around two hours of them being on stage with just a little half hour break. Malmö was the last stop of their European tour but as of today, they are starting shows in America and later hitting some stops around the rest of world.

It was amazing to see these two introverted guys put in all this effort to create something for their community. Like they said so many times and what seemed to become a slogan for the tour: "it's about giving the people what they want". And boy, did they deliver a wonderful show, tailored to our input and thereby unique at every tour stop because of the audience in attendance. I am very happy that I managed to get to see them and their show. They are lovely, kind, talented and creative people that I am happy to watch and support and they have a constant positive influence on my life.