Going The Same way – Tracing Footsteps #3
Each month until June 2017 we will share fan stories from around the world to celebrate Hanson’s remarkable career and Fan Community.
We have invited fans from five continents, to share their experiences and they tell us in their own words, how they have traced footsteps on a journey with Hanson and their music.
Erin’s Story
Erin Davies (@justagurllikeme) – Melbourne, Australia
Hanson has been a part of my life since I was 14 years old.
I vividly remember hearing MMMBop for the first time on the radio while my Mum was driving me home from school. It was one of those songs that I just instantly loved, but I could never have imagined how much it would change my life!
I have met a lot of amazing people thanks to a shared appreciation of this band, including my best friend from high school who I have now shared a friendship with for over half of my life, and also some of my dearest friends in more recent times.
I am so grateful to have had some wonderful opportunities to see Hanson play live in concert over the years, the first of those was in 2004 at the Underneath Acoustic show in Melbourne.
My best friend bought me a ticket for my 21st birthday, and I remember thinking how amazing it was going to be to finally see my favourite band play live. Unfortunately, I was standing behind a very tall girl that night so didn’t actually get to see much at all, but I still had a great time.
Since then I have seen many more shows on 3 more Australian tours in ‘05, ‘12 and ‘14, and have also experienced some amazing shows abroad in Chicago, Tulsa and Jamaica.
I love that every show is so different, even if you attend two nights in a row.
Although incredibly difficult to narrow down, a couple of my favourite concert memories would be the Fan Club member songs show at BTTI 2014 – particularly hearing “Never Let Go” live for the first time, which didn’t just bring me to tears but turned me into a blubbering mess; hearing “Change In My Life” in Melbourne 2012 as I never ever thought I would be lucky enough to experience it live, it was stunningly beautiful; and being a part of the “choir” in Tulsa for “The Sound of Light” EP.
As many fans would agree, choosing a favourite song is just about impossible, but I do have a few lyrics which mean a lot to me:
“Wish I could frame you and this feeling on the wall” – Runaway Run
“When you can’t get through it, you can listen to it” – Been There Before
“Happiness is just a step away” – Get Up And Go
It was a love of Hanson’s lyrics that led me to begin creating pictures of some of my favourites a few years ago just for fun but after a while I decided to post them online and share them with other fans.
I started the Instagram account “@HansonLyricPics” (also on Pinterest and Facebook) which I really enjoy using as a way of combining my passion for Hanson’s music with a bit of creativity.
We have a great Hanson fan community here in Australia. There are many enthusiastic fans and we get great turn outs at our shows. It’s so much fun meeting people that I have previously only chatted to on online but felt like I’ve known for years.
I am also one of the 3 Australian Street Team Leaders, and our Team has a great sense of camaraderie.
We have a lot of interaction with face to face catch ups as well as online events and competitions, and it definitely helps to keep us all connected during times when we don’t have a tour to look forward to.
Hanson is such an incredible band, and I have so much appreciation and respect for everything they do for their fans. Their music has brought a great deal of happiness to my life which I am incredibly grateful for, and I am looking forward to many more years to come.
Many thanks to Erin for sharing her story and memories.
Please do not use Erin’s pictures without credit. Thanks.
Check out Erin’s pages @HansonLyricPics on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook.
