Loud Lights, Loud Crowds: Being Autistic At Concerts

Hello besties, 

I am thinking of starting each talk with a quote or quote of the day. 

Quote of the day: you have survived one hundred percent of the bad days you have faced.

I like this one because not only is it true, but it makes you remember on your hard days you have gotten through them before and more. Today we are going to talk about concerts. Most people love a good concert, me included, I have only been to two concerts before, but I have two booked and planned but are they easy? No. 

I have been to Lewis Capaldi with a friend, and Lauren Spencer Smith with my sister. I have seen Cat Burns and Alex Warren booked for April with my cousin. I loved Lewis Capaldi. It was a dream concert of mine, and I enjoyed it even the bad bits. I cried a lot and my friend and I hugged and took photos and videos, and we embraced the music and the environment as a whole.

Lauren Spencer Smith was a little bit of a different experience as I was with my sister who also has autism so although still an amazing concert it was a little harder.

Concerts are loud, there is no escape from the noise, the second you buy the tickets you must start preparing yourself for the loudness, not just for the singer on the stage but for the crowd singing alongside them, and for yourself singing alongside the singer. Although everyone knows concerts are loud and no matter how much preparation we do, the actual moment the music starts, the moment the singer sings you are taken back, your nervous system jolts and your body tries to fight you to leave, it is natural especially for a neurodivergent. Our nervous system is wired to flight in fight or flight, and that is exactly what happens when the loud noises start. Do not get me wrong once you fight against that, you fight your nervous system you will have the time of your life.

Now alongside the loudness, there are lights, flashing lights, bright lights, lights everywhere, lights that change, move, go dim and then bright again, it makes you want to cover your house and scream which I guess in a concert you can technically do that. Close your eyes and scream it will just look like you are enjoying the concert. But the lights can affect the way we see things, it can make us overwhelmed and somewhat scared and it does. 

Concerts take a lot of preparing, a lot of effort, and a lot of fighting against yourself and your nervous systems. It takes a war between you and yourself to really enjoy it.

But something that can make a concert easier is who you go with, if you go with someone you feel safe with, go with someone who understands you, who knows you, who loves you, and someone you trust then a concert will be easier and more enjoyable for you. However, if you go with someone that makes you feel even the tiniest bit unsafe, then you will spend more time fighting then enjoying, you need someone who will fight with you instead of against you. 

Concerts are an amazing experience, and if you have the chance to go, please do not let your “issues” deter you, please go, please do not sit at home and miss life because you are afraid. 

Next week is book week and we are going to do something new, and we are going to do an in-depth book review of the three books within Rebecca Yarros fantasy series The Empyrean.

Love, 

Your autistic bestie xo 

Book of the week: still Dear Debbie (been a busy week have not had much time to sit and properly read)