“Walk this way” - “Heroes”

Many of you know I went to Graspop Metal Meeting 2023 with a mission. Not only was I going to have the best time ever, I was going to see, hear, admire and get the attention of a specific band member of The Hollywood Vampires; Johnny Depp.

I gave him a spot in my 1-0-1 series because I survived puberty thanks to him. The countless characters he has portrayed have fueled my imagination. Edward Scissorhands taught me the world is not always a fair place but everybody has a purpose in it.

The plan was to give him an envelope with a handwritten letter (to say thank you), a creative self portrait (to show thank you) and a mask made from an imprint of my face (to give the man an opportunity to walk around freely and anonymously). Everything seen from a symbolic and artistic point of view, from artist to artist.

The second I tried to go to the front stage I realized my mission had a success rate of about 0,3910%.

I was surrounded by a sea of handwritten signs. A small anthology: “fuck Amber Heard”, “forever my Jack Sparrow?”, “Will you draw my tattoo Johnny?”, “Bucket list: meet and greet with Hollywood Vampire”, “drum sticks please”, “I love you Johnny”,...

When the Hollywood Vampires started their set, it was surreal, the voice of Alice Cooper was pristine, the drums, guitars, keys were all played by extremely skilled men.

I felt like a kid who’s entered the biggest vintage candy store on earth, with an unlimited budget and teeth made of steel.

A sad moment was when Johnny Depp dedicated a song to his late friend Jeff Beck. Somehow at that exact moment a fight broke out right behind me because some people tried to sneak closer to the stage while people who’ve waited there for hours did not want to let him through. Security had to be called, and what was clearly meant as an emotional homage, was interrupted, the moment gone for good.

I never saw a man be such a victim of his own success. He’s talented, he’s friendly. Gosh, he still looks good, but everywhere he looked people went insane. At some point I felt a bit guilty to be there with my sign. I do understand now why he’s so surrounded by security, why it is literally impossible to reach him. People, with every good intention and with all the love they feel for him, bombard him every microsecond he looks in their direction, with their wishes, their stories (the good, but mostly the very emotionally sad ones).

It looks like he pays a big price for his fame, as he probably pays a big team of people who sort out the fanmail. That is why I decided to not attempt any further to give him my 1-0-1 package via a concert or premiere. I’ll try to send it to his fan mail address and let his people decide whether it is meant for his eyes. If it’s not, I'll accept it gracefully.

Next time The Hollywood Vampires come around to play, I’ll be there, not front row, not with my camera up, I’ll be there to enjoy the moment and the music these 5 brilliant heroes produce.

And last but definitely not least: Thank you to everyone who had their hopes up and fingers crossed for me! If there was 1 certainty in this whole adventure it is no doubt you were the most supporting family, friends and colleagues a girl could wish for!