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Showcase & Playground

Not just a piece of plastic

Haggard, the great symphonic metal german band, came to town last January (19th).

The concert, which I attended with some friends, was probably awesome, though I couldn’t really tell from the place I was listening, way back. The sound quality in the venue’s back was not optimal.

Nontheless, I had a good time with me hommies. And after the last song, as is their habit, the band members came down from the stage to greet us fans (and groupies), sign autographs and take pictures. Unlike other artists, these guys are really humble and friendly*.

It’s not the first time I attend a Haggards gig, I have seen them in Deutschland in 2008, and 2014 (06-20). I missed them a few years earlier (can’t recall the date!), when they played the now-extinct local Hard Rock Live, I didn’t have money for the ticket but stayed out (I visited my girlfriend and went straight to the venue afterwards). But in the end, when the gig was finished, I got to enter and found a friend, who was showing off Asis Nasseri’s (the band’s leader, composer, guitar player and singer) pick.

My friend told me that, according to Asis, he only uses one pick in the whole concert, as it “brings him luck”. I was obviously jealous, but took a mental note.

So next time I got to watch them live (that time in Germany), I asked for it. The glorious pick (the pick of destiny). I didn’t get the actual pick from Asis, but got another one from another player.

But this time, last January, I insisted. “Please Asis, I know you only use one pick in each concert, so can you give it to me?”. He told me I should wait until all the fans had taken pics and signed their shits. And I did!

He finally dispatched all the mob around and I got close to reclaim my pick, and as he gave it up, I was frantic, praising my beloved instrument thing.

Watching me in ecstasy, he threw in a somewhat snide remark:

It’s just a piece of plastic!

Well no, mr. Asis, it’s more than that!

The best day of my life.

* I must say that, 12 years away from the first time I met him, Asis felt a bit grumpier with the fans this time. Just a tiny bit ;), and I’m not saying it for his last remark, the piece of plastic thing, that was actually pretty funny.

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It’s not who you are underneath, but it’s what you do, that defines you.

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