When I heard Turnstile was coming to Indonesia, I freaked out a little. I was hesitant to buy the ticket for several reasons. So I chose the hard ways: through quizzes and competitions.

Alhamdulillah, out of four competitions I won one. It was from Senayan City Mall. I got 3 tickets for Day 2 since they were handed out randomly for each winner. Turnstile was on Day 3, so I contacted other winners hoping one of them would trade with me. Out of six people, two responded, and one was willing to trade. THANK GOD! God bless her soul.

For the last couple of concerts, I don't know why my mood was sorta off. But this one is different. I was so excited despite going by myself. Probably because I had to go a great length to get the ticket. There was a sense of pride and fulfillment.

I was not scared at all even though this was my first hardcore-ish show (I'm not going to say 100% hardcore show because c'mon, it's at We The Fest). 

I got there at around 6 PM and The Adams were playing, it was always a pleasure seeing them. My favorite part was when they played 'Timur' with Palestine Flag visuals behind them. Somehow the lyrics fit perfectly.

They were done at around 7 and since it was only 30 minutes to spare until Turnstile, I decided to stay at the venue and read an e-book. 

To be completely honest, I've been a fan of this band for not too long, only three years. But they had a huge impact on me back in 2021, I was so in awe heck I made a post about them. I remember seeing 'Holiday' music video and being instantly hooked simply because Brendan Yates' voice reminded me of the Beastie Boys. I had no idea that they were going to be as big as they are now, nominated for Grammys and headlining big festivals around the globe.

I also respect them because of how disciplined and consistent they are. I heard from Yates' interview that they have to work very hard every single show and it shows. Every performance I watch on YouTube is top-notch, no exception. What differentiates is the crowd which is usually always full of energy. 

All of that is proven when I saw them with my own eyes. It's been three years since 'Glow On' album came out and they've been touring non-stop ever since, but the quality of their show hasn't diminished. They were charming, each and every one of them (Franz Lyons, Daniel Fang, Pat McCrory, and Meg Mills). Yates wasn't really communicative but that wasn't a problem at all. I think that's the appeal of the band, just let the music speak for itself.  

The crowd was fun too, some of them were two-stepping, moshing, crowd surfing, or a combination of all. I was standing in front of the left big screen at the barricade so I was safe and the people around me were mild. So no one kicked me in the head!

I also saw some people who stayed in front of the barricade for the next performer (Omar Appollo) and couples who were in shock of the crowd. They were busy trying to survive or running away from the pit. Sorry, but it was funny. They had no idea this was the type of crowd capable of trashing the trash bin in half. 

Another favorite moment during Turnstile set was when some people brought Palestine Flags and chanted "Free Free Palestine!" Mind you, flags were banned at the festival so I heard the person in possession was caught and dragged by the security. None of us minded tho, even Turnstile and Daniel Fang (drummer) were posting a video with the flag visibly shown. But I understand since it didn't follow the rules. 

There was one unexpected moment, I was heading to a prayer room since I had plenty of time before Joji's performance. But on the way I saw people were crowding someone and I saw Franz Lyons! Unfortunately, he was in a hurry, and like a moron I just stood there. I even had to snap myself out of my starstruckness to take pics of him (which I didn't like because I felt like a stalker). But funny enough I helped a couple take a photo with him last minute, HA! But it was fine, meeting him was a bonus for me and he looked like he was in a hurry so I didn't wanna get in the way.

Everything went smoothly I didn't have major complaints just one important lesson: I will not top-up tokens via Ismaya app. Here's the thing, at We The Fest, most transactions are through tokens. One meal is usually worth 1.5 tokens. I bought 4 tokens worth IDR180.000, so 1 token is IDR60.000. In the end, I still had 0.5 tokens left. But when I woke up it was no longer valid (valid only until 5 AM the next day) and I lost IDR30.000. Not much, but lesson learned.  

Another thing that bugged me was the V.I.B / V.I.P area which was too spacious. I get that they wanna make money, but idk it just seemed too vacant during Turnstile, it could've been more packed. Again just my two cents.

I was sure that Yates almost at the end of the set said "I want you all to be up here" which was customary for them, but no one jumped onto the stage. Was I trippin' or hallucinating? I think not, because eventually, he jumped down to greet the crowd. I think it's because the barrier between the V.I.P and General Area was too wide so it was harder for people to go on stage.  

All and all I was happy. Seems like there will be new fans of Turnstile after this and I truly don't mind it. I'm not one of those gatekeepers who despise their favorite band just because they get more famous. I was that person once, maybe all of us were (or still are) but I moved past that phase, got more important things to think about.