Blogs by Ella Fisher

This is a story about me and my best friend. Once again, we just couldn't resist. Alien Ant Farm was coming back to the Netherlands—this time to the iconic Melkweg in Amsterdam. We had to get tickets. And we did. I think we snagged them about six months in advance. Be honest—what's more fun than the anticipation? Nothing. 😊

So naturally, we started brainstorming. What could we do to stand out? Was there such a thing as a full-blown Alien Ant Farm outfit? My bestie went hunting for ideas and came back with genius: neon-colored antenna headbands, matching alien sunglasses, and alien earrings. You know what they say—being prepared is half the work, right?

It was a Tuesday night: June 24- 2025.

We both had work that day, but we still made it to Amsterdam on time. My bestie had the advantage; she was already in town. I had to take the bus to Amstel Station. Usually, when I take public transport, it’s a total disaster. But not this time. Everything ran smoothly—as if the universe was cheering us on. Like, “Go girls, you deserve this. Go get ‘em!” Or something like that. Maybe I’m being dramatic, but you know me… self-proclaimed representative of the universe here.

We met up at Amstel Station and headed to Burger King. Because hey—girls got to eat, right? My bestie always gets low-key traumatized by my fast-food habits. I don’t know what it is, but whenever I’m at Burger King or McDonald’s, I lose all control. We both started out like normal adults—just a regular meal each. But then I was like, “You know what? I could go for a second Extra Long Chili Cheeseburger.” She looked sceptical but agreed to split one. So, I went back and ordered another burger, plus ice cream and jalapeño cheese balls for us both. We were so full, we probably could’ve just gone home and hit the gym instead. But hey—solid foundation before drinking concert beer, right?

And speaking of concert beer… for those not from the Netherlands, let me explain it’s basically watered-down beer. Festival-style. Personally? Total no-go. But I digress.

Here’s where things started to get weird.

Out of nowhere, Public Enemy casually walked into Burger King. Yes, that Public Enemy. And what did I do? Barely looked up. Didn’t even realize who they were until much later. Maybe it was the universe sending us a little sign of the madness yet to come.

We were the first to arrive at the venue. Melkweg has two entrances (maybe more—I didn’t check, so forgive me if that’s incorrect). One entrance already had a long line of Public Enemy fans. And then there was us—just the two of us—standing like proud, awkward superfans at the Alien Ant Farm door. A few other people showed up but chose to chill somewhere else or grab coffee. So it was just me and my bestie, holding down the fort.

And then… it happened.

My bestie suddenly turned around and saw someone approaching. Beanie on. Glasses. She said, “Hallo,” politely. I turned too and echoed, “Hallo.” The man walked into the venue. And then we lost it.

“WAIT… WHO DID WE JUST SAY ‘HALLO’ TO?!”

It was Dryden. DRYDEN. Lead singer of Alien Ant Farm. Yep. We said a casual hello like he was our neighbour picking up the mail. Once it hit us, we couldn't stop laughing. We were mortified. And we kept replaying the moment over and over. I still crack up thinking about it. Honestly, we might be the worst superfans in history. But it was so genuinely funny. Dryden, if you ever read this—we’re so sorry we didn’t recognize you instantly. But hey, at least you passed the Dutch low-key test with flying colours. Hope you got a good laugh too!

We waited outside the venue for maybe an hour and a half. When we finally got in, we took some goofy photos and videos—because let’s be honest, we always look best before the concert starts. Jumping, screaming, sweating... things get messy by the end.

The universe had more in store for us. The “Hallo Dryden” moment was just the warm-up.

While checking out our photos, I accidentally dumped half my beer on my bestie. I was laughing so hard at how ridiculous we looked with our alien glasses, we decided maybe it was best to leave the accessories in our bag. They’ll make a great outfit for a future ugly party though—sweet memories!

Opening act: Tigress
TIGRESS | The Official Website

This band deserves a serious shoutout. The lead singer’s voice? Unreal. We don’t care if it’s the opening act or the headliner—if the music slaps, we’re all in. The singer even mentioned loving our energy (or something like that). It made our night. Not that we do it for the attention—we’re just two girls who can’t sit still. Call it ADHD, I call it living.

The stage was being prepped for Alien Ant Farm. We spotted guitarist Timmy tuning his instrument behind the scenes. You could feel the buzz in the air.

3…2…1… BAM!

They hit the stage, and the place exploded.

Dryden was on fire. His energy was unreal. His voice? Classic Dryden—just like we remembered. We screamed along to every single track. I may have gone a little too hard, though. I legit lost my voice for two whole days. We even have voice notes from afterward—it’s hilarious. There's video evidence of the moment my voice cracked. Absolutely iconic.

This time, we finally got to scream along to “Smooth Criminal.” The last time we saw them in Eindhoven; we had to bail early to catch our train and missed it. But not this time. This night was everything.

After the show, we got a picture with the singer of Tigress. I told my bestie, “Let’s hang around a bit longer. Who knows… maybe we’ll see the band.” But let’s be real—what were the odds? We figured Dryden was long gone. Maybe tired. Maybe just not in the mood. Totally fair.

But once again, the universe had other plans.

My bestie spotted someone in a beanie and whispered, “Wen, that’s Dryden.” But he was already heading to the bus. We didn’t want to be pushy. So we let it go. We didn’t want to be those groupies.

Then we saw Terry, one of the guitarists, chatting with a group of fans. We slipped in and—score! We got to meet him, snap a pic, and have a quick chat. We were pumped. Still, there was that tiny missing piece. I was thinking, “Maybe next time… I’ll get a pic with Dryden too.”

And then my bestie gasped.

“Wen. DRYDEN. He’s back!”

I couldn’t believe it. Was it really him? Did he skip the bus? Change his mind? Either way, this was our chance. Our moment. The universe handed us our redemption.

Let me tell you something about this man:
Dryden is the kindest human on earth.

He took time to talk with us, posed for photos, and even gave us hugs. I’ve never experienced something like that at a concert before. Genuine, warm, and completely down to earth.

Alien Ant Farm—please come back to the Netherlands soon.
And next time, can we get a group photo with you guys and me and my bestie?

Thank you for an unforgettable night.
This was pure gold.