Tales of an Emergency Trainee

Teenage Dream

TEENAGE DREAM

PART I

It’s 2008. I’m 13 years old, and my life is dull and grey. School has become my one and only reason to live.

I don’t have anything else apart from school. I don’t read, I don’t write, I don’t go out, and I certainly have no hobbies beyond watching TV. I have been catapulted into a very comfortable life that requires little to no input from me. I envision myself becoming a thespian, acting out Shakespeare’s great works on stage. But it’s not like I do much about that either. I study the literature on our syllabus and nothing more. I’m drifting aimlessly through life, unaware of how badly I’ll eventually want to start all over.

That year, a few massive hits came out, including Katy Perry’s I Kissed a Girl and Hot N Cold, and Lady Gaga’s Just Dance. As much as I liked listening to those songs on the radio, I didn’t think much of them, let alone go online to look up more of the artists’ music. You see, back then, even music was something that just happened. I listened to it on the radio if it was already playing, but that was it. The only song I remember belting out as a kid was Kelly Clarkson’s Since U Been Gone in 2004.

Other than that, there were only songs on the radio, songs from TV adverts and Christmas music during the festive season. Music, much like everything else in my life back then, felt unimportant.

The Voice That Gave My Life Colour

Unimportant though music might have been, I still remember hearing Katy Perry’s voice on I Kissed a Girl for the first time and being entranced by it. There was something about its raspiness and power that captivated me.

When If We Ever Meet Again – her duet with Timbaland – became a hit in 2010, I was hooked. It was the first time I actively googled an artist so I could listen to more of their songs. In effect, Katy Perry’s One of the Boys became the first album I had ever heard from start to finish. Her music had me charmed. By the time she announced her next album, Teenage Dream, I was a full-on KatyCat. I knew every word to every one of her songs, including the unreleased and leaked tracks.

I still remember logging onto her website to hear snippets of her upcoming single, California Gurls. Neither she nor I knew that the album would go on to break all sorts of records. Its first five singles reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, making her the first woman, and only the second artist after Michael Jackson, to achieve five number-one singles from one album. Over a matter of months, Katy Perry had become the undisputed queen of pop. For all intents and purposes, Katy Perry was the one who got me into music. Because of her, my life went from dull and grey to vibrant and colourful.

From then on, her songs became linked to every memory, every mood and every experience. From the first time I allowed myself to sing out loud, belting California Gurls alone in my room, to feeling the wind running through my hair as I drove along a coastal road listening to Teenage Dream. From dancing and singing our hearts out to Firework during our medical-school graduation, to introducing E.T. to my classmates shortly before it was released as a single. From looking back on Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) whenever I ended up hammered at a party, to crying to The One That Got Away whenever someone got away. And whenever someone did get away, I would let it all out to Part of Me, remind myself that I didn’t need them and realise through Wide Awake that I already had everything I needed all along.

Through Every Era

When Katy Perry embarked on the California Dreams Tour, I followed every show religiously. I would have given anything to be there and watch her perform live. Unfortunately, my finances didn’t allow it at the time, not to mention that I had never even considered travelling back then. And so, all the while, I followed her from the other side of the world.

The release of Prism seemed to prove everyone who thought her golden era was over wrong. Witness, on the other hand, marked the beginning of a more difficult chapter. The album received mixed reviews and failed to match the commercial heights of the two that came before it. Katy later admitted that the public reaction contributed to bouts of situational depression. Smile also received mixed reviews, while 143 was received far more harshly.

I, on the other hand, remained an avid follower. She was the one who had gotten me into music. I was gonna stick with her through thick or thin. Plus, her voice, the very thing that had hooked me from the start, was still as unique and glorious as it had been back then. Actually, it had become even better over the years!

Seventeen Years in the Making

By the time The Lifetimes Tour reached the UK, it had been more than seven years since Witness: The Tour ended. Finally, with some money in my bank account and far more experience with travelling, I could see my queen perform live.

The moment ticket sales opened, I got my hands on two VIP tickets for her Manchester show on 8 October 2025. I would be going with Akash, my forever concert buddy. After Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour the year before, his expectations were sky-high. Time and time again, he would send me reels from Katy’s tour, highlighting the occasional cringeworthy moment and repeatedly emphasising just how unexcited he was about the whole thing.

I, on the other hand, wasn’t worried. Katy Perry had gotten me into music. Of all the pop celebrities I follow, she has always been the most fun and light-hearted. Her concert would be incredible no matter what. In fact, I hardly watched any tour videos. I wanted the entire thing to be a surprise. And music-wise, I knew I had nothing to worry about. I practically knew every syllable of every song she had ever sung.

I compartmentalised the excitement so well that, by October, I had practically forgotten about it. First of all, September had been a blur. I had two exams, my birthday-week celebrations and then two weeks of overtime to make up for all the leave I was about to take. Second, my short trip to Manchester would serve mainly as a layover, since I had planned my annual big October trip around Katy’s concert.

And so, I left the Manchester planning in Akash’s hands and, right up until we had to leave, I hardly thought about it.

PART II

Manchester Warm-Up

But now it was finally time. Seventeen years in the making. Seventeen years of music. Seventeen years of fun, joy, excitement, exhilaration and passion. Seventeen years of sadness, misery, grief, tears and heartbreak. Seventeen years of all that and everything in between. She had gotten me into music, and she had been with me through it all.

Finally in Manchester, with everything packed for the big trip that would shortly follow, I could barely contain my excitement. This time, though, it was all about Katy Perry. Screw my big trip. She was the main event. With Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl having come out just five days earlier, I cast it aside and had Akash and me both listening exclusively to Katy Perry. I made sure he watched some of her greatest performances, mainly her Rock in Rio appearances, the Super Bowl XLIX halftime show and her 2024 VMAs performance. Needless to say, the list could have gone on forever, but I had little time to work with.

On the day of the concert, I went for a stroll around the city. I had been there around ten years earlier for a Doctors Academy Summer School with some friends from medical school, who are now my colleagues, but it felt like I was visiting somewhere completely new. To be fair, we hadn’t had much time to explore back then, but it felt unlike me to have missed some of the city’s main attractions, including Manchester Cathedral and the John Rylands Research Institute and Library. I made sure to visit both before spending a few hours simply roaming around the city.

After lunch, I returned to the apartment where we were staying and had a short nap. I’d be damned if I was going into such a momentous occasion anything less than well rested.

The Longest Wait

Fresh and ready to go, Akash and I made our way to the AO Arena. I was literally brimming with excitement, unable to stop myself from trembling, my eyes filling with tears every time I remembered that I was gonna see my idol. It all felt far too surreal.

Brandishing our VIP tickets, we skipped almost the entire queue and entered the venue within seconds. Here, we were given a 143-themed necklace and an orange watch and then led to a waiting area where, together with the other KatyCats, we patiently awaited the start of the concert. Most fans were wearing Katy Perry-themed costumes and outfits. A few stood out more than others, including an astronaut inspired by her recent and controversial trip to space, the pharaoh from Dark Horse, a soldier from Part of Me and an over-the-top drag queen who kinda stole the show. And then there was us, dressed in normal, everyday clothes. I genuinely hadn’t had time to think of a costume!

After what felt like an eternity, we were finally allowed inside the arena. Although I had decided not to spoil the tour for myself, I had done some research into the stage layout. It turned out that she would spend relatively little time on the main stage at the back of the arena. Instead, she would run around an infinity-shaped track extending out across the floor. I had reasoned that the best place to stand would be at the outer tip of the infinity symbol.

The two pits inside its loops would also be crammed with people, and when I booked the tickets, I figured the view from there might not be as good. And so, the second the doors opened, we rushed towards the spot I had chosen. We were right against the infinity stage, meaning we would be only one or two metres away from the legend herself.

A few more hours of seemingly endless waiting passed before the opening act began. It was Goldie Boutilier, a Canadian singer I had never heard of. I gotta admit, she was awesome, but despite her powerful stage presence and vocal prowess, I couldn’t wait for her performance to end. Not that I wasn’t enjoying it, mind you. I just wanted to see the goddess I had come for. It had been 17 years in the making. It was about damn time, and I couldn’t wait a single minute more.

PART III

The Lifetimes Tour

It was time. It was finally time for her. The stage, which until then had been lit by several monitors showing scenes from her music videos, turned black.

Then, in true Katy fashion, a video appeared and introduced the concert’s story. Mainframe, an AI entity, had taken over the world and stolen all of its butterflies. KP143, a half-human, half-machine cyborg, was tasked with destroying Mainframe once and for all. To set the butterflies free, she would have to fight battles, clear obstacles and pass a series of tests spread across several levels, collecting enough hearts to bring Mainframe’s dominion to an end. The scene finished with the creation of KP143, and then the stage went dark once again.

From the centre of the infinity stage rose a series of neon-coloured hoops. Inside them was none other than the friggin’ legend herself. Tears streaming down my face, I could hardly believe I was finally in the same room as her. Seventeen years in the making. She had gotten me into music. She had been there for me through it all. And now I was finally seeing her live. Alongside the other KatyCats, to whom it clearly meant just as much, I bawled my eyes out and felt immeasurably grateful and lucky to be there.

It was a whirlwind of emotions, but I guess one prevailed over all the others: pride. I was so incredibly proud of her. Proud of everything she had created over the years, of the incredible concert she had put together and of how far she had come as an artist, both in her performance style and her vocals.

The Setlist of a Lifetime

Because the concert unfolded like a video game, it was split into several levels, each featuring a different selection of songs:

- - Level 1 – Artificial
    - Artificial
    - Chained to the Rhythm
    - Teary Eyes
    - Dark Horse

- - Level 2 – Woman’s World
    - Woman’s World
    - California Gurls
    - Teenage Dream
    - Hot N Cold
    - Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)
    - Peacock – snippet
    - I Kissed a Girl

- - Level 3 – Nirvana
    - Nirvana
    - Crush
    - I’m His, He’s Mine
    - Wide Awake

- - Level 3.5 – Choose Your Own Adventure
    - It Takes Two – snippet
    - No Tears for New Year’s – snippet
    - I Do Not Hook Up
    - Ghost
    - Swish Swish – instrumental interlude
    - Unconditionally
    - All the Love

- - Level 4 – Mainframe
    - E.T.
    - Part of Me
    - Rise

- - Level 5 – Endgame
    - Roar
    - Daisies
    - Lifetimes
    - Firework

Needless to say, each level featured different costumes, choreography and set pieces, and each was incredible in its own way. I’m not gonna mention all the crazy things she did, like her stunning aerial routine during Nirvana, riding above the crowd on a giant butterfly during Roar or firing pyrotechnics from her arm during Rise. I’m not even gonna mention the cringeworthy moments that attracted derision online, like fighting ninjas with glowing swords, running all over the stage for no apparent reason or breaking into her goofy, light-hearted dance moves. Cause after all, that’s what she has always been about.

Thank You, Katy

As incredible as the entire thing was, I do have to mention some highlights from the concert that stood out above the rest:

- - Surprise songs: During this part of the show, the audience could scan a QR code and vote for two songs from one of her albums. That night, our choices came from Prism, and I already knew what I wanted her to play: Ghost, followed by either Unconditionally or Double Rainbow. Lo and behold, when the time came to vote, the internet on both Akash’s phone and mine decided to give up on us, leaving the outcome entirely in the hands of the other KatyCats. First up… GHOST! That performance will forever be one of the highlights of my entire life (alongside All the Love). Second up… UNCONDITIONALLY! It felt like I had won the friggin’ lottery.

- - Theatrics: From her momma moves during California Gurls and her cringey fight during E.T. to her being flung into the air and flown all around the stage during Nirvana and her soaring above the entire arena on a butterfly while singing Roar, there was literally not a single dull moment. It was just such wild fun!

- - Snippets: Throughout the concert, she read out posters that fans had made for her, including several asking her to sing particular songs. Thanks to them, we heard bits of Peacock and It Takes Two, followed by something few casual fans realised she had a connection to. Katy had co-written and originally recorded a demo of I Do Not Hook Up years earlier before Kelly Clarkson released it. Hearing Katy sing it live felt like a reward reserved for the truest of KatyCats. I couldn’t friggin’ believe it. We had won so friggin’ hard!

- - The fans on stage: As usual, Katy invited several fans onto the stage. First came Katy, a 12-year-old girl who aspired to become a singer, whom Katy Perry jokingly told would have to change her name. Then came Lucy Loose, the flamboyant drag queen we had seen earlier, who put on quite the show. Next was a man whose name I didn’t catch, who had flown all the way from Shanghai to see her and wore an outfit with a long train covered in her lyrics. Finally came the young lad who stole and broke our hearts in one fell swoop. His mum had recently been diagnosed with a terminal illness, and he was estranged from his sister. Watching Katy connect with and hug every one of them was incredibly wholesome.

Then there were all the moments when she stood right in front of me. Whenever she came to the tip of the infinity stage, we were barely a metre apart. At one point, she even knelt directly in front of me and reached out, her hand only a foot away from mine. If only she had extended it a little further! But no harm, no foul. I cannot count the number of times she looked me in the eyes and we sang together!

By the time Katy had defeated Mainframe and released the butterflies, I was an emotional mess, to say the least. Then, when Firework began, another wave of emotion washed over me as I realised this incredible experience would soon be over. But I didn’t feel sad. I didn’t even feel bittersweet. I was so full of happiness and joy that the ending meant only one thing: I would continue to follow her every step of the way, and I would eventually see her again. Thank you for bringing colour into my life. Thank you for getting me into music. Thank you, Katy!

Stay wild,
Marius

Post-Scriptum

Isle of MTV has been a fixture of Maltese summers for years, so when they teased a particularly huge headliner for 2026, I immediately had this strange feeling it was going to be Katy Perry. Somehow, after waiting seventeen long years to finally see her live, less than a year later I was seeing her for a second time – this time at home, as part of her Out of Office Tour.

And strangely, I think I enjoyed this performance even more. Without the enormous production and rigid choreography of the Lifetimes Tour, she felt much more relaxed, spontaneous and authentic – more like Katy herself than the pop spectacle around her. There were still a couple of moments that hit me unexpectedly hard. During Thinking of You, she caught me crying, looked straight at me and smiled, before later coming down to the crowd and touching our hands. That’s right – I got to finally touch Katy friggin’ Perry!

But the night was also far more playful – particularly when she climbed inside an enormous inflatable bottle and we quite literally helped roll her around the crowd. Seventeen years waiting for that first concert, and somehow, within ten months, I had gone from finally seeing my childhood idol to crying as she smiled at me, touching her hand, and helping push Katy Perry around Malta in a giant bottle. I certainly hadn’t seen that coming!

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