17 February 2008
Quote:
"The
shoes really put me off."
--(source withheld ;-)
How....
...do I write a blog about 3 weeks of travel madness? It's too much to go into details about. Sadly I couldn't write whilst on tour because my laptop has died and I did not have the time to type in between gigs. I did not even have time to sleep!
The experiment was a success
however! I did it!!
18 gigs, and I hardly had any days off work so I had to "commute" back to
Sheffield after every gig, work the day, and then race to the next venue.
I got up around 4 AM most days.
It worked out OK though because the weather was holding and the trains
were not massively delayed. I couldn't have done it had there been train
cancellations because I arrived like 30 minutes before the show on some
days.
It was all good.
I cannot believe it. Even the weather was too good to be true: sunshine
all around! In February! It couldn't really be happening. I began to
believe that I had been abducted by aliens and they had put me on a
holodeck, everything was just a simulation and they would switch it off
soon!
George was so good. I am
extremely proud! After the shambles of the first Shaw Theatre gig he
really pulled himself together and was spot-on for the rest of the
concerts. We are all very impressed.
The guys were so great, too, and so supportive.
It was still a very nerve-racking experience - I've lost 3 kilos! Now that
has never happened! But I was so rooting for them every night, praying
he'd be OK, that everything would go OK and the audience would be up for
it, the lack of sleep... it's the best diet I've ever been on!
All the gigs sold very well, which is such a luck! Because they could have well been great but playing empty halls. Everybody was very grateful to the extremely mixed crowd that turned up. It was very touching. Some nights there were tears because it was just so beautiful to feel all the love and good will from the crowd.
After the shows there were scenes like from the 80s with a hundred people waiting at the stage door! He signed autographs and took photos with people on some nights, but other nights there was just too much interest to spend time with each and every person. Nottingham was the funniest night. There was a massive crowd and when he came out he walked straight into the mob and signed autographs front back and centre. There was even a paparazzi! Then a tram came, couldn't get past the people milling in the street and had to wait for ten minutes blowing the horn. We were gobsmacked!
Each gig was great, though some were less enjoyable than other because of the venue. The acoustic was crap in some places, and the security prevented people from getting up and enjoying themselves. That always kills the atmosphere. He's not very good when he feels the crowd is not getting into it and his mood automatically transfers to the audience. We got up to dance whenever there was a chance and the crowd followed suit. Sometimes it's just one little move like that which changes the whole atmosphere. Most nights everybody was on their feet by the second half.
I was a bit miffed that there were no reviews of the Shaw gigs. Morrissey was playing the roundhouse the same week, so all the major papers reviewed his gig in the weekend editions. There were few online reviews, and some were really crap. Most of the negative ones basically moaned about how there were not enough Culture Club songs and how he's not twenty anymore. Why can't they just review the concert that's at hand?!
Stephen came down to London for the Saturday Shaw gig. I had asked him to bring the video camera and he recorded some really good footage - the best so far on YouTube. I was worried about him not enjoying himself, but I shouldn't have been because he thought the show was bloody brilliant! He wants to go to more!
He concerts were excellent, and I honestly cannot think of anything that would have made them better. What else could he have done? Stand on his head and juggle?! But I'm deaf, dumb and blind, of course. The best thing was to see how much George was enjoying himself on stage. That's all that matters. He now only want to tour! But how am I supposed to afford that?! I already told them that they'll have to employ me.
We still have one gig to go (Buxton) which will be an odd one for obvious reasons... but guess what? Instead of enjoying a week off, I will fly to Seattle tomorrow morning and won't be back before Friday! I have to go to Microsoft and present our bid on the new Windows OS. Major bid deal, biggest ever scoop for the company and I am honoured that they want to send me... but are they trying to kill me?! LOL
The tour in pictures:
Shaw Theatre (Jan 23-27)
Before the first Shaw gig. I am scared. And rightly so...
My little darling lost in jungle of microphone stands (Jan 23)
Let it shine! (Jan 24)
Kevan "holding it
all together"
"We can't afford
those wireless microphones..." (Jan 25)
Miss Zee "rolling
her eyes at George in disapproval"... (Jan 27)
"She's very special and brave, that's all you need to know."
(Jan 27)
MY roses!!!
(Jan 27)
Llandudno (Jan 30)
This gorgeous photo has been taken by Fiona. Mine are all gloomy...
Glasgow (Feb 01)
A fabulous gig with great audience interaction!
Gateshead (Feb 02)
Lovely Lizzie
Salford (Feb 03)
"Cheapness and Beauty"
Southend (Feb 04)
Getting the
"chemistry" right..
The two Johns
Northampton (Feb 05)
It's a blur
Nottingham (Feb 08)
Ahh... swoon!
Get it on!
Margate (Feb 09)
Starry-eyed in
starry hat
Croydon (Feb 10)
"Yee-ha!!"
Dartford (Feb 11)
Bristol (Feb 13)
Stoke-On-Trent (Feb 14)
One of the best gigs - thanks to Stoke!
Grimsby (Feb 15)
Thank you, Grimsby! You're all nutters!
Family
entertainment
With Lees at the Shaw ("We're the only
normal ones here!")
Stephen after being brainwashed
at the Shaw
Kristine
Malcolm, Kevan, Zee, John...
Sibylle, Lees and Mike
With Kevan and Hayley
With John Themis
Ritchie unfortunately had to
leave...
Looking all summery in stormy Wales
Cat and Kenneth in
Llandudno
In Glasgow
With Kenneth in
Gateshead
In Gateshead
With Yulia in Salford
My first B-Rude item (in Southend)
"Hiding" in the Southend hotel lobby (not my hotel!)
In my virtual new body in Northampton
My boyfriend Kenneth from Mars in his tour jacket in Nottingham
Sibylle and I not believing the hype in Nottingham
"Margate, you rock!!"
"Miss, are you
going to the Boy George concert?" (Croydon)
I am in love!
(Dartford) -- Nothing new here...
Sibylle and I hating Colston Hall in Bristol
"Valentine's Day colours" (Stoke)
Lizzie in Stoke
At the "glamorous
afterparty" in Grimsby with Kevan
With John in Grimsby
Lizzie and Malcolm
Don't ask! LOL
Jimmy and Sibylle
Jimmy and me
"Beer and sweets
and Rock'n'Roll"
