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02/01/03 - KIRSTENBOSCH GARDENS,
CAPE TOWN Review by Val Deuchar: Well, well, well .. where do I begin? There is so much to say. Suppose I will have to control my galloping thought processes and calmly and logically start at the beginning. I will break up my review into the three separate nights. Suffice to say - the weather held - and Cape Town had three brilliant summer evenings for these shows. No B-stage in Cape Town. Here goes : Thursday 2 Jan 03 My friend Lauren (a hectic fan but not a club member or webboarder) arrived at my place, very excited at 13h00. Lauren's hubby Vaughan, did not attend, but managed to swipe for us two posters from telephone poles advertising the show! What a thoughtful husband. Anyhow, with the butterflies and apprehension rising, we left just before 1500 and got to Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens about 1515 (Kirstenbosch close to where I live). In 1999, when my sister and I arrived at a different venue for B's concert at about 16h00 - we were virtually first in the queue. So I thought, arriving at 15h30 would be fine ….. OMG! the queue was half way down the one side of the main entrance building already (folk started queueing from 10h00 in the morning!) plus there were two other entrances to the Gardens being used for the concert which we could not see and had no idea how long those queues were. The two other entrances were further away from the stage but downhill, ours the closest but uphill - so I thought about my fitness and opted for the latter. Felt extremely disappointed about the extent of the queue already and really thought our chances of getting up front were minimal. Another friend of mine, Suzanne, was in the queue already (had no idea she was a BA fan) so Lauren and I joined her and her daughter, Kirsten. Everyone was chatting and in a happy mood but as the queue got longer and longer things started getting a bit ugly because the security and monitoring of the lines was non existent. About 17h00, late comers started forming another queue! A lady who was in the original queue like us started chatting to the security who were only then arriving & was explaining to them what had happened and requested they do something about it. Well, the discussions went on for some while but a male member of the illegal queue got pissed off with her, told her to stop interfering and called her a bitch .. she then slapped him .. he then did a karate kick to her stomach!! Well, then her husband and son from the other side came bounding over the people like Olympic hurdlers and climbed into the man (who I am glad to add was not a South African - apparently Scottish - sorry to the Scottish webboarders!). Huge scuffling and security sorted it out. The woman was just trying to help and ensure fairness and that is what she got. The Scot should have been thrown out of the venue there and then (she could have sustained serious injuries) but he was allowed to go in and attend the concert. He was at least in his 50's - she was about mid 40's. We were all not happy about that conflict situation but decided to forget about it as we were not going to allow the rest of our evening to be spoilt. When the gates finally opened at 18h30 I made a dash/run for it - up past the plants and bushes of the gardens, uphill too (omg, I thought I was going to die) and there I was overtaking everyone who were slowed down with their picnic baskets and blankets and the like - I could not believe my luck when I got to the stage - no-one was there yet - yup - Val Deuchar was the first - I deserve a medal! Could not believe it due to the queue that already existed. So I plonked myself down centre/left of stage (by the way guys, the stage was fairly small in width so Bryan's usual left of stage position did not occur - he was CENTRE stage with him and Keith alternating between either ends when they were cavorting about - they did spend quite some time together and separately at the two ends of stage) - Lauren slowly joining me from the rear with all our goodies - she is asthmatic - and did run a bit but not like nutcase Val - I had to be left baggage-less so that I could get up there smartly - she still had to use her asthma pump though! She and Suzanne and some others we befriended were extremely grateful for me getting the positions for them. The "barrier" before the stage was not a barrier - I could not believe how on top of the stage we were as there is usually a gap, there were gaps but only in certain places - with security guys standing in these gaps. So by saying we were right up front every night, it was exactly that, arms resting on stage right at the feet of B & K. There was a German girl who sat with us who seemed to have followed Bryan for his concerts here in SA. She was at the New Years eve show in Johannesburg and the 2 Jan one, and I saw her at the 4 Jan one - perhaps she was also at the 3 Jan one but I did not notice her. She has been to many of his German concerts and intends to go to them all in March! Her name is Doris Mummenhof - she was a hectic fan - I could tell once the show was on. There was a wait until 2015 before Bryan walked on - no supporting act - thank heavens. At about 1945 KFM 94.5 dj came on stage and did a big intro - that got the crowd going - but then things quietened down because it seemed to take forever for Bryan to walk on. At about 20h00 we all moved forward - me perfectly placed right up front - squashed against the barrier with Lauren on my right. Very soon after everyone stood up (the entire venue was all one price, general admission, no reserved places) the crowd started chanting and clapping screaming for Bryan - when he came on (as casual and unassuming as can be with no fanfare) everyone went ballistic. I stood there in a state of disbelief - after all this time and expectation - here he was finally. He started with "Here I Am" . He was quite chatty once the show was a quarter way through. So Bryan was more talkative than his 1999 concert and both Keith and Mickey one could see they were happy to be here again. They were constantly smiling and laughing. Bryan also seems to have improved on his habit of sticking out his tongue! He has put down that action to an art form! I can't believe I am saying this but after the third concert had ended (each one was an improvement on the night before - something I also thought would be impossible) I thought the show even better than May 1999 - and then in 1999 that was awesome! I think it is to do with it now being back to a 5 piece (Gary & Norm there too) and Bryan and Keith could cavort and do all sorts of things on stage. Keith was smiling like a chesire cat for all three shows - it goes without saying that Bryan was too. Bryan winked at a lady that was holding a leopard cuddly toy. Twice! I chatted to her too before the show - she is a true fan. Bryan and Keith allowed the audience in front whose arms/hands were outstretched to play on their guitars and even used the mic stands now and then instead of their fingers to strum their guitars. A "missile" at one stage was tossed at Bryan - hit him on the chest - god, that annoys me. It was a paper mache thingy rolled in a ball - no doubt thrown by a male who is irritated at his girlfriends interest in Bryan. Fortunately it was not made of heavier material. When Bryan introduced the band - all three nights - the crowd politely clapped for Gary and Norm but for Mickey and Keith they were far more loud in their appreciation of these two. Don't worry Gary & Norm - if you stay with the boys long enough - you will also end up with the same reception. When Bryan called up a pretty young blonde (you know the type - the slim one, with the hipster pants, bolt in the belly button and skimpy top covering just about nothing) to come up on stage to sing WYG (her name is Lauren Maas and she was interviewed on KFM 94.5 the following day - she said that she was till floating on clouds!) he really flirted - as he did every night. I think when he chose her he said "hey you blondie, c'mon up here". She was pretty useless with the singing - not that she has to be able to sing - but although she appeared excited - the excitement must have given her tongue fright! Bryan ascertained she sold carpets in Hout Bay (seaside suburb in CT) and that the name of the company was "Carpetbaggers" - he said she may get a visit from some people (I wonder who??!!) the following day! When the bit comes when Bryan does the bum on bum thing, that happened, but as they turned around facing each other - well, this lady took the advantage - in full - it just fell within legal boundaries! Bryan - just a request - how about chucking consistency and repetitiveness out the window for a while and select some of us oldies for a change to come up on stage for WYG? We may be older but certainly are equally enthusiastic, also sexy - and certainly far more "experienced"! Ronan Keating graced us with his presence for the first concert (he did not appear for the following two). He was visiting Cape Town (apparently has purchased a house here) and was a VIP guest/concertgoer - towards the end of the show Bryan invited him on stage (obviously it was all pre-planned) to sing TWYMMF - it was just B on quitar and Bryan & Ronan harmonising. What an absolute thrill - must give Ronan credit here (not a fan of him at all). Ronan gave concerts in SA this past August.
Bryan did two encores (as is usual) but the show seemed to end so soon after starting - the enjoyment just made the evening speed by - B was on stage for less than two hours - on at 2015, finishing at 2200. His last three songs were Straight from the Heart (he chatted about this before singing), Run to You, The Best of Me. The lady with the cuddly leopard toy threw it on stage as the band were saying goodbye the final time - Bryan picked it up and put it on Keith's head. It was not left behind on stage so either Keith or one of the crew has it. Bryan said we were an absolutely fantastic audience - I must say - the crowd made them all feel welcome and it justifies that it was the best and wise decision to visit South Africa for a third time. My banner I was able to dangle over the front barrier (with presstick on the final night) and noticed Bryan and Keith making the effort to read it. I took photos on the first and second nights and so glad I did - they have come out okay (I should have used my zoom lens more - they would have then been perfect - but they are uninterrupted pictures of mainly Bryan and Keith) - it is a wonderful memory/momento for me. Getting near backstage from the sides was impossible (other than climbing up onto the stage - the band came on stage from the back not the sides due to the uniqueness of the venue) and likewise to wait anywhere for them to leave in vehicles - there was security blocking areas all over and the bush and shrubbery and metal fencing etc. was in the way - it was just impossible. I think the entire band would have had to wait a considerable time to get out or they charged out immediately after leaving stage final time because it is a very enclosed and hilly, shrubbery, rockery, environment in these gardens. Just one gripe and I know fans have mentioned it before. The sound should be equally hearable whether one is up front or centre or at the back. When Bryan was centre stage and when he sang slower, quieter numbers we could hear him but when he was at end mics and sang the raucous numbers - all we could see (not hear) was his mouth moving! We tried to attract attention of crew upfront by pointing to Bryan and our ears that we could not hear anything but they did not seem to notice (or care?). After the show, the crowd just hung around on the lawns without wanting to move (the weather being so great) but eventually the concert lights started flashing and security asked us to start packing up our picnic baskets - Lauren and I got to the car parked some distance away and waited there for about half an hour as the traffic! Gosh - really heavy. We wanted to continue the high we were feeling and wanted to visit a pub - we popped into one at 2330 but last order drinks had already been taken - what a let down - we had to go home - Lauren slept over. We were on such a high we only slowly started making tracks for bed at about 0130 am. |
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