Elton John

So I'm back to the computer.

And more importantly, we survived a three-day weekend without a nanny :)

We even managed to go to the mall yesterday for some shopping and lunch.


Back to the Elton John concert...

As you all know I was so excited but then it started RAINING about an hour before we had to leave for the OPEN AIR concert.

I do love the rain but not when I have to be outside.... and I get cold at the best of times so ALWAYS, ALWAYS have a top/ jacket with me, even in the heart of summer.

So this is what I took with me:

• gloves
• cap
• scarf
• sweatshirt
• jacket

Thank the Lord, because it was COLD!

We arrived with a minimum of fanfare - D ignored my directions and we had to double back to get to the parking.

I had a moment of panic when I saw HUNDREDS of 50-year-olds and upwards going into the park - "I am the wrong demographic!!!" but when we'd parked we saw more people our age and even younger.

Which reminds me of something I heard ... Katie Melua is the only performer who has people double and triple her age at her concerts. Do you like Katie Melua?

Now here's the thing:

it was expressly stated that if you had beach chairs you were to sit at the back of the park so as not to obstruct the view of people sitting on blankets.

Well, we are LAWLESS in Johannesburg and NOBODY followed the rules.

The (very young) security personnel asked people to move and they blatantly told them, "sorry, I'm not moving".

My mouth hung open in disbelief.

So we had a gorgeous view of.... some people's chairs.

It was honestly ridiculous.


Even bloody David O'Sullivan (Talk Radio 702 personality who was MC'ing) just said, "if the people on beach chairs could please consider those behind them" ........

what the hell?! No self-respecting Jhb person would even take that as an instruction.

Anyway, at least we were not alone as there were literally hundreds of people in the same position as we were.

I had to give myself a good talking-to.... "this is on my life list, I am not going to let them spoil it for me, I need to change my attitude and get happy" etc etc

And so I did.



Is there something about us that we attract the crazies?

A group of three people plonked themselves next to us and proceeded to STAND (yes, STAND!) the minute Elton started the show (The One, if you're interested).

Obviously ALL the people behind them started shouting at them to sit and they wouldn't listen. So then the hero of the night (young-ish girl in her early 30's) came up to them and said, "you guys are spoiling it for all of us. We can't see through you".

Eventually they sat... and our whole section cheered! Terrible. I fully expected some tomato-throwing and some of those to hit us (remember it was a picnic so people had tomatoes).

Anyway, Elton was his usual fabulous self - he has SUCH an amazing voice and is SO, so talented.


I absolutely LOVE seeing people doing what they're passionate about and good at (hence my love for Jamie Oliver and Nigella).

Only thing is... it felt like he was on his own mission. Like he was having a jam session all by himself and we, the audience, were an incidental.

There are two types of performers - those who just do their thing and then there are those who thrive on the audience feedback and who make the audience part of their thing :)

Elton is the first and Rod Stewart is the second.

This was very different to the Rod Stewart concert as Rod was so engaged with the audience and he played TO us. He responded to the audience's feedback.

Do you know what I mean?

So Elton played non-stop but I'd say about 70% were songs nobody had ever heard of. And when he did a "famous" song, the whole park cheered and sang along - it was LOVELY.

I love that vibe about live music.

Again, I had to give myself a talking to - "stop projecting your expectations but accept him for who he is".

Fortunately, he did all my favourites - Your Song, I guess that's why they call it the blues and Don't let the sun go down on me. He also did Philadelphia Freedom, Rocket Man and Honky Cat.

However, D and I realised that that is the first and last time we go to a concert with unreserved seating. I like knowing that I'm paying for a particular seat and I will get that seat. This way we all paid R501 but some of us got really crappy views.

Also, we're too old for sitting on the grass for hours on end. We were SORE the next day.

Another thing struck off my life list.

What are some of the things on your life list?

P.S. D saw Dr G (our wonderful fertility specialist) at the concert too.

P.P.S. This is my post for SteadyMom's challenge (only 27 minutes)