P!nk Hurricane in Hyde Park

On a steamy Friday I ticked something off the list of “things to do before you are 40” – or any other rapidly approaching age based mile stone – attend a festival… I have to admit to cheating a little – this was an inner city festival – so I could return home to my comfortable bed at the end of the day, skip the “dance music” day which really didn’t appeal, and best of all jump the queue for a place at the front by paying for a “VIP” ticket…

From Wireless 2010 - Friday - P!nk

With a place at the front of the main stage that I didn’t want to give up I forwent the other stages for the main stage’s Friday line up – not a bad line up kicked off by BFS – Bowling for Soup – who like their name suggest did anything but take themselves seriously while producing great music to start the day off…

Next up was Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders – who didn’t do as well as BFS in getting the audience rocking – the highlight of their set was a rather bizarre cameo  appearance on backing vocals and tambourine by Roger Taylor

Gossip raised the quality again with a great short set - the show was really warming up along with the weather - I was actually grateful when one of the few clouds in the sky cooled the effect of the Sun.

The crowd was now building as people returned from other stages and a few late arrivals pushed their luck by trying to fill the small spaces left... The Ting Tings could have headlined a smaller event themselves and made a great under card to P!nk. There closing number reminded me that I’d escaped the office for a Friday of dance rather than work! A great set to prelude the main attraction…

P!nk made a stunning arrival via a box below a crane and a cannon - abseiling onto the stage, the audience had well and truly got the party started – and to paraphrase P!nk the unusually warm and humid London weather felt like a summer hurricane could kick off any time – and P!nk certainly sung up a storm…

An afternoon standing in the sun “defending” my position was well worth it – being so close to the front meant a short arse like myself had a great view, add holding a camera at arms length above me meant I could have been on stage! P!nk brought the day to a spectacular end, after a little hamster style crowd surfing, it was time for P!nk’s amazing signature - singing while suspended above her audience!

Revisiting the Candy Store

From Madonna O2 2009 Part I

Madonna returned to London for a second helping of her Sticky & Sweet tour that I first saw at Wembley as she started another European leg the tour. Yet again the frustration of late releases of the best tickets, and a why not attitude, meant I had tickets for a double bill of hard candy. The O2 showed again why it is possibly the country’s best large venue. Equivalent seat at Wembley had left me too far from the stage to really see the show. Able to enjoy the music, but left wishing I could have seen more of the show. At O2 in the best seats you are definitely close enough to see every move in the show, and the acrostics in the O2 are second to none for an indoor location from any where in the building. Madonna didn’t fail to disappoint – the act was subtlety refreshed, and included several a heart felt additional tributes to Michael Jackson. Two great nights of entertainment. Having said that, Kylie still holds the title of the princess of disco – but I’m sure Madge and Pink are the female royalty of rock. Amusingly, Madonna had managed to convince herself that the 5th of July was actually the 4th, and proceeded to rib the Americans in the audience when they failed to respond to her best wishes on the birthday of the USA – only after a break to admit she’d been reminded it was in fact the 5th… but she didn’t give a f*ck. Would have been good if she’d return to the O2 the next day for a repeat performance honoring the tickets for the 5th…