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!

First of the year’s circuses arrives at the 02

From Pink O2 2009

My third night at the O2 in a week was another guaranteed “good show”. P!nk didn’t disappoint, and the presentation supported the music, rather than the reverse for Girls Aloud last weekend.   P!nk might be regretting a circus theme for her Funhouse Tour, with a certain other artist using the same for her tour – but it will an achievement for Britney to top this – especially if the current reviews of “The Circus” are to be believed. I’ll compare the two personally later in the year – and then there is the circus that Michael Jackson tour is bound to be… Particularly impressive where the aerial elements – which weren't restricted to the supporting dancers. Carrying on after an adlib inducing unexpected drop of 3 or 4 feet during the ribbon suspended finally was particularly impressive.

The best set for me was when P!nk made a very strong audition for, in my opinion, the still open position to fill Freddie Mercury’s place in Queen. Freddie would have been proud of her rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody. P!nk’s stage personality is a close match for that of Freddie – something I don’t think Paul Rodgers does justice to, and her vocals would allow them to reprise great songs Paul Rodgers simply doesn’t have the voice for…