Четверг 2 Окт 2008, 9:50
So, the day has finally come… He is here, and I am ready to embrace Him into my life. No it's not God, but closely rivals a religious experience for me, Stevie Wonder live at the O2…. finally the Millennium Dome has come face to face with it's destiny… they built it, and he came.
Firstly, there was something special in the air, on the way to the gig after leaving work, I just missed a bus to London Bridge to meet Gabby. I decided to pull the tickets out of my pockets and have a look at them. EEEK! I've brought one ticket and the receipt stub! Luckily I'm only 5 mins from the house, so a sprint down Old Nichol Street and back and I actually have two passes to what I am anticipating as the greatest show on earth!
I meet Gabby, much down a Steak and Ale pasty and jump on the tube. We arrive and it's drizzling - The gig is billed as a Wonder Summer's night, but the last two weekends of sunshine that have pasted for a late September British Summer this year are well and truly consigned to the past. It's going to drop to 13oC this week and we've talked about putting the heating on while we are away in New York for the next week.
Anyway all this had added to the build up and excitement - we go in…he's due on at 8:00, 8:15 we are told - I muse this will probably mean 8:45, 9:00 and am later proved to be spot on. The O2 is sterile as a venue, but we knew this from seeing Prince here lass than a year ago. That show was stunning, how will this compare?
Finally we have a drink in hand and take our seats, the place takes a good 40 mins to begin to fill as people mill in from the concourse. Then it begins….
Stevie Takes to the stage and the first big number is MASTER BLASTER- it's great, and his voice is amazing.
The next song slip past with out me recognising it, but then it's ALL I DO. Now Stevie gets some distortion on the mike and breaks out a funk leaden LONDON BRIDGE IS FALLING DOWN, and FOOL ON THE HILL along with a few other fun lines from songs I just about manage to put my finger on before he moves on,
Now it's back to the good shit - HIGHER GROUND, DON'T YOU WORRY 'BOUT A THING, VISIONS (IN MY MIND). We're really psyched up now, how good is this - hearing these songs live is just amazing, he' still got it and I wonder at the majesty of this performance.
Now we're really excited, I'm just buzzing and loving every minute of it, when LIVING FOR THE CITY comes on - the first bit of decent visuals all night - B&W shots of New York, we're flying out in the morning, so I've got goose bumps and hairs on the back of my neck are popping out they are so on end!
My mind at this point is made up, this is IT. My dream is fulfilled, anything else he plays is just a bonus. But he's not done with us yet.
Now we move on to PART TIME LOVER, RIBBON IN THE SKY, LATELY and MY CHERIE AMORE. I can't take this I have to run to the toilet and bar, and rush back - I've missed Stevie's daughter Aisha sing one of her songs and am relieved not to have missed a big number.
Now we're building up for the climax… SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED, SIRE DUKE, I WISH are banged out and the place it jumping, everyone is ecstatic. Now it's time for ISN'T SHE LOVELY, YOU ARE THE SUNSHINE OF MY LIFE and I JUST CALLED TO SAY I LOVE YOU. Ok these aren't my favourite songs, but everyone knows them inside out and you can't fault a thing, this man must fart in tune.
We know it's the end, but I want so much more… SUPERSTITION - that's the answer really, how much more could I acttually take of this?
The final song is AS (I"LL BE LOVING YOU ALWAYS)
Some people are leaving already, I am thankfully he can't see this… as soon as he'd done everyone starts to shift, there is no intention of trying to coax any more out of him, and my first disappointment of the night is here.
Gabby and i are overwhelmed - this has been amazing, spectacular! Ok, he didn't play I was made to love her, but really that's the only thing I can fault, there is no point using this as a benchmark for other gigs, as it would be like measuring light bulbs against the sun.