Paul McCartney Concert @ Hollywood Bowl April 3, 2010

Maybe I’m (more than) amazed at this concert, where Paul McCartney, pushing 68 years of age can rock out for 3 hours straight without any intermission, when rock bands who share the load and more than half his age never seem to make it past 2 hours.

Maybe I’m amazed that through the amazing set of super-hits from both The Beatles and Wings and some choice non-number one songs from The Beatles (though no lesser known by the sold-out Hollywood Bowl crowd) such as “I Got A Feeling” and “Helter-Skelter” was the realization when it was all  over that, he could have easily filled another set of that magnitude with all the choice Beatles, Wings and solo tunes he didn’t get around to, such as: “She Loves You,” “Can’t Buy Me Love,” “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” “She’s Leaving Home,””Penny Lane”,  “Maybe I’m Amazed” etc etc.!

The show’s star was relaxed as ever, sharing amusing anecdotes with the crowd, which was a sell-out one made up equally of  old-school Beatles fans revisiting their formative years side by side with a sizable contingent of teens and pre-teens smack dab in the middle of theirs. The concert was the first of a two-night appearance at the historic Hollywood Bowl, his first at the venue since 1993, but also locale of The Beatles initial assault on American audiences over 4 1/2 decades ago, a notion not lost on McCartney who on more than one occasion cast his gaze around the Bowl’s expansive territory to “drink it all in”, or as he asked to no one in particular “was it really 70 years ago when we first played?” Still the smart ass boy from Liverpool it would seem.

Despite myself having been born way after the majority of these hits had been penned, Beatles songs are ingrained in your memory from birth. It has been a dream of mine to see McCartney live and he by far did not disappoint! With all my high expectations, he all but succeeded them!

Some highlights among the 36 songs played included:  generous nods to departed colleagues John Lennon — singing “A Day in the Life” and “Give Peace a Chance” and the haunting “Here Today’ which he wrote about Lennon’s death and all the things un-said between the two — and George Harrison, in a reading of “Something” that went from lighthearted ukulele playing to soaring melody.

“Live and Let Die” was fabulously Bond-esque- with no expense spared fireworks being set off at each chorus. It had the crowd (me especially) in raptures, which led nicely into the next song of “Hey Jude” which of course had the whole crowd in Na, Na, Na, Na, Na, Na, Nah’s. I imagine in an indoor stadium this would have blown the roof off.

Coming back for two encores, the second last song of the night was pure rock n roll “Helter Skelter”.  I was shocked he played this in L.A with its connection to the Manson murders and all, and wonder if this is generally played in his sets? It worked the crowd into a frenzy and was just a  shame it had to end after that.

P.S Side note: much had been made in the L.A press about the time-consuming process of getting in for to concert. I didn’t find it any different from any other major venues, plus gave us a chance to chat to former Full House alumni (and now Kerry-Ann Kennerly You Tube phenomenon) John Stamos

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Steve Madden and Star Magazine Present: IYAZ March 27, 2010

On Tuesday 23 March, 2010 I made my way to Steve Madden’s outlet store in Lower East Side where the shoe maven, alongside tabloid fodder Star Magazine were jointly launching the career of IYAZ, self-proclaimed messiah of the new genre of Caribbean Pop (hey, isn’t that exactly what Rihanna does?)

I found it odd that the Steve Madden store chosen for the event was his store on Rivington and Ludlow which sells his shoes at a fraction of the price (oh yes, I know the store well, being a bargain hunting junkie)…but I guess anything LES has way more cache than a store uptown. This is afterall where the gate-keepers of cool will decided whether IYAZ will have staying power as a pop provider.

Despite my misgivings on the venue, the place was indeed packed upon arrival and entry strictly invite only. In fact, I was told the burly security guard was ex-NYPD (which would also explain the heavy influx of policeman hanging outside the store ever so casually).

The party had an electric, buzzy feel to it. With branded SM cups dishing out wine and Caribbean ‘White Stripe’ beer a nod to IYAZ’s heritage, the crowd was fun and not at all pretentious – a first for my time in NYC. We had a great time!

IYAZ performed three tracks off his hit album, “Replay” and “Solo”.  He also remixed Trey Songz’s “Say Ahh” alongside a DJ. A bunch of local kids outside peered through at him through the large store front windows, they knew the words to all his songs and sang along, it was nice to see IYAZ acknowledge them and performed to them too.

Celebrities that stopped by: Erin Lucas (The City), Salomes (musical artist), Josh Anderson (Brooklyn’s Finest), Model Linda Vojtova and Chaske Spencer (Twilight).

I also got to meet the man behind the brand and was good to see him out for the event…my only qualm, where were the free shoes?? Sigh!

George Michael Concert March 4, 2010

For over 20 years George Michael (and Wham!) has been one of my favourite performers and for the past decade that I have known my girlfriend Julie, we have made a pact that if he ever toured Australia that no-matter-what we would go!

Well that time finally came when a Sydney concert was announced earlier this year, while I was still living in Hong Kong. In fact, while I was actually on a flight to Bangkok at the time, Julie took no chances and bought a ticket for me! And am I ever so glad she did.

The concert held on a  25 degree perfect night in Sydney was (to quote a GM song) AMAZING!!

He has only toured Australia once as a solo artist, in 1988, and in 1985 as part of Wham! with Andrew Ridgely, so I think most of the sold out stadium never thought they would get to see the man live. Even though he is pushing 50, his voice has not been effected by age, or his well documented daily stoner habit. He was (again quoting a GM song) FLAWLESS!

It was a hit-laden, energetic show, yet I can still name 10 songs I would have loved him to play. Highlights included George taking the mickey out of his 1998 arrest, wearing a police uniform for Outside; then the eternal ballad favourite Careless Whisper which had 50,000 fans singing in harmony to his hit he wrote when Michael was just 17 years old.

Back on his last visit 22 years ago, George Michael was a sex symbol wooing women (my older sister had posters all over her wall) and enjoying the peak of his fame with the million-selling Faith album. In 2010 the women realise they’re no longer in with a chance.

So does Michael – in the Wham! classic Everything She Wants (one of the few tracks played from his hetero period) the superstar laughs “yeah right” after singing “I guess I must have loved you because I said you were the perfect girl for me.”

Such an entertainer – love anyone who doesn’t take themselves too seriously and he has proved in all his Australian concerts he is the ultimate singer and performer. I would highly recommend seeing him live to anyone!

Jamiroquai @ Dragon-i 6th Anniversary Party December 7, 2009

Dragon-i anniversaries tend to be major affairs. Past headliners have included Little Louie Vega and Boy George. For 2008 (my first experience of a Dragon-i Anniversary) one of the performers on my list of Must-See-Before-I-Die, Jamiroquai was to be flown out for the bash on Saturday 22 November.

Even the invitation to the anniversary was cool! Guests received a special miniature disco ball that opened up to reveal a necklace.

Heading to the event, this so-called invite only event was absolutely packed. Not in that awesome-we-are-going-to-party kind of way, more the someone-is-going-to-die-i’m-over-this-let’s-go-home-kind of way. Regardless, even with the football terrace atmosphere and Jamiroquai only playing 6 songs (as expected with these ‘special guests’ gig) the set was absolutely electric and worth braving the masses for!