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So, this is my Blog, my thoughts / feelings / ideas. You may comment if you like. If you attack me, I come back at you with reckless / racist / suicidal abandon. If you compliment me, I thank you. If you don't ever visit again I don't care. Other than that, just enjoy what I write, or not.
Salagatle!


LIU - Look It Up!

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Saturday, May 29, 2010

Deep Purple, Uriah Heap and Wishbone Ash - one night - one location!

Mind blowing ROCK!!!!! No other way to put it - Absolutely mind blowing, loud, unadulterated ROCK!

So, a week ago I'm sitting here chatting with my mate P M-K. he says he'd really like to go to the concert. Me too, I said. Log onto the net, search for tickets. ZAR500 a pop.... standing room only. Eish, too much. Not like major expensive, but I don't know if I want to spend that kind of money on a rock concert. We let it go.

Friday, 28th May, I get an sms from the Princess to say she's got her immaculately manicured fine delicate hands on a pair of tickets to the show! No kidding!!! Says I must call P M-K and tell him we going!

Well, after a nightmare traffic situation, we got there, parked went into the Coca-Cola Dome (LIU), and grabbed a bite to eat, something to drink, and wandered down to the standing room only area. Got a great spot with a view of the stage and two massive screens, and we were set. First time I been to a concert like this in a long time, and was interesting to see that although most of the people there were of my age group, there were also a lot of younger kids there. Some, I am sure, would never have heard much, if any of the music we had come to hear, apart from the one or two "commercialized" numbers that might be replayed occasionally at weddings, parties, 'funerals", and on radio.

Wishbone Ash were first up.Started about 15 minutes late (no problem, probably has a problem getting onto stage with their walkers!). They are the one group I don't remember much of. Didn't really feature much in my life back then. However, they played some good stuff, and got the crowd into the mood. They were on for about 45 - 50 minutes (maybe an hour), then a break, whilst the next lot, Uriah Heap, got ready. Took the better part of 40-50 minutes, which was a bit of a drag, seeing as most / all of their kit seemed to be on stage already. Anyway, was a chance to grab a smoke, and a few beers.
Then the real ROCK hit the wall - man, these guys brought back memories I didn't realize I had! Absafuckinglutely mid blowing unadulterated ROCK!!!! (Yea, I know I already said so.......)

Uriah Heap are today still what they were 30 years ago. Bloody magnificent. And the longer they played, the more the crowd roared! They played well past their allowed time slot, and it was obvious they were having as much fun as we were. In fact, if theyt had been given the go ahead, I'm convinced they would have stayed on for another hour! you guys ROCK!

Then they were off. Another 40-50 minutes break, a couple of smokes and a beer or two later, and the band we had all come to see were on stage. Deep Purple - the fathers of Rock. Magnificent musicians all round. I'm not sure how many of the original band are still playing, but these guys played every song I recognized perfectly. It seem that they got louder and louder as the time went on. More and more the crowd built up and when we could sing with, you could hear the masses above the roar of the sound system. They are without doubt as good today as they were 40 years ago.

I took a couple of photos with my cellphone, and also some video footage, but neither can live up to the actual event. Having said that, some of the video footage gives an idea of how loud the music was.

The sound engineers were not up to scratch (my opinion) and they should have placed the speakers more around the arena area, as opposed to all on the stage. And the video guys were also a bit out of sort, zooming in on the wrong performer during solo pieces etc. But hey, maybe they were as blown away as we were!

Overall a life changing event. Really. it has reminded me of that which has gone before. And what has come since. And I have decided that a bit more of that, and much less of this is what life should be about. So, I have committed to myself to be a bit more like I was, and less what I have become - and enjoy life! My attitude to people, life, my family will change. Work will remain what it is, work. And if it continues to piss me off, it will become my ex employer!!! I have decided that I have wasted more than enough of my life following the path as dictated by society. It sucks! It's not what I am and obviously not what I want to be.

So, to the Kings of ROCK - thank you for the night of entertainment, thank you for the memories, but most of all, thank you for the new outlook on life!

Herewith some video footage - just snippets, of what I had the pleasure of experiencing on Friday night.


Salagatle!

2 comments:

Divemaster GranDad said...

Got our tickets...going to Tuesday's show down here at Grand West Casino...woohoo....

Wreckless Euroafrican said...

You are sooooo going to enjoy it man!!! just long, due to the change overs. We started at 7.15 - and left there just on midnight! Enjoy, and let me know if my assessment was right - or not!
Salagatle!