Post by carol on Nov 19, 2014 15:25:24 GMT
WELL THIS LAST WEEK HAS SEEN ME TRAVELLING FROM KENT TO SUFFOLK, THEN ONTO STRATFORD ON AVON ON MY BOOK TOUR, FINALLY FINISHING AT BIRMINGHAM FOR THE HIGHLIGHT OF MY WEEK, GARETH'S TOUR.
WE MET DEBBIE AT NEW ST STATION, WHAT A VAST PLACE IT WAS. LIVING IN A SEASIDE TOWN AS WE DO, IT WAS A HUGE SHOCK, I ALWAYS THOUGHT CANTERBURY WAS BUSY, BUT AFTER SEEING BIRMINGHAM, I REALISE IT'S NOT AS BIG OR AS BUSY . WE WENT ROUND THE SHOPS, AND BOUGHT SOME SHOES IN BRITISH HOME STORES, THEN SOME EARRINGS, KEITH WAS HELPING US TO CHOOSE. HAHA, BUT HE WAS VERY PATIENT, HE WAS OUTNUMBERED. THEN WE WENT FOR A SNACK AND A DRINK, AND A CATCH UP ON ALL OUR NEWS.
WE DID NOT RUSH TO THE VENUE, AS WE DIDN'T HAVE VIP TICKETS, I HAD TRIED TO UPGRADE THEM WHEN IT WAS ANNOUNCED, BUT WAS TOLD THEY WERE SOLD OUT. I AM NOT COMPLAINING, I SEE GARETH A LOT, AND I AM SURE THERE WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY AFTER THE PANTO. SO WE QUEUED UP WITH EVERYONE ELSE, AND THEN WENT IN. OUR SEATS WERE QUITE NEAR THE BACK, BUT STILL A GOOD VIEW OF THE STAGE.
DEBBIE HAS ALWAYS WANTED TO MEET ANDREA COS SHE IS SUCH FUN ON THE SITE, AND WE SPOTTED EACH OTHER, SO WE RAN OVER TO THE FRONT, AND THERE WERE HAYLEY, AND I THINK ONE OF HER DAUGHTERS, SARAHJANE, AND MARIA AS WELL. WOULD HAVE LIKED TO CHAT PROPERLY, BUT THERE WASN'T MUCH ROOM RIGHT CLOSE UP TO THE STAGE, BUT IT WAS LOVELY TO SEE YOU GIRLS!!! WE THEN WENT UP THE AISLE TO THE LADIES, AND ON THE WAY SOMEONE DEBBIE KNEW GRABBED HER FOR A BIG HUG. PETER AND ANN CAME TO SEE US, OF COURSE, AND IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING, WE WOULD BE WITH THEM LATER AFTER THE SHOW. IT WAS LOVELY FOR THEM TO MEET DEBS TOO.WE FINALLY GOT SETTLED READY FOR THE SHOW.
I THOUGHT THE GIRLS WERE BETTER THIS TIME THAN AT GRAVESEND, NICER SONGS, AND THEY SPOKE VERY WARMLY ABOUT HOW PROUD THEY WERE TO SUPPORT GARETH, AS DID JAI. NOW ALTHOUGH I CAN'T ALWAYS UNDERSTAND HIS ACCENT, HE IS A NICE GUY WITH A GOOD VOICE AND A GREAT SENSE OF HUMOUR. THE MAN DOING HIS MUSIC MESSED IT UP, BUT UNDETERRED, HE SANG HIS SONG WITH OUT IT, AND GOT WELL DESERVED APPLAUSE FOR IMPROVISING.
GARETH WAS A HIT FROM THE MOMENT HE CAME ON. I COULD SEE HE LOOKED PEAKY, HIS THROAT WAS OBVIOUSLY HURTING, BUT ALTHOUGH A LITTLE HOARSE ON THE LOW NOTES, HIS VOICE WAS AS BEAUTIFUL AND CAPTIVATING AS EVER, AND WHAT AN AMAZING CROWD, THEY LOVED HIM AND APPLAUDED LOUDLY ALL THE TIME. HE SANG A SELECTION OF SONGS FROM ALL 3 OF HIS ALBUMS, HIS NEW SONGS, AND EVEN SOME ROCK SONGS. HE INJECTED A BRIGHT AND BREEZY ATTITUDE INTO HIS PERFORMANCE, BUT I HAVE TO SAY THE HIGHLGHT FOR ME WAS SEEING HIM PLAY THE KEYBOARDS AND SING, IT WAS REALLY SPECIAL, AND I WOULD LOVE TO SEE HIM DO MORE OF THIS IN THE FUTURE.
I MUST ADMIT THERE WERE TIMES I WORRIED HIS VOICE WOULD GIVE OUT, BUT HE GOT THROUGH EVERYTHING, HELPED BY GULPS OF WATER FOR HIS DRY THROAT NO DOUBT. HE ALWAYS DRINKS WATER ON STAGE, BUT THIS TIME IT WAS ESSENTIAL FOR HIM. I WAS LEFT WITH THIS ADMIRATION OF HIS REMARKABLE COURAGE, SO DETERMINED WAS HE NOT TO LET HIS FANS DOWN, AND HE CERTAINLY DID NOT, WE LOVED HIM ALL THE MORE FOR HIS DEDICATION AND BRAVERY AT COMING ONSTAGE AND FACING EVERYONE WHEN HE CLEARLY WAS NOT WELL.
SUCH AN ATTITUDE IS PART OF THE REASON WE ALL FIND HIM SO INSPIRING, AND WHEN MY LIFE QUIETENS DOWN, I INTEND TO WRITE A BLOG PAYING TRIBUTE TO HIS REMARKABLE TENACITY, NOT JUST ON THAT NIGHT, BUT EVERY NIGHT OF HIS TOUR.
I THINK THE GIRLS WERE CALLED CHERRY BOMB, PETER GAVE ME THE CAMERA AND ASKED ME TO TAKE HIS PIC WITH THEM. WE ALWAYS HAVE A LAUGH, ANN HAS GARETH, HE HAS THE LADIES. I DID MY BEST, WASN'T SURE IF THE FLASH WENT, BUT THEN A VERY NICE MAN OFFERED TO TAKE ONE, AND INVITED ME TO POSE TOO, SO I DID, PETER HAS IT ON HIS CAMERA. I TOLD THE GIRLS THEY DID WELL, AND THEY SEEMED VERY HAPPY.
AFTER THE SHOW WE WAITED OUTSIDE, I WAS IN TWO MINDS WHETHER TO DO IT, AS HE WAS NOT WELL, ALTHOUGH I WOULD HAVE LOVED TO SEE HIM, BUT AFTER A WHILE WE HAD TO GO, AS WE COULDN'T BE TOO LATE WHEN STAYING WITH FAMILY.
I WANT TO SAY A BIG THANK YOU TO DEBBIE, NOT ONLY ARE SHE AND H, (I HOPE TO MEET YOU ONE DAY H) THE NICEST PEOPLE TO WORK FOR, SHE ALSO SHOWED US THE WAY AROUND BIRMINGHAM, AND FOUND THE CLUB FOR US, AS WE DIDN'T HAVE A CLUE. ANN AND PETER IT WAS LOVELY TO SEE YOU AS ALWAYS , AND I HOPE YOU GOT HOME SAFELY. MY LOVELY KEITH ENJOYED THE GIG TOO, BUT WAS ALSO CONCERNED FOR GARETH. I HOPE NEXT WEEK HE CAN HAVE A BIT OF VOICE REST BEFORE THE PANTO.
WE HAVE SOME NICE PICS, WILL TRY AND GET THEM UP SOON, AND WE DON'T MIND IF ANY VISITORS TO THE SITE WANT TO HAVE THEM TOO. KEITH IS A GREAT PHOTOGRAPHER, AND WE ARE ONLY TOO HAPPY TO SHARE ANYTHING OF GARETH WITH ANYONE, WE ARE ALL HERE TO SUPPORT THE SAME MAN AFTER ALL.
LOVE CAROL XXX
WE MET DEBBIE AT NEW ST STATION, WHAT A VAST PLACE IT WAS. LIVING IN A SEASIDE TOWN AS WE DO, IT WAS A HUGE SHOCK, I ALWAYS THOUGHT CANTERBURY WAS BUSY, BUT AFTER SEEING BIRMINGHAM, I REALISE IT'S NOT AS BIG OR AS BUSY . WE WENT ROUND THE SHOPS, AND BOUGHT SOME SHOES IN BRITISH HOME STORES, THEN SOME EARRINGS, KEITH WAS HELPING US TO CHOOSE. HAHA, BUT HE WAS VERY PATIENT, HE WAS OUTNUMBERED. THEN WE WENT FOR A SNACK AND A DRINK, AND A CATCH UP ON ALL OUR NEWS.
WE DID NOT RUSH TO THE VENUE, AS WE DIDN'T HAVE VIP TICKETS, I HAD TRIED TO UPGRADE THEM WHEN IT WAS ANNOUNCED, BUT WAS TOLD THEY WERE SOLD OUT. I AM NOT COMPLAINING, I SEE GARETH A LOT, AND I AM SURE THERE WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY AFTER THE PANTO. SO WE QUEUED UP WITH EVERYONE ELSE, AND THEN WENT IN. OUR SEATS WERE QUITE NEAR THE BACK, BUT STILL A GOOD VIEW OF THE STAGE.
DEBBIE HAS ALWAYS WANTED TO MEET ANDREA COS SHE IS SUCH FUN ON THE SITE, AND WE SPOTTED EACH OTHER, SO WE RAN OVER TO THE FRONT, AND THERE WERE HAYLEY, AND I THINK ONE OF HER DAUGHTERS, SARAHJANE, AND MARIA AS WELL. WOULD HAVE LIKED TO CHAT PROPERLY, BUT THERE WASN'T MUCH ROOM RIGHT CLOSE UP TO THE STAGE, BUT IT WAS LOVELY TO SEE YOU GIRLS!!! WE THEN WENT UP THE AISLE TO THE LADIES, AND ON THE WAY SOMEONE DEBBIE KNEW GRABBED HER FOR A BIG HUG. PETER AND ANN CAME TO SEE US, OF COURSE, AND IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING, WE WOULD BE WITH THEM LATER AFTER THE SHOW. IT WAS LOVELY FOR THEM TO MEET DEBS TOO.WE FINALLY GOT SETTLED READY FOR THE SHOW.
I THOUGHT THE GIRLS WERE BETTER THIS TIME THAN AT GRAVESEND, NICER SONGS, AND THEY SPOKE VERY WARMLY ABOUT HOW PROUD THEY WERE TO SUPPORT GARETH, AS DID JAI. NOW ALTHOUGH I CAN'T ALWAYS UNDERSTAND HIS ACCENT, HE IS A NICE GUY WITH A GOOD VOICE AND A GREAT SENSE OF HUMOUR. THE MAN DOING HIS MUSIC MESSED IT UP, BUT UNDETERRED, HE SANG HIS SONG WITH OUT IT, AND GOT WELL DESERVED APPLAUSE FOR IMPROVISING.
GARETH WAS A HIT FROM THE MOMENT HE CAME ON. I COULD SEE HE LOOKED PEAKY, HIS THROAT WAS OBVIOUSLY HURTING, BUT ALTHOUGH A LITTLE HOARSE ON THE LOW NOTES, HIS VOICE WAS AS BEAUTIFUL AND CAPTIVATING AS EVER, AND WHAT AN AMAZING CROWD, THEY LOVED HIM AND APPLAUDED LOUDLY ALL THE TIME. HE SANG A SELECTION OF SONGS FROM ALL 3 OF HIS ALBUMS, HIS NEW SONGS, AND EVEN SOME ROCK SONGS. HE INJECTED A BRIGHT AND BREEZY ATTITUDE INTO HIS PERFORMANCE, BUT I HAVE TO SAY THE HIGHLGHT FOR ME WAS SEEING HIM PLAY THE KEYBOARDS AND SING, IT WAS REALLY SPECIAL, AND I WOULD LOVE TO SEE HIM DO MORE OF THIS IN THE FUTURE.
I MUST ADMIT THERE WERE TIMES I WORRIED HIS VOICE WOULD GIVE OUT, BUT HE GOT THROUGH EVERYTHING, HELPED BY GULPS OF WATER FOR HIS DRY THROAT NO DOUBT. HE ALWAYS DRINKS WATER ON STAGE, BUT THIS TIME IT WAS ESSENTIAL FOR HIM. I WAS LEFT WITH THIS ADMIRATION OF HIS REMARKABLE COURAGE, SO DETERMINED WAS HE NOT TO LET HIS FANS DOWN, AND HE CERTAINLY DID NOT, WE LOVED HIM ALL THE MORE FOR HIS DEDICATION AND BRAVERY AT COMING ONSTAGE AND FACING EVERYONE WHEN HE CLEARLY WAS NOT WELL.
SUCH AN ATTITUDE IS PART OF THE REASON WE ALL FIND HIM SO INSPIRING, AND WHEN MY LIFE QUIETENS DOWN, I INTEND TO WRITE A BLOG PAYING TRIBUTE TO HIS REMARKABLE TENACITY, NOT JUST ON THAT NIGHT, BUT EVERY NIGHT OF HIS TOUR.
I THINK THE GIRLS WERE CALLED CHERRY BOMB, PETER GAVE ME THE CAMERA AND ASKED ME TO TAKE HIS PIC WITH THEM. WE ALWAYS HAVE A LAUGH, ANN HAS GARETH, HE HAS THE LADIES. I DID MY BEST, WASN'T SURE IF THE FLASH WENT, BUT THEN A VERY NICE MAN OFFERED TO TAKE ONE, AND INVITED ME TO POSE TOO, SO I DID, PETER HAS IT ON HIS CAMERA. I TOLD THE GIRLS THEY DID WELL, AND THEY SEEMED VERY HAPPY.
AFTER THE SHOW WE WAITED OUTSIDE, I WAS IN TWO MINDS WHETHER TO DO IT, AS HE WAS NOT WELL, ALTHOUGH I WOULD HAVE LOVED TO SEE HIM, BUT AFTER A WHILE WE HAD TO GO, AS WE COULDN'T BE TOO LATE WHEN STAYING WITH FAMILY.
I WANT TO SAY A BIG THANK YOU TO DEBBIE, NOT ONLY ARE SHE AND H, (I HOPE TO MEET YOU ONE DAY H) THE NICEST PEOPLE TO WORK FOR, SHE ALSO SHOWED US THE WAY AROUND BIRMINGHAM, AND FOUND THE CLUB FOR US, AS WE DIDN'T HAVE A CLUE. ANN AND PETER IT WAS LOVELY TO SEE YOU AS ALWAYS , AND I HOPE YOU GOT HOME SAFELY. MY LOVELY KEITH ENJOYED THE GIG TOO, BUT WAS ALSO CONCERNED FOR GARETH. I HOPE NEXT WEEK HE CAN HAVE A BIT OF VOICE REST BEFORE THE PANTO.
WE HAVE SOME NICE PICS, WILL TRY AND GET THEM UP SOON, AND WE DON'T MIND IF ANY VISITORS TO THE SITE WANT TO HAVE THEM TOO. KEITH IS A GREAT PHOTOGRAPHER, AND WE ARE ONLY TOO HAPPY TO SHARE ANYTHING OF GARETH WITH ANYONE, WE ARE ALL HERE TO SUPPORT THE SAME MAN AFTER ALL.
LOVE CAROL XXX
