Ok I’m rubbish at reviews but here goes…
I went with Maxine to Rod’s Birmingham concert on Wednesday night. I had to get off work early and we set off up the M1. All went well and we were there by 5.15pm. We planned to meet up with Garry Pease and Dimmo in the Weatherspoons and we thought it was like the O2 and it would be inside, once we got in we realised it wasn’t so we had fish and chip’s instead and a diet coke.
We said hello to a few Faces and then Delyth who is a facebook friend I’ve never met came over and said hello and we stood taking about horses and Rod.
Then two men came over to us and said, “Hello we are Back stage management” so I asked him if he had some tickets for us he said “ Where are you sitting? “At the back!” was the reply followed by a load of blabbering from me about being a Rod fan and how long I had been a fan and I was a SMILER, as I flashed my Badge… He said to his mate “give them the tickets she’s a SMILER!!!”
Well before I even knew where the tickets were situated I told him I loved him and he got a big kiss and a hug!! Ecstatic wasn’t the word!!! Then Maxine looked and the tickets and said they were Row A well as I titled this ‘Angel came down’, life doesn’t get any better does it?? All I wanted to do then was go and sit in my seat, so off we went. Oh it felt so good walking down the front, what side was we going to be on I’m thinking…… Side… we are talking Angels here!! Front Row Center Stage !!! Nearly 24 hours on I’m still in shock and floating on cloud 9.
It was our third show and so far we haven’t sat in the seat we have paid for and up until then we had missed Rod coming on stage too, but not this time. We sat through Moya and bopped a bit and then watched them move the bands instruments off the stage. Then down came the curtain and we started singing Lochlomond.. ‘If I take the high road and you take the low road’… Oh this was going to be a night to remember !!!!
On came the band and up went the curtain and we were at the barrier they could have given the seats away again cos we didn’t us them. On came Our Man in a very good mood and ready to Party and Soooo Close.
J’anna waved and we blew kisses bless her and Rod started singing, now this is when my review skill’s die I couldn’t tell you what the set list is if my life depended on it, we danced, we sang and laughed and cried Oh and I took Photo’s. yes The Calendar is safe for another 2 years at least!! I do remember him singing ‘Sexual Religion’ as we’d shouted it to him when he said he liked to change a few numbers to keep the band on their toes. He didn’t know the words and was reading them from the screen so we had him all to ourselves as he stood there and sang his heart out.
He sang ‘Rhythm of my heart’ in the first set too. Then we got the Green Suit and the sit down bit which he just looked at us and said well you paid for the seat it’s up to you if you want to sit in it… Noooo !!
He sang ‘Georgie’.. Pure Joy ! He sang ‘Brighton Beach’. He sat on Lucy’s knee while Jimmy played sax he even had a little tap dance for out pleasure. He sang ‘Have I told you lately’ too.
After that we had more Rod dancing and Posing for me to take his photo and the band taking over with the drums through Forever Young and somewhere in there the girls sang Soul Girl. I love the leopard dresses they looked amazing, J’anna was having so much fun dancing with the girls and playing the drums.
Every time Rod came back on his hair was standing up and looked too done ! but it was hot and he soon had it scruffy again, Now he is in a Blue Jacket and yellow shirt (Not sure I liked the yellow shirt? )
He kicked the football’s out to ‘Hot Legs’, and somewhere in the mix was ‘Maggie May’ and ‘Can’t stop me now’, ‘You’re in my heart’ which he messed up big time… but who cares?.
Curtains came down and then we had ‘Baby Jane’ and ‘Sailing’ most likely not in that order by they way. He put on a straw hat and by this time the Jacket had gone too. Sadly it was over, it’s always over too soon but it seemed much sooner last night. I spoke to Garry and Karen, and a few other fan’s before leaving to come home. As we had Express parking we walked back to the car and were soon on the road home again. Rod playing loudly and like two over excited teenagers all over again.
Well that’s it the best I can do I can’t put my excitement and feeling on this page as they are 10 fold and more. I would like to thank whoever it was who told those two men to go and fill the front row and for Maxine for getting me to go in the first place. Till next time x
Photograph by Yve Paige