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Post by hurt on Jun 1, 2009 15:01:14 GMT -5
WILD WORLD IS NOW THE GRANDADSONG Regine LOL Great idea |
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Post by catty on Jun 2, 2009 8:08:39 GMT -5
had to giggle a bit at this pic  Pigeon Says - "Don't Mind Me" |
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Post by tiffany on Jun 2, 2009 12:23:57 GMT -5
To all Cat/Yusuf fans,
Great show was enjoyed by us all, the music, lyrics, guitar playing, and memorable songs that conquered a generation for meaning. Since 1972, I grew so fond of him during his heydays as Cat Stevens, but when it was over in late 78/79 I was very upset when he quit music, and became Yusuf Islam.
When he re-emerged back in 2006, I was so glad to hear about his son bringing him back to the guitar again, and since then, the music of that generation and sweet voice sounds even better than before.
May God have mercey on his incredible talent today.
Peace
Tiffany Townsend
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Post by JaneB on Jun 2, 2009 12:48:14 GMT -5
I know most of this has already been said, but here is my take on the day. I hardly know where to begin. That day was absolutely incredible! The day started at the Market Coffee House. There I met Michelle and her husband Charlie, Sue and her husband Bill, Annette, "Hurt", and Iris and her husband (I think?), Regine, Joann and her boyfriend Mark, and some other people whose names I cannot recall at this moment. Most people got there between 1pm and 2pm, and left at various times for various reasons. I left with Sue, Bill and Regine at about 3:30 to head over to the venue. Since none of the tickets were reserved for a particular seat or spot, we had decided that we wanted to be in line around 4pm. We got there closer to 4:30 and could not believe how few people were in line ahead of us. Sweet! Bill, with whom I “befriended” at the Coffee House (hanging outside with him where we could smoke), asked if we were really going to stand there for 2 hours. My response was “ I am.” I think Bill thought we were all a bit crazy! Bill and I had another cigarette and we were all just hanging out talking. All of a sudden I saw the Roadsinger van back into the driveway right next to where we were standing. We started taking pictures of each other next to it, sitting in it, and taking pictures of just the van from all angles – inside and out. Next thing I know the guy who was driving the van gave someone (Sue or Regii?) a t-shirt! I go up to him and ask if he has anything for someone who came here all the way from the U.S. He asks me who I came to see – Noxshi or Yusuf. I tell him I came to see both of them. He gave me a t-shirt depicting the Red Room. I mean, it was just a t-shirt, but the evening wass off to a great start! About 20 minutes later there was another car backing into the driveway (the van had moved to the street) and I gasped (literally) “It’s Yoriyos!” He and his sister get out of the car, and we go up to him. He was so incredibly gracious as we introduced ourselves and asked for autographs. I have his CD and a Sharpie in my bag all ready to go. For those of you who do not have it, his “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee” CD was not sold in a typical plastic case. Instead, it was made to resemble an old vinyl album cover that opens up like a book, with the CD in a “liner” that slides into one side. I hand him the CD as is, and he pulls the liner part out to sign it there. After signing it, he actually blew on it to dry it so it wouldn’t smear when sliding it back in. How cute is that? That image will be in my head forever. He is very shy and does not like his picture taken, so he would not “pose” for any with us, but Sue did take some pictures of him with me and Regine as he was signing our CDs. I was just loving the day! By now it was about 5:30, and the doors were scheduled to open at 6:30. More and more “majicatters” showed up and I met people who were unable to make it to the Coffee House: Vicki (“downunder72”) and her sister Helen, “Helen” from Majicat, Chris (“Novim”), George (“Daddy-O”.) There was a guy with a professional camera taking photos of groups of people waiting in line. The photographer tells us that when we get inside, we will receive a lanyard with a website on it, and the photos will be on the website the next day. Has anyone been able to access the site? It keeps telling me my code is invalid.The next hour was so much fun meeting all these people and just gabbing it up. Just after 6:30 the doors opened and I handed my ticket over and actually had a brief moment of fear that he was not going to give me my stub! Phew! He gives it to me and I finally had my Cat Stevens ticket stub!! I have waited 33 years for that! No one else in the group had tickets for the same section I do, so I made my way to Section 1. When I got there, I see people sitting but no one is in the first two rows, and I am directed to the third row. I then see “Reserved” signs on the seats in the first rows and immediately think “this is crap.” I paid for my ticket and flew 4000 miles to get here AND got here early enough to actually get the front row of the section (first balcony) and they are reserved? Whatever, I was not going to let that ruin the evening. Over on the far left, I see Yusuf’s family sitting there, including his two beautiful granddaughters. At 7pm, an emcee of sorts came out onstage. He announces the first act of the night, and it is Yoriyos’ band Noxshi. It was a few moments after Yoriyos started singing that I realized that no one was stopping anyone from taking pictures. The audience was a sea of digital view finders. I take pictures and snippets of video. Noxshi plays for about 30 minutes, and while the stage was being prepared for the next band, there was a DJ in the back corner of the stage playing music from bands and performers who were on the Island label. The next act was Baaba Maal. They played for about 45 minutes and were fabulous. They leave the stage, and the emcee comes out and asks if we want to hear more from them. Everyone applauds and cheers and they come back out. After the first song of this second set, the lead singer starts singing a song and I think “ I know that song” and oh my god that is when Bono and U2 came out on stage! Completely unannounced and unexpected. The night just kept getting better and better! They leave the stage and there was much commotion as the stage is being prepared for Yusuf – I see the lamppost from the Roadsinger cover. Once again the DJ is there playing music for us. By this time the precious reserved seating is filling up, so time to get the mp3 player situated. No worries, I was prepared with green electrical tape! Check out the photo below showing it taped to my leg! There was no way I was getting to that night unprepared! I have not had a chance to play with the recording to make any improvements to the sound quality. I have no idea how good I can make it – I am not familiar with that software yet. After awhile Bono comes back onstage to introduce Yusuf. It is obvious from his introduction that Bono is a fan of both the man and his music. Yusuf comes out on stage to the most thunderous applause this small audience of two thousand people could create, and I become mush. In true Yusuf style, he redirects the adulation back to the audience and the performers who were on the stage before him. He opens with the song I was hoping he would – “Welcome Home.” When he finished he said to the audience “this really is a magical night” and he was so right! After “Welcome Home” he sang “Lillywhite” which I don’t think he sang live very often back in the day. After that he finally brings on Alun, who in my opinion, is the only man who should ever be at his side on stage or in a studio. You have seen the set posted here – I think it was a perfect mix of old and new, including many I would never have expected; like "Ruins.” Just fabulous. I thought it was odd that he did not play anything from An Other Cup. At one point he starts talking about his granddaughters and his daughter holds one of them up from where they are sitting. The audience willingly gives his granddaughter the limelight for a few moments as she calls out to Yusuf before he sings his Zulu version of “Wild World.” He ended the show with “Father & Son” and the audience goes crazy. Of course, I heard him sing it on The Colbert Report two weeks earlier. It goes without saying that I love the man, but I can also admit that his voice cannot do everything it used to do. One of those things is hit high notes. I don’t know what he has been doing since The Colbert Report, but his voice sounded 30 years younger than it did that night and he hit those notes perfectly. The emcee comes out again and does his little act, but like any Cat Stevens fan, I know it is not over until he sings “Peace Train.” He comes back out and sings his updated version “Peace Train Blues” followed by a classic performance of the original, and then leaves the stage again. This time I knew he was not returning. To me, it was not long enough, but in all honesty, five hours would not have been long enough, but no complaints here! It is somehow validating to know that he is embracing his old songs. It’s the music we have continued to listen to for years. It is almost a relief to know that he has not discarded them, but just like his fans, has perhaps found new meaning in them. It’s like he has listened to all of us who have been trying to tell him what great music he wrote and sang, and to give it another chance. And I could see that he was having fun with it again! I could tell by the way he was holding and playing his guitar and moving around that he was glad to be back on stage in front of his fans. When he played “Miles From Nowhere” and got to that part in the song where there are a few beats of silence, he came back in strong with that well-loved Cat Stevens “growl.” He sounded like the 22 year-old who recorded it back in 1970. Just incredible. I made my way out of the theater and we started to find each other and gather out front, and then went immediately to the stage door on the side. Yup – groupies all the way! As we stand there Yoriyos comes out, signs a few autographs and makes a getaway to go have a cigarette. After a few more minutes Alun Davies comes out and signs autographs, including signing a guitar that some guy brought with him. All of a sudden people start to rush toward the end of the alley. Joann sees me and says “Come on silver Sharpie girl!” (I had told her I brought a silver Sharpie with me - in case I had a chance to get an autograph - because the Roadsinger CD cover was so dark.) People are gathered around a silver car and it is Yusuf inside! Alun was a decoy!! So unfair!! I get close enough to take two pictures and one of them actually captures Yusuf waving, sitting next to his wife and granddaughter. After that there are a few good-byes to those who were leaving London that night. WHAT A GREAT NIGHT!!! The van with real plates - "Cat 60s" was on the floor of the van.   Sue and Regii in the van  Me and the van - photo courtesy of Bill!  Out of focus, but I still like this picture of Yoriyos on stage  Keeping the mp3 player secure knowing I will have to stand at some point during Yusuf's performance!   He is waving at me, right? ;D  Some of us at lunch the next day  Me and Regii in "the room!"  |
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Post by portobella on Jun 2, 2009 20:14:05 GMT -5
Thanks so much to everyone for their stories, videos, and photos from the concert, and Majicatter meetings! What a sweet experience it must have been....there is no way I could have gotten myself there (I'm in the middle of moving to a new apartment!) but the "multimedia" that friends have so kindly shared gives me a feeling of connection, like a circle of us all holding hands, including Yusuf! So nice.
Thanks again....
Bella
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Chris
Oh Very Young
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Post by Chris on Jun 2, 2009 22:43:57 GMT -5
Sorry, I haven't been around much. But, I wanted to thank everyone for all their reviews and pictures. What nice adventures and memories you have shared.  TA |
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Post by G-One on Jun 3, 2009 9:00:43 GMT -5
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Post by downunder72 on Jun 3, 2009 9:31:32 GMT -5
Sorry, I haven't been around much. But, I wanted to thank everyone for all their reviews and pictures. What nice adventures and memories you have shared. TA Dear Christine, I know you are enjoying the posts, but if anyone should have been there at the Empire, it should have been you. I think everyone there in London felt the same. I wish with all my heart you will be with us at a future Yusuf performance.  Christine, always appreciate your hard work and support on Majicat. Wishing you all the best, and hope someone over there from the other site, realizes you have been are a very important asset, and you should have a certain bonus, like special arrangements to concerts. Anyway, we have so many reports, photos, and videos to keep us all very happy for quite a while now.  |
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Post by SuzieQ on Jun 3, 2009 10:09:57 GMT -5
So sorry to hear of your friends passing, Gaby. My heart goes out to you.
You have some great pictures over at MySpace!
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Post by flemmishfangent on Jun 3, 2009 13:16:36 GMT -5
YES CHRISTINE WE SAID IT TO EACHOTHER THERE CHRISTINE NEEDED TO BE HERE BECAUSE IF SHE HAD NOT STARTED MAJICAT WE NEVER WOULD HAVE HAD WHAT WE NOW HAVE THANKS THANKS AND HOPEFULLY YOU CAN ENJOY A CONCERTY WITH YUSUF.
Jane thank God your back thought by myself she is still in London can't get goodbye from there LOL ?I TAKE MY TIME TO READ YOUR STORY Regine
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Post by JaneB on Jun 3, 2009 13:24:52 GMT -5
Thanks, Regii! I was actually sick my first 2 days back - we had to divert to another airport about 90 minutes from home. Two quick landings like that were not good for my ears with my cold, and I was in the emergency room on Monday! But I am at work today  I am really enjoying seeing everyone's pictures. Did you see the one I posted of you and the van driver? |
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Post by flemmishfangent on Jun 3, 2009 13:35:06 GMT -5
Jane it was lovely to read the story yes the story and the pic from Yusuf,Fausia and Arianne so precious to have Regii
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Post by flemmishfangent on Jun 3, 2009 13:38:54 GMT -5
Gaby so sorry your news at home was not so well Regii
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Chris
Oh Very Young
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Post by Chris on Jun 3, 2009 14:39:58 GMT -5
Thank you for your kind words Vicki, Regine.  I wish I could have been there with you, but happy you both had a night full of wonderful memories. Vicki, I could have obtained tickets for any of these three concerts. They were offered to me, but unfortunately, with this economy, it just wasn't feasible right now. Maybe some day it will happen. |
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Post by downunder72 on Jun 3, 2009 16:52:36 GMT -5
Even though I was very fortunate to have experienced the concert in London, it has been wonderful reading everyones report. It's great reliving the concert. Sue and Jane have written lovely detailed reports on the days of the event. I don't think I could have written anything better. I just thank my lucky stars I had the opportunity to see Yusuf once more after 37 years. I cried in Melbourne then, and I cried again that night in London. Tears of joy, and tears of sadness, that even though 37 years have passed, and he still sounds better than ever. Unbelievable sound, old and new. The energy building up in the Empire was overwhelming. I am sure our very warm response, played a big part in his outstanding performance. I felt that night, Yusuf had finally made peace with his past, with his fans, and was ready to give it all, and we were all there to recieve his peace offering. Yusuf must have been very emotional when the audience sang along with him. At that point he must have realized, we were welcoming him home with open arms, and he that he was terribly missed. Yusuf is reaching out, and once again, we will be their to support him all the way, as we have always done in the past. It was a night that I will treasure, (even though I did not get an autograph, or get the chance to sit in the van.) It was a real pleasure to have met some wonderful people from Majicat. You are all very special. Sorry I missed Chris and Annie. My heart tells me there will be a next time, and we will all be there. Let's just hope till then, we have good health, world peace, and a world of people looking out for one another, then everything is possible. A very big THANKYOU to Helen who has such a big heart, who looks after everyone, and kept a constant check on me and my sister during my stay in London, and for her very kind hospitality. Sue with her twinkling eyes, who did such a good job organizing the get togethers. Unforgettable Jane who made me laugh with her incredible wit. Joanne who was glowing with happiness, that lit up the whole room. The lovely Michelle, very sensitive and making sure no one felt left out. Reggi very sweet as always. Annette with a smile that lights up her face and makes you feel so welcome. Soft spoken Lucy making you feel at ease. Christianne with her young heart took me back many years. Sheila for her strength, and who was an example to us all. And not to forget the boys who were there being good sports, and supporting us. Everyone mentioned and not mentioned, had a special place, and will be in my fondest memories. Thankyou Yusuf and Christine for uniting us. "What the world needs now, is love sweet love. Not for one, but for everyone" Sorry, cant help it, I just love that song. ;D It must be a after reading so many reports, I honestly believe love can unite and conquer all. I think I have said enough, for tonight. ;D Sweet dreams everyone. |
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Chris
Oh Very Young
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Post by Chris on Jun 3, 2009 20:44:50 GMT -5
It was a night that I will treasure, (even though I did not get an autograph, or get the chance to sit in the van.) It was a real pleasure to have met some wonderful people from Majicat. You are all very special. Sorry I missed Chris and Annie. My heart tells me there will be a next time, and we will all be there. Let's just hope till then, we have good health, world peace, and a world of people looking out for one another, then everything is possible. A very big THANKYOU to Helen who has such a big heart, who looks after everyone, and kept a constant check on me and my sister during my stay in London, and for her very kind hospitality. Sue with her twinkling eyes, who did such a good job organizing the get togethers. Unforgettable Jane who made me laugh with her incredible wit. Joanne who was glowing with happiness, that lit up the whole room. The lovely Michelle, very sensitive and making sure no one felt left out. Reggi very sweet as always. Annette with a smile that lights up her face and makes you feel so welcome. Soft spoken Lucy making you feel at ease. Christianne with her young heart took me back many years. Sheila for her strength, and who was an example to us all. And not to forget the boys who were there being good sports, and supporting us. Everyone mentioned and not mentioned, had a special place, and will be in my fondest memories. This is just beautiful Vicki. It brought a smile to my face reading your descriptions of these wonderful friends. May you meet them many more times in your life. |
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Post by mckenzy on Jun 3, 2009 21:19:46 GMT -5
not sure if this has been posted yet, but this youtuber, alistairburns, was right down front and filmed the whole show. Quality is really FABULOUS considering the obstacles!! Hey, if you're one of the majicatters, thanks for doing this and loading to youtube! Check it out: www.youtube.com/user/alistairburns |
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Post by helen on Jun 4, 2009 3:34:45 GMT -5
some day it will happen. [/quote] Christine If Yusuf or should I say when Yusuf does another concert in London You are most welcome to come and stay with me at my house. |
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Post by helen on Jun 4, 2009 11:52:12 GMT -5
Gaby. Sorry to hear about your friend. It was nice meeting you again this time in the UK |
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Post by butterfly on Jun 4, 2009 14:31:54 GMT -5
Gaby, so sorry to hear about your friend. It must be very hard for you. Please write me on Myspace if you want.  Yes, these two days were wonderful, I will never forget in my life. I am busy with collecting all pictures to make me an album. It was wonderful to meet so much new friends and next time I will stay one or two days longer. Next time I will bring along my husband, he loves London, because there are so much CD shops. ;D ;D ;D Thank you Christine for all the news you share with us, without this board we have never found together. |
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soitis
Moonshadow Member
I love my dog as much as I .......
Posts: 316
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Post by soitis on Jun 4, 2009 15:46:27 GMT -5
Thank you all who made my visit to Show and London more beautiful.I consider you my new friends.It was pleasure to be with you at the dinner.I hope next time we will have more time to spend together.
I love London.I love Cat and I love all of you.
Soitis
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Post by SuzieQ on Jun 4, 2009 17:07:10 GMT -5
Thank you all who made my visit to Show and London more beautiful.I consider you my new friends.It was pleasure to be with you at the dinner.I hope next time we will have more time to spend together. I love London.I love Cat and I love all of you. Soitis It was so nice to meet you. Bill and I, consider you as new friend too! Hopefully, we will meet again soon! |
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kelseyhale
Katmandu Member
CS/YI Teen Convert
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Post by kelseyhale on Jun 4, 2009 19:26:51 GMT -5
any vidoe of the noxhsi performance?
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Chris
Oh Very Young
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Post by Chris on Jun 4, 2009 21:29:36 GMT -5
Thank You Helen, this is a really sweet offer from you. |
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Post by flemmishfangent on Jun 5, 2009 4:53:01 GMT -5
So nice to hear from you Vicky,Soitis how you all enjoyed those days like i dit and i can't wait for another oppertunity to meet you all again .Soitis stay in touch
Anette cureous for the album.And Christine if there is a new chance for Yusuf in London i really wont to help in any other way to get you there ,i'm sure we all do .Regine
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Post by HardheadedSofthrtd on Jun 5, 2009 6:38:14 GMT -5
One word: Magnificent! (sung a la Bono, of course! LOL) WHAT a GREAT time! Mark and I landed just about front and center at the Empire - two gentlemen were leaning on the barrier and I was just between them. Perfect! And Mark took loads of pictures leaving me free to sit back and enjoy (or should I say stand? lol). We've yet to transfer the photos and video from his camera and phone onto either of our computers, but hopefully we'll get that done soon... Thoroughly enjoyed Noxshi's performance. I know their sound isn't for everyone, but we loved it! And Baaba Maal blew me away. I happened to glance towards the wings toward the finish of Baaba's set and spotted Bono there. I nudged Mark to tell him, as well as Sue and Bill. Knowing that Island had signed U2 "back in the day", I thought perhaps Bono would be popping onstage to say a few words. Then I had a second look and saw Larry, Edge, and Adam, and I knew we were in for a real treat! Honestly, I got shivers once they took the stage. I've been lucky enough to see U2 several times over the years, but never as close as this, other than the U23D movie...and that doesn't really count! LOL I looked at Mark and he had tears in his eyes - a fact I'm sure I'll remind him of many times. Loved Bono's introduction of Yusuf: "Poet. Guitar picker. Natty dresser. Family man. Family of men man. Pop star. Icon. Iconoclast. Singer and writer of some of the finest songs ever written. (one other phrase I couldn't make out). Yusuf!" Reminded me of when he inducted Bob Marley into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. As for Yusuf's performance, what can I say that hasn't already been mentioned? Loved every minute of it! Tickled to hear a male voice from the crowd yell, "We love you, Cat!" LOL When he teasingly asked what we'd like to hear, I called for The Foreigner Suite. Greedy little wench that I am, I figured why not ask for a good long song? LOL Besides, it's one of my favorites. Of course, it wasn't going to happen and I knew that. It was a real pleasure hearing Miles from Nowhere and Lilywhite, and the new songs were beautifully rendered. Pete tickled the ivories perfectly, and Alun, as ever, was a joy. The musician who sang backing vocals on To Be What You Must (along with other songs) has a lovely voice. Sorry I don't know his name at the moment. Got me a cool Noxshi T-shirt from the "van-man" (lol). Sue, Bill, and Regi - it was lovely having you all back to the hotel for a bit after such a long time standing in line then at the show. Helen and Peter - thank you so much for your warm hospitality. Mark and I had a wonderful time with everyone Saturday evening. A toast to friends both old and new - may we all see each other again very soon. -Joanne |
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Post by humbug on Jun 7, 2009 17:23:37 GMT -5
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Jun 7, 2009 18:04:48 GMT -5
Just snatched it! Remarkable audio quality. Thanks for the heads up Humbug! |
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Post by JaneB on Jun 7, 2009 18:51:02 GMT -5
Even though I was very fortunate to have experienced the concert in London, it has been wonderful reading everyones report. It's great reliving the concert. Sue and Jane have written lovely detailed reports on the days of the event. I don't think I could have written anything better. I just thank my lucky stars I had the opportunity to see Yusuf once more after 37 years. I cried in Melbourne then, and I cried again that night in London. Tears of joy, and tears of sadness, that even though 37 years have passed, and he still sounds better than ever. Unbelievable sound, old and new. The energy building up in the Empire was overwhelming. I am sure our very warm response, played a big part in his outstanding performance. I felt that night, Yusuf had finally made peace with his past, with his fans, and was ready to give it all, and we were all there to recieve his peace offering. Yusuf must have been very emotional when the audience sang along with him. At that point he must have realized, we were welcoming him home with open arms, and he that he was terribly missed. Yusuf is reaching out, and once again, we will be their to support him all the way, as we have always done in the past. It was a night that I will treasure, (even though I did not get an autograph, or get the chance to sit in the van.) It was a real pleasure to have met some wonderful people from Majicat. You are all very special. Sorry I missed Chris and Annie. My heart tells me there will be a next time, and we will all be there. Let's just hope till then, we have good health, world peace, and a world of people looking out for one another, then everything is possible. A very big THANKYOU to Helen who has such a big heart, who looks after everyone, and kept a constant check on me and my sister during my stay in London, and for her very kind hospitality. Sue with her twinkling eyes, who did such a good job organizing the get togethers. Unforgettable Jane who made me laugh with her incredible wit. Joanne who was glowing with happiness, that lit up the whole room. The lovely Michelle, very sensitive and making sure no one felt left out. Reggi very sweet as always. Annette with a smile that lights up her face and makes you feel so welcome. Soft spoken Lucy making you feel at ease. Christianne with her young heart took me back many years. Sheila for her strength, and who was an example to us all. And not to forget the boys who were there being good sports, and supporting us. Everyone mentioned and not mentioned, had a special place, and will be in my fondest memories. Thankyou Yusuf and Christine for uniting us. "What the world needs now, is love sweet love. Not for one, but for everyone" Sorry, cant help it, I just love that song. ;D It must be a after reading so many reports, I honestly believe love can unite and conquer all. I think I have said enough, for tonight. ;D Sweet dreams everyone. Vicki - so lovely! Everyone has their own way of telling their story of the night/week. Every time I read one I think "Yes, that is perfect!" When telling others about it, the one word I consistently use is "special" and that is how I will always remember that time. Jane |
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Post by sunspark* on Jun 7, 2009 22:00:25 GMT -5
Mega-Thanks for the dime upload, Humbug!! Mighty kind of you. |
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TA
I wish I could have been there with you, but happy you both had a night full of wonderful memories. 
