Pearl Jam Live x5

Almost one year since my last post! It's been a long time... Interestingly this almost looks like the continuation of my previous post.

New year, new Pearl Jam tour and more concerts - Escalation! as my good friend Luís puts it. This idea started very stupidly as all great ideas do. Pearl Jam announced an European tour and I told Luís "I'm planning to watch Oeiras' concert and London's so I can visit some friends. Why don't you pick another concert and I'll go with you". His answer: "Why not watch more?". I told him to pick which ones he wanted and we ended up with 5 in continental Europe (we skipped the London one). By January we had all tickets except for Portugal.

In good Portuguese fashion we started planning our trip one week before. Plane tickets were already too expensive so we bought InterRail passes. As we were both busy that week we barely managed to plan our outbound trip. The rest would be done while travelling. On Friday I took the SudExpress and then the TGV to Paris and met Luís on Gare du Nord as he had job training in Switzerland the day before. Took some typical Portuguese food with me :)



Paris. On our thin plan we intended to meet Vivi, spend the night in Paris and take the 1st TGV to Brussels but the seats were all taken, damn! Alternative: 3 normal trains and spend the night in Brussels. That allowed us to see Lille before we anticipated and a little ghost town called Tournai. I call it ghost town as we barely saw any people till we arrived the centre.



Brussels. How to spend a night in Brussels without spending too much money on lodging? By spending it drinking some of the 2000 beers available in Delirium! They even have Sagres and Super Bock! By 7am Delirium was closing and we were on our way to the station to catch the train to Amsterdam.



Amsterdam, beautiful Amsterdam. Here we met our limp (due to teared meniscus) friend Ivo who welcomed us to his place and took us to our first concert - Rock In the Park, Nijmegen. We didn't go immediately as I forgot the tickets and we had to go back:$



Upon arrival we had this brilliant idea of filling our camelbaks with wine and martini to avoid dehydration during the concert. Unfortunately the festival's organization didn't agree with this and they threw all of it away :( A horrible sight... Apparently it was forbidden to bring alcohol inside so they can capitalize by selling their own, bastards! Apart from that we watched Ben Harper singing Under Pressure with Eddie Vedder. Pearl Jam opened the concert with "Evolution" setting the pace for a breathtaking concert. Things only calmed down when they reached the 6th song "In My Tree". Vedder didn't lose too much time talking and they were able to squeeze 19 songs in 90 minutes. When their time was up we could see on their faces they didn't want to leave so early... Setlist





Tuesday morning was spent in Düsseldorf sightseeing.



By 19:30 we were in Berlin. Found a hostel, checked in and ran for a biergarten to watch Portugal lose against Spain. Seeing Portugal leave the World Cup took all our motivation to go out so we got back to the Hostel.



Next day we strolled a bit around Alexanderplatz and then we went to Wuhlheide. We had fan entrance which gave us early entry and also access to a fan area where we could talk with other fans. Because of that we were able to secure a nice place right in front of the stage. First Ben Harper which performed brilliantly, he really is an amazing guitarist! And then Pearl Jam. Here they played a more "relaxed" concert, more songs (31) and more talk with the audience. An amazing setlist including "Spin the Black Circle" which I heard for the second time and its terrific live. The most incredible moment from all the concerts we've seen was the way Black ended. The crowd kept on clapping and singing tut, tu-ru-ru, tut tut tu-ru-ru for a long time while Eddie put his hands on his face looking very touched. Afterwards he thanks the crowd and at some point, while talking he stops and cries. Then, by Gossard's suggestion he asks for a moment of silence for the Roskilde victims who perished 10 years before. Unforgettable!







Youtube: Moment of silence.

Next day was spent walking in Berlin which is much bigger than I ever imagined, totally worth it!



At night we caught the night train to Amsterdam to spend another day with Ivo after his knee surgery. Watched Netherlands beat Brazil and spend the evening in the park with new friends. Before going to bed we still had time to check some train schedules for the next day.




Saturday morning we left early. It was pouring so we took a taxi to the train station. How come on a 10 day trip the only day it rains is the day we are camping? Murphy's law I guess... Stopped in Brussels, ran to our next train which we barely caught and a few hours later we were back in Lille. Here we had another TGV ticket reservation adventure, this time to get back to Portugal. Initially there weren't any more InterRail discount tickets available and they wanted to charge us 72€. But later after playing around with the computer they got us TGV tickets going through Paris with discount. Still each one of us paid 36€. From Lille we caught a train to Arras.



Arras, a small city in France. Upon arrival we went to the camping park to set the tents. Luckily it wasn't pouring any more, just some drizzle. Afterwards we went to the Main Square. The festival area is located in a sort of old town which Vedder would later tell us it was some sort of military facilities. Military or not it was nice scenario for the concerts.



When we arrived Julian Casablancas was playing but the sound was terrible. It was so loud everyone was buying ear-plugs (which the organization sold for 5€!!!) and the highs were distorting. We couldn't get close to the stage and at that point we feared the other concerts would be like that. Luckily we were proven wrong. Phoenix gave a very good concert and Gomez was good as usual. Then we saw a bit of a French aberration called -M- which his music resembled some of Pink Floyd and Queen classics though the lyrics were French. And then Ben Harper. This time he started the concert alone and slow, just playing his guitar. You could feel the crowd was anxious and a lot of excitement was piling up. When he started singing there was a burst of joy. Great reception from the French crowd, it made that concert amazing. Later Pearl Jam. Highlights: brand new song called "Of The Earth", looks promising. After the encore Ben Harper joined the band to play Red Mosquito with the characteristic sound of his guitar. One of those moments... The concert itself was short, only 17 songs. That night the tent floor felt more comfortable than usual, maybe because it's better than sleeping on a train seat:D



Next day we were up early to catch our train to Lille. Unfortunately the train was late and ruined all our scheduling. We would end up arriving Werchter 2h later than planned which cost us the Alice In Chains concert:( In Gent we took the chance to leave our backpacks and stroll around a bit. It was almost deserted though they had lots of bikes!



Inside the festival. The barriers were set in a funny way. The area near the stage was confined between barriers and to access it there was an entrance similar to road tolls with green/red lights. Basically one could only access this area if it wasn't too crowded. Luckily we were able to get there before Them Crooked Vultures started and they gave an excellent concert! After that and still on the same spot we watched Pearl Jam. The setlist was a bit similar to Arras', but still a very good concert full of energy. Highlight: Alain Johannes and Dave Grohl collaboration on "Kick out the Jams".





As the concert finishes I receive very good news, a friend of mine got me a ticket to Pearl Jam in Portugal, they were sold out at that time:) From then on we started our retun home. Slept on Leuven's train station while we waited for the 5:30 train to Gent. Picked up our bags which we left in a locker and got on a train to Lille. Bought some groceries and had breakfast on the station. TGV to Paris. TGV to Irún. Went to ticket office and we're told the SudExpress to Lisbon was full. The other SudExpress would leave 24h later, trains to Madrid only in the morning, argh. We asked for an alternative and he suggested we ask the train controller to let us in and so we did. First the guy told us he wasn't sure if we could go in. We stressed and put our best abandoned dog faces. 10 min before the train left he told us to get in and warned us we might have to go up if there were no seats at a given time. Well that never happened and we had a nice trip home. Arrived Lisbon at 10:20, had some time for two Super Bock Minis and then bus home :D Never a shower felt so good!



4 days later, Luís discovered he didn't actually have a ticket for the Oeiras concert but only a voucher which was already too late to exchange. Sometimes life is unfair... I ended up going alone and it turned out to be a fantastic concert, quite different from the previous four. So many good songs which are not always played like: Release (one of my top 3 opening songs), In Hiding, Glorified G and Smile. During the past concerts we were always watching the technical team tune up an standup bass but Ament never used it and we keep wondering for what song was it. In Oeiras I got the answer: Nothingman:) The whole concert had great moments with Vedder talking a lot to the crowd. "You guys are the best singing crowd in the world!" that was really something special and a confirmation of what me and Luís had been saying all along. In Portugal Pearl Jam doesn't sing for the crowd but sings with the crowd! There was the scary/sad part where he sad it would be the last show in a long time. Hope it's just a pause for their personal different projects and Cameron's Soundgarden. The end of Black was great. The most magical moment was Betterman. Vedder let us sing more than usual and before he "joined" us he says "Can't find better crowd". And then of course, there is the good old "Portugal Portugal Improv" (lyrics below) which I heard live for the first time, but was the third they played. Beautiful concert. Setlist.



During all concerts I noticed two sets of microphones pointing to the crowd. Does this mean they are doing bootlegs of all the tour like they did on previous years? Certainly hope so.



We have a many friends from here
Makes us feel like home
Since the first time that we landed
Here in Portugal

Portugal Portugal

And now it's coming to the end
I dont wanna know/go?
If you let me I will move here
and live in Portugal

Portugal Portugal

Blitz report

Pearl Jam Live x3

Tuesday, the 11th was the start of an amazing weekend for me. As I've told here I was able to secure tickets for Pearl Jam's "intimate" concert at Shepherd's Bush Empire (2000 people capacity). I went with a Portuguese friend that lives in London. We were seated on the 3rd level, a bit far away from the action but you could still feel the great atmosphere. This was a more calm concert with great songs, though they didn't play my old time favorite: Black. After the concert was over we went for some pints with some friend and the we caught the tube home. I was going to commute at King's Cross to catch the Northern Line but decided to change at Euston because there were some works in King's Cross during the weekend. As I was going downstair to the platform I start hearing Black. One of those tube musicians was playing Black exactly at the same time I was there, what an amazing coincidence! That was first time I gave one of those guys money. You can read more about the concert here and here (Portuguese).



Last Thursday I flew to Amsterdam to meet a Portuguese friend living there. Then we went to Rotterdam for my second concert of this tour. We arrived there just 5 min before Pearl Jam opened the concert, enough time to buy some beers. They started by saying something like "It's been a long time since we were here" and played "Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town". Great start! From then on they rocked, amazing pace, didn't stop much to speak. 2h hours of pure joy. Check the setlist here. At some point my friend went to buy some beers but instead he bough us two Pearl Jam t-shirts, thanks mate ;)

Yesterday was the last concert at the O2 Arena in London. This time I had fan tickets which would allow me and my flatmate to get in earlier. That proved to be quite good as we secured a very good position. First band was Gomez which I never heard before. The lead singer has an impressive voice. And then it was time for Pearl Jam. They opened the concert the same way they did in Atlanta 94, with Release and then, just like in Rotterdam they went for a breathtaking set of songs. When Animal started the crowd went crazy and before I realised what happened I lost my flatmate and was standing almost in front of the stage, with only 3 rows of people separating me from the barrier. That area was so packed I could barely fill my chest with air, let alone sing. That's the sensation of having 8000 people pushing you...

The first part of the concert was breathtaking, and continued on. My highlights are Immortality, Footsteps, Crazy Mary, Rats and a great version of Black ending with everyone singing along "we belong together, together". Check here for the complete setlist. An impressive two and half hours of great songs very well played. One of my best PJ concerts yet!

By the end of the concert I was covered in sweat from head to toes. My phone, that was inside my pocket was wet and slippery. But all of it was worth it.

Mariza @ Coliseu dos Recreios

Como tinha twittado aqui, a Mariza vai dar 4 concertos nos Coliseus, dois em Lisboa (31/10 e 01/01) e dois no Porto (29 e 30/10). No Porto, os bilhetes custam entre 18 e 40 euros e em Lisboa entre 20 euros e 50 euros (fonte: Blitz).

Já fui a alguns concertos no Coliseu dos Recreios e acho-a uma das melhores salas de espectáculos em Lisboa. Apesar de não ser tão adequada para o fado como uma Casa de Fados aposto que será um espectáculo digno de ver.

Só vi a Mariza uma vez e gostei tanto que já comprei dois bilhetes para a fila A da plateia do Coliseu para a ver bem de perto no dia 31/10 :D

Estou ansioso...

Pearl Jam @ Shepherds Bush Empire

One week ago, Pearl Jam announced what every fan wishes: an "intimate" concert for 2000 people on the welcoming Shepherds Bush Empire. If you consider most their concerts are for 15 000-50 000, it's quite a limited opportunity. Even though I already had bought other tickets for their European tour, this was the concert to be at. One lifetime opportunity and it was happening in the city where I'm only living for 18 months. I couldn't miss it but it would be a painful process to get tickets...

First I pre-ordered their album Backfixer from hmv.com to be eligible to buy the pre-sale tickets on Tuesday. Tuesday arrived and I never received the email with the link :( From what you can read in the Pearl Jam forum, the tickets disappeared in something like 2 minutes.

Second attempt, Ten Club (the fan club) lottery. I didn't get them... Only hope to wait for the general sale today.

1st ray of hope: hmv recognised there was an issue sending me the email with the pre-sale link so they sent me an email yesterday with a link so I could have some advantage today at 9:00.

Before 9 I was refreshing my browser like mad at both the hmv site and the general sale site. 9'clock arrived and I was able to start ordering tickets from hmv but at some point it failed with some error I couldn't get through. On the general sale site, I got in, put 2 tickets on my basket and when I submit the last form I get an error complaining about the phone number format (because it had the + sign). I corrected it, repeated some steps and as I checkout the tickets they were no longer available! Argh!!! From then on I was unable to even start a new order and I was feeling completely gutted...

2nd ray of hope: hmv sends me an email stating there was a technical issue during the morning and that they would repeat the sale again at 3:30. The only problem was that I would have a meeting with a vendor representant at that time. When he arrived I told him I would need 15 min of "personal time" around 3:30 which he didn't mind at all. The funny part was that at 3:30 he actually stayed by my side me and help me with the ordering process. 3:30 came and everything went very smoothly. 2 tickets for the 3rd level bought:) I couldn't contain myself and lifted my arms in excitement. Funny thing to do during work:D

I still don't who will come with me to the concert but I'm sure it's going to be one of our best concerts ever! Today I'm smiling :D

Grease: the Musical

With several friends here we went to see Grease. A very childish musical, with voices in a very high pitch... According to one of my friends it was very similar to the film. Some nice jokes... but generally it failed to impress me.

Pearl Jam European Tour '09

Pearl Jam is coming to Europe again, this time they are only doing 4 concerts (covering 3 countries): Rotterdam, Berlin, Manchester and London. The concerts will start on the 13/08 and finish on the 18th. I was able to secure tickets to watch them, but for a few moments I thought I wouldn't get to see them at all...

On the morning of 4th May I see an email listing a Pearl Jam concert in London. I immediately google for tickets and not only I don't find any, I find a post on their website's forum asking if they were sold out. At this point I had to leave to work thinking "shit".

Now on my work desk I do some more research, a little bit more calm, and I actually find that the tickets would only be available from 8th May onwards and that 10 Fan Club members could buy them early. Big relieve:)

I log in the Pearl Jam website and I see the presale tickets, this makes the idea of becoming a member grow inside my head. In the past I though of doing it so I could always secure tickets to their shows... A year of membership costs 25$ and gives you the right to buy presale tickets and exclusive fan material. After a few more minutes I take the plunge. Not only I buy a club membership and a London ticket for 2 (the only available) but I also buy the deluxe reedition of 10 which includes the never released MTV Unplugged DVD and buy the Showbox DVD. Nice expenditure for a morning...

The next day I start thinking about something a little bit more wild: going to Rotterdam and watch the first concert of this tour with an old Portuguese friend who lives in Amsterdam. I sent him an email but didn't get a timely reply. Without knowing if he would be available or not I made the decision to buy the tickets. At this point there were no more presale tickets on the 10 club so I turned to Livenation.nl the website that would sell Rotterdam's tickets. They did a presale on the 7th an the actual sale on the 8th both starting at 9:00 GMT. On the 7th I only got to their website at 10:07 and only a few seated tickets remained so I decided to wait till the 8th. Next day I started monitoring their website from 8 and at 8:53 I was able to get access to the booking platform and was able to add to standing tickets to the shopping basket. During the checkout process I chose a buying option that was only available in the Netherlands resulting in me losing the tickets. I tried to rebook but at this time (8:59) all the the arena tickets were gone! Only a few seated tickets available. Hoping some tickets would become available the same way I lost mine I strarted the desperate manouver of hitting refresh several times till I get tickets. Funny how the colours would change at each refesh, tickets would disappear and reappear. Sometimes some tickets would appear at the arena but when I tried to buy them it would fail. But at around 8:17 it didn't fail and I was able to get the tickets:)

Conclusion: this year I'll watch the first and last Pearl Jam concert of the European Tour. It's a pitty they are not going to Portugal though:(

Billy Elliot - O musical

Ainda na companhia dos meus amigos de universidade, fui ver o Billy Elliot. Começou logo bem quando fomos transferidos do Grand Circle (secção mais barata) para os Stalls (secção mais cara), o equivalente à plateia:) Ficámos nas últimas filas, mas ainda assim com uma excelente visão.

A primeira coisa que achei piada foi ao guarda-roupa, tranporta-nos logo para os anos 80. Não achei muita piada a algumas cenas, hipoteticamente cómicas, com os polícias e os protestantes. As próprias músicas quando estavam todo ao molho eram, na minha humilde opinião, pobres. Os diálogos e as interacções entre artistas eram giras divertidas. O que gostei mais foram as cenas de dança com o puto principal. O rapazito faz dança contemporânea, ballet e sapateado, Muito impressionante para a idade dele. A minha cena favorita é quando ele faz ballet juntamente com o seu futuro "eu", é engraçado observar o contraste de um bailarino profissional com uma criança. Se a criança antes parecia dançar bem, ao lado do adulto parece desajeitado.

Oliver!

No dia 29 de Janeiro aproveitei a visita de uns amigos para irmos ver o Oliver!. Um musical londrino com o Rowan Atkinson (também conhecido por Mr. Bean) baseado no romance Oliver Twist de Charles Dickens.

Comprámos bilhetes para o "4º anel", ou seja, a balcony. Confesso que estava um pouco receoso que a vista fosse má lá de cima, mas quando chegámos fiquei agradavelmente surpreendido por descobrir que estávamos perto o suficiente para perceber as expressões dos actores. Algo não muito raro devido à construção na vertical das bancadas nos teatros londrinos.

A grande decepção ocorreu instantes antes da cortina se levantar, com o anúncio "We regret to inform that Mr. Rowan Atkinson is feeling indisposed and will not be able to perform tonight, instead Mr Someone will do the role of Fagin." Uma da grandes razões que me levou a ver este musical era o Rowan Atkinson, por isso eu é que fiquei indisposto.

A cortina lá se levantou e fomos presenteados como uma coreografia elaborada com dezenas de crianças. Uma cena muito bem conseguida sem dúvida. Mas não conseguia evitar pensar nas longas e duras horas de trabalho que aquelas crianças tiveram e associar esses pensamentos às criancinhas que fazem sapatos em casa no nosso país... A exploração infantil assume várias formas e se eu não vi a criança que fiz os meus sapatos, certamente não posso negar que vi as crianças que me entreteram por duas horas...

Adiante, o Fagin interpretado pelo senhor que não me lembro o nome, está uma personagem muito engraçada. Apesar do tal senhor ter feito um papel muito bom é notório que é um papel feito à medida do Rowan Atkinson e teria valido a pena vê-lo.

Outra coisa brutal neste musical são os cenários, muito dinâmicos, quase se tornam em mais uma personagem pelo que oferecem a cada cena e pelo que nos entretêm.

As coreografias são todas muito giras, há sempre imenso humor e o ritmo nunca nos deixa aborrecidos.

Pelas £27 que pagámos vale bem a pena!

Les Misérables

Há duas semanas atrás lá fomos ver os famosos Les Misérables, há 23 anos em cena aqui em Londres. Os lugares em que ficámos não eram fantásticos, dos mais baratos - £32,50, lutávamos para perceber as expressões faciais dos actores mas ainda assim não eram maus de todo.

O espectáculo em si. As coreografias em grupo eram muito giras, os cenários um pouco mais simples do que esperava, mas tendo em conta a história estão adequados. Estava à espera de músicas mais harmoniosas, consequência de ter visto o Fantasma da Ópera antes, mas não fariam muito sentido se assim fosse já que é uma história passadas nas ruas.

No final ficámos todos muito satisfeitos e com vontade de mais musicais :)

Mariza at the Barbican, London

I could summarise this show in only three words:
Amazing, Fantastic, Superb!

But I'll use some more. Mariza was very interactive, talking a lot with the audience, mostly in English but also in Portuguese. A funny moment was when she asked if there where any Portuguese people there and about half of the audience started shouting and clapping. Sometimes she would explain what some key Portuguese words mean before started singing so the audience could understand what she would be singing about. On the beginning of the show, she apologised to the 1st and 2nd balcony for not being close to them. She also talked a little bit of her her origins, she was born in Mozambique, raise in Mouraria (Lisboa), and started singing at 5 in her parents' Tasco da Mouraria.

At a certain point she convinced the British part of the audience to say "Guitarrada" so the guitar players would play some instrumental fado.

Her performance itself was staggering, every time she paused we could hear the flies. Everyone was just so immerse in the music that wouldn't dare to make a sound. Her voice sounded like magic.

Before her first encore, she put the audience singing Happy Birthday to one of the guitar players. After the audience singed it in English the Portuguese, unexpectedly, singed it in Portuguese. After that, she singed her supposedly last song, As they left everyone got up and made a huge ovation. When they returned, they gave us what Mariza called a "gift", and a gift it was. She, and two of the guitarists played without any mikes or amplification for the whole hall. I guess everyone wasn't expecting to hear much, but I was in the 2nd balcony and could hear her clearly. It was a great display of the power of her voice. After that, another good display of her singing abilities, she sang Smile from Charlie Chaplin (sang by Nat King Cole), she sang while walking through one aisle between people.

She finished singing a happy fado song with everyone standing and clapping.

Amazing show, espero voltar a vê-la "lá pelas nossas bandas" (como ela disse).

Though not all songs are exclusively fado, as some have drums and/or piano, the mixture works quite well, making it easier to hear but still carrying the same feeling.

Mariza em Londres

É preciso vir a Londres para ver um concerto da nossa Mariza:D Os bilhetes já estão comprados, 2 dos últimos 3 bilhetes vendidos! Por pouco não ficava a ver navios... Agora já estão esgotados, por isso não se chateiem:P

É preciso apreciar o que escreveram na página:
Have you missed out? Members hear first!
Mariza's two evening concerts have now sold out. To hear first about similar events and enjoy priority booking periods for the very best contemporary music - join Barbican Membership from just £20 a year. Join today!

Mariza Family Concert on Sun 2 Nov at 2.30pm:
Mariza has added a special third concert on Sunday afternoon, intended for young people (age 7-14) and accompanying adults. She and her band will play some of their most famous numbers, and she will talk about her relationship to the Portuguese traditions of fado. Click here to book now.

About the evening concerts
Two special concerts by the queen of fado, the breathtakingly lyrical and melancholic music of Portugal.

Adored around the world for her heart breaking voice, compelling stage charisma and performances that are full of musical passion and drama , Mariza returns to London for her first UK concerts in two years to premiere material from her eagerly anticipated album Terra, out this autumn on EMI.

'When Mariza sings, time stands still. Every word is sung with intense concentration, every note hit flawlessly. When she pauses for dramatic effect, we are all with her.' Charlie Gillett, BBC Radio 3.

http://www.barbican.org.uk/music/event-detail.asp?ID=7476

£25 por bilhete, o que é barato pela perspectiva londrina... dia 2 lá estarei:D

Fantasma da Ópera

Após quase 3 meses cá, finalmente fui ver um musical. E tenho que admitir que fiquei muito bem impressionado:) Fomos ver o Fantasma da Ópera no Her Majesty's Theatre, onde está em cena há 22 anos! O meu primeiro comentário ao ver os actores a entrar em palco foi "parece que estou numa peça da escola", não por lhes faltar qualidade, mas por estar tão perto do palco. O teatro é relativamente pequeno, 1216 lugares distribuidos por 4 níveis. Nós estávamos numa das últimas filas do 2º nível (Royal Circle) e a vista era formidável! Era possível não só ver os mais pequenos gestos, mas também ver as expressões faciais dos artistas.



Não sou muito experiente em teatro e por isso a minha opinião vale o que vale, mas aqui fica... Adorei os cenários, acho que estavam muito bem elaborados e era interessante como em algumas cenas específicas tinham diferentes profundidades e várias coisas aconteciam em planos secundários. As vozes eram arrebatadoras, fiquei particularmente surpreendido pela actriz que fazia o papel de Christine que tinha uma voz doce e melodiosa e projectava a voz bem longe, de forma bem audível. O enredo em si também não é mau de todo.

Conclusão, recomenda-se!

A peça custou-me umas dolorosas £45 (58€), mas como é só uma vez na vida, valeu cada penny. A próxima deverá ser os Les Misérables.

Madonna em Portugal

Do que consegui ver pareceu-me ser um espectáculo fabuloso. Imensos bailarinos, coreografias elaboradíssimas, ecrãs móveis e destacáveis no palco que complementavam as performances dos artistas com clips de video elaborados. Tudo seria perfeito se tivesse boa visibilidade para o palco e se o som não parecesse distante (além dos aviões a passarem bem perto). Se não  fosse pela minha altura acima da média não tinha visto nada. Pode parecer exagerado, mas é verdade, muitas pessoas pagaram 60€ para ver Madonna e mal a viram nos ecrãs que estavam ao lado do palco! Um casal amigo chegou mesmo ao sair mais cedo após a frustação de não conseguirem ver nada e não iam sós, na mesma altura mais pessoas saiam pelo mesmo motivo. Nem sequer fomos os últimos ao chegar, fomos 3h antes do espectáculo começar. Várias pessoas que chegaram depois de nós ainda tentaram "furar" pela nossa posição, mas era impossível devido a estarmos completamente compactados. Lá em baixo, mais próximo do palco havia uma zona delimitada restrita a membros do clube de fãs da "rainha", que não estava cheia na totalidade, onde as pessoas podiam assistir o concerto com boa visibilidade em conforto. Pelo menos os mais fã(náticos) por ela tiverem direito a vê-la em condições.

O que a Everything is New fez ao vender tantos bilhetes para este espectáculo deveria ser considerado burla. Em muitos espectáculos existe uma categoria de bilhete chamado "Visibilidade Limitada". Foi isso que umas 25000 pessoas (minha estimativa) compraram sem saber. E estou a ser simpático porque ver Madonna num ecrã não é propriamente "vê-la".

O parque da Bela Vista até é um espaço adequado para este tipo de evento, mas apenas para uns 50 000. E quando digo isto, assusto-me ao descobrir que podiam lá ter estado 90 000, que é a lotação do Parque da Bela Vista :-S

Reportagem sobre o evento:

Blitz