Fangirl: Robbie Williams – Swings Both Ways Tour Review

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As a long-standing fan, I’m awash with different emotions when watching Robbie perform live. Of course, there’s the awe and the entertainment. Then there’s the swooning like a love-sick teenager. But then there’s also a huge feeling of pride. Robbie’s life choices haven’t always been the best, but seeing him now as a grown-up family man, doing what he does best – well, you can’t help but think that the boy done good.

Robbie does swing brilliantly. He’s got the right voice, the right moves, the right look, the right swagger. It just suits him down to a tee. In his Swings Both Ways tour he takes his talent for swing and applies it not just to some swing classics, but also to some contemporary songs, all delivered with a side-serving of pure cheeky chappy.

The production levels on this tour are amazing, with stunning graphics, seriously talented dancers, swishy lights, Robbie suspended in the air in a fat suit, ticker tape, a duet with his father, a sing-song with a group of adorable kids. It’s visually impressive and impeccably punctuated by Robbie’s signature self-deprecating, yet arrogant, persona.

Wait for me biatches!

He pouts, as he takes to the stage in a polka dot tail-suit to belt out Swings Both Ways.

Highlights? It’s hard to pick, but the acappella version of R Kelly’s Ignition was particularly enjoyable, as was his swinged-up back catalogue medley, Soda Pop was incredibly lively and made for a fitting opening to the second act. Of course, there’s Angels too. No Robbie Williams gig would be complete without the crowd belting this one out. But he also throws in some other sing-along tunes including My Way and Minnie the Moocher. The production of I Wanna Be Like You and No One Likes a Fat Pop Star are brilliant and the opening track, Shine my Shoes, makes for a great entrance. Robbie even manages to sneak in a bit of Let Me Entertain You (kind of).

If you’ve got tickets for any of his forthcoming gigs, I can guarantee that indeed you will be entertained by the cheeky chappy from Stoke. Swing and swagger is what he does best and this tour just oozes both, along with a bit of glitz and glamour. If only the ticket prices weren’t so extortionate I’d consider going again.

Fabulous Rating: 5/5

Fan Girl: Beyonce – The Mrs Carter World Tour – Part 2

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I’d talked myself out of getting tickets for the second leg of Beyoncé’s Mrs Carter World Tour, having already splashed the cash on her first visit to Birmingham last year. Then I heard that one of Hubby’s work colleagues who had been to the 2013 leg of the tour was going again. Well if she was…,I reasoned. Then I heard that Queen Bey had added a whole host of songs from her new, self-titled, album to the set list. And then there was the eye scenario and my resolution to ‘see all the things’ Yep, it didn’t take me long to justify picking up some last-minute side of stage tickets for last nights performance at the LG Arena in Birmingham and boy am I glad I did!

When I say side of stage, we still had a pretty good view. Beyoncé still looked life-size and, although the screen behind her occasionally pixellated due to our viewing angle, we could always take a quick squizz at the side of stage screen to see what we were missing. Personally I’d rather have side of stage and be able to see the artist, than have front of stage at the back and watch a tiny dot dancing around the stage. But that’s just me…

So was it worth going again? Oh yes! Oh yes! Oh, be still my beating heart, yes! Sure, she rolled out some of the favourites from the first leg of the tour, including Get Me Bodied, Baby Boy, Diva, Naughty Girl, Love on Top, Crazy in Love (no Beyoncé gig would be complete without this surely?!), Single Ladies and Halo. She also reverted back to opening with Run the World (Girls) as per the first leg of the tour (a change in the set list since her first Glasgow show), showing that Beyoncé is still tweaking the show to give her fans the ultimate #flawless show. And that’s just it, alongside those old favourites were a host of new tracks which Beyoncé is carefully working into, what was already, an impressive set. It could have been a car crash, it wasn’t.  In fact, the aptly named #Flawless was possibly one of my favourite performances of the evening – a kick ass track, with a wicked bass line, a feisty dance routine and Bey telling the crowd in her Southern drawl to sing ‘with attitude’. New track Drunk in Love received a massive cheer as Beyoncé straddled a chair and sang about those bath tub antics! Oh er!

Indeed, as well as a sprinkling of her new material, she also added a huge dash of spice to the  mix. Now Bey has always been foxy, don’t get me wrong. But there does seem to be a certain ‘She’s flirty, turned 30, ain’t that the age a girl gets really dirty‘ to our Ms Carter these days. As if her figure (a seductive petite hourglass), flawless skin and mix of grace and swagger weren’t enough, our ‘Yonce has cranked up the sex appeal to 11! It’s true that the songs on her new album lend themselves to this ‘naughty girl’ Beyoncé. But my god – pole dancing and THAT dance on the couch thing for Partition?! Plus her writhing atop the piano for 1+1. All I can say is Jay Z – you are one lucky man!

Similarly having an entire arena screaming ‘I want you to turn that cherry out‘ must be kind of surreal, but that’s what happened as the crowd took to singing along to raunchy new pop tune, Blow. Beyoncé’s shocked face at the finale of the song as a Pacman-style character gobbled up the final cherry ensured the whole affair was cheeky rather than seedy. 

It wasn’t all sauce though. There were also some strong ballads, including a fabulous acapella version of I Will Always Love You, which perfectly showcased her stunning voice.  She belted out Heaven with such passion that I had to stifle a tear.

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But back to the cheekiness! There was the cute self-satisfied beam that lit up ‘Yonce’s face every time the crowd sang along to one of her new tracks. Then there was her standing alongside Les Twins trying to play the pop diva, lapping up the screams from the crowd. But Bey couldn’t keep up the persona for long, breaking into a smirk, followed by a smile and then full-blown giggles. Just another reason why we love her so!

Speaking of Les Twins, they were just astounding as ever with their ‘how do they do that?’ dance routines, infectious smiles and constant cheekiness. Every time I watch them I wonder a.) if they actually have bones and b.) if they ever actually just walk anywhere, or if life for them is just one constant dance.

Crowd participation was encouraged with Beyoncé getting us to belt out both Irreplaceable and XO. She even personally serenaded one lucky birthday boy with ‘Happy Birthday to you’. That’s a B’day he’s unlikely to forget.

Beyoncé always gives 150% – strong vocals, high-energy dance routines, combined with strong production levels, superb dancers, great visuals, stunning outfits, a good use of props and lighting, pyrotechnics, glitter cannons – you name it – it’s there! Was it worth going again? Yep, even though Beyonce performed some of the same material as last time she’d added a different twist to them. She’d redesigned the stage slightly. She’d added the new material, new costumes… And to be fair, who could ever get bored of watching Beyonce? It’s like watching an angel perform… albeit a fallen angel sometimes. 

Fabulous rating: 5/5

Fangirl: Happy 40th Birthday Robbie!

My love/adoration/obsession with Robbie Williams is certainly no secret to regular readers of this here blog. I’ve certainly written about the cheeky chappy a fair few times.

So in celebration of the singer’s 40th birthday I thought I’d compile a mini anthology of my musings on the music maestro from Stoke, enjoy!

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If you want to find out what I thought of his latest album, Swings Both Ways, click here.

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If you’d like to hear my opinion on Robbie Unauthorised by Sean Smith, follow this link.

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Fancy finding out what I thought about Robbie in concert at Wembley last year? You can read my review here.

Want to see an amusing (now quite old) video of Robbie that I stumbled across on YouTube, visit here.

Want to see what happened when my sister-in-law and I debated Robbie Vs Gary on New Years Eve? Take a look here.

Happy birthday Mr Williams. Hope it’s a good one! x

 

Fangirl: Album Review of Beyonce by Beyonce

We teach girls that they cannot be sexual beings in the way that boys are

so says Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie on track Flawless, and if the majority of the rest of Beyonce’s new album is anything to go by, it’s something that Queen Bey is keen to address. Oh yes, this album comes with a huge side-serving of raunch and innuendo, and fully deserves it’s ‘explicit’ tag.

There’s our ‘Yonce naked in kitchen on Jealous, she’s hoping someone will ‘keep me humming, keep me moaning’ (and that’s just the half of it) in the addictively catchy Blow (which tune-wise is quite early Michael Jackson-ish), she wants to ‘sit my ass on ya’ in Rocket, then there’s Drunk in Love (what is she doing with that surfboard again? And Jay-Z needs to be careful he doesn’t have an unfortunate chaffing incident with his idle approach to satisfying his good lady wife).

It’s quite a departure from her previous works and you can’t help but feel that Hubby, Jay-Z, has had some influence in this album which feels raw, urban and downright naughty. There’s some heavy bass lines, especially in Haunted and Partition (love this track), as well as some serious mash-ups – with tunes changing from ballad, to rap to dance in a matter of moments. But Beyonce’s stonking vocals are never compromised. She still belts out every lyric with passion, pain, joy or pure filth.

There are some tracks that offer a little less raunch. Pretty Hurts is a beautiful, yet haunting, ditty which mocks how we strive for a perfection which simply doesn’t exist. The lyric ‘it’s the soul that needs the surgery’ is genius. XO is a perfect pop tune, that sounds like the soundtrack to summer. Superpower, Heaven and Blue also offer a respite from the filth. Blue is a beautiful ditty along the lines of Robbie Williams’ Go Gentle and, of course, features the gurgles of Mr & Mrs Carter-Knowles’ little one.

This album won’t be to everyone’s tastes. If you were one of the people who tutted disapproving when ‘Bow Down Bitches‘ originally aired, then you might not like this. What do I think of it? It’s raunchier than I expected and not something you’d perhaps want to listen to in front of the in-laws, but I do really like it. I love Jay-Z anyway, so his influence can only be a positive thing in my eyes. And, above all it’s a good, fun album. Not good, clean fun, obviously – but hey! Men have sung about getting women into bed for eons, especially in R&B songs (think R Kelly’s I Wanna Freak You) why should the boys have all the fun? A bit of filth never hurt anyone, right?

Fabulous Rating: 5/5

P.S I’ve not watched the videos yet – I’ll do a separate review of those once I have 🙂

 

Fangirl: Which Team Are You?

It was New Year’s Eve. The frivolities were well underway. Alcohol had been supped, food had been devoured, pass the parcel had been played. It was a high-class event!

As midnight approached we switched from my lovingly created Spotify playlist to the TV, so we could see in the new year in the traditional way with the countdown to Big Ben’s chimes followed by the riot of fireworks ricocheting off the London Eye.

That was when it happened. Something which caused a debate in the room. Something that split people into two (well OK three camps). The TV sprang to life and there was Robbie. I swooned. My sister-in-law scowled. Hubby turned over  to BBC One where Gary was sat at his piano belting out A Million Love Songs. I rolled my eyes to the ceiling and Sister-in-Law swooned. It was ‘Team Robbie’ Vs ‘Team Gary’.

Now, don’t get me wrong there are some people who love both of the ex-Thatters. But in my experience most women of a certain age have a preference for one or the other and that preference can be almost territorial. As we debated the finer points of who was better (Gary’s clean-cut suave Vs Robbie’s cheeky chappie Stokie blokie) another member of the party bravely waded into the debate. We’ll call them ‘Team Not Really Bothered About Robbie or Gary’.

Gary organised that trip up Kilimanjaro for Sport Relief so I guess he does more for charity.

I don’t know if it was the Rose coursing through my veins but I was keen to defend my Robbie.

Erm, Robbie is a Unicef Ambassador and organises Soccer Aid every two years.

The next morning I realised I’d forgotten to mention his Stoke-on-Trent based charity Give It Sum. Pah!

No one won the Robbie Vs Gary debate. As no one should. They’ve both got their strengths and weaknesses and who you prefer comes down to personal preference at the end of the day. But it did make me think a bit about perception. Gary is thought of as wholesome so therefore is considered to do more for charity than Robbie because, put simply, Robbie has had an addiction filled past and is seen as somewhat of a no-gooder. This shouldn’t worry Robbie or Gary. After all, their personas are part them, part PR spin by their record companies. But it did make me think about how the decisions that we make in life can influence people’s perceptions of us? Just because we did something when we were younger does that make people categorise us as a certain ‘type’ of person even though we’re older (and possibly wiser).

Again, there’s no real answer to this. I’m just musing out aloud to you.

Did any of your Christmas and New Year encounters make you question something?

See other posts about Robbie Williams here and here and here and here.

Fact: Book Review: Robbie Unauthorised by Sean Smith

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First up, let me tell you, when it comes to unauthorised biographies of my beloved Robbie I usually avoid them like the plague. I prefer to read the authorised versions of Robbie’s books. The tomes by Chris Heath. Not only because I’m supporting my idol, but also because, Heath, as Robbie’s own personal biographer has such an ‘access all areas’ relationship with Rob you’re sure to find out more about the real Robbie from his books than from any other. However, this book was 50p on the charity bookshelf at work. I couldn’t resist.

And, do you know what? I enjoyed it. Sure, there were some parts where I rolled my eyes and thought ‘Tsk get your facts straight’. There’s a caption under one photograph from Socceraid which reads ‘Four years on and Robbie is struggling to keep up with actor Mike Myers…’. I was there. No offence to Mr Myers, but he was a shockingly bad football player. OK so Rob’s team didn’t win that year, but from where I was sitting, Rob could certainly keep pace with Austin Powers.

Slight annoyances aside, this was an enjoyable read. Telling the story of Robbie Williams in a chronological fashion, it begins with Rob as a young boy growing up in Stoke, who joins Take That and is propelled to stardom with the trials and tribulations which that brought. The book provides a good refresher on the life and times of Mr Williams and had me reminiscing. I’ve been a Robbie fan for a long time. The retelling of the Take That story took me back to my school days when my walls were plastered with posters of the fab five. There are stories of fans who camp outside his house. I never camped but I might have popped up to Stoke on the train to have a look! As the book recounts Robbie’s various album releases I can chart what I was doing with my life against each one. It also reminds me of how delicate our little Rob is and how much us fans have to appreciate him.

All in all an enjoyable read if you want an overview of the oxymoron that is Robbie. But if you want to get beneath the skin of what makes Robbie who he is, check out Chris Heath’s books instead.

Weird things the Robbie book has made me want to do…

• Read Gary Barlow’s autobiography to see what he really says about Rob
• Listen to all of Robbie’s old albums (even Rudebox)
• Dye my hair blonde so I can look like his beaut wife Ayda (NOTE: Even I dyed my hair blonde I would not look that beaut)

Fabulous rating: 3/5

Fangirl: Jay Z Magna Carta Holy Grail

Oh my goodness! Seriously, how good is this album? So good, that Hubby is getting utterly bored of me playing it on repeat most weekend mornings whilst I get ready. Unfortunately Hubby isn’t the biggest Jay Z fan, or rap fan at all for that matter – sorry Hubby!

Holy Grail featuring Justin Timberlake is just a delectable treat for the ears. Powerful lyrcis, a melody that you can’t help but sing along to, Jay Z’s distinctive ‘uh uh’ going on in the background – it’s got it all – and a sample of Nirvana to boot! Seriously I could play this song on constant repeat alone.

My second favourite track has to be Oceans. Just so well put together. I listen to it and I’m transported onto a luxury yacht somewhere off the coast of Ibiza. Just blissful.

The superb bass line on Picasso sounds like it should be introducing the Grand Prix. Pure glamour and power mixed together.

Tom Ford is a fab tune, which has been slightly ruined for me because I work with a guy called Tom Forbes and now I can only hear that as the lyrics now. My colleague, is a lovely old Scottish man, who isn’t in the least bit gangsta, so it kind of ruins this song for me. Ah well!

F*ckmeyouknowIgotit is pure arrogance. Listen to this and sing along to the chorus (changing the lyrics to ‘flip me’ if you’re not a fan of ‘f bombs’) if you need an instant confidence boost.

Oh, I just listened to Oceans again. Bliss to the ears!

Somewhereinamerica (Jay Z really isn’t a fan of spaces on this album is he?) sounds like it’s straight off the Great Gatsby soundtrack – it’s fun, with an amazing backing track and ironic lyrics. How could you fail to love a song which features the lyrics ‘Twerk, Miley, Miley, Miley, Twerk’?

Jay gets wifey, Bey, on the album for Part II (On the Run) which sounds distinctly 80s to me and features some dubious lyrics about running from the Police. But is still enjoyable if you don’t take it too seriously. Unfortunately I have visions of young and impressionable girls from the local dodgy estates listening to this and vowing to stay with their good for nothing boyfriend because ‘Bey stands by Jay Z’. Thing is, I don’t think Jay Z is really an ‘Outlaw’ with an ‘Outlaw chick’ as he raps on this track. Still, it must be a struggle for gangsta rappers who have now made it to keep in touch with their original fans and still sound authentic and as if they know what’s going on down in da hood. Unlike me, who with sentences like that one will never sound like an authentic ‘Outlaw chick’.

Thankfully, BBC lifts things again. This fun, carnival inspired ditty has a feel of Robin Thicke’s Blurred Lines to it – although with fewer misogynistic lyrics. This should get your toes tapping.

Blue Ivy gets more than a few mentions, as does Beyonce. I’m never sure how I feel about this. But hey, I guess I talk about my Hubby at the office, so… La Familla just stops short of being saccharine sweet by having a decent rap over what I can only assume is a sample of Blue Ivy and Bey.

The closing track Nickels and Dimes is just sumptuous. It feels a bit like you should be wrapped in the finest velvet, drinking expensive champagne and eating exquisite chocolate truffles whilst you listen to it.

Even the tracks that I’ve not mentioned are excellent. There’s not really a duff track on the album. Nothing I’ve skipped, despite multiple listens. Granted, anyone who doesn’t like anything urban, rap, or lots of gratuitous swearing is unlikely to enjoy this. But for the rest of us. Indulge in your ears in this super slick offering from the premier rapper of our time.

What albums are you loving at the moment?

Fun: Robbie Williams Live at Wembley

The Lord doth proclaim thou shalst start with Let Me Entertain you and thou shalst end with Angels and so it shalst be

Those were the (almost) final words of Mr Williams during his gig at Wembley on Saturday 29th June and they, partly, sum up the Robbie Williams show. Yes, you could say Robbie’s live shows have become somewhat predictable over the past few years. Predictable in the sense that you know he’s going to belt out some of the biggest hits from his back catalogue, you know he’s going to be an entertaining cheeky chappy, and you’re pretty darn sure you’re going to be leaving that gig with a huge Robbie induced smile on your face. Oh yes!

The other thing that’s predictable about Robbie’s gigs is how early his die hard fans will camp outside in order to get a glimpse of their idol. The last couple of times I’ve seen him live I’ve mostly watched on the big screens. I’m only 5′ 4″ and refuse to wear heels to a gig, so I struggle to see over shoulders and, well, we’ve not been all that good at getting to the gig all that early in the past so Robbie has kind of been a little fleck on a very big stage. There was one time when I saw him at Old Trafford Cricket Ground in Manchester and he was life-size. I desperately wanted to experience that again – I didn’t just want to see Robbie on a screen – I wanted to see Robbie! And I did.

Hubby is thankfully quite understanding to my Robbie Williams obsession. I think it was a case of ‘love me, love my obsessions’ and so not only agreed to accompany me to the concert, but also agreed when I suggested getting there three hours before the gates opened so we get a good view. To be fair it was a sunny day and there was a nice atmosphere outside Wembley. A DJ played requests and Robbie songs to the waiting fans who were perched on the tarmac waiting to be let in. I took a trip down to Maccy D’s to get some snacks and the only slightly eeky moment was when they decided to start moving the queue (which hubby was in) whilst I’d decided to take myself off for a toilet visit.

We were richly rewarded for our early doors approach. OK so hubby did roll his eyes at me as I ran towards the standing area of the arena, but he went along with it and we soon found ourselves in the second row behind the barrier. Not quite in the bear pit, but still with a dang good view. A view which I had a sneaky suspicion was about to get a lot better.

We drank beer and tried to get comfy for two hours before Scott Mills came on to warm us up with a DJ set. The Nicki Minaj kick off I could take or leave, but We Will Rock You by Queen and some old Ibiza classics soon had me boogying. Next up Mr Olly Murs, who was, frankly, ace. Olly is often seen a mini Robbie and you can see the similarities with his cheeky chappy banter with the audience. But Olly is much more self-depreciating that Robbie. His voice is impeccable and he now has a distinguished catalogue of sing along tunes. At one stage Olly wears himself out and lays prone on the stage. The crowd scream. He stands up, smiles, and looks behind him. “Has Robbie come on?” he asks.

And, then, we wait…

The candy man can…

The music signals the imminent arrival of the main attraction. The crowd, lead by two lighting guys, high up in the rigs start swaying their hand from side to side. Then Hey Wow Yeah Yeah starts playing and we know it’s getting closer. Next thing we know Robbie is stood on top of huge profile of his own head, protruding from the stage set. There’s pyrotechnics ahoy either side of him and then he zip wires down onto the platform only a few feet away from me. I go so mental that the accompanying iPhone footage which I shot of said descent is embarrassing, if only for my mad banshee screaming. What can I say? I love Robbie I couldn’t help it.

And then he kicks of the show with Let me Entertain you and we’re away…

Whilst, some of the show is comfortably predictable (like a favourite comfortable sweater) there are other aspects which aren’t. The giant structures modelled on Rob’s own bonce which make their way into the crowd and shoot out fireworks, balloons, streamers and water are straight out of a Take That tour. In fact, you can’t help but think that Robbie has learnt a few lessons in slickness having toured with the boys not so long ago.

I’m a true stalker fan so the “you know what to do’s” and album tracks, which others don’t know so well, go down well with me. I was so pleased he did ‘Not Like The Others’ from his new album, Take The Crown. There’s something about that song for me and hubby. I guess all couples think they’re not like any other couple, but hey… singing that to each other at the top of our lungs was good fun.

Then there’s the banter. The slightly altered opening lyrics to his cover of Minnie the Moocher. “There was a man from Stokey who was a little but cokey.”. Trying to invent his own version of the Mexican Wave – the Stoke Sit Down – before declaring it very underwhelming. Robbie can play with the crowd like few others and the crowd love it.

Olly rejoined Robbie on stage for Kids. It shouldn’t have worked but it did. In fact the only parts for me which dragged on a bit were when he performed Me and My Monkey (for some reason I don’t get on with that song) and when he plucked a fan from the audience to appear on stage with him for Everything Changes, and that part was only dull because the ‘fan’ seemed really unbothered by the whole being on stage with Robbie thing. That, and she was wearing very strange trousers.

We danced, we sang, we screamed. There was plenty of opportunities for me to see life sized Rob. Which had me jumping up and down like a mad woman trying to get his attention. I swear all my street cred disappears as soon as you put me anywhere near Robbie. Not that I had all that much to begin with!

And then once the high octane thrills, the laughs and the swoons are starting to subside comes Angels. Robbie belts it out. We belt it out. He sits back and takes us all in. Fireworks blast into the night sky and tears begin to stream down my face. It’s been perfect. Robbie delivered a top-class show and we, the fans, got to show him just how much we love him. There’s a special energy in the air as Robbie joins us for one last chorus of Angels before requesting that we carry on as he exits the stage. And we do. We stand there staring at an empty stage screaming the lyrics out at the top of our lungs. Because that’s what seeing Robbie Williams does to you.

I know I’m biased. But bloody hell that was a good show. The perfect combination of Robbie’s ad-lib style that he does so well, blended with a pinch of slickness. Every time I see Robbie live I wonder if it will be the last time. He has such a love/hate relationship with the career he has chosen. But let me say, after that performance it better bloody not be, ‘cuz I want me some more of that! Love you Robbie!

Fan girl: Beyonce – the Mrs Carter Show at the LG Arena, Birmingham – Part 1

As spontaneous indulgent decisions go, getting tickets to see Beyoncé at the LG Arena in Birmingham was one of my better ones. If not my best yet.

I’d wanted to get tickets when the tour was originally announced, but missed out for some reason (I forget why). Plus, I couldn’t justify the cost (£85 per ticket, plus booking fee – eek!). Then – as Beyoncé hit Birmingham on Friday for the first of two nights – the hype began. It was all local radio could talk about, and being that the Birmingham shows were her first in the UK the reviews were everywhere. I searched for some videos on You Tube and came across this beauty…

Wowsers! I wasn’t feeling too hot on Friday. Having taken numerous flights earlier in the week I’d been struck with a case of coach class lurg. But a humungous lay-in and an afternoon spent vegging on the sofa in my PJs, watching my favourite vloggers, restored my energy and I knew that, if I could, I had to get tickets to the evening’s gig. I couldn’t miss out on an opportunity to see my numero uno gal in my (almost) hometown.

I logged onto the LG Arena’s website and watched tickets appear and vanish on each refresh. There was only one issue…. Hubby was at work and had no idea of my last-minute plotting. Could he get home and then get us to the arena in time to see Queen Bey take to the stage? A quick phone call to a very helpful lady confirmed he could, Beyoncé wasn’t due on until 9pm. Woo hoo! Now just to nab those elusive (not to mention expensive) tickets. I decided to give myself until 4pm, at which point I would give up, decide it wasn’t meant to be and sulk all evening.

Refresh, refresh, refresh. One ticket. No good. Two tickets but when I click through I get an error message. No good. And then, at five-to-four two tickets in block two become available. I nab them quick smart. I text Hubby… Erm, she’s not on until 9pm & I’ve just purchased two stage side tickets. Sorry honey I’m dragging you to see Queen Bey tonight! I am so excited I am shaking! Give me a call when you’re out of your training”.

Hubby did. He then raced back from work, got changed in super-fast time and drove us to Maccy D’s to chuck an unhealthy, but speedy, dinner down our necks and got us to the arena in time. Big shout out to Hubby for this, as not only did have to rush around as if he had a little blue bottom, but he’s also not the biggest Beyoncé fan. We picked up our tickets, took our seats (with a superb and super-close view of the stage) and waited…

To be continued…