Concert

I haven't been to very many concerts in my lifetime. I'm told I have sad taste in music and that I am an embarrassment to my family. Judge for yourself, dear reader:

My concert experience amounts to:

• Several by the "Faraway Folk" in the 1970's ( a local Torquay folk group we always went to see on our annual holiday. I bought their LP's, a Faraway Folk t-shirt and even named some of my Barbie and Ken dolls Adrian, Shirley and Bryony after the band members).
• One Chris De Burgh open air concert at Chatsworth House.
• One open air picnic "Sound of Music singalong" concert at Kenwood House
• a concert by various Christian bands at Alton Towers, which I left because it was too loud.
• A Y-Friday concert that I liked.

Not many in 40 years huh? So last week I added to my concert experience with a long awaited Donny Osmond concert. Having looked forward to this event with my friend, Julie, since January, I could hardly believe the day had finally arrived. We left ourselves plenty of time to drive to Birmingham as we both have a penchant for getting lost. And a good move that proved to be since I accidentally left the M6 Toll Road too soon, had to rejoin it and we had to pay again. What a cheek! I pleaded my cause over the speakerphone thingy but the horrid man just kept repeating, "As I have told you, dear, you will just have to pay again".

When we arrived it was a bit like walking into uglypeople.com. I said to Julie, "They're all middle-aged women!" (We, of course, are not). We sat down to eat from the wide and varied menu of chicken, chicken burger or chicken nuggets. Well, they said it was chicken.. and found ourselves at table with a pink clad brummy woman who was bragging over her mobile phone to various people about how her husband had surprised her by not telling her where he was bringing her and then had arranged for her to meet Donny Osmond, be hugged by Donny Osmond and have her book signed by him all as a birthday treat. Our jaws were geeting closer to hitting the table. "Where did we go wrong?" Our husbands wouldn't ever think of such a treat, never mind deem to accompany us to a Donny concert. To cap it all she ended with, "Yes and this time last year I ended up in Venice!" By this time we were convinced that she was either a second wife or not a wife at all. So we eagerly awaited a glimpse of her "Mr Wonderful" who was away getting their choice from the wide and varied chicken menu. When he arrived, we looked at each other knowingly. Later we said, "I'd rather have a handsome one!" He looked like a shifty, slimy version of Gordon Brown.

Anyway, all you out there who think Donny is sad...it was a brilliant concert and we enjoyed every minute. So there, ner! We were delighted to be able to buy souvenir t-shirts. Julie's has Puppy Love in diamantes across the front and mine says Donny Osmond and I will derive from it hours of pleasure in embarrassing my family for many years to come.

And Jon, if you're reading this, thanks again for the dvd, which is now all the more meaningful.

The question is, what do I next add to my concert going repertoire? Well, we did see advertised an Abba singalong show....