SYDNEY CONCERT REVIEW: Sunday 10th October 1999: The Metro.
Ever since I found out Melanie was coming to Australia, I have been on
cloud 9. I slept out for tickets to her concert (I had the first ticket
in the country) and in the week leading up to her concert, I still
couldn't believe I was going to see her, it was just all too good to be
true!
Earlier in the week I wrote her a huge letter, thanking her for coming to
Australia, telling her how much she meant to me, how much I love her new
album and how happy I was for her to be fulfilling her dreams because she
so truly deserved to etc... etc.... As well as this I had bought her two
bracelets made of Australian gemstones (see my guest book entry), one was
a star-sign bracelet, the other a friendship bracelet, which according to
the little card in the back was supposed to bring her laughter (in return
for all the joy she'd brought me!). My aim was to be in the front row of
her concert so I could either give them to her, or throw them on stage in
the hope that she may read the letter and get the bracelets. I also had
my prized possession ready to throw up to her: my LFC beanie.
I wanted to line up at the venue, The Metro, at midday for her 8:45pm
show, but when I got there, it was totally locked up and there was no-one
in sight (fans or management). Darling Harbour is about a 10-15 minute
walk from there, so I decided to race down and see what was left of her 2
song performance that she kindly added to her hectic schedule so as not to
disappoint her under 18 fans (the Sydney concert was for 18 years and
over).
When I got there, I couldn't believe it. There up on stage, was the
person I had only ever read about, or saw on television or listened to on
radio and could only ever dream of meeting one day. Now she was up there,
about 20 metres from me (I pushed my way through the 3000+ crowd), and she
was FANTASTIC (especially becasue she was performing in 32 degree heat)!
She wore a black singlet top and a very brightly coloured pair of floral
knee length shorts and of course, a new pair of Nikes. And all the while
I had to pinch myself. Little did I know what was going to happen later
on....
This email could go on forever so I'll try to get to the point (Sorry, I'm
just totally ga ga, "my heads in the clouds, feet on the ground"!) I
joined the queue and decided I may as well give her the letter and
bracelets now, rather than HOPE she MIGHT get them at the concert. In
what seemed the longest 30 minutes of my life, my heart was pounding. I
never thought I'd be able to actually MEET her and here I was, about to do
that!
When my turn came I almost died! I was in absolute shock and had a lot of
trouble taking everything in. I managed to pick my jaw up off the floor
and speak to her as she signed my poster: "Hi Mel, I've got something for
you". I first put the letter down (It was rolled up inside a container of
mini M & M's, so I could throw it on stage) and told her inside was a
letter, could she PLEASE read it sometime. "Yeah I will!" Then I put the
two bracelets on the table, and she said "Oh wow, thanks!". I was being
ushered off after not even 10 seconds but I wanted the moment to last
forever. Suddenly I became totally overwhelmed: MY HERO WHO I ONLY EVER
DREAMED OF MEETING WAS IN FRONT OF ME. I reached out to her, grabbed her
on the arm and told her she was my hero! She looked up (she was already
signing the next persons poster) and smiled, a genuine heartfelt thank you
smile, then giggled. I then got escorted off the stage... now that wasn't
very nice Mr security man was it???
I later found out that she was only supposed to be there for 30 minutes at
the most, but insisted on staying over and hour so she could get through
everybody... and you should have seen the length of that queue, not to
mention the heat! Now, isn't that just typical, down to earth, of our
lovely Mel?
OH MY GOD I MET MELANIE!!! I'm still in shock, but the best is yet to
come.....
After lining up for nearly 8 hours (a small price to pay for Melanie -
there are no seats at the Metro and I HAD to be up front) I was in the
front row of the concert and was practically shaking with excitement about
her coming on stage. I wanted to physically remove the DJ that was
playing prior to Melanie, the suspense was KILLING me! When Mel finally
came on stage dressed in blue jeans and a sleeveless army-green tight top
with red trim, the crowd went absolutely MENTAL! But what knocked me off
my feet was something else. At first I was I thought I was hallucinating,
but it soon became clear: MELANIE WAS WEARING ON HER LEFT HAND, NOT ONE,
BUT BOTH OF THE BRACELETS I HAD GIVEN HER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!
I went berserk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (I still am).
She absolutely rocked the house down (which was packed to capacity)and was
in the finest form I've ever heard. Not one song was out of tune, not
even for a split second. She hit every single note, no matter how high or
how low, right on target and went berserk herself on stage. The crowd went
off as well!
Think anything could go better??? IT DID....
I knew the words to every single song because I had downloaded it from the
Toronto concert and listened to it non stop for a week. I sang along all
night (except for when I was screaming)and on a few occasions I saw
Melanie looking at me as if to say "how do you know all the words?"
EVERY SONG WAS BRILLIANT, I LOVED THEM ALL, but if I had to pick a
favourite, it would be Suddenly Monday. The crowd obviously went off at
the three songs everyone knows, Wannabe, Goin' Down and Ga Ga, but they
remained loyal when they didn't know the rest by putting their heart and
soul into moshing and cheering and screaming applause.
During Independence Day, the right time came for me to throw my Liverpool
beanie to Mel, (I mentioned in my letter that I was going to do that). It
hit her tummy and landed right at her feet. Not knowing what it was at
first, she bent down to pick it up. When she realised what it was, she put
it on her head while she continued to sing the song! Then she waved it
around before dropping it on the side of the stage. At then end of the
night, she left it there so a security guard got it and gave it back to
me. I NOW HAVE MY BEANIE THAT MELANIE WORE AND HELD!!!!!!!
The night continued to rock, but it was going way to fast for my liking.
Before I knew it, she was saying good night.
Knowing the format of the concert from Toronto, I knew she would be coming
back to sing Closer and the acoustic version of Goin' Down. The chants
began "We want Mel.. We want Mel..." or "Mel-a-nie, Mel-a-nie". If the
sound barrier hadn't been broken already by the screaming and applause all
night, it certainly was when Melanie retuned on stage. The crowd erupted,
my ears exploded and Melanie just stood in awe. She waited for the
applause and screams to die off, but they didn't. Then, the most
beautiful thing... flash backs to the emotion when turning on the Oxford
Street Christmas Lights in 1996....
I could tell by her face that she was totally blown away by the response,
and her eyes started to fill with tears!!!! She looked down and shook her
head in disbelief, then spent a few minutes trying to regain her
composure, but when she looked up again, her eyes were extremely moist.
After nearly 5 minutes of full on applause, screaming shouting etc... Mel
managed to speak: "I just cannot believe this... (then she paused and kept
on trying to take in what she was seeing, her head kept shaking form side
to side in disbelief) ...I am so overwhelmed by this response, you guys
are THE BEST crowd I've had so far" (tears about to fall any second!)
EVERYONE WENT MENTAL AGAIN. She then blew us a kiss an had to psych
herself to re-focus for 'Closer'. Each time it got to the part where she
sings, "My heart has been embraced now that you're in it", she pointed to
all of us (on the 'you're' bit) and she was so SINCERE, her way of saying
thank you.
By the time the night ended, I wanted to cry. I was so sad that all the
hype and waiting was over, the 15 songs seemed to only go for 15 seconds.
But at the same time I was beyond gobsmacked! I had met Mel, I gave her a
letter which I now have all the faith in the world that she read (why else
would she wear the bracelets I gave her?) SHE WORE MY BRACELETS, she wore
my Liverpool beanie which is right in front of me as I type this, she was
absolutely in awe at the response she got and I witnessed the BEST concert
I've ever seen in my life from the front row. ALL I CAN SAY IS THANK YOU
MELANIE. SYDNEY (and me) LOVES YOU!!!!!!!!!
Oh, by the way, I managed to get the set list that Mel was reading off
from the floor, complete with handwritten instructions on where in the set
she would talk to the crowd!
SYDNEY SONGS (same format for all shows I think):
1) SOUL BELIEVER: here's a bit of trivia: on my copy from the song
list, it's written as SOMETHINGS GONNA HAPPEN. A great song to get the
crowd going!
2) INDEPENDENCE DAY: Up beat liberated breaking up song, the song is on
the Northern Star documentary when she is talking about all the pairs of
trainers she had bought in L.A.)
3) NORTHERN STAR: When asked at Darling Harbour what her favourite song
was from the album, Mel said it was too hard to choose, but that this song
means the most to her - I believe it will be her next release.
4) BE THE ONE: Beautiful sleepish song about being fed up with a
relationship and being tired of all the lies - I love the guitar in this!
5) GAGA: you know this one!
6) SUDDENLY MONDAY: My favourite song, maybe because I'm in a similar
situation: she loves this guy and he makes her world spin. She's head
over heels but just can't find the strength to tell him: "Open your eyes,
start reading my mind"... Also has a great 60's style beat!
7) I TURN TO YOU: Has been compared to a rave-style song, great beat!
8) FEEL THE SUN: Probably my least favourite song, nice lyrics though
9) IF THAT WERE ME: another beautiful song, this time about homelessness,
more proof she's not just a great singer, but a very talented songwriter,
and I can see this one ending up as a theme song for a charity appeal or
something similar.
10) GOIN' DOWN: You know this one too. Let the moshing begin!
11) WANNABE: (heavy metal style) She goes off here and so do the crowd!
12) I WONDER WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE: much heavier than I imagined it would
be after listening to the acoustic version from this site, but none the
less, a great song. Again I've experienced this in life.
13) GO: another break up song, again a positive liberated, very rocked up.
ENCORE
14) CLOSER: As you would have heard from this site, a beautiful song which
sounded pretty much the same. Sung very emotionally as this was just after
the Sydney crowd nearly reduce her to tears!
15) GOIN' DOWN (acoustic) Much softer version, really nice!
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