Subject: Princes Trust Concert In The Park @ Sunday July 5th 1998
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 1998 08:30:29 PDT

[this was written way back when and since then I've been told it's been televised on New Zealand Television]

  Awake at 4am go back o sleep awake at 9am feel knackered !
  Ring up Allie and plan to meet at 11:15am in Speakers Corner at Hyde 
Park. Gates open at 11am. Concert starts at 1pm. 

  The ride on the tube is a good indicator of the crowd expected. Ww 
walk a little way and turn the corner to view 1000s of people lining to 
get in. It takes an hour to get in and get our bags searched, a common 
thing when entering any event or nightclub. We have to ditch ALl 
bottled. bugger !  Bang goes my bottle of Coke, I smash the glass and 
slash the guard's face. yeah you wish.  I just shake the bottle and open 
it and chuck it gushing on the pile along with the water bottles etc, 
that'll teach those goddam faggot evian drinkers [name that quote]

  Whilst waiting Allie makes a comment that we're surrounded by "white 
trash" (which come up several times later when we discuss londoners in 
general. What prompted it this time was that the people surrounding us 
were just talking shit ! bollocks ! 
  Anyway we survived that conversation - luckily the english are too 
proper and mannerly to say anything back to us ;-)))
  OKay so we get in at 12:40, first thing is to find the toilets and 
plan a place to meet if we get parted. The toilets are nice and clean 
but to be safe I did bring along a toilet roll !  As she had some 
hygeine horror stories to say about the Glastonbury Festival which I 
won't repeat. She grabbed hold of it as I was only going to do number 
ones !  During breakfast I downed 6 galsses of water in preparation of 
what would be a long hot one.  So we did all that and then the task lay 
before us of getting a good view.

  There were large screens but I always like to be as close as possible. 
We make our way up to about 100m from stage and slightly to the right of 
it. We're tallish so during the day I have a generally clear view of the 
stage bang on eye level !   Luckily, sitting/ sprawling/ agitating right 
in front of us is a cerebral palsy outing so no one comes up to obstruct 
our view !

  The concert starts bang on 1pm - whilst 1000s are still outside. The 
audience numbers 100,000. MCs during the day are Capital FM djs. Should 
mention the concert is for charity for the Princes Trust which is sort 
of like Young Achievers. All performers do so for free.  First bad news 
is that the first act Simple Minds can't make it as Jim Kerr has food 
poisoning in Germany so we get Gary Barlow first.

  Here's the setlist and comments :

Gary Barlow - [song], long winding road, pray, back for good, never 
forget.
lutricia McNeal - ain't that just the way, my neighbourhood, stranded. I 
enjoyed this set as the other non-single song was an upbeat r'n'b track.
The Corrs - never loved you anyway, what can I do, dreams.
Julian Lennon - saltwater, then it stopped halfway through the second 
song due to sound problems, feck !
shania twain - [song] still the one, saved
tina arena - chains, [song]. At this Point Allie leaves on a drink and 
food mission and it is the last I see of her.
connor reeves - 4 songs which I've forgotten, he doesn't get airplay in 
NZ anyway so you won't know them, but I could be wrong. he is a white 
south londoner doing soulful r'n'b tinged tunes.
boyzone - [song],[song], father and son, baby can I hold you, words.

BREAK BREAK BREAK BREAK BREAK BREAK BREAK BREAK BREAK 

eternal - don't you love me no more, power of a woman (with various 
muscly dancers/gymnasts doing their thing), angel of mine (backing track 
obviously off cd), gonna be the only one.
del amitri - [3 songs], roll with it, always the last to know.

David Duchovny comes on to promote the X-Files film and introduce...

Natalie Imbruglia - big mistake,[2 songs], torn, wishing you were here.
[During this act the bright lights and smoke put a strain on the 
generators on our side of the stage and black smoke billows from it 
which is worrisome]  I didn't enjoy this act as the other songs were 
boring, sctually so is torn.....
des-ree - feel so high, you gotta be, life. I got bored with this as 
well.

Stephen Fry comes on to a lukewarm response to introduce hrh prince 
charles to great and long applause. 

b*witched - c'est la vie

To a great buildup All Saints come on as fireworks blast from the stage. 
Everyone is eager to see Mel C's pregnant belly and she doesn't 
disappoint. We all hope she doesn't jump around too much. The tabloids 
have a fieldday next day. This is their 1st performance in front of a 
paying audience in the UK - as opposed to being in award shows and 
meeting politicians etc.
SONGS : I know where it's at, bootie call (new single which gets a 
lukewarm response), under the bridge, never ever, lady marmalade.

All have fine live voices. I want to take a shot of Mel C's belly on the 
big screen but decide to grab Shaznay holding a long note on the end of 
"Never Ever".

 Linford "lunchbox" Christie comes on and gets us all to break the world 
record for loudest scream - which we do, so a book is passed around for 
all to sign ;-)

Louise - let's go round again, around the world, naked.
Unfortunately the sound system/cd goes slightly bung and we can see she 
is miming !! but we give her a good applause anyway.

Whistle Down The Wind - A L Webber is bringing out a various artists 
album rather than a cast recording (thankfully). The album features 
Meatloaf, Bonnie Tyler, Boy George supposedly.
So here is what we're treated to :
Tina Arena - whistle down the wind
boyzone - no matter what
Tom Jones and the LCGC (London Community Gospel Choir) - open the vaults 
of heaven.
Remember in my review of the actual show I said the opening song was a 
great started with a choir, well this is the song.

His band now comes on to perform :
it's not unusual, hard to handle, delilah, you can leave your hat on, 
kiss.
This is the most enjoyable set of the day, the most dynamic and most 
appreciated performer. Everyone gets into it and sings and dances along 
and I spot one bra making its way to the stage. On Kiss on the "I think 
I'd better dance now" bit he lampoons various famous dancers.
The crowd is warmed up now and ready to move.

Lionel Ritchies - dancing on the ceiling, say you say me [tears come to 
my eyes as all the crowd and me singalong], time, all night long.

ultra nate - crazy, new kind of medicine, free.
someone should shot her. okay not her fault, but naturally the music was 
from a cd or dat tape and the equalisation was really bad and very very 
high on the bass and gives me a headache.

the mavericks - [3 songs], dancing the night away, [song]
an upbeat rock'n'roll /cajun band.

Cast from Saturday Night Fever - staying alive, boogie shows, disco 
inferno, [2 songs].

END

 The concert was supposed to finish at 8:15pm. It finished at 8:30pm so 
imagine if Simple Minds has played. I scavange round and grab some 
bottles of coke and chips, some bottled basically 7/8 still full. 
Remember that I've been in the same spot for 7 hours ! DAMN !
They're all outta souvenir programs and they looked really good too. 
sad......as sad as if I had missed a Marc Almond concert. find a phone 
box and phone up Allie, she got home at 6pm. She had got the food but 
couldn't find me again in the crowd.

Get back to the hostel at 9:30pm with AOR music in my ears, a tune in my 
heart and the vision of beautiful white skin burning red.....