Wow!
I could - and, hopefully, will - write up my experiences. There's no point giving an objective narrative of the concert. You watched it on the TV, or recorded it for future viewing, or you're not interested. Besides, I am sure that the internet is full of such narratives.
We left Victoria just after eleven and walked to Marble Arch, where we joined a queue, 1600 metres from the entrance. We spent a long time outside the Dorchester, I recall, chatted with various people, watched the London Pride March. At quarter to three we entered Hyde Park, where Bitter Sweet Symphony was playing. We had missed U2 and Coldplay, the former, in particular I am annoyed about. We could see the stage construction, and, sort of screens. We went for a mooch, and found ourselves in a great position under a screen for REM, but there was nowhere to sit, so we mooched again, and found a good place where we could sit, and could see the screens - just about. Quite a few people left after Madonna, so we moved forward to a better view and a better sound. Jimmy could see better than me, having a height advantage, so could actually see The Who. I could briefly and intermittently. I could see Pink Floyd - tiny dots on the horizon, but I saw them. Then more people left, and we moved forward again, and had a better view of Paul McCartney and George Michael, and the final ensemble, although still dependent on the screens, really.
Overall, thoroughly enjoyable, the atmosphere was fantastic, a lot of chatting with random strangers. No trouble really - some leery beered up guys on Bayswater Road were getting on everybody's nerves (one of them was actually wearing a Burberry baseball cap) but otherwise, it was a really good example of the nicer aspects of human nature. I did not go to the loo once - I drank only a litre of water, when I got home my pee was dark brown and odorous. I really would not recommend it as a habit - for a once in a lifetime experience, it was worth it! We got home at half past one, dead on our feet, with aching legs, sore backs and barely coherent with tiredness, but, nevertheless, able to share our impressions of the highlights and lowlights.
Elton John was good, REM were fab, and it took us a long time to find anyone to top REM. I was disappointed by Madonna, although she exceeded Jimmy's expectations. We both decided that The Scissor Sisters were the best of the new generation, with Travis a long way behind, but well ahead of the field. We might buy their album. Sting was highly professional, without really setting the crowd alight.
Robbie Williams was superb, a giant, a consummate entertainer who really had the section of the crowd near me going some (good grief, I even bounced, and discovered I rather enjoyed it...). I didn't think anybody could top that, and, in a sense, no one did. I don't especially like the Who but even though their music leaves me cold I could see that they were utterly professional and would have given a lot of pleasure to those that like them. Pink Floyd were ace. But overall, the highlight for me was Paul McCartney - it's a close call between him and Robbie, with Paul edging it because of his legend status, and the way he got us rocking and rolling. Even though I am a big fan, I was really surprised at how good he was. I suppose that's my one and only chance to see him live, and I will treasure that memory for ever.
Of the acts I saw, I would pay money to see Elton John, REM, Robbie Williams and the Scissor Sisters, and Paul McCartney, but I don't think he tours now (I may be wrong...).
I'm afraid most of the lowlights were women. Dido was just awful, a bland hotpotch of nothingness, saved and simultaneously shown up by Youssou N'Dour. Ms Dynamite was crap - I have an objection to people coming on and immediately telling the audience to put their hands in the air, or whatever. REM didn't need to tell people that. Robbie and Paul engaged with the audience and projected their personality. And she ruined Redemption Song.
I felt sorry for Annie Lennox - her voice was gone (did she have a cold or is this a long-term problem?). Very professional, but it was sad.
Mariah Carey was irredeemably awful. I don't know what was worse, her caterwauling or her cringe-making platitudes. Joss Stone was boring boring boring. And I think that was reflected in the attitude of most people round me, who soon sat down and chatted amongst themselves.
Snoop Dogg and Velvet Revolver were just noise.
I also enjoyed UB40 and Bob Geldof, but perhaps as much for nostalgia as for anything inherent.
The BBC has a rating of the acts. I can't say I am in total agreement, but these things are subjective.
In between acts, they subjected us to patronising platitudinous preaching lectures on video. At one point, I said to Jimmy "If they play Drive by The Cars, I shall personally throw up..." And guess what, on cue, it started, so I giggled maniacally. I think I got a few glares for that giggling fit. I think Laughing at Drive by the Cars is the modern equivalent of Farting during the National Anthem.
Forgive me for being cynical, but all this stuff about Make Poverty History. There were loads of merchandising and food stalls. Lot's of T-shirts were sold saying "This T-shirt can save lives." I was tempted to buy one just to find out where it was made. Lots of teas and coffees were sold. Although I didn't enquire, I would wager a large amount that they were not Fair-Trade. And loads of people were eating chicken or burgers and chips, probably without a second thought about agricultural subsidies. I don't imagine that the majority of people there actually give a fig about the Third World, or only in a bland suitably bleeding heart way, but not if change would disrupt their own comfortable lifestyles. And yet again, there was a whole day devoted to Africa being the basket case of the world, with just Youssuo NDour and Kofi Annan acting as a symbols of a continent that is far more complex and sophisticated than most people even start to think about. Sorry, I went along to rock. That changes nothing. Change is brought about by boring boring political processes.
They also showed excerpts from some of the other concerts. I was thinking they were rather dull in comparison to ours, but put that down to something to do with sound reproduction. It's a good comparison, actually. If you are miles from the stage, so can't actually see most of the acts, is it any different from seeing it on TV? Well, yes, because it ought not to be any different, considering I was dependent on the same screens and sound system. But it was clear to me that even the crap, the bland, and the distinctly mediocre in London came over better than their equivalents from elsewhere. That having been said, Stevie Wonder and Bryan Ferry, and, to some extent, The Pet Shop Boys came over well, which does suggest that they are simply better, more professional performers than the rest (of what I saw - it was highly edited excerpts).
Earlier in the week, Jimmy was teasing me. Bear in mind that I shall be seeing You-Know-Who later this week, and twice more this month, and in early August. Jimmy was saying that, after yesterday, my affections might transfer. So I was teasing back, saying I imagined I would become a born-again Snoop Dogg fan. Jimmy was going "Oh yeah, Snoop, he's the man, definitely Snoop Dogg...who is he?" Well, it's fair to say that I am a born-again Paul McCartney fan. And transfer of affections doesn't come into it. Paul's always being up there in my pantheon.
