Dark Horse.

I had been outsourced before (don’t worry I’m not going to bore you with a work blog) but it was the first time I had been invited to the new company’s head office in Birmingham, the meeting it self was spread over two days discussing policy and such like, but they had made sure we had some entertainment on the night, a gig at the near by NEC……..Whitney Houston, no that’s not what the blog is about either.

I wasn’t really bothered as I had saw Young Whitney back in 1988, I’m sure I have blogged about that gig, my mind has a tendency to wander after so many blogs……. oh, look a butterfly! As I said I wasn’t really bothered however we had a private viewing area with free drink, all of a sudden, I was interested, we all bordered the mini bus to take us to the venue, yes I was the youngest in the party and yes people thought I was strange because of my acute indifference, this all changed when I got to the venue and saw who the support act was.

I had discovered Amanda Marshall after receiving a free cd handout at my local record emporium (that’s a shop to you youngsters, you see they used to sell records in shops!) then I watched in all of her glory on MTV’s Ray Cokes programme(you see MTV used to play music a long time ago, but I digress) I was hooked I loved her debut album (still in my top ten) she was out supporting her second album at this moment in time, as I walked through the doors of the venue I bumped into a few peeps that I knew and they were here for the same thing, gossip was swapped and things were not going so well for Whitney with strops and firings the order of the day, she didn’t like her support act either!

We had just entered the arena when the lights went out and with three solitary spots on Amanda and the rest of the band she went at it like Imelda Marcos at a shoe sale, three songs in the power got cut, yes that’s how well she was doing, did that stop her, hell no she simply kept going when her guitarist picked up an acoustic, the whole arena shut the fuck up to listen, outstanding, I had goose bumps, as she left the stage (no encore) she got a standing ovation, did I watch Whitney, erm no, I got totally ……actually I had two bottles of non-alcoholic beer (I don’t drink at work I know how much of an arse I can be) and went back to the hotel in a shared taxi with my friends, not before telling peeps I was meant to be with what I was doing.

I don’t think Amanda finished the tour, I didn’t care I was as happy as a pig in muck, she did one more album , each album getting more in a pop direction (not as good as the debut but still good) she kind of disappeared apart from the odd track on a film soundtrack or two, she has been threatening a new album for the last nine years (hey if it works for her good  luck to her) but I’m greedy I want more from her, as she is fantastic, go look her up on YouTube, but I do recommend her debut as its gorgeous in a dark velvety way!    

I bet I have shocked you all as I have blogged on time (and the numbers have been positively stratospheric) over the last few weeks (here’s hoping I can keep the flow going) the comments have mainly been positive although one or two were a tad……yeah lets not go there it is what is, so keep spreading the disease and watch the skies, god knows what the next one will be about as I have kind of run dry of musical blogs, ah well I have another seven days until the next one I’m sure that something float to the top at some point in the week but until then………..Toodles.