TSUAMNI WARNING His Nibs is back!!
Thank you for reading the Vienna, Weiner Stadthalle, Twitterlight Review 4th & 6th of September 2012 & Good night!!!NO? But that sums it pretty much up in a nutshell!! I’m trying not to take up all your very busy time waffling...I always go on & on & on!!...doggedly relaying the "Craic" (Irishspeak for essential heart lifting gossip)...Oh alright then but just remember half way through, it was U who insisted!! Now, go lock the door & close the curtains so no-one knows you enjoy reading this bullshit! Street Cred at all times!!
The Vienna invasion officially started two days before the date edged into every Lovely’s brain, September 4th and George Michael’s long awaited return to his postponed 2011 tour. EVERYBODY was tweeting about having Vienna tickets! All 16,000 of them!!! All I had was Vienna Whirls! I wasn’t a happy bunny...you can never get a good dunk out of a Vienna Whirl! Ok Ok SLIGHT exaggeration, 15 thousand and forty five of them were bumming their load, (Irishspeak for annoyingly boasting), about their tickets to me, who was stuck in the Irish Rurals as usual! The lovelies were tweeting/twitpic-ing from the airport before they took off, the Lovelies were tweeting when they landed, "Arrived :0 @ Vienna International airport (VIE) with 11 others." and they tweeted when they got to they’re hotels. I was sooooo deeply dippy for them, can’t you tell?
They tweeted/Twit-pic’d as they were out and about sight seeing and even restaurant-touring! Twitter was buzzing with Lovelies all impatient, awaiting their early Christmas present...their George back & singing for them. There was even moaning about some "slum dog" Lovelies having to downgrade their usual travel methods and hotels due to restrictive budgets. Hymph don’t feel too sorry for them...this was their umpteenth Symphonica Concert and they had to save money ‘cos they were going to the Paris Garnier concert on the 9th and the Ziggo Dome one on the 14th of September after that. For all their complaining, one of these slum dogs was sightseeing in very grandiose surroundings in Princess Sisy’s palace, if you please. Gorgeous pics honey, very nice, poor you slumming it in a palace! "In the land of Klimt" was one of the more succinct early tweets that tickled me but my hopes for a "secession" of further tweets didn’t materialize did it Lisa?? (Wee arty-farty joke there)
There was a small contingent from the Dutch Twitter team but boy were they well equipped!! Behave! I’m referring to their hardware!! I mean it!! You lot will get me sanctioned again and I’ve only just escaped from being sectioned! You should’ve seen the size of their internet capabilities!! They posted their hardware pics online whilst worrying about the size of their baggage! They were locked and loaded, they were on their way and they meant business. No not blocked and loaded (for a change)! Blocked is Irishspeak for drunk as a skunk. Once encamped pics flowed, (no that was an innocent, unintentional pun!), from the Dutch Twitter team of Vienna and the 'George Fever' that now engulfed the city. "The press in Vienna love George Michael" they sent pictures of the tabloids to prove it. There was "Careless Whisper on the radio", White Light T-Shirts in H&M’s shop window and George and his sixpack were on display, honest!! I tweeted the pic myself. If u don’t believe me check it out on @Memelarmour. "Vienna has adopted George".I was even able to watch Vienna’s national 7pm evening news, showing the Symphonica rehearsals and the setting up of the Wiener Stadthalle’s very complicated, octagonal seating arrangement! Looking very coy about those set list surprises there Henry Hey. Great to hear our wee Harpo’s voice again at long last too. The Irish believe that the kinky-er/ more curly the hair, the naughtier the owner!! Enough said about our two Symphonica bad boys then!! Henry tweeted from the English rehearsals previously, "GM is sounding VERY good" and then..."It's a beautiful day here in Vienna".
The newest edition to the Symphonica Musical team Ed Barker, tweeted back "Lucky you! If George Michael sounds as good as he did in London, (Rehearsals) the world is in for a treat! See U in Birmingham.e." Our wee saxy Ed is newly on twitter as @Edthejazzman Lovelies and tweeting away, so welcome him before he officially joins us for the English leg of the tour in Birmingham and give him a follow! He tweeted from the English rehearsals, "@GeorgeMichael is sounding absolutely superb. He is as good in rehearsal as he is on stage and it is a pleasure playing for him". Looking forward to some quality sax on stage in Brum then Ed. If you’re a good Cowboy we promise we’ll be little Angels for you!!!
George Michael tweeted "Hey everyone, it’s that time again! And I get to open the tour singing to the men and women who saved my life"...And it’s a beautiful day". Doesn’t he sound happy? The @GMSingers tweeted "Good morning Lovelies...Tonight the night, its going to be the best party ever with lots of tears and smiles!!" They were right! Later that afternoon we even had Fadi Fawaz tweeting a pic of his White Light video rehearsal backdrop teaser, "Almost show time can’t believe it it’s the most amazing feeling". AWW Henry!!! Is that one of your surprizes Fadi let out of the bag???
Typically after such a long wait, all of a sudden it was concert time! Weepies in the house get your hankies out. All you Wetties get out your Huggies and give George a surf board ‘cos Symphonica Part II has arrived. This miracle of modern AKH science is back from the dead and ready to rock the joint as per usual. His first performance will be in front of his medical magicians, front of stage in VIP section, his Father, "Papa Panos is in the house :)", his bestest friend David Austin and his partner Fadi Fawaz!
So no pressure then Sisyphus!!! NO NOT Cissy Pus! I might be irreverent but I don’t have a death wish calling His Nibs a cissy or implying he has a big sour pus on (Sour Pus is Irishspeak for grumpy face). Me’s an edumakated archaemolollyicalist and knows about these things! Sisyphus was the Greek God who cheated death! See!!! Stick with me kids and you’ll know you’re A (lpha), B(vita) C (h’s, Xi) inside out! Is it only me or does anyone else think that all Greek B’s sound as if they have a lisp??!! By the Way Mr Austin we will hold you to that promise of a behind the scenes #Symphonica Video "Flicks" with its link posted up on Twitter! NO WET TOESIES!
If there was any doubt before, there won’t be any after tonight. Our genius Music Maestro is back on top. Oh sweet mother, ...sigh, here we go!!...I meant His Nibs is back on top of HIS CAREER!! How exactly have we plummeted to these depths already?? Normally it takes me at least 3 pages! Look we’re already near the end of the 10th paragraph and still not a word about the actual concert!! Concentrate! I’m trying my best not to be soo prolific. (My new, impressive word). Well it sounds better than never ending bullshit! Honestly I just open my mouth and so much of the stuff just flies out!!Don’t say you haven’t been warned! So splash guards, wellies & disinfectant at the ready, we shall begin...I’m keeping away from the steri wipe (sterile wipes) jokes in honour of our esteemed AKH guests, who George played Doctors & Nurses with last November. There was a three hundred strong army of them there. The rest of the 1,000 guest tickets they were given by George Michael, were put up for sale, with his permission and raised over €60,000 for Lung Disease Research. Yes Ladies & Gentlemen there definitely IS a Doctor in the House! Just a wee quick question though...Who’s covering ICU tonight?? As one Lovely tweeted, "It's safer to be in the Wiener Stadthalle tonight than in the AKH!!" They were all very nearly back on call again in the second half. The usual surge to the stage for the weight watchers, Zumba Dance medley nearly took on epic proportions! That’s if our Zumba’s didn’t knock the docs sensless getting to George. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves and that’s definitely a first for me.
Stop the press (wishful thinking!!), George is late...again!!! However in his defence, the concert which was originally scheduled for 7.30pm was pushed back to 8pm. But he was still late! The Lovelies were tweeting as they were taking their seats and enjoying their own meet and greets with old friends and familiar friends from last year’s tour. "Got my tix and have already met lots of other fans, so nice to have these little reunions :)". LITTLE reunions there were 16,000 there! Speaking of reunions, our wee Bev’s back and aren’t we all happy to see her again!! Your longer hair style this tour is a hit! "LOL I see Bev talking to so many people. Everyone wants to say ‘hi’! She’s famous and rightly so!" No blushing behind that eeenoormous camera honey, aaww maroon becomes you!
"George’s Dad is sitting 2 rows behind me. Too shy to say hallo but its still lovely to see him here". 2 rows BEHIND HER is George Michael’s Dad??? How does she get these brilliant tickets ALL the time??? This lady is worth watching and my beady wee Twitter eye’s been on her since the start of Symphonica 2011. Mental note...must make bestest friends!!!! Ahhh that’s one of her ways..."Chatting /flirting with ‘nice’ security to get permission to take pics for us (Dutch Twitter Team) #thethingswedoforgeorge."An army of press waited in the auditorium in front of the stage to later saturate the European press with a plethora of "GEORGE TRIUMPHANT" pics. He was the darling of the press tonight, everywhere, in all languages. Images of him resplendent in his purple suit, crisp white shirt and black tie, looking fresh faced and healthy would soon be winging their way, worldwide. "Considerate" Lovelies actually posted photos of the paps who were front centre of the Stadthalle waiting to snap His Nibs. Definitely not pretty as a picture, boys!!! SCARY!!! How do you do it, day in and day out George Michael sir?? Oops I wasn’t including you Annie-left-abits! Annie AKA @CarolineTrue, is the Symphonica Tour & Georges own photographer and was there as well.
A little thought had niggled me for a couple of days. I knew His Nibs would be in his usual tiz trying to get everything perfect for tonight as he always does. He NEVER listens to us all telling him not to worry cos he’s always fantastic, even in an off night, such is the quality of his live performances. I thought because it was his first night of the Tour, his first night back in Vienna after so many bad ones and his first performance for the medical superstars that saved his life...He’d be a bit more nervous. Then I thought oooh s***! If I was in the audience I’d be even more nervous in case someone coughed sneezed or even breathed in his direction after what he had come through. Come on, tell me, did none of you think that??? Never mind a nervous George, it’s a nervous audience I worried about.
Uploaded were pictures of the familiar see-through red curtain & fantastic sinuous, swirling Persian motif visuals as the Orchestra began & George appeared from the inky depths singing his opening number Through. "I loved seeing our harpist’s big smile during Through. Could easily see it all the way from Row 14 LOL". "George was not too talkative in the first half," "There is an undercurrent of emotion but on the surface he was all matter of fact". His first cover of the night followed with Nina Simone’s My Baby Just Cares For Me.
Then the first set change for 2012 and Father Figure made its surprising appearance with a different musical intro from the original. George was more relaxed and by now in full swing. He gestured to the audience to sing the last word. "Emy says ‘FUCKING HELL, he sounds wonderful’, Sorry for the language! #Symphonica". No need to apologise. Us Lovelies more than understand and appreciate the honesty! "He looked so handsome in his purple suit with white shirt and most important HIS VOICE was stunning." "Music! And oh what a voice! #GeorgeMichaelisback. He’s really here and he’s ALIVE! What a moment #Goosebumps." Enjoy the first of the Dutch Twitter Team’s video reviewer uploads @Dutchieemy here.
Next a beautiful Sax solo by Pavel Dvorak accompanied the long time crowd favourite, Cowboys And Angels. If there was any worries left about his voice the next tweets took care of it. "George was doing some gymnastics with his voice...playing with high and lower notes! Amazing". "George Michael’s voice sounds Amazingly powerful and clear!" "He sounds...unbelievable". "George doesn’t hold back now". "#Georgeisback Volume 100% #Symphonica2".
Pictures continually flowed and next was Kissing A Fool followed by another Symphonica favourite, his Rufus Wainwright cover of Going To A Town, with its new burning LOVE visuals. "Its about a country we all know and love" said George. After that was Let Her Down Easy. As ever George Michael effortlessly wowed the audience with his peerless voice, wonderful backing singers, sextet and superb Czech National Orchestra. You Have Been Loved was, as always, "For my Mother and Anselmo", "It's about the power of faith". "Wild Is The Wind was the fast version of course". "You know that note in Wild Is The Wind? Yeah, that one. Chills! - Bev". George said "Doesn’t it feel great to be alive?" "Huge Huge cheer for the #Symphonica Orchestra during the set closer Brother Can You Spare A Dime! - Bev". "And the curtains are closed. He sang Brother Can You Spare A Dime with great conviction". "In Vienna watching @GeorgeMichael’s triumphant return on the stage. He’s never sounded better."The second half opened with another set list change for 2012, Waiting For That Day and George in a dark suit with a black shirt and tie. The crowd, who before, were well behaved, opened up and showed their appreciation. "Waouh!! WAITING FOR THAT DAY makes two new songs for @GeorgeMichael #Symphonica". "Half the venue is now on their feet". "George says, 'Come on sing with me', 'Come on louder'. 'Now you do it', last sentence...You can't always get what you want. But you can try." Watch it here! Thank you again to @Dutchieemy for her high quality uploads & @GeorgeMichaelNL. Proof if needed, of the Dutch Twitter Team in action! As usual the gloves were now off and so was the roof! "...the venue is now on their feet!...and dancing!" "Wiener Stadthalle has no roof anymore! :-) Really crazy here."
Patience followed and John And Elvis Are Dead. "Written for my best friend David who is here tonight", (big cheer from the audience), then he whispers, "he doesn’t really deserve it!" The rest remained the same as before, his cover of Sting’s Roxanne and then True Faith, "About the nature of addiction with the vocoder. Backings sound fantastic!" "George his voice a little lower and very clear in our opinion". "A little change in the arrangement of A Different Corner". Then came You’ve Changed. During Russian Roulette (now coined RiRi’s song by Bev) George said "Let's see your hands in the air". "On 'pull the trigger'...George makes a gun sign". "I wonder if RiRi gets as big a reaction when she performs Russian Roulette #Symphonica - Bev".
"Praying For Time and Emy is going to make a move 2wards the stage". She wasn't alone because with the appearance of Praying For Time, the fans started rushing to the front of the stage in anticipation of the dance medley that followed and tweeted pics to prove it! "When everybody rushed to the stage...George said, 'Oh Hello!'" Bev from George Michael.com said "I get the feeling a lot of these folks have been here before. They’re moving to the front of the stage at the START of Praying For Time ;-)" "I was thinking there was a disturbance in the audience but no it was the big push forward :)". "I still don’t know how I got there from my seat...but it was lovely to see him up close how well he looks". "George pays tribute to the medical professionals who saved his life and who are here tonight, before launching into Feeling Good - Bev". "This is one of the greatest honours of my life to sing to the men and women who saved my life" said George Michael. "Feeling Good as a special request for one of the doctors! And a thank you". "The whole venue is going crazy and George Michael is definitely feeling good".
"To my utter surprise and delight I found myself standing in front of George Michael during the medley". "People are swaying their arms, the orchestra is just about to drop to the floor laughing so to speak :-)". "We've got some Stamp McStampers in the crowd, pleading for an encore :-) #Symphonica - Bev". "@GMSingers are already highfiving and rightly so, their contribution was extra special as they supported George 1,000% tonight." "I'm Your Man! Such a party". "Audience likes the George Michael/@GMSingers sandwich". Amazing and Freedom made up the explosive dance trilogy. "Haha I'd forgotten how loud you Lovelies get at encore time, LOVE IT #Symphonica - Bev". "Fans are not satisfied with one encore they want MORE ; ) #Symphonica - Bev"."One last treat for you before we go. I think given the manner of men and women who did save my life, we could not go without singing this song...Lets hear it for the people who saved my life". "And the final encore goes to the Doctors - WHITE LIGHT! #Symphonica - Bev". George said "Lets hear it for the people who saved my life". A special performance of White Light followed the wolf whistles and applause for the AKH Staff. The video played on the massive Symphonica backdrop screens and closed the show. A final thank you to @Dutchieemy for this and all her quality concert uploads.
"And its over, the curtain is closed, lights on and no more George". "His voice was stunning". "That's a wrap folks. Thanks for joining us for the first show of round 2 of Symphonica. See you Thursday - Bev" (6th September).
We didn't get to hear our wee Harpo perform his exquisite harp solo in I Remember You which usually closes the show, due to last minute Set List requirements.This is a shame cos we looove our wee Harpo. Never mind Michal I'm sure His Nibs will resolve his 'Angelic Harp playing' and White Light issues quickly and you'll be back on track soon. Although I would've thought I Remember You could have fitted in after Patience and before Feeling Good and kept all wee Harpo fans happy.
Regardless we had reached the end of George Michael's opening concert of his 2012 Tour. As usual it's said best when George Michael's Twitter followers, his "Lovlies" say it..."I was not there and I felt every note...Thank you so much for bringing everything to us in the way that you do...".
"Good Morning and thank you so much to everybody that was there to make my first show in Vienna so much fun...We're catching an early flight because I'm taking my doctors (my heros!) to lunch before soundcheck :))" "...I have a strong feeling that some of you will be there again tonight :))" He was right, there were indeed many fans back for a second performance. George Michael took his, now famous, Zanussi Team of doctors (with their appliance of science) to the Carlton Ritz for lunch.
Before I go and shut my effusive gob, YES YES I promise I will!! I want to say a HUGE thank you to some Lovelies who literally saved the day on the second Vienna performance on the 6th of September. Due to lack of Lovelies tweeting and/or bad wifi signal we were very nearly left Twitless in Vienna! Ooops Freudian slip I mean Tweetless. The usual stalwarts were there...@Dutch_ada2, @Mollie5555 and @GeorgeMOfficial (Bev) at the concert and GeorgeMichaelNL, @GeorgeMichaelNews, @GmFamilyForums all online. But the only other Lovelies I came across at the concert tweeting were @llse_2204 and the Super Lovely that is @beetheartist with all those wonderful pictures she thoughtfully kept posting and literally kept us in the Stadthalle with the audience.Due to all their combined efforts we knew that the audience was more relaxed on the second night compared to the previous one, that the noise levels from them was REALLY LOUD, George was enjoying himself tremendously, he gave them the last word on Father Figure, he asked the audience to sing along with Kissing A Fool and he "performed the hell out of Wild Is The Wind". Dita Von Teese was in the audience & Ronnie Franklin met her. David Austin was there again and George was busy mouthing his "I Love You's" to the audience. "George is very freely with his 'I love You's' here in Vienna. So far I've been loved up Twice. Right back at you!" "Vocally he is so strong now it's unreal. If you close your eyes you'd swear you're listening to CD upgraded version!"
In the second half George got roses given to him on stage by a lady from the audience after Waiting for that Day. I do hope there were no thorny after concert issues...Be careful were you sit Fadi!! There was a stamping, standing ovation for A Different Corner and by the time Russian Roulette came, "Vienna pulled the trigger and rushed to the front even earlier than usual". Such was the excitement these next tweets flew in..."#Symphonica OMG WTF was that? Are we going at the start of RR now? Only just made it to the front LOL." "So worth it, it was brilliant". "By the Time Symphonica arrives in the UK we'll be rushing to the stage at the start of the second set". "Data ran out at peak of 1st encores but trust me it was EPIC. Jusq’a Paris! #Symphonica - Bev".
I have to say a wee hello to the Lovelies who joined us online from across the 'Pond' in America, 'Down Under' in Australia and even further 'Down Under' in New Zealand. It was great to hear you enjoying the George Michael #Twitterlive Symphonica experience. With a bit of luck we will be Twitterlive from Down under in November with a little help from @DaintyGroup (the Australian tour promoters) and @mixmelbourne, Melbourne’s Number 1 Radio station, Mix 101.1! Get yur Tweeters out there Diggas!
The press reviews I read were all glowing and all loved up with our George! (I doubt if it'll last long! You know what they’re like!) Ironically enough I got bored reading them 'cos they were all so 'glowingly' similar! Express.Co.Uk, Web.de.NEWS, Yahoo.News, @KurierKult, Belfast Telegraph, Reuters, Leidsch Dagblad, Associated Press, @AnAandEBlog and I looked through MILLIONS of photos they printed.
My usual thanks goes to: @GeorgeMichael & @Fadifawaz, his team; @GeorgeMOfficial, @SymphonicaTour, @GMSingers, @Henryhey, @themarkmclean, @benbutlernyc, @Carolinetrue, @Ronnie_franklin, @David_austin, @LISAsOLIVE, @Marshallarts, @Daintygroup & newbie @Edthejazzman
His Twitter fanclubs & sites; @GeorgeMichaelNL, @GeorgeMichaelNews, @GMFamilyForums
Dutch Twitter Team & other Symphonica Stalwarts at the concerts and online; @Dutchieemy, @HappyS74, @Dutch_ada & Dutch_ada2 (long story!!!), @MagdaGMFan, @Mollie5555, @MissHoefje, @FunksterGM, @Luuk2007, @Yog4life, @KiKiGMLovely, @Nicolady87, @GMLovelie67xxx, @Fannywalters, @99Edytka, @Nemesyss, @Urbanseashells, @Poshscouse0825, @ifcharleswzagirl, @Tinapreciousbox
A Big Hallo and Thank You to new concert tweeters and fans online;
@beetheartist, @llse_2204, @ingridvienna, @a4ann, @pashowbiz, @FeriThierry, @Misformusicnews, @ashley_slomo, @balazzbarnuz, @Primustom, @Nastyataratina, @lindatif1, @VeniaGiarratana, @TheSint70, @Kirkesseli, @Mayerk, @KelNo1Georgefan, @imitovia, @AngelTracie, @Diamondgirl4gm, @Ziggodome, @Yamahadownload