Hi folks, I've finally had time to sit down and write my account of the concert! So here goes!
It was hard to feel excited until it actually happened as we have learned to take one day at a time here in Christchurch - a few seconds of the ground shaking can change everything, so we tend to hold things lightly! The best laid plans can be derailed in seconds, as they were in February.
Anyway, Mark and I got our lost ticket passes (we had booked and paid for our tickets on 12th May over the internet from Ticketek and they never arrived in the post) and went to our seats (front row) and were nervously (me anyway!) awaiting the beginning of the concert, when 3 girls turned up with our stolen tickets and tried to claim our seats. They left after we explained that they were ours and we had proof, so the ushers came over soon after and we showed them our email proof of purchase and went back to waiting for it all to begin.
Sadly the third member of our group, our neighbour Marilyn couldn't come to the concert as she had an ear infection and the doctor told her she wouldn't be able to stand it - so she promptly burst into tears, poor soul.
A young Samoan lady by the name of Grace (who turned out to be his BV) started the concert by doing 4 songs, 2 originals and 2 covers, she was awesome - then we went back to waiting for Stan to arrive and it all to begin.
Stan came out to rapturous applause, wearing a long-sleeved olive-green shirt with a black bowtie and black jeans. He started the concert with "Inside Out". I just sat there enjoying it all and singing along. No one was standing in front of the stage as yet so we had an unhindered view as he went through the first set. He did a bit of an "Australian Idol" musical journey, with one of the BV's ( I'm not sure but wondered if it was Sidney Maynard?) doing the voiceovers to make it sound like the TV show. Stan did bits of songs from his journey and told of his need to redeem himself from singing "Dear Mr President" flat and explained why it happened - so despite his voice not being 100% (he said), he did the song really well. He also did "Ordinary People" playing guitar and said that he actually did another audition that didn't make it onto tv with another song, but that he was laughing heaps as he was so nervous and the judges wondered if he was even going to sing!!
He told some funny stories - about how he packed his 2 pairs of undies (to come over to NZ I presume) and socks (which were actually his Mum's he said), and forgot to pack deodorant. He said that he loves girls' spray on deodorant (the name of the brand escapes me) as he thinks it smells like lollies!!
He was saying how he and the band were rehearsing hard-out and he realised he needed some deodorant and saw some sitting on the stage so smelled it, thought it was ok, so sprayed it liberally all over himself (which led to an expanation about having "stink bum") and then wondering why his arms were sticking to his body, discovered it was actually the keyboardist Kiri's spray on hair colour!! Everyone was in fits of laughter as you can imagine.
On a more serious note - he did hold a few moments' silence for us Cantabrians who have suffered loss and to remember the lives lost in the Feb 22nd earthquake. You could've heard a pin drop! He was so kind and said how we had been in his and his family's prayers and will continue to be so.
About halfway through - he changed into a red shirt (canterbury colours as he had black jeans!) and invited people to get up and sing with him - so we were no longer in the front as many teenage girls and a few guys around the edge, made their way to the front and crowded in front of us. It wasn't too cramped and everyone was very orderly and many went back to their seats after they had the photos they wanted. Of course many were putting their hands up to be touched by him - which reminds me. He started spinning a yarn about how he was now married and how he had been for a while and had 15 kids etc ( I was just waiting for the reference to Beyonce!) and then he said that he woke up and realised it was just a dream . Everyone laughed and he did one of her songs (can't remember which one!!).
At another point in the concert he talked about how we are all significant, and said to all the girls that no matter what age you are, how tall/short and no matter what you look like - you are all beautiful. He said to the guys to "look after your sisters" or else he would "come after you"!! He was saying that if a rugged Maori boy such as him can achieve his dream, so can we and for us not to think our dream is too big.
He did quite a few mash-ups and re-arrangements of his songs - he did a rap in the middle of unbroken and in one of the songs did a few lines of "Just the way you are" by Bruno Mars. Sorry folks I'm not a great music buff and have a terrible memory so apologies for my vagueness at times. He did do Neo's "Closer" and that was fantastic with all the nuances and expression he put into it. Towards the end he went offstage to change again and the BV's did a Michael Jackson number and the dancers were amazing. When Stan came back onstage again - he was in an oversized red-striped shirt, that looked like he'd borrowed it from his Dad's wardrobe - and he hadn't had time to do up all the buttons - so at one point while he was dancing, the shirt flew up and you could see his waist high white undies above the top of his jeans - poor Stan! He made some remarks at the end of the song about still getting dressed! Anyway, the concert ended and of course the chant went up for more - so they all came back onstage for the encore "Loud"! I reckon it was the best song - everyone was getting into it and dancing and having a great time. He can certainly dance as he did during many of the songs, along with the backing dancers and was "shaking his booty" I think that's how you say it? At one stage he went to the back corner of the stage and I was wondering what he was doing when he then did a double somersault across the stage - much to the cheers and applause of the crowd!
I feel like such an old fuddy-duddy as the "booty shaking" is not really my thing - but I just so enjoyed listening to that fabulous voice live and enjoying the atmosphere - very family orientated as there were lots of Mums and kids there - I could've taken Sophie (aged 7) in place of Marilyn if I thought that she would've stayed awake! However it was nice to go on a date with my husband - the first time in a very long time we've managed to go out together with no children. We thoroughly enjoyed the evening and would go again if the opportunity arose. My phone took poor quality photos,and tiny 30 second video clips not worth posting - Mark's photos were better, but we didn't take video equipment as it's not supposed to be taken in there, but just enjoyed the concert and will have to watch better clips on Youtube.
So that's my account of the Stan Walker concert - it was long anticipated and it was worth the wait!
Last edited by Nicola on Wed Jul 13, 2011 2:56 pm; edited 2 times in total (Reason for editing : added extra things)
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and on top of that I am in the process of moving interstate... a process that started 2-3 months ago 
and hasn't been completed yet!) 