REVIEW: Barbra Streisand
- Posted on July 20, 2007 3:26 PM
- 1 comment
Barbra Streisand
The 02 Arena
July 18th 2007
Review by Katie Spain
The Babs Effect
A few weeks ago, I made the trek to Wembley Arena to find out what a typical Pearl Jam fan looks like. Tonight, I'm off to the 02 Arena with a completely different mission - to determine whether Barbra Streisand is worth five hundred pounds a ticket.
As the tube jangles its way towards Greenwich, I try to guess which of my fellow carriage folk are on their way to the concert. The powers of elimination lend a helping hand... at London Bridge a young couple leave the train. At Bermondsey the woman with a pram disembarks and at Canada Water I'm left with a gaggle of middle-aged women, some men in suits, a few happy 'campers' and a few dear old couples dressed to the nines.
We lose the suits at Canary Wharf. There we have it... oldies, gays, a few loyal youngsters taking their mum out for the night and me. Oh my.
The crowd shuffling towards the O2 Arena is much the same. Pastel trouser suits and floral blouses are out in force. Glistening brooches and leopard print heels also seem to be popular Babs concert attire. As corny as it sounds, the most popular accessory is a beaming smile. Aw... these people have paid up to six hundred pounds a seat and still they're smiling. That, my friends is the Babs effect.
The O2 is packed with places to grab a pre-concert meal or drink and I'm not talking hotdogs. Finding a table however, is impossible so we settle for a stand up Rose or two and a chat with a young Barbra fan.
"I saved so long for this ticket - I love her, I just love her... my husband is at home looking after the kids. I can't afford it but I had to be here."
She has all the CDs, she knows all the songs (after forty-seven years in the business there's a lot of them) and as she reels them off at a rate of excited knots, I wish I did too. While we stay on for one more cheeky glass, our new friend rushes off to secure her seat. It's eight o'clock and the jam-packed bustle has dispersed. We needn't have worried - Her Majesty Streisand is half an hour late on stage. Once a diva; always a diva.
We're so close to the stage we can see her every move. I can't say the same for our neighbours - they must be pushing ninety... but the large screens above the stage capture every Babs moment. Unlike the disastrous camera shots at ‘Live Earth’ and the Diana Concert, these are faultless and capture her flowing black dresses (there's three) and jewels in all their glory. She's wearing my entire lifetime's wages around her neck. A little bit of leg and a lot of diamonds seems to be the key.
The stage surrounds a full orchestra and three bouquets of roses. It's all class in Streisand land and to be honest, it's all the backdrop she needs. At sixty-five she's looking good - but at six hundred pound a ticket, she can afford to. Her cleavage is on show and obviously buoys her vocal chords because her first tune "Starting Here, Starting Now" is impeccable. What a set of pipes. The old man next to us obviously agrees... his booming foghorn voice provides a constant running commentary. Oh, to be ancient.
As she thanks the crowd, Barbra expresses love for the UK "This is one of the few places I speak the native language".
It's my first Streisand experience and I'm impressed by the banter until I spot the tele-prompters (or 'blankets' as she calls them). Now, I'm all for assistance for lyrics but draw the line at chit chat. A friend is positioned behind the stage and his verdict soon hits my mobile phone "This is the most expensive karaoke session I've ever been to". If the songs themselves weren't so good I'd agree. In the few moments that Barbra turns her attention away from the script she shines. Her wit is quick and the interaction with the audience genuine. "This is a free for all - it's like Woodstock". I wasn't at Woodstock but I doubt the crowd there was this well behaved. They're applauding though - and the sound is deafening.
Song wise, there's a mix of old and new - I don't know most of them but a few give my little heart a friendly nudge. I'm sure Andrew Lloyd Webber's view from the front row is priceless - especially when "Music Of The Night" from 'The Phantom Of The Opera' hits his ears.
The audience adoration levels are overwhelming and a few hopefuls proclaim their love from the sidelines. Barbra struggles to hear them but tries her best. "Maybe it's just the accent or just a senior moment. I'm probably a lot older than most of you out there".
She is a funny woman, there's no doubt about it - and it's a side to her I wasn't aware of. It's almost easy to believe she's just one of us... a woman with a lifetime of memories and a life full of ups and downs. Maybe she is... she's just one of the few who truly made the big time. The man in front of me dabs at his eyes as she launches into 'The Way We Were'. We're sitting in a room full of lengthy lifetimes and I can almost feel the Babs-induced memories buzzing about the room.
"This is for those memories"
I grind a halt in my own memory department when four strapping male singers hit the stage. Her "Friends from Broadway" are here to plug the gap while Barbra takes a break and I take it as a cue to follow suit. If only I'd known there'd be a break of epic proportions straight afterwards. I guess changing designer outfits takes time. Maybe she needed to call in a crane to life the jewellery over her barnet.
In the second half, Babs plays the piano in a short but stunning intro, sings to us in French and reads questions submitted by fans before the concert. It's a nice touch and I'm tempted to forgive her for the scripted banter. I can only imagine the buzz that true fans feel when their question is answered. Helen from Oxford even asks what she got her husband James for his birthday (yes, it's today). When quizzed on the black pudding she allegedly tried during the tour, she quickly retorts "Not as good as my mushy peas". Score one to Babs.
Concert moment of the night goes to the lucky Australian who travelled all the way to the UK to see their idol. "When I saw you in America you didn't play 'You Don't Bring Me Flowers'. Please sing it again". Babs delivers - and one fanatic's lifetime is made within a few short minutes of song.
"Somewhere" seals the deal and through the cloud if ticket price disbelief, I feel an overwhelming amount of respect. Her voice is faultless, she is beautiful and she has the O2 Arena in a trance. Wherever I look, there are faces masked in and expression of respect and adoration; how do you argue with that?
Earlier in the evening, I sent a text message to an answer service. It read:
"WHY ARE BARBRA STREISAND TICKETS SO EXPENSIVE?"
As I leave the O2 Arena my pocket starts buzzing. They've found an answer, maybe my job is done. I hastily open the phone for the verdict:
"THERE IS NO JUSTIFICATION FOR THE COST OF BARBRA STREISAND TICKETS. SHE IS UNLIKELY TO TOUR THE UK ANY TIME SOON THOUGH, SO CAN GET AWAY WITH CHARGING LOTS."
There you have it. Somehow, I don't think the crowd need justification. After all, you can't cash in a memory. I'm a new fan... and this is one new memory I'm glad to have.
Were you there? Did you love it? Was it worth the pay packet? tell all in our comments section.
Comments (1)
Gabbie
I went to the O2 concert with my mother-in-law. I have never been a huge fan of Barbra Streisand but after seeing her perform live I am converted. When you watch programs like the X Factor etc and comments are made about there being very few artists who carry longevity I now competely understand. How many singers will be still performing at 65 with a voice as strong as Barbra's? My only disappoinment was that we were sat to the rear of the stage and Barbra did not perform to this part of the audience which I thought was a shame. However if she does come back to the UK I will definately be buying a ticket to see her!
Posted on July 24, 2007 5:02 PM
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