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Mrs Frey
03-25-2008, 05:11 AM
It took me most of yesterday (24 March), until the early hours of this morning, to write the following review. Due to its extreme length, I am going to split it up into more than one post. I apologise for this indulgence, but when I began writing, I just couldn't stop. My memories came flooding back and I just had to record all the details. I hope you all enjoy it:

THE EAGLES AT THE O2 ARENA, THURSDAY, 20 MARCH 2008

Introduction

It has taken me several days to gather my thoughts in order to bring you a review of the Eagles’ concert at the O2 Arena last Thursday. I am tired after spending so much time travelling, as I was on planes for a total of over 24 hours (and getting no sleep! :shock:), as well as travelling on the underground train (“tube’) service, in a state of uncertain nervousness. I am still in a state of disbelief, and can barely come to grips with the fact that it is all over already. All the time I spent planning the trip to London, stressing about obtaining my passport in time… co-ordinating with GA and GEF regarding how and when we were going to meet each other before or at the venue… deciding which outfit would be the most appealing to wear just in case the boys, or Glenn :heart: in particular, saw me… :wink: wondering where GA, Timtot and I were going to sit since we were 5-star VIPs with the “I Love All Access” group, and had spent so much money… Everything that we had planned, everything that we had hoped for was over far too soon. However, the memories we now have will stay with us for the rest of our lives, without a shadow of a doubt.

Preparation

I started my showering, dressing and grooming at midday, since I had arranged to meet GEF at 14:30, after she arrived in London by train, at the hotel where I stayed in Bayswater, London. GEF was resident just up the road from me. I was scheduled to meet GA and Timtot at Entrance B at the O2 Arena at 17:00, where we were to meet with our ILAA hostess. Since everything in London was new to me, and I wasn’t sure how long it would take me to travel from Bayswater to North Greenwich by tube, I wanted to leave by about 15:15 to ensure I got to my destination in good time, and to give me enough time to find the venue in case I got lost. I wanted everything to be perfect, and wanted to take my time grooming myself for what I anticipated to be the most exciting night of my life. I wanted to look and feel my best, and thank goodness I managed to get some sleep the night before. It wasn’t enough, though, and I was running on adrenaline. A sense of urgency kept pushing me into unknown waters, and conquering my fears of getting around London. Seeing my beloved Eagles was more important than anything, and nothing was going to stop me from living my dream… the dream for which I had been planning, saving and sacrificing for almost a year.

GEF asked hotel reception to phone my room and inform me of her arrival, just as I was preparing to leave. It was wonderful to meet her, and we chatted and looked at the pictures of Glenn :heart: that we carried around with us for about 15 minutes before I had to leave. I was of course much too early, but I wasn’t taking any chances. I had already found out the day before what the best route was to take to my destination. The weather, unfortunately, was nasty, with a fairly strong wind (I thought I had escaped the Capetonian South Easter! :scowl: ) and dark, threatening rain clouds. “Please Lord,” I prayed, don’t let it rain! Please don’t let the wind blow too hard! I need my hairstyle intact by the time I get to the O2!” :wink:

The weather got nastier by the time I arrived at North Greenwich station. It had begun raining and the wind was howling. My poor umbrella didn’t really stand a chance, and I had great trouble controlling it on my way to the O2. I had to ask directions on my way there, as the rain spitefully spat on me, but I largely had to find my own way, since I seemed to have a knack for picking on other foreigners who also didn’t have a clue where places were! :lol: My raincoat protected my outfit, but my hair was another matter. As my umbrella kept blowing inside out, my hair was exposed, since I didn’t want beanies or any other form of hat on my head that would ultimately press my hair flat. So I braved the rain, with my umbrella battling under the pressure from the wind, and finally found the O2 Arena main entrance, with a little help from a security guard.

I arrived at 16:20 (another 40 minutes to go before I was scheduled to meet GA and GEF), and immediately bought an Eagles programme (£10 :shock:). I struck up a conversation with the young gentleman who was selling the programmes, and I gave him a quick lesson on the Eagles. He’s young (probably in his very early twenties), so I shouldn’t have expected him to know anything about our boys, but I’m sure Maleah will tell you that being in one’s twenties is no excuse for not knowing anything about the Eagles! :wink: I told him how far I’d travelled for the concert, and it just so happens that his parents are South African. While I was chatting to him, a lady appeared at the kiosk, and asked the young gent to see a programme, as she was not sure what the Eagles look like, even though she was familiar with some of their songs. She said she wanted to know what all the fuss was about, and since our programme vendor was none the wiser, I took over and gave her a quick lesson too. I pointed out the boys’ in the programme individually, mentioned the names of some of their hits to her, and promoted “Long Road Out Of Eden”, telling her how successful it’s been. I told her too that I’d come from South Africa to see them, and that was enough to convince her that she was missing a very special concert. She gave the impression that she was going to look into Eagles music from that point onwards! :nod:

While I waited for GA, Timtot and GEF, I went to stand next to a restaurant not far from Entrance B, as they were playing the whole “Long Road Out Of Eden” album. Needless to say, I didn’t budge, and sang along as I waited for my friends to arrive. Once LROOE was finished, they continued with songs from “The Complete Greatest Hits”. Just next to Entrance B, there was a stall offering Eagles souvenirs, mostly of the T-shirt variety. I decided to wait to see what the VIP experience would offer before I bought anything.

I began stressing and worrying when GA, Timtot and GEF had not arrived by 17:05 (remember, the scheduled time was 17:00 :wink: ), and I went over to the ILAA stand just to inform them that I was part of their group and was waiting for my friends to arrive. One of them said to me that it was only 17:05, and that I shouldn’t worry! I wasn’t sure when they wanted to begin the evening, and just needed to make sure that they didn’t leave without us! I was also concerned about the weather, and GA, Timtot and GEF’s safety on the way to the venue (I was yet to learn how much safer London is than Cape Town!), but breathed a sigh of relief when they arrived at approximately 17:15. We chatted for a short while, and I asked a diner at the restaurant to take photos of the four of us together. Then it was time. GEF could unfortunately not come with us :sad:, but I knew we would see each other later, since she had a sixth row seat. We still did not know at that stage where we were going to sit, but when we signed in at the ILAA stand and received our tickets, we learnt that we had SECOND ROW SEATS! :D :D :D Timtot was somewhat disappointed, and said that it could have been better :lol:, although GA and I were very pleased. Of course, we still didn’t know exactly where in the second row we were sitting…

More to follow...

Mrs Frey
03-25-2008, 05:14 AM
This is Part 2 of my extreme review:

The ILAA Experience

As we were escorted through Entrance B, I joked around a bit with the ladies who were doing the routine security bag checks. We were talking about the seating, and I commented that I wanted to be close enough for Glenn :heart: Frey to “sweat on us” :lol:. The one lady creased her face at the image that was appearing in her head, and I laughed out loud. Ah, how I pity those who just don’t understand! :wink: They were all in good spirits, though, and wished us an enjoyable evening, for which we thanked them.

We were guided into the VIP room at about 17:40, where there were charming tables laid out, and the “Farewell 1” DVD caressing our ears on an impressive Sony flatscreen television in the corner of the room. There was a row of tables along the left side of the room, where two young ladies and a gent waited to serve us with whatever culinary delights we desired. There was beef and vegetables with croutons, tender lamb slices, rice, a potato dish… and that’s just the food from which I ate! The desserts included apple crumble, as well as raspberry and chocolate slices, the latter from which I had a piece, with strawberry halves. Delicious. After all the strict dieting and exercising I did in preparation for this concert (and I’d hardly eaten in London since my arrival), I reckoned I deserved a little treat! GA also forgot about her diet for one night, and we enjoyed the food as we listened to the Eagles’ beautiful sounds surrounding us. There were also drinks on offer, and I had an orange juice while GA enjoyed a glass of wine. The room was dimly lit, and looked rather romantic. If only the boys could have been there with us! I took photos of everything, and GA and I took pictures of each other, posing with the Eagles’ posters displayed there.

The other VIPs who joined us at our table included an American who just happens to live in Cape Town, another two Americans and an Australian. We eventually started socialising with them, and they were very impressed with how far we had travelled to attend the concert. The first American offered to take photos of GA and I together, and I even got a photo of myself with two of the hostesses.

We each received a gift: a large leather bound notebook with “Eagles: Long Road Out Of Eden Tour 2008” emblazoned on the front, as well as the “I Love All Access” logo, inside a gold gift bag. In addition, a raffle was held, and Timtot was asked to assist one of the hostesses with the ticket draw. Each one of us was given a raffle ticket, along with our concert tickets. GA had not realised that we had them until the draw, when she had another look. She had all the tickets as she had booked mine on my behalf, and she handed me one of the raffle tickets. It just so happens that I held a winning ticket, and I received a copy of LROOE, SIGNED BY ALL FOUR EAGLES!!! :shock: When we saw what I’d won, we let out a scream of delight! The other VIPs were rather sedate compared to our fiery enthusiasm, but they couldn’t help smiling. We knew that this was the biggest night of our lives (well, I can’t speak for GA but it certainly was for me!), and we were going to make the most of it.

In what seemed like no time at all, it was 19:00, and time for us to be escorted to the Arena. We ended up in a faulty lift, so we had to change to the other lift. All the while I was focusing on GA, Timtot and the others in the lift, and the magnitude of what we were about to see had not yet hit me. It was a surreal experience to walk into the enormous O2 Arena, the like of which I had never seen before. People were busy filling it, and the air was filled with anticipation. I looked around me in wonderment, as I trailed behind the hostess, GA and Timtot. I tried to take everything in – the sights, the sounds, the people… Everything amazed me.

When the hostess directed us to our seats, and we settled into them, I looked up at the stage and my eyes widened – we were right in the centre, in front of where Glenn :heart: and Don would be standing when they took lead vocal, as well as directly opposite Joe’s microphone (we could tell it was Joe’s as it had the talk box attached to it). I stared at the stage with wide eyes, not quite believing our good fortune. I realised that not having front row did not matter at all, as it was now a distinct possibility that the boys would see us, and that we would have a great view of them too. Both GA and I could barely contain our enthusiasm, and before long, GEF spotted us and came over to chat and discuss our great view. GEF had managed to sell her spare ticket to an enthusiastic fan from New Zealand (she lives in London), and therefore had good company, although it would have been ideal if we had all sat together. I whipped out my camera and took pictures of the Arena, the stage (as I was certain we would not be able to take photos of the boys) and I got more photos of my friends. I got my notebook and pen ready to take down the set list, and from there it was just a matter of time before our boys appeared on stage. The show was scheduled to start at 19:30, although I was expecting them to start at 20:00. They surprised me…

Mrs Frey
03-25-2008, 05:21 AM
Part 3, and the most important part of my essay, follows now:

The Concert

At 19:50 the lights dimmed, and I felt my stomach tense and my heart race as a roar went up from the packed house of 20,000 people. We saw the Eagles’ supporting musicians take the stage in the darkness: Will Hollis, Michael Thompson, Scott Crago… Oh, my heart just beat faster and faster as my brain registered that the time had come… this was it… the moment I had been waiting for for almost a year had dawned… and I could barely believe it.

I leaned over to GA and gasped excitedly: “There’s Timmy! <Gasp> There’s Glenn :heart: ! There’s Don! There’s Joe!” We saw their figures walk briskly onto the stage – and they were just a few feet away from us! Was this really happening?

Set 1

And then, the opening notes of “How Long” rang out over the PA system, and the lights revealed Timothy, Don, Glenn :heart: and Joe, in that order, standing across the stage at their microphones, with Steuart Smith on the far right of the stage, all armed with guitars. Don played his familiar maroon-coloured Takamine acoustic, while Glenn played a blond Takamine acoustic with a cutaway in the body, and both Joe and Steuart were on electric guitars. Steuart played lead guitar. I whooped loudly when I heard Glenn’s :heart: voice for the first time, sounding as it always does: smooth, sweet, rich and powerful. I stared at him wide-eyed as I took in his magnificence, dressed in his black suit with black tie and white shirt, as all the other Eagles also were (the supporting musicians wore black suits, shirts and ties). They looked so handsome and smart! Their harmonies in the chorus were tight, beautiful and perfect and they sounded like angels. I marvelled at the musical genius unfolding before me – LIVE.

Then it was Don’s turn to sing, as he began the second verse. I got the impression that his voice was a bit strained, but it still sounded rich, and he hit the notes to perfection. He looked a little stiff when he started, which could well have been a bit of opening night nerves, but that soon vanished. He was intense and passionate, as was Glenn :heart:, and I was enthralled. I could not take my eyes off them! Timothy’s high harmonies sounded fantastic, and he and Joe were a picture of concentration. Joe was subdued to start with, but I knew that it wouldn’t be long before he came into his own.

When I noticed that members of the crowd were taking photographs, I decided I was going to join them, and wasted no time in capturing some special moments, hoping with every fibre of my being that they would come out.

Glenn :heart: welcomed the audience after “How Long”, and commented on what a great venue the O2 Arena is. He pointed out that they would be performing a few songs from their new album to start with, which would also give Timothy and Joe a chance to sing their new songs. This was greeted by enthusiasm from the crowd, not least of all GA and me!

Their next song was “Busy Being Fabulous”, which Don performed beautifully, while he played his acoustic. It’s amazing how true to the studio recordings the Eagles’ live performances are. Note perfect harmonies and instrumentation characterise their every performance.

Then it was Timothy’s turn with “I Don’t Want To Hear Anymore”. I noted that they had dropped the key for this song. I can only imagine that the reason for this is to take a bit of vocal pressure off Tim, since he does so many high harmonies behind the others when they take the lead vocal. As it turned out, the key drop did not matter, as Tim’s voice sounded beautiful. Steuart played the lead guitar on this song.

Joe made his lead vocal and lead guitar debut on the night with “Guilty Of The Crime”. He introduced the song by greeting the crowd with “Good morning!” This caused Timtot to laugh out loud, when there was a general quietness among the crowd, and when Joe heard it he buckled over with laughter, and the others joined him! That was a special moment for GA, having Joe pay attention to her little one! Joe jokingly complained that he had awoken with a deep voice, and spoke in a deep voice as he asked the crowd if they had ever woken up with such a voice. After the general amusement, the boys played the song, and there didn’t seem to be anything amiss with Joe’s voice as he gave a rip-roaring rendition of it. What amazing energy this man has.

To my surprise, the next song was “Hotel California”. I didn’t expect to hear it so early in the evening. Bill Armstrong began his trumpet solo, amid cheers from the knowledgeable crowd, although not everyone seemed to be aware of what the song was going to be until the spotlight fell on Steuart and his double-necked electric guitar and he began the song’s famous intro. Glenn :heart: was on acoustic guitar, while Don took over from Scott Crago on drums for the first time. It always excites me when Don sings and drums simultaneously! The boys put in another sterling performance, with Joe and Steuart thrilling us all with their guitar work.

“Peaceful Easy Feeling” was next, and GA and I screamed more loudly than we had done up until that point. The lyric “And I wanna sleep with you in the desert tonight” was more significant for us than ever before, I’m sure. :blush: Oh Glenn :heart: … sigh… We had our arms around each other and swayed back and forth in time with the music. Don was on drums once again. I think it was at this point that I noticed the sound balance to be not quite up to its usual standard. I couldn’t hear all the harmonies as clearly as I would have liked, although the mix wasn’t bad. I’m just fussy when it comes to being able to distinguish the boys’ voices. I needed to hear Don and Tim’s harmonies more clearly. But no matter – it was still very beautiful. On the subject of the sound, I thought that the instruments were perhaps a little too loud for the vocals during “Guilty Of The Crime”.

Tim took the spotlight once again with “I Can’t Tell You Why”, and I was enthralled seeing Glenn :heart: at the piano, and doing that magical lower harmony with Tim, which Don also shares, but which Glenn :heart: dominates. As I was typing the previous line, I asked myself why I didn’t photograph Glenn :heart: at the piano, and then realised that I ran out of film soon after they finished “Hotel California”! I was to load my camera with film once again (yes, I have not yet gone digital!) during the interval. Anyway, I digress. Don remained on the drums, and Tim’s vocal was outstanding, as usual.

I got extremely excited when the boys began the intro to “One Of These Nights”. GA got particularly excited (and so did I, I can’t lie :blush: ) when Glenn :heart: gave us a rather good view of his rear, turning to face Don at the drums. GA was tempted to take a picture of the aforementioned rear, but changed her mind :twisted:. The main reason for my excitement, however, was the prospect of seeing Don sing and drum this one live for the first time. I noticed, though, that his drum pattern was slightly less complicated this time around, regarding cymbal usage. I learnt his usual drum pattern by watching him intently in “Farewell 1”, and I did a bit of air drumming while he played at the concert – this is how I noticed the difference. It didn’t affect the sound much though. I just luuurve Tim’s bass runs, and I always enjoy Glenn’s :heart: little guitar riffs that punctuate the verses! Their high harmonies at the end were flawless.

Glenn introduced “Lyin’ Eyes”, and it seemed that he almost forgot his tried and tested “Plaintiff” joke! He said, and I hope I’m quoting accurately: “…and it’s called… no actually I’m not going to tell you what it’s called, but I usually dedicate this one to my first wife, Plaintiff…” Laughter erupted all around the Arena. Needless to say, it was a beautiful performance.

Don returned to the forefront with “Boys Of Summer”, with a black and brown Fender Telecaster, as opposed to the blond one I’m accustomed to seeing him play. He really seemed to enjoy performing this one, as he was smiling and joking with the others while Steuart played the guitar solo.

“In The City”: Joe sang this well, but seemed to be holding back somewhat on the higher notes. He was back on lead guitar, and sounded great.

Don came to the front of the stage without an instrument and spoke to the crowd for the first time by introducing “The Long Run”. He began by saying “Right”, while adopting a British accent, which caused much amusement! He called the song the band’s theme tune. Joe was on lead guitar, and Don put his arm around him during the line “couldn’t hold a candle to you”, which I was hoping he would do! Joe followed up by looking around him, making faces. With the line “kind of bent, but we ain’t breakin’”, Don went up to Glenn :heart:, who was on the far left of the stage, and the two of them bent towards each other, with Glenn :heart: widening his beautiful blue eyes to full effect. Sigh.

That was the end of the first set, which Glenn :heart: announced, and they took a 20 minute interval from about 21:00. GA and I did not dare leave the Arena, as we didn’t know how long the boys were going to be away and didn’t want to risk missing anything. GEF joined us to drool over what we had just witnessed. GA and I got the distinct impression that Glenn :heart: had seen us – I leaned over to her at one time and said to her “He’s looking at us!” She then told me that she thought so too, so we couldn’t both have been wrong! That was thrilling, to say the least. Another great moment for me was when Tim spotted me pointing my camera at him, and just as I prepared to take the picture, he posed for me! GA turned to me and said “He posed for you!”, and neither of us could believe it.

Glennsallnighter
03-25-2008, 05:22 AM
I began stressing and worrying when GA, Timtot and GEF had not arrived by 17:05 (remember, the scheduled time was 17:00 :wink: ), and I went over to the ILAA stand just to inform them that I was part of their group and was waiting for my friends to arrive. One of them said to me that it was only 17:05, and that I shouldn’t worry! I wasn’t sure when they wanted to begin the evening, and just needed to make sure that they didn’t leave without us! I was also concerned about the weather, and GA, Timtot and GEF’s safety on the way to the venue (I was yet to learn how much safer London is than Cape Town!), but breathed a sigh of relief when they arrived at approximately 17:15. ...

In the meantime GA TT and GEF were scouring Noth Greenwich tube station as a slight breakdown in communications had made us think thats where we were meeting MF!
But we all managed to rendevous in the end with plenty of time to spare! :)

Mrs Frey
03-25-2008, 05:35 AM
The conclusion of my mammoth review:

Set 2

Before we knew it, it was time for the second half of the show to begin. After 20 minutes we once again saw their figures briskly moving in the darkness of the stage, and I noticed that they were lining up on stools at the front of the stage. While this was happening, we were treated to a beautiful instrumental version of “No More Walks In The Wood” by the Eagles’ supporting musicians.

Then it was time for the real thing, and the spotlight fell on the boys as they began singing their gorgeous, rich harmonies, now perfectly balanced on “No More Walks In The Wood” (Glenn :heart: and Don must have given the sound engineers a piece of their mind! :lol: ), with minimal instrumentation. All four were sitting out front with guitars, an arrangement that they kept for the next two songs, “Waiting In The Weeds” and “No More Cloudy Days”. Glenn :heart: plays the distinctive first few acoustic guitar notes on WITW, and he uses a capo on the first fret of the guitar. Don’s lead vocal was amazing, as were the harmonies, and Tim’s lush harmony at the end had me drifting into another world. WOW. Steuart plays both an acoustic guitar and a mandolin on the song. Glenn’s :heart: performance of NMCD left me staring at him helplessly, enslaved to his physical and vocal beauty, and meaning every word as I sang along with him. Glenn :heart: introduced NMCD by saying that it follows WITW on the new album.

I noticed that the boys had all loosened their ties before coming out for the second half…

Tim talked to the crowd for the first time when he introduced “Love Will Keep Us Alive”. He told us that Paul Carrack, who had co-written this song as well as IDWTHA, was in the audience, and of course we applauded him. Tim followed with a passionate performance. I was so pleased that he sang three songs – the very songs that I had hoped to hear from him, too.

“Take It To The Limit” was up next, with Glenn :heart: introducing it as the “credit card song” (which people seemed to recognise!), and saying that they had written it in the “last century”! :lol: A great vocal from Glenn :heart:, and I was particularly impressed with Don who made a hand gesture to his partner when they finished the song to an appreciative crowd, indicating that Glenn :heart: had done a great job.

An epic performance of “Long Road Out Of Eden” followed, with Don on electric guitar, taking centre stage, Glenn :heart: on acoustic guitar, on the far left of the stage, and Joe on lead guitar, about which I was particularly pleased. Joe’s solo was magnificent! The song was in no way shortened, and completely true to the studio recording. An absolute joy to witness. When Don sang the lyric “but I’d give anything to be there in your arms tonight!”, GA and I sang loudly with him, and there are no guesses for what we were thinking at that time! :blush: :blush: :blush: I think we were two of the few who could actually sing along with them on this song, as the crowd was mostly subdued when the boys performed their new songs. If I have one criticism, it would be that I couldn’t hear Timothy’s bass lines as well as I’d have liked. I’m particularly partial to his bass runs during the ending, and I found them to be too soft.

The next song evoked the biggest scream of the night from GA and me. When we heard the first few notes of “Somebody”, we went ballistic! Glenn :heart: had decided to remove his jacket, and apart from his voice being fantastic, he oozed sex appeal from every pore, and I had a lot of difficulty controlling my emotions as I focused on him with body and soul, watching his every move. His hips moved sensuously as he played the acoustic guitar, and had it not been that I was distracted by Don on acoustic guitar joining Tim at the microphone on the left hand side of the stage, which I found unusual (and photographed), my eyes would have bored holes into Glenn :heart:. It’s unbelievable that a 59-year-old man can be so sexy. I leaned over to GA and just gasped, “He’s SO hot!” Through all of this, I noticed that Joe played lead guitar. By this time, all the boys had done away with their jackets, and I saw that Joe’s white shirt had shiny white stripes on it, as opposed to the plain white shirts that the others were wearing.

Joe followed with “Walk Away”, for which he pulled out his powder blue Fender Stratocaster. Glenn :heart: played an oddly shaped black guitar, while Don played percussion. I watched Glenn :heart: bend forward while playing during this song, and noted how his shirt pulled over the curves in his back… :blush:

The next song surprised me: “Witchy Woman”. Glenn’s :heart: “old black” guitar (the Gibson Les Paul Junior) made its first appearance of the evening, and to my complete delight, he played lead guitar. Don was back behind the drums, and performed the lead vocal, and he enjoyed the song as he and Will Hollis exchanged smiles.

Glenn :heart: then introduced the members of the band, and he did this while seductively (well, to me, anyway! :blush: ) rolling up his shirt sleeves. A new member of the band is Richard Davis from New Orleans, who plays keyboards, and who Glenn :heart: described as being invaluable (if that was the word he used), and who also co-produced the new album with themselves, Steuart Smith and Michael Thompson.

“Life’s Been Good” was up next, and this was particularly entertaining as we were treated to a compilation video of old clips of the boys, showing amongst other gems, Joe smashing walls and windows, Glenn :heart: pushing weights and putting the basketball through the hoop in the “Livin’ Right” video and just general clips of the young Eagles. Glenn :heart: was clearly amused at some of the clips. Joe’s vocal and performance were highly entertaining, as always, and he was wearing a “cap-cam” (as opposed to the “helmet-cam” he used in “Farewell 1”). The two variable lines he sang were “They write me letters and tell me Glenn’s great” (same as “Farewell 1”), and instead of “I stay at home and watch the war in Iraq”, he sang “I stay at home and eat my big Mac” :lol:. After Joe played up to the audience with “cap-cam” (that’s my own name for it!), he played up to Glenn :heart: who went right up close to the camera! So cute!

Don did a dynamic “Dirty Laundry”, which had me doing the arm actions with him on “Kick ‘em when they’re up, kick ‘em when they’re down!” This song also featured interesting video material of media people, but most notable was the following (and I hope my recollections are accurate here – I only had one stab at memorising them!):

A People magazine cover, featuring Timothy and the headline “Timothy B Schmit to play in Harry Potter 8”.

A Sports Illustrated magazine cover, featuring Glenn :heart: playing golf and the headline “Glenn Frey wins US Masters”.

A Time magazine cover, featuring Don and the headline “Don Henley solves global warming problem”.

LOL!!!

“Funk #49” started with Glenn :heart: and Joe taking centre stage. Joe played a piece on his electric guitar, and Glenn :heart: copied it on his. Again Joe played a piece and again Glenn :heart: emulated it. This went on for about another two rounds, until Joe played a rather complicated piece, at which point Glenn :heart: waved his hand through the air and gave up! So much for the guitar dual! They then began the song in earnest and rocked the house. Glenn’s :heart: little guitar solo in the middle was different and simpler than the one he did in “Farewell 1”. This is the song where I got a very distinctive look from him - I saw how his eyes were glancing over me as he sang back-up vocals for Joe, and my heart skipped a beat. I still doubted myself, though, and wondered if Glenn :heart: had really looked at me.

My favourite, “Heartache Tonight”, was the next to captivate me, and I would have stood up and danced if it wasn’t for a man behind me who tapped me on the arm as I tried to encourage GA to stand up, and motioned for me not to stand up. I felt a bit deflated, but did not allow it to spoil my enjoyment of the song. Glenn’s :heart: vocals were so powerful, and he was so passionate and dynamic, although not quite as demonstrative as he was in “Farewell 1”. Don was on drums.

Don rocked the house with “Life In The Fast Lane”, playing drums as well as vocalising, and this time I didn’t let anyone stop me from getting up and dancing. GA joined me, and I was encouraged by someone else in our row trying to get the people behind her to dance. The London crowd is rather reserved, to say the least. I was expecting Don to ask the crowd “Are you with me so far?” after the first chorus, but he didn’t.

The First Encore

They left the stage amidst cheers for an encore, and they returned to do “Rocky Mountain Way” and “All She Wants To Do Is Dance”. Don played drums on the first song and guitar on the second. Even though Glenn :heart: put in some dancing for the second, he only danced for a while, and he was hidden behind Will’s keyboards, so we didn’t get the full impact of his sexy moves. Also notable was a little joke shared between Don and Tim during the second song.

The Second Encore

Well, I’m sure that most of us knew that the Eagles were going nowhere until they performed “Take It Easy” and “Desperado”, which comprised the final two songs of the night. Don was particularly impressive during the final song, and I noticed that Glenn :heart: did away with his earpiece while doing the harmonies with Tim, and held his hand over his ear, which I loved. When Don held the note on “You better let somebody lo-o-o-o-ove you”, he eventually put his hand to his side jokingly, with a little smile playing about his lips, amidst cheers of approval from the audience, who were by then, at last, on their feet. They got on their feet from LITFL onwards. Don so moved me during “Desperado” that I called out his name.

I was in ecstacy as the boys put their arms around each other and took a bow. They shook each other’s hands, and it looked so endearing when Glenn :heart:, with a broad smile on his face, leaned over to Joe on his far left to shake his hand. They waved to the crowd and mouthed their “thank you’s”, and I saw Glenn :heart: mouthing “we appreciate it”. They walked to the right to exit the stage, enjoying a standing ovation. I thought I had seen it all, and cheered loudly for them, shouting “We love you!” at the top of my voice, as well as “We love you, Glenn!” They could impossibly have heard me, given the amount of cheering that was going on. As my eyes followed them on their way to exit the stage, Glenn :heart: suddenly stopped and looked my way. His eyes found me, and they widened. I stared at him in disbelief, my eyes questioning if he was indeed trying to get my attention. Seemingly reading my mind, he pointed at me, and then winked his right eye at me, with a little smile playing about his lips. I was dumbfounded, and with part of me still doubting myself, but knowing that he could not have possibly been gesturing at anyone else but me, I turned to GA and buried my head in her shoulder, saying, “He looked at me! He winked at me!” GA’s attention was on her daughter at the time, and did not see – it’s almost as if I needed someone to confirm that Glenn :heart: had indeed looked at me. As I’m typing this, I still can’t believe it. Out of 20,000 people, he picked me. Oh Glenn :heart:! I will remember that moment for the rest of my life.

The End

GA, Timtot, GEF and I left the Arena together, very tired but on a high that I don’t think any of us could really articulate. I bought myself the T-shirt I wanted after the gig. I gave the first half of the set list to GA to e-mail to Soda during the interval, and the second half I gave to her on the North Greenwich tube station. We had to brave a packed tube and miserable weather on the way home, and we sadly had to say goodbye to GA and Timtot on the tube, as they were returning home the next day. Despite the sad goodbyes and equally sad weather, I had my special moments on action replay in my head the whole evening, while I tried hard to concentrate on getting home in one piece (GEF and I eventually had to catch a taxi to our hotels, since some of the tube stations were closed). My mind was too tired to process everything, and even by the next day, when GEF and I explored a small part of London, the full impact had still not hit me. However, when I was flying home on Saturday evening, and I was listening to the LROOE album (which was part of the in-flight entertainment), WITW gave me cold shivers and goose bumps all over, and as I stared at the moon in the distance through the plane window, memories of the concert came flooding back, and I began crying – both with the joy of having seen the boys, and also with the sadness that I was leaving them behind. How I desperately wanted to see them on the Saturday night as well. NMCD increased my waterworks, and I had to pull myself together quickly before the air hostess, who was preparing to serve dinner at the time, thought I was crazy. I was so emotional, and even though I’ve calmed down since I’ve been home, it will take a long time before I come down to earth after this life-changing experience.

EAGLES: I LOVE YOU. GLENN :heart: FREY – I ADORE YOU. THANK YOU FOR CHANGING MY LIFE.

****

katherine5832
03-25-2008, 10:50 AM
Wow! MF, I'm so impressed with your review! I started crying during the part when you were writing about when the guys were taking the stage and how you were in disbelief that the time had finally come! I had to read much of the first part of the review "through a veil of tears." I finally pulled myself together only to start crying again at the end when you were crying on the plane! I can so understand what you must've been feeling! Just reading about the concert, seeing the pictures, and especially seeing the clip of Desperado, has turned me into an emotional wreck. I don't know if I can be patient enough to wait until they come to Michigan. I'm soooo happy for you that you got to see them, that it was an awesome experience AND that Glenn made eye contact with you! I bet you're still floating!

tbs fanatic
03-25-2008, 11:00 AM
WOW! That was an amazing review. I love it that Glenn acknowledged your shout out - Ha! I would of died right there :lol:

DonFan
03-25-2008, 11:14 AM
Fabulous review, Mrs. F! :thumbsup:

The first time is always very, very special. We have all thought the same thing the first time we saw them--"I can't believe I am actually seeing them in person, that they are actually 10 feet away from me!"

Brooke
03-25-2008, 01:35 PM
Awwwww, Mrs F, that reveiw was just wonderful! I felt like I was right there beside you while reading it and enjoying every moment you described! I'm so glad you got to go!

I remember my first time to see them, too, and remember the wonder of just being in the same room with them was such an awesome feeling!

When I got to meet Don, I thought I might just break down in tears right there in front of him, but thankfully held out till later.

Thank you for sharing that wonderful experience.

glenneaglesfan
03-25-2008, 06:13 PM
Wow, MF, what a wonderful review, and although we chatted about it you've still remembered moments I had missed - and as for that last experience!!!

I was touched by your emotion on the flight back. How amazing that they played LROOE!!

Glennsallnighter
03-25-2008, 06:27 PM
Well MF, that was a great review and such a pleasure to read. It certainly brought back more than a few happy memories, and it was wonderful that Glenn :heart: acknowledged your love and support so publicly! You have such an eye for detail.

Freypower
03-25-2008, 06:39 PM
Magnificent, MF. Thank you so much. You deserved every wonderful minute.

As for the recognition - now you know what it's like. It's fun, isn't it? 8)

StephUK
03-25-2008, 06:50 PM
Awwwww, Mrs F, that reveiw was just wonderful! I felt like I was right there beside you while reading it and enjoying every moment you described! I'm so glad you got to go!

I remember my first time to see them, too, and remember the wonder of just being in the same room with them was such an awesome feeling!

Thank you for sharing that wonderful experience.


Yes MF, your review is great. I had the same wave of emotion as you did when the band first appeared on the stage. I couldn't believe I was really there.

You know what they say - you never forget your first time!!! For me that quote can now only relate to an Eagles concert.

I'm still having heart flutters even now.

LOL

Steph

Glennsallnighter
03-25-2008, 06:57 PM
It was actually my second gig but the feeling was just as strong even though I went with higher expectations than the previous one. Nevertheless I was still blown away and had my own bit of 'Glenntact' as well. That was special. It was a night I'll never forget either and I want more! Badly!! And SOON!!!!!!!!!

sodascouts
03-26-2008, 12:05 AM
What an amazing review of an amazing night! Thank you so much, MF. I'm so happy for you! Like DF says, the first time is always special, but how many people get such good seats and a wink from their favorite their first time? Not many! I know I didn't when I first saw them in Sacramento 2005! I did, however, often turn to PLS and we would both gasp, "He's so hot!" Sound familiar? ;)

Thanks again!

Glennsallnighter
03-26-2008, 04:40 AM
I did, however, often turn to PLS and we would both gasp, "He's so hot!" Sound familiar? ;)

Thanks again!

THAT comment sounds VERY familiar Soda :wink: . I think you can safely say you know 2 girls who used it qiote a lot last Thursday night!

Another one was...........
..........I can't believe he'll be 40 in November.................. :hilarious:

Mrs Frey
03-26-2008, 11:11 AM
Wow! MF, I'm so impressed with your review! I started crying during the part when you were writing about when the guys were taking the stage and how you were in disbelief that the time had finally come! I had to read much of the first part of the review "through a veil of tears." I finally pulled myself together only to start crying again at the end when you were crying on the plane! I can so understand what you must've been feeling! Just reading about the concert, seeing the pictures, and especially seeing the clip of Desperado, has turned me into an emotional wreck. I don't know if I can be patient enough to wait until they come to Michigan. I'm soooo happy for you that you got to see them, that it was an awesome experience AND that Glenn made eye contact with you! I bet you're still floating!

Awww, Katherine, thank you! I didn't realise that my review would touch anyone as much as it's touched you! I'm so glad that you enjoyed it so much. Yes, I was an emotional wreck on the plane after the full impact of the concert and the trip finally hit me. I couldn't believe that I'd done it. It was a really big deal for someone who has never travelled until now. And you are right: I am still floating! I've grown a pair of wings! :wink: I'm wearing white today! :wink: :wink:

I hope you get to see the boys soon. I haven't even had time to watch the video clips yet, apart from GA's videos. I'll try to do so soon.

Mrs Frey
03-26-2008, 11:14 AM
WOW! That was an amazing review. I love it that Glenn acknowledged your shout out - Ha! I would of died right there :lol:

Thanks, TBSF! I'm not sure that he heard my calling out to him, though - I think he'd had his eye on me (and GA) during the course of the show, and wanted to acknowledge my enthusiasm overall. :D Yes, my heart just flipped! :fainting:

Mrs Frey
03-26-2008, 11:16 AM
Fabulous review, Mrs. F! :thumbsup:

The first time is always very, very special. We have all thought the same thing the first time we saw them--"I can't believe I am actually seeing them in person, that they are actually 10 feet away from me!"

Thanks, DF! Coming from a writer, that means a lot! :D It's nice to know that you can identify with my emotions.

Mrs Frey
03-26-2008, 11:19 AM
Awwwww, Mrs F, that reveiw was just wonderful! I felt like I was right there beside you while reading it and enjoying every moment you described! I'm so glad you got to go!

I remember my first time to see them, too, and remember the wonder of just being in the same room with them was such an awesome feeling!

When I got to meet Don, I thought I might just break down in tears right there in front of him, but thankfully held out till later.

Thank you for sharing that wonderful experience.

Thanks so much, Brooke! I'm glad you felt like you were there while reading my review - that's probably what I was trying to achieve while writing it. Of course, I'm so jealous that you got to meet Don :wink:, but I can well understand how you felt in his presence! I'd feel the same, but it would be even more difficult to control my emotions in Glenn's :heart: presence! :fainting:

Mrs Frey
03-26-2008, 11:21 AM
Wow, MF, what a wonderful review, and although we chatted about it you've still remembered moments I had missed - and as for that last experience!!!

I was touched by your emotion on the flight back. How amazing that they played LROOE!!

Thanks, GEF! In fact, they didn't play the album as such - I was able to select it from a menu on the little screens they have for each person (behind the plane seats). Needless to say, it brightened up my extremely long and uncomfortable flight! :D

Mrs Frey
03-26-2008, 11:24 AM
Well MF, that was a great review and such a pleasure to read. It certainly brought back more than a few happy memories, and it was wonderful that Glenn :heart: acknowledged your love and support so publicly! You have such an eye for detail.

Thanks, GA! I'm glad it brought back memories for you - what a fabulous time we had doing it together! Don't forget, though, that Glenn :heart: paid attention to you too! :nod:

Mrs Frey
03-26-2008, 11:26 AM
Magnificent, MF. Thank you so much. You deserved every wonderful minute.

As for the recognition - now you know what it's like. It's fun, isn't it? 8)

Wow, FP, thank you! It was only a pleasure to share it with you.

As for the recognition, I think "fun" is probably an understatement! :shock: :wink: I can't remember if I smiled at him - I just looked at him with saucer eyes and utter disbelief! :blush:

Mrs Frey
03-26-2008, 11:28 AM
Awwwww, Mrs F, that reveiw was just wonderful! I felt like I was right there beside you while reading it and enjoying every moment you described! I'm so glad you got to go!

I remember my first time to see them, too, and remember the wonder of just being in the same room with them was such an awesome feeling!

Thank you for sharing that wonderful experience.


Yes MF, your review is great. I had the same wave of emotion as you did when the band first appeared on the stage. I couldn't believe I was really there.

You know what they say - you never forget your first time!!! For me that quote can now only relate to an Eagles concert.

I'm still having heart flutters even now.

LOL

Steph

Thanks, Steph! I can't wait to read YOUR review - you're keeping us in suspense there, girl! :wink:

Mrs Frey
03-26-2008, 11:31 AM
What an amazing review of an amazing night! Thank you so much, MF. I'm so happy for you! Like DF says, the first time is always special, but how many people get such good seats and a wink from their favorite their first time? Not many! I know I didn't when I first saw them in Sacramento 2005! I did, however, often turn to PLS and we would both gasp, "He's so hot!" Sound familiar? ;)

Thanks again!

Awww, thanks Soda! It was such a pleasure to share it with you! I do consider myself very fortunate to have got a great seat (although to be fair I paid enough for it! :shock: ) and the recognition from Glenn :heart: was incredible :fainting:.

GA and I certainly did our share of gasping at the show, so I can totally identify with you there! :nod:

Ive always been a dreamer
04-05-2008, 04:41 PM
GEF, GA, and MF - I'm still trying to catch up on posting in a lot of threads. I just wanted to say that I thoroughly enjoyed all of your reviews, comments, and pictures. Thank you all for an outstanding job!!! I am thrilled for all of you that you had such a wonderful experience at the London show, and I totally understand the PEW/PGW. Unfortunately, that probably won't ever completely disappear if you all are like me! :shrug:

Mrs Frey
04-07-2008, 09:54 AM
I'm glad you enjoyed the review, Dreamer! Rest assured that we are certainly like you in that we're all going through some pretty serious PEW/PGW! :blush: :blush: :blush: (One blush for each of us :wink: ) And it has shown no signs of abating!

luvthelighthouse
04-11-2008, 10:55 PM
What an awesome review! I'd never had remembered all those details... as I'm sure they would have gone by in a flash and I'd one remember one thing...Glenn's winking.

I have to admit, the ONE thing that ANY man can do, hot or ugly, is to wink at me... it makes me weak in the knees...

You lucky, lucky lady! :jealous:

Mrs Frey
04-14-2008, 05:16 AM
LTL, thanks so much for the compliments! :D I'm glad you enjoyed it so much.

Truth be told, I didn't think I would remember much - I thought I'd be overcome with emotion and forget half of the show! As it turned out, I should not have underestimated myself. I kept a clear head, despite being beside myself with excitement, and after a day or two, was able to sit down and write a review. It all just came flooding out!

As for Glenn's :heart: winking - yes, I am very, very lucky. To be picked out of 20,000 people to be winked at is truly something special, and I will love Glenn :heart: for the rest of my days just for that. :inlove: :hug:

I hope it will happen to you too, one day soon!

Glennsallnighter
04-14-2008, 06:14 AM
I hope it will too! A special 'Glenn :heart: moment' is something to savour!

TimothyBFan
05-22-2008, 01:06 PM
MF--Wow-thanks for directing me to this to read about your experience. I actually had goosebumps while reading it. How wonderful for you! I bet you still haven't come down from the cloud you've been floating on. I can't imagine what it would be like to get that close and actually know that Glenn noticed you. I'm much older than you and I would still want to faint and cry all at the same time!

I also really enjoyed your concert review--love the part about Timothy posing for you :drool: . I would love to see that!

I must say-I am so envious of all of the experiences I keep reading about here. :jealous: . My life seems so boring when I read these stories. Not that I am complaining--I have it pretty good actually-but would like someday to have my own Eagles experience to share. I have certainly been waiting long enough for one!

Ive always been a dreamer
05-22-2008, 10:27 PM
Well tbf - I certainly have my fingers-crossed that one day you will get to go to a live show. All I can say is if you ever get the opportunity, don't think twice - seize the moment because you'll never regret it. :pray:

Share1967
05-22-2008, 11:28 PM
Mrs Frey....I love your review....I would love to be close enough to Glenn for him to sweat on...LOL :D Great job!! Even the food sounded good.

Mrs Frey
05-23-2008, 09:49 AM
MF--Wow-thanks for directing me to this to read about your experience. I actually had goosebumps while reading it. How wonderful for you! I bet you still haven't come down from the cloud you've been floating on. I can't imagine what it would be like to get that close and actually know that Glenn noticed you. I'm much older than you and I would still want to faint and cry all at the same time!

I also really enjoyed your concert review--love the part about Timothy posing for you :drool: . I would love to see that!

I must say-I am so envious of all of the experiences I keep reading about here. :jealous: . My life seems so boring when I read these stories. Not that I am complaining--I have it pretty good actually-but would like someday to have my own Eagles experience to share. I have certainly been waiting long enough for one!

Awww, thanks TBF! I'm so glad you enjoyed reading my review so much. I was so tired after having got no sleep on the plane from London, but I just HAD to write my review as soon as I could. It was a Public Holiday after the day I returned (the Easter weekend), so after having taken about a day and a half to recover from my trip, I started my review. I worked on it from the afternoon until early hours of the next morning! :shock: Once I started I just couldn't stop - I was so afraid I'd forget something, but fortunately the few notes I made at the gig helped to bring everything flooding back.

I was certainly floating around for about two weeks after I returned home, but events in my life brought me down to earth with a loud thud, unfortunately. When things get tough, I look at the photos I took at the concert and of the friends I finally met in London, and then I remember just what I achieved, and that anything's possible if I put my mind to it.

I really hope you get your Eagles experience, TBF. I consider myself very fortunate, despite the expense involved, to have got the opportunity to see the boys so soon after I became fanatical about them. Since you've been a fan for such a long time, it's just right that you get a chance to see them.

I've just checked my photos and realised that the photo I took of Tim when he posed for me is not on the discs that I requested from the image centre when I had my photos developed! :roll: I have an analogue camera, and therefore had to have the negatives scanned onto the discs. I'll see if I can have the photo scanned and then post it for you!

Mrs Frey
05-23-2008, 09:52 AM
Mrs Frey....I love your review....I would love to be close enough to Glenn for him to sweat on...LOL :D Great job!! Even the food sounded good.

Thanks for the kind words, Share! If only Glenn :heart: could have been that close to me... :twisted: :blush: Yes, it was a good night indeed! :nod: :D

Glennsallnighter
07-29-2008, 05:34 PM
I'm going to resurrect an old thread to post my 2500th post. I was looking through my London file and found a few photos that I took which haven't seen the light of day yet! So breaking with my tradition of using Frey Fever to celebrate milestones, here goes:

An Early shot, taken about 35 or 40 mins into the show. Lyin Eyes perhaps?
http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t236/Irisheaglesfan/DSC00939.jpg


Glenn :heart: in his shirt sleeves. Unfortunately the mic hides his mouth or it would have been a stunner!!

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t236/Irisheaglesfan/Glennshirtsleeves.jpg

And close up at the piano towards the end. At that stage I was hanging onto everything that came out of his mouth!
http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t236/Irisheaglesfan/Glenncloseup.jpg

Its a little softer.

Please come to Dublin Glenn :heart: :pray: :pray: :pray:

sodascouts
07-29-2008, 06:16 PM
Oh my gosh, that second one is amazing! Glenn is so fine! And congrats on 2500!

Glennsallnighter
07-29-2008, 07:36 PM
I'm glad you like it Soda! Thanks. Glenn :heart: does look well. Thanks for the good wishes.

Brooke
07-29-2008, 09:11 PM
Those are gorgeous, Ga! A lovely way to celebrate 2500! :inlove:

DonFan
07-29-2008, 11:08 PM
Congrats, GA! Keep on posting!

Mrs Frey
07-30-2008, 02:33 AM
Congratulations on your 2,500th, GA! :yay: :D Thanks for posting those things of beauty. The second one is very, very, VERY sexy... :twisted: :smokin:

glenneaglesfan
07-30-2008, 03:23 PM
Congratulations on your 2500th post, GA, and what a beautiful way to celebrate! The true pleasure of having your very own pictures of that man. I love the close up. :sigh:

Mrs Henley
07-30-2008, 03:24 PM
Congrats GA! :D

Glennsallnighter
07-30-2008, 05:29 PM
Thanks for the good wishes and the compliments on my pics ladies. Hopefully I'll be around to post a lot more!! And maybe I'll get pics from another live gig soon!!