Was Malcolm this ecstatic post-Hajj? I think not.
My face is still sore from smiling, basking in the love vibes of Neil.
I love him. I love him.
Oh, and you should be so happy that you're not my neighbor as I went from blasting Chemical Brothers until I thought What the hell am I doing? and then ran over to the stacks of cd's to gather forth Neil discs. Now playing on 8.
The road manager told us 30' from the stage for shooting songs 1 & 2 and then a guitar moment during song #3. So he walks us back to the floor for a pow-wow about documentary matters, why I have no idear. So I said 30', RIGHT? He gave me the loving eyeball, knowing I might be a press photog but I GOT THE NEIL LOVE. Yes, 30'. Right on. So whilst waiting for Neil to come onstage talked about Neil Love with fans all around me in rows 3-5: couple wearing Mardi Gras beads, girlies in handmade Diamond Girls t-shirts (I asked if those were a tshirt option this tour but no so I'm wearing a Neil-issued white shirt with pink and spangly letters, hey HE designed it, I sure didn't), couples, pals... all of us talking about how much we love him. A group of women were saddened as they had flowers to toss to him but were told firmly NO GIFTS. Someone asked me if I was tossing my bra onstage but I said NO, I didn't plan ahead, I'm wearing a sports bra. So more waiting.
Then... Neil. In more of those troubling poly slacks I'd like to see him dispense with amid a roaring bonfire, boring black shoes and a white sequined shirt. I'd like to ask that he wear low-rise pants of better shape. And Neil should be working out, his ass needs some definition, which it's been lacking for a long long time.
So I'm of course watching his face intently while I'm shooting and note that he's doing this new thing between phrases, licking his lips. Neil needs chapstick road manager. He is scowling more than ever. But oh, the voice.
So a so-called pal decides she can't go and I've got ***** tix and I'm sitting, post-shooting, in press section between two boy colleagues who generally LOVE NEIL so I had a great time, singing along and me and the one boy colleague would say what song was coming after notes 1 or 2 and also do whatever hand gestures he was doing onstage. This boy colleage is also in a rock ensemble and I said, You know what? You need to say Thank you SO much, like Neil does.
During Girl, You'll be a Woman Soon Neil singles out a femme in front row and sings to her in a Bono-esque fashion, lying on the ground like a jungle cat, and mid-song this front-row woman actually touched Neil's face - to wipe away a drop of sweat. I shouted OhMyGod, she touched his face, which startled one of the boy colleagues. Why, what's wrong with that? I said WOULD YOU just reach up and touch the face of GOD?
And he did Shilo. I said to rock star boy colleague You have to love a man who writes a song about his dog.
Neil is perfect. And all is perfect in Nancy's world, post-haste.