Saturday 5th June 1999!!!!
The big day dawned!! My sister and I had decided we would go into Melbourne early, and try to see Neil at his hotel We weren't sure where he would be staying, but thought we'd try the one where he stayed in '96. We knew where that was, as it had been published in the newspaper at the time. I thought there might have been a few fans there, as I had read on the ND message boards that the 'Bus stops' are quite a big thing in the US, and fans there have been able to say 'Hi' to Neil, take photos and sometimes even get a kiss, if he has time to stop as he leaves for the venue. There was no-one else around however, and the lovely young man on the desk told us that some of the band were staying there, but Neil wasn't!!!! We weren't fully convinced, so we waited around and chatted to the one other fan who turned up for a couple of hours, but to no avail - no sign of Neil or any band members :-{ And we had to get back home to get ready to be back for the concert. Disappointing, but we will try again when Neil comes back for his next OZ tour!!!
As if I wasn't already excited enough, with third row seats for this concert, and front row for Tuesday night, an extra thrill I was looking forward to before the concert started, and at the fan club party after, was meeting up with new friends I had met online - especially Betty from Perth, who had convinced me to go toTuesday night's concert. For tonight, Betty was in the row in front of me, and just a few seats along, so we were able to excitedly chat, and meet other fans sitting close by, while we waited for the magic moment when Neil would appear onstage!!! One of my sisters had never seen Neil before, so I was anxious to see what effect he had on her!!!
When the lights finally dimmed, and the band appeared, the atmosphere was electric - and
then - Neil was there running up the steps, onto the stage, and I thought the roof would
be blown off the stadium, the applause was thunderous. He once again had us in the
palm of his hand, from his 'Hello again, Melbourne', until the final notes of 'Brother
Loves'. His beautiful rendition of 'Unchained Melody', live and with him so close I
could nearly touch him, brought a tear of sheer bliss to my eyes. I think his voice
is stronger, deeper, and smoother than I've heard in any previous concert, and he is still
a magician, weaving his web of rhyme over an audience of about 15,000 - most of them
(especially me!) convinced he is singing for them alone :-} Sally was very
impressed, and we all danced and sang along and had an absolute ball. The lighting
was also fantastic, although I believe it is more spectacular from further back, but being
so close to Neil was worth not getting the full effect of the lighting show!!! The
band's interaction with the audience is great, and the unfurling of the flags in 'America'
is another mind blowing moment!!!
The party was also a wonderful experience - I met more of my e-friends including Cindy N
who is one of the youngest, and most ardent!!, Neil fans I know, and Iris who was
over here from the US - it was sooooooo good to be able to keep the 'Neil experience'
going for another hour or so!!! And I still had another concert to go - WOW!!!!
Tuesday 8th June 1999!!!!
Front row seats:-}
I met my friend Betty at her daughter's house, and off we went in anticipation of another
unforgettable night, and we were not disappointed:-} The atmosphere as we waited for
Neil to appear was once again incredible - how this man can have such an effect on so many
fans of every age and both sexes, and have been doing it for so many years, is a question
he is often asked by interviewers. We fans know the answer - he touches our very
souls with his beautiful lyrics, and his unique way of expressing them, and he enjoys
performing for us as much as we enjoy being there experiencing the magic that is Neil
Diamond in concert:-} As he has been quoted as saying, it's like having a love
affair with the entire audience:-}
I could hardly believe how much closer I seemed to Neil tonight, maybe because there was
no-one between me and the stage, and it was probably just as well there was a security
person on the end of each front row, or I may have been very tempted to try to reach out
and touch him, the thrill of being so close was almost overwhelming!! We sang and
danced and enjoyed every minute of another brilliant performance, and as the applause
after 'Brother Loves' started to die down, I saw Neil look over to one of the band, and
heard a couple of notes. For a brief moment, I thought it was going to be 'I've Been This
Way Before' - the one small disappointment had been that he hadn't sung it
- but it was not to be. 'Come back again - I want you to stay next time', he sang -
and I couldn't resist calling out, 'We sure do, Neil'!! I don't think he heard, as
the applause over him giving us another song was tremendous, but I think he knew that all
our 'Heartlights' were lit up for him right then:-}
Whatever his detractors might say, as far as Neil's fans are concerned he is still 'THE
BEST' and we 'Down Under' fans are hoping with all our hearts and souls that he will 'Be
This Way Again' as soon as he can possibly get here!! I hope all the lucky folk in
New Zealand, and those who will be seeing him when the tour comes back to the US, will
enjoy him just as much as we have. Is there any doubt about that??
NEIL DIAMOND IS FOREVER!!!!!!!