Their opening act was a local band, The Arrows, who made us all proud to say "those are our girls up there, look at what we South Africans can do". They were amazing and I can imagine that opening for a band like The Script was no easy task, but they took it on and did a fantastic job.
So the mood was set and everyone was ready to get down and have a good jam, but there was nothing that could prepare me for what we were about to see. As they stepped onto the stage the crowd went absolutely insane. And then the show began and my breath was taken away. In my opinion, they sounded better live than on their CD or the radio and they interacted with their audience so well. At one point Danny, the lead singer, got into the crowd and started taking photos with the fans using their cellphones. (Now that's a souvenir to keep for life.)
I was fortunate enough to have gone with a friend who was able to put me on his shoulders. From that vantage point, all I could see was a wave of Capetonian hands waving back and forth to the melodies sweeping over them; probably the most amazing sight that I have seen to date. But the best part was that you could see that the band felt the same way and every time they referred to the audience they spoke about "us" as though they were South Africans too.
I must also congratulate Grand West for its immaculate hospitality; everything ran smoothly and I cannot fault them on anything. I definitely feel that it was the perfect venue to host a perfect concert. We South Africans are privileged to have such intimate settings where, although our venues are big, they are not so huge that at the back you can't get a glimpse of the performers.
For whatever reason it is that these bands have decided to entertain in South Africa, I am looking forward to seeing who will realise next that we have something special going on over here. And that our audience members are something to be reckoned with; I am sure we have much to look forward to.
So get your tickets for Kylie, Snow Patrol and Kings of Leon, because not only do I trust they'll be amazing, but there is also nothing like the unity of jamming alongside fellow fans.
