15 Again

Slightly drunk 15 year olds standing on a pool table, arms linked, drinks in hand, crying uncontrollably whilst “singing” wildly to good old Kel-dog, was a weekly occurrence in 2002 when Kelly Clarkson won the first season of Idols.

Last night something magical happened:

Kelly. Clarkson. Came. To. Cape. Town.

My best friend (the pool table owner) and I relived our youth as we jumped up and down, singing madly for two hours. We were surrounded on one side by a group of about ten 14 year old girls, who were being escorted by a frantic looking mother trying to keep tabs on all of them. On the other side was a large group of extravagantly dressed gay men, appropriately clothed in a combination of Kelly Clarkson T-Shirts and either leather pants, colourful skinny jeans or leopard print tights.

Jason Hartman opened the show. He wasn’t as bad as I expected; he croons away quite nicely. However, he happened to dedicate one of his songs to “all the sexy ladies in the audience” and since I know his fiancé, that didn’t bode to well for me. Ass.

Either way, at this point the 14 year olds felt the need to scream to the point that my ear buds began to throb in this strange way that I have never experienced before (maybe I am getting old), whilst the gay men just mumbled about how it was such a waste that he was straight. So while Jason strutted his stuff in his black silken blouse, sweating profusely and throwing cheeky winks at girls in the audience, we were anxiously looking at our watches in high hopes that “this will be his last song”!

By this point the anticipation had grown to such a degree that we were expecting fire, lightening, a flock of peacocks, a herd of white stallions and dancing wild cats alongside Kelly. At 8pm the moment arrived. Everything went quiet until the audience began its roar and then, the music began.

Her performance was absolutely flawless. Geez can that woman sing. She hit every note and entertained us through out, bouncing around the stage like the excited children (and older folk) in the audience. And the most important bit – it was actually her singing. No lip sync, nothing. Just pure, natural talent.

That’s the thing about Idols; the contestants who get to the final stages are very talented artists. They aren’t just a pretty face, where huge technical teams adjust every word they sing, in order for them like something other than cats on heat.

It was an awesome night and so worth having most human beings laugh at me when I excitedly told them that I was going. I know they were all secretly jealous anyway.

Funny thing, it all came full circle when one of the 14 year olds commented to her friend “Her songs really do sound like they were written just for us”.

The gays just sauntered about, shaking their booty’s on the d-floor.