After the Mistress got some bad news earlier in the year, her other half decided she needed something special to cheer her up so...he bought her tickets to see Madonna. In Cardiff. And I wasn't invited.
Apparently, many London fans worked out it was cheaper to buy standing only tickets and have a weekend away in the land of the leek, sheep and rugby for less than two seated tickets at Wembley Arena. (Don't email me about stereotypes - the Mistress's uncle lives in Wales!)
The Mistress likes Madonna - something from her early youth when she danced around to Holiday (LONG before I was born) that seems to have stayed and been permanently lodged in her DNA! The Mistress's other half can't stand Madonna so he really was putting himself out; personally, I think he was just trying to get more points in the bag. And let's face it, relationships are all about points...
But the Mistress's other half has taught her well; long gone are the days when she just turns up to a gig in a stadium and hopes for the best. Oh no. He has taught her the art of securing a position in the golden circle...and 19 years on (that's when she last saw Madonna at Wembley) she was worried that for the one gig where positioning was everything, she feared they had arrived too late. But, luck was on her side and she got in. But without her other half; he had nipped out to get a snack or two. So she was in and he wasn't; what a dilemma! Was she to sacrifice this spot so she could be with him at a gig he didn't want to see OR did he let her enjoy it by herself? Of course, you can work it out for yourselves; here was a chance for even more (many more) points in the bag! On both sides!
In the meantime, I understand that Madonna went down a storm with her fans but the critics just moaned about how much the tickets cost. After all, these tickets were NOT cheap. The Sunday Times explained why more and more artists are now taking the tourbus route rather than watch their record sales dwindle (http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,14932-2286150.html).
As it happens, Madonna can afford to ignore the critics. In fact, she can ignore her fans too (apparently, there was little audience interaction in the US) but she rocked Cardiff. She talked about the joy of playing in a stadium again and for visiting Wales. For the very first time! Yes, she was a Wales Virgin! Not sure how many sheep she would have seen but with her disco cape, she showed everyone that she has still got what it takes. For all the negative press about her veiny hands, she's still years ahead of everyone else - even if she is pinching everyone else's ideas to boot! After all, it takes some balls to dance around in a sparkly leotard (paying homage to Abba) and still look lithe and supple at 47 years old. She may be Oldfrapp but for the Mistress and probably most of the 50,000 fans, it was well worth the wait!
Woof Woof