[Introspective] My Friday 08/11/2006 (PSB concert in Prague etc.)

Tomas Mosler tomas.mosler at centrum.cz
Fri Aug 18 03:59:05 PDT 2006


So finally I got to write down in detail what interesting happened in my
PSB world a week ago. :)

(ALERT - possible spoilers / If you are interested only in concert,
proceed to point III)

More than 150 professional and amateurish photographs from the recent PSB
concert in Prague (as well as from earlier shows) available at:
http://psb-atdeadofnight.net/obrazky/pictures.php

===

My Friday 08/11/2006

I.
After various preparations during the day (I had day off) I left - dressed
in a t-shirt with "I'm With Stupid" text, an arrow and "Pet Shop Boys" text
on the sleeve - our village after 17:00 direction Prague, Love Planet
festival, PSB performance. The trip almost ended right behind the corner
though, as I kind of out with my thoughts and I forgot to give precedence
on the crossroad, where there goes about one car in an hour, but it came
right. The remaining part of my journey was without any problems, only the
dark sky on the west was scaring me a bit.

After 18:30 I arrived close to the festival area and parked the car. The
first thing to do there was to meet staff working for Czech Television
(CT) to make an interview with me about PSB (see
http://www.petshopboys-forum.com/viewtopic.php?t=12765). Later they also
talked briefly with PSB and shoot a part of their performance, all this to
be used for a reportage about PSB, to be broadcast on CT in September.

It took us a while to find a sutiable place where to shoot the interview
(Ministry were really loud) and then it started. I got a mic into hand,
the team prepared and I was already asked the first questions (I had no
idea in advance what exactly will they ask). If I recall correctly, there
were four questions - what I like about PSB, what namely about their
songs, previous concerts in Prague and fans in the Czech Republic.

So I blahblah-ed something, it went down quite well in my opinion, only I
was asked to reply with completely whole sentence (not only "I like...",
but "About PSB I like..."), and I was not watching the interviewer that
much, too, rather roved with eyes here and there. Anyway, hopefully it
will be of use (I also gave them photos of some news cuttings etc., to
illustrate the interview).

===

II.
After I entered the festival area (nobody cared about what I have in my
30l bag), I bought two t-shirts and moved to the stage no. 1, where the
PSB concert was scheduled for 21:30. I went to see the meeting point of
PSB fans and met Tanja and other fans from Russia, who were already
waiting in the first row in front of the stage, even if there was one
other band (J. A. R.) to play before PSB.

Then I met some other Czech fans around; there was five of us on "our"
meeting point (but in the crowd, there were many other fans I know). Paul
(always talking how he won't stay beside me when I have that t-shirt,
elegant Fantastic Voyage, Flyer (whose mother also attended the show), me
and as the last one, Andynka arrived - and if we were not in hurry to take
a good position, we could almost organize Miss PSB fan competition.

So we went into the crowd. Luckily many people left after J. A. R.
concert, so it was not that difficult to reach the front row, especially
when there were our allies. So I ended up in the first row next to Tanja
and other Russian fans - I stood opposite to Chris' keyboard, a bit to the
center of the stage - Andynka and FantasticVoyage were almost behind me.
There was also one talkative and let's say strange girl-fan, who was
providing us with various (rather less) interesting PSB-related stories.

I learned from Tanja that PSB should be accomodated in hotel Expo nearby
(Tanja's mother saw them there in the lift), so we agreed we will run
there immediately after the concert ends and will try to obtain autographs
or a photo with PSB.

===

III.
Atmosphere deepened, crowd grew and after 21:30 it started. First a motive
from Psycho original movie soundtrack as an introduction, then God Willing
and then finally a "normal" song, Psychological. In the beginning, it
seemed Chris has a problem with the keyboard or with sound, as he
discussed something wit programmer Pete Gleadall. But if something was not
in good order, it obvioulsy got into it soon.

The show was excellent. In the middle of the stage, there was a
construction in form of some cube covered with a screen. This cube served
for various purposes. It was possible to go through it, screen projections
on it, open and divide it and so on. During the crossing between Minimal
and Shopping, blinking "Minimal" changed into blinking "Shopping" there,
during Where The Streets... or Dreaming Of The Queen, the audience could
see shoots of Neil in the former case and from princess Diana funeral in
the latter.

During Rent, Neil sat inside the cube, hidden behind the screen. During
Always On My Mind, huge cartoon heads of Neil and Chris "arrived" on the
stage. From behind, there get up funnily dressed dancers (chequered
jacket, once with flowers on their heads, next time with guitar dummy...).

Sound in the first row was not perfect, the crowd during breaks was often
louder, but to see PSB closely worth it. Chris as usual in his almost
static role (but he touched the keyboard, I swear!), it was possible to
see on Neil that he is enjoying the concert, that it's not just some
unpleasant duty.

Among the most interesting moments of the concert belonged song Dreaming
Of The Queen. Before I thought whether it won't be somewhat strange or
kitchy, when there are shoots from funeral screened during it, but it was not. On the
contrary, this projection amplified the lyrics "And there were no more
lovers left alive / No one had survived" in a special way. Another
interesting moment was visually minimalistically presented Rent. Even
though it has quite simple lyrics, I felt like rediscovering its magic
again. As if the saying "beauty is in simplicity" was valid even here.

But there was something happening on the stage virtually all the time,
dancers danced, did somersaults, vocalists headed by Sylvia Mason-James
sung (Syliva "offered" her microphone to the audience in the end), simply
the whole concert was fine (as fine as it could be given sound
possibilities of the first row).

===

IV.
As agreed with Tanja, me, a few Russians and Andynka left immediately
after Go West, heading to hotel Expo. Some other fans called me several
times, but I had no time to stop (my mobile was in my bag) nor breath to
talk. And even if I could, I couldn't say where I am (I was asked so by
Tanja, and surely PSB could hesitate if meeting a "crowd" of fans), which
I thought was the main reason of this demand.

After a while we reached the hotel, nobody there. So we waited outside.
Then we moved inside and waited next to a reception. Around that time I've
noticed about an hour old SMS from Alis, another Czech fan. She wrote they
got autographs (as I found out during next day, they met them around
midnight at the exit for performers - I didn't expect at all they would be
there so long after the concert). So I called another fan if they didn't
meet them, too. They didn't. Around 1:30 I left home.

During the next day it turned out that PSB probably really were in hotel
Expo, but only to give interviews (as there was too much noise directly in
festival area). They reportedly stayed in Four Seasons. So a photo with
them maybe at some next time. In every case it was a big day, surely the
interview for TV, fans meeting and PSB concert (and then also a while of
hopeful waiting), this combination doesn't happen just so.

So the excellent general impression was - aside from pointless waiting in
the hotel (but one has to count with that) - spoilt only by some lack of
understanding (or more precisely the way - to some extent strange - this
misunderstanding was shown) of some fans, who imagined I will be reachable
via phone after the concert, even if this was not agreed in advance and
there was no bad intention in it from my side.

But except these two drawbacks, the Friday evening was great. Hopefully I
will remember it for a while.

END

Pictures: http://psb-atdeadofnight.net/obrazky/pictures.php
I'd also put up a few video snippets (bad sound quality - taken with photo
camera) during the weekend.

By the way, there is going to be a PSB party in Prague in October. Details
are yet to be finalized, those interested please e-mail me or keep an eye
on my site.


Bye,
Tom

Pet Shop Boys at dead of night
http://psb-atdeadofnight.net/



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