If anyone had told the 14 year old Amiga Jane and myself that when we were in our fifties we would be in London together at a concert with Sugarman...
Can you imagine?
The fact that we would ever be that old would have made us laugh until we peed.
The very thought of ever seeing our idol? Unimaginable!
The thought of living in London?
Just as unimaginable, this was apartheid South Africa, we knew little of the outside world, and the fact ..Cold Fact.. that "I Wonder" actually had the word SEX in it, that was such rebellion for us.
Yet here we were, full circle , and we cried our way through the songs that were the soundtrack to our early adolescence.
And at the heartbreaking sadness of the Sugarman story.
Seeing him having to be led onto the stage (glaucoma) after living in obscurity, never knowing of his cult status in South Africa, not being able to see us standing up for him...this broke my heart. He had to wait until he was 70 to play the Royal Festival Hall?
The Saffas were fabulous...in every break between songs , someone would shout out
" We love you Bru! "
"Cape Town loves you!"
"Jo'burg loves you!"
There wasn't a dry eye in the house.
"So, thanks for your time, and you can thank me for mine...and after that's said..forget it.."
That was his last song.
We cried.
They led him off the stage to a standing ovation. And many tears.
He came back out.
To even more cheers and tears , and sang Bob's "Like a Rolling Stone"
How does it feel
To be on your own
With no direction home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling stone.
Can you imagine?
The fact that we would ever be that old would have made us laugh until we peed.
The very thought of ever seeing our idol? Unimaginable!
The thought of living in London?
Just as unimaginable, this was apartheid South Africa, we knew little of the outside world, and the fact ..Cold Fact.. that "I Wonder" actually had the word SEX in it, that was such rebellion for us.
Yet here we were, full circle , and we cried our way through the songs that were the soundtrack to our early adolescence.
And at the heartbreaking sadness of the Sugarman story.
Seeing him having to be led onto the stage (glaucoma) after living in obscurity, never knowing of his cult status in South Africa, not being able to see us standing up for him...this broke my heart. He had to wait until he was 70 to play the Royal Festival Hall?
The Saffas were fabulous...in every break between songs , someone would shout out
" We love you Bru! "
"Cape Town loves you!"
"Jo'burg loves you!"
There wasn't a dry eye in the house.
"So, thanks for your time, and you can thank me for mine...and after that's said..forget it.."
That was his last song.
We cried.
They led him off the stage to a standing ovation. And many tears.
He came back out.
To even more cheers and tears , and sang Bob's "Like a Rolling Stone"
How does it feel
To be on your own
With no direction home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling stone.
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