Five'll get ya ten, old Macky's back in town

A mini-timeslip moment again...

We're way back in prehistory - well, 1959, actually - the year of the Cuban revolution led by Che Guevara that saw Fidel Castro become President, Living Doll, Harold Macmillan, House of Fraser takeover of Harrods, Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club, Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty, independence for Cyprus, the Mau Mau uprising, Hugh Gaitskell, Alec Issigonis and the Mini, the UK's first duty-free shops, Hawaii becoming the 50th State of the USA, David Jacobs and Juke Box Jury, and Christopher Cockerell's first hovercraft; and the year that Billie Holiday, Errol Flynn, Kay Kendall, Cecil B. DeMille, Lou Costello, Mario Lanza, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper all died.

Famous names born sixty years ago (many of whom I have featured on this very blog over the year) include Sade, Robert Smith, Pete Burns, Simon Cowell, Irene Cara, Paul Whitehouse, Julian Clary, Tracey Ullman, Motown Records, Hugh Laurie, Youssou N'Dour, Marie Osmond, Kirsty MacColl, Barbie, Brian Setzer, Dame Emma Thompson, John McEnroe, Susanna Hoffs, Sheena Easton, Rupert Everett, Bryan Adams, the Boeing 707, Renée Fleming, Pauline Quirke, Steve Strange, Sarah Ferguson, Gary Kemp, Marcella Detroit, Astérix the Gaul, Lorraine Kelly, the M1 motorway, Val Kilmer, Ben Elton and Morten Harket, as well as my own "other half" Madam Arcati...

...and, today - our friend John-John!

And at #1 in our charts on his birthday all those years ago..?

Bobby Darin - Mack the Knife

Cheers, dear boy! Looking forward to the party on Saturday.

PS Here's a little - ahem - something extra:

Björn Again - A Little Respect

On a night like this, just wanna be together

'Twas a magnificent, hot, sunny day as our tribe descended on Hyde Park for Proms in the Park yesterday. It is one of our annual treats - a highlight of the "Social Calendar" (it is traditionally the signal for the change-over between Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter seasons). We always manage to bag ourselves a spot close enough to the stage to be able to see the artists, but with the big screen ahead of us (all the better to catch the details), not too far from the facilities, and with landmarks to enable us to find our way back in the dark.





It is an exciting day at the best of times, and this year was particularly special - for our headliner was none other than Princess Kylie herself!

However, Proms in the Park provides a long day's worth of entertainment before we get to the top-billing artists, and the opening segment (aka "the daylight bit", this year with presenter Tony Blackburn) gave us some genuine treats - including a rare appearance (accompanied by the Chicago Blues Brothers) by none other than the truly legendary Miss Madeline Bell (of Blue Mink fame; she has worked with some of the world's greatest artists including Led Zeppelin and Rod Stewart) - who added a touch of class early on in the proceedings.







As well as the fantabulosa Bjorn Again (again!), the London Community Gospel Choir and the cast of not-so-fab Beatles musical Let It Be, the other highlight was a recent discovery, the Gypsy Queens, whose version of L'Americano - the dance version of which was in the charts a few years ago - is rather wonderful. Here is some footage of them from yesterday, singing Take Me Home Country Roads (with a very brief appearance by our friends Baby Steve and Alex):

[2019 UPDATE - gone from YouTube]



As the blazing sun began to set, the picnic was half-consumed and the copious quantity of booze was beginning to kick in, it was time for the second half of the day's entertainment to begin, with the beautiful tenor voice of Mr Alfie Boe, here singing You Are My Heart's Delight:

Alfie Boe - You Are My Heart's Delight (The Land of Smiles) - BBC Proms In The Park 2012

The rather hunky Il Divo followed soon after, and true to their "boy band for the classically-minded" style, mixed light classical (including a unique vocal interpretation of Barber's Adagio) with pop numbers. Here's their take on one of my favourite gay anthems, Somewhere (from West Side Story):

Il Divo - Somewhere - BBC Proms In The Park 2012

Excellent stuff. After another rather wonderful appearance from Mr Boe, it was the moment we had all been waiting for!





Adorned in a most beautiful scarlet evening gown, the tiny but striking fame of Miss Minogue took centre stage to deafening cheers from the 40,000-strong crowd, and gave us what we had been promised - a selection of her hits brilliantly orchestrated in a more classical style. We were completely blown away!







Here are a few of the songs our Princess sang...

Kylie Minogue - On a Night Like This - BBC Proms In The Park 2012

Kylie Minogue - Can't Get You Out Of My Head - BBC Proms In The Park 2012

Kylie Minogue - Flower - BBC Proms In The Park 2012

Kylie Minogue - Finer Feelings - BBC Proms In The Park 2012

Kylie Minogue - I Should Be So Lucky - BBC Proms In The Park 2012

Kylie Minogue - Wow - BBC Proms In The Park 2012

Kylie Minogue - I Believe in You - BBC Proms In The Park 2012

We danced, we sang, we shouted, we bawled! I think Miss Minogue appreciated it. She looked utterly radiant, beaming smiles throughout, so I guess she knew we all adored her...





Whew! What an emotional roller-coaster... My first Kylie concert. And what a show!

However, even as the lady twinkled her way off the stage, the show was far from finished - it was time for the Grand Finale, as we joined via a live link the Last Night of the Proms concert itself from the Royal Albert Hall. Once more, we had the traditional selection of British pride numbers - including the Sea Shanties, Jerusalem, Land of Hope and Glory and Rule Britannia, and waved our Union Jacks till a wind whipped up!

Henry Wood: Hornpipe from the Fantasia on British Sea Songs - Last Night of the BBC Proms 2012

Parry: Jerusalem - Last Night of the BBC Proms 2012

Elgar: Land of Hope and Glory - Last Night of the BBC Proms 2012

This being a very special year for the UK, the tenor Joseph Calleja was joined on stage by a few of the medallists from the Olympics and Paralympics (which was a superb and emotional moment):

Henry Wood: Rule, Britannia - Last Night of the BBC Proms 2012

Last night was definitely the very best, most memorable, and most amazing Proms in the Park I have ever been to. I am still coming down to earth! Despite having spent the day with Madam Arcati's Mum and folks for her 80th birthday, the echoes of last night still resonate...

Heaven!

Proms in the Park on the BBC

One season closes...

"Prawns in the Pork, Prams in the Dark, a rose by any other name...it is a privilege and an unalloyed pleasure to present Proms in the Park before the magnificent audience that packs Hyde Park. Come rain or shine, its high spirits are ever buoyant. It's an evening of flags and banners, joy and laughter. And magnificent music, ending with 'Land of Hope and Glory' from 40,000 loyal throats, as fireworks light up the night over Hyde Park." (Sir Terry Wogan)

We had another fantabulosa evening at Proms in the Park yesterday!

Happily the rain held off, we bagged an excellent spot close to the stage, and our gang brought enough crates of food and booze to keep us going for six hours. In fact, enough food and booze to keep an army going for six hours - but that is what it's all about, after all!

The early part of the evening's entertainment is traditionally devoted to tribute bands, and opening the show were Serpentine Fire (Earth Wind & Fire), the cast of the stage musical Jersey Boys (Four Seasons) and Bjorn Again (Abba). Oh, and some girl singer called Nell Bryden, whose spot was a general excuse for everyone to go to the loo...

After the break Ken Bruce handed over to the ebullient Sir Tel, and the genuine star-studded entertainment began. Dame Kiri ti Kanawa (looking spectacular), Jose Carreras (not looking quite so good), and the winner of this year's "Kiri Prize" Shuna Scott Sendall (who has a beautiful soprano voice) were all magnificent. Brian May and Kerry Ellis (showcasing their new collaboration album Anthems) were impressive, especially with the audience-rousing medley of We Will Rock You and We Are The Champions.



And then came something very special indeed - a masterful set by Mr Neil Sedaka!

We were treated to the whole gamut of his repertoire, including Calendar Girl, (Show me the way to) Amarillo, Breaking Up Is Hard To Do, Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen, Love Will Keep Us Together, Oh Carol, Solitaire and of course Laughter in the Rain. Fan-bloody-tastic!

With hardly a chance to catch our breath after the live entertainment, it was time for the video link-ups - firstly with the Proms stages across the country (including the uber-sexy John Barrowman live in Salford), and a mass sing-a-long uniting all the venues' audiences to belt out You'll Never Walk Alone.

Then of course it was time for the traditional Last Night of the Proms set from the Royal Albert Hall. Despite some technical problems with the volume of Miss Renée Fleming's microphone, we sang till our throats were sore - Rule Britannia, Jerusalem, Land of Hope and Glory and of course the National Anthem. With spectacular fireworks to finish, this was (as every year) a fitting way to wave goodbye to the Summer, and to welcome the Autumn/Winter Season in...

Last Night of the Proms 2010 - Dame Kiri te Kanawa

Last Night of the Proms 2010 - Land of Hope and Glory

BBC Proms in the Park 2010 finale

Britannia rule the waves

We had a wonderful time again at the Last Night of the Proms in Hyde Park!

A much better line-up than last year (no Chico!), with the exception of the godawful presenter Aled Jones, whose dreadful jokes and smarmy persona made the first half of the entertainment painful (we would have preferred Dick & Dom, so that's saying something!).

But the acts were all great - Bellowhead, Bjorn Again, Teatro, Sharleen Spiteri, violinist David Garrett, and of course the headliners Leslie Garrett (no relation) and Jose Carreras. Master of Ceremonies for the latter half was good old Terry Wogan, and as always the highlight was the live link to the sing-along finale featuring Bryn Terfel at the Royal Albert Hall...

All together now!

Bryn Terfel - Rule, Britannia!