WeeklySA_AdminTOUR DE FORCE: The two stars gave fans more than their money’s worth in a memorable show…
By Priscilla Malinga
When I heard Deborah Cox and Musiq Soulchild were coming to South Africa, I scratched my head trying to remember one of their songs, not because they are not memorable but because my young days are long over.
My friend came to the rescue, throwing a clue by belting into Deborah Cox’s How did you get here. Oh, yes! But my favourite is still her Where do we go from here, and We can’t be friends. As usual, we always get excited when international artists come here.
And, that was the case with me as well. Although others argued that the duo hadn’t been in the game for some time and that they always think of South Africa when they are no longer relevant. I believe it is always a great opportunity to see international artists perform in our own country.
The concert was scheduled to take place at Sun Bet in Pretoria Menlyn Park. Honestly, I’ve always seen this place from afar when visiting the nearby Capital One Hotel, and therefore this was my first experience walking inside. The PR Consultancy linked to the concert was great in making sure that we get interviews with the stars at an exclusive event at the OR Tambo International Airport prior to the event, soon after arrival from Cape Town.
Come the day of the show, my photographer and myself arrive at the security check and surprisingly get asked to present accreditation for the camera. The security officer refuses to let us in without accreditation although we have tickets. We then decide to take the camera back to the car and go searching for the PR representative for assistance.
As usual at these shows, we are told security was not properly briefed but choose to overlook the inconvenience. A show meant to start at 6pm, hasn’t. Mark you, we are an hour late. The PR representative explains that the camera man will be given access to the pit to be able to take photos.
Since we are not catered for. We decide to buy our own drinks and the queues from both lower and upper levels are so long. We can hear the show is starting or about to start and can do nothing about it. No cash accepted at the counter. We use our cards. It takes us almost an hour to get 2 glasses of coke.
A lot of security around but hardly proactive to tell people where to go. So, we end up finding our own way and then my photographer has to run to the pit as Deborah Cox enters the stage. Meanwhile I wait for him at the foyer so that he can find me when he is done taking photos. Even our seat numbers are not in the same area.
The pit turns out to be too small and it becomes a mission impossible to get desirable angles, since every photographer that squeezed themselves into the pit during their slot settled for the angles they could find. What a sad time for photography!
I then decide to walk to my seat as miserable as I am while the security guards send me to and fro, telling me to use this or the other door everywhere I go.
I finally see where I am supposedly meant to sit. Firstly, it is dark, the security doesn’t care either, and nobody bothers to ask which seat I am looking for. Worst of all, it is damn hot and humid.
I’m not sure if it is my high blood pressure or the frustration of the ups and downs, trying to find my seat or it is because I’m a difficult person, or is it just that maybe the Venue’s temperature is too high for some unknown reason. Whatever the reason, I am suffocating before I can even reach my seat.
If I were afraid of heights, I would not have even bothered coming. These stairs are too much and it is too hot. I just couldn’t cope up there, even after taking off my jersey. I finally leave the Arena.
Just when I am about to give up and leave the venue without watching the show. Luckily, I hear my photographer calling me and I go back to him. Then, while standing wondering what to do next, we see Gogo Maweni and her husband leaving from one of the entrances that lead to the VIP tickets section, or the golden circle area. I can tell it is a sign from my ancestors speaking to me, I swear I can hear an angelic symphony playing at the back of my head and seeing little angels that look like Cupid sprinkling flowers.
We then go through that door like we have paid a fortune to be there, tempting fate, because quite frankly we were emotionally drained. To our surprise nobody stopped us, not even the random big scary looking guy standing next to the chairs stopped us. We sit at the Golden circle tickets section like the VIP’s we are and enjoy ourselves.
Deborah is still on stage singing my favourite We can’t be friends,’ and I immediately sing along. She gives a stellar performance, wearing a long silver bling dress with a cape. The crowd is singing along to each and every song she sings. It is obvious that she still has some real fans in South Africa.
When we think she is done, the crowd requests her to perform How did you get here, and doesn’t disappoint, she sings her lungs out and pleases her fans. She definitely still has the pipes and is followed by Musiq Soulchild, who is equally fabulous, also my favourite. The sound is properly balanced too.
I later learnt that the show actually started 2 to 3 hours late due to some technical glitch, according to the media statement issued on behalf of the organisers Vertex Events. They also offer, as a token of their appreciation 20% discount to the upcoming Magic Music Session shows, to all those who bought tickets to this particular show and were affected by the delay. I just thought everyone was waiting for me to find my seat.
The Arena was booked to capacity with a few open seats there and there especially at the Golden circle. Overall, I think the show was first class, and at the end of the day people had fun, I mean they had to. It’s not like they are going to bump into Deborah Cox or Musiq Soulchild at the mall anytime soon. The duo performed their hearts out and the fans sang along. Despite the glitches, it was a great night.
INSIDIOUS BACK – WITH BAG OF NEW HORROR TRICKS
MYSTERY: Third edition a creditable sequel to the franchise, bringing back ghosts of the past with vengeance…
MOVIE: INSIDIOUS: THE RED DOOR Genre: Supernatural Horror Cast: Ty Simpkins, Patrick Wilson, Sinclair Daniel, Hiam Abbass, Rose Byrne Director: Patrick Wilson Producers: Jason Blum, Oren Peli, James Wan, Leigh Whannell
By Sonke Gumede
Set 10 years after the events of the second film, this instalment of the Insidious franchise sees the return of the Lambert family, primarily Josh (Patrick Wilson) and his son Dalton (Ty Simpkins).
Dalton, now a student at an ivy league university, is going through life as any American teen would, hopeful and eager to enjoy this time of his life. All seems to be going well for him till the all but forgotten beings of the further return to haunt him and his family once again. Now the Lamberts must find a way to confront and finally bury the ghosts of their past.
Insidious: The Red Door is not particularly ground-breaking, especially when compared to the first two films of the franchise. But it does deliver an objectively different experience than the others. The director chose to give a little more focus on the interpersonal relationships between the characters, particularly in the case of Dalton and Josh.
However, don’t get me wrong; it does still contain a lot of the hallmark elements we, as viewers, have come to expect of the franchise such as eerie and mystery elements. And, it is beautifully interwoven with these graceful displays of intense emotion, which come together to culminate in some of the best scenes in the whole movie.
You do, however, spend a good amount of time waiting for Josh and Dalton to catch up to everything we already know. We do, after all, know what happened in the previous films; and, we know what happened affected them in a very negative way. So, it puts you in a weird position where you know more about what’s happening to the protagonists than they do. And, while this is good when done in small spades to set up tension and potential jump-scares, it does feel like it cheapens the film to a certain extent by using it as a quick recap for those that didn’t see the first two films.
But I guess a fun way of looking at it is, now you get to see them solve the mystery of their seemingly missing or stolen memories. This edition of the franchise is Wilson’s first offering as a director.
Simpkins and Wilson give good performances as Dalton and Josh respectively. Rose Byrne as Renai Lambert was ok. Yet, I definitely feel like she should’ve gotten more screen time.
All in all, this flick is a solid edition to the whole franchise and one that you should go out to see.
