Milan: A chair-raising experience!

[John Hudson]

As the Sherman brothers so succinctly put it: "From the ashes of disaster grow the roses of success".

Crazy as it sounds, I honestly wasn't looking forward to seeing Swing Out Sister in Milan. Heck, I was downright dreading it! Don't worry. I haven't taken leave of my senses. It was nothing to do with the band... and everything to do with the weather! You see, I'm absolutely terrified of thunderstorms - always have been, unfortunately. And as I checked one internet weather forecast after another last week they all stated the same thing: Milan was in for one humdinger of a storm on Friday - the day of the show. It couldn't be Thursday, of course. Or Monday after I'd returned home to Blighty. No. It had to be bloomin' Friday, didn't it!

Any hopes that the international forecasters had got it wrong (like our own British ones do virtually every night on TV!) were dashed the moment I stepped off the plane at Bergamo. The heat and humidity was horrendous. The figure of 36 degrees was mentioned - and I could well believe it. The dark, brooding, cloud-filled sky spoke volumes and I was glad to get on board the shuttle bus to Milan and get the hell away from there.

When I disembarked outside the spectacular Central Station my spirits lifted a little. The clouds were relatively few and far between and according to a big illuminated display on the side of a building it was a, ahem, mere 31 degrees. Which is still downright scorching in my book and by the time I swiftly walked the 1KM to the Holiday Inn I knew how The Incredible Melting Man felt! As I entered my deliciously chilly air-conditioned room I was sorely tempted to strip off (sorry for putting such a scary picture in your head, folks!) and just collapse on the bed. But thanks to the ever-reliable (ha!) Ryanair I was running an hour late and needed to get my butt over to the venue pronto.

As the taxi pulled up outside the Arena Civica my jaw dropped open. What an amazing-looking place. It was absolutely huge. (Actually, it was only about half an hour before I set off for East Midlands Airport that morning that the penny dropped that this would be an open-air gig. I had just assumed it would be indoors!) Finding a security guy who thankfully spoke English I asked him to please let SOS's deeply splendid manager, Jamie, know that I was there. A few minutes later Jamie came out, ushered me inside and very kindly gave me an Artist Pass so that I could come and go as I pleased within the arena. What a top guy!

Well, if it looked impressive from the outside, that was nothing compared to the inside. Like some kind of Roman amphitheatre (which it may well be - I really will have to check out its history online) it's stone tiers towered around me on all sides. Towards one end of the spacious grounds (encircled by an Olympic-size athletics track) had been erected a huge stage of tubular scaffolding draped in black cloth. And playing on it was a certain rather spiffing pop/soul/jazz combo - you can probably guess who!

When they finished the song they were rehearsing I went over to the stage and was, as always, warmly welcomed by them. Taking a pew on the front row I sat and enjoyed my very own private SOS concert - as I have been so kindly invited to do on so many occasions. I sure am one lucky fella!

However, I still kept one eye on the sky... and didn't like what I was seeing. The wind was building, the clouds were gathering and the temperature was rising. Not good! Sure enough just as the band were going to perform one final song lightning flashed, thunder roared... and I fled! As did SOS, quite understandably. Standing on a stage constructed of steel surrounded by mountains of electrical equipment as a storm is brewing is really not a place you want to be.

I just got inside (thank goodness for my Pass!) as all hell broke loose. For the next hour Milan was battered by as fierce a storm as I've ever witnessed and deluged with almost enough water to turn it into the new Venice. When it was finally over I ventured outside. For the second time that day my jaw dropped open - but for all the wrong reasons. The hundreds and hundreds of chairs that had been neatly set out in rows ready for many a patron's posterior were now strewn across the arena like a particularly vexed T-Rex (the dinosaur, not the 70's pop group) had run amok amidst them. The stage too hadn't escaped Mother Nature's wrath and a large swath of black cloth had been torn away. Everywhere I looked was carnage.

One of the arena crew members saw my crestfallen expression. "So what do you think?" he asked. "It's a disaster", I replied. "Mmm", he agreed, "disaster". He declared his certainty that the show would now be cancelled. Looking at the sight before me I figured he was right. But Swing Out Sister had other ideas! The old "Dunkirk spirit" came to the fore and suddenly it was all hands to the pumps. By George the show would go on!

And so I spent the next hour happily helping the arena team set the chairs back out where they belonged whilst the stage crew got to work mopping the stage, checking the equipment and re-hanging the black curtains. The moment the place was deemed ship-shape once more the gates were opened and the crowds flocked in. SOS 1 - Mother Nature 0. What a result!

And so, just thirty minutes later than scheduled, Swing Out Sister took to the stage beneath La Luna and blew our collective socks off. What a performance! Classic songs old and new (including the welcome return of 'Incomplete Without You' and a deliciously reworked 'Get In Touch With Yourself') were greeted with passionate enthusiasm by the wonderful Italian crowd. The feeling of celebration was palpable as the audience left their seats and danced away with joyous abandon under the twinkling stars during the climactic 'Breakout'. You can't keep a good band down - nor, as in this case, a downright bloody brilliant one!

After the gig Jamie invited me back to the dressing rooms for a very welcome cold drink and a chat. I won't give away what he told me is on the cards for our favourite band - suffice to say that I am VERY excited! Later, as hugs and handshakes were exchanged and I waved SOS off into the balmy night I once again found myself thinking how incredibly fortunate I am to know and love Swing Out Sister: quite simply the finest pop group on the planet.

Oh and the weather in Milan on Saturday? Glorious sunshine, clear blue skies, not a cloud in sight. Typical!

[wchidester]

John, you paint a vivid and wonderful picture. Thank you..

[John Hudson]

And thank you, W, for your kind words!

[Jaime R]

Lucky! Thanks for sharing your experience. Nice to hear they played Incomplete Without You.

[John Hudson]

Cheers, Jaime. Yes, it was lovely to hear that one. Two weeks from today I'll be seeing them again here in England at the 'Vintage At Goodwood' festival. It's going to be a wonderful weekend:-

Friday: Corinne duets with 60's/80's icon Sandie Shaw, backed with an orchestra

Saturday: SOS in concert

Sunday: Corinne does two DJing sets and then performs a selection of 1940's songs with Andy and an assortment of SOS band members

I can't wait!

[snackytj]

Thanks so much for this vividly told report! I just wish I had been there myself!

I am tempted to prod you to give up your musical secrets about what lies ahead for our favorite band. But I won't! Instead, I'll keep following the boards and Facebook pages, complete with credit card in hand.....

Thanks again, John!
Terry

[John Hudson]

Thank you very much, Terry.

As for what's at the planning stages... I'll just say that one potential SOS happening in particular has got me positively feverish with excitement. I only hope that it goes ahead. Fingers crossed!

[Peter Greenhill]

Excellent post John, thanks for sharing the experience with us.

Sorry that I missed it.

[John Hudson]

Much obliged, Peter. Hopefully I'll have plenty of good stuff to write about after this weekend's 'Vintage At Goodwood'...