| Queen Elizabeth Theatre On The Road With MaggieMay... It turned out to be pretty effortless to get to Vancouver. My flights were on time and quick and my connection in Seattle was 20 feet from my arrival gate. The only disconcerting part of the trip was at our arrival in Vancouver. A woman was posted in front of our plane and handed each passenger a flyer describing the symptoms of SARS and who to call should you come down with it. Hmmmmm I've been to Vancouver a few times and what I've seen of the city can be easily put into a gum wrapper. I just don't care! It didn't seem like it had been two years since I had been here. The drive in was the same as I remembered it, as was the hotel. I *do* like cities on the water, I like the weather here and it's a pretty town. Apparently, the city fathers have still not addressed the aggressive panhandler problem. I don't like people approaching me for money. I'm too darn soft-hearted, and I feel guilty not giving it to them. sigh I'm traveling alone this time and people approaching me (and they've always been men) make me uneasy. I've been jumpy the entire time I've been here. It's a darn shame! Travel was on the Band's day off this week, so I was able to greet friends, have dinner and relax. I felt relieved knowing I could sleep in today and was shocked and dismayed to wake up at 6am after 5 hours of sleep. Why, oh WHY can't I sleep? I know there's no rest for the wicked, but how about the occasionally naughty? I tossed and turned for an hour or so, but finally gave up and admitted it. I was awake and that was it. sigh I spent the morning reliving Spokane and sent it off to Mr Ed. (HAHA That kills me!) My hotel is a fine one, but they could Madame me less and spend more time on little details, like a SPOON with my cereal. They are very good about Do Not Disturb signs. They don't knock on a door so decorated. However, Millie from housekeeping will call you and inquire just when she can come and clean your room. I put her off as long as I could, being very busy doing nothing, but she was relentless. A NOTE was slipped under my door and I briefly thought it might be from an admirer desiring a tete a tete, but no. It was from Millie. She was going to wear me down until I let her in. I had one task in Vancouver; I wanted to get my son's girlfriend some Native American earrings. It was a mission. KA's a delight, and has already promised me that if she and my son Ryan get married and have children, she will name them Justin, John, Ray and Graeme. 
I'm going to hold her to that even if they're all girls. The concierge
suggested a shop and luckily it was too far to walk to. LOL The
cabbie drove thru a city that I don't know at all, and we slowed down in a
neighborhood that set off every alarm I have in my brain. He confirmed
that it was the city's drug dealer and prostitute hangout. Lovely!
I briefly wondered if the concierge had *my* sick sense of humor. The
next block drastically changed for the better and I found myself in Gas Town,
a picturesque little area, apparently a historical district and shopping area.
The shop was delightful and I felt at home among the masks and totem poles.
I *knew* my darling husband would want me to pick up a little something for
myself (considerately saving him the effort) and found a copper cuff
carved with a sun and two eagles in flight. Oh, it's me! LOL
Dan admired my pick earrings and turned out to be a music lover. He
was the lucky recipient of my extra 4th row ticket AND what was no doubt
the sale of the day. I got out of my taxi across from the venue and was immediately set upon by a young vagrant, who fooled me for 30 seconds with his story of needing to take a bus back to Australia. He went from shy smiles to hiccupping tears in the brief time that he had my attention and I half hope that he found some sucker to buy him a bus ticket. I'm going to start acting like I don't speak English, and perhaps can wraggle a few bucks from these enterprising beggars. I hoofed it into a nearby restaurant and realized for the 1000th time this tour that I do NOT like traveling alone. I suppose I was lucky. At least my taxi driver didn't drop me off with the prostitutes and drug dealers! Vancouver is a great city, but I'd be careful about wandering about here alone. THE VENUE The Queen Elizabeth Theatre is a nice place, dated looking on the outside, but a fine concert venue. It has a plaza with flowers and trees with lights and an arty looking fountain. 
There's a low concrete wall separating the plaza from the street and that's
where the brokers hang out. The early worm gets the best tickets, but
they didn't have anything tonight to offer me that was better than what I
already had. I had decided to come to Vancouver after the rest of my
plans had been made and realized too, that new faces on the front row are
a GOOD thing and that second row is a fine place to be. (Right.
When pigs fly!) I spent the time before the concert entertained by the
camaraderie between the various brokers who ALL wanted to work in the States
where "the money is." LOL They were a hoot. I met up with
Brian, a Vancouver Moody fan I had talked to the night before. He was
lonely for other fans to talk to and share his love of the music, and wanted
to know about various US venues he had heard about. I told him the
best concerts were at Tahoe! : ) I hope we'll see him there
sometime. The venue has restaurants of its own connecting to the venue. (Got to try one sometime) 
You walk into a large lobby area and drinks are available. The showroom
is steeply inclined, a fact you realize when you try to climb back up into
the lobby at the interval. There's a large main floor, a walkway and
a mezzanine, and a balcony with 9 boxes on each side. The dark red plush
material permanent chairs are fronted by a four row pit, rows A thru D.
There were several confused attendees who planted themselves in the front
row, thinking it surely must be row 1, only to subsequently discover that
their seats were 5th row. That's always a very sad moment. LOLThe QET seats 2500, but I was lucky to get THAT piece of information from the guard I zoned in on. He didn't know jack. He finally told me that he was part of the hired security for the night and that I'd have to ask the ushers what I wanted to know. He was a very big man. LOL While I didn't get an official number on the seating, the house looked VERY full and I'd guess it might have been close to a sell out. The stage was about 4 feet high and the front row was around 6 feet from the stage with mikes set fairly close to the edge - perhaps 3 feet plus. I've given up sitting in the front row for Lent and was in the second row, still a nice spot and between the Jays. God blessed me with slender, petite women in front of me and I had a great view. It was a big stage, suited for theater productions, wide but not very deep. The 12 unit speakers were flying on both sides of the stage. I was very pleased at the different attitude at QET this year. 
I was very annoyed at a venue usher/guard last time who came up to
me during Singer and told me to sit down. It was blasphemy! We
stood with impunity in 2003 with only our natural and enlightened consideration
for others guiding us. Photos were allowed too, which is why I HAVE
some. Oh, they allowed photos in the City of Vancouver, too!
(snort!) I think Ed has been showing some bias in the photos she has
selected for the reviews. It seems to me they are mostly of the bass
player. Like she said, she can only use the photos I SEND her and THIS
time, I sent her a very nice group that feature the lead guitarist.
Heheheh Ed! We need a nice Justin photo here, please! THE FASHION REPORT GE - Jimi Hendrix shirt first half, Hula shirt second, black slacks JL - White long slvd shirt with bib and ruffle first half, black one second half, leathers, boots JH - Pink long slvd pinstriped shirt first half, white long slvd shirt (very thin material) with breast pocket second, black SLACKS Bernie - Black cap slvd top with white jacket and white slacks Norda - Cami and black slacks JH turned the earth on it's head tonight by eschewing the black jeans for black slacks. They looked very nice, but sigh. They don't look very rock 'n roll...more, um...easy listening. I sure hope those jeans weren't stolen by some nutcake fan! I've grown quite attached to them. LOL Bernie's outfit was great and looked striking on her. THE CONCERT The 2003 setlist is starting to lose a little of its glow, but I'm sure it's here to stay! No one is going to trot out onstage and break out into Forever Autumn (screwing the Canadians out of that delight just as the Americans were cruelly denied) or Gypsy or Nervous, or No More Lies, for that matter. LOL I could go on and on about what *I* long to hear, but at least I have a glass of ice water, unlike those people in Hell that I love to refer to. Anyway...it was performed in its entirety and with a 20-minute intermission. I thought Vancouver was an exceptionally good concert! 
It was a full house and a noisy crowd. They stood a lot and got in
to the concert. It wasn't the wildest group I've ever seen, but you
could feel the love. ; ) I liked the sound there.
No, it wasn't perfect, nor was it the best I have heard, but it was loud and
rockin'. Some muffled, yes. The performance went very well with
few obvious errors. I think the big difference was in the guys onstage.
Justin in particular looked rested, relaxed and strong. It showed in
the way he moved, he stood and in the way he played his guitar. A bit
aggressive! John has to be really tired for it to show, and Graeme just
plays away consistently EVERY night. They all looked great! The
Actor was very strong at the QET and IKYOTS received a huge ovation.
My seat got a great guitar sound from a great guitar performance. The
only negative moment I noted was one terribly wrong chord in The Actor.
Aaaargh! It came and went. The combination of a nice venue and
a rested Band made for a very solid performance. I heard a lot of good
comments as I left the venue. It did have one "fun" instance. Justin was taking his sweet time getting prepared for The Actor. I've noticed him playing the Olson lately as he walks up to the mike, seemingly checking it. I'm sure he didn't do that in prior tours. He got to the mike, apparently unsatisfied and said to the audience "Talk amongst yourselves!" LOL He definitely WAS relaxed in Vancouver. : ) It was very nice to meet a couple of Moody Blues Canadian fans on LC at the QET: Therese and Colleen. Thanks for coming up and saying Hi. I find it a much pleasanter experience than discovering I'm being stealthily watched and then posted about on H&H. LOL - how bored can anyone be? It's a creepy and uncivilized thing to do. I don't bite and actually enjoy meeting other on-line fans at the various venues. As I often say, my life is a party and everyone is welcome to attend. : ) I guess it's a MOODY party! LOL I found it very disconcerting to take my second row center seat and discover that I was sitting entirely alone! There were at least 8 seats around me that remained empty for the concert. A broker is no doubt sobbing somewhere. A father and son jumped two of the seats, thank goodness, but it had the effect of feeling "alone" at the concert. I had hoped that others might follow their lead and at least move up at the interval and then lived to regret that wish. One enthusiastic music lover moved into the seat one away on my right. His enthusiasm for music was not matched by an enthusiasm for soap. sigh I'd be clapping my hands and in to the song when I'd get a whiff of the most god-awful stench imaginable! Please, please BATHE before you attend a concert and decide to sit beside me! Otherwise, I am apt to throw up in your lap. I suspect he was in need of a bus ticket to Australia! MaggieMay The lovers and the fighters and the risks they take, Are on the other side of life tonight! YEAH! Photos courtesy of MaggieMay |
Kelowna