It was a really cold day, I'd lit the fire late morning, and I was sitting wondering whether to bother going to the concert. I'd bought tickets as soon as they were announced, and I'd expected to be really excited by the time the concert came round. I wasn't.
We went early, eating at a surprisingly reasonable german fastish food bar near the venue. DH only vaguely knew who Alison Moyet was, I said he'd probably recognise some of the songs. I also explained that a lot of her material is very detailed and dark, and that my friend and I used to speculate about what sort of life she had had, given the heart-renching nature of many of the lyrics.
Sitting in our ideal seats, I was surprised to see a friend I hadn't seen for 11 years walk past. I shouted her name, sprang up and hugged her. Poor girl, bit of a shock I expect. An extra bonus to the evening :-)
Alison Moyet came on, looking amazing. She sounded fantastic, just as I remembered her. I found myself crying a little as she sang her second song, the lyrics resonating a bit too much for comfort. I cried at a few songs, in some cases at the sentiments of the lyrics, but mostly because I remembered hearing those very same songs back in the day. I guess it was a combination of them stirring up feelings I had at the time (her songs accompanied some of my darkest times), the lyrics themselves, the memories of the times... I don't know.
I was waiting for several songs, some of which she sang. I liked her new stuff, it really helped that she explained what was behind each new song. The new stuff wias sprinkled in between the old stuff, and she got the balance about right.
I was hoping she would sing That Old Devil Called Love, which she sings so beautifully, the best ever rendition of it. And I was waiting for Invisible. I wasn't really surprised that she didn't sing That Old Devil. She can't include everything, and that isn't one of her own creations.
At the encore, I was sure it would be Invisible, although it did seem a bit of a bummer to end on. She said had 2 songs for us, one from the 80s and one from the 90s. Having cried quite a bit already, I wasn't sure how I'd hold up to hearing her sing it.
I'll never know, because she didn't sing it.
I was really surprised, and I was also both relieved and extremely disappointed. Of course it wasn't such a big hit in the real world as her other songs, a fact which completely escaped me. It was a huge part of my life at the time, as it was around when I was completely crushed by a failed 'romance' and I felt my life was over. I love the song as well because it reminds me that, although it seemed important at the time, that romance was nothing compared to the love for the man who became my husband.
Despite the lack of Invisible it was a fantastic concert. The venue was small, which was perfect. Muh more personal, much closer, much better.
I'm so glad we went.
