With hindsight, I’m surprised that I had to think twice about buying a ticket to the Michael Buble concert. I don’t actually have any of his music and R400 is a lot of money, but on the other hand, Kirstenbosch is a very special venue and I do like the kind of music he plays. So, I shut my eyes and clicked ‘Pay now’. That was one of the best decisions I’ve made in a long time because the concert was absolutely fabulous.
Concerts in Kirstenbosch are generally fairly sophisticated and relaxed and this one was no exception. Although, I have to say that it started slightly differently. We arrived at 5pm, hoping to get a good spot and sat in the queue waiting for the gates to open at 6pm. As the gates opened it looked a bit like the running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain. People were charging down the hill and up the hill, flinging blankets and tossing picnic baskets all over the lawn. But once everyone had staked their territory, it all settled down.
The weather had been a cause for concern earlier in the day. I woke up to some pretty substantial rain and was not feeling optimistic about it. Then, as only Cape Town can, the weather changed completely during the afternoon and the weather for the concert was absolutely perfect. No clouds nor wind and warm enough not to panic if you didn’t bring a jacket.
The stage was very impressive, much bigger than the one they use for the Sunday Kirstenbosch concerts. The lighting was amazing and they had 2 big screens, one on either side of the stage. The sound was phenomenal, so loud and clear. It was a very professional setup.
Michael Buble himself is an entertainer of note. He doesn’t just come on stage and sing some songs and go home, he engages the crowd, shares anecdotes and interacts with his band. The crowd was obviously enjoying the show and was very responsive, lots of clapping and cheering and occasionally the people at the front would stand up and so everyone would have to stand, which must have looked kind of like a slow motion mexican wave from the front to the back of the crowd.
We had a lovely picnic and thoroughly enjoyed the concert which is why I say it was one of the best decisions I’ve made in a long time, well worth the R400.