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WHAT'S UP N LONDONJanuary/February 2009
By Sasha TaylorMichael Jackson recently announced his comeback tour in London and tickets to his shows later this year were snapped up in less than five hours last week. The shows are scheduled to kick off in July and stretch into February 10. Tickets sold out in hours. The pop singer has said the series, entitled "This is It," will be his last in the British capital. Despite his troubles – ¬including his trial on child abuse charges (of which he was acquitted in 2005), spiralling £160m debts, his increasingly bizarre appearance, and that infamous “baby -dangling” moment – demand to see Jackson back in action will be sky high.
The O2 dates are likely to form part of a world tour but it is believed London will be his first stop-off. One music industry source said: “Over here, people are more forgiving. I think his British fans are a lot more tolerant.For Ayesha Obi — who, having waited since Wednesday, was first in line — the experience was a thriller
“Hundreds of people waited outside the arena for the chance to buy tickets," said one of the organizers. Nearly one million tickets were sold and more shows were added, yet thousands of fans were still unable to get their hands on the concert passes. Some of the tickets are reportedly selling on the black market for up to 16,000 pounds for a pair of front row seats. According to a leaked set list, the singer is set to perform some of his greatest hits which include "Billie Jean", "Thriller" and "Man in the Mirror".
"He is a legend and I love his message to the world," Obi, a 19-year-old student said outside the O2 Arena in south London. "I've been hoping that he would perform live again." I have come 150 miles just for this," said Lee Middleton, a 34-year-old construction worker from Liverpool, in northwest England. "We have made some very interesting friends waiting in line. ... People were singing his songs and dancing." People are losing sleep trying to get tickets for his spectacular show” says a Jackson lookalike (and there were plenty of those in the queue) Tickets are priced between £50 and £75 but some went for hundreds of pounds on internet auction sites.
While Jackson has said the shows will be his last in London, there has been speculation they could be part of a world tour. Jackson, who has sold more than 750 million albums and won 13 Grammys, hasn't undertaken a major tour since 1997 or released an album of new material since 2001. The 50-year-old singer has been seen in public infrequently since he was acquitted of child molestation in California in 2005. He has struggled to pay his debts, and was forced last year to give up the deed to Neverland, his 2,500-acre ranch and miniature amusement park in California. In spite of everything that’s happened with Jacko over the years, I have no doubt that it will be brilliant and spectacular. It will be as big as 21 nights of Prince, if not bigger.”
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