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THE EUROPEAN TOUR 1998
REVIEW
Breaking News Article Originally posted on the Bulletin Board By Matt, Manish & Noel (Aschaffenburg, Germany 1998)
Reporting from cyberryder in Frankfurt.......
The UNICEF show last night was something else - not Classic Whitney, but very real and
surreal Whitney. There was a powercut for 15 minutes half way through the Boss, when the
sound and screens cut out completely. Having no mic, Whitney shouted that she refused to
leave the stage and asked those of us at the front to pass the message back. Once the
power had been restored, Whitney broke down in tears before I Will always love you and
couldn't recover her composure for the song and was comforted by her mother who helped her
finish the song. She didn't stop praising her fans the whole night.
It was very surreal to have been let into such a personal experience. I don't know any
body who won't have been touched by seeing Whitney up there like that. She almost seemed
very vulnerable and exposed, telling us that she had even considered giving up touring,
but she drew so much energy from the crowd that it never seemed like a possibility.
Despite the disruption and Whitney's very emotional state of mind, the encore (Step by
Step)was near perfect. If you were at the show last night REMEMBER IT as we may never see
Whitney like that again. For the first time the professional image she has had to
cultivate to protect herself faltered.
If any German fans have read newspaper reviews of the show PLEASE POST THEM as it will be
very interesting to see how it is being reported.
For those of you only interested in hearing about her voice, well it wasn't on top - the
first two songs (I'm Every Woman and So Emotional) were perfect - but then the cold cut in
and despite having to put a scarf on around her throat she struggled. It was all very good
natured though - Whitney asked the crowd to help her out if it seemed she couldn't make it
and in no way a spoiler. There were many very special moments where she turned all this
around for the crowd of 50,000- I love the Lord and I Believe in you and me were both
bravura performances to be cherished, and all the more so considering the obvious strain
she was singing under - the cold, the power cut and the expectations of the crowd. As she
left the stage we couldn't help feeling a little sad that Whitney herself obviously felt
that she hadn't done the show she wanted to. It was the last show of the tour and a
benefit concert too - the pressure must have been nearly unbearable once the power went
out and the cold cut into her voice. All we can say here is that she gave us more than we
ever expected......
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© 1999 Manish
www.classicwhitney.com
- Disclaimer.
