With ABBA LPs and Flip-Flops to U2

So the other night I was out getting coffee and checking out my favourite flea market (How else are you going to get Cher stuff?!) when I ended up in Polo Park here in Winnipeg. Coincidently that was the night that U2 had their Winnipeg concert at the Stadium. I was there at around 6.30 and people were just pushing and shoving to get inside. Personally you could hit me over the head with a U2 song and I’d have no f-ing clue. So I just watched the security and the stage – which was huge, way taller than the stadium walls. I went to catch a bus to finally grab dinner but ended up back at Polo(stupid buses don’t run the same routes they do during the week). On a patio not too far from the stadium I had a great salmon and margarita – gotta love those - and quickly decided that I’d join the hundreds of people around the stadium watching the huge screens all for free. It was quite magnificent.

Despite the fact that I really wasn’t a fan they were cool. Unfortunately I found out that flip flops and a leather jacket thrown over a tank top doesn’t keep you warm at, what felt like -5°. Despite that I stayed the full two hours – covered with a way too big parka of some pot smoker that had shown up there and pitied that shivering mess I must have been.

However they completely ruined ‘In the name of love’ - widely known through Baz Luhrman’s ‘Moulin Rouge’(2001) – for me. It didn’t carry emotion for me. It was just a beautiful love song that had lost it’s meaning in deafening guitar riffs.
All in all through considering we’re talking about a rock band here it was a very mainstream concert. It songs were mixed, yes there were guitar riffs but rarely and far apart. One song almost reminded me more of the once shocking glam rockers of Kiss, their “I was made for loving you baby” was, I’m sure, a huge inspiration.
The whole concert was great but somehow their music seemed watered down from cutting edge rock to a more mainstream version that would for sure not offend anybody. While you can think about the band what you want Bono's politics are honorable... well that is if he'd actually live and breath them himself instead of just preach.
Over a 150 trucks are employed just to transport the three huge stages through North America. (One is used while one is set up and another one is being transported into the next city)

Somehow that just doesn't work for me... Save the earth, safe electricity and all that jazz and then he's using all that fuel(not to mention the electricity for the lightening effects of the stages during a show) just so? Just because he's Bono and has the money. It's hypocrictical in my eyes and not right.
Cher - a huge U2 supporter and fan herself - once said 'One never knows their believes until their faced with them'. Something along those lines. Bono obviously knows his believes but also knows that a more hippish, utopic approach sells more records, not to mention gets better publicity.

Honestly I was disappointed by the concert. Maybe it was because I wasn't part of the estatic crowd or oculdn't sing a single one of their songs but I wasn't too impressed. About an hour into the show two girls passed me and gave me their tickets. No charge, nothing. However I couldn't use them due to the strict 'No reentry' policy which really sucks.

Anyway, U2 is too rock to be considered pop and too mainstream to really count as rock. In my eyes they combine the least desireable aspects of both genres. The musics too flat, not offensive enough to be played when you've just found out your boyfriends been cheating you all along with your best friend. On the other hand though it's not light and fluffy enough to be played at a girl's night out or party. And then there's the not unimportant looks department, even the band members know that they are by no means sex symbols and probably never will be. Therefor they aren't even trying which is almost a point in their favor.

I'm not sure why they are so popular but they are. Good bless mainstream.

Getting home was somewhat easy, considering the route and the time. By the time the show was over - after 2 long, cold hours - it was 11 at night on a sunday. Upon finally getting downtown I realized that there were only 2 more buses going in my direction. Already knowing that without having phoned I was way passed my curfew I prayed to god that I wouldn't miss them. Staying out till midnight on a school night, not giving any kind of notice and then to top it all off being irrespondsible enough to get stuck down town at night? Yeah right, now that would make my host mother real proud. I caught the last bus just in time. I was freezing to death and then just as we were about to leave downtown(00:13) we were stopped and stood there for 6 fricken minutes just to wait for all the other ones coming from the concert.

It was quite amazing seeing all those empty buses wait and then leave all at the same time when the transit supervisor gave his okay. It was cool.

Getting home was not, but that's a story for another day.

Just another day...

This is a shortstory I had to write for my English class, maybe you like it, it's loosely based on what Chastity(Cher) went through in her movie Chastity.



Unconsciously her fingers entwined and unlaced from each other again only to repeat the process, her face was forced into a tight, un-readable expression. She followed a female figure, old enough to be her mother but much shorter than the woman the raven-haired teen had once called ‘mommy’. As she stepped over the threshold she was greeted by muffled sounds of pleasure, moans, the rustling sounds sheets made when they were moved… Her breath labored despite all her effort to keep it calm. She knew she wasn’t supposed to be here. Good girls didn’t go to the cathouse, but then again, where else could she go? Both of them came to a lobby, a living room almost were woman clad in camp fashion, slugged in ripped, filthy leather chairs and a couch. There were about seven of them, eyeing her in an assessing gesture, making her cross her arms defensively in front of her not too small, not too big, just right B cup chest. “This is—“, The older woman began, looking at her like she only realized now that she didn’t know the runaway's name. “Chastity” Was the soft spoken reply of the brunette with the extraordinary scrany figure and long hair. It wasn’t the girl’s real name, she had just picked it once out of a dictionary and had liked it.

The older woman proceeded to introduce the other women to her, but somehow all the brunette could hear was her own blood coursing through her veins. She sat down on one of the filthy, roughly used chairs and just waited. For what? She didn’t know. Her breath had calmed, her muscles relaxed slightly and she leaned back as a man was led in. Looking at the woman across from her like she was just a piece of meat; making her turn around for him to touch her full bottom and examine her flabby chest. He seemed to like what he saw, the woman looking indifferent to the touches. He turned around, looking at the short, older woman and nodding in approval. Chastity swallowed hard, having a hard time keeping her eyes straight forward and expression stern. It sent chills down her spine that she had no control over. The man couldn’t take his eyes of the woman, devouring her like a wolf with his eyes as he absent mindedly handed a Benji to the short woman, the owner of this establishment.
Then she took his hand, leading him, disappearing into one of the rooms and shut the door. Finally the young runaway cast her glance elsewhere, just to hide the disgust in her eyes. As the hours turned darker, more and more men started coming and repeating the process she had witnessed, finally a younger fellow was brought in and expressed interest in her. Focusing on an old oil painting of a corn field she let him touch her, let him assess whether she was worth his dirty money. Something in her face must have given her away though, the owner suddenly interrupted. “Not her, for your first time you deserve someone experienced.” She gently nudged him to the only other girl in the room. That’s when Chastity released the breath she hadn’t even known she had held. Once they had left the room the owner started looking at her in a strange, yet familiar manner. It took her a heartbeat to put her finger on it, it was the way her father had looked at her, that lustful glance like she was just a property. Her instinct told her to back down, take a step back and try to ignore her, but not this time, she forced herself to vainly return the older woman’s look. She was used to taking care of herself so she was going to handle this like the adult she wasn’t.

Unnoticed by her, the maroon top she was wearing was wet in just the right spots, clinging to her developing frame. Slowly, as if not to startle a young, innocent doe the older woman crossed the small room, Chastity’s heart beating faster with every step she took, a drop of perspiration forming on her neck and gliding down the smooth skin of her back. With a swift motion the older woman tugged a loose strand of black hair behind her ear, letting her hand softly brush the runaway's cheek who in turn had to force herself not to flinch. The soft caress raised the little hair on the back of her neck and sent her mind flying with questions. Why was this woman prompting such a reaction from the girl? Was just one of them.
Somehow she liked the soft touch but in another way it frightened her, scared her. She just wanted to run out the door and go back to her old life... what kind of life it was though; there was nothing that hadn't been controlled by abusive men, maybe this was a chance to change things. She opened her mouth as to say something but ended up turning her head quietly, while a clear question was ringing in her ears; “What are you doing?!” As if the woman was sensing the girl's concerns, she grasped her slender fingers with her own wrinkled hands. “Come on,” she said a soft smile gracing her features while a patronizing gentle tone carried her soft words, “you must be starving, have dinner with me.” The girl followed her like a lost puppy, still not sure what this would lead up to. No that wasn't true, she knew exactly what was going to happen but for some reason she was curious. They went up a flight of stairs, the older woman's hand never leaving the girls all the while walking through the dimly lit hallways – the paint on the wall crumbling off while the few paintings that had been hung clung desperately to their frail nails. Chastity didn't need to guess that the average guest wasn't supposed to see this part of the house.
Then suddenly the surroundings changed as she was led into what seemed to be private chambers. Everything in this room – a huge room – looked old and expensive. Something Chastity had seen in old Hollywood movies that her grandmother had watched while babysitting her. Those days in the sun, playing hide and seek with her older cousins in the woods just behind- “Sit,” abruptly she was drawn back into reality, away from the innocence of former days.

She stepped further into the room, following the older woman who had already taken a seat at the large table that could have easily held a dozen people. Pulling out a heavy wooden chair clad in soft velvet she swiftly sat down where another table set had been arranged, apparently for a girl the owner would take up there. The teen with the nose that was just a tad too long for her face was overwhelmed by the choice of delicate food she found in front of herself. In the months since running away she hadn't seen anything like this anymore, and even before that she couldn't recall ever seeing this amount; everything from chocolate cover strawberries, chicken, cooked fish to a large choice of nonalcoholic as well as alcoholic beverages of all kinds. She didn't bother to pray like she had been forced to so many times before but started right after her hostess had taken the first bite. Quickly she munched down as much as she could, but even she couldn't finish it all. Unbeknownst to her the older woman watched her curiously, a smirk playing on her face. Spoiling the deprived teen brought joy to her heart, she liked helping young girls get by and this wasn't the first time she was doing this. After their hunger had been stilled in silence the older woman got up walking behind the much younger female.

Now that she was full she knew she had to pay the bill. The older woman gently lifted her long dark hair that the young woman was so proud of from her small shoulder. Causing the girls hand's to clench in her lap and her heartbeat to race. 'Why is this making you so nervous old girl? You've been there before with your mother. All those men you parted with before the sun even rose, maybe this will be a change.' The young girl thought to herself, reminded of her past. So instead of playing dead she took actions in her own hand. She stood up and turned in the embrace of the woman, facing her, leaning into the soft caress of her cheek this time. The touch was softer than anything she had felt in the past, yet it felt wrong. Before she could form another coherent thought her lips were covered by the woman's, sealing them silent and robbing her of oxygen the more experienced tongue gently begging for entrance. Somehow as Chastity withdrew as the need for oxygen became greater than her curiosity – or whatever it was that drove her – the back of her legs connected with the soft sheets on the only bed in the room. Neither one had noticed that they had moved, yet somehow they ended up in the sleeping corner of the room. A gentle push from the older woman and Chastity flopped down on the soft mattress without much resistance. The older woman following her in a more graceful motion.
After hours of moans, groans, writhing in passion underneath the experienced lover's hands she felt spent. And dirty. Ashamed but somehow satisfied. The only thing she wanted was to get out of here. The older woman held her gently in her arms, one hand entangled in her long tresses while the other was loosely draped over her bare midriff. Gently she untangled herself, very carefully not to wake the older woman. Through the only window - that was cover in red drapery, like the rest of the room – she could guess that the sun hadn't even risen yet. 'Just another day...' She thought to herself before getting up, gathering her meager belongings and heading for the door after putting own her a little too hip hugging jeans and maroon top. She didn't cry, she hadn't since her father had left for good when she had only been three. She just went on, running down the stairs and out of the cathouse. One experience richer and a with a lot less self worth if she even had any left at all.
Back to the street where she had come from, hitchhiking, waiting for another man, another night, another meal, another trade...

William and Catherine

So I'm awake again after staying up the whole night for the Royal wedding. This post has nothing to do with Cher but everything with the English Royals. Being European just required me to stay up. And it was worth it.

The dress was unbelievable. Personally I preferred Diana's dress but this is much more understated.It indeed is vintage out of the house of Alexander McQueen - who passed away last year - designed by Sarah Burton. It is very understated with lace covering the strapless upper shoulder part of Kate. It is timeless. Very elegant, she couldn't have made a better choice. The tiara was the one of Queen Mother's, she had been given it on her 18th birthday by her mother. It carries a long history and was a smart choice. Made in 1936 by Cartier it's a masterpiece of work, yet very delicate.


The coverage started at 2 in the morning though the wedding was at 5. Personally that was a little long for me to look at crowds moving and the ridiculous hats of some people. The only one of the Canadian commentators that I recognized was Tracy Ullman, her comments were inappropriately funny and really kept me up a lot of the time. However I missed being introduced to all the royalty as they arrive at the church, recognizing only Fergie and her daughters. I would have loved to have seen Mette Marit or Princess Letizia from Spain whose wedding I slept through.

The wedding was everything one could expect from such an event. It was the material dreams are made of, just beautiful. The princes looked dashing in their uniforms - Harry in a Blue one while the groom wore a red/golden uniform. Unfortunately Willims hairloss was all too obvious. The most magical of moments was though when the bride stepped out of the Rolls Royce, her father by her side and straightened herself. Before walking down the aisle led by her father through a sea of people and trees, the green made the old Westminster Abbey church really come to live. Just before she entered the church Harry also mouthed to his older brother 'Just wait till you see her' which describs it perfectly, no words could ever measure up to Kate's beauty, the dress, the atmosphere etc.

None Nuns and my own delusional little dream setlist

Finally good news: Cher is going to be focusing on her upcoming album as well as her tour (tourdates will be announced in November 2011) and not on a new movie role. She has declined the offer to play the superior nun in the new Farrelly Brothers movie about the comedy trio The 3 Stooges.
She's also been twittering, asking her fans to help her with a new setlist. It's just amazing to think that after 7 years she's going to tour again. Now personally I can only pray that she comes to Europe because my student exchange year ends in the beginning of July and then I'll have to wait for her to come to Europe, Germany in particular. Personally my dream would be a tour like the Heart of Stone tour in 1989/1990. Less elaborate costumes, a little more singing and the whole show geared towards rock rather than exotic dancers and Bob Mackie costumes. I mean don't get me wrong, those costumes are great, but comparing the Farewell Tour DVD and the Cher Extravaganza - Live at the Mirage one just makes me wish I was born ten years earlier. Just watch this video:

One of my favorite songs that she's performed live so far.

Of course Believe is nice but aren't her real hardcore fans slowly getting a little sick of having a Cher - Greatest Hits for the 4 time in two decades? I'd wish she'd do something new.

Why not pick her Black Rose time back up? Belting out rock songs containing the f-word. I mean that's how I love Cher. Being a member of the biggest German forum of Cher, I read that some people would like her to get rid of all the 'old stuff' and the 'boring Sonny and Cher crap'. Personally that would kill it for me. I own her last albums, Living Proof, Believe, It's a man's world and I've downloaded Not.com.mercial as well as Love Hurts but especially the first 3 albums are a nightmare. Aside from Believe, Walking in Memphis and Song for the lonely I can't listen to them.

For me the best Playlist would be a mix out of classic rock songs and Cher songs. Maybe even a little goodies for her fans? Something like Dangerous Times, Working Girl or Soft Feathers and War Paint would just be fantastic live. I know I'm dreaming and the setlist is gonna read like a Cher-Greatest Hits CD but hey if it would be up to me her setlist would be:

1. You haven't seen the last of me
2. I found someone
3. All I really wanna do
4. We all sleep alone
5. Song for the lonely
6. Old Time Rock'n'roll
7. If I could turn back time
8. Taking it to the Streets
9. Half Breed
10. Sunny
11. Dangerous Times
12. Working Girl
13. Jailhouse Rock
14. Walking in Memphis
15. Do you believe in magic?
16. Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves
17. War Paint and Soft feathers
18. Take me home
19. Outrageous
20. Hell on wheels
21. Will you still love me tomorrow?
22. Believe

Okay somewhere I really wanted to put Ringo I love you, but seriously I'm not delusional, she'd never play that. But it's a dream but still I like those songs. It's not very realistic, but at least youtubes there and lets me watch all those videos.

I'm going to try to stay awake for the royal wedding now.

Love and Peace

Three Stooges and a new tour

So for a long time I've avoided the subject and with an upcoming tour I hope that this is just a joke gone wrong but Cher is supposed to star in the Three Stooges movie, directed by the Farrelly brothers - the guys that already directed Cher in Stuck on you. Personally I'm not too fond of them. Stuck on you might be the only movie I was never able to finish despite the fact that two of my favorite actresses(Meryl Streep & Cher) were in it. It's pathetic and stupid in my eyes and it's even painful to fastfoward to the Cher scenes alone. The appeal of that kind of comedy just passed me.

The reason I bring this topic up is that two elderly men in the bus today were discussing a movie that the Stooges made a cameo appearance in. They seemed like the
three Stooges were the hottest act ever. While I admit that they have to be respected for their endurance in a cut-throat business like show-business I don't quite find them funny either. It's just not something I'd like to watch, however I'm sure there are people out there that would watch it, the same people that are actually able to sit through a whole Chaplin movie. Or Laurence and Hardy. But one thing I just can't believe is Cher - leather clad, swearing, dating 20 years her junior Cher - playing a nun. To quote Blanche Deveraux, 'Nun the word says it, none.' Personally I can't imagine Cher actually doing that, at least if she wants to keep her credibility - or what's left of it anyway.


I hope that her new Tour that she twittered about will be x-ing those plans. According to Cher's official twitter - which she has been updating herself while lying in her bed, like we all know - she's going on tour in November 2012. Fine that's a long time, but it's better than no Cher at all. I can't even believe my luck, to be able to see Cher in concert. One question though, how does she want to top her Farewell tour? Or her Vegas show?
I wouldn't know, but if anyone can do it it's our favorite chicka with 9 lives. Exact Tour dates will be released by early 2012 according to Cher herself so let's keep our fingers crossed.

Oh and just on an unrelated note, I made some icons, take them if you want but credit.

Childstar meets church

Remember Candace Cameron Bure? No? Don't worry nobody else does either. Well at least not until they see her picture. She played Donna Joe Tanner on the beloved sitcom Full House for 6 years - she played the oldest sister of the much more known Olsen Twins.

The moment I found out that she had a signing by my usual saturday bookstore browsing I knew I would HAVE TO be there.
I arrived at the mall where the bookstore is an hour and a half early - had to pick up a Cher Extravaganza DVD and then went for a bite to eat. I went back into the chapters around 6 pm and there already was a lineup! I mean come on she's over the hill but a few crazy fans had lined up an hour ahead. Oh well I got in line with my already paid copy of her book 'Reshaping it all'. For those of you who've never heard about it, it's about the former childactress coping with her bingeeating, weight problems and eventually finding spiritual release in god. For me as having abandoned the Roman-Catholic faith - or any for that matter - and someone who hates working out and diets it's not an easy or recommended read.

Anyway waiting in line I met a very nice woman with her 13 year old son. He was a sweetheart teaching me how to use his PSP. The woman was very nice, and had been a fan of Candace because of Full House - as were most other people showing up in Chapters tonight if you ask me. Nobody really knew what the book was about or had even gotten beyond page 3. Every now and then employees of Chapters went through the rows of people and asked if anyone wanted it dedicated - if you did you got a sticky note with your name written on it stuck on your book - just don't talk to the star. Like one of the really big ones she arrived late. Only ten minutes though, after all she is sort of over the hill and wants to go to bed early now. At this point it really hit me that this was not some little signing a book and talking with the author kind of thing that I had attended previously. No this was going to be a big, she's a major star, ooh and ahh about her but don't talk or dare touch her. I skimmed through 'Reshaping it all' in between talking to the woman and her little boy and finishing off my Starbucks Caramel Machiatto. After about half an hour I got up to her. It was just great. It wasn't that bad after all. She was friendly smiling and inquired politely how I was.

My voice almost broke replying. She looked so much like she did on Full House and that had always equalled the perfect family for me. Security. Fun. Music. The only words I could choke out after that was that I loved her song in Full House. She looked at me like she didn't even remember it(- which come to think of it, she probably didn't.)
If you don't either check this one out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnPQ5ba1gI0
I loved it as a child and even now I catch myself whipping along with her. And oh my gosh I wanted her hair! Growing up she was the optimum of coolness for my pre-teen 90s ass.


Back to the signing: A chapters employee took all the peoples cameras and shot pictures while one was talking to Candace - again more praise for her early work on Full House than anything else. After everything was done I took a lot of other pictures of her. Hardly any turned out good, either someone stepped in front of the lense or it became all blurry - I was freaking out to have met her and be close to her and my hand was trembling. Anyhow, I admire that Candace really stayed till even the last fan was satisfied - yes I stayed too making me look like some crazy, fanatic stalker. After two hours of constant smiling she left her position at 9:17 pm to go home, in her case a hotel or a plane.

All in all I got a signed Full House DVD and her new signed book out of it. Both will undoubtly go back to Germany with me in July and get a special spot in my room, when do you ever get to meet someone who inspired you when you were a tiny little kid?! I was shocked at home much she still looked like my teen idol (ha I'm talking about teen idol when I'm only 18 right now =P). Make that pre-teen. She's definitely a nice person but all that mentioning of god and the bible quotes put me off her book, once and if I do read it cover to cover I'll write a review.

Till then, thank you so much for a lovely evening Mrs. Cameron Bure.

Cher '87

1987 was a fabulous year for Cher-deprived fans, after a half a decade of abstinance from music she released her third self-titled album of her career. The same year enduring fans could also admire her on the big screen again; first as head witch of Eastwick, then as relentless laywer and then finally as an Italian widow. The latter earning her her 'Best Actress' Academy Award.

The album starts very powerful, with the Bolton composed rock-ballad 'I found someone'. It's one of those songs, that shows how much her has matured, not only vocally, but as a person. When she belts out 'I found someone to take away the heartache, to take away the loneliness, I've been feeling since you've been gone', one can perfectly imagine her pinning this song at her ex-husband Sonny Bono while in the arms of her bagel boy. None the less the video to accompany the song is one of the most empowering and simply best that she's ever done. When Cher gets dumped she doesn't just crawl up in her bed crying, no, she goes out dressed smokin' hot and gets a new boy-toy.
Cher in her I found someone get up, often falsely labeled as her Turn back time outfit.

The next number is yet another number one hit from this extrodinary album, 'We all sleep alone'.

- Not in the mood right now, I'll finish by the 22nd the latest sorry-