Legendary divas are sashaying through London town this Spring at a rare old rate. Kylie and Dolly are already chalked off my list. Both of them are (and were) amazing, but whilst those ladies have certainly earned their stripes over the years, what about achievement that goes way back? It's been on my mind that, given half a chance, I should take in the few dyed in the wool legends while they are still around. So, when PoW, a close friend and long-time fan of Diana Ross, noticed that she was playing Wembley Arena as part of her I Love You World Tour, it was clear: we had to go.
In a display of feathers and sequins that made the Shirley Bassey concert I saw last year look positively Amish, Diana put on the most sensational show. There were no pyrotechnics, no extravagant stage sets, no dancers performing Parkour. She and her hair just got up there and banged out a songbook that would make Elton John green with envy.
It's a bit of a multimedia extravaganza today, but I suspect Miss Ross would approve: there's no need for copious re-touching because I was in Block B2 last night. It's a lot better than the results I managed at Dolly, but nowhere near my actually-rather-good Madonna shots. Diana is pleasingly out of focus. The one above is as the show begins and she arrives on stage, which was spectacular and... er... well... let's go video:
Diana Ross I'm coming out (snippet)
This was then very swiftly segued into...
Diana Ross Chain reaction (snippet)
She's clearly sung the crowd-pleasers more times than she has had hot dinners, but seemed ebullient, alive and thrilled to be trotting them out one more time, something I am not sure an artist can fake. In particular, a lengthy, utterly blissful Supremes medley climaxed in a thrilling You can't hurry love, a personal high point...
Diana Ross Where did our love go? (snippet)
Diana Ross You can't hurry love (snippet)
She Stops! in the name of love. This is dress number 1: red, with sequins
There wasn't too much time for chat and banter, but she managed a little light crowd control during You can't hurry love, "can you clear the aisles please!" and happily accepted gifts in the middle of Ain't no mountain high enough. She also seriously swung it: hips gyrating, she purred, "Not bad for an aging diva!" to a cackle of laughter, and it had to be said, she had a point. This seemed far removed from the difficult, humourless person who was interviewed in Attitude a few months ago as it was possible to be. That said, she didn't seem particularly used to poking fun of herself and perhaps that's not her strong suit.
Dress 2: yellow, with sequins
Dress 3: white, with sequins
But, there were none in the audience keen to poke fun or see the bad side. Diana gave it all she had and they loved it. Who were this peculiar bunch, hanging out in Wembley on a Wednesday? It seemed unclear. It was far, far gayer at Dolly and as PoW pointed out, they were less middle of the road last night, and more on the verge. We were sitting next to three American ladies of a certain age, for whom this was not their first trip to see Diana. "Swing your moneymaker, honey!", one of them screeched, while it was arms-in-the-air time during Do you know where you're going to? One thing was clear, it didn't matter who we were or where we came from to Diana, because during her final eulogy to us, she explained she loved us, individually.
Dress 4: black, with sequins
Our little gang last night was PoW, LM and AW, a last minute stand-in for NS. AW, a mere youth, had been concerned that he wouldn't know any of the songs save for a smattering of Supremes numbers, but was thrilled when number after number, she delivered the goods. "She sang 'Endless love'?", he marvelled, and despite my faux-horror at such a revelation of lack of pop knowledge, in truth I too was a little taken aback by the breadth of the material she had to draw on. Naturally there were one or two numbers from the new record, but she didn't saturate us with this, wisely realising we were here for the classics chiefly.
I would have recorded Ain't no mountain high enough as a little video, but frankly, I was in seven shades of ecstasy during that one, so we'll have to conclude with her gift to the gays, a rendition of I will survive. But I suspect the song was superfluous - when it comes to survival, Diana had made her point, swinging her sequined shoulders, already.
Diana Ross I will survive (snippet)
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