Michael Jackson Mania at London Train Station
Fri Jun 14, 9:47 AM ET

By Paul Majendie

LONDON (Reuters) - Screaming mobs of Michael Jackson fans descended on a London train station Friday, clamoring for a glimpse of the reclusive pop star.

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Michael Jackson
Bedlam reigned as fans from as far away as Nigeria, Norway and the United States swarmed Paddington Station where their hero was boarding a train for Exeter in the southwest of England.

One hundred diehard fans also clambered aboard the Exeter Express, each clutching a 100 pound ($150) ticket for the trip and entrance to Jackson's show later Friday.

Jackson is doing a big favor for his friend Uri Geller, the spoon-bending psychic who is co-chairman of the third division Exeter City Football Club.

The singer, who was best man at Geller's wedding, offered to help out with a fund-raising day for the club and local charities.

The scene at the station was pure chaos, recalling Beatlemania back in the 1960s.

Scuffles erupted and extra police were called as the fans surged forward on the platform.

Train driver Steven Allen has taken the royal family on 50 trips around Britain, but said he had never seen pandemonium like this before.

"I am surprised to see so many fans with Jackson. I thought he was such a recluse," he told Reuters before the train pulled out.

Jen Winings, 20, had flown from Cincinnati for a glimpse of her hero.

"I never get tired of his music. He is so great to all of us. I have got his autograph six times. I would love to sit down and tell him how great he is," she said.

Miriam Vidreid, 19, had come from Bergen in Norway because: "I just wanted to get a glimpse of him. He is an amazing artist. His music is fantastic."

Florent Quilliot, 21, had come over from Lille in France. "We follow him everywhere. I have been a fan for 10 years," he said.

Sinead Woods, a devoted fan from Wicklow in Ireland, was still recovering from the shock she received while stargazing outside his London hotel.

"He looked in my direction yesterday. That was amazing," she recalled with a sigh.

So what was the big attraction of Jackson who many other fans have deserted since his blockbuster "Thriller" album in the early 1980s?

Woods was outraged at such a suggestion: "He is stronger than ever. It is his looks that attract me. He is gorgeous, so handsome."

It's silly the way that MJ's handlers releases information to his fan clubs on where MJ is will be and where he will be staying on his overseas trips.

The call is put out through internet fansites for MJ fans to be at a certain place at a certain time so they can scream for MJ.

Jacko still has messiah touch
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BBC-NEWS

Jackson in the rain with Blaine, left, and Geller, right

By Andrew Segal
in Exeter

"Michael Jackson coming to Exeter." The thought of it alone was quite extraordinary.

But when the man himself actually appeared in front of thousands of cheering fans at a Third Division football club's ground of which his friend Uri Geller is chairman, it seemed that "extraordinary" was to be the word of the day.

And if the audience reaction was anything to go by it appeared to be more than just the visit of the King of Pop, but more the coming of a musical messiah.

Limousines

Since the rumours that he was going to visit the county started a few weeks ago, there had always been a healthy degree of scepticism, especially after an alleged sighting of Jackson at a North Devon theatre the year before which turned out to be a rather good look-alike.

But as the stands started to slowly fill and we heard talk that some stretch limousines had arrived at about 1615BST, there was the sudden feeling that something major was about to happen.

And nowhere was the change more palpable than in the audience.

It wasn't a full stadium. Another couple of hundred people could have fitted in quite comfortably.

Jackson greeted young fans from his vintage car

It also seemed a little too relaxed at first. Ticket holders casually walked to their seats, some whistling loudly, glad to be there, but all of them seeming to be measured and controlled.

Several acts came on first, including two bands, a modern dance troop and a tribal African dance group, and they were received well, with a good amount of appreciative applause.

But again it was very measured - until the headline act was announced and that's when the security presence greatly increased. Something was definitely afoot.

And when an open-topped vintage car drove into the ground with a familiar figure semi-hidden under a black umbrella, there was only one way to describe the reaction - the oft used phrase "The crowd went wild".

Media scrum

But then things seemed to fall apart somewhat.

The plan had been for Jackson to arrive in the car, which would be driven around the ground so as he could wave the crowd.

Some 100 yards down one side, so many people had gathered round the car that it couldn't move.

The media scrum and over-enthusiastic fans halted part of the plan.

The crowd had been warned that if that happened, he would leave. To give him his due, he didn't.

Children

Jackson stepped out of the car for a minute before making a wild run to the relative safety of the specially erected stage in the corner of the pitch.

Apparently he had been scheduled to only talk for three minutes, but he did stay longer than that, at times hardly being able to make his speech because of constant appreciative shouting and his occasional laughing at the reaction.

Fans shouted their glee, their declarations of love, and some children were allowed to join him on stage with American magician David Blaine and spoon-bending friend Uri Geller.

He thanked everyone for their support, he requested his audience to give their support for the people of Africa and those with HIV, and that, "We must learn to live and love each other before it is too late".

Magician David Blaine tried to carry out a few tricks after Jackson's speech, but not too many eyes were on him.

Polite

Jackson then tried again to make his circuit around the ground in his vintage car, but this again was cut short when more fans came on to the ground, with the car soon making a beeline for the exit.

But though some might have thought that this spoiled the end, it didn't seem to matter.

The people had seen their hero. He had stayed a while and spoken to them.

He politely said thank you, that he believed England would win the World Cup and waved goodbye.

He left, leaving several thousand people with feelings of complete disbelief that they had just witnessed his visit.

It was certain that to his fans, he is still the King of Pop.

SpcMs said:

it's only a man, who like prince now sucks. nothing to get excited over. so calm down about mj.

I don't really like MJ's new music that much in fact i think its rather weak (and i used to be a massive fan since i was a kid,) but I wish i had gone down to london now, when he was at Oxford Union there was just such a charged atmosphere. if you do get bored you can always look around at some of those hardcore, crying MJ freaks. How many other artists can create such an electric atmosphere like that ? this is without singing or dancing but just standing there, when i saw Janet Jackson live it was great but there wasn't that same excitement or suspense you feel growing around you when MJ does an appearance.

Of course he's only human but there must be something very, very special indeed about him if he can get grown men in tears, girls fainting, draw crowds when he isn't doing anything that exciting, have fans waiting in the rain for him, sleeping outside his hotels etc etc