kalel777 said:

Unfortunately, I have to agree with some of what you said.

I'm excited for him but i'm kinda nervous too. I just hope he wont pull any of his usual stunts like showing up hours late, canceling shows,etc. I really hope he has it together or it will be a disaster. Also, he really needs to sing live this time around. I don't know if he's aware of the fact that the lip synching has damaged his credibility as a performer some, but it has unfortunately. Focus less on the dancing and more on the singing please. I also hope it wont be the same old set list and dance moves either. Even if he doesn't sing any new material, he needs to do songs he's never or rarely performed live before.

I just feel that his whole stage show needs to be revamped. He needs to do something different this time because it seems like he's been doing the same type of show since the "Bad" tour.
[Edited 3/5/09 22:44pm]

Cinnamon234 said:

I agree with some of your observations. A lot of his post Bad tours have had similar staging and routines, but then there is also an expectation by many for that. I mean, Michael's music is also visual - when people go to hear Billie Jean - they want the moonwalk, when they go to hear Beat It - they want the dance routine, when they go to hear Thriller and Smooth Criminal - they want those big elaborate routines.

Unfortunately MJ has boxed himself in a little as if he didn't do the Thriller routine, people would feel robbed.

I just hope the show takes advantage of the advances in staging and technology that have taken place in the last few years.

Time will tell.

Timmy84 said:

Everyone uses the turn of phrase for added marketing buzz, Prince did it back in 2004 with his "playing the hits for the last time" turn of phrase.

I get the sneaking feeling he will retire from live shows - but not from recording.

Swa

suga10 said:

Geez, I hate that plastic surgeons help people do this to themselves. He was just fine the way he was and had a great smile.

Swa said:

Prince said that "playing the hits" for the last time quite a couple of times, not to mention him saying that the Purple Rain tour was to be his last.....then started another tour barely a year later

BSOD said:

Looking closer at these pictures and the one where's his hands are kinda folded over his heart, my eyes were drawn to his hands. There's something weird about the folds, wrinkles, coloration & reflection. Even the fingertips/nails look strange and discolored. It looks to me like he has wrist length, flesh-toned, vinyl type gloves on?? In the one where he's doing the 'Nixonesque' victory sign pose, you can see a rough edge and it's not the same color as his skin. (not the string bracelets, they're probably there to distract...)

Not too long ago, on one of his trips to the doctor, the tabs had pictures of his hands looking all swollen and discolored...
[Edited 3/6/09 0:41am]

Cinnamon234 said:

This is exactly why,for years,I've been suggesting that he should STRIP IT DOWN and do an acoustic tour.Or at the very least,he should have an acoustic segment of ballads (see the setlist I came up with,in the other thread).How cool would it be to see him sitting on a stool,performing gems like "I Can't Help It" and "Whatever Happens" without all the special effects,gimmicks,choreographed dance moves and lavish costumes? He could give the songs a fresh new makeover.If he did this,I know it would be the highlight of the show,for many fans.

Can't see him doing aftershows at the Indigo2!

Still, should be entertaining, if he can keep it up. A show every 2 or 3 nights, 2 hours max, a few rests, a few slow numbers, should be do-able.

Will be a farce if he doesn't actually sing though.

All I'll say is good like to MJ, despite it all he is a performer as is Prince.

Will he lip sync, who knows, but people in the UK and the world also have Britney Spears to look forward too and everryone knows she can't do it live as she proved on TV recently.

Will I go, Dunno yet, if I do it will only be once though as I doubt he will vary the shows or do aftershows, i'm sure there will probably be a lot of other dates after the initial 10.

But hey, give him a chance, we all know the stories and have our own ideas, so lets view it as a chance to see him perform aain. Nothing else.

Ha ...Ha... ..Everyones' is talking MJ on the TV , the Radio, Newspapers, ...you can't turn on any media based in the UK with out them talking about MJ ....

The Ticket Touts are trying to sell tickets for £1,000.00 + on websites in the UK ....and they are not released until next week....We have a 5 min commercial on Sunday Night TV .....about the concert.....

Who's Bad.....

oh...Chris Brown had 3 sell out nights and did not sing ..and we all know Britney can't do it.....

Axchi696 said:

omg i just nearly threw up all over my laptop

every artist in the US will be calling up their agent.....get me a date at the 02....

I guarantee you he'll only last a week...he'll be flanked by loads of dancers and a lot of pyrotechnics, anything to give the impression that it's a "show", at the same time obscuring his lack of actual performing.

THE KING IS BACK 2009!!!!!

Mong said:

Thats what everyone hopes for but .....when it starts and he puts on a show even if its at 50% the world will go mad....

I know you want tickets mong everyone does .....and most of them are like me not even a hardcore fans.....

THIS IS IT!.....

These tickets will sell out in no time for sure. There are easily enough MJ fans in the UK, and in fairness to their crazy asses - they've waited a hell of a long time for something like this.

How much of a success it will be musically and visually remains to be seen. Its been over 10 years since he put on a fully formed solo show - so maybe it will be totally fresh. after that amount of time its as easy to do something new, as it is to remember the old routines / arrangements.

I just hope for his fans sakes, he doesnt roll out uninspired arrangements, lipsynching, and the same old costumes & routines. He's clearly willing to go back to work now (willing / has to), so maybe he'll be hyped up to invigorate his career again.

Michael Jackson takes entire three and a half minute ITV ad slot (BRITISH TV)

LONDON - ITV1 is airing an exclusive, one-off three and half minute ad to promote Michael Jackson's comeback series of shows at the O2 on Sunday night in the middle of Dancing on Ice.

The ad, featuring a new Jackson video showcasing his performances over the years, will debut at 9.30pm. He is the only artist to take over an entire ad break on ITV.

Jackson is returning to the stage for the first time in 12 years for 10 shows in July.

The 50-year-old held a press conference yesterday in London and arrived an hour and half late.

Tickets go on sale on 13 March, but the presale registration website, MichaelJacksonLive.com, is already struggling to cope after receiving 16,000 requests per second, according to a spokesman for AEG Live, which is promoting the concerts.

http://www.mediaweek.co.u...slot/.....

Holy smokes, the king of pop returns!

And it seems that the frail 50-year-old pop legend agrees. He is late. A lateness that goes beyond just being famous, and seems to verge on some kind of passive-aggressive point-proving. Despite more than 7,000 fans having been here since 2pm, Jackson’s stage time of 4pm comes and goes. At 5.29pm Dermot O’Leary, the X Factor presenter, appears on stage and tries to introduce a video package – which fails. He tries to herald Jackson's long-awaited advent with “London welcomes the King of Pop – Michael Jackson!” – but Jackson still remains absent. For fully a minute of confused silence, O’Leary stands on the stage, and 7,000 fans stand in the cold, waiting for a man who is undoubtedly one of the greatest geniuses of popular culture but who has made it harder than almost any other artist for anyone to simply enjoy the fact.

WHO'S BAD.....

http://entertainment.time...854738.ece

SoulAlive said:

I agree with you but he's so stuck in his superstar-king-of-poo-ego trip that he will never do that, he would shit his pants if he had to record some vocals with a live band and do only one take as James Brown used to do in the 60's and sometimes in the 70's, just because in his messed-up mind everything has to be "perfect"... so "perfect" it's getting sterile and dull.
Now the question is : is he going to do more lipsynching than Madonna & Britney altogether ?
MJ fans, keep your money and buy a ticket for AC/DC, you'll see how a bunch of 50-something guys can kick ass.

ChimChimBadass said:

You are joking right.....AC/DC.....MJ is a one off ...like Prince...one off...AC/DC well loads of bands could step into their shoes...

I saw Michael Jackson live in 1996 and i saw Prince live in 2007 at the o2. Michael mimmed every song about from 2 of which he grunted and squeeled through the ones he actually sung that u couldn't make it out. The band were mimming the music and the backing tracks were playing. I have the concert of DVD and have watched it again and i cringe to think that i paid to see that. Prince in concert is another story every note is live from the band and from him. He talks to the audience makes them laugh all MJ does is shout 'I love you' during a live show. Thats all.

Its not worth it guys waste of money trust me!

ac/dc still rocks, so does Prince

MJ is just plain sad

but tickets will sell out because people do not really care about real music by real musicians

lagantest said:

That's the problem .....you have seen him ....many here ...that includes me have not that's why he's gonna sell out.....

Not sure where you saw him but the o2 area is a nice venue .... and no one expects a 51 year old man to moonwalk ...we are just going if we can get tickets to see him do maybe 50mins max of magic ...thats it...trust me everyones eyes are wide open ....if MJ gives 50% or more it will do..

He is the only ....The only artist in the world who can get away with this because of what he has done....

Bet you still watch his videos and play his music....or dance when you her beat it.....

Serena said:

Dear. It's called make-up. Michael Jackson has blotches on his skin due to the vitiligo / alleged skin bleach operation and covers them up with make-up. He was doing this as early as the 80s. People who have shaken hands with him tell the same thing.



This one's called "lupus", it's a disease. Also people on strong psyche medication (or any type of medication, really) might end up getting swollen hands. We know for a fact that he has been on pills for ages.

But perhaps it helps people's own ends if they are allowed to cling onto the imaginary fantasy that he has completely reconstructed himself from head to toe.

Jacko has West End night with a Twist

Michael Jackson is to cause mayhem in the capital for the second time this week - for we can reveal he is to head into central London to see the West End production of Oliver.

Peekaboo: the Jackson family waves to the throng of fans outside the Lanesborough hotel

The singer, 50, who spectacularly relaunched his ailing musical career by announcing a 10-date tour at The 02 later this year, is to be accompanied by his children and close pal Mark Lester - who played Oliver in the 1968 film.

The current stage version features the nation's sweetheart Jodie Prenger as Nancy, while Rowan Atkinson has taken the role as Fagin.




Special guest: Mark Lester played Oliver in the 1968 film

We're told: "Michael was left on such a high after he announced his tour to hoards of fans. He has always been a massive fan of the film, so was really keen to see it on the stage.

"He has obviously been given the best seats in the house and is making it a real family outing, he considers Mark one of his best friends.

"Since he arrived he hasn't been demanding or throwing any diva strops with anyone - but it's unlikely he'll want to pop out for interval drinks."

Michael, who has attracted world-wide attention for his bizarre lifestyle, has only been in London for a short while and is staying at the Lanesborogh hotel in a £5,000-a-night suite.

Since news broke of his arrival, devoted fans rushed to the hotel and have been keeping a 24-hour vigil. Even the slightest twitch of the curtains at the star's hotelroom window draws adoring screams from the waiting pack.

Speculation over the singer's ill-health was finally scotched last night as he laughed and joked with assistants backstage at The 02 arena.

Michael has been training solidly for more than a month ahead of his "all singing and all dancing" two-hour show.

Yesterday, he took to the stage 90 minutes later than planned and told the crowd: "These will be my final show performances in London."

His last appearance in the UK was at the World Music Awards in 2006 where he mumbled his way through We Are The World before leaving the stage.

But this time, those close are saying that he is definitely back to his best.
http://www.thisislondon.c...article.do

With Madonna set to play 29 shows in Europe this summer,and with Michael planning to play up to 20(?) shows,it looks like the 80s are back


Janet's getting left behind!

whats the official michael jackson website?

Evvy said:

It's a place where you can go for official announcements and photos and stuff but that's not important right now.

KeithyT said:

duuh -- whats the web address?