You won’t have Michael Jackson to kick around any more!

Well, he did it…Michael Jackson, frail and tottering and acting drugged, made the announcement that he is definitely playing London one last time (I’ll still believe it when I see it):

[The] trembling, gaunt figure in front of the microphone stumbled over his words just long enough to tell everyone he loved them – before saying an emotional goodbye. [...]

‘This really is it,’ he said. ‘When I say this is it, it really means this is it.’

And just in case anyone failed to pick up on the message, he added: ‘This is the final curtain call.’

Quite whether that was worth a five-hour wait in the refrigerator temperatures of the 02 Arena was the subject of much discussion afterwards among those who had so loyally endured the queueing marathon.

What was billed as a press conference turned out to be four minutes that failed to change the world. But, don’t worry. There will doubtless be masses of hyped up non-events like this one throughout what is certain to become the Summer of Jacko. [...]

It has been 12 years since he toured, the last several of which have been shadowed by erratic behaviour, tarnished reputation and concerns over his health.

He might have been punching the air and giving victory signs yesterday but his heavily-caked face failed to mask the uncomfortable impression that here was a middle-aged man who looked and acted as if he was on painkillers.

Now, don’t forget this is in London, so you’re going to have to pony up some dough; after you pay air fare, tickets for Michael’s shows should run around $70-$106 USD (£50 and £75 UKP).

Also this week, Britney Spears kicked off her new Circus tour, with tickets going anywhere from $90-$750 a pop.  So, this beggars the question:  In this recession, when people are losing their homes and being laid off left and right and wondering just how they are going to put dinner on the table, would YOU pay that kind of money for tickets?  I think you already know my answer.

Thinking of these two also brought to mind this snippet, talking about how both Brit and Michael are horrors to work with in the recording studio:

If only Britney Spears could sing in studio the way she’s able to cash in on her All American smile she’d be much more pleasant to work with, according to one of her New York record producers. The shapelessness of her psyche during recording sessions transcends into a living recording hell. The incensed producer said Spears has the blank schizoid fever of white southern trash when it comes to laying down her vox. “She’s the only artist I’ve ever worked with where it takes at least 250 takes to record a vocal,” the producer told IUC. “If you could hear just her voice tracks on solo play you’d have to block your ears. You hear the blank tones of her annoying southern drawl. Simon Cowell would have a heart attack hearing her.”
Another pop icon the producer had stirring memories working with was Michael Jackson. “Michael was impossible to deal with from the second he stepped in my studio,” the Grammy award winning producer said. “He requested mineral water from Norway and refused to wear headphones to record his vocal. That’s the biggest nightmare to work with. Imagine, no headphones and all the background noise filtering through. It’s almost impossible to clean up in post production.”

Searching through videos, I found this little gem of Michael and Britney performing together at Madison Square Garden in 2001  (sadly, shortly before the terrorist attacks).  It shows that even as recently as 2001, Michael could still sorta-kinda bring it (even though this was basically a rehash of a previous Grammy performance) and Britney looked pretty good pre-Kevin, although all Brit does is wander back and forth across the stage and shakes her booty a little while leaving Michael to do the actual work.  It just ticks me off that they goofed with a great MJ song…you know, from back when he was actually trying.  Putting Brit’s voice on there made it toothachingly awful…at least we know Michael can sing when he wants to.

Well, y’all enjoy…I’m outta here!

Source: k