After missing the opportunity on a few occasions during my time in London, I never thought I’d ever get to see the man that is Stevie Wonder in concert anywhere in my lifetime.
Then out of nowhere my friend sends me a link to info about the Calling Festival event held in Clapham Common, and you never guess whose headlining on the Saturday night?… Only Stevie ‘blooming’ Wonder! I nearly wet myself. This was like my birthday present come early, as the concert would be the day before. Even though I’d planned to be out of the country for my birthday on some beach somewhere lapping up the sun and sipping sangria, that plan was swiftly thrown out of the window, and Stevie was firmly all up in there. I wasn’t going to miss Stevie Wonder for nobody you hear me!
The wait was painful… Months turned into Weeks, Weeks turned into days, I felt nervous on occasion like I’d got the dates wrong and missed the whole thing, but the 29th June suddenly crept up on us so quickly I actually wasn’t prepared.
Not only was it my first time seeing my favourite music idol, it was also my first time attending an outdoor music festival (yes I know I’ve lived a sheltered life!), and lord knows you could tell I was a festival virgin… did I think to check the weather forecast before I left… NO, did I think to get some snacks to keep me going through the day… NO, did I think to check what time a Headliner as grand as Stevie would grace the stage… NO… Who in there right mind turns up at a festival at midday, wearing crappy unsupportive shoes and no coat, when the headliner isn’t on till 7pm and its forecast for torrential rain at 3pm… That would be MEEEE!
You know I have to have deep love for Stevie Wonder to be standing up in the pissing rain, with nothing but a plastic bag to cover my head, no toilet paper for the portacabins, and paying £6 for a donut to keep my going.
The little sweetner during the day was the supporting act Paloma Faith … I’d only ever heard this woman speaking on the TV, and that didn’t leave me much desire to see her singing in concert, but “I’ll be damned” she was blooming brilliant and definitely got us warmed up for Stevie Wonder (although still pissed wet through).
Then about 7pm it was like a magic spell was cast and suddenly the rain stopped on cue, the sun began to beat down on us like we’d been transported to the caribbean, and the ray of sunlight entered the stage, the man in the flesh… Stevie Wonder. And oh boy was it worth every rain drop drenching I’d taken.
He did a two and a half hour set with almost no break. He voice was as pure and amazing as in his early days, in fact he sounded even better like it had improved with age. And to top it off he had the wickedest personality, an orginal jokester!
I have no idea where I found the energy from to keep my legs going, but I wasn’t prepared to miss a beat… From How Sweet It Is, to Master Blaster, to Higher Ground, to May be your baby, to Ebony and Ivory, to Signed, Sealed, Delivered, to My Cherie Amour, to Overjoyed, to Sunshine of my Life, to Living for the City, to Don’t you Worry ’bout a Thing, to a tribute song for the recently passed Bobby Womack – If You Think You’re Lonely Now, and rounding up things with Superstition, the man did not let me down.
Stevie Wonder I salute you!
My only complaint was that he never did an encour… Was I asking too much after the man had sung his guts out for nearly 3 hours… OK I’ll let it slide this time Stevie.
I don’t care what you do to get to see this man, but make sure you make sometime to catch one of his many live performances around the world, before its too late!
