2023-05-05 Stories for Boys

It started off innocently enough... I was trying to get tickets to go see Bono play the Olympia Theatre in Dublin.

With 3 different early access codes and trying Ticketmaster from my work and home PCs and also my phone, I thought 'this'll be easy'.

I was wrong. No tickets did I get.

Roll on a few weeks, and some gigs were announced for New York. For the craic, I tried for tickets. Unbelievably, I had two in my basket within seconds. After some quick words in the office, the purchase was made and plans were afoot.

But, like life, not everything goes to plan and I was left with a spare ticket. Now the decision was 'should I stay or should I go...'. If I go, it'll be a hefty hunk of change, but if I stay... Nah, I was never going to stay!

Over the coming weeks, flights and accommodation were booked, as were tickets for other shows to go see whilst in NYC, and the countdown was truly on.

And before you say it, yes I know a 10,000km roundtrip is a crazy distance to fly for a gig!

So, I touched down on a Tuesday afternoon, made my way from JFK Airport to Nap York, Central Park, my accommodation for the week. If you're looking for a romantic spot, this is not re place for you. However, if you're travelling alone and looking for somewhere safe, clean, quiet and affordable, Nap York is for you!

Day 1, and it was time for the first of 3 gigs in 3 nights. Gig 1, La Bohéme, in the Met Opera House. Okay, technically not a gig, but it was singing, backed by a huge orchestra, so...

I'd never been to the opera before, so this was a totally new experience for me. Did I look like I belonged there? Hell no. Did I have a clue what was going on? Hell no. Did I enjoy it? I most certainly did. It was a great experience!

Bed... Sleep... More sleep.

Day 2, Gig 2, and the reason I was in New York, Bono in the Beacon Theatre on Broadway. I'd no real idea of what to expect from Stories of Surrender. I'd read the reviews, but they didn't quite do it justice. It's a strange hybrid of Spoken Word and, for the second time this week, Opera. It's a love letter to U2, to Ali, his wife, but most of all, it's a love story about Iris and Bob, his mum and dad.

I don't think it's a sing along with Bono type of gig, so I'd you're expecting something akin to an acoustic U2 set, you'll be disappointed. It just didn't have that sort vibe, apart from Pride with a beautiful back and forth, call and answer, with the audience. But that doesn't mean I was disappointed, far from it. It's a more intimate affair, altered lyrics, altered melodies... It was a crazy idea to fly to New York for the gig, but it was absolutely worth it!

Bed... Sleep... Even more sleep.

Day 3, Gig 3 was Nurse Bettie Burlesque at, well, Nurse Bettie NYC. I love a good Burlesque show and I'd tickets for a show in the Slipper Rooms on the same night as this show. For some reason, I decided against the Slipper Rooms and headed to Nurse Bettie, and I'm glad I did. It was a small, intimate affair, which meant you had no choice but to be part of the night, there was no hiding from the host, Miss Frankie Eleanor! We were treated to performances by Lelu Lenore, Rita Ann'Tique and, the aforementioned, Miss Frankie.

What a night that was, full of fun, if you like Burlesque and are in NYC, you should head down to the Lower East Side and go to a show!

Other than some regular sightseeing and a trip to the cinema to see Return of the Jedi, the 40th Anniversary showing, it was a quite few days!!!

Now for some photos and a video (age restricted by YouTube due to boobs and bums...) and then my own bed and yet more sleep: