Hype kicks off as Jacko gigs loom
TO the Conrad at noon yesterday where a press conference had been called to announce the Second Coming. As all his devotees probably know by now, the patron saint of moonwalking Michael Jackson is heading to town again (the first time was six years ago when he stayed for nearly three weeks taking in the sights and sounds).
But this time it's strictly business - for which he'll pick up a US$2.4 million (HK$18.6 million) pay cheque - and yesterday the media was under starter's orders to get the hype going.
Quite, quite - but where does one get tickets, we hear you ask? If you are an American Express cardholder then tickets are available from today until July 13, after which the rest of the plastic generation - or anybody else who still deals in cash - can avail themselves of what's left at Tom Lee Music outlets.
But while the top line of tickets - $1,600 - will afford the best view, there seems little hope that anyone at Sha Tin Racecourse will get close enough to touch the hem of the great man's garment; apart, that is, from the 500 underprivileged children whom Jackson has insisted should occupy a special enclosure at the front of the stage for the August 15 and 16 concerts.
Amex members will have access to the $1,600, $880 and $580 tickets, while the $280 tickets are set aside for the budget-conscious. All the 28,000 tickets for each show come with a KCR return ticket to Sha Tin.
But no one at the top table at the press conference could adequately address the question as to what happens if Amex cardholders, who are each entitled to purchase 30 tickets, buy up the lot leaving the hoi polloi (who make up the majority of genuine fans) to scramble for the cheapest seats.
And could we have a situation as occurred in Singapore when all the tickets for the Jackson gigs were sold out within hours - many bought on Amex cards - with a secondary market opening up shortly afterwards? One other thing. There was lot of reference at the press conference to Pepsi, but no mention of carrot juice. Jackson, a slave to things organic, must apparently have the stuff on tap both in his hotel suite and dressing room if he is to function properly.
Without his carrot juice he can be both bad and dangerous - so watch out Hongkong!
