Liverpool
By Dianne D

Hi everyone from Dianne Davies
 
Well I have to de-lurk now don't I?
Krysia and Sylvia have filled you in on the wonderful Liverpool experience, and I guess I'd better add my take on it!  You'all maybe don't know me but I've been a Mavs fan since I first saw "I Should Have Been True" on CMT (when we had it in England) and I think I've seen them about 8 times now.  My favourite is Raul.
 
Fabulous show from Raul, Jaime and Dennis.  My husband Ray and I were lucky to be on front row centre.  Sylvia has posted the set list in her usual efficient and helpful way, so I'll just fill in a few of the details I remember.
 
Raul was so much more relaxed than he was five years ago -
I remember that very tense start to one of the Manchester University shows
when he bawled out the lighting man and we all sort of ducked our heads and winced!  He is quite a comic, as you all know.  Again he described his kids as "drunken midgets" and I for one was hysterical at his take on the British newspapers' evaluation of the relationship
between the Brits and the French!  Also he told us how he would like to "go" (as in die)!  I won't say any more until after Sunday and Monday so I don't spoil it for those who haven't seen it yet (assuming of course he uses some of the same gags!)
 
It was lovely to hear some of the songs I've hitherto been wondering about, like "Palabras" which is just amazing and the sweet "My Boy".
 
Ray and I arrived in Liverpool at about 4.00 and were driving into the car park opposite to where THE BUS was parked.  Ray looked in his rearview mirror and said "Raul just got off the bus".  I leapt out of my seat and ran over the road and then just hovered a few yards away with
my knees shaking!  I didn't approach him because I didn't want to look a complete idiot (but hey, why change the habits of a lifetime?)  Raul looked gorgeous in shades and a long black overcoat, and in my excitement I just managed to notice the couple with him!  Afterwards I said
to Ray "I think that was his Mum and Dad!"
 
Later in the auditorium we teamed up with Krysia and Sylvia from the list and I would like to thank them - although I hardly ever write to the list and I never did get back to Sylvia about that photo from the Manchester MEN I was going to use, they treated us very much like "one of
them", introducing me later to the lovely Norma, mother of the great one!  What a wonderful lady, very glamorous, strong and funny.  Later she led us backstage like a mother hen with her little chicks, and we had the most fantastic session of photographs and informal chat.  Norma
is so down to earth and she seems to love all the attention we give her and her lovely son.  I felt as if I knew her already.  Raul Snr. was very quiet while we females clucked away, spending a lot of his time with his head in a magazine reading the Nick Kane interview!  Later he was
very gracious though and Ray asked for a photo with him saying "You're the guy who started it all!" which I think Raul Snr. liked!  They both have lovely smiles so you can see where Raul gets it from.
 
I had been a bit jealous of folks like Krysia who can get time off to go from town to town following Raul or The Mavs.  But this time we struck lucky with the one gig we managed to see!  Thanks so much to Raul, Jaime (who is absolutely charming - he seemed to like my comment "You were good - and I don't say you're good if you're not so you were good!") Oh, the babbling we do in the presence of our idols!  Thanks especially to Mr and Mrs Malo Snr, Krysia and Sylvia for making it just THE BEST!
 
all the best
Dianne Davies

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