It’s so hot right now, about 90 degrees’ worth of heat (that’s 32 in Celsius) and we are pouring our love for Michael Jackson out in sweat. DJ Spinna – who, by way of the turntables, is our dance commander – in particular must be feeling like he’s about to spontaneously combust, as he simultaneously rocks the crowd whilst staring into the blazing sun (a white tee-shirt was a good choice). Meanwhile Spike Lee’s onstage with his socks pulled up, looking appropriately awesome at life. Happy birthday Michael. Our love for you burns with the ferocity of a thousand suns.
Honestly it’s all one MJ blur, as Spinna careens from one hit to the next, making me realise that the amount of hits MJ had/has is quite incredible. Some Jackson 5 is thrown down and hands are in the air and waving particularly nostalgically for 'I’ll Be There'. Most of the time though we’re focused on dancing our gutz out (I thought I was going to pass out, serz): 'PYT' for the bronze, 'Rock With You' for the silver and 'Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin' FTW – as the signs that we’ve been given ("Hee-Haw!!!”, “You’re A Vegetable” and “Mama Se Mama Sa Mama Coo Sa”) go up in the air at all the appropriate times.
Spike mentioned something about a “special guest” coming later in the day, which I thought would be Q-Tip or someone local, but (holy shit) Snoop Dogg walks onstage sandwiched between two bowling ball-headed security dudes. He does 'Gin And Juice' and 'Drop It Like It’s Hot' wearing one sequined glove and then ohhmylawddd out pops Warren G, who does the main hit of his career ('Regulate', obvz). We wish Nate Dogg was here to do his part.
With the crowd packed in nice and tight now down in front, we soldier on and realise that we have, in fact, been dancing for 5.5 hours. Which means that it’s time for karaoke 'Man In The Mirror', a moment so heartfelt that Spike insists that we do it twice. I’m surrounded by smiles and booty shaking from front to pack, side to side and am being outdone by a small child who has a bucket-load of sick moves that I’ll never be able to replicate. But hey, nothing could feel better than this on MJ’s 52nd birthday.
Lead image from
celebritymound.com. Related images from
Kirsten Faulder.