Go well New Zealand's 198 athletes at the London Games

Yes, it's hard ot believe that a tiny South Pacific nation of under 4.5 million people can send 198 athletes to the Olympic Games in London. It shows how sports mad we are. Over the next two weeks many people will be late for work, because they have stayed up half the night. No doubt some will face angry bosses who will be cranky because they too have been bitten by the Olympic bug, Oh well, it makes a change from the sad news coming out of so many other places. Isn't this what it is all about; for a time the trouble of the world are placed to one side? Ok folks--- enjoy the respite, then---well---God alone knows what awaits us after the two weeks are up.

Has New Zealand got talent?----yes, yes and yes!

I had the privilege of attending a ‘Round 2’ show of New Zealands Got Talent at the Telstra Centre in Manukau last night. Now before anyone gets their ‘tits-in-a-tangle,’---I’m not going to say who was in it or who moved through to the next phase. After all, the show is pre-recorded at this stage.

I learnt a lot about how the show is made. Firstly we had to line up for ages; even though we had so-called ‘priority seats’ and that enabled us to be seated first, in seats just behind the judges. I’m not even going to say who they were, although no doubt that isn’t a secret.

What a great centre the Telstra is; it is adaptable and can change configuration for any circumstance. I loved the almost Opera House feeling (minus the ‘age-old’ feeling). There were three tiers of seating although the upper levels only hold one line seating arrangement with a few standing behind. The main part of the auditorium stretched a fair way back, but I think that even those people had a good view of the expansive stage.

I loved the antics and carryings on of the ‘warm-up guy. He had us in stitches. His job was to impart the instructions a live audience needs in order for the show to run well and to take ‘out-takers for later editing. He was funny and had us bowing to his every wish He was a cheeky bugger that’s for sure.

What followed was a sheer delight as artists and performer after performer strutted their stuff. Suffice it to say that the group I was in had an incredible night. It was a chance for me to meet up with old friends I hadn’t seen for a while. We were in attendance to support a friend of a friend, but we rapidly became hooked up in the whole experience.

I have never been to anything like it. I have to say that NZ has come a long way from those early beginnings of live TV entertainment. It was slick, professional and one always had the feeling that the backstage boys and girls had everything under control.

You will not be disappointed in the talent on offer. There are some tear jerkers and one is left wondering---‘where the hell has this fantastic talent been hiding?’ Long may we have shows like this to introduce e us to the future of NZ’s recording and live entertainment industry. I arrived home, very late and thoroughly satisfied. Thanks for the tickets, dear Lisa.