What next for Susan Boyle?

So Susan Boyle became a worldwide celebrity after her incredible first appearance on Britain's Got Talent.

She was back for the semi final and only a fool would bet against her winning this season. Simon Cowell must be salivating at the money he'll make off her...



It's another great performance. She's better when she really unleashes than she is in the softer moments (light and shade), but that's being picky.

It's really sweet she just wants to perform for the queen. She clearly has no idea of what awaits her as a worldwide celebrity.

So what's your best affirming moment?

Funny thing. Some things I'm quite self confident in. Like business. I know I'm good and had all the affirmation I need. Like setting promotion records etc.

When it comes to being seen as attractive, especially by guys - not necessarily to someone, just by them - I feel inadequate. There are a few events that precipitated this. And no matter what has happened since, I've never felt happy with myself.

Something got me thinking of five big moments for me. Not that big in the scheme of things. But memories that make me smile.

Once as a Spur waiter it came time for the dessert order. I asked the group of rowdy middle aged ladies what they'd like for dessert. "We'd like you on a plate," they replied. I responded deadpan, "And would you like me with cream or icecream?" I think I got a big tip.

There was the time I was at a Bon Jovi concert and a women stopped me as I walked past. I turned round and she made me turn round again to have my back facing her. She lifted the sweater round my waist to show my backside to her friends who approved loudly.

And the biggest affirmation? At a fair going into a beer tent, as a friend and I walked in, two young guys were coming out. The one stepped back and pulled his friend back. "Better let this guy through - he's built!" he said smiling at me. I was playing club rugby at the time and pretty strong. It was one of the few moments I've had affirmation from other guys.

The other was when I was playing touch rugby as we entered my matric rugby season. I scored a try that made the other team look silly. One of the first team guys said to me, "Wow, are you playing this season?" It was great. Unfortunately I broke my collar bone badly in the third practice of the season. But I remember that touch rugby game and the comment well.

When I was playing touch on the beach in a random game a friend and I joined, I again made a few people look silly and this guy on the other side who was pretty good and built like a brick shithouse came up to me and asked where I played club rugby.

Funny how context determines importance. Meaningless comments that due to my context became memories that meant something.

What is also weird is how context misleads us. Misleads us into thinking that achieving something will solve an internal dissatisfaction. Madonna was once being interviewed when she explained how she had wanted to be loved and fame became the ultimate means of achieving that on a grand scale. She then told how standing in front of 100 000 adoring sycophantic fans turned out to be the loneliest she had ever been.

It's tough because while you know that's true, you still have to go through the emotional process of dealing with your shit. No one else can do it for you.

Do you rave?

Peas disclosed her status as a closet raver and got me reminiscing.

I guess any mass human synchrony that also has people completely caught up in their own space has to be amazing. Especially since many can be stoned out of their minds and others are health ravers and just drink water.

I used to love a pretty hard core dingy rave club in Cape Town called Pure. It was very hard core though. Once, I passed on a speaker there. Nobody can quite believe that.

Mega-raves are the biz though. I've been to multiple Paul Oakenfold raves. Biggest was at Dockside in Cape Town. They oversold the event by 100% (I'm not quite sure how you do that) and you could tell inside - the crowd literally moved as one - there was no space for individual movement.

The night before the Dockside rave, I stumbled upon James Small's engagement party to Christina Storm at his then Cape Town club (I forget the name). For some reason he allowed my friend and I in and we partied with all the models from Christina Storm's agency about an arm's length away from Oakenfold on the decks. Did you know he earns up to R250 000 per mega-rave gig and was at that stage the highest paid DJ in the world?

I also went to 2 Paul Van Dyk raves. Van Dyk is the godfather of trance. Man. Awesome.

I also had such a good rave with Oakenfold at the Atlas Studios - one of the best venues I've been to - that I wrote my car off on the way home. I've been a little more circumspect about things since then.

Great rave DJs read a crowds' energy and can build to a crescendo of racing heart beats and whooping ravers without the crowd being conscious of the patterns. It is amazing how a poor DJ can have great music but fall flat.

Nexus is cool. Try it. But Truth in Midrand has been the rave destination of choice in Jo'burg for a while and hosted tonnes of big name DJs. I saw Mylo there but he played speed garage and I hated it.

My favourite Jo'burg rave jol was a small dingy place in Benmore Jo'burg called Sublime. Oh my oath, I don't know how I survived! No big name DJs, just a completely different scene.

I also raved to John Digweed in New York and did the obligatory pilgrimage to Ministry of Sound in London (a night out there could break the bank).

Other amazing dance clubs (mostly house rather than rave) have been Jet Lounge Cape Town (all time fave), The Fez Cape Town, Mumbar Cape Town, The Gallery London. Sadly Joburg doesn't have too many out-and-out dance clubs like that, except on the East Rand and the drive home is therefore fraught with danger.

If 27 is a rave rabbit, I hate to think what 33 is! But alas, I find it takes me bloody ages to recover from a rave these days and I go on the rare occasion (like once or twice a year) - typically when I'm drunk after having been somewhere else.

At the beginning of this last December a friend had the great idea (not) of getting up and going to a trance party at 04h00 and partying into the day. I thought it was a crazy idea but went along with it anyway. It was one of those Alien Safari things I think. I arrived and, sober, walked through the tent village with the merchants selling their hubbly-bubblies, health drinks, mushrooms, etc. By the time I got to the dancefloor, I thought I was in a Harry Potter movie. Wow.



Other big outdoor raves have been Carl Cox at a New Year's party on Cape Town's foreshore and another New Year at the River Club (also in Cape Town) - probably about '94 when rave was at its peak. Both had over 30 000 mad ravers!

Still to do:
- H20 (although I thought they were no more)
- The Fridge, London
- Ibiza
- DJ Tiesto
- Junior Jack

I also have to do Carfax although that's more House.

Hey, what memories! I've posted this on my blog for posterity with a photo of the dancefloor from December's Alien Safari at dawn.