We were fortunate to get tickets to An Evening with Barack Obama – his only UK event – at the O2 in London a few weeks ago.
So, what was it like to be in the presence of a truly Presidential individual – who is a complete contrast to the current incumbent?
Well, firstly, we had to get in. Having had lunch with John Major at an event previously, he merely had a couple of Range Rovers in his entourage – and little overt security. When you are dealing with the ex-President of the United States, then the security is on a completely different level. There were two sets of screening just to get in.
When the allotted hour came, he came on stage to a standing ovation. There was definitely a lot of love going around, and it was a strangely moving and emotional experience.
The format was one of Barack Obama being interviewed by David Ulusoga – the eminent historian, writer and broadcaster – and if you still can’t visualise him, he is currently on Celebrity Traitors on the BBC.
When listening to Barack Obama you are instantly drawn to his voice. However, unlike the speeches I have heard previously, this was a hesitating and faltering version of him – constantly blinking as if he had to continuously think about what he was saying.
An evening with a Statesman
Which is exactly what he did. Over the course of an hour and a half, he did not mention the current President once by name. He referred to him indirectly a couple of times but spent his time offering Presidential and Statesmanlike answers to the pressing questions put to him.
I would have loved to have whisked him off at the end of the performance to a local pub, given him a few pints and then asked the same questions again. I am certain the answers would have been much more revealing about his views on the direction his country is heading in.
I think the telling moment was at the end. He was warmly clapped and everyone stood – but there was not the same level of emotion as there had been at the beginning. I am very pleased that we went to see Obama – but I don’t think we got the full, unfettered and deeply impressive version that I have heard at other times.
At An Evening with Freddie Flintoff the following week, Freddie was able to say exactly what he wanted, and as a result was a very fluent and likeable version of himself. Maybe we need to wait for a change in administration, and hope that Barack Obama comes back to the UK for another evening.
