More Rumours About Michael Jackson Concerts

Dean Nicholas
By Dean Nicholas Last edited 181 months ago
More Rumours About Michael Jackson Concerts

The on-again, off-again story of Michael Jackson's month-long moonwalk at The O2 is apparently on again. He was reputedly planning a 30-date residency last year, which never materialised; now, according to multiple sources, the singer is in the final stages of "secret talks" to make the shows happen this summer.

Jackson could certainly use the reported £1.5 million per night he'd earn, as it's a damned sight more dignified than the falsetto-voiced Derek Trotter impersonation he's been doing recently. But is the 50-year old in any fit state to perform? His health problems are myriad, rumours of projects begun and shortly abandoned legion, and his few public appearances reveal a man for whom the Thriller makeup would nowadays be an improvement. If he wanna be starting something like a gruelling series of gigs - for which luxury box tickets could fetch up to £1000 — he'd better be serious.

Jackson of late hasn't always pleased his fans. In 2006 he showed up at the World Music Awards to perform Thriller, an event for which some saps paid over £100, only to see Jacko mumble through a few lines of the execrable We Are The World, take the money and run. Thriller, incidentally, was performed that night by one Chris Brown, who's had his own fall from grace of late (and whose unfortunate lady friend, Rihanna, had her own serendipitous spot of Jacko-fuelled single success recently).

Apparently we could be in a fight with Las Vegas to secure the man's services, a scrap that you imagine neither side really wants to win. Until we actually see Jacko strutting confidently onto that O2 stage, we'll continue to file this one under "dubious".

Last Updated 22 February 2009