Catching some North Sea jazz

摘要

I'm in Nile. Not the Nile,you understand,just Nile. Boy, is it hot. In front, behind and to both sides of me are masses of sweaty people. Some are seated in tiers at the edges, most are standing, all are fidgeting with impatience.There's anticipatory hand clapping and whooping when the heavy black stage curtains twitch as the final equipment checks take place. The hangar-sized hall is heating to melting point, the roof swelling high above three screens that will soon relay the action to the normally-heighted minority at the back. At five feet eleven, usually I'm the one blocking the view for the vertically-challenged behind me, but right now I'm shuffling around myself for a view of the stage. The host nation seems to average around seven feet tall. And that's just the women.