So tell me, why have over a million people parted with gazillions of quid to go to a stadium and see five blokes sing and dance on a stage recently?  If you really want to see Take That’s Progess gig up-close and personal you would be better off buying the DVD.  That way you could sit in the comfort of your own home, pause the concert when you needed a comfort break and make yourself a cuppa. 

Why do normally sensible members of our society camp on the pavements around the All England Club in SW19 for days on end, queuing for that rarest of animals: the lesser spotted show court ticket?

Because being there is everything, that’s why.  You can’t bottle the atmostphere of Wembley when Robbie Williams appears.  You can’t simulate the intimacy of Centre Court. These are no longer spectator events -  they are totally  interactive, relying on audience participation and response. 

How very different to  my first gig at Lewisham Odeon, circa 1970, where my friend and I sang along and were ‘shushed’, tutted at and thoroughly told off by the surrounding audience!  Getting up and dancing was not an option!

In this case change is good!  Life is not a spectator sport!