What Do You Want

What Do You Want?! You Tina!

The beginning of every show on Tina’s 250-date ‘Wildest Dreams’ tour that kicked off in April 1996. We already learned that Tina Turner knows how to make in entrance. Starting back in the Ike & Tina days, when the Ikettes had already warmed up the audience and Tina burst on stage like a tornado to the beat of ‘Gimme Some Lovin’’, on through the jungle queen entrance of her 1983 tour performing David Bowie’s ‘Cat People’ all the way to the unforgettable ‘stairway to heaven’ entrance of the 1990 ‘Foreign Affair’ tour.

But then there was 1996. And 1996 was special. The mother of all entrances. Let’s break down what makes a good entrance.

Anticipation! Oh yes, tension needs to be built. Dark stage. Jack Bruno counts off an intro that sounds more like Massive Attack meets Metallica. Nothing we had ever heard from Tina before. Or did we? At least, it starts nice and easy. And then it finishes: rough!

The video screens show audio waves. Or is it a pulse line? It’s the pulse of the audience, hearts gone wild, adrenaline flowing. The queen is coming!

But where? Two staircases grace the stage left and right. From which of the two will she descend? And then all of a sudden. The voice.
“Whatever you want me to dooooo….”

Where is she?! The stage remains dark. The diva remains hidden. But that voice. It is really her. She must be near. And then! All spotlights light up and point to the back of stage behind the drum set. There she is!
“Time takes. Love heals. Whatever you want, I know that it’s real!”

Pulse rate to 200. She looks incredible. 56. Shortest dress ever. Sparkles everywhere. And those legs!

She descends the central staircase and walks right to edge of the stage without missing a beat. The stage comes to live and lifts Tina up two meters higher. Broad smile, arms open wide. Yes it is really me, she mouths to the fans in the front row. In ten seconds, she has won over her audience. And she knows they will be hers for the next two hours. Whatever they want!