Thanks to the parking debacle at last night's Killers Concert at Val De Vie Wine Estate, I am forced to write this in a state of serious sleep depravation. So please excuse this article if it amounts to an incoherent mess.

As Cape Town always gets the "raw deal" when it comes to concert dates, the Killers concert was held as predicted on a Sunday. I guess it?s not that bad if the concert ends at 10pm and you can still get in bed by 11ish? But throw some parking problems and traffic jams into the mix and it can easily turn into a nightmare.

We got home exactly five hours after the concert ended. That is the equivalent of an entire school day! (Remember how long those used to feel?) As with any big event, we anticipated a bit of a traffic jam so decided to grab a hot dog hang around for an hour to give it some time to clear up. At 11pm we decided it was time to hit the road, bragging about how we got a parking really close to the entrance and offering to give our friends lifts to their cars parked several kilometers away. But this was in vain, as it was the people who had to walk for miles who had the last laugh. We ended up sitting in the parking lot for a total of three hours and only made it to the exit by 2:30am and then still another hour drive back to Cape Town. To be quite honest I would have taken that walk with a smile on my face if it meant getting home three hours earlier.

The concert was amazing though! The Killers opened with a bang playing one of their latest songs 'Human' accompanied by a very impressive graphic and lights display. They continued to play a very energetic set, with the crowd chanting lyrics like "I've got soul, but I'm not a soldier", louder than Brandon Flowers himself! They played a couple of new songs but it was mostly the old favorites from their first CD 'Hot Fuss' that got the crowd jumping. And to slow things down they delivered an acoustic version of 'Smile like you mean it'. I was disappointed though that one of my favorite songs: 'Indie Rock & Roll' didn't make the playlist.

Apart from the traffic dilemma the venue was perfect. In addition to the picturesque setting there was more than enough space to sit on your picnic blanket and watch the sun set over the mountains without being squashed or trampled on by the "die hard" fans. During the show you could also do your fair share of dancing (or is that just drunken jumping?) without knocking the drink out of your neighbor's hand.

It is just a pity that the main thing most people will end up remembering about the evening is spending more time in the parking lot than at the actual show. But even though I am not impressed, and disappointed that a brilliant evening had to end on such a frustrating note, I am sure there are a couple of red eyed fans sitting at work today, already on their fourth coffee, who will tell you that they are willing to do it all over again.