My boyfriend looked the part: white socks, black trousers and loafers, Beat It Keyboard 'T' and the sequined white glove. Along with his signature moonwalk as we walked down the street, you could tell we were fans. We were also two of the 750,000 ticket holders for Michael Jackson's This Is It comeback tour at the O2. As fate would have it, we weren't going to fulfil a lifelong ambition to see the legendary King of Pop perform. Instead we were offered a chance to see some of his most prized possessions at the official exhibition.
Though nothing can make up for the loss of such a musical genius, a peek into his unusual world at this never-before-seen collection will certainly appeal to many of his fans. We were not disappointed.
A short film got us in the mood with clips from his tours, and then we were ushered into the first of the large cavernous spaces packed with his personal belongings. I didn't know which way to turn: here were his guitars, the Jackson 5 costumes, handwritten lyrics, his sparkling jackets, his gold MTV and AMA awards. I was drawn to the line-up of gloves, each one encrusted with glittering Swarovski crystals – and utterly mesmerized by the anti-gravity shoes he designed for the Smooth Criminal video resulting in 'The Lean', a move patented by the singer.
And then came Neverland. Michael Jackson styled himself as the King of Pop and his possessions reflect his 'Pop Royalty' status. You walk under the golden gateway (taken from his Neverland Ranch) and come face to face with his metallic 1967 Rolls-Royce Phantom Limousine, the interior decked out with curtains and candelabras. This was Michael's vehicle of choice for travelling round Hollywood with his lifelong friend Elizabeth Taylor. There were more eccentric possessions, too: a gilded throne, a triptych painting starring Michael, and a glass ornamental castle. Also on show were some of the spectacular props and costumes created for the This Is It gigs that would have seen the star perform 50 dates at the O2 arena.
The very last exhibit is the infamous white sequined glove. Raised up in a glass case, and with the sequins sparkling in the spotlight, it was almost a shrine. Books of condolence are also laid out at the end of the exhibition for fans to sign which will be sent to Michael Jackson's family.
I admit a lot of it is OTT - who owns a jewel encrusted crown and a painting portraying his own coronation? But for someone who was most comfortable on stage, all the glitz, props and sequins make perfect sense. He was the King of Pop after all.
Michael Jackson: The Official Exhibition is open until 31 January 2010. Tickets £15.00 (£17.50 at weekends) for adults, £12.00 (£14.50 weekends) for concessions. Book at michaeljacksonexhibition.co.uk or call Ticketmaster (0844 847 1643). This Is It, a documentary which includes behind-the-scenes footage of the This Is It tour rehearsals, is playing in cinemas worldwide until November 11 2009.
