Swift rise to Pop Greatness . Taylor Swift live at the Lanxess Arena, Cologne, Germany, June 19th and BST Festival, Hyde Park, London, June 27th 2015

Taylor Swift looks almost presidential as she glides on a rotating platform over the crowds in Hyde Park. June 27th 2015

On her transition from Country music star to pop music icon, Taylor Swift has had her detractors but not too many. It is worth reminding people, even before Tay Tay s love letter to the eighties in the form of the album “1989” came out, she had picked 7 Grammies and now in 2015 a Brit award. As she herself reminded the audience at the cavernous Lanxess Arena in Cologne, she has also been criticised for writing too many break-up or sentimental songs. Yet in the context of the “1989” album and World tour it works. During both the Hyde Park and Cologne shows, the music invoked a nostalgic feeling of cult 80s teen films like the Breakfast Club. The viewing was better in the arena but there is something magical about the atmosphere in Hyde Park with 65000 people in it -a real feel good factor.

Somehow though in both Cologne and Hyde Park fate contrived to deprive me of seeing all of the opening – power pop number “Welcome to New York”. In the Lanxess I was stuffing my face with a jumbo Bratwurst when the opening bars started and In London, Tay Tay caught everyone by surprise starting the set 10 minutes earlier than billed. I was still at the bar.

The next big number I did catch in full at both gigs; there was no mistaking during “New Romantics” the references to heartbreak and break-up as well as continuing the references to the 1980s groups in the title.

Taylor Swift on the 1989 World Tour at the Lanxess Arena, Cologne, Germany June 19th 2015

“Blank Space” provided a combination of flirty lyrics with a hint of sexual tension to dreamy synth powered music without being smutty, perfectly evoking the feeling of young adults playing the dating game while “How you Get the Girl” was a simple life lesson to the boys on how to get and keep a relationship. “All you had to do is stay” had the feel of a teenage cheerleader chant meets sweet regretful nostalgia for a lost relationship.

A particularly interesting part of the Cologne show consisted of 2 songs and Swift talking about the nature of friendship followed by “Bad Blood” and “We are never ever getting back together”. With the cinematic backdrop of a lookalike of one Katy Perry’s screen or stage personas, this was undoubtedly a very thinly veiled reference to the ” virtual ” argument in which the two singers are involved.

Proving she is no slouch when it comes to instruments, reverting briefly to her country roots. Swift came out on an extended platform into the middle of the crowd and unsupported played a small acoustic section with the song ” You are in love” . Others section saw her playing electric guitar, keyboards on a revolving platform, and piano in an elegant dress during the ethereally romantic “Wildest Dreams” which for me invoked the image of an 80s prom queen. And the costume changes were frequent -6 or 7 by my count – certainly rivalling other pop divas shows.

Iconic – Talylor Swift & Dancers perform Shake it Off on a rotating platform at the Lanxess Arena, Cologne, Germany June 19th 2015

There is a difference however; Swift did not go over the top with overly elaborate sets or costumes. These complimented the show but do not overpower it. There was a little bit more glitz at the Hyde Park concert during “Style” when Tay Tays’ pals, including Cara Delavigne, Kendall Jenner and Wimbledon Tennis champ – Serena Williams walked down the runway. And there was an interesting cinematic backdrop for the booming synth of “Out of the Woods”. The main feature, though in both Cologne and London shows was the raised giant revolving platform in the middle of the audience which saw Swift and dancers resolving above the crowd at a slightly unnerving speed while performing a routine to worldwide hit “Shake it Off”. The crowd went wild at both gigs and this proved the iconic moment of the shows leaving audiences going home with a simile on their faces.

Taylor Swift at the relatively tender age of 25 was already a successful musician and business woman as is proven her album sales, list of awards and the clout she recently demonstrated in dealing with Apple. However, what she has achieved with the “1989” album and tour is remarkable. She has created something that almost everybody likes, that appeals to old and young; she done what few artists have ever achieve, successfully crossed-over genres and broadened her appeal beyond country. “1989” is a Modern pop classic and the shows were a visual personification of this.

Londongigger’s Top 10 Concerts of 2014 -part 1 (featuring….. Lorde, ELO, La Roux, Stromae and Katy Perry)

Londongigger’s Top 10 Concerts of 2014.

And the winner is …. Kate Bush. Not on your life!

If picking your Top gigs of the year was a horse race,Kate Bush would be subject to a steward’s enquiry. While critics and celebrities raved about her performance, it was hard to find a mere mortal who had been able to get a ticket let alone for one of her 21 sold out shows at the Lyceum. Tickets prices exchanging on ticket resellers at obscene amounts of money were absolutely scandalous. Anyone who paid these prices would have been safe in the knowledge that were contributing to the Kate Bush retirement fund. At the very least tickets should have been balloted at face value for real fans with an average income. But enough of the bitchiness. Who were my real winners? This year had far more of a mix of commercial as well as indie and the odd unknown artist. Here’s the list  from 1 to 5 for which a longer review will appear in subsequent posts.

1. Katy Perry. The O2 Arena, London, UK, May 28th 2014

Spectacular Katy Perry – flying through the air with the greatest ease, The O2 Arena, London UK, May 28th 2014

Hats off to Katy Perry who managed to convert this sceptic with a fun lively commercial show that managed to visually overpower the senses while combining the insanely catch poppy tunes. The opneing – “Roar” announced the colour of the show. The highlights were seeing her enter after one of new numerous costume changes, on a giant model of a horse or camel, flying around the circumference of the arena on wires while singing and singing Happy Birthday  to a guy plucked out of the audience on giant podium in the middle of the arena. In short; a spectacular creative gig, finishing off with the anthemic Firework that showed commercial rivals how it should be done. Taylor Swift- time to step up to the plate.

2. Stromae. Hammersmith Apollo. London UK, December 9th 2014

Stromae’s stunning music and cinematic backdrop hits the spot at Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith, December 9th 2014, London UK

With a 26 week run at No.1 in France with second album “Racine Career” (translate.d as Square Root) between August 2013 and 2014 and a clutch of French Music Industry awards, this francophone Belgium had the world  or at least Western Europe at his feet. It’s difficult to define his style as he combines many but if you had to it would be a unique brand of R n B with a liberal dose of Cabernet, a smattering of Calypso, rap lyrics with some social commentary and a heavy dollop of electro. This, of course, with lyrics for the most in French. This may have gone over the head of some English speakers, but the largely French crowd cannot have been but impressed. If you did have some French, you would have been moved by the social indictment of Papaoutai or the theatricality of Formidable with Stromae playing the part of a drunk man rueing the loss of his partner. But then on the dance side, many in the audience clearly loved the house beats of Cesaria or the euphoric techno love letter to the crowd Merci. An absolute revelation were the cinematic effects second only to Gotye’s concert of 2012 (at the same venue) in their dramatic impact on the show. In short, this was an iconic performance.

3. La Roux. O2 Empire Shepherds Bush, London, November 12th 2014

La Roux’s Elly Jackson scintillate at O2 Empire, Shepherd’s Bush, Wednesday 12th November, London UK

After a 4 year absence in which the landscape architecture of popular music has much changed, La Roux made a mighty comeback on tour to support synth riff laden album Trouble in Paradise. Dressed in an eighties style lounge jacket and trousers she glided and smoched around the stage with minimum with effortless cool to cool new tunes like Tropical Chancer and Uptight Downtown where you could almost imagine yourself in Club Tropicana on a holiday island in the eighties. She did not neglect her older material finishing off with a rousing rendition of Bullet Proof that had the crowd on its feet. In short – cool, cool, cool!

4. Jeff Lynne’s ELO. Radio 2 Festival in a Day, Hyde Park, September 14th 2014

Jeff Lynne’s ELO in the Best Outdood Live Performance of the year, September 14th, 2014, Hyde Park, London UK

The 2013 edition of the Radio 2 Festival in a Day proved to be a huge disappointment with bands not appearing at the time they were scheduled, an ultra territorial crowd each jealously guarding their patch of green for their picnic blankets, ridiculously long queues at the beer kiosks and food stalls running out of food long before the end of the day. The only saving grace was Smokey Robinson’s sparkling performance after the champagne and prawn sandwiches set started to disappear early to take their little darlings home to bed.

So fast forward a year and I was expecting more of the same. But what a difference a day makes and the line up. The picnic set were still there but not in such great numbers and it was actually possible to get to the bar.

ELO or rather Jeff Lynne’s version produced an absorbing masterpiece of a show with all the old stunning ELO iconography. Although there have been several version of ELO including the brilliant ELO II with former members, which I saw at Shepherds Bush Empire in 2006, Lynne had not performed in 28 years. And what he produced on that night back in September visually and audibly stunning. Most of the old classics were rolled out with the trademark orchestral symphonic sound. But Lynne’s voice is something other versions of ELO have not been able to replicate. Mr.Blue Sky at the end of the concert just before the encore was perfect concert moment. The whole event was a feel good factor from start to finish.

5. Lords, O2 Empire, Shepherd’s Bush, London, June 5th 2014

A Star is Born – Lorde at O2 Empire, Shepherd’s Bush, London , UK , June 5th 2014

They say stars are born and not made and looking at Lorde’s stunning one women show you could believe it. It would have so easy to dismiss her as a one trick pony. “Royals”, although a great single has been played to death on the MTV channels in 2013. But having seen her live performance, what was striking was the depth and maturity of the delivery of songs of one so young. At the tender age of 17, she delivered a performance that artists twice her age would have dreamt of. Resembling in many respects a younger Kate Bush, with some wacky and creative dance and body movements, the subtle musical electro beat and riffs of her dreamlike indiepop sound, the hearfelt lyrics from songs on the Pure Heroine Album that succinctly conveyed the state of growing up between teen and adult, with songs like Tennis Court and the dreamlike 400 Lux, she put her body and soul into this concert. The climax of the concert with soaring rendition of A World Alone brought a standing ovation resulting in one of those nights that can only be experienced at such intimate venues.

Imelda May rocks the Leas Cliff at Folkestone, Live Review , Friday 21st November 2014

Imelda May wows the coastal crowd at Folkestone, Friday 21st November 2014

Any regular followers of Londongigger posts will know that I don’t just confine my reviews to the London area so as I am regular visitor to Folkestone, I felt it was high time to pay a visit to the renowned Leas Cliff Hall, a marvel of 1920’s engineering, jutting out from the cliff side on the Leas Cliff promenade, to see a concert. And who better to see on a Friday night than the Queen of Modern Rockabilly Imelda May.
Currently engaged on a 2 month long European tour in support of latest album Tribal and playing such illustrious venue as Olympia in Paris and Shepherds Bush Empire, the people of Folkestone were obviously delighted that she and very capable band had descended on their corner of England for the evening, even if the crowd took a little while to get going. They were treated for the most part to a lively display of sassy rock n roll numbers like the title track, “Wild Woman”, “Five Good Men” & “Ghosts of Love”in this gig that lasted 1 1/2 hours. When the crowd did eventually warm up, Imelda had them singing and clapping “Its good to be alive” although even she commented that when she got them humming the rhythms that “you’re not the best”. Still no matter, the high class rock n roll tracks kept coming. ” Round the the Bend” & Mayhem were fast and furious but there were quieter moments. “Gypsy in Me ,for instance was enthrallingly sung with heart and soul.
Of course ” Johnny got a Boom Boom” was left until last and was received by an audience by now enthusiastically into the gig (or at least the left hand side of the hall). Apart of the right hang side were persistent in their loud talking. They were roundly told off by the left side whom Imelda came back to do the encore. She gave a fantastic rendition of Nancy Sinatra’s Bang Bang and Blondie’s Dreaming accompanied by a Ukulele.
All told, this a was fresh and sassy performance from musician in her prime. Shepherd’s Bush Empire be warned; you are in for a treat on Monday night.

La Roux rules at Shepherds Bush, Live Review from O2 Empire, Shepherd’s Bush, London, UK – November 12th 2014

Elly Jackson of La Roux is achingly cool performing at O2 Empire, Shepherd’s Bush, Wednesday 12th November 2014, London, UK

It may have been 5 years since La Roux last performed at this venue but you would have known it. The wild raucous mainly teen audience of 2009 had gone to be replaced by a far more mature (some might even say old). It was almost complete transformation in the audience demographic which given the subtle changes in the musical style was surprising. Still, singer Elly Jackson, the driving force behind La Roux remains a constant. Gone was the signature large quiff and androgynous look replaced by black lounge jacket and casual beige trousers resembling David Bowie look from the Serious Moonlight tour of 1983. She still looked cool in fact effortlessly cool.
The intro was smooth on “Let me down gently” with some glorious synth riffs complementing Jackson’s intense soaring vocals. This show was all about showcasing the new songs from the excellent album “Trouble in Paradise”, notable tracks of which in the show were ” Sexotheque” and “Tropical Chancer” during which Jackson side shuffled and swayed in a very 80s style. There was a liberal smattering of hits from the first album like “Quicksand”, ” I’m not your Toy and Quicksand which closed the show with a well -deserved standing ovation from floor theatre balconies. The crowd were massively into the gig with cheers going up after every song. The gig was only about an hour and ten minutes long but the experience was so enthralling it felt like double that. This crowd pleaser was undoubtedly one of the gigs of the year but please Miss Jackson don’t leave it so long to come back next time.

Soulful and Sombre, Lykke Li – Live Review at Eventim Apollo Hammersmith, London, UK, Thursday 13th November 2014

Full of Melancholy -Lykke Li performs at Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith, thursday 13th November 2014, London UK.

Lykke Li thanked the audience at the end of her 1 hour 20 minute performance for still being there after 7 years. Its not hard to see why. Li’s voice is very engaging; there’s a quality in it that gives the heart strings a quiver if not a full plucking. The gig was naturally themed around her new album “I never learn” which itself is a concept around loss and heartbreak. So I suppose it is a bit churlish to expect a brightly lit upbeat set. Yet, I could not help but feel that the exceptionally monochromatic lighting conveyed not heartache but rather extreme sombreness and melancholia. At times the singer was barely visible in the gloom going from dark to the occasional glimpse to shadowy profile. Her very capable band were hardly visible at all. This could been very frustrating for the less tolerant and it was just as well the emotional power of Li’ s voice and some excellent musical arrangements overcame this. There were notable moments. Opening the show, “I never learn ” was accompanied by an acoustically rich guitar and hauntingly pure vocals. “Sadness is a Blessing”had all the resemblance of atragic Shangri La’s song while “Gunshot”, although sung a couple of keys down impressed with its intensity of feeling. However none of these compared with a sublime cover of Drake’s ” Hold on, We’re going home” with a totally gorgeous synth hook. There was the odd twee bit in the show. “Never Gonna Love Again” had the audience out with the lighters and mobile phones. It was a nice touch to bring out support act Eliot Sumner (formerly I blame Coco) just before the encore “Get Some”. This proved to be the liveliest and rockiest track of the gig. Generally, this was good atmospheric gig but it could have done with lifting on occasion. A less sombre lighter mood would have gone way.

Danish singer MØ sizzles at Shepherds Bush

MØ floors the crowd at Shpherds Bush, London, Saturday 1st November 2014

Those who have never seen Mo before may well be surprised by the vigour that puts into shows and this was no exception at Shepherds Bush Empire.Mo (real name Karen Marie Orstead) is already a breakthrough star in Denmark and fast rising in other countries including the UK. She has ditched her punkish roots for an electro sound with occasional soft R n B electro-beats. Her performance at Shepherds Bush was vocally gutsy and stylistically forceful.

Sledge -Ham-mered, Sister Sledge live at Central Park, East Ham, London, UK, Thursday 14th August, 2014

Ccaption id=”attachment_919″ align=”alignnone” width=”614″] Sister Sledge get down in the heart of East London, UK, August 14th 2014 [/caption]

If they had been performing indoor, you would have say they could have brought the house but as it happens it was the stars. At the Under the Stars festival in Central Park, East Ham, we are starting to get used to seeing bigg-ish acts. But,sponsored by the mayor of Newham the acts are getting bigger and bigger. Sister weren’t there definitely the most famous name to play this neck of thew woods. The experience of seeing and hearing some of the biggest disco hits from childhood and teenage years was surreal made all the more remarkable by it taking place in one of the poorest parts of one of the poorest boroughs. Still, the sisters did anything but patronise their audience. This was a full-on gig where,yes some of the finest tunes ever to grace dance in the last 40 years were played but their was also originality and musical mastery as some numbers were mashed up and other delivered with verve and charm that far exceed their effect played in a club.

The opening – All American girls was delivered with as much as could mustered given the dismal drizzly conditions. Thing of You was sentimentally sweet but the party really started with the playing of Lost in Music where the sisters go the crowd into a sing-along. Very engaged by now, they challenged the audience to prove who was the greatest during the song of the same name by choosing audience members to come up on stage and dance.

The hour and half set finished with an encore rendition Good Times where the tremendously good band played on when after the Sisters left the stage to a very rousing cheer.

The evening cost nothing. We were thoroughly entertained with some of the great dance music ever produced.

Londongigger’s Best Live Song Performance of the Year 2013 – Sledgehammer by Peter Gabriel, O2 Arena, London, UK, October 22nd 2013,

Other Top Live Song Performances of 2013

Yolanda Brown’s Bob Marley medley mix
Zaz – “On ira” and “Je veux”
Siouxsie (Sioux) “Dear Prudence”
The Rolling Stones “Paint it Black”
Paramore “The Only Exception”

From amongst the 32 concerts I went to see this there were no shortage of candidates. Kicking off the year February , MOBO award winner Yolanda Brown’s sassy sexy sax medley of Bob Marley Classics –Waiting in Vain / Is this Love etc. got the crowd going in our tiny little local theatre in Barking.

French singer’s Zaz’s deeply humanitarian lyrics for “On ira” and “Je veux” set against a bouncy up-tempo beat provided a moving performance in June at the pocket-sized Scala Theatre in Kings Cross.

Also in June, in what has to be one of the coolest gigs of the gig and only just outside my Top 10 of the year, Siouxsie (Sioux) dressed in a white latex cat suit sang some stonking post punk classics at Yoko Ono’s meltdown festival at London’s Festival Hall, the memorable of which was “Dear Prudence” .

While the open-air concert may have been overpriced and the facilities pretty terrible for concert-goers not paying the premium rates, during the hot summer the Rolling Stones did play a number of classics. A barnstorming rendition of “Paint It Black” compensated a little for a distant view and long waits at the beer and food stalls.

In Autumn, Paramore’s live performance of “The Only Exception” to the sold out crowd of Wembley Arena made my hair stand on end with the 12,000 crowd singing the chorus and waving their lighted mobile phones. Some may mind it a bit cheesy. I found an unforgettable moment.

However, head and shoulder above all those is a man at the age of 63 is a man who moved around the stage like a man 20 years younger full of spirit and verve. This is also a man who quite rightly is about to be inducted into the hall of fame. This is Peter Gabriel, a creative genius who, together with his high calibre band, produced a flawless and entertaining of his massive 1986 hit “Sledeghammer”. The nostalgia buzz was immense for me personally. Check this out.

Londongigger’s Top 10 Gigs of 2013 – A Case of France versus Classic golden oldies

Whereas the last 3 years have produced many newer bands some bordering on art rock that made the grade into my top gig list – Fever Ray, Metronomy & Gotye to name but a few, the year 2013 was took a very different path. This was essentially a battle between classic golden oldies and well established French artists. It is also a testament to the strength of venue outside of London that 4 out of 5 of the best gigs I saw were outside of the capital and 3 of the top 10 were abroad.

This is the first time this has happened and being so London-centric is highly unusual. My blog name being Londongigger should give something of clue as to my geographical orientation. In the past I have dallied a little outside of London but in 2013, of the 32 gigs I went to, 3 were abroad (2 in Paris, 1 in Brussels) and 3 were in England.; yet all finished up in my Top 10.

Is it because I am tired of London and am enjoying the experience of new venues? Is it because, familiarity breeds contempt; repeatedly going to the same venue becomes boring. Could be but I don’t think so. I rather believe that every artist has upped their game of late and that the quality of performance has risen especially amongst the more established performer.

The competition for your spectator buck has never been fiercer and these would also now seem to apply to area outside of the capital as well. Sell-out shows are now a regular occurrence in Manchester, Bristol and Brighton as much as in London. People, are more mobile and will travel further afield to see gigs – cost permitting. With our ever rising population in the UK, whatever the impact culturally on the country and its infrastructure, I can only see bright things ahead for the future of live music in terms of quality and quantity. Promoters, however, should be carefully not rip people off as happened at The Rolling Stones concert this summer in Hyde Park. This year has proven to me that you don’t need to reside in London to have access to good quality venues and artists. Londongigger – has suitcase , will travel.

So without further ado, here is this year’s list.

1.Zazie – The Forest National Arena, Brussels, Belgium Friday 6th December
2.Mylene Farmer – Bercy Arena, Paris, France, Wednesday 11th September
3.Kate Nash – The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, UK, Wednesday 24th April
4.Simple Minds – Cliffs’s Pavillion, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, UK, Wednesday 17th April
5. The B52s – IndigO2, North Greenwich, London, UK, Friday 16th August
6.Fleetwood Mac – O2 Arena, North Greenwich, London, UK, Wednesday 25th September
7.Peter Gabriel – O2 Arena, North Greenwich, London, UK, Tuesday 22nd October
8.T’Pau – Rhodes Theatre, Bishops Stortford, Hertforshire, UK, Friday 31st May,
9.Pascal Obispo – Le Colisée de Roubaix, Roubaix, France, Friday 22nd March
=10.Goldfrapp – Eventim Apollo, Hammermsith (formerly Hammersmith Apollo) , London, UK, Friday 1st November
=10.Bat for Lashes- O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London, UK, Tuesday 13th August

Zazie finally unleashes a “cyclo” tour de force, Live at the Forest National arena, Brussels, Belgium, December 6th 2013

Zazie and her Band absolutely at the top of their game, Forest National Arena, Brussels, Belgium, Friday 6th December 2013

It has finally happened – the extra special performance that I have been longing for from one of my favourite French artists – Zazie has arrived. Zazie, with an eye watering real name of Isabelle Marie Anne de Truchis de Varennes served up not only one of the most intense musical experiences I have ever personally experienced but did it without overly obtrusive visual effects so that your eyes and ears were focussed firmly on the singer and her band.
Zazie first came to my attention in 1996/97 while I was living in France studying for my degree. The buses in which I used to travel around the university town of Besancon, constantly had on the radio, playing a mix of French and English pop music that was current at that time. Tunes that were frequently played included several singles from Zazie’s first commercially successful 2nd album Zen, such as “Larsen”, “Un point, c’est toi” and “Homme, Sweet, Homme”. These tunes, that juxtapose sweet tense harmonies with Zazie’s emotional almost folk-like voice, imbedded themselves on my psyche and took root.
Then in 2004, she released the album “Rodeo” which I consider to this day to be her masterwork and one of the best French language pop albums of all time. The next year in 2005 I decided to go and see her live but unfortunately the experiences were mixed partly due to the venues (in Bordeaux we could only see part of the stage) and technical difficulties (in Lille, although the set was visually iconic with Zazie arriving suspended from the ceiling on 4 straps, the sound system and occasionally the singer’s voice sounded crackly.
The year 2008 saw Zazie break new ground and come to London, playing the venerable Shepherd’s Bush Empire on my wife’s birthday weekend. New material was aired from the Album “Totem” to an overwhelmingly French crowd made up largely of expats, young French workers and students. In my favourite London venue, it should have been the perfect show. It was a good show. We had great seats in the middle of the Level 1 balcony. Zazie made some valiant attempts to speak English and there was a vibrant atmosphere particularly towards when the crowd got up and sang classics like “Rue de la Paix”. Like I said it was a good show but not quite perfect. This time it was the crowd themselves or at least the ones around me that took the shine off. I heard too many murmurings, petty criticisms and unworthy attempts at deconstruction. My frustration was palpable. I did not know if I would ever get another chance to see this great singer at her best.
Her 2010 Za7ie: l’Intégrale came and went and while interesting, at 49 tracks over 7 EPs, demanded some work and patience from the listener. Admittedly, I didn’t go to the 2011 tour in France.
Now fast forward to 2013 and the release of latest album “Cyclo”, an album with an altogether darker and grandiose feel. This album is almost as good as “Rodeo”; I knew had to go to a live show again and being the most convenient date, booked for Brussels.
All I can say is perfect, perfect, perfect.
For this show, the venue was acoustically completely right from opening number “Ou allons nous?” (where are we going) to the end.

Sometimes Zazie played a brilliant melancholy with her voice on such songs as “Les Contraires” (The Opposites) , a song which as many, throws the spotlight on the emotional differences in relationships between men and women.
At other times, delving back into her extensive back catalogue, you could feel the substantial drama put into songs like “Ca fait mal et ca fait rien” (It hurts and doesn’t matter) that explore warring relationship within a couple.
Zazie also appears as a keen observer of modern tendencies and trends. The song “Tout” with its up-tempo techno beats and club-like synth rhythms was delivered as a critique to the fast paced modern life and impatient consumer society that now extends into our private lives.
Some classics such as the 1995 release “Larsen” were heartfelt and played in full but others like “Un point , c’est toi , and “Je suis un homme” were incorporated into an amusing Brazil medley style where the Zazie’s band left their instrument to come the front of the stage and play samba drums. At one point, Zazie and the band donned pretend bishops mitre’s and sat on the edge of the stage to acknowledge St. Nicolas Day. After Zazie then went off into the audience to try and start a story going with occasionally bemused individuals in the crowd, with mixed but hilarious results.
Within the long set consisting of about 24 songs there was a liberally sprinkling from latest album “Cyclo” . “Je sais Pas” , another song that with its slow start long build-up into a crescendo projected a feeling of foreboding of a relationship coming to an end. But the title track was a masterpiece both in vocal and instrumental delivery that held me spellbound. The synth riffs were haunting and reminiscent in many ways of the dark atmosphere found in Depeche Mode songs.
The concert got into full electro dance phase with Electro-libre and an slightly more up-tempo and squeakier version of Adam et Yves than usual.
The end of the main set saw 3 live classics; first ,a note perfect version of the truly beautiful “La Dolce Vite” whose synth melody reverberated perfectly through the vast space of the circular arena like a wave; then the proper version of “Je suis un Homme”, a critique of the nature of man in society and history. Zazie exhorted the crowd to sing the chorus “Je tourne en ronde “ ( I go around in circles) to which duly obliged, same thing for next song “Rodeo” – another live classic . The crowd were singing “C’est la vie pas le paradis” long before Zazie started singing the song. All three of these songs were executed with perfect precision.
The first encore also contained crowd pleasers including the very danceable and very apt 20 ans (20 years old), considering most of the crowd were probably in their 30s and 40s, the popular singalong “Rue de la Paix” and the smooth melodic vocal harmonies of “Ca”.
The second encore and last song “J’envoie valser”was personally very special to me and my wife who was also at the concert with there with me as it was the music of our first dance at our wedding; very emotional and a perfect end to a show that was without any shadow of doubt the concert of the year 2013.