ROCKERPARIS

vendredi 11 juillet 2014

The Jacksons + Imagination @ Palais des Congres, Paris July 11 2014

The Jacksons @ Palais des Congres, Paris July 11 2014

THE JACKSONS
1ère Partie : IMAGINATION feat LEEE JOHN

Leee John from Imagination is opening the show with a nice set of Imagination's hit and new songs, I remember when I was a young kid and those songs were all over the radios in France. He's also doing a few covers Bob Marley, Chic and others...Leee John is a very entertainer doing the show , giving out posters and cds, shaking people's hands...and great voice...Much better than expected.

The Jacksons for their first show in Paris in what 30 ? 40 years ? Nice to be back at the Palais des Congres it's one of our favorite concert hall. All seated and confortable and with a nice view where you are seating, we have perfect seats 9th row in the middle. Not sold-out, they've closed down the last part of the hall in the back but otherwise it's full with lots of beautiful girls. Some people are dressed up as Mickael, funny and lively atmosphere straight from the beginning with the audience rushing to the front of the stage to get a closer look with the security trying to get things safe.

It's a American show, no improvisation everything is perfect, the music , the choreography, the stage moves, costumes changes...
Without Mickael there's something missing on some songs as he was the lead singer but the Jacksons are putting up a very good show with different parts (see setlist for details).

Each one of them is taking the lead in the tradition of all those vocals group like the Temptations... same with the stage moves...

I guess that each member of the audience left with a smile on their face.

Premier concert des Jacksons dans la capitale, 5 ans après la mort de leur frère Mickael Jackson. La salle bien garnie même si le dernier tiers a été fermé avec des rideaux.
La premiere partie est assurée par l'ancien chanteur du groupe Funk Imagination qui a eu quelques tubes au début ds années 80.
Bonne prestation de Leee John, on a droit aux tubes d'Imagination plus quelques reprises. Superbe voix et vrai showman. Sympa

Puis c'est au tour des Jacksons, ferveur instantanée, le public se rue devant pour pouvoir les apercevoir de près au grand dam de la sécurité du groupe. Chorégraphie années 80 pompée sur celle des groupes vocaux des années 60 tels que les Temptations. Ce ne sont pas les meilleurs chanteurs du monde, l'absence de Mickael peut se fait cruellement sentir sur certains titres et le groupe utilise certainement des chœurs pré-enregistrés mais chacun des frères aura droit à son titre chanté. Gros show à l'americaine. Moment un peu téléphoné avec l'intervention de Berry Gordy par écran vidéo interposé venant mettre fin à une petite discussion animée entre les frères. Pas le meilleur moment du show surtout dans un pays non anglophone mais gros show à l'américaine.

Tous les tubes sont joués, ça joue bien et le public est enthousiaste, franchement que demande le peuple.
Concert très agréable dans l'ensemble malgré les petits défauts.

setlist

mercredi 9 juillet 2014

Sinéad O’Connor, Plaza Francia + Johnny Borrell @ La la La Unplugged Festival @ Théatre de Paris, July 09 2014

Johnny Borrell playing the hobo

Last day for this festival that is called "La la La Unplugged Festival" which is a bit strange as most of the bands are playing "plugged", I guess they should come up with a better name next year.

Anyway first artist on stage is Johnny Borrell from Razorlight-fame that is playing "unplugged".

Oh boy what a difference ! the young good-looking all-dressed in white boy is turning into a bearded hobo playing acoustic -guitar/ banjo with a girl on violin. Gone is the top-40 pop band.Welcome to the folk-man , What a change !

Nice set if you're into that stuff , including a long mantra-like song reminding me of an African/early blues from Mali or from the deep-American south.

Next is Catherine Ringer (from Rita Mitsuko fame) with her brand new project Plaza Francia with some guys from The Gotan Project. Sounds like a band escaped from Argentina (Though "Plaza Francia" is a place in Caracas, Venezuela) playing Tango. It's most of the time in Spanish, Catherine has a great voice and is playing the part with different costumes/dress change. Not very rock but very enjoyable. the audience was very happy that she played at least one song from her former band with "Marcia Baila". Even the accordion sounded cool.

Trip to Argentina with Catherine Ringer's new project

setlist Plaza Francia

Last on stage is Sinéad O’Connor, this is the first time that we're seeing her on a stage, and I have to admit that we never took the time to listen to any of her records even though some of her songs were played on the radio over here.

Didn't know what to expect at all, I remember we saw pictures of her a couple of years ago and she was looking awful very far from the image we had of her in the video clip of "Nothing compares to you" or when she tore up a picture of the pope live on tv.

She has lost lots of weight and is looking stunning like she did 20 years ago. The voice is crystal clear and perfect and very loud. Incredible.
Music-wise it's pop/rock with some very good songs if I can judge well by listening to them for the first time ever. She's doing a couple a cappella to the audience delight.

Too bad she battled for the whole set with her ear monitor