2012 is gone and
we didn’t get that end of the world all the media had told us (a lot!) about.
Good thing though as it gives me a chance to present you a series of “2012 Live
shows” awards. Over the last twelve months, I went to quite a lot of live shows
– some were reviewed on this blog – and it’s a good opportunity to make some
retrospective…
In category “Those who are legends and that we wanted
to see ‘for real’ before being buried six feet under (them or us, by the way)” : Paul McCartney, Lou Reed, Patti Smith, Alice Cooper
et Slash.
These five
were a true visual and auditive delight: having in front of your eyes artists
that initially performed songs that are still legendary, it’s quite a thing… I
still have a lot of tenderness thinking back of Lou Reed who seemed a bit tired
but who still had magical fingers when it came to play guitar, I salute the
charismatic energy of Patti Smith, I remember with great pleasure of the Lord of
Darkness raising the crowd under such typical Belgian heavy rain and was glad
to see that Slash found himself an amazing entourage to keep the Guns’n’Roses
alive… without the Guns, actually.
Cherry on the
cake was of course Sir Paul McCartney : when I was 8, I was telling everyone
that “when I’m grown up, I’ll marry McCartney”. Years went by and somehow, I
had more or less forgotten the idea to see him but he still had a big part of
my heart. And then, here it is… we saw each other. Well, you know, he didn’t
really see m but I was there, feeling a bit like in a dream, to be honest with
you. Right in front of me, one of those men who made the History of Music. A
“beautiful” man: a beautiful soul in a very energetic body. It may sound stupid
to you but… at 35, I think I’m still in love with like I was when I was 8. And
have that weird feeling that a guy like Paul McCartney will never die…
One last line
for four other persons : I wasn’t going to that show only to see a former
Beatles but also to “meet” Rusty Anderson, Brian Ray, Adrian Wickens and… Abraham
« Teddy Bear » Laboriel Jr, his musicians.
In category “Those who weren’t expected but who
smacked you on the face anyway”: The Ting Tings, Ed Sheeran, James Morrison, Milow, Jake Bugg, Ginger
Wildheart, Joan As Police Woman.
I had listened
to The Ting Tings’ albums and even if I liked them, I still wasn’t thinking it
was extraordinary. Once the couple is on a stage, that’s a very different
story. On stage, the Ting Tings is a great band: nice energy, great interaction
with the audience… Say what what you wanna say but in the end, everything
matters. Best proof is that I’ve since played their albums again and… don’t
quite listen to them the same way! Great deal, those double T’s!
Ed Sheeran and
James Morrison stand on a road that I fear to take most of the time… just because
half of the teen kids – mostly the female version – blindly worship such
artists based on a physical appearance. I know… not very nice but
unfortunately, that’s mostly the case. That being written, after I heard those
two at Rock Werchter, I told myself they had… well.. erm… balls: still not a
fan but they at least got my respect that day.
Jake Bugg is a
young fella barely out of teen age who impressed me with his six cords and his
guitar skills despite a very noticeable stress as he was acting as Noel
Gallagher’s High Flying Birds’ opening act. He impressed me enough to make me
want to see him again as a main act.
Ginger
Wildheart is one of those bands who burned a place down to the ground. Not a
foregone bet knowing they were the opening act of… Slash. And yet, they rocked!
Without much difficulty, they were approved by the audience and managed to make
this one dance and sing even before the arrival of the guitarist with the
famous hat.
Joan as a
Police Woman moved me… during and after her performance. Opening act of Lou
Reed, the young woman performed melodies that go straight to your heart with a
soft and tender voice. On many occasions, I told myself she could have written
songs for Jeff Buckley as her style was close to his, as her songs were dealing
with deep sadness… Random shot or incredible feeling, I found out, after going
back home, that Joan shared the life of a man before he sadly passed away. That
man was… Jeff Buckley.
In category “Those who weren’t expected and that will
be sent home without the second”: The Vaccines, Snow Patrol, Soko
I think it’s
all in the title… Generally speaking, I don’t like to write mean lines on
artists: you may find a few bad comments on my articles but you’ll never read a
review speaking of an album or a live show that I didn’t like at all. Life’s
too short to speak about things we don’t like: it’s better to share things we
cared about, right?
People talked
to me about The Vaccines being a great deal but… I didn’t feel anything. Same issue
with Snow Patrol : I had the feeling of listening to the same tune all through
their set.
Concerning
Soko, I had that irrepressible desire of hitting her at the end of the third
song. Don’t worry, I didn’t.
In category “Those who rocked the place while not
exactly living in the same world”: The Dropkick Murphys, Scissor Sisters, Keane
These three
ones are the living proof that the atmosphere of a live show isn’t necessarily
due to the style of music performed but to the people performing it. The Dropkick
Murphys warmed up the Rock Werchter stage with their solid Irish-rock while The Scissor Sisters, colorfully
dressed, made the Ancienne Belgique crowd dance to their as much colored pop
music and even managed to convince a few skeptic ones who were there that night
that they were a very interesting band. Keane has showed all its power as a
band on Le Cirque Royal stage where Tom Chaplin’s voice may still be around…
somewhere.
In category “Those who made you cry and you didn’t
even see those tears coming out of your eyes”: Paul McCartney, Mika, Noël Gallagher, Slash, Keane.
Did I cry
during a live show? What do you think? If you seriously think you were dealing
with a Terminator, you’d better turn to James Cameron for that kind of
“person”… Of course I cried! Something for almost nothing, sometimes for a big
thing; some tears of sadness, some tears of joy…
“The Long and
Winding Road”, “Let It Be”, “Hey Jude”, “Happy Ending”, “Rain”, “Love Today”,
“Underwater”, “If I Had A Gun”, “Talk Tonight”, “Don’t Look Back In Anger”,
“Civil War”, “Blues Jam”, “Paradise City”, “Neon River”, “A Bad Dream”,
“Bedshaped” or “Sovereign Light Café”… That’s a big pack of tears to deal with,
sometimes provoked by a sentence that touched my heart or simply by the beauty
of the moment. And frankly, I wouldn’t deprive myself from these emotions…
In category “Those who shouldn’t be put apart because
they still can do it”:
Status Quo and… nah, I won’t put guys like Lou Reed, McCa or Alice on that one.
You can’t put a legend apart…
Journalists
often mention that some “old bands” should put their instruments on the side
and enjoy a well-deserved retreat. Don’t agree! Well… maybe some should
probably think of that option. Some of them even say it’s their last tour :
take Johnny Halliday, for example… On that one, my friend Sam will probably say
he still has yeaaaars before considering that option. ;)
Status Quo
also has a long time because going on a retreat: I loved their performance on
the Suikerrock stage! They know how to play the music and how to deal with a
crowd. And – little thing that can’t hurt – they looked like they were enjoying
themselves and loving to perform for the audience and you can say what you
wanna say but that remains a important element that the crowd can definitely
sense. Show your audience you like to play in front of them and it may give you
plenty of love in return…
In category “So… what are your impressions on music
festivals?”: Rock
Werchter, Suikkerock and Les Ardentes.
Let’s start
with the one that hurts: Les Ardentes. Great line-up: famous names (Patti
Smith, Morrissey…) with young ones (Edward Sharpe, White Lies…). The hurting
point is that Les Ardentes is a very music festival with many paradoxes: at the
admitting point, there was an excess of control and you can’t enter the site
with your deodorant (and must therefore pay a locker or… throw it in the
garbage) but once you’re in it, you have access to so much alcohol that you end
up being on a place where you don’t always feel safe at the end of the day.
Knowing what happened that year on the camping site, it looks like my feeling
wasn’t so much exaggerated.
Rock Werchter
is always nice... except when it rains, of course. Main disadvantage of all music
festivals… Luckily, we just had a little rain shower and had nice weather all
day long after that. Delightful line-up (Dropkick Murphys, Florence + The
Machine, Milow… and Red Hot chili Peppers to end the day), very little waiting
time in the stands, nice attitude of the staff and the employees and friendly
atmosphere between spectators… There’s simply… nothing bad to say about this
one. Let’s add that this night, I was attending the live shows but was also
checking on the Soccer Euro Championship final through text messages sent by my
friends, where my fav team (Spain!) won another Copa. If I weren’t able to see
the game live, I were able to check the roja celebrating their victory on one
of Rock Werchter’s giant screens. Ha-ppi-ness!
Suikerrock is
another music Festival that I warmly recommend you. Based on the town of
Tirlemont, this music festival takes place on the main square of the town,
right next to a superb church. Mika will express his feeling on that church
during his set… The mood is more “family-ish” than Rock Werchter, probably due
to the size of the site itself, smaller than Werchter. During the festival, the
city transforms itself in a giant marked with streets filled with covered
stalls.
Let’s also add
that in the middle of that conflicted issues between the two main Belgian
communities, Tirlemont – or Tienen in Flemish – is a living proof that everyone
should be cautious with prejudices : even though I’m a Walloon, I was welcomed
by the citizen as… a Belgian. Here’s something to shut up the mouth of slanderous
Flemish and Walloons people!
In category “When I see you in your videos, it’s love
at first sight and it’s the same thing when I see you for real” : Jack White
Well… Jack
White has always had a massive effect on me. He’s not super handsome, he’s not
a super singer, he doesn’t always write melodies that I like but… once he picks
up his guitar and starts a song, something’s happening inside of me. The thing
is that I can’t explain to you what happens… but at the end of the day, is it
really necessary to explain the why and wherefore when it’s all about music?
Anyway… seeing
Jack White on stage is REALLY something that is worth to be seen. Even when you
put aside that genius idea of going on the road with two different bands – one
female and one male band – and the visual side of the stage (the blue tone
linked to the color of his solo album cover and the reminiscence of the number
“3”), the performance and the presence of the 6’4’’ guys remain amazing. When
he plays a song, that man is both in his own world and in full osmosis with his
band… I can live a hundred years, I will always remember that glance he gave to
the audience. A glance with a self-confidence close to 2000%. At the same time,
when numerous stars often mention his name as a possible collaborator, it may
not be that surprising.
In category “When I see you
in your videos, it wasn’t love at first sight but only a wise man changes his
mind sometimes while a fool never does” : Noel Gallagher
Noel Gallagher
and his High Flying Birds will always be the biggest surprise of 2012. I never
had a thing for Oasis in my teen years and suddenly, 30 seconds after
Gallagher’s band started their set at Werchter, I suddenly turned my head and…
fell in love. Then, you can think “Why not?”. But when you stick to Noel and
his fellow musicians for weeks after that show and even pushed the limit to go
abroad and see him again in Lille, it’s beyond some “Why not?”. What happened?
Still don’t know… I though started digging some information on the former
guitarist of Oasis. Enough to realize that beyond these wonderful melodies that
are way much beautiful when they’re sung by him and not his younger brother,
there’s a guy that I feel connected to, that touches my heart and, also… that
has that British sense of humor that I care so much about.
Even if, like
I wrote it, only a wise man changes his mind sometimes while a fool never does,
I don’t want Oasis to come back: I care too much for Mister Gallagher’s
self-talent.
In category “Those who were the most beautiful
encounters of the year… and not only musically talking”: Belakiss and Imagine Dragons
How can I not
mention these two bands? English band Belakiss were Kasabian’s opening act and
I was immediately attracted to their excellent melodies. Very important thing
to consider as well, they’re damn good on a stage and seduced the audience when
they played in Belgium. Let me also remind you of that funny anecdote of me
buying their album in Taiwan when the band practically lives next-door!
I found out
about Imagine Dragons by chance thanks to their “It’s time” video and I thought
their music deserved to be spread over the borders. I wrote an article but was
far from imagining then how of a big way the foursome would make such in the
United States. When I learned they’d bring their music gear in Belgium, I couldn’t
miss that moment. And it was an excellent moment, to be honest with you…
Musically and personally. Seeing Imagine Dragons live is pure happiness and
great energy to feel…
Belakiss and
Imagine Dragons have a few common points…
I won’t tell
you much on that subject but these two bands had the particularity of causing
very unexpected surprises… Don’t be scared, nothing much to worry about
because… these surprises generally brought a large smile on my face.
Important
thing, these two bands always have a moment for their fans: after their
respective performance, I witnessed them staying near the venue to have a word,
have a picture taken or signing any stuff the fans would give them… When
musical talent is associated to respect for the fans, it’s impossible for me
not to mention that. I hate those artists who are dumba*** because they have
some success. Those two don’t play that game and I wish them to remain as
humble and nice as they are.
I’ll keep an
eye (and ear) on Belakiss and Imagine Dragons because I firmly believe in those
two bands : they’re “young” bands and unfortunately still not very well known
in our region. Not exactly my type to give up on people I believe in and,
moreover… you don’t give up on your “friends”, right? ;)
Now would be
the perfect time to tell you about those numbers on the article’s title:
they’re not tests to get hired by any firm or the secret combination of a vault
in which I hid musical jewels… In fact, they’re not even related to what’s
written in the previous lines but 2012 is over, let’s be mad for a moment, eh!
Although… maybe there might be a little connection…
45… like the
45 artists I saw that year on a stage
6… like the 6
towns my Doc Martens went to
10… like the
10 venues I tapped my feet in rhythm
16… like the
16 new friends I got while attending live shows, coming from…
5… like 5
different countries of the world.
As for the
“3510”, well… it’s the number of kilometers I spent on the road, between
Belgium and France, to meet with these artists.
Wanna know
something else? I think 2013 will be as great as 2012. Because my schedule is
becoming busier and busier and I will probably had some more dates to add to it
as months go by. A little overview?
-
Return
of the prodigal Jake Bugg, not as an opening act, but as a main artist
-
The
Killers, Sin City’s foursome
-
Let’s
keep up with the Las Vegas ‘artists with another foursome, the Imagine Dragons
-
Journey
to London to celebrate Mr Clapton’s 50th year career (with his
friends : Steve Jordan, Doyle Bramhall Jr or Paul Carrack…) on the stage of the
famous Royal Albert Hall
-
The
weekend after : same venue (can’t help it, I’m in love with that evnue…),
different artist. Another guitar legend, Mister Mark Knopfler.
-
Legend,
legend, here comes another one… Mister Springsteen at the TWClassic can’t hurt
-
And
finally… meeting again with Robbie Williams after years of “live show
separation”
Besides, I
discovered a few great bands/artists over the last few months, or even years,
that I’d very much like to see coming in a city of my country: The Chase, The
Cornerstones, Expatriate, Nico Vega, Orianthi, The Parlotones, Run From Cover, but
also the Canadians of In-Flight Safety.
Can’t forget
about the unforgettable ones that I’ve been waiting for years now: Stereophonics,
Sixx : AM, The Wallflowers and…well… John Mayer (I’m sure I’ll end up
writing him a damn letter to tell him about that very deep sadness of never
being able to see him on a stage near my
country!).
What about
you? Anything planned already? Emotions put in a box ready to be released one
night during a great concert?
I can’t end
this article without wishing you all a happy new year. May 2013 bring you all
the happiness of the world. May it also bring you a lot of music notes to send away
the worries and the pain, to revive the joy and happiness, to dance tied up on
a sweet ballad or on a rock’n’roll sound, to love or to hate or simply to
forget… To change your life or… to make it even more beautiful.
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