Ok folks, back in my hotel at 4am (finding a taxi back was impossible, this town is the strangest--not enough taxis and crazy crazy partying).
Headline: Alizee came out crying and pretty much cried the whole time. I have never seen anything like it. I was sending reports, but I don't see them posted. Here is the rundown:
By the time she got on stage, the crowd was fatigued by the beauty queen show, the French cabaret show, and the male singer. They actually would not serve beer, ran out of some of their liquors, and during the concert walked around and made people sit down in their chairs (we were all at tables)! The crowd was much like her Russian concert crowd as described last year: rich, older, low energy. All of the above contributed to a deflated atmosphere.
When she came on, she began with MJ. She looked darked from the start and projected a dark image thoughout. Her skirt was dark, her blouse was dark, her hair was in the boyish style, dark boots, and her makeup: very dark, too much of it and dark circles around her eyes. She looked worn out and old (though still beautiful) for Alizee. Still, she was singing MJ and it was Ok. It looked like work for her (vice fun) from the start. It was nothing like Monterrey last year.
She then spoke a few words in Spanish and her voice was trembling. I had heard her voice tremble with nervousness somewhere else before, can't remember, but it was distinctly trembling and I was suprised that this professional performer was nervous. Then, she launched into ML, and it was then that I saw the tears. And everyone saw them. The cameras were close up and their were big screens. The folks at my table were shocked and I couldn't believe it. I thought, maybe it was excessive sweat from the heat, but it wasn't really hot. Clearly, the tears were coming from out of her eyes and it was just...stunning. She was singing ML, but who was hearing it? I wasn't. When she got to the part where she throws some Madonna in there, I thought it was over and she was just going to stop. I need to see the video.
Third song was Taxi Driver and I texted to my friend, "She looks old, 3rd song now, everyone is like "whats going on", her face is soaked. She left the stage.." And so she did. Upon finishing Taxi Driver (I have no idea how good it was because of the distractions regarding her emotions), I saw a figure in a white sweatshirt come over to her on the stage (they had just blacked it out) and take her off stage; I guessed it was Jeremy. She had picked up something to dry her face as they walked off. There was a short pause and then she came back.
4th song was Sounds of Silence and this she did well. She certainly seemed to be in the mood for it. She spoke a few words before it and I think mentioned it was for her child, or made her think about her child. She got into this song and I think it was her best performance of the night. The combination of her hitting some of those notes, the rhythm, and knowing that she was going through some emotions was pretty powerful at times.
She then spoke a little more in Spanish, this time saying she was going to use a French translator. This little bit and the one before showed no voice trembling, which made that first time she spoke and her voice trembled even more noticeable to me. She introduced the band, but wow, light years away from when she introduced the band in the Alizee en Concert years. The energy just wasnt there. I just didnt get the sense she was interested in doing the concert.
5th song was JEAM. It was weak. We were standing up though and Alizee was moving around, but clearly, it seemed like effort and not fun for her. They all then took a break and the DJ guy spun a hard rock record.
She came back with Decollage for her 6th song. It was OK but it was no Monterrey. The crowd was politely listening, probably trying to figure out if the crying was normal, and Alizee didn't seem enthused.
7th song was 50/60. Hard not to get into that, but even that only had its moments.
8th song was La Isla Bonita. Gone was the Alizee that gripped the microphone and swayed her hips sexily and confidently in the video. She did try and you have to give her credit for being a professional and fighting whatever she was to give the performance, but for those that know Alizee, this wasn't her. She has changed so much if it was her!
9th song was L'effet. She sat in a chair for it, mentioned her child again and then halfway through the song, she starts tearing up again.This didn't seem to be (just) emotion for maybe missing her child. There is something definitely going on, I thought to myself.
She ended with JEAM again, this time with the fair's beauty queens all up on stage. It seemed like effort again.
In summary, this was the darkest I've ever seen Alizee. I am pretty sure my observations were correct. One guy out by the bathrooms just said it was sweat, but no way. I saw streaks of wetness on her face coming from her eyes and I saw her eyes continually welling up. You know how some people cry and its a little tear or two trickling down in its path? Not the case here..her face was soaked, she wasn't just crying, she was really crying. Can't wait to hear if others saw/felt the same. Hopefully I am wrong and just caught wrong angles or something???
