Originally Posted by Roman
Well, I don't know if I can do a travel log like Cooney. Maybe later.
Yes, taking those flights and trains back and forth is rather grueling. CFHollister and I met Snatcher42 at a train station on Sunday and we ended up going to l'Arc de Triomphe early, getting some food and eventually checked out the store when it opened at noon. I don't really remember all those details. Like Cooney said, we met him and the others at the hotel eventually.
Skip forward to the next day. Three of us were there a little before 10am before the store opened. It's a really cool store, by the way. There were a few people in line and yes, there was a bit of a rush to get to the Alizée display. I had originally thought we would probably only be allowed one signature and I was torn as to whether or not to get the LP (vinyle) or the CD pack. I knew I'd have to carry that all the way back home on the airplane. I decided on the CD pack, but eventually I realized that I was going to end up getting the LP sometime during the day, so I might as well get it immediately. So I did.
Anyway, at some point I left the store to go back to the hotel with RMJ so that I could drop off some of the excessive stuff that I had in a backpack and he had some things to do too. I was not able to just sit down somewhere, so that bag got heavy. That was really the only time I left. Fortunately I had brought snacks. Well, it was quite exhausting waiting all day like that and being put near the entrance eventually where it was colder. Unfortunately I had left my warmer clothing at the hotel because I though we were going to be in the store the whole time. I'll admit, I think some of my problem was that I was nervous. It didn't help that at some point the other guys got a little spooked about me planning to show Alizée my tattoo and started telling me that I should tell the guards that I had it just so that they would know what I was doing when I went to pull my shirt up. I did tell the two guards closest to her, though I think they were just confused as to why I would tell them that. They probably though I was boasting or something. No. I just didn't want to be tackled. So, that suggestion which had not occurred to me before probably just made me that much more nervous. If Alizée ever thought she was timide, she should meet me. Oh, yeah, she did! I think there's something wrong with my brain chemistry. Good thing I've learned to ignore it enough to do certain things.
Anyway, as soon as Alizée showed up, all concerns and pain were gone in an instant. There's no attention left for that when Alizée is there. When my turn came up I said some things. It's kind of a blur. I didn't say anything I had thought to say: «Tu as changée les vies de beaucoup personnes tout autour du monde, comme moi. Tu m'a inspiré venir ici pour tu remercie.» or something like that. Doesn't help that I'm still not sure how correct that is, in spite of some help from the guys. So, "You have changed the lives of many people all around the world, like me. You have inspired me to come here to thank you.»
I think I actually said something like, Bon soir. Je suis un grand fan. Un cadeau pour toi. (and handed her a painting of tinkerbell that said "Pixies Rock" also painted by the tattoo artist) I think I probably then just said something like, "le même artiste the same artist", and then just turned around and showed her my tattoo.
You want to know her reaction from me!? My back was turned! I kind of got some of her reaction when I turned back around. She then called out, papa! and gestured for her father to come over and take a picture. Wow! What an honor I felt that she would call her father to come take a picture of me. Though, of course, he was there to take pictures. So, I showed him the tattoo trying to stand to give a good picture. Then they wanted to take the picture with Alizée in the picture - a pose someone else had already gotten, only of their face. I should have turned and tried to get a picture like that with Alizée. I mean, my back, that's cool, but what about my face? Doh! That's something I might like to frame and put up somewhere. Anyway, after that last time, I noticed the people at the front of the crowd yelling and gesturing, obviously that they wanted to see it. Well, of course they want to see what got such a reaction. So, when I turned around toward Alizée again, I left my shirt up for a moment. Alizée asked me where I was from and I had to be a lame ass and say something like, what's that? Then she asked me in English. I said California. She asked me my name, which I sort of half pronounced like the French would. Anyway, she got it and wrote the autograph on the vinyl. I just pushed the CD pack over without a word and she signed that too. As I recall, we just said merci to each other, I think I said that a couple times, like every time she did anything. (By the by, though I wish I had been able to speak to her in French and understand what she was saying, how many times outside singing a song have you heard Alizée speaking English? It was kind of nice just for that unique experience.)
So then, I left the stage and when I got down some guy pulled me over for a radio interview, I think he said. I apologized for not understanding much french and as I recall it consided of mostly:
him: where are you from?
me: I'm from California. I came all the way to France just to see Alizée. There are like 5 people from America (oops, so there were only four). Two from Washington. (realized I was about to start babeling and stopped there)
him: (something about how did it feel or something to talk to Alizée)
me: it was awesome! (I know I said that and something else)
him: you got a tattoo of Alizée?
me: yes?
him: why?
me: parce que...je suis un grand fan. (because I'm a big fan)(ok, I wish I had elaborated more on the thing)
About the tattoo:
Starting with the well known iconic photo of Alizée from her second album cover and modeling the fairy wings on the wings of a Corsican Swallowtail butterfly, Roman Revell brought to life in his own flesh this beautiful image of «Alizée comme Fée Clochette» (thanks Cooney for better French) - Alizée as tinkerbell - with the help of Wade Darby, artist and owner of Visions in Flesh tattoo parlor in Sacramento, CA.
Yes, I should start always referring to myself in the third person.
I really like that image of Alizée and it is iconic. It is recognizable. I've seen it as a silhouette, which even works. At first I had thought to get it on my arm and thought that if that could not be done well, maybe I'd just get the silhouette on my arm. Then before talking to any artists, probably a couple months ago, I thought to add the wings. We refer to Alizée as une fée or la fée clochette often enough. After talking to the artists and realizing it would have to be bigger to look better I figured on my back, where I got it. Probably seeing Alizée's tattoo also influenced me on size. By the time I set the date for it I just wanted it huge. On the day we had to make various adjustments and I think 9 1/2 inches tall is what we eventually came up with for the height (that would be approximately 24cm). Also, with this photo, even if duplicated exactly the face is not detailed since it's so small. So, I did not want to much detail of her face because I was afraid that would come out looking weird as a tattoo. It's very difficult to reproduce a good likeness of a person as a tattoo. It would be tragic to make Alizée look weird on a tattoo. Also, probably the same reason they originally chose to use that photo, with that smile and her eyes closed she looks serene and fairy like. The shot is beautiful artistically as is Alizée.
I have been thinking about getting this done for months. I procrastinated of course, then eventually went on the web looking for samples of artist's work and eventually got four or five tattoo parlors in my area that I wanted to call. I called, but only two of them would create a sample drawing for me. They were both good, but I picked the one that seemed to be more likely to do a good job of duplicating the Alizée pose. Originally, I heard he was booked until January. I had waited a long time for this and was willing to wait months longer if necessary to get the best rendition I could. I finally got Wade's sample on Saturday 24 Nov (maybe it was Friday) and decided to go with him. We set a date for the 6th. I was pleased as I was still thinking about going in January to see Alizée in the concert in Strausbourg. Thanks to the leadership and hotel booking suggestion of Snatcher42 and the statement from Cooney about this maybe being the only chance to see Alizée up close and talk to her, I decided, like him, to go now instead of January. I finally booked flight tickets and a hotel room on Sunday morning and then called the tattoo parlor at noon when they opened. I figured if I begged, there was a chance that I could get Wade to do the tattoo before I left. He got me in the next morning (Monday 26 Nov) at 9am. By 1:30pm I walked out of there with this beautiful tattoo, very happy that I would get a chance to show it to Alizée up close and personal and before the rest of the world got to see it. I just wish I could have swiveled my head around to see her reaction at the instant she first saw it. It was actually still pealing on the 3rd (well, still is), so I'll post a picture from the second day. For those of you who don't know, the top layer of skin peals off like from a sun burn. Getting it done is by far the most painful part, but it burns a bit all the time afterward. Still does just a tiny bit, especially when I rub the lotion on it, which must be done several times a day to keep it from getting dried out.
So, continuing on... after I was done talking to the guy, I went over behind some ropes where the rest of the guys were standing. Well, by the end of the session, our group was clumped at the very front of the crowd control rope just in front of Alizée. So, we stood there and watched her for like three hours after we went up. RMJ was in the front with his awesome camera taking hundreds of photos. Way to go, dude!
As I mentioned to the guys, there were many things that came in to my mind while I was there and we talked about of lot such things. One thing though is that I remember feeling like it might as well have been a mall close to my house. Flying all the way out to France and all that didn't matter at all. It seemed like that lost all of it's significance. Nothing mattered at all. I was just very happy and felt like a new level of being an Alizée fan. I'm sure that time was the greatest moment of my life. It was even gratifying to share the spot-light for a moment and I'm sure I will have much enjoyment as time goes by of looking at those autographed albums, but the very best part of all was just Alizée right there talking to me. I had the feeling like I had never really heard her voice before. Somehow it was just different, right there and in person (and partially in English in my case). Some of you will say she's just a woman and I know you are right in a way, but if you were there, you wouldn't say that. That was a truly awesome experience. Alizée is regal, like a queen. I can't even justify any description like that even to myself, but it doesn't matter, it's not about that. I don't want to convince anybody. I don't want to convince me. I don't need to. I experienced it. You would just have to have been
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