Report on Strasbourg and related thoughts

[Scruffydog777]

I was running late and didn't get to the Zenith until noon time. I was looking around for AF members that I've seen in the past, when Battousai spotted me because I was wearing my AlizeeAmerica hat. I soon found out he's a great guy and we had a lot to talk about.

I was pretty well prepared for the show this year. I had learned from past shows that it got pretty warm inside the theater so instead of wearing long johns, I wore ski pants . I also had some of those shiny thin emergency blankets. I had several. I used one and I passed the rest out to people around me. They work great for breaking the wind and trapping your body heat. I had a real poncho which worked out great when the drizzle set in. I had some of those flimsy thin plastic ponchos that come in a small packet that too I passed out to others around me. The one other thing I brought with me was was a cushion I made of foam packing pads which made a very good seat. I let Batt use a pair of gloves and an umbrella I brought.

I was worried there might not be a bathroom to use but it turned out there was one about thirty feet away from us and about 50 feet away, there was a stand where they had hot dogs and hot drinks which we didn't partake in but it was comforting to know warm food and drink was near by.

Battousai had a camera case with him. I warned him they didn't allow SLRs. He said it wasn't but it had a good size lens on it and a longer one in the case which I'm sure they'd frown on. I told him he'd better hide the long one in his pocket which worked out well because they did take a long look at the one that was on the camera, but did allow it. If they hadn't, he probably would have had to check it which would have meant we a lot of people would have gotten ahead of us.

The theater looked to be a really good place to watch a show from the stands. There was just a short distance between the stage and the stands and there were no stands to the immediate side so it lookded like there wasn't a bad seat in the house.

When the show started, usually Les Enfoires has everyone in the first song and we didn't see Alizee so right away we were concerned, then when she wasn't in the second show, we were pretty dam worried. My first thoughts were maybe she had hurt her back again or maybe she was running late, but I was really getting upset at that point.

If I knew for sure she wasn't going to be there and if Battousai wasn't there, I probably would've left.

I said before that I'd like to watch this show even if Alizee wasn't in it, but I wouldn't get there 8 hours before the show and I'd get a much more comfortable seat as opposed to standing for over 4 hours which always proves to be very uncomfortable for me towards the end. But eventually I cooled down and I figured these celebrites are nice enough to donate their time, so I should stick it out. I applauded after the performances when I often didn't really feel like it. I still even to the end, hoped she might put in an appearence.

Who do you think would have been wearing this shirt had she been there?


So it was hard for me to enjoy the show. The one thing that did perk me up at times is Shy'm and Lorrie at times looked awesome and Clare Keim has a killer pair of legs. Tal also performed in one of the filler sections her song Le sens de la vie, which I really enjoyed.



I had rented a car to get me from Frankfurt and back and I gave Battousai a ride back to his hotel after.

When I heard the real reason why she didn't show, I was upset for a couple of reasons, not for the fact that over a thousand dollars of my own money was down the drain, but more so for Battousai's sake who spent a lot more money than me for this trip and would not get to see Alizee for the first time live and also because I really look forward to this show. Each year, there are 2 or 3 performances that I really enjoy watching time and time again such as last years Le sens de la vie, which I loved for Alizee's singing and the way she looked and then there was Ai se eu te pego, a song I really enjoyed and Alizee looked awesome dancing to it. There's also was the song at the end, Attention au depart which I enjoy by itself, then you add Alizee's incredible looks in that black dress and there were a few other performances.

So for me this show is like a new album coming out each year. This show does for me what her last 3 albums have failed to do and thats giving me songs and performances I like to watch and listen to, time and time again.

So If I take into consideration her last 3 albums, I would have much rathered she'd participate in LE thanf putting out a new album. LE has a very good success rate in my eyes.

When I first heard that she cancelled out of Les Enfoires so she could work on the album, It immediately reminded me of a comedy routine done by Ellen Degeneress years ago about the 2 inch seat reclines they have on some airplanes and the way they make you put your seat back straight before landing. She depicted sitting straight up and said "Live!", then depicted relcining back 2 inches and said "Die!". Of course there's a lot more to that but it still reminded me so much of this situation. Alizee doesn't participate in Les Enfoire, new album is a sensation! Alizee particpates in 4 shows and album is a flop!

I think there might be more to it than so she can work on the new album. She's working a busy schedule and maybe it'd be too much for her, but if this was just Sony's decision, I think it was a stupid one, for one, losing the exposure she gets on this show, plus more importantly, I believe it would have done a lot for her happiness. This is the one time in the past several years where she could walk into that LE back stage with true success hanging over her shoulders. I think that would have meant a lot to her in front of her freinds and peers and they took that away from her. Now if this album fails, it will be the same old same old if she's in the show next year.

I can't really give a good report on this years show as to how good it was. My mind was else where.

The next day, I didn't feel like doing any sightseeing, I just wanted to get back to Frankfurt to catch my flight the following day. I did make a short trip to take care of some unfinished business. I've mentioned several times on my past trips how I just about always stop into a church to say some prayers for Alizee. I've mostly prayed for her happiness, but in some cases for her success. Well now, I feel she has both, so I said a prayer of thanks.

Her current situation reminds me of Stars a Domicile 2003 when Jessica's mother is standing outside the shoe store after Alizee met Jessica. According to the subtitles she said "That's it. She's happy now. She must make the best of it. The same is true of Alizee. She's happy again. If this album doesn't work out, she needs to move in another direction and I think a bunch of doors just opened up for her. I think she needs to come out of her shell too as far as men is concerned or she will return to being lonely. I think her main problem is although it looks like she refuses to mention his name, I think she is still not over Jeremy.

[battousai]

I pretty much feel the same way. Doing 3 LE is not going to make or break her 6th album. After the 1st show I wanted to just leave home too but after spending all that money for my vacation I stayed and thought to myself knowing she's not in it I'll just try to enjoy it as is for what it is. I don't think is was a good decision at all and I tried to look at it in a unbiased way. To me all these DALS fan just enjoy her dancing and most may not even purchase her 6th album. What's stopping them from buying 5 now if they are fans. Maybe it was too much for her to do both or maybe it was Sony who made the decision. To me it would of made more sense to have these DALS fans who love her dancing to see her sing at LE and love that too. So in the end she maybe gets new fans and more sales, but I feel when DALS is over most of the new "fans" will be off to someone else. But I hope I'm wrong I hope the 6th album does really well to where she can have a tour again. Then I will attend that and all this would be worth it to have 2+ hrs of what I enjoy. Her singing and live none the less.

[C-4]

I'm sorry that both of you had to spend so much money and were so disapointed!

That really sucks out loud!

All we can hope and pray for now is that Alizée's decision to work on her 6th CD, which really may not have even been her own decision to make, turns out to be worth missing LE.

You were correct in thinking that Alizée would have gotten many congrats from her peers had she attended LE, due to her success on DALS. Maybe they sent her notes, emails etc. congradulating her.

[lapinschous]

I think you guys should have participated to the DALS tour instead... : / I was afraid from the start , that she wouldn't be a part of LE this year with all those projects, whether it's with her next album, with Tal, with all that came with her victory at DALS etc. etc..

[Un-rêve]

Originally Posted by Scruffydog777

I can't really give a good report on this years show as to how good it was. My mind was else where.

Damn that's hard to comprehend, but I take my hat off to you and battousai for crossing half the world to see your angel.. if not just to be there for her.

Well I dunno what to say here but I find this movie scene quite beffitting.. especially around the 2:07 - 2:37 minute mark.

[battousai]

Originally Posted by Un-rêve

Well I dunno what to say here but I find this movie scene quite beffitting.. especially around the 2:07 - 2:37 minute mark.

Everything seemed to go wrong for me but in the end I made it to my trip and her not attending just crushed me after all I did to make it to Les Enfoirés. Sometimes When You Win You Lose.

[Scruffydog777]

Originally Posted by lapinschous

I think you guys should have participated to the DALS tour instead... : / I was afraid from the start , that she wouldn't be a part of LE this year with all those projects, .....................

It's too bad we couldn't have met up in Strasbourg as you had mentioned earlier. I would've liked to have met you.

As far as attending DALS, it wouldn't be the same for me. I mainly want to see her sing and as far as dancing, I prefer to see her dancing by herself for the most part as in this clip I had put together a while back and this pair dancing doesn't really excite me that much.

I should have realized there was a chance her appearances in LE would be cancelled. She had a busy schedule with the DALS tour and I knew they were trying to rush an album out, but I wanted to especially see that first show. If I had half a brain, I would've bought a ticket for one of the last shows. That way if she cancelled out like she did, all I would've been out of would have been maybe the price of the ticket.

Originally Posted by Un-rêve

Damn that's hard to comprehend, but I take my hat off to you and battousai for crossing half the world to see your angel.. if not just to be there for her.

Well I dunno what to say here but I find this movie scene quite beffitting.. especially around the 2:07 - 2:37 minute mark.

To quote what Robin Williams said, "Feeling like God put an angel on earth just for you, who could rescue you from the depths of hell."

I do consider her a God send who didn't rescue me from the depths of hell, but more like the depths of despair and of course she wasn't put here just for me, but for many.

[Rev]

Originally Posted by battousai

Everything seemed to go wrong for me but in the end I made it to my trip and her not attending just crushed me after all I did to make it to Les Enfoirés. Sometimes When You Win You Lose.

I'm sorry. I didn't surprise me that she cancelled, but I wish she had been more realistic and had admitted to herself (and others) early on that she was overloaded.


By the way, "What Dreams May Come" is an AMAZING movie - one of my all time favorites.

[Un-rêve]

Originally Posted by battousai

Everything seemed to go wrong for me but in the end I made it to my trip and her not attending just crushed me after all I did to make it to Les Enfoirés. Sometimes When You Win You Lose.

Oh man I can't stop watching this, I really have to watch the movie sometime.. it looks awesome.

[SpanishFan]

Always nice to read threads about Scruffy's trips to europe