[ gigs & special events ]

Fac Catho, Lille, France, 29 November 2004
Cells – I Can Walk – Conversation – Beautiful Thing – Glowing Logos – Jack The Ripper – Body – Orchestra – Liquefy – Jesus Says – Not Scared – Devil


Gregory and I took a train to Lille and got there around 12:30. We made a stop at a record store, had a quick lunch and hurried to the concert venue. Chris, Matt, Trevor & Dan got there shortly after us. Chris and Matt were wearing snazzy Versace clothes they'd gotten 3 days before in Milan ( Italy ). They had done a TV show there. They played "Liquefy" for a fashion show in the midst of "gorgeous girls", some wearing no more than a bathing suit, who kept wriggling their bums in the band's faces. Some of them came over and teased Matt. Matt loved it of course and Trevor, sitting in the background, didn't mind either! So I was told.
Greg and I watched and listened to Dan sing and play acoustic guitar (Robert Johnson’s “Sweet Home Chicago”, The Rolling Stones' “Angie”, some Radiohead and lots of blues).
We watched the band do soundcheck, the craziest soundcheck ever, Hubert said. Best parts: Dan singing a love song to his beloved sound engineer, making up lyrics in French and then in English. "Je t'aime Patrick, j'aime tes beaux yeux bleus, etc, etc"; hearing part of "In A Public Place" live for the first time; Dan playing the fool over “Cells” and rapping over "Orchestra"; Dan changing the lyrics and melody of most songs.

The show started at 8:30.
They played for an hour. It was the last gig of the last French tour. What do I remember of the show?:
Dan being particularly talkative, speaking a lot of French.
Dan standing on the monitors that sat between the stage and the crowd, so as to be as close to the audience as possible (there were no barriers)
Dan making light of  the sound problems (all the on-stage monitors were down during the whole show): "We can’t hear ourselves but fuck it! Let’s play!”
Dan being very sexy (again) on most songs, especially on "Jack The Ripper"
Dan being very emotional on "Body"
the four guys sitting on the monitors during the one-minute break, backs to audience
Trevor and Matt staying there and watching Chris & Dan do "Not Scared" (they were sitting in the front of the audience, watching their mates - that must be quite unusual I suppose)
the four guys hugging each other and bowing to the crowd 3 or 4 times before walking off the stage.

After the show, Trevor went to the merchandising stall. Matt, Chris & Dan stayed in the crowd, signing, chatting and being photographed with nearly everyone who stayed there after the gig. Jessica gave her hat to Matt and Matt gave his to my daughter Eléonore. She was really chuffed. Dan took pictures of the fans with his mobile phone. Then the boys left, but too late enough to catch their boat in Calais !! Too bad!






sound-check




gig




with Marina




with Gregory


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