PERSONNEL
Acoustic piano is a very important instrument for Offering, performed by Simon and Emmanuel.
Emmanuel's playing is accurate and harmonious. Simon's talented style is so forceful.
Electric bass, by Jean-Marc Jafet, he was born to be a bass player.
Fréderic Briet is a real contrabass lover. His warm fullness makes Offering sound happier.
Pierre Marcault is the leader of percussion section. His snare drum sound awakes a primitive
pulse.
Jean-Claude Buire, the drummer, is a happy man, and his music also makes
the audience happy.
Marc Delouya, percussionist, he is a hard worker. I sometimes
saw him doing drum tuning even after the concert. Christian has full confidence
with his tuning, and he knows well the sound that Christian requires. His sound
timbre is like Christian's. It's such a profound sound.
Chorus girls support Offering, not only musically, but visually too. Sandrine and Isabelle, they have different vocal tones to each other, but both beautiful. They are like our spokesmen,
because while they are singing, we are also singing in our hearts.
Dejazet is a small theatre near the metro station République. The first and second floor seats are for guests, and the third level is for lighting. Since Offering consisted of twelve members, they said laughing, that they would cross each other if they all played at the same time. The stages are also separated on two floors. Two acoustic pianos, keyboard, double bass, electric bass and drums were located on the first floor, along with the vocalists.
The second floor stage was prepared for various percussions and chorus. The entrance ticket fee was 90F (on the day 110F), at 8:00pm, many people were trying to buy Offering or Magma posters, T-shirts and also discs. In the hall, Coltrane music was played first, and after a while, the music changed to European classical music, and the lighting became darker, and the members of Offering entered one by one.
Though I saw the concerts continuously for nine days, I still could not recognise each person's shadow clearly. Some of the band appeared on the second floor too. Stella and Guy came to the centre of the first floor. Finally Christian appeared on the stage, just then the music arrived at the climax, and the shadows stared at the audience without movement. Before the end of the tape music, members began to turn back to their individual positions, except Christian. He got this idea of opening the show, just three or four days before the concert. On the final day, he appeared wearing a black mantle with a hood, "since the audience had got too overpowering for him"... After the classical music ended, a bass sound came from somewhere, and the lighting became bright when the music changed into 3/4 jazz with an oriental flavour.
'Offering' started with Stella's hot vocal and Guy's flute. Piano swung between two scales, this was actually the beginning of the first song. The female chorus began, next the male's, and then the sound became so heavy, and again soft, at last with the cue of the drum sound, Christian appeared in the spotlight. This song features some dramatic drumming, which you cannot hear on the 'Offering I & II' album.
Christian must sing with a high tone falsetto voice, since he reduced his cigarette smoking from the middle of April. It seems to be very hard for him, because basically he is a heavy smoker. But Stella doesn't like smoke, so while the room filled with smoke, she used to go outside.
The third song was linked with the previous one, and Christian played the piano part. The next two songs were purely from the world of Vander. Quietly, the words of 'Imaginateur solitude' were refrained. I regret that this song is also still unrecorded. The song has a universal scale, and I felt that with 'Imaginateur', Guy was a storyteller with flute. Only three people played the song, but percussion sounds, like tambourine or bells, were coming from far away.
The fourth song used electric piano by Stella, and acoustic piano by Christian. She played and sang like a little bird, and Christian replied.
Next was 'Ügümà Ma Mëlïmëh Gïngeh' from 'Offering parts I & II'. I heard that this song title was hard to pronounce even for members of the band. This was performed in almost the same arrangement as the original, including Christian's final solo part, the spotlight closed up on him when he cried, "Oh Coltrane, I can wait for you, dear". Perhaps he saw Coltrane in the light. Then, Stella and Guy left the centre of the stage, and Stella appeared on the second floor alone. She sang as if she was reading a poem, "one day, she flew away.... into the sky, into the moon". With her singing, I felt as if the wind of sounds flew me away. Then, the sound got completely strange, and a Coltrane number was sung. Perhaps this was one of his early songs. Guy appeared with a hat, acting a dandy, the audience made fun of him. Simon played drums.
The light colour turned from red into white, and 'Joïa' began. It was my good fortune that Pierre played a longer version than the original. I don't know about 'Merci', but I feel there is not so much difference between the live performance and records of Magma and Offering. For example, 'Ügümà Ma Mëlïmëh Gïngeh' as with the original recording, we feel a relaxed atmosphere, something like a rehearsal scenario. 'Joïa' too.
The next song was 'Another day', playing time was more than forty-five minutes. I have not enough words to explain this song properly. Maybe it consisted of four or five parts, but seamlessly linked. It included many solo sections. While playing, the audience were breathless. But anyway, I'll try to explain. The beginning was very bright, and after Christian's solo falsetto vocal part, the drum solo started. I thought he cried about Coltrane, but I felt the feeling of 'Earth'. I suppose this song was not Earthly, but the words of Kobaïa were the same, and the style of singing also.
Again it returned to the main melody with many chorus parts. The audience began to beat time with their hands and feet.
Next, Simon played piano for a long time, but this was totally different from 'Mazur Kujiawiaki Oberek' or 'Solitude'. It consisted of two parts, in part one, he turned notes out using all his fingers, and these notes purified at part two. Again the main melody returned. Stella began to sing with an energetic voice. Then Christian took over the vocals, a short sound break came systematically. At that time, Christian cried loudly against the backing of tiny bells.
The light caught Christian, and the word CHARISMA flashed across my mind. Finally the sound was running and running, I greeted the song's end with rapturous applause.
The members were introduced during Christian's drum solo, and the encore was performed solely on percussion, then the last songs were 'Tilïm M'Dohm' and 'Ehn Deïss'. On the final day, two more encores were added, one was by Simon (piano) and Guy (Organ), and another was from the 'Offering parts I & II' album.
As always, their performance was so heavy, like a storm, I was anxious in case someone would die from lack of breath. After the show, I was too impatient to go backstage through the regular entrance, so I went there directly via the stage instead! But there were only smiling faces, I suppose they are all fit.
These concerts, without exception, began at 8:30pm and lasted three and half hours.
LAST WORDS After those gigs, Christian went on another concert tour, playing Jazz with his Trio. Next a holiday was scheduled, and he enjoys fishing, it's his favourite hobby.
I left Paris and when I returned to Japan, I got some information: In August 1987, they were talking about recording 'Ehn Deïss' and Offering would have a concert in Germany on the 29th August, and two more in France in September. Christian used to send me a letter every January, and in the latest one he says his life is all music as usual.
I am not satisfied with just writing about their concerts or exploits. I want to say more, but I must stop. There are still so many unknown facts about them, I sometimes feel irritated at living so far away from them.
I'd like to talk with people who are fans of Offering or Magma, so please contact me through Marquee Magazine. I heartily hope, you are interested in Offering or Magma; please listen to their music!!