THE BAND CONSISTED OF:
PHILIPPE DARDELLE - DOUBLE BASS
PIERRE-MICHEL SNADIER - KEYBOARDS
ALEX FERRAND - SAXES, VOCALS
MARC DELOUYA - DRUMS, KEYBOARDS
ISABELLE FEULLEBOIS - VOCALS
STELLA VANDER - VOCALS, KEYBOARDS
CHRISTIAN VANDER - DRUMS, PIANO, VOCALS
DATE: 07-12-91
LOCATION - HOTEL CLIMAT RECEPTION, FACHES THUMESNIL
TIME - 18:00
Problem No 1.
Paul, Alistair and myself studied the map of Lille and couldn't find the venue. We developed intricate plans as to where to direct the taxi driver. When he arrived, he had a better map than ours and solved problem No 1 easily. Then it was onto the Cafe Nordic for Coffee, Carlsberg and Croque Monsieur to protect us from the sub-zero temperature.
On arriving at Les Arcades, we were horrified to discover that seats were allocated on a reservation basis and there were none left. We then discovered that if we hung around, we might be able to get standing places. At the designated moment, Paul and I battled our way through the other unfortunate punters with tactics that would have impressed "Stormin' Norman" to get our tickets. We ended up on a cramped staircase some three metres from the stage.
Problem No 3.
This was for OFFERING. We had heard that just before the tour started, Emmanuel Borghi had left the band. This departure, along with the defections of Jean Claude Buire and Pierre Marcault
must have given Christian a few headaches. Read on for his solution.
The set opened with new intro tapes; partly taken from the old 'Swans and Crows' tape and mixed in with something sounding Far-Eastern. Then came an abridged version of 'Another Day', which was very dynamic. Next was 'Hello' from Stella's new CD release; a very haunting piece. At this point we realised that the vacancy for pianist was to be shared between Christian and Pierre-Michel Sivadier, and a good job they made of it too. After Isabelle Feuillebois' ghostly wail, Stella introduced the next part of the concert as a showcase for her new material from the CD. Thus followed 'J'ai vu le Roi', 'Ronde de Nuit' and 'Ma seule enfant'. I wouldn't wish to see these songs as permanent features in an OFFERING concert, but I'm glad I had the chance to see them live - once! All very pleasant stuff, well played and giving Isabelle a chance to be front stage for her singing; a wise move.
After Stella's solo vocal (with tapes - spooky!) on 'Nature Boy', Christian launched full belt into an incredible (even by his standards) drum solo. You could see and feel the awe of the audience as he really let rip with more speed, power and dexterity than usual. This was the highpoint for me of the whole show - totally breath taking. 'Anahė', featuring the saxophone of newcomer Alex Ferrand was next. I did have some difficulty in adjusting to hearing this instrument in OFFERING, but Alex is an excellent musician and took his part well.
The next piece was 'Les Cygnes et Corbeaux'. I was delighted to hear this piece again as it is one of my favourites from the OFFERING years. Since I last saw this performed it has undergone a few changes. The mid-section now features a lot of Jazz based improvisation and gave everyone, especially Alex, plenty of room to do their thing.
The inevitable applause and encore followed: 'Purificatem' in which Christian sings MAGNIFIQUE and EK GLAO (Kobaļan for "THE BLOOD") repeatedly. The piece is based on a two chord riff and allows Christian a lot of space to perform his own brand of vocal improvisation - and he did very well considering he had to play piano also. The piece is very fast and energetic and the nearest thing I heard that night that resembled MAGMA.
Overall, it was a fine concert. I'm not too sure about the move to a more mellow sound as featured on Stella's section, or about the creeping Jazz influence caused by the saxophone, but I don't think there is a better live band to see than OFFERING.