Take one Bataclan, fill it to the brim with eager fans from all over Europe. Seat most of them at tables and provide waitress service. Supply them with suitable souvenirs. A three hundred and twenty minute concert is about to begin. Dim the lights and fade out the intro tapes.... The show began with an ensemble rendition of something possibly called 'Attention' by the entire UZMK (ensemble of musicians) who were performing at the Bataclan that night. Gradually more and more people appeared out of the darkness to strike the drums, toms, cymbals and any other percussive item arrayed on stage that all the groups would later share. The whole collective began to chant in many different languages; "Your attention please!" "Hamataï", "Achtung", "Attention", "Attenzione" etc. Then they began to scream while synths wailed eerily. Quite simply, as intros go, it was stunning.
This segued into the first set, by the Patrick Gauthier Group. They commenced with 'Des Pygmees dans la ville'. Patrick played piano and controlled the Macintosh, which replayed all the electronic sequences. Antoine Paganotti drummed while monitoring the rest of the band on headphones. Philippe Bussonnet (ex-Zukunft) had replaced Marc Eliard on bass. Sadly, the drum and bass sound was far from perfect, perhaps the vibrations were coming from the tabletops in the audience, but sometimes it just sounded like someone was kicking down a door! The volume was loud enough to provoke one member of the audience on the third night to beg for it to be turned down. 'Eleutheren' followed, I don't suppose the song made any sense to you in the way it was presented in Ork Alarm #17, so here is a proper translation.
Somebody Free, comes
What rules One is God
One is the devil in nature
One is God in nature
Everything is evolving
The Law of nature
The King prevails
One is the tree in the existence and it is on a stone and everything
is equal
Around nature in nature in the universe
One is the sea and nothing exists nothing exists and one is the sky and nothing exists and everything is evolving
The Devil and one is God
The strange is one God and is the Devil pain of reasoning in nature Shrewd Power (God)
What exists is God the one against does not exist and he came ancient and everything is evolving Force (Devil)
Nothing does exist
'Le Train Fantôme' swiftly followed, André said to me on the second night that this was the best thing they played. Personally I preferred the final song. Certainly the piano solo 'Odessa' did not fit well in this set, and 'Eleutheren' was not as gratifying as the album version. For the record, 'Sur les Flots Verticaux' was released in October 1993, not 1992 as it implies on the outer sleeve! 'Zawinul' closed the set, and even though Stella Vander did not join them this time, it was almost as good as the performance at the New Morning club. I know some of the audience were not immediately struck by the Patrick Gauthier Group at the Bataclan, let me assure them that the album is much better and so was the gig in October. Most of the audience were caught unawares when, as soon as Patrick left the stage, Christian Vander started playing piano at the back of the hall and sung 'J'ai plongé dans les lacs'.
Simon Goubert started the next set with a drum solo and immediately grabbed everyones attention as he led his Quintet into 'Agenda'. Goubert is such a fine drummer that I often feel that Vander has wasted Simon's talents with Offering and Magma "les voix" - but there are already enough drummers in Offering and of course, only one is required for most pieces by Magma. The group showcased the limitless talents of Michel Graillier and the Belmondo brothers running through the 'Couleurs de peaux' album culminating with Vander's 'Day after Day'. Overall it was a very fine set, and the Quintet deservedly drew a large percentage of the applause when all the musicians were introduced at the end of the show.
The Christian Vander Trio immediately took up their places on the left of the stage and played 'Brazilia', Christian used the black Gretsch kit while Simon Goubert had used the red one to the right of it. Borghi's 'Tensions' followed and then Coltrane's 'Lonnie's Lament'. The trio then excelled with a sunny rendition of 'Doktor Pitt', which led to '65!' with its swirling piano figures and hyperactive drum work. As the Trio Vander left the stage, Michel Graillier at the back of the hall (the Bataclan is more akin to a ballroom than a theatre) performed a solo piano version of 'The Deerhunter'. Swiftly, the lights went out and atmospheric tapes heralded the entrance of Stella Vander. For her first solo number she sat on the edge of the piano stool and sang 'Nature Boy' accapella, then moved into the spotlights, presenting 'Après un Rêve', accompanied by Lydia Domancich on piano. This song was written by Gabriel Faure in 1877, and first performed in Paris almost exactly 115 years ago, is currently unreleased, but hopefully it will be on the next Stella Vander solo album. Most of her band (i.e. Offering minus all percussionists) joined her for the next piece, 'J'ai vu le Roi'. Which was very well received. Then Christian played piano for 'Ronde de Nuit', the smoky air strained Stella's voice a little but the backing vocalists helped her admirably and once again it was a really emotional performance. Stella, wearing a black dress with red boots and a red belt that made her look like France Gall, then played keyboards on a new scat number, somewhat like `Tous Ensemble' in its simplicity. Then Christian, still on piano, sung the Kobaïan introduction to another new piece; 'L'enfant Dormi' which was absolutely mesmerising. The start of this one is dense like 'Zëss' or 'Makiavelïk Stürme', then it builds into a round more like 'Ronde de Nuit'. - Overall, a magical set.
New intro tapes swiftly signalled the return to the stage of "La musique préservée aux intacts"; Offering, which meant a quick costume change for Stella. They began with 'Cosmos' and then the slower album version of 'A Fiïèh' against an azure backlighting. Emmanuel Borghi returned to the piano while the drummers were Marc Delouya and Jean-Claude Buire. Isabelle Feuillebois and Addie Deat provided backing vocals. Stella, Christian and Julie Vander took the lead vocals at the front of the stage.
Christian then took over the Yamaha grand piano and each night they performed different versions of 'Les Cygnes et les Corbeaux'. On the 21st of January the piece began very strangely, and several of us could not be sure what they were playing for a while. The first ten minutes seemed a hybrid song based on 'Swans and Crows'. Later performances seemed more direct and concise versions of the song as we knew it in the late eighties. Each night, the twin drummers beat out a convoluted and frenetic backdrop for the awesome combination of the backing vocalists screams (the swans) and Christian's growling (the crows). Stella, Lydia and Pierre-Michel Sivadier added very sombre keyboards. The combined sound frequently veering towards the realms of Art Zoyd. I have often heard Offering referred to as an "acoustic Magma", but anyone who saw this show would not dismiss them so glibly. The second distinct segment was a five-part vocal chant for Alex and the ladies, set against minimal piano and balmy percussion which seemed to reflect parts of 'Tons Ensemble' before returning clearly to the familiar chorus of 'Swans and Crows'. The third section begins with Christian stating one of his classic motifs, one note repeated ostinato on the piano with varying force (The Zeuhl Dance Beat). Gradually the refrain grows, reaching a peak and the "ZDB" becomes a recognisable tune. The band break off into a jazzy, fast tempo mode as the drummers play twin solos, and the keyboards trill while Stella does one of the most amazing things I have ever seen with Vander's combos. She conducts a choral section of astonishing beauty, by waving her right arm while playing keyboards with her left hand. Christian's belief that in order to increase the strength of the drums you should add a second drummer, is clearly demonstrated in this section where both Delouya and Buire exceed the normal bounds of most drummers.
The fourth phase is when Stella sings a short scat melody, similar to 'Tons Ensemble' and also reminiscent of the fifth song in her solo set. Part five, after about thirty minutes, is the 5/4 jazz section with tenor sax solo that was used on the late 1991 tour. Alex's sax solo is followed by a reprise of phase four. The climate darkens, the crows attack the swans, and Christian abruptly halts the song. Stella sings the chorus, accompanied by just piano and cymbals for the final time.
The structure of 'Les Cygnes et les Corbeaux' is too complex for it to become a memorable classic like 'MDK' but it certainly contains some extreme moments of breathtaking intensity, and should make a lovely album when it finally gets released in a year or two. After a break, Magma "les voix" (as they were billed at the Bataclan) filed onstage accompanied by another new intro tape. They gave us a real feast of 'Theusz Hamtaahk parts 1, 2 and 3', (i.e. abbreviated choral versions of 'Theusz Hamtaahk', 'Wurdah Ïtah' and 'Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh'). After that tremendous onslaught, every member of all the bands took a bow and then the entire collective finished the show with 'Ehn Deïss'. They played different versions each night, sometimes with sax and trumpet solos. I am hoping that some of you will supply full reviews of "les voix" and perhaps more extensive studies on the other sets in the Bataclan concerts for the next issue of Ork Alarm! So get your crayons out and start scribbling. Also any photographs from these concerts would be most useful for a future feature.