Did add Guardian Angel to the first post [wink]

Mafia Islands

Victory Of Love

Giants


Not my videos

It took me one week to gather all my thoughts and feelings about this Anniversary, but here's my experience:


I have to start by saying I have attended one of the best Alphaville concerts ever, only second to Berlin in 2004. The new versions of the old songs were awsome. For the first time, the music was "tuned" and adapted to Marian's voice and he was much more comfortable singing them. I loved the new arrangement of Guardian Angel, and I was almost moved to tears with Still Falls the Rain and Elegy. In my personal opinion, there were some songs that could have ceded place to others I like more, but they've become a part of the public and shouldn't be spared. I still enjoyed hearing them. I'm thankful for Romeos and Gravitation Breakdown, which I sang (screamed) at the top of my lungs. I would apologize to those standing next to me, but I don't go to an AV concert every day. ;)

As for the new songs, I do like them all. That darkish mood in them, very close to the spirit of Crazy Show, made them immensely attractive for me. I'm really looking forward to the new album. I truly hope it will be the "return" of Alphaville quality standards that many of us kind of missed in CROG.

The whole band was fantastic on stage: David's guitar sounded better than ever, and the energy of Jakob and Maja filled the room with magic. I was very sad for Martin's absence; he was dearly missed. Nevertheless, Carsten's keyboards gave the songs a new kind of shine and he did an excellent job. Welcome, Carsten.

Now the non-neglectable negative side of the story: the suffocating heat in the venue was terrible. I don't think the air conditioning was working (until the end, probably, and it leaked some disgusting liquid from the vent-holes). The security team was rude and we were mistreated, both inside and outside the venue. Some of us had to raise our voice to be let back in after grasping some fresh air and go inside for hanging around with our friends and the band, but still had to bear their bad manners.
The huge disappointment of the night was that no afterparty was held, despite the announcements (or what we interpreted as being announcements) that there would be one. It's the first time in an anniversary that there is only a regular show. I don't want to be misunderstood here: the music, the presence of friends, the magic of the band on stage were worth the trip for me, and I had a marvellous time; but in comparison with previous celebrations, this time there was a lot to be missed.

To somehow compensate for all this, we had the presence of Mr. Bernhard Lloyd and Tobi Prohl in the café La Marmite, until we were also kicked out from there as it closed by 3 am.

Finally, I'll share my anecdote of the night: I was standing beside a French woman who kept updating her Facebook page during the whole concert, which was quite annoying. Then later, during the break of 20 minutes (for smoking, but Mr. Gold had to miss because he had to care for his voice until the end of the show), another one came up and both shared their surprise that there were so many foreigners and very few French people in the venue (oh, even an exotic Mexican!). It had been mostly by chance that they had known about the concert and bought their tickets. The last one had the most irritating impulse to talk to her partner while Marian was speaking. *Gah!*
I wish I had the courage to say to both of them: "don't be mistaken, you are the strangers here". [misch]
Anyway, the good vibe in the venue, the cool music, the fantastic company to share this experience, compensated anything else.


Thank you Alphaville for giving me the best of times, the best of friends and the best of music.
Thank you Utopians for the warmth, the love, the friendship we've shared over the years. And thank you for the many pleasant hours of company and conversation that you shared with me.
Thank you Tobi for all the work you do for the community.
Thank you Claudia for your kindness towards me always.

Love is the answer. [love2]

Lovely review Malila! I wish I had met that French woman. You know what I would have done...[wink]

For the security team, whatever the place you go, lots behave the same way (welcome to France *sigh*).

And for the air conditionner.... well, I felt like butter in the sun !

But for the French fans... [banghead] when I tried to make some of them understand that, they didn't believe me (no, the others behave in a weird way, none of the French fans did, and that's obvious, AV is very well known in France). [bah]

Well, I prefer being in the dreamroom, and you're right, Malila, It was a tremendous show. I've sung as loudly as I could almost every song, as many people did. It was like gliding with the music.
And even if I regret the lack of after show, I was very happy to spend some hours with some of you. Shame I couldn't stay a few days in Paris.

I hope next time, I'll spend more time with all of you.

@Kaz: I would have loved to leave them to you. [mean]


@Mumu: Well, security teams are the same everywhere, I'm afraid, but I think I was shocked because I felt I was a special guest and shouldn't be treated like that.
Anyway, it was fantastic to meet you there and that we had a chance to let our languages run wild. [smile2]

She must have had a heart attack then when Marian started singing in German [wink]

I bet. Of the "odd" songs, she only seemed to have known Jerusalem. [smile]

Most French people only know FY or AIU. Some know both of them.
They may have thought that it was like the show "âge tendre et tête de bois", where singers and bands of the eighties sing only these old songs, and have no others.
Almost all don't know that AV still exist.

I hope next time, I'll be able to speak spanish as well as you speak french ;)