Concertography

Paris 1998


report by Angela from Poland (thank you) :
 

PARIS ‘98

It’s September, the 22nd 3 o’clock in the afternoon Pigalle Place (Red Light Avenue) and „La Cigalle" place. Brian´s concert will start  in 5 hours.
I´m looking in the faces of  most impatient fans, so I join in and  we’re standing like that in the sun light of the blue sky and extremely hot sun for this season of the year.
There is nothing special going on till 5:30, apart from fact there are more and more people coming as the time goes by, wearing Queen  and Brian  t-shirts. Suddently a car appears, carrying the band  members but not Brian.
At 6:00 people get even more impatient.You can feel the atmosphere of the coming concert. Finally the doors do open. The security guards bring the barriers in, which  part the waiting crowd from the left side to the right. And so we are waiting for another hour. It is 7:00 when they finally let us in, but  taking our photo cameras and bottles away at the same time.
The concert begins with a french supporter, whom I did not know. He sings several songs and gets so much applause just to get offstage again.   And so he went away but there comes someone funnier, more handsome, disguised as Elvis Presley.
 He is doing a very good job but this singer actually turns out to be Mr. Brian!
8PM; the lights go out and at the same time everybody feels the outburst of adrenaline as there is Brian onstage striking the pose just like on the cover of his latest album. He performs „Space" which is follwed by "Since you´ve been gone", „Business",
„China Belle", „Hammer To Fall" and „Slow Down". There is a break now as Brian is telling jokes in French, which I do not understand.
They must have been funny as the French had a good laugh.
And finally I hear the rythm of my favourite song „The Show Must Go On". Brian is scratching his head and wants the audience to help him singing. There is no much talk about it, because he managed it perfect without any help. There goes another hit „I Want It All"; Mr.Brian surprises.
It is getting all very sweet as the wonderful sounds of Brian’s guitar fill our ears and „Last Horizon" begins (I wanted so much to hear the song live;it was so nice). Then we hear „Headlong".Brian is announcing „Love Of My Life" now dedicating it to Freddie of course with thanks and so we sing it together.
There is a moment of break now as the new member of  Brian’s band, the drummer Eric Singer, is showing off. He is really good. His drum sticks are alright..."Tear It Up", „On My Way Up" and so the show goes on. Brian says good bye to the audience introducing the members of his band at the same time and they all leave the stage but just for a moment. The fans want them back as they shout: oh-oh-oh.
Brian points at the stage and says with a harsh voice: „Alright I will sing you a song from my new album". And so at the end we hear the song performed in french with the english refrain „Another World".The french are on the ninth cloud „No One But You" and „We Will Rock You" finish the concert definitively which it is history now.
We could buy certain souvenirs after the show, closely connected with Brian.
In front of the entrance there have been approximately 40 fans waiting for Brian for 1,5 hours with their cameras ready to shoot, CDs to be signed by Brian. There were only 5 people who realised that there had been another entrance and went there to look for him. And guess what? Brian is just leaving the building surrounded by his bodyguards. But he is not listening to their advice as he is talking to the fans and giving autographs to everyone who asks him to. It all looks quite funny as Brian walks really fast, looking back to the left and then to the right signing everything he is being given.
As he is right in front of the car he is turning back and giving us his autographs. He asked us :"has everybody everything signed?" We say yes! He asks us: „did you have a good time?" We say yes again! He asks us once again at last: „Am I free to go now?" ...well y-e-s Brian...unfortunately you are free to leave now; and we „allow" him to leave...
Unfortunately those 40 fans are still standing and waiting for Brian being unaware that he had already left.

It was really a good concert, Brian made a great impression and surprised me with his exceptional concentration especially during his guitar solo playing. He showed us the real art of his abilities and proved once again that he is the best. It was not necessary anyway...

From now on I will always associate Paris with this unforgettable concert and the nice meeting with Brian. Nice reflections remain...
Thank you for the concert and „Another World" Mr. Brian

P.S. The order of the songs, which have been performed, might have been different.


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