Par : FrF.Kmeron, 13-03-2009 - 20:45
Tags : AB - Ancienne Belgique - brussels - Bruxelles - Concert - franz ferdinand - Gig - Live - tour

I remember… I remember I had a left knee, I remember I didn’t had cramps in the right legs all nite long, I remember I didn’t get tossed away in a 2k crowd, I remember I wasn’t missing 2 pieces of my camera, I remember I used to not remember what was like to be jumping with a full crowd on a track, I remember I wasn’t a big fan of taking concert pictures, I remember I wanted to be Irish and not Scottish. I remember there was a time I didn’t spend 75 minutes with Franz Ferdinand @AB in Brussels. I now know that it was a rollercoaster right into my face, and I didn’t saw it coming (at least not that much). Now I just want a 2nd round of it.. pleaasse, let me do one more round!

Of course Franz Ferdinand was Sold Out at the AB in a glincah after the opening of the tickets sales. Of course I couldn’t have one (like 20mn and they were all gone), of course, I was lucky enough to see an ad on the page of this concert saying « i sell a ticket », oh oh oh.. it was just for me, so thanks to François, I had the golden ticket to see the scotts on stage. Support act was called Kissogram (germans it seems). Weird but interesting electro-rock. But well, not enough moving shoulders even a little bit, hard beats, nice, but well… It will be nothing compared to what’s coming next.

 Indeed, the 4 scotts arrived on stage, luckily enough i’m really close to the stage (and no security fence at all.. wow). They start by « Come on Home », his guitar gimmick, is bass clearly present, the pit ignites almost instantly, and for once, I was kind enough to leave my jack at the cloackroom (which at the AB by the way is just something like heaven, I swear, and I’ve done loads of gig places!). Sound like, it’s actually not bad, sound engineer should be good, even if the voice of the lead singer (alex for us, fans) is maybe a little bit overwhelmed in the slap of energy that is coming into our  head on a bi-second basis.
♫ « Moonlight falls upon your perfect skin/ Falls, and you draw back again/ Falls, and this is how I felt/ And I can not forget / And I can not forget /Come on home/So come on home/ But don’t forget to leave « ♫ -Come on Home-

 Almost without the slightest silence in between, « Do you want to », one of the main hit of the 2nd album, keeps everyone jumping. You know, this kind of crowd where you don’t have any room left that whatever happens, you just don’t have the space to fall, it’s purely mathematic, nothing will happen if you follow how the crowd is moving. When the chorus comes « to do do do do do », now it’s jumping time, same stuff, you pretty much have to jump if you don’t wanna die under broken ribs made by knees, elbows in the eye etc etc… Yes, it’s pretty tough :p
♫ « Oh well I woke up tonight and said I /I’m gonna make somebody love me /I’m gonna make somebody love me /And now I know, now I know, now I know /I know that it’s you /You’re lucky, lucky /You’re so lucky! « ♫ -Do You Want To-

« No you girls » from the new album sets up the tone that will go through the whole set on stage, pretty much no interruption between songs, just turning people wild, coming closer to the audience, smiling, being astonished as most of the artists who are coming to Belgium how much Belgium crowd is just soooo amazingly wonderful. « The dark of the matinee » and « twilight omens » will follow, crowd singing, good times, sweating, looking if I didn’t lost anything because it’s moving so much.. Right stage.. no.. left stage.. no.. in front.. in back.. jump.. left… jump.. right… wowww… guys… let us breaaaatthhhhh

♫ « Do you never wonder? /No, no no no / You girls never know /Oh no, you girls’ll never know /No you girls never know /How you make a boy feel  » ♫ -No You Girls-

  »Walk away » and « The fallen » are really the ideal intro to the tubesque « Take me out », I tried to shoot a video, but it just wasn’t possible, people shouting, dancing, arms in the air, sweating like they just run a marathon, this is definitely almost the  symbol of a whole generation that discovered new british talents at that time (that was like 5 years ago, seems way further than that). And this guitar, like a sting, giving the whole rythm, simple, clear, efficient. Love this track, can barely focus on the voice because the whole crowd is actually in communion with the pit and with the band. This is just a strange feeling, and it’s not the first « moving concert » I saw.
♫ « So if you’re lonely,/ You know i’m here waiting for you,/I’m just a crosshair,/I’m just a shot away from you/And if you leave here/You leave me broken shattered alive/I’m just a crosshair/ I’m just a shot..then we can die/Ooohahhhhh/I know I wont be leaving here with you«  ♫

  »Turn It on » is quieting a little bit the audience, time to breathe, to realize that well, we’re all already pretty heavily tired, but we’re ready to go to do another round anytime, you know, this time where you just don’t give a f*** about what’s your job, age, weight, social situation or whatever, you’re just someone else on a crowd that is having the blast of the month, enjoying. I know it’s the same for me, at this exact moment, I just don’t care I will be barely able to walk when I’ll get out of here, i’ll sleep just a couple of hours, mostly in pain, before going to work, here, Nothing matters. The pain’s gone. And THAT is a great feeling, that is why I still have my wristbands on the left wrist, the ones from the Ardentes as well as the one from the Eastpak Tour in Antwerp ( »built to last » is written on it). Never foget. A small reminder of how sometimes life can be, simple but sufficient per itself. Right now, I’m just a guy painless in a crowd, and I’m happy with it.
♫ « It ain’t easy being this kind of lover why don’t you ever call me / But I’m dedicated, yes I’m a forgiver /Yeah, I’m dedicated, yes I’m a forgiver / Oh, I’m dedicated, yes I’m a forgiver /I’ll forgive you always / I know you’ll turn it on yeah (turn it on)  » ♫ -Turn it On-

« 40 ft », the guitar sound is just enough to start to make everyone move, « Bite hard » as the same effect, and the awesome « Ulysses » arrives. This beat, like a nitelife moment (the music video is great about that, just like stuff happening on the pavement at nite, we’ve all experienced it), all the temptations you can have and you wish you had taken. Those kinda nite you remember for a long time because either vodka red bull made you cross the line and give it a shot where you actually didn’t wanted to at the first place (how’s that it’s something i’ve experienced? wanna see me do something stupid, gimme vodka red bull. « you wanna do something stupid? » « do me. I’m stupid ».). Dunno why, this is exactly what it reminds me, this gimmick coming back like the « don’t you roll your eyes at me like that ».. mouah ah ah.. was so cute.. we were so young ^^ *shrug*

♫ « Well, I found a new way/I found a new way/ C’mon doll and use me/ I don’t need your sympathy/Ulysses/I’ll find a new way/I’ll find a new way, baby/My Ulysses, my Ulysses/ No, bet you are now, boy/So sinister, so sinister/ Last night was wild » ♫ -Ulysses-

« Lucid Dreams » is next, and is way different that what we were used to. It finishes in a real electro style, all the guys actually creating the main beat on the drums, each one on one of the drums. Didn’t expected it, but it turned out very very very well indeed, but once again, they are here, smiling and smashing on this drum. Really really impressed gotta confess. And a moment where Alex is « offering » the guitar to the crowd, everyone wanting to touch it, nice memory, communion with the audience of artists who are happy to deliver a consistent and well built set.

 

 The encore will be « what she came for », and it just seems anecdotic in regards of what is coming next, « outsiders », but the last and final track will be « this fire », and for sure, this sets up the audience on fire. I swear, It just absolutely incredible. Once again, the crowd, the whole pit as much as I could see it, moving, singing, jumping, taking the last gasp of this powerful gig, exhausted, but damn happy. Wow, this gives me almost goose bumps just thinking about it. That was a wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiild nite!
♫ « This fire is out of control/ I’m going to burn this city/ Burn this city/If this fire is out of control/ Then i/ I’m out of control/ And i burn » ♫ -This Fire-

 Right now, Alex is crowd surfing, owww, he didn’t went very far, but well, you didn’t see that often, and it’s always a good sign about the spirit of the guy and how he is not having any issues with people singing the same lyrics as him. Right now, time to go back to car, I’m really going at the speed of a turtle.. damn it’s gettin’ difficult, kinda dizzy by everything that is running through my thoughts right now… you know, that kind of state where you are on the pavement, even without any alcohol in your body, and you wish you could still shout, scream, dance, jump, and doesn’t care at all… This temp euphory that makes you wanna give your smile to the whole world.

 Right now, I wanna make love all nite long… Right now I want some people to realise how much I love them, Right now I wanna be scottish, Right now, I remember why I’m 27, happy, not perfect for sure, but passionnate about everything I do. Because I dig it, because i’m proud of making pictures that people might like eventhough they’re aren’t that awesome. Because I’m the way I am, a stranger in a foreign land, who just loves to have so many things going on in his life, even if, at the end, we never know what tomorrow will be made of. But don’t worry, life is easy, life’s great, life is having up & downs sometimes, but in the end, just remember how many good moments you had, it’s the only one who are lasting anyway, bad moments are difficult, usually heart breaking and pain creator, but they go away. Le temps détruit tout. I’m ok with that, but just the bad stuff, moments that are a melt of magic, surprise, astonishment, smiles, love, feelings, are made to never be forgotten.

 

 

I remember.

 

 

And as usual, all the 90 pictures can be seen on Flickr.

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In my ears : Jason Mraz -I’m Yours- ♫ « But I won’t hesitate no more, no more/It cannot wait, I’m yours/Well open up your mind and see like me/ Open up your plans and damn you’re free/ Look into your heart and you’ll find love love love love/ Listen to the music of the moment people dance and sing / we’re just one big family/ It’s your God-forsaken right to be loved love loved love love » ♫

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