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THE EUROPEAN TOUR 1998
REVIEW

 

Review By Anne Laure - Paris, France, 6 July 1998

Hi Manish, Okay I'm back :-) I had a great time in Paris, just one week but everything was so fantastic because of the world cup period, there was such a happy mood I've never seen that before :-)

The week started by the concert on Monday 6th, it's a shame that it was too early because if she'd did it one week later, I could have seen the final match in Paris and we could have taken advantage of more things in Disneyland Paris but anyway ... it was fantastic ! Just after the show, my bros and I couldn't even remember the songs she sang but after all came back to us and I have to say that my brother fell in love with her ... :-) He couldn't stop saying " wow ! she's gorgeous ! "

I went in Paris with my parents and my brother, the 6th of July was just my brother's birthday and as my parents had offered us the concert tickets, we did the same for them. When we arrived in the front of Bercy, we were very surprised to see so few people waiting. It was already a little late, I think we arrived around 1 PM but there were only around 10 persons, so, we had enough time to go to eat and we even tried to visit the new giant bibliotheque of France which is just on the other shore of Bercy but it was closed so we came back at 3 PM and my brother and I finally waited with the other 20 persons while my parents continued to visit the surroundings because they didn't want to go in the standing crowd. Quickly many other people arrived and we were happy to have taken the good decision to wait. Then they opened the doors and everything was okay ... we succeeded to reach the third row. It was perfect but the problem was that at the first row, there were ONLY boys ... tall boys ! and not one girl ! It was the first time I came in Bercy but I must confess that I imagined it much bigger.

The supporting act was okay, but a little slow to wake up the crowd ... Before Whitney finally was ready to arrive on stage, they showed many images on the two screens which they had the intelligence to hang high enough for once ( they use to always hang them so low ! ) Then the music of " I'm Every Woman " ( I hope I'm not wrong ) came but we couldn't see Whitney during a moment, then she finally arrived in a very beautiful beige dress. I was afraid during all the supporting act because I couldn't see nothing, but finally I saw her perfectly and she was so beautiful ! The crowd was crazy. Then she sang her other songs which I have no idea of the order. I just know that there were many songs that I was expecting and that she didn't sing unfortunately. I also remember when you told me that Whitney speak a long time with her public between the songs and it's true ... I've never seen a singer speak such a long time :-) She said that it was about 5 years that she didn't came in Paris, she was sorry about that because she said we were the best audience ( don't they all say that in every countries ? ), but she explained all she did during those 5 years, her movies ... then she said that she loved Paris very much and that she'll come back to give 3 concerts soon ( I hope not only in Paris ). Then she went on, she sang many fast songs during that concert, I think she sang more fast songs than slow songs which surprised my mother because she thought she only had slows. And the crowd was really fantastic ! I found them great ! They moved, danced and sang and Whitney was very impressed to see that, so was I !

I must add that it wasn't a sold out concert, the same day, it remained 800 places and when we were in the hotel the day before, we said to the proprietress that we came to see Whitney Houston, she didn't even know that she'd give a concert and was sorry because she would have liked to go, so she finally found a place and thanked us very much to have informing her for that concert :-) To go on, one funny thing happened when she was sitted on a chair, I don't know which song she was singing but she was talking about her first night ... then I think I have heard a guy in the crowd screamed " It was when ? " or something like that, but anyway, it made Whitney laugh :-) It's true that she was really close and very attentive to what we said to her, she answered and laughed. At one moment ( this is my brother who told me that because I haven't heard that ) during the song " Nobody loves me like you do ", he told me that she said to us " no, I have to say that nobody loves me like my husband because it's something precious ... " One other funny and sweet moment, I think it was during the song " I Wanna Dance With Somebody " ( I'm sorry I can't remember ) when her little daughter came to dance, she was so cute, then came 2 other little girls, I think she said it was her nieces :-) Then came the break when her brother ( who did the chorus ) sang " Change The World " of Eric Clapton, and Whitney came back in a red suit singing the Diana Ross' hits " I'm Coming Out " " Ain't No Mountain High Enough " and " Endless Love " in duet with her brother. I was surprised that she sang those songs that I love, the problem is that not many people knew them. She talked about Diana Ross ... Then came the gospel part " I Go To The Rock " and " I Love The Lord " with a long speech about God, she said that he saved her etc and I have to say that I understand totally her faith, but if those kind of speeches pass well in the US where people are very believers, in France it's not the same, they rather keep it for themselves and it seems a little hum ... shocking to preach like that. I don't know how to say but it's not the same. There is another thing, it's that not everybody know English ... and during her long speeches she could think about that, that not everybody understand what she says. I personally understood and I think it was the case of many people in the first rows ( unless they pretended it ) and it was a good thing that everybody was quiet as soon as she spoke because usually, when singers talk to us, everybody scream so loud that you can't even hear what they say ! but there no, they were intelligent and we could hear her perfectly. It was not at all the case of my parents which were in the back of the seats and who understood nothing of what she said, they didn't understand why everybody laughed :-) I think the last song was " I Will Always Love You " until the curtain call.

There she said that she'll come back and that she'll always love us, and what was great, it was just before her last sentence in the song, she stopped everything and said " By the way, I wish you the best luck for the World Cup " :-) there everybody screamed and she understood that those were the perfect words to say this time around to be ovationed ... and it seems that her wishes have worked :-)

She left, I was wondering if she'd come back, I didn't really believe but kept hope and she came back hopefully in blue jeans with her baby girl on the back and sang " Step By Step " while her daughter waved towards us to say goodbye. That's all ... it was a wonderful moment ! However, if I'd have some critics to make, it would be :
* The first one is that, I personally think it was too short. The concert lasted 1h30 and I think she could have added so many other songs ! ... there were MANY songs which missed and that is the second point.
* Our first deception with my brother is that we were expected too many songs ( especially my brother ) that she didn't sing and which were so obvious to be sung : where are the "How Will I Know" "All At Once" "Greatest Love Of All" "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" "I'm Your Baby Tonight" "Anymore" "Miracle" "I Have Nothing" "Exhale" "I Believe In You And Me" ... I know that make a lot, but those were really the ones we expected and I think they would have been better than the ones she sang when she was sitted.
Okay, I know that in every concerts, there are always songs that you wanted to hear and that they can't sing everything, but in this concert, I think there are a lot and that's a pity. However, I know that for her fans, it's good to hear songs that she never sang live before, but for someone whom which it's the first concert, you always expect the best and the more famous songs and it's disappointing. Moreover, I honestly thought that it'd be a " best of " concert as she didn't have any album released, it was what I had understood.
* The third point is about the clothes, I would have loved to see her in many clothes but that's not very important, her first dress was wonderful. Voila, those last critics are not to criticize Whitney because I really loved the concert and enjoy myself and all the other are good points for her ... :-)

Anne Laure.

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