fri 29/03/2024

Jean-Michel Jarre, Brighton Centre | reviews, news & interviews

Jean-Michel Jarre, Brighton Centre

Jean-Michel Jarre, Brighton Centre

French synth original's thrills and spectacle fail to rouse a muted audience

ALl new JMJ: reach for the lasers

If this review had a subtitle, it would be “Rave in the Mausoleum”. Jean-Michel Jarre threw everything he had at the crowd – state of the art lightshow, earthquake-level bass, eardrum-shattering decibels, remixed greatest hits, thumping kick-drums, retina-frazzling lazers and more – but the audience remained politely, firmly seated.

The best anyone could muster was head-nodding, muted cheers and sporadic “Radio Gaga”-style overhead handclaps (which look weird when the clapper is sitting down).

It made the whole experience frustrating and rather flat. The venue being seated was a factor, but maybe a bigger one was that the primarily over-50s audience came to hear the synth-prog stoner wibbling of Jarre’s Seventies pomp rather than to shake their collective booty.

Jarre was centre stage, surrounded by digital touchscreen kit and ancient synths

Jarre arrived in Brighton on the back of the best new music he’s put out in years, possibly decades. His long career, dating back to his 1976 global breakthrough hit album Oxgene (sales of 12 million, the best-selling French album ever), has had massive commercial ups, including vast concerts in locations such as the Pyramids of Giza and Houston, Texas. However, he’s also taken his share of flak for drifting into flavourless bombast and New Age noodling. The latter was forgotten with the appearance of two recent consecutive albums, Electronica 1 and 2, wherein he collaborated with an exhaustive Who’s Who of electronic music history. The guest-list included contemporaries such as Tangerine Dream and John Carpenter, Eighties synth-pop icons such as Gary Numan, Yello and Pet Shop Boys, and 21st Century dancefloor dons such as Boys Noize and Siriusmo.

If these albums were impressive, his latest concert incarnation was flashily over-the-top, from the giant floating LED cube that accompanied set-opener “The Heart of Noise” to the sci-fi spectacle of Jarre playing his “lazer harp” on the lead track of Electronica 1, “The Time Machine”. The latter track had something of Kraftwerk about it, but where Kraftwerk are the progenitors of techno, electro and much else, Jarre has always been the acorn from which trance grew, a fact that became abundantly clear as he revamped his music so that it had the hands-in-the air punch of a Tiesto or a Paul van Dyk. Given the loudness and frenetic visuals, this would’ve been wild fun, except that everyone’s arses were superglued to their pews.

Jarre knows which way his bread is buttered, though, and dived regularly into his two best-loved albums, offering selections from Oxygene and Equinoxe. A typical run was a battering slice of techno called “Exit”, featuring a video sample of CIA whistle-blower Edward Snowden pointing out our right to privacy and asking “If you don’t stand up for it, who will?”, followed by “Equinoxe 7”, and then the gigantic Gesaffelstein hook-up “Conquistador”, which sounded like a Chemical Brothers drum barrage.

Dressed in a simple black suit and wearing sunglasses, Jarre was centre stage, surrounded by a combination of digital touchscreen kit and ancient synths, while at the back on either side were two assistants attending to extra effects and percussion. He occasionally grabbed a mic and addressed us, telling us at the start of the encore that we were about to hear a piece from the latest chapter in his “Oxygene project”, “Oxygene 17”, which turned out to be suitably catchy, boding well for the album’s release in December.

He then concluded the night with a pure trance banger, “Stardust”, originally created with the Dutch DJ-producer Armin van Buuren. Finally bodies raised from their seats and waved themselves about for a couple of minutes. But it was too little too late. This purposefully sense-boggling show would go down a storm at a festival or dance event. It’s to be hoped Jarre takes it there, as he must have found the response in the Brighton Centre tonight disappointingly underwhelming.

This purposefully sense-boggling show would go down a storm at a festival or dance event

rating

Editor Rating: 
3
Average: 3 (1 vote)

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Comments

Jarre did a very similar set list to this at a festival at Jodrell Bank earlier in the year; it was my 7th Jarre concert and the first at which so many danced. Jarre has gone for a very much beefed-up sound and pace in this tour, which worked fantastically at Jodrell Bank though the subtleties of his earlier studio albums weren't really detectable if you didn't know what to listen for. Hopefully more people will loosen up as his tour progresses. With 38 dates across Europe, it'll be interesting to see reports in the online communities if more or less people dance, and if it's British reserve, an ageing demographic or something else behind the dance or not-dance. "Cos if friends don't dance and if they won't dance, well they're..."

FYI it is possible to listen to attend a gig, enjoy the music, the lights show and effects without having to dance. In fact dancing is a distraction! Try laying on your sofa and listen to his albums from across the decades to see what I mean, you hear so much more. Looking forward to the O2 tonight and hoping for a comfy chair :)

Good point - it is the demomgraphic and not dancing is still legal ;) though much of his more recent pieces are very danceable and this is the direction he has been on for the last twenty years so maybe it is in part the sweep of his output that creates this issue.  Such a range of music is of course testament to his talent - he was good wasn't he :)  Enjoy the O2!

 

I totally agree

Spot on review.  Jarre was superb the visuals and music kicking and you just wanted to jump around but this was hard to do.  I did get up near the end with my son on my shoulders and this felt like a transgression!!

 

The show was amazing!!! I thought I knew what to expect, but I really did not. What a utter privilege to have been there last night.

 

I have to agree with other comment that you can enjoy a gig without having to dance. I would prefer that it was standing on the main floor with seating around. But as you say it was primarily an over 50 audience and most were probably happy sitting and enjoying the gig. The gig itself was brilliant - the visual were amazing. Exceeded my expectations.

Went to brighton last night and the concert was brilliant and the bass in the opening track blew me away 

But do we need to get up and do the daddy dancing just to enjoy jarre no we don't if you needed to jiggle about folk were dancing by the hall enterance so as not to block any ones enjoyment of the light show and well put together music shame the opening act wasnt that good.shame the pet shop boys didnt make an apperance. Marks out of 10 will be a 9.5

 

Good accurate review. Bottom lines:

- Brighton Centre is a poor, sterile venue and the gig was somewhat flat as a result if this and the underwhelmed audience;

- The programme was better suited to a larger outside venue;

- J-M J music is good but dated;

- The lighta were good but again dated.

Altogether a good evening but a littel disappointing.  

 

 

I thought the show last night at the Brighton Centre was absolutely stunning. The sound was loud and clear and it took the visual side of concerts to a whole new level - just stunning. Absolutely wonderful and from my perspective something to sit back and absorb. An attack on the senses!

However, the venue itself is hideous. I have been to many concerts there and the venue does a great job of sucking the life out of the show. Luckily last night I was up close and it felt very absorbing, personal and engrossing. Other shows I have seen there I have felt an outsider. Position in the hall makes a huge difference to the atmosphere and your involvement in the event.

Well done Jean-Michel - you have created something very special.

This was an absolutely storming show from Jean Michel Jarre. The music, lazers, effects were amazing from start to finish and actually my whole family enjoyed the experience as it was more intimate in the Brighton Centre. His live performance was amazing, especially the manner in which he mixed from his newer tracks from the Electronica albums into Oxygene & Equinox and his use of older synthesizers and moog ipad was quite unique. His banter was quite funny actually and the way introduced the laser harp was excellent. His new track from his upcoming Oxygene 3 album sounded really good and his encore and Stardust end was truly epic.

All in all, an excellent night and I can see the O2 & NEC arenas being something special! One off  the bucket list...

Having been a fan of Jarre's for 40 years, you never know quite what to expect in terms of the spectacular nature of his shows, and this one certainly delivered. Yes many like me in the audience were middle aged, so perhaps dancing not our style. But my tastes have evolved with his music of & love trance so was blown away by the whole experience. The tracks played from the last two albums were very impressive & the snippet from the new Oxygene album left me wanting more( roll on the album's release) . Great show well done Jean Michel

I'm quite happy to sit and tap or nod to the music and bop around in my seat.  In fact I prefer it to trying to dance in a very limited area (in front of your seat) where there isn't  even enough leg room to stretch your leg out.  Plus it's not so bad when you are seated in tiered rows but the majority of the time when people start standing up and dancing, it blocks the view for the people behind who if short, still can't see even if they stand up too.  At least when seated EVERYONE can normally have a very good view of what's going on. 

Don't get me wrong I love dancing to the music, but I can enjoy it just as much without dancing.

If it had not been an all seated venue I'd certainly have danced. As it was I threw some shapes with my hands and felt like a lazy raver!

I loved the show and the visuals/lights were truly spectacular. Lord (whichever you choose) knows why one of the other reviewers said they were dated. Jarre clearly wanted people to get up and dance, and I have realised today that he must have thought he was going to get a hipper/younger crowd in Brighton who were going to rave hard, rather than try to recreate days of greener grass, brighter sun, and more mobility. Loved it.

I too was at the concert and really enjoyed it! Given the type of seating it was very difficult to get up and dance. We were all squashed together so... Top marks to the dad who danced with his son on his shoulders. I saw him and thought he was great. The music, sound quality, and lighting were all excellent. The Brighton venue is a conference centre and not really suited to this type of event. I am very tempted to go again to this show, at the O2. Please JMJ, don't be disheartened by the apparently lack of audience reaction. Everyone around me was really enjoying it..!

 

A spectacular laser and light display accompanied by mesmerising music. The review was a bit harsh on us over fifties being superglued to our seats! I found myself wedged in my seat beside another over 50 rotund man which made it impossible to do anything but Bob my head up and down. The vibe of the concert, I thought, was excellent, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Jarre was brilliant, the light show was brilliant and as the audience shuffled out of the auditorium, blinking like owls they obviously thought it was brilliant as well. I did not witness any disappointment only smiles and conversations of how good the concert was. On a perfect still summer night at a large open air venue this concert would be classed as nothing short of genius.

"On a perfect still summer night at a large open air venue this concert would be classed as nothing short of genius"

 

 

 

JMJ did play a series of outdoor festivals this summer, including the "Blue Dot Festival" at Jodrell Bank in July. I was there and it was awesome! Shame the original article author and reviewer didn't research this first.

The current tour is indoors and seated but outdoors and standing was a lot better!

 

 

This was an amazing show and we saw it at Birmingham last night. We were really blown away by the whole experience. We know that our 21 year old daughters would have loved ii. I hope he does the festivals which would be more suited to this type of music

The gig was amazing, brilliant visuals. This review talks about the audience glued to their seats, but failed to mention that when any one who attempted to stand up and dance, were immediately shouted at and ordered to sit down by the miserable, over zealous security, at the venue. However, he was superb! 

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