Ange - 70's/80's 2 Décennies De Concerts


Year of Release: 2003
Label: Musea
Catalog Number: FGBG 9013
Format: DVD
Total Time: 00:00:00

This interesting DVD about the biggest French prog band next to Magma, is based around three different concerts. Both an exclusive interview and a recording for Swiss television of "Les Fils De Mandrin? date from 1976. A year later we see lead singer Christian Décamps with blond hair singing his lungs out in Lunéville in the French Lorraine department. It concerns an open air concert here. Finally we see ten tracks as delivered during one of the many highlights of the band, their performance at the famous Zénith in Paris in 1985.

Sadly the interview that was done by Swiss television way back in '76 does not contain any subtitles, so unless you understand French, I'm afraid this is of little importance to you. Sad, as it contains some interesting material. Recorded on location, yet without an audience, Ange continues delivering the entire album Par Les Fils De Mandrin except for the track "Des Yeux Couleur D'enfants." Backed by his brother Francis Décamps on keyboards, leader Christian Décamps is accompanied here by Daniël Haas on bass, Jean Michel Brezovar on guitar and Jean Pierre Guichard on drums. During "Au Café Du Colibri," Christian fully demonstates he is more than just a singer as he approaches the material from a technical point of view. In "Ainsi S'en Ira La Pluie" he is dressed like a clown playing the accordion whilst brother Francis plays the mighty mellotron, adding a healthy dose of mysticism to the music. For the acoustic "Autour Du Feu" the director of the programme has taken the title literally and has made a camp-fire on stage with the band singing and performing around it. The old empty building where they filmed the entire programme certainly suits Ange's music, although certain passages really are very naïve. Just watch the band look at their respective shadows on the wall during "Atlantis." It's during the closing section of "Hymne À La Vie" that we notice that Christian Décamps in fact is more than just a singer as he turns out to be a huge poet!

The next piece of footage was filmed a year later in 1977 during a concert in open air in Lunéville. It strikes me how silent the audience is during a rather quiet song such as "Le Soir Du Diable." Here Décamps plays Punch and Judy as a visual gimmick using the same puppets you can find on the cover of the album Caricatures. The audio quality of the Lunéville recordings is not top notch yet it clearly illustrates the status that Ange had in France around that time. People applaude when they hear the first bars of "Sur La Trace Des Fées" and although this song contains some heavy outbursts, it all remains very calm once the quiet passages set in, which sound a bit like vintage Genesis. Singing "Le Nain De Stanislas," Francis D?camps looks like a brother of the famous Einstein, his hair ever so wild. With "Au Delà Du Délire" Christian asks the audience to empty their minds and become any kind of animal for exactly fifteen minutes. The song itself sounds very medieval. When Ange's set is over they each get a bottle of beer on stage. Those were the days!

The 1985 concert shows us a completely different Ange. Only the Descamps brothers remain backed by a complete new band featuring Laurent Sigris on bass, Serge Cuenot on guitar, Francis Meyer on drums and Martine Kesselburg on backing vocals. The entire show sounds more contemporary with Ange being much more professional both soundwise and what stage act is concerned. With a full moon outside the band played the famous Paris temple Le Zénith on 4th May 1985 in front of a sold out crowd. This part of the DVD also shows us some recordings made during the soundcheck interspersed with bits of interview. Above all, it perfectly illustrates the impact this band had on the French public because, due to their use of French lyrics, it was mainly in French territories that they fared well. They terminate their superb set with a song written by Belgian singer/songwriter and poet Jacques Brel. "Ces Gens-là" is the band's ultimate high that particular night.

By means of photographs Christian Décamps talks us through the history of Ange, making this an interesting topic for those who are not so familiar with the band. In all this is a true "value-for-money" release as it covers different periods from the band's career. Delivered by various line-ups it shows the true art which is a constant factor in the life of the band. Music and theatre are melted together with Chrstian Décamps as a unique storyteller delivering his views on life and society by means of his original compositions. An interesting DVD!


Tracklisting:
Interview Christian DÉCamps / Par Les Fils De Mandrin / Au Café Du Colibri / Ainsi S'en Ira La Pluie / Autour Du Feu / Saltimbanques / Atlantis - Hymne A La Vie / Le Soir Du Diable / Sur La Trace Des Fées / Le Nain De Stanislas / Fils De Lumi?re Au-Dela Du Délire - Les Noces / Les Temps Modernes / Les Yeux D'un Fou / (Je N'suis) L? Pour Personne / Guignols / (La Chasse) / Fou / Crever D'amour (Prélude) / Crever D'amour (Coït Terminal) / Ces Gens-Là

Bonus?: 10 minutes of rare archive photos with commentary by Christian Décamps

Musicians:
Christian Décamps - vocals
Francis Décamps - keyboards
Danie Haas - bass
Jean-Michel Brezovar - guitars
Jean-Pierre Guichard - drums

Discography:
In Concert (1971)
Caricatures (1972)
Le Cimetiere Des Arlequins (1974)
Au Dela Du Delire (1975)
Emile Jacotey (1975)
Par Les Fils Du Mandrin (1976)
Ange Tome V1 (1977)
Ange Chante Ses Plus Grands Succes (1977)
Guet Apens (1978)
Vu Dun Chien (1980)
Moteur (1982)
A Propos De... (1982)
La Gare Ce Troyes (1983)
Fou! (1985)
Vagabondages (1989)
Seve Qui Peut (1997)
Memo (2000)
Master Serie, Vol. 1 (2000)
Master Serie, Vol. 2 (2000)
Tome 87 (2002)
Nerve Center (2002)
Ad Libitum (2002)
1970-1971 En Concert (2003)
Autant En Emporte Le Rock 1960-2000 (2003)
By The Sons Of Mandarin (2004)
En Concert/Per Les Fils E Mandarin Millésimé 77 (2004)
Moteur! (1981/2004)
? (2005)
Culinaire Lingus (2006)
Reves Parties (2006)
Le Tour De La Question (2007)
Zenith an II (2007)
Souffleurs De Vers (2007)
Tome VI (2007)
La Isla Bonita (2008)
Le Bois Travaille, Même Le Dimanche (2010)

70's/80's: 2 Décennies De Concerts (DVD) (2003/2006)
Anthologie:Sève Qui Peut Tour (DVD) (2003/2006)
Par Les Fils De Mandarin: Live Tour 2003-2004 (2006)

Genre: Progressive Rock

Origin FR

Added: December 26th 2003
Reviewer: John "Bobo" Bollenberg

Artist website: www.angemusic.com
Hits: 2041
Language: english

  

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