Reviewing the Paris Gala Event

View a slideshow of the pics from the Paris Gala Event by clicking on the photo above or go to Flickr to see the photoset.

It has been difficult finding time to post photos and write reviews about the shows in Europe. The Beastie Boys devised a tour schedule that is completely crazy. They have so few days off that I find it hard to believe that they're enjoying any of their time in Europe. Midzi and I are enjoying little beyond the shows. If we're not at a show, we're traveling to the next. We skipped Turkey, Greece, Hurricane Festival, Southside Festival, and Werchter Festival so we could have some downtime and relax.

The lack of downtime for the band has been showing somewhat in their performances. They look physically exhausted on stage some of the time. The crew seem just as tired. There have been times when I looked to the side stage during a show and saw crew members struggling to keep their eyes open. I feel bad that the band and crew are working so hard. They should be having some fun.

Four days have passed since the Gala Event at Le Bataclan in Paris. As I posted previously, the show was super magnifique! I love seeing shows in Paris because when French fans love a band, they show it. I also like seeing shows in Paris because I've never been hurt at one in France. French men are unique in that they recognize and appreciate that women are not built like they are. The French men standing behind Midzi and me at Le Bataclan were very nice and watched out for us. Merci beaucoup!

When you don't have to spend your time fighting off meatheads during a show, you can hear and enjoy more of the songs. That's exactly what I experienced at Le Bataclan. After being disappointed with the standard setlist at Le Zenith the night before, I was really pleased that Mr. Yauch (aka Mr. Setlist) assembled a setlist with an interesting flow. It was the first show so far in Europe that began with a hardcore track (i.e., "Time for Living").

The French audience's enthusiastic response to the songs seemed to pump up the band. The show was high-energy and filled with many humorous moments. In his introduction to "Ricky's Theme," Adam Horovitz talked about how the band would go to smoke weed -- "Marajuana cigarettes," Horovitz clarified -- at Ricky Powell's cat-filled apartment. "It smelled like cat pee and weed," he told the audience.

Horovitz had funny one-line responses to fans yelling song requests.

"Egg Raid on Mojo!" a fan yelled.

"Ask and you shall receive!" Horovitz replied with a devilish grin.

"Open Letter to New York City!" another fan yelled.

"I appreciate that song request, but not today," he told the fan.

Midway through the show, Horovitz decided to add a song to the set. After "Ricky's Theme," he pow-wowed with his bandmates and then announced to the audience that they had an extra song.

"We have a free song for you. I mean, I know you paid to see the show -- most of you, that is," Horovitz said.

A fan interrupted by yelling, "Oh, yeah!" implying he had paid a lot to see the show.

A puzzled Horovitz replied, "What do you mean 'Oh, yeah'? I have to feed my dog, you know. This song is not on the setlist, but I like it and want to play it. It's called 'Suco de Tangerina.'"

"Song for the Man" was a song that saw a lot of funny audience participation. The French fans sang Money Mark's organ part instead of the lyrics. This song was particularly fun for Midzi and me after seeing how the Cologne audience reacted to this song (i.e., booing).

Because of the small size of the venue, the crew were unable to hang the potato chip lights/video screens, so the lighting was different. Yauch's setlist was lit by a small standing camp light. When Horovitz saw it on the floor, he picked it up and started singing "I Like to Move It" (by Reel to Real [video at youtube.com]).

"I like to move it, move it! I like to move it, move it! You like to move it, move it!" Horovitz sang and danced while holding the camp light in the air. The lights in the house went down and Mike joined Horovitz in the song. Yauch stood to the side and laughed at his two goofy friends.

More goofiness was witnessed when the band returned to the stage for the encore. Mike wore a towel as a cape. He announced that he was "Captain Poo-Poo." Holding a glass of champagne and talking animatedly to the audience, Mike spilled his drink in front of Horovitz, who laughed at his friend's inability to keep his drink in his glass because he was talking so much.

Earlier in the show, Mike explained to his bandmates and the audience that his expression for stopping and restarting a song was called "Wheel up!" (He did this after flubbing up and stopping one of the hardcore songs.) He asked the audience to chant his expression with him. "Wheel up!" he yelled, pointing his finger upwards in the air. Yauch and Horovitz laughed at how stupid it was.

The show ended with Horovitz giving a heartfelt introduction to "Sabotage." He told the audience, "We are all here now. When you're feeling low, remember that we had this moment together."

Videos

Live at PJ's
"Wheel Up!" (intro to The Maestro)
3 MCs and 1 DJ
Sure Shot

Photos