So we attended Festival Musicalarue a few days ago and it was exceptional. The event was celebrating its 30th birthday and decided to go big by inviting Patti Smith, the beloved priestess/poetess/mother of punk (for whom we baked a cake for Easter). It was an opportunity we just couldn’t miss!
Well, to be honest, we nearly blew it: the very day we planned to buy our tickets, the festival announced it was full. And armies of desperate fans tried to get their way to the event, including us. It was awful. We tried everything we could and got into total desperation. Until a few days before the D day, some nice lady finally called. Thank you, mysterious saver! Thank you!
So, how was Patti Smith’s gig?
Anyway, we rushed to Patti’s front row and waited impatiently. The goddess of rock finally arrived with her band and blew our minds. Just like the first time we saw her, Patti Smith won everyone’s heart within seconds, with her large smile and sheer awesomeness. She sang numerous classics – including “Dancing Barefoot”, “People Have the Power”, “Pissing in a River”, and of course “Gloria”. We cried from the very beginning to the end.
The show was intense, and very emotional, but also full of positive vibes. Patti Smith’s voice hasn’t lost her power, her profound intonations making you want to follow her commands. That night, the central theme was freedom. Freedom to accept each other, freedom to speak one’s mind, freedom to create, freedom to feel.
Patti Smith’s band was a dream to watch. Lenny Kaye’s solos were superb and Tony Shanahan blew our minds on bass – particularly during a Lou Reed cover of “Take a Walk on the Wild Side”-. Speaking of covers, a lot of them were played, and we were gifted an incredible “Beds are Burning” (Midnight Oil) and a gorgeous “Only Fools Rush In” (Elvis) that made everyone sing along and burst into tears. Patti’s able to leave her mark on every cover she sings, making the songs reach a whole new level of poetry.Here are some shots of this amazing night. Thank you Musicalarue and of course, thank you, Patti Smith!
