Mariah Carey – Sweet Sweet Fantasy Tour (Take 2)

I always love to see good concerts twice. The first time you are usually overwhelmed by all the show elements, the setlist, the dancers, the artists, the audience. You try to take in everything at once but of course you can’t. So the second time is a lot more relaxed and you can really enjoy and remember the different parts of the show, you can pay attention to details and enjoy the presence of one of your favorite stars.

There was no difference this time and although the seats were in the way and the people behind us were bitching, we danced and sang throughout the show. We enjoyed ya, Mariah, but:

I really looked forward to “Against all odds” and “One sweet day” this time, because she hadn’t played them in Luxembourg and I was sure that was only an exception owing to her delay. But I was deeply disappointed: She skipped them this time as well, while also cancelling on “I’ll be there”. Shortening an already short setlist is ridiculous, especially if you look at the prices people paid: 235€ plus Live-Pass was ours in the 3rd row, first row was something like 400€. She sang those songs the day before in Cologne, so why strike them now? Yes, she was late for her show again, although we saw her driving in quite early, so she could have made it on stage on time. I guess they were not satisfied with the turn-up in the Olympiahalle. Not only was half of the empty venue hid behind a black curtain, but also the top-level blocks were covered. We saw her manager shaking her head and rolling her eyes when she saw it. Yes, this is sad and I couldn’t agree more, but if that really was the reason, then why punish the people who were there and did pay for the show? We were the last responsible for unsold tickets! Anyway, although Mariah sang like an angel again, this really left a bitter taste and I kinda felt personally offended because for both concerts I went to the setlist was shortened. Not nice! 😦

Mariah Carey – Sweet Sweet Fantasy Tour

Yes, we were there – and she was there, too! Luxembourg was well worth the trip. Not only for the concert but also because it’s a beautiful, very interesting city! The capital of this little country has a lot to offer and quite a few UNESCO sites!

As Luxembourg city is the only bigger city around, we were so sure that the concert would be taking place in the capital that we didn’t even have a look where exactly the venue was until a day before the show – just to find out that it was NOT in Luxembourg city but in Esch-sur-Alzette. Luckily the train connections were good and so we managed to get back and forth without any bigger complications.

The Rockhal is not a very big venue with a capacity of 6,500 people. Thanx to an Early Entry Ticket, we were able to make it to the front row easily. At half past seven, a DJ started to play for 1,5 hours. According to official information, Mariah was due on stage at 21.15. But it got later and later and the show didn’t start. Finally at a few minutes to 10, Mariah’s voice sounded through the hall – but only to tell us, that she had just arrived, delayed due to heavy rains in London. She asked us for another ten minutes to put on her ensemble and get ready. Well, of course she needed twice as long, but finally the show started with “Fantasy“.

This tour is a greatest hits tour, so unfortunatly there were no songs from her newer albums like “Me. I am Mariah“, which I like a lot. They tried to squeeze in as many hits as possible, ending up with a long medley of “I know what you want“, “Obsessed“, “It’s like that“, “Shake it off“, “Loverboy” and more that you couldn’t even breathe deeply – especially if you sang along as loud as we did in the first rows. Of course she also gave us some of her trademark ballads like “My all” or “Hero“. For “I’ll be there” she not only duetted with her traditional partner Trey Lorenz, but also let little Michael Jackson sing one of the verses while showing his videos and pictures on the screen. A second moving tribute was done for Whitney Houston for their duet “When you believe“.

Unfortunately, some songs that were part of her program during the UK leg of the tour like “One sweet day” were omitted – maybe because of the delay. But that way the show became really short. “Without you“, which probably was supposed to be an encore, was just played without a necessary encore break and the lights in the arena were switched on bascially the second Mariah was off stage after just 75 minutes. Good concerts always are too short but for this one I had the feeling I was just getting into it and then it was over again. I wish she had taken a little more time!

I could listen to Mariah forever because her voice is so unique and versatile! She never ceases to amaze me live with her vocal abilities. I wouldn’t even need these show elements during her concerts, she could just stand there and sing and that would be enough! Her songs are among my all-time favorites. I basically love all of her songs and some of them have accompanied me through difficult times. That’s why I think she’s really underrated as a songwriter because most people don’t even know she writes most of her songs herself. She’s one of those rare talents that we have so few left today, these legends that people start taking for granted until it’s too late… I’m soooo much looking forward to see her again in Munich in 2 weeks!

Good bye, Janet!

I haven’t posted in a long time and I’m sorry about this. The last half year has been an exciting one with a new workplace, but concert-wise pretty boring, so there was no real need in posting anything and I was too much into my new life that I didn’t want to dwell in the past.

This spring/summer looked like it would become one of the best concert times of my life! With Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey and Beyoncé on tour, three of my all-time favorite artists were scheduled to come to Europe and I got two or more tickets for each one of them.

Then, with excitement building especially for Janet’s tour, for which I had four tickets, the whole European leg of the tour was cancelled! What a letdown! I was so much looking forward to the shows, as I’ve always admired Janet as a live performer and I also love her new album “Unbreakable“. Additionally I looked forward to meeting a lot of Jackson-fans whom I hadn’t seen for years. And now all we’re left with are canceled tickets and flights.

I have to admit that apart from the disappointment I’m also angry. Angry because I feel there are some people who didn’t do their job properly and we are the ones to pay for it (Literally! I will lose a few hundred Euros and I know many others who will as well!). From the moment her shows went on sale, everyone I know was irritated that they had booked her for the huge arenas. With Janet not having had any hit in Europe for years and her new album not being promoted, we wondered how they wanted to sell enough tickets to fill these arenas. As there were seating maps available for most of the gigs, it was easy to see that our fear was justified. Everyone hoped that there would be some kind of promo like a TV performance or at least some new video clips before the tour started but there was nothing, nothing, nothing. My friends and me feared a cancellation of the tour, but as time went by and Janet already travelled to Europe and started posting videos to different cities saying that she was looking forward to the concerts, we had to believe that the tour was going ahead. So about three weeks before the first concert was supposed to take place, we booked our flights to Dublin, Düsseldorf and Copenhagen – only to find out a few days later that the tour was cancelled. “Scheduling problems” read the official excuse. “Scheduling problems” my ass! This tour had been set since October, it had been confirmed again after the rescheduling of the American leg due to Janet having an operation, Janet had already arrived in Europe… What a bullshit excuse! They didn’t even have the balls to admit their mistake. And Janet? – She didn’t have the balls either. For a few days she had no comment at all, after a shitstorm in the internet, she released a statement on her twitter page saying she would try her best to reschedule the shows as soon as possible. I believe in a rescheduling as much as I believe that the 2001 “All for you”-tour will ever be rescheduled as promised! There was some speculation that this cancellation had to do with her health problems earlier this year, but if that was the case, she wouldn’t be able to play her date in Dubai at the World Racing Cup on March 26th either. She has lost the trust of her European audience and I’m sure many will think twice to ever buy a ticket for Janet again. It’s a shame because she is such a great artist but right now all I feel is disappointment, anger and betrayal!

I’m just hoping the Mariah Carey’s shows will go ahead, because if I look at the seating maps, it doesn’t look much better! Her shows were not advertised either and her last charted songs are a few years ago as well. I don’t get this new concept of setting up a tour without any promotion. As we all know, a tour today is not the promotion for an album as it used to be but the album is more or less the promotion for the tour – but if you have no album out (like Mariah) or an album that is not selling well, does only have one single and there are no TV performances (like Janet), it’s difficult to market a tour all by itself – especially for artists that are legendary but not particularly “in” at the moment. Add the prices that they ask for, as for more and more concert you need to buy expensive seats, and you have half-empty arenas! Mariah’s ticket definitely was the most expensive one I ever bought with 235€ for a 3rd row ticket in Munich. I did this because I truly love her as an artist and can’t miss her, but I understand when people feel this is way too much and consequently don’t attend! As this is double the price I paid for Janet, I have hopes that the shows are going ahead because they will still earn more money. Plus the tour has already started. So please, have your fingers crossed – my first show will be on Easter Saturday in Luxembourg. Stay tuned!

Janet Jackson tickets for Copenhagen, Dublin and Düsseldorf – now useless…

News and olds from Mariah Carey

I just watched Mariah Carey perform at the Rockefeller Christmas Tree Lighting. Her “Merry Christmas“-album is like the ultimate Christmas album to me and “All I want for Christmas” definitely a classic.

I also enjoy her newer album “Merry Christmas II you“, especially “Oh Santa”.

Ok, let’s make this easier: Actually I love most of her songs, Christmas or not. She’s one of my favorite artists. I don’t know how many of you have noticed that Mariah recently put up a new song on her Facebook account called “The Art of Letting Go”.

She describes it as a first glimpse of the new album, and after this track I ‘m looking forward to it even more because this song is so NOT mainstream, so original, so Mariah and still so new, I really can’t wait to hear more! One thing with Mariah is that I also can often relate to her lyrics. I love it when an artist is able to touch me not only with his/her music but also with his/her message in songs. And that’s the way it should be, because I think that vocal music is about both, music and lyrics. And sometimes I enjoy a song because of its melody or bass lick or rhythm or feel, but to really really get me a songs needs to convince me with its lyrics as well. I mean, why not use a song to give a message, why waste it with stupid nonsense?

There are so many Mariah songs with a meaning that they can kind of lead you through life and give you strength when you need it. At least they have done that for me. Of course everyone knows “Hero” or “One sweet day“, but there are also a lot of her less known songs that transport a message. Personally one of my favorites is “Can’t take that away“.

I think there’s a big misconception of Mariah out there. Many people don’t even know she writes her own songs. She’s seen as some kind of puppet on a string that can sing but is acting like a diva. Few people know that she’s very accessible and she has a good sense of humour, too. About a month ago she surprised some of her fans on the Jimmy Fallon show. Afterwards she gave a little private, impromptu performance.

From my experience it is often the other way round: Those artists who are – according to their reputation – completely inaccessible, are very much accessible and those – often rather small – artists, who seem to be very open and down to earth, are completely the opposite. I know that can not be generalized but there is a tendency… Anyway, Mariah definitely is very close to her fans. I had the chance to speak a couple of words with her a few times and she was always very nice, very caring. She always made sure to take her time to greet her fans, sign autographs, talk a few words, shake hands. She even sometimes referred to letters or presents she got and told the fans how much she loved those or took them with her to talk to her privately. It always seemed important to her what her fans told her. The moment I remember most was after her “Charmbracelet”-concert in Munich when she returned to her hotel. I thanked her for all the strength she had shown and said that it was really an inspiration. I will never forget the way she looked at me and thanked me! It was so obvious that she really appreciated my comment and that this whole situation of her talking to her fans was not an annoying duty to her but something she enjoyed and wanted to do.

Her concerts, of course, are awesome. She’s just an amazing singer and it seems she sounds even better live than on her albums. She cannot dance, but the stage is filled by her presence. I hope she will come to Europe again with her new album! For now, here are some pictures from her “Charmbracelet-Tour”-concerts in Hamburg and Munich 2003. Quite some years ago so these are scans of some of my photos.