BEAST : METROPOLIS 16/12/10

Hier soir, au Metropolis, a eu lieu la dernière montréalaise de la tournée de BEAST! Ouais m'sieurs dames! Le Metropolis bourdonnait de fans. La salle était pleine, nous étions tous fébriles.

La première partie:

Mais (oui il y a un "mais", rien n'est parfait hélas...), nous avons dû nous taper une première partie. Bon... je suis toujours ouverte à la découverte, à l'affût du prochain son qui me fera triper, mais là, ayoye, ça a fait mal à mon tympan d'animal! Qui était ce groupe? J'sais pas trop, je n'ai vu leur nom nulle part. Sur le site du Centre Bell où on annonçait le show de BEAST  d'hier soir au Metropolis, il y a la mention "Avec : Freedom or Death". Après une brève recherche sur internet pour trouver de l'info sur eux, je n'ai rien trouvé. Toujours est-il que leur musique était correcte, voire même assez bien par bout, et je mentionne ici le beau travail du batteur qui a vraiment attiré notre attention, mais bonyenne que les voix m'ont irritée! En fait, l'absence de voix! Une lamentation insupportable, que l'on aurait toujours dit entre deux notes, et qui parfois atteignait des sommets incroyables lorsque appuyée par la voix du guitariste. Et que dire quand le claviériste venait s'en mêler aussi... alors là, comment trois personnes peuvent-elles chanter tant de phrases en même temps, avec les mêmes mots, mais sur des demi notes aussi différentes, c'était presque un exploit dans les prouesses du "chanter faux"! Tiens, ça m'a rappelé mon dernier séjour à l'hôpital lorsque que j'y ai passé quelques jours à la salle d'observation de l'Urgence. Pareil. La batterie en moins.


Sorry guys... mais il y a de l'espoir, la musique était bien, les introductions de tounes auguraient très très bien, ne reste qu'à vous trouver un chanteur, quoi!


Je sais que je suis dure envers eux, mais laissez-moi vous dire que nous n'avons pas été épargnés non plus!

Enfin, le show de BEAST:

Puis, BEAST est enfin arrivé! Oh là là là là!! Mes tympans embrassaient les speakers! Aïe! Ça, c'est de la voix! Et quel son! Quels musiciens! S'tie que la vie peut être belle par boutte! J'étais-tu contente d'être là? Mmmh? Ou ben si j'étais contente d'être là? Je vous laisse deviner... faut ben garder une part au suspense, après tout!


J'ai l'album de BEAST depuis sa sortie en 2008. Je l'ai écouté très souvent, mais j'avoue que ce n'est pas la musique de fond idéale lors de mes activités de tous les jours. Mais de les voir exécuter cette musique, est vraiment super! BEAST est réellement un groupe à entendre de visu! L'énergie dégagée par Bonifassi est incroyable. Les musiciens sont exceptionnels. Jean-Phi Goncalvès est un batteur éblouissant. Que du bonheur en décibels! Toutes la salle sautillait au rythme de leur musique. J'étais assise, mais il n'y avait que mon cul d'immobile! Bras, jambes et tête allaient dans tous les sens. Dans ma tête, je sautillais de joie sur les parois de mon crâne!


Bon... je me calme, je me calme, je me caaaalmeeee! Respiration...

Photo de Alain Carrière piquée sur le site de 7jours

Les oreilles étaient choyées, et pour les yeux, on nous a servi un beau jeu d'éclairage dynamique. La projection lumineuse sur le manteau blanc de Beatrice était vraiment chouette. J'ai trouvé un lien vers de superbes photos du spectacle d'hier sur Flickr. Ça vaut le détour.


Il y avait beaucoup d'émotion, aussi. Ce spectacle marquait la fin de la tournée de BEAST. Beatrice en a profité entre deux pièces pour remercier les fans, et aussi les conjointes des boys du groupe pour les avoir laissé partir si souvent, ces deux dernières années, loin d'elles et de leurs bébés. Pour lire sur le sujet je vous réfère encore à l'article de Raphaël Gendron-Martin du 7jours.


Au rappel, ils sont revenus habillés en "groupe jazzy" ; robe longue, chemises et cravates, petit chapeau de ginguois, assis au centre de la scène dans un set-up restreint, ils ont refait des extraits de la plupart de leurs pièces avec des arrangements totalement différents. À la Suzy Arioli, si je puis me permettre cette comparaison, mais avec la monumentale voix de Bonifassi! Jean-Phi Goncalvès flattant ses tambours avec des balais, et c'était super aussi! 
BEAST unplogged, s'est écrié Beatrice! 
Vraiment sympathique. Ils ont entamé Satan "unplogged", puis les musiciens se sont dirigés vers leurs places initiales, ont repris leurs instruments, et la toune s'est poursuivie de façon endiablée, c'est le cas de le dire, et nous étions tous transportés par l'énergie de cette pièce. Quel beau cadeau! Parle-moi de rappels comme celui-là!


Alors qu'ils étaient à faire leur salut final, des gens de leur boîte de production sont arrivés sur scène avec des disques d'or à leur remettre. Ça, ça veut dire plus de 40 000 mille copies vendues! Béatrice, la voix serrée par l'émotion (et oui, qui eût cru que cette voix puisse être serrée, hein?) n'en finissait plus de remercier les fans.


Et bien nous, on dit merci à BEAST!! Si cette musique n'avait pas été bonne, on ne les aurait pas acheté, ces 40 000 copies!


Ils se dirigent maintenant vers de nouveaux projets chacun de leur côté, mais ils nous ont aussi dit que BEAST reviendrait. Et quand c'est dit, c'est dit!! Alors on attend!  ;¬)


En ce qui concerne les nouveaux projets, vous pouvez en lire plus dans cet article de Rue Frontenac par Philippe Renault. Et il me tarde de découvrir ce nouveau projet de Beatrice Bonifassi. C'est sûr que je vais aller voir ça!

Est-ce que je l'ai dit, que j'ai aimé ça?

LEUR SITE OFFICIEL

LEUR PAGE MYSPACE

AVALANCHE PRODUCTIONS

Beast - Satan (2010) from DBM. | Jean-Philippe Bernier on Vimeo.

En passant, je recommande toutes les vidéos de DBM. Beau travail.

CHEZ MA GROSSE TRUIE CHERIE (RESTAURANT, MONTREAL, CANADA), by TICKLEBEAR

in my many wanderings around the city,

i had noticed this new place last summer,

and after looking at THEIR WEBSITE,

i did promise myself

my friends and i would soon visit this restaurant.

HOW COULD YOU NOT?!?

:D~

"CHEZ MA GROSSE TRUIE CHERIE"

is pretty hard to miss,

sitting at the corner of PAPINEAU and ONTARIO streets.

:)~

PIERRE was our waiter for the night,

as we celebrated LINOUE's birthday.

i'll say that the service is attentive.

VERY ATTENTIVE!!

to the point where i was a bit annoyed

as it often interrupted our conversation,

and commanded everyone's attention.

our fault perhaps

as we did mentioned it was our first time at the restaurant.

nonetheless,

his interventions were most informative,

about the restaurant and the food itself.

the chef prides himself

in promoting local products and fine cuisine,

and for good reasons,

as i believe we perhaps have the best table in the whole world,

and the chef makes proof of that,

testing our palates with some fine culinary experiences.

in the foreground,

a cod dish that left my buddy most impressed with...

the centerpiece...

underneath a floating candle.

:)~

between the terrine of piglet and nuts,

and the duck with fig chutney,

which was beyond delicious,

i could have done with a bit more bread here.

i guess i didn't lay it thick enough on each piece...

but it was well worth it though!!

you'll notice that the table top underneath

is a recycled bowling alley.

part of the charm of the place

as the overall effect is unique.

:)~

while the girls feasted on a piece of piglet from the rump,

which i tasted and found most tender...

... the ribs in my plate,

maple smoked flavored and cooked to perfection,

fell off the bones just from looking at them,

and filled my mouth with a most delicate and dreamy flavor,

while filling up my belly to my hearth's content.

too much perhaps!!

i must say the portions are a bit hefty from what we usually see

in fine cuisine restaurants.

but you won't hear me complaining!!

:)~

the parmesan fries were equally delicious

and a nice complement to the ribs.

the salad though wasn't too impressive,

but i was never a big fan of coleslaw and such...

too vinegary to my taste

and a stark contrast with the rest of the plate...

the dessert though was a welcomed relief for its lightness:

a mousse brule over a pear tatin

was most delectable!!

the crust offering a slight crispness over an orgy of cream,

and those delicious pears at the bottom brought a smile to my face.

:)~

my friends opted to share dessert.

i didn't inquire if these were sherbets or ice creams,

but judging from their reactions,

i expect everything was delicious

as they discovered many flavors.

looking at this,

who wouldn't be tempted?!?

:D~

i would say

this is a most satisfied customer here...

SAVOR THE MOMENT!!

:)~

over all,

the ambiance is intriguing and convivial,

if a bit noisy...

the service is ever present...

but who could fault them for that?

and the food is a revelation,

as quebecois cuisine remains one of the best you can ever have,

and the chef makes quite an homage to such fine cuisine.

i would highly recommend this restaurant.

the mark-up on the wine list is a bit steep in my opinion,

there is too much grenache on their wine list...

i LOATHE  grenache,

but that is MY problem,

isn't it?!?

:D~

but when i saw the bill,

all things considered,

i figure this was still most affordable

for such a degree of fine cuisine,

meaning,

less than $100 per person,

including wine, taxes and service.

me and my friends were most delighted 

with our first experience at

CHEZ MA GROSSE TRUIE CHERIE.

come on,

R.S.V.P. 

to a great experience.

you won't regret it!!

YOUR MOTHER NEVER COOKED SOMETHING SO GREAT!!

:)~

HUGZ

MONTREAL's GAY PRIDE PARADE 2010, by TICKLEBEAR

WE REMAIN UNDAUNTED!!!

despite the uncertain weather,

the obvious lack of fundings,

(my special heartfelt thanks to STEPHEN HARPER AND HIS GOONS...

along with other political instances that came up short on the cash...),

and some other controversies,

the GAYS, LESBIANS, BISEXUALS and  TRANSGENDERED

walked on RENE-LEVESQUE boulevard yesterday afternoon,

proudly, colorfully, determined  to show to everyone

they are full-fledge citizens of this society we live in,

as individuals,

as families,

as workers investing as much as anybody else

into this country we love.

as i've distanced myself from the "scene"...

i don't know why the clubs weren't there,

but their absence was felt

as there was a bit less entertainment and eye candy...

but nonetheless,

those participants had the resolve to make this happen,

and montrealers and tourists showed up in large numbers to see it.

i was not overly impressed,

but as i said,

when the cash isn't there,

it's hard to give the best show in town.

it was still worth seeing,

if only for the principle.

we cannot afford to become invisible again,

as some would wish it.

we cannot afford to be silent either.

we must be heard,

we must be seen,

we must be recognized

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

as the saying goes:
WE'RE QUEER,

WE'RE HERE!

GET USED TO IT

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

while the parade may have lost some of its political edge,

it is still a nice event to attend,

and if i may say so,

a most needed one,

as it brings everyone together,

for a change...

look at the photo gallery and enjoy!!

BE PROUD, PEOPLE!!!

:)~

HUGZ

LES FEUX LOTO-QUEBEC, MONTREAL 2010: CLOSING CEREMONY AND JUPITER WINNERS, by TICKLEBEAR

well,

every good thing must come to an end...

and so,

the festival of LOTO-QUEBEC's fireworks of MONTREAL 2010 is over.

SNIFF!!!

we got to enjoy a few last minutes of fireworks,

even if the music wasn't broadcasted...

here were my favorites:

FRANCE

SWEDEN

TAIWAN

the jury seemed to feel differently:

FRANCE (BRONZE)

SWEDEN (SILVER)

CANADA (GOLD)

i must say i am most surprised by this last one.

TAIWAN, in my opinion, was so much better on all levels,

but being just an amateur...

who am i to say?

but when i think i had rated

the USA, the Portugal, POLAND  and ITALY

even better than CANADA,

you can imagine my surprise at the outcome...

still,

i think it was a fantastic year

and i am SO looking forward to next year.

and i did get two out of three right...

thanks for having dropped by and see you in 2011.

:)~

HUGZ

LES FEUX LOTO-QUEBEC, MONTREAL 2010: FRANCE, by TICKLEBEAR

the french raised the bar last night!!!

much to our delight!!

:)~

if they had tasted in the past the silver,

this year,

they aimed for nothing else but the gold.

a spectacular entrance,

a jaw-dropping display of their savoir-faire surely insured their place among the best this year.

it was refreshing to see a company step away from the easy choice

of a crowd-pleasing soundtrack relying on the pop charts,

to [successfully] introduce more original material

that splendidly supported the fireworks.

this was an absolutely dazzling show

that remained captivating from beginning to end.

throughout the show,

i couldn't help but think of VERSAILLES

as the sky was gilded in gold

and beset with celestial jewels sparkling over the city.

BRAVO LES FRANCAIS!!!

:)~

HUGZ

LES FEUX LOTO-QUEBEC, MONTREAL 2010: SWEDEN!!! by TICKLEBEAR

well,

i'm all sweet over the swedes!!

:)~

what a lavish show they've given  us last night.

truly a moment to remember.

so cheerful, so graceful,

a lively music selection covering the hit parade of past decades,

kicking things off with ABBA [obviously!!],

including a medley of MICHAEL JACKSON's songs, 

and various songs that made us dance for hours in the past [and still now!!],

and one of my faves,

CINDY LAUPER's "TRUE COLORS",

done ever so gently,

it was beautiful!!

an all-you-can-eat-buffet of colors and sensations.

you'll understand here

that the swedish team is,

in my opinion,

a strong contender for the gold jupiter.

this was truly an impressive display of their craftmanship.

LYCKA TILL LYCKA TILL!!

:)~

HUGZ

LES FEUX LOTO-QUEBEC, MONTREAL 2010: CANADA!!!, by TICKLEBEAR

CANADA, EH?!?

sadly,

the overall impression was a bit gloomy, musically speaking...

i did recognize at one point the music of AVATAR,

which should be a shoe-in,

but TAIWAN did it so much better...

if i forget about the music,

the show itself was awkward at times,

and fabulous at others.

a bit uneven,

and despite a few bangs,

i felt unimpressed.

there was a novelty piece [for me],

which happened once only and poorly emphasized...

i did give it an extra half-star after reviewing my pics,

as it shows well,

but to have seen it "live",

i must admit i was non-plussed...

emotionally, it didn't register for me.

sorry!!!!

:/~

HUGZ

LES FEUX LOTO-QUEBEC MONTREAL 2010: USA !!!, by TICKLEBEAR

well,

it looks as though the americans are the ones this year

being stuck with lousy weather,

as they gave their show under a heavy sky,

rain right in the middle of it as ANDREA BOCELLI was singing...

and i kept seeing out of the corner of my eye lightning striking the south shore.

more bangs then they had planned for!!!

:/~

while the show didn't strike me as the most original,

it was impressive enough as these were fireworks on steroids.

i actually had to zoom out to catch everything,

much in the american tradition:

"ALWAYS HIGHER!!"

:D~

the soundtrack was most enticing,

from BARBRA STREISAND's "SOMEWHERE"

to good old rock and roll,

opera and R&B.

i was smiling in glee throughout the show.

they did good!!

thanks guys!!

:)~

HUGZ