Paris - September 28th, 2004 by Evansite - Bonez Tour

[Vintage Disposition]

Concert: Paris
Reviewer: Evansite
Date: September 28th 2004



Ok here is my review for both shows.. I'm not good writing reviews down, but I'm gonna do my best, so here we go.

The Private Show Case
I got the chance to get vip bracelets to attend the private show case, Avril had to do on tuesday afternoon at 5pm, before the big concert.
So I went there around 3pm and my friend joined me few minutes after. There was already few fans standing in the queue but not much. Around 4:30pm, Devin and the technical staff arrived at the venue (little night club called the Vip Room), seems like nobody recognized Devin cos none moved. Avril wasn't there yet, and the queue begun to be really long (I think about 150 persons attended the show), and everyone started to be impatient. I don't remember exactly at what time then let us entered in the venue, but it was more than 5pm. Anyways, so we got in, they told us we could take pictures as long as they weren't profesionnal cameras. I was at the 2nd row, on Devin's side (usually Evan's place :x ), and I looked on the right and saw Matt Lavigne (<3 Lucinda haha).
Devin came on the stage, got a seat and then Avril joined him. She smiled to the crowd and started the acoustic set by introducing Devin (saying "here is Devin my new guitarist player"). She first played He Wasn't, then My Happy Ending. She suddenly got her killer eyes, and asked to Matt to come. She told him something in his ears and then Matt went to her bodyguard to repeat it.. I think it was something related to some annoying digital cameras, maybe someone tried to film it and/or took shoots every seconde so probably annoying flashes. Anyways, so the show continued and she begun to perform Don't Tell Me (she said it was the first single of the new album blahblah). She finished the acoustic set by playing Nobody' s Home, she did wrong the chords with the clip (don't know the exact word in english), so she started it again. At the end of the show case, some French persons started to sing "Happy Birthday Avril", she smiled at them and said thank you (that was a shy thank you, really cute). Then she got some letters and/or presents that few fans wanted to give to her, and then she left the stage to go to the private area. I enjoyed this acoustic set, but that was really really weird to do not hear Evan's backup vocals (Devin didn't do them) and not seeing him aswell was so weird.
Well I left the place, it was about 6pm or sthg.. and got the underground to go to the other venue (Zenith) for the big concert.


The Concert
I wasn't expected to get first rows or the best seats since the show was supposed to start at 7:30pm and it was kinda far away from the Vip Room, though it wasn't really problem for me, it didn't matter. But I was so surprised when I got in the venue, the standing area wasn't that full, neither the seats on the sides.. I wanted to have a good view of the stage but didn t want to get my ass on the standing area, cos I knew (as I'm not really tall) I wouldn t see that much if I would stay behind those people in the area. So I decided to get a seat, on the right side (though I should choose the left, it would be much better to see Craig- but well that was still ok - and I'm guess I'm attached by the right side because of Evan).
Anyways, so I was kinda worried cos I didn't like what I've listened to on the Bowling For Soup website, but Phil and some other german fans said it was good.. They begun the show at the right time, and yeah I admit it was so fucking great. They are way better live than on the record. It was also so funny, cos they laught all the times, stopped playing songs and they were like "what's next? Oh yeah we have to finish the songs".. They kept repeating who they were, how was cool to be here, that was their first show in Paris and their best Paris concert they ever did (kinda obvious right?! haha). They performed their album songs (don't ask me a setlist I couldn't tell) and covered "baby one more time" _ Britney Spears song if you lived in an other planet the past years _ in a rock/punk sound.. that was also really funny and cool. They played 45min, which is kinda "long" for an opening act.

The audience was wicked and couldn't wait until Avril being on stage. She finally came around 9pm and started with "He Wasn't" [see the whole setlist at the end], the big flag was taken off right after the first guitars & drums sounds making a really good effect.
Well I don't have much to say about the show, or every songs, no specific details.. I just have few comments.
She started the show with most of the new songs which have a rock sound, so the audience was already in fire!haha. On "Who Knows", everybody clapped on their hands during the bridge, and yeah everyone sang too (the whole show though). For "I'm With You", Avril made people singing a part of it, and yes French fans are good singers lol. She introduced the band after performing 9 songs (after Mobile), and said: "taking time to introduce my lovely band mates to all, there's couple of new guys this year, we have Devin..." who said "bonjour Paris", then she said sthg about Charlie, who said a short "hey", so Avril said "he is shy". Next was Craig and he said "hello" (very cute hello btw haha). And finally she said "we have matthew brann, he was with me from day one in the complicated video". After intoducing the band, she explained a bit why she called her tour the bonez eyes tour.. Before starting to sing the next song (Naked), she said that if we wanted to get off our clothes, it was the best moment for it [little personal note to Tom: Do you want me to come to the London gigs, I don't wanna miss that moment, that would be my chance..!!]. During a song, I don't remember which one it was but, Avril laught because Devin who run into the left of the stage fell down (or at least almost fell down). She did some songs on acoustic guitars alone or with Devin, and some on piano with a lot of candles around her, making an intimate & romantic atmosphere. Some french fans (some were at the private acoustic show), begun to sing Happy Birthday to Avril but it failed few times.. Once she heard it, and she said "thanks, actually my birthday was yesterday, but today it's Craig' birthday, our bassist player", she mimed clapping in hands, so everyone clapped. After Complicated, the band left the stage and Matt threw 4 drums sticks to the audience. She finished the show by Slipped Away on piano, she had few problems to sing it -on few parts- cos it was maybe too high for her but that was still ok. Well then it was finished, she got up from her seat and went to all the sides of the stage to wave to the audience (very professional).
I really liked that concert, I discovered a real artist on stage, an other avril lavigne, a completely different show than the one I saw last year (ttsmu tour). She jumped everywhere, smiled all the times, had a real connection with the audience (though there was no connection with the band, no smiles to them, neither a little word-except the introducing part), she seemed to really enjoy the whole concert, which was really appreciated.
About Devin, well he is a good guitar player, but in my opinion not as good as Evan is.. And it's like he is on anothe world, it's hard to explain, but well Evan is Evan, Devin is Devin, they don't act on a same way.. he didn't jump as Evan did, seemed like he didn't enjoy the show as much as Evan looked like.
But well I guess the good point of the whole show was I was really surprised by Avril's performances and happiness.

Setlist (in order):

He Wasn't
My Happy Ending
Take Me Away
Freak Out
Sk8erboi
Anything But Ordinary
Who Knows
I'm With You
Mobile
*band introducing*
Naked
Losing Grip
Together
Forgotten
Tomorrow - alone on acoustic guitar
Fall To Pieces - acoustic with Devin
Nobody's Home - started alone on acoustic guitar, then the band joined
Don't Tell Me
Unwanted
Complicated
Slipped Away - alone on piano