MEMORIES FROM FRANCE

[secretchord]

some memories of a guy who was at St Florent du Vieil, the last french show in 18th July 1995

................ On 18 July 1995 I was quite 20 years old and with some friends male and female we went to the performance of Jeff Buckley at Saint Florent le Vieil. For some strange reason I was there again in holidays in this little town a few weeks ago, I made a walk to the side of the "garden" of the place where the concert took place. The place has changed a lot, seems quite new and really smaller than the time I discovered it filled with plastic chairs. I recognized the window from which I saw Jeff's face watching the Alim Qasimov performance. And then I watched to the place, empty, noiseless, and I remembered the madness of the atmosphee 10 years ago, all these screamings, all these applause for the encore which didn't stop. The show began it was still daylight and a little later the night put the lights on our clapping hands, our faces filled with emotions, the night was filled of promises, it brought Jeff on the edge of the stage each time. It was like a moment which will never stop, an eternity moment.
A this point I felt strange and believed I was in a cemetery and I leaved the place quickly ... Does somebody have a pill for headache ?
was somebody else at this concert ? any infos, interviews of Jeff before or after the show





What was incredible is that I ordered my tickets 3 weeks before and there were still some tickets available. 60 french francs the ticket.
Alim Qasimov did the first part, alone, then he returned on stage in mid of the concert of Jeff for the "What Will You Say" you know from the Olympia CD. During the encores he came back again for sing with Jeff on a "The Way Young Lovers Do" of anthology, and this time it wasn't decided before. Damned, I will pay hardly for having this version ! a friend who had a taper had to come but at the last moment he couldn't, sadly, as nobody looked for.

I was lucky to be at this concert on 18 July 1995. Somebody wrote very well in Les Inrockuptibles magazine after his death about what people have felt that evening, even if I believe, speaking about the music itself, this show wasn't so good as Le Bataclan, but I have to admit that the whole atmosphere was specail, garden of the old little church of St Florent, very low stage, little aera very intimate with plastic chairs, rose wine and brioche cackes offered after the performance, important presence of people aged 60 and more ... kind of village distraction we believed a moment that we were at the wrong place ....
and then Qasimov did the first part, alone with his daf, with his flying fingers and his voice, his voice ... hypnotized us during the 45 minutes his set lasted.

Qasimov came back at the mid of Buckley's set, for "What Will You Say" which remains one of the great moments of the show ... but this was nothing compared to the last song "the way young lovers do", last song of the last encore. Jeff went, eyes closed, in an wonderful version and then, the organizers pushed Qasimov who came back, approached Jeff, half with admiration haft smiling seeing him completely drown into his music, Jeff didn't see that and with a rush Qasimov takes the place of Jeff on the mic. And the something incredible happened, I cannot describe it and of course I have no longer this music in my ears but I remember very well how these two voices get married marvellously during that completely improvised moment. Yes I could give very much to listen again to that great moment, if somebody has the record .....





about "Passage du Nord Ouest" 22 september 1994



Yes, it was a very beautiful performance, probably one of the best of Jeff I was. More moving, because more intimate than the Bataclan or l'Olympia for example.
And yes, the place (small) was over filled, people talked a lot about him and it ruled. Even if it was very late and the great heat: the fact that young women fall is real ...
Anyway this place is really missed in Paris today. I saw there a lot of exceptionnal concerts (Kevin Ayers or the enormous and missed Townes Van Zendt are the first names surfacing in my head) because you were so close to the artists.

Stan Cuesta, journalist (wrote a book in french called "Jeff Buckley".)




about Olympia 6th July**

I have some similar memories from the thursday night at l'Olympia when a young woman fall and was carried by other people outside, in their arms, completely unconsciencous arms and legs falling
all this happened during the "Eternal Life" and his devilish tromboscope, JB and band as screen in the back
hallucinating

[secretchord]

And here more from the woman who organized the event and a guy who was 15/16 years old at that time (1995)

the organizer:

"I was the administrator of this Festival of St Florent who greeted Jeff and his band. We get, me and the artistic director after the performance of the Bataclan to convince him. Jeff adored the soufi music and we thought be able to organize a performance between him and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Unfortunately Nusrat was ill so we proposed the duet to Alim Qasimov.
Jeff arrived unannounced the day before the day we awaited him as he cancelled one date before (Swizterland ?). So he came unannounced (and without his music major !) with his band, his roadies and his manager Gene Bowen (? if I remember well) in the church of St Florent. A bit lost. Somebody called me. Jeff asked me if this was really St Florent (had never seen such a tiny village on the edges of the river Loire) and where he would perform. I said "In the garden of the presbytary". He bursted out laughing "No, really ?" I said "Really, Jeff". He was delighted. Then we installed him in the little hotel in St Florent. His roadies (who looked like hell's angels of movies) drunk a beer with him on the terrace. His manager, very professional, organized all the pratical details - and we had a drink all together under the sun. They were ALL adorable, apparently enchanted to do a little break during the infernal rythm of the tour (St Florent seemed to be one of the last european dates). It seemed that Jeff adored France. He asked the french translation for every current words and wrote them down in a note-book. I will go on a bit later ? If you are still interested."

and the other memory

Hi
I came by chance on this forum and registered as there was so few memories:
I'm from St Florent and I was 15 years when I saw this performance.
I remember it was very hot, I saw the balance from far away the afternoon as a friend of mine worked there and had to bring beers to the band (he received at the end a poster with few words from Jeff)
As the night arrived, I listened to a part of the performance outside with 2 friends, then we became incrusted in the show; it took place on a stage scotched to an abbey with in its centre an enormous fir still there today, its there, at the foot of this fir that I assisted this wonderful, strong performance; it looked like nothing I had heard before; at the end all the first places for reservations and VIP began to clear out !! certain people don't expected probably such a sonic deluge! So I approached the stage just in front in order to don't miss anything of the encore which lasted easily 45 minutes, I remember especially "Hallelujah", I coudn't understand how he was able to create such beautiful notes with his guitar; Jeff didn't stop to leave the stage through a door of the abbey on the left and then to come back in front of the applause which didn't stop; at the end he received flowers, its was really moving. I was so happy to have lived such an experience, thank you to have organized this concert§

The funniest is that I was unable to listen to the album "Grace" during years because it didn't look like what I saw that night: the album is wonderful but it's in live that this music make all his sense because there is each time a part of instrumental and vocal improvisation which makes Jeff Buckley an extra artist,
this performance opened myself to traditional musics which I am still listening to each year at St Florent as the Festival still exists!"

Precious, precious memories.