BlahBlahCafe - Jean-Michel Jarre forum

Dr_Jones wrote: Wed Nov 09, 2022 4:55 pm
In the meantime I found some Dutch newspapers at my work with one especially. A one page article on the concert and a mention on the front page, published on 17 july 1979
Photos of him and Mick Jagger and of the afterparty at Pierre Cardin's theater are also included:

Oh, that one from the Dutch magazine Hitkrant, I made that scan. I believe that post will be restored here in the next post-crash-update.

I'm currently in Carcassonne, France watching the opening ceremony for the Paralymic Games live on French TV. Just got me thinking that if JMJ wants to "close" his live performance career he should return to the Place de la Concorde. Using the latest in sound and light technology, he could do something really special in that same space he transformed in 1979. Seeing how it's been appropriated as a performance space tonight by Thomas Jolly shows the potential it has nearly 50 years on.

(Unknown) wrote: Thu Nov 01, 2007 9:12 pm Here is a very nice read about the Place de la Concorde concert:

Link
English translation

"The concert is based as planned on Oxygène and Equinoxe. From this point of view, there are few surprises, except when Jean-Michel has fun improvising a little solo at the end of one or two pieces."

Improvised solos in front of 1 million spectators! That's brave! Did this really happen?!

Today's ON THIS DAY: "1979-01-21 Jean-Michel Jarre creates a firework and lasershow in Cannes (46 years ago)"

Was this the first "try out" for the City In Concert concept at MIDEM, as used later that year at Place de la Concorde? If so, is there any footage, any photos? Was there an audience? Who was involved? Did JMJ 'perform' or was it like Zermatt and Lost Cities, just a laser show with no on-stage performance?

There's not much footage, only press coverage in newspapers and interviews afterwards afaik. I will check my archive.

Here's footage of the fireworks from the news, broadcast date 24 january 1979:


I've put the video on restricted view because it might get removed by youtube. There's a big INA watermark as you can see.

There's also footage of this in a 30 january TV show:
https://www.melody.tv/program/11561-cha ... ial-midem/

Dr_Jones wrote: Tue Jan 21, 2025 10:11 pm There's also footage of this in a 30 january TV show:
https://www.melody.tv/program/11561-cha ... ial-midem/

I can't watch this show

I always said it is a bit sad how they never showed projections on the buildings, but instead they were fed into the video during the TV broadcast. Irc Ive only seen like two photos of projections actually visible on the facades , but those are probably gone from the internet

There some type of a report from ina in tiktok

AERO62 wrote: Sun Mar 09, 2025 8:20 pm I always said it is a bit sad how they never showed projections on the buildings, but instead they were fed into the video during the TV broadcast. Irc Ive only seen like two photos of projections actually visible on the facades , but those are probably gone from the internet

There are a few good photos of the building projections at Place de la Concorde in this book, but only a few.

I don't have the book but I looked through gettyimages site and found some pics of Egypt rehearsal that displayed what the concert could've looked like with the projections on the pyramds... Sorry for offtopic, just the pics are quite nice.

https://postimg.cc/gallery/yY2jjd6

I have always assumed (maybe wrongly) that the projection sequence in this film were the same images that were used on the buildings. As mentioned above, this is a sort of direct video feed, mixed into the edit, rather than footage of the buildings, as lit up. I guess the tech in 1979 was strong enough to project something for the concert-goer but not strong enough to get picked up by the TV cameras to a standard good enough for broadcast.

AERO62 wrote: Sun Mar 09, 2025 8:20 pm I always said it is a bit sad how they never showed projections on the buildings, but instead they were fed into the video during the TV broadcast. Irc Ive only seen like two photos of projections actually visible on the facades , but those are probably gone from the internet

That first image is amazing - love it!