Jean Michel Jarre

When I was given the tickets to see JMJ I was elated, then my heart sank as I saw it was at the O2.

Years previously I saw Prince from a few rows back. What a nightmare of acoustic mayhem. So, so disappointed that I swore I would never return.

Well, we arrived for the last 20 mins of the warm-up act, a very muffled DJ with his interpretation of the inside of a morgue overnight. Interesting ? Not really. Maybe he was setting a counterpoint for what was to follow.

The Arena was draped with lingering 'smoke', the lights dimmed to be replaced with a low rumbling chime that penetrated your body. The on-stage LED curtains reflected a series of moving blue images, similar to that of the surface of water, displaced by sound...... and away we went becoming immersed into the techno world of music accompanied by light and images.

The music was very close to the originals, so much so in some places that I began to wonder. But great musicians can replicate performances with little variation.

However, again the sound and O2 acoustics let the concert down. Little if any high end, that which provides the complexities and nuances I so love and the sound just overpowering, too much to really enjoy. My ears are ringing after 20 hours. Thanks guys !
Right up there with head banging ! Maybe the sound engineers were being kind to the failing hearing of the audience whose average age must have been 60. They don't need the high end either.
What a waste of great composition, great performance and a fantastic light show.
The track Exit, with Edward Snowden was well up there, perhaps better live.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNESMafb5ZI

Would I go again ? To the O2 ? No !

Would I go again to see Jean Michel Jarre ? Only to venues on recommendation of friends who I know and trust.

Given that the types of music he’s concerned himself with over the course of his career - which, at this point, has spanned in excess of four decades - it’s quite astonishing to think that Jean Michel Jarre has not only sold more than eighty million albums, but also ingratiated himself into popular culture in a way that no other ambient producer - except for maybe Brian Eno - has achieved. He’s certainly the towering figure of the new age music movement, so much so that he earned his own radio station on popular video game Grand Theft Auto IV in 2008; his success, though, has been built on much more than just his records, with his breathtaking live shows having plenty to do with it, too. Having performed to over a million people at Place de la Concorde in Paris in the seventies - he’s since broken his own record three times in that respect - he’s often released new albums to coincide with huge gigs, with his sprawling shows lasting over two hours and incorporating diverse instrumentation and frankly mindblowing light shows. He continues to make appearances at UK arenas on a sporadic basis, so there’s always the possibility you’ll get to see for yourself before too long.

This was infact my first Jarre experience. I've always been a huge fan since childhood so I had high expectations but also kept in mind that this tour was presented in a smaller format for a smaller audience. I saw him at the Falconer salen i Denmark 26/10. To have in mind it was a smaller arrangement and less orchestral the visual effects was really nice just to be expected from a perfektionist like Jarre and crew. Unfortunately I was a bit let down to the fact that no songs from either of his best albums, Magnetic Fields, Zoolook, Rendez-Vous or Chronologie were performed! Most part of the songs were newer material, more clubbish then what Jarre is known for. Also Jarre encouraged us to cheer along during the concert clapping hands which made the whole experience feel all too much commercial not letting the audience to be swept away in his dreamlandscapes of sounds and arrangements. Clapping hands? What's that, showing our appreciation to Jarre. That felt awkward and stupid. If this commercial aim and so with the newer clubbier music is his goal then no thanks for seing him again. That is just cheap and rubbish. Final verdict 6/10 I am sorry to say.

Fantastic concert, as always. JMJ's music does not really get old. He reinvents himself, samples his old work, plays 'against' himself sometimes. He's interesting without fail, if nothing else. My only beef with his music is that he plays some of his newer stuff too loud, succumbing to the modern desire for more base and more drums. It'd be nice to see electronica not give in. Not everyone can use les ondes martenot, but every other kid abuses drums.

As for special effects, JMJ's other recognizable trait, the concert was not as crazy or innovative as his biggest shows in the 80s and 90s but it was a fantastic use of a fairly rare projection tech.

I think my only quabble was the venue. Sony Centre is great for plays and quiet concerts that are perfectly enjoyed while sitting. Jean-Michel's music is a melodic embodiment of space, and space it needs. Seeing the setting of the concert in Israel just a few weeks earlier made me think that a desert-like setting, amidst sands and rocks and under the stars would be infinitely better than the suffocation of a small, low-ceiling theare downtown Toronto.

I have been going to various concerts for a while, but this was the first time that I've had the opportunity to go to a JMJ concert.

This concert was AWESOME!!!!!!! The music, the lasers, the show, the energy that JMJ put into the show. It was sad though that not that many people attended the show; because the show was PHENOMENAL!!!!!

Listening to Oxygene, Chantes Magnetiques, Equinoxe and many others being played by Jean Michel Jarre himself - unbelievable!!!

I've been listening to JMJ for many, many years. This is the first time that he played in Los Angeles - AMAZING SHOW.

Hopefully he comes back to Southern California in the near future.

Long time fan, but never been to a JMJ concert, until now! Quite a surprise, lots of new material, lots of hits that are slightly update to mix nicely with the new upbeat tracks. I think JMJ re-invented himself and I'm okay with that, although I doubt if we'll ever see new legendary compositions that change music all over again as he did before. I had a great evening, great music, awesome show with lots of effects, 3D lighting, lasers, etc. I'd go again whenever he's back in my little country!

A remarkable show from the original electronica master. 40 year later Oxygene is still as vibrant and stirring as ever. JMJ was warm, engaging and energetic. Obviously loving the event and his audience. The light show was the most brilliant and inventive I have ever seen (and I see 25+ shows a year). I was delighted at how energetic and sound perfect this show was. See JMJ if you can. Excellent concert. Thanks J! Brought back a lot of memories. Last saw the man at the London Docklands - twice.

This was the first time Jean Michel played in Chile and it was the most remarkable concert I have ever attended, the sound was magnificent and the visual effects were much more than I expected.
The repertory mixed old and new stuff, and JMJ proved why he is been on top for so long.
I was an early fan, and dreamed to see him playing here. All I can say is the 40 years wait was worth it.

Phenominal

Sounds and light go off the scale. It is very loud (lung shakingly loud at one point) and the light show is a barrage of sensory input - in 3D no less.

If you can, go and experience this. You'll not be dissapointed.

Great concert. The visual effects from the light shows is amazing. The sounds is great. The bass is deep and solid. The music is a little different than the music I used to hear. Would love to see his concert again somewhere.