Not sure what is was, but this year I could feel the excitement about the Black & Blue. All the parties that I attended were great, Stephan Grondin at Parking on Friday night, Tracy Young at Unity on Saturday night, my friend’s house party on Sunday night, and finally it was time for the big party at the big “O“.
Didn‘t wait too long to get in, too bad I got there right at the time Stefané Lippé was finishing his set. Can the organizers next time set his play time right after Peter Rauhofer please? This way everyone will be able to hear what an incredible and fresh talent we have in Montreal.
It is always amazing to enter the big “O” when it is dressed up for a great party such as the Black & Blue, the lights, the sound, and specially the beautiful and peaceful people all over the place. I can see how first timers can get kind of intimidated or overwhelmed at first. Soon after you are already telling yourself this is not going to be your last time at this party.
Two rooms were set up, and no offences to the musical guest of the Alternator room, but I really don’t see the point of having two rooms for the Black & Blue. I can understand and support two rooms of equal size as they have at the Bal en Blanc, but in this case people didn’t even know where the other room was located.
Housegenerator Room: Stéfane Lippé, Antoine Clamaran (B&B 2006), Peter Rauhofer, Mark Anthony (B&B 2006) and D-Formation.
Alternator Room: Clubtrotter, Michael Kaiser, Gabriel & Dresden, Misstress Barbara and Robert de la Guathier.
Heard from different people Stéfane Lippé was great, I guess I’ll have to catch up with this tunes at Circus one of these days. Lippé definitely left the crowd ready for Antoine.
Loved Clamaran style, nice tunes, great vocals, some electro, and the most important thing the strong energy he was able to lift up from the dance floor - safe and lovely tribal tunes.
Peter Rauhofer was next in line, and once again he was able to keep me happy during his set. One of my friends doesn’t really like his style because he says it is very hard to be happy - kind of angry music. I kind of understood what he was saying, but I would disagree with him about the mad part. Didn’t get too crazy during the first part of his set, but loved the middle and the end. He showed some of his new stuff and brought back some known dancing tunes. Vocals mixed with dark tunes, and all of them enjoyable to my ears. Once again he has impressed me and made me want more of his music, different to what I thought in 2006.
Who doesn’t remember Plavalaguna’s performance in the movie “the Fifth Element“? Such an exquisite and dramatic presentation of the opera “Lucia di Lammermoor”, which then is spiced by moving into pop music. Bravo to the BBCM for recreating Plavalaguna’s act, this time using Dominic Lacasse, an acrobat which becomes a human flag surrounded by several drag queens, each one representing a different continent. It was magical, the music, the performers, and the fake snow falling from the ceiling.
Ten minutes later Mark Anthony was announced as the next DJ of the night. Personally, I was indifferent to his set - I danced but mostly used this time to socialize. Nothing against him, but I wouldn’t mind if he was dropped from the next Black & Blue line up. I know he is a respected DJ in Montreal, but I still have to hear a set I like from him.
Then we had a show of a Marilyn Manson look like - what a hell was that? Seriously, I should get partially refunded for what I had to endure during those minutes.
Nevertheless, my patience was rewarded by the next DJ - I had heard of him but never had the pleasure to see him in a club. D-Formation brought me to heaven and hell at the same time - is that possible?
D-Formation with its Progressive House type of music, started the set with a Sarah McLachlan song, and if my memory does not fail it was a remix of “Surrender”. Honestly, the times I had the chance to hear Progressive House (Deep Dish at the Bal en Blanc comes to my mind) there was so much I could take, but this guy was just outstanding, he made it easier and enjoyable to my ears. If someone made me dance like crazy, it was this Spaniard Dimas Carbajo with his seamless set. Before going to the Black & Blue I thought I would leave by the time D-Formation would start his set. I did leave by 10:30am not because the music was bad, but because he had drained all my energy. I have to say it was the surprise of the night.
If you haven’t done one Black & Blue yet, what are you waiting for?
Pictures by Indamix.ca and Ryan Lee Photographs.ws
3 comments:
i thought the music was good, but nothing incredible, to be honest. but then, it was not necessary anyway. the place, the boys, the attitude, the frienliness, the everything. MAGIC. my first time. and certainly not the last...
Black and blue é tuuuido meu amor!! Não tem festa melhor no planeta!! PERIODDDD!!! Um beijo e me liga, vizinha!!! SMACK!
hilarious how different everyone is. dj d formation was my worst experience of b and b - it was the joke of the weekend ... oh, the builds that never ended were HELL. and i loved Frigid (the marilyn manson wannabe).
i guess something for everyone! love.
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