2008 12 05 : Sarah Bettens – Never Say Goodbye tour
2008 12 05, 5pm : I decided to buy a ticket for the Sarah Bettens show of that same night. The girl at the counter asked me to spell the name but somehow I got used to this by now (I had to spell out Feist back in May – I still can’t understand how someone selling music happens not to even know Feist, oh well).
By 6pm, I was in Lille, in front of the Aéronef, waiting in a line of 6 people, trying not to catch a cold, soon getting some company as members of the street team I know arrive. Of course we scored front row seats. Side note, it was interesting to see l’Aéronef in a seated configuration.
The ticket said the concert was supposed to start at 8pm, which everyone knows is a lie, so Sarah appeared a little after 08:30pm. The concert mainly consists of covers stripped down to pure acoustic bliss : piano and/or guitar + voice.
The setlist was something like that :
- I heard it through the grapevine [Marvin Gaye]
- Ev’rytime we say goodbye [Ella Fitzgerald]
- I can do better than you [Sarah Bettens]
- Just the two of us [Bill Withers]
- Three times a lady [The Commodores]
- Don’t you worry ‘bout a thing [Stevie Wonder]
- Do that to me one more time [Captain & Tennille]
- Sitting on the dock of the bay [Otis Redding]
- Cry me a river [Julie London]
-Intermission-
- Ne me quitte pas [Jacques Brel]
- Money, money, money [ABBA]
- Win me over [Sarah Bettens]
- Little red corvette [Prince]
- At seventeen [Janis Ian]
- Shine [Sarah Bettens]
- I will carry you [Woodface]
- A long December [Counting Crows]
- Slow you down [Sarah Bettens]
-Encore-
- I can’t make you love me [Bonnie Raitt]
The choice of songs was interesting and the realisation was quite flawless. My highlights of the night were : Ne Me Quitte Pas (of course! it’s not everyday you can hear Sarah sing in French, especially this one song), A Long December (a song I had completely forgotten about), I Can Do Better Than You (she used to play this song on the last electric tour and it’s still nice to hear), Money, Money, Money (I love ABBA, but who doesn’t? It’s timeless) and I Will Carry You (Sarah covering her own brother worked very well – can’t wait for K’s Choice to come back!). I also have to mention the fact that Tom Kestens does a wonderful job on piano, guitar, backing vocals and fun on stage. Everything he does seems easy, it only prove he’s got some serious talent.
It was a very pleasant night, the late decision turned out to be the right one. And it was nice to share the front row with many familiar faces (and some new ones, too).
For more photos, it’s here.
mel :: Dec.15.2008 :: Concert Review, Never Say Goodbye, Sarah Bettens, Tom Kestens :: No Comments »
