Review of concert from 2002-08-25: Monte Carlo, Sporting d'Ete - with Imposters
- François Drouin

 

Fireworks in Monte Carlo

So, last Sunday I went to see Elvis Costello and the Imposters on the French Riviera (Mediterranean sea) at the Principality of Monaco, in the town of Monte Carlo, not too far from the town Nice. A month before, I got my ticket, the one that included the dinner before the show, not just the ticket for the show.

The Sporting d'été (summer Sporting) is a very nice building at the end of a pier in Monte Carlo. The show was in the salle des étoiles (stars hall), a very big hall able to contain 900 seated people along tables for eating or just drinking. During the dinner, they opened the roof of the hall, just to make us beeing in the open air, with real stars above us!! They closed it by the end of the dinner.

The dinner was given from 8:30 until 10:00 pm A waiter drove me to my table (number 107), happily it was very well located, right in the middle, not far from the stage. During and after the dinner, two different entertaining bands with different singers came on stage to make the dinner or the evening very enjoyable. They first played from 8:30 until 10:55 pm.

Right after the dinner, more people came inside the hall, the ones who just had a ticket for the show. They were allowed to get drinks.

At 10:58 pm, after a quick rotation of the stage! Elvis and the Imposters appeared on stage, a stage that very soon came forward, on small wheels (I think), closer to the audience.

Here is the setlist :

Miracle man
Watching the detectives
Spooky girlfriend
Chelsea
15 petals
When I was cruel #2
Almost Blue
Alison/He'll have to go
I want you
---------------
FIREWORKS

Steve Nieve had a kilt, probably purchased in Glasgow a few day before. He often played a hand keyboard (melodica), where he had to put his mouth to play it. It seemed that he gave new arrangements on some songs.

As you can see, the set was rather shot, no second part, no encore. The Hall was 3/4 full.

Elvis left the stage by 11:51 pm. The show lasted 53 minutes. Many people asked for more. According to me a third of the audience were Americans. More than half foreign people, anyway.

Suddenly, the hall came darker, two screens appeared with ELVIS COSTELLO HAPPY BIRTHDAY displayed on them. The roof was opened again.

AND, and fireworks appeared on the sea, from a boat very probably. You could see its reflection on the sea. It lasted 10 minutes and was rather impressive. Elvis, the Imposters and all his crew, came back on stage to see the fireworks from the stage, just like the seated people in the hall. Very wide opened windows all around the hall and the open roof made the sea around us and the fireworks very visible. Some people asked Elvis some autographs during the fireworks.

After this, an entertaining band came back on stage as long as there were still people in the hall.

After the show, at the main entrance of the Sporting d'été, people were waiting for their car or for a taxi. I talked (in French) with Steve Nieve. He was with his wife Muriel (Mumu), still wearing his kilt. He confirmed me that he will open for Elvis Costello in Paris at the Grand Rex on September the 19th. He signed my dinner menu, close to the big letters : ELVIS COSTELLO. I didn't see Elvis.