LE TOUR DE LA QUESTION

The seminal French formation Ange was the first foreign non-UK progrock band I discovered in the secondhalf of the Seventies, due to the fact that it was easy available on the Dutch Phillips label. Their outstanding double live album Tome VI (1977) I bought in the London record store Virgin, it's still one of my favorite French prog albums, what an unique and often compelling sound! A few years ago a small progrock dream came true when Ange toured in Holland, the first time since 30 years and it turned out to be in De Boerderij in Zoetermeer, 10 miles away from my home, how lucky I was! During that concert I was impressed by the fresh and powerful renditions of the 'classic' compositions, the tight and enthousiastic band, the awesome stage performance by frontman and prime mover Christian Decamps and, last but not least, the varied and modern sound of new Ange. I had expected a kind of 'symphonic prog dinosaur' but this new and inspired Ange line-up blew me away. In 2005 Ange released a new studio-album entitled '?', it was followed by a tour, this digipack CD/DVD contains a concert in Belgium from that tour. The 11 songs from the CD are also on the DVD (19 songs, including two bonus-tracks) so I focus on the DVD in this review.

Again I am very impressed by this new Ange line-up, what an enthousiastic and inspired band, for me it's obvious that they enjoy playing the music and they are even seems honoured to support the charismatic French progrock legend Christian Decamps! The lightshow is great with lots of colours and inventive ideas. The songs sound varied and modern: from acoustic rhtyhm guitar with warm vocals (Ricochets and Le Ballon De Billy) to jazzy (Histoire D'Outre Rêve with father and son on keyboards), funky (Vu D'Un Chien) or sultry (Jour Après Jour). In Harmonie Christian his son Tristan delivers a wonderful, very mellow piece on keyboards and vocals. Of course Ange is rock-theater: during Vu D'Un Chien we can enjoy a funny scene when Christian is walking with a bone in his mouth and he pulls the female singer Caroline on a chain behind him around the stage (opposite 'human-dog' roles) and in Le Coeur A Corps both Christian and Caroline are hidden behind a curtain, they act to be shy, very funny again! My highlights are the propulsive Fils De Lumière (including a fiery guitar solo with the Chuck Berry 'duckstep', a swinging bass solo with some 'slapping' and a cheerful drum solo), Le Chien, La Poubelle Et La Rose (dynamic with duo-vocals and a spectacular synthesizer (with pitchbend)-guitar duel) and the breathtaking Captaine Coeur De Miel (my favorite Ange composition), extended to almost 20 minutes: Christian is dressed as a captain with a walking stick and wine bottle and the guitarplayer delivers lots of fiery and biting soli, in the final part he plays a great build-up, very sensitive and compelling solo, supported by bombastic keyboards and a super-enthousiastic Christian, this is Progheaven and everybody freaks out, goose bumps!

THIS IS A PROGROCK DOCUMENT, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!