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Sinead Live In Motreal June 11th 1997

Sinead soothes Ste. Catherine: O'Connor embraced by more than 25,000

Montreal Gazette Fri, Jun 12 1997

At 25 degrees and with more than 25,000 people crammed into the urban valley of Ste. Catherine St., under a benificent summer night sky, music might have been a second thought. But when mother and Mother Nature combine, what force can turn them back?

By the time Sinead O'Connor got to her lullaby, This Is to Mother You, the debates over her place in the music cosmos had been erased by an alternately soothing and bracing breeze of music. Headlining the first night of four free outdoor Grand Prix Rockfests, she struck her blow for popular art and announced the return of an artist to mass popularity. She had taken the stage with a shy smile and wave for the crowd, then re-introduced herself more appropriately, her band chugging into The Emperor's NewClothes. Four female backing singers stood to her immediate left, a female bassist and cellist hovered behind her. Welcomed Back Couldn't see the drummer, but the guitarist was a guy. The band makeup is worth mentioning as a component of O'Connor's tough-minded compromise with her audience, not to mention a manifestation of an opening song whose lyrics ran ``you know how a pregnancy can change you.'' Pop's prodigal daughter was welcomed back to the fold, largely on her own terms.

While most in the crowd waited for her Hibernian wail to ring out,O'Connor was putting on a show of passion and professionalism. She opened with a moderate rocker, then dropped into the political rap of Famine. That second number was mostly lost on the crowd, given O'Connor's monotone rapping voice. From there, she revitalized older elegies (I Am Stretched on Your Grave) and placated the multitides with the hymns from the new EP Gospel Oak. The weather was certainly on her side, a reminder of the good aspects of a city battered by endless reports of a necrotic economy. Early summer comfort, humid and amniotic for the mother-of-two onstage.

Singing Her Lyrics

Those who've paid attention recently figured O'Connor would be great; if there was a surprise, it came from the crowd. A brief struggle through the throng found people singing her lyrics, both old and new. So much for all the O'Controversies, all the supoosed distance between the singer and her audience. All was forgiven, without forgiveness being demanded. Moreover, it was a catholic night in more ways than one.

(Copyright The Gazette)

Hello,

You will excuse my lack of English (am a French Canadian)... I was at the Montreal concert of Sinéad last week (June eleven). There was a big crowd of 44 thousand peoples. It was not exactly the place for this kind of CONCERT. I say concert because Sinéad advised us the day before the show that she had change a lot and that her concert would not be like the last one she did in Montreal (18 août 1990). She explains all the thing you sure heard on the Letterman show. The stupid journalists putted it all on spiritual brainwash... But comeback to the show itself. Warm night with heavy winds... She appeared at 21,55 in a white dress after a very sexist remark from the presentation (I translate): "Here is Sinéad O'Connor and in a white dress, she's very beautiful... with some hair etc.. etc.. She didn't say a word and began the concert with an old song: "The emperor's new clothes". I noticed immediately that the song was less rough and the voice of Sinéad had take a certain "profondeur", a "maturity". I remarked also that she do not seemed to feel well on stage as she used to. She stood straight practically all the concert. She played a lot of her two last "CD", unfortunately, I never had the chance recently to find them in stores (always the same two first records). So I discovered must of her new song in this live show. They left me a very but very good impression (it was basically the songs that John described in his report of the Randall's Island). The Celtic and folklore aspects of the song sounded wonderfully. As I grow older with her, this change fits me as well. The mostly feminine composition of the band is to be taken in consideration for the wonderful smooth atmosphere it delivers, particularly the violin. She also played "Jump", "Babylon" (something like this from universal mother), a great moment of the concert etc. etc.. Sinéad was announced as a "Rock" star and the peoples were surprised to hear her new songs and reacted mostly at her ancients. The public was not good, the sound was s.... So the communication was difficult, even more if we're to consider that she don't speak French at all. Anyway, her Irish accent when she says "Thank you veRRRRRy muchchch", was funny. The show last only 80 minutes, including the "comeback", which she did immediately with practically no "encouragement's".

The public was not at "la hauteur" of what Sinéad delivered that night. I felt a little bit "shamy" for them. I only expected that she knew that her real public was not necessarily there, in this free outside show. The best place to see this show in is in a club of 500 to 2000 places. Sinéad pay the tribute to her past success... Excerpt for the way she stands on stage (who gives a .... when there is that voice), she gained so much since seven years. She is better than ever. Even my girlfriend who was taking her for a neurasthenic, after seeing the show, think that she's very talented now.

Jean Dragon

E-mail: DRAGON.JEAN@UQAM.CA

From: Sarah/James <seera@total.net>

Just to let you know that I saw Sinead perform at the free outside concert in Montreal -- she was really great. Lots of people showed up (security said 44,000). She had told the press earlier on, that she wouldn't perform any songs from Lion and the Cobra -- due to her embarrassment over them. She did perform a few songs from I do not want... and of course from Gospel Oak.

Anyway, the day after, in the local newspaper, it said how Sinead had become accepted again, and how much the crowd adored her.......it was amazing to see her again