High on Oxygène: Jean-Michel Jarre en Monaco

Jean-Michel Jarre plays for the Princess and Princess of Monaco

After a few days of scandal and wildfire gossip that saw William Hill “slashing” their odds against a cancellation, Charlene said “I do” and the celebrations kicked off.

Rumours of extraordinary extravagance: €1500+ per-head dinners; tens of thousands of flowers and rivers of champagne are probably true – arriving at the concert last night with a spare bottle of water in my bag, I was pleasantly surprised to find an open bar overlooking the port, serving a variety of drinks including champagne – absolument gratuit. So, the crowd was in very good spirits – literally.

Monaco — by Jean-Michel Jarre

Few performers could pull off this kind of concert with the same Gallic panache and vigour as Jarre; despite giving the concert “in the presence of” the royal couple, he was the star.  Familiar pieces from Oxygène and Equinoxe dominated the set and moved a crowd that was somewhat ungenerous with its applause; within a half-hour, the fireworks were more spectacular than most grandes finalés, the velvet-blue sky filled with multi-coloured lights and smoke, music and explosions co-ordinated to heart-soaring effect, for two hours.  Jarre and his vintage (1970s) electronica are now older than many of the crowd (although the principality’s population is certainly old enough to revel in nostalgia), but have, like the composer aged gracefully enough to command centre stage in the world’s most glamourous square mile.

Red and white for the Prince and Princess - Jarre in Monaco

Further listening/watching:

If you weren’t able to make it to Monaco, you can, at time of writing,  watch Jean-Michel Jarre in Monaco via streamed video.