Alanis Morissette
The Junkie Tour 1999/2000
29th October, 1999
Harbour Pavilion, Singapore
Baba · Are you still mad · I Was Hoping · Sympathetic Character · That I would be good · Joining You · Not the Doctor · Uninvited · So Pure · Thank U · Ironic · · You Oughta Know · The Couch
by Chia Han-Leon
This Junkie Tour concert is my first 'live' encounter with Alanis Morissette. Needless to say, having followed her music since the end of 1996, I was very excited to learn of her coming (because I %@#%!#*$ didn't get interested in her until a month AFTER she came the last time, in November 1996)... and bought a pair of row D tickets 20 minutes after phone booking began. As her concert date approached, I sort of slipped into a kind of excitement-anticipation nirvana, as the sensation of finally seeing her became something quite surreal...
The concert began, as is normal for these things, an hour late. No one else opened the concert, save a smoky atmosphere of drifting, tantalisingly blurred rock tunes. The set was simple and evocative consisting of large Indian carpet-like designs framing the centrepiece - the list of rules from the cover of Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie (SFIJ):
(the last ironic, which is typical of Alanis' wry sense of humour)
True, it was plainly obvious that the giant bass speakers were cranked up too high, and Alanis' words could hardly be heard much less discerned; much of the powerful aura of the song was being generated by the band and her physical presence more than her voice.
But, unless you weren't very observant, the situation very quickly and seamlessly improved. By the second or third song, that important element called the sound engineer(s) had adjusted the basses down. Within 15 minutes Alanis' voice not only took precedence over the band, but received the band's support with spectacular clarity. The words of Sympathetic Character, Uninvited or Thank U were clearly discernible (it would help of course if you were a fan...). The balance was superb, though of course I would be ¼-deaf until the next morning. The sound of the guitars was absolutely stupendous throughout the concert; everytime a crew member handed Alanis a guitar, the crowd burst into cheers.
Prior to the concert, my only knowledge about Alanis 'live' came from sources on the net, TV (taped concerts), bootleg albums, singles with 'live' recordings and her video Jagged Little Pill 'Live'. All these gave me more than a little glimpse into the phenomenon of Alanis 'live'. It is widely acknowledged that she is much better 'live' (the word "awesome" appears many times in comments) but of course nothing could prepare me for the real thing.
My reactions ranged from downright awe at her enormous emotional aura to admiration for her complete sense of liberation to bemusement at her various idiosyncrasies. Among the latter are her limp wrist thing, her movements on stage which were a sort of ordered wildness, the hair-spinning, and that body spin which she recovered very quickly from (almost no sign of dizziness there); and other little little things that make Alanis Alanis.
But nothing compares to Alanis the singer. As a classical music enthusiast, I am used to talking about and (trying to) describe singers of all sorts - about their power, their emotional involvement, their musicality, etc. But even though it is true that I should not compare, listening to and seeing Alanis 'live' does show me one thing that I already know, but must really be seen 'live' - her emotional liberation. "There is no emotion or part of myself that I am afraid to express", she says in the (S$15) tour book (also available from her - yes, effectively her - website http://www.alanismorissette.com/).
Her 'live' renditions of So Pure and Joining You, in fact, were much much more electrifying and vibrant than on the album version - the tempo was noticeably faster, generating more of that sheer energy, and it was simply magnificent to see Alanis singing her heart out with open sincerity. In addition, there are the unexpected improvisations on the words, the delicious changes of harmony and rhythm that refreshed the recorded songs.
A friend of mine who went to the earlier concert told me that more often than not, Alanis' actions on stage are repeated from place to place throughout her tour. My first reply was - but is one even aware how long her tours are, and how many places she goes to? Just make a search on the net for her tour schedule and take a look. Her energy is boundless. It is entirely forgiveable for her to repeat her actions, so long as in each and every place she is sincere - and I believe she is.
It is also clear that the present Alanis is a much happier person than when she first (almost literally) burst onto the scene - then it was truly the dark and angry (albeit with moments of light) female rocker. A day after the concert I took out a couple of bootleg albums to listen, to listen how she was like about two years ago. It was almost shocking to hear Alanis' tone then - more grim, more defiant, less personal though she is nothing but honest emotion.
The Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie - note the "supposed" (who's calling who what?) - would today thank the audience at the end of every song with an almost girlishly sweet "thank you!" in much brighter tone than before, which was in direct contrast to her awesome rocker image. There are many people out there who still feel that Alanis is still an angry female rocker. I have exhausted myself trying to defend her. All I can say is that the music speaks for itself, and thus, it is those who have not heard that comment thus.
There were a few quiet moments during the concert, most poignant being the performance of If I Would Be Good, signalled by the appearance of the flute on stage. Actually even from the album (as well as the Alanis: Unplugged performance), it is obvious that Alanis' skill with the flute is rudimentary, coming across as clumsy. It may be that she began playing at the age of 7, but it doesn't look as if she has been playing it much in the last 18 years. Either that or she is doing it deliberately. But that's not the point. It has never bothered me because the melancholia of the song is enhanced by this style of playing, even "live" - to this end, I must admit that this brief eye in the storm during this concert was heartbreakingly tender, and I felt tears forming in my eyes as I sat in the cold darkness.
(Partly also because, despite knowing I would probably never get any closer to her than this - all ten metres - I brought my CD sleeves and a good pen anyway, in the desperately hopeless hope that I could get her to sign it. Nah, didn't even bring out my camera, which I managed to slip in. The security was very tight indeed, with every unauthorised camera flash inviting guards authorised to confiscate film. Even the press photographers were under watch, and apparently were only allowed to take a certain number of shots, or perhaps it is a time-based thing. The pictures here are from happening.com).
Well, I could go on and on. It's true, she didn't say much directly to the audience; so little that I think I can remember all of it: "It's great to be back!"; "Thank you! You people are so beautiful!" (twice), plus the customary but always sincere thanks to her superb band members and crew. But one thing she said which only Alanis could say, which I was delighted to hear - near the end of the concert, amidst the wild cheering of the audience, she said, nearly drowned: "Thank u very muchly!"
Thank you very muchly.
Leon's history of pop/rock is mostly about women.
Other reviews by any writer can be obtained from the InkVault by doing a key word search.
XX: 10.11.1999 ©The Flying Inkpot
PLEASE OBSERVE THE FOLLOWING MORAL CODE UPON THESE PREMISES:
PLEASE REFRAIN FROM
KILLING
STEALING
LYING
SEXUAL MISCONDUCT
TAKING INTOXICANTS
PLAYING MUSIC, SINGING...
The lights suddenly dimmed, the crowd cheered as the dark silhouettes of the band members appeared through the cloth backdrop, followed last by the Alanis. With minimal delay, the band boomed into the dark sounds of Baba (a reference to the Indian living saint Sai Baba). I have never paid much attention to this particular song, but hearing it 'live' was a completely different matter. With the mix of the "grim" music and the cold, electrified atmosphere, the song was truly epic as Alanis tore through the supercharged lyrics, magically at the eerie deliriously deliciously echo-refrains of "Ave Maria". If anything, I have now learned to see this new song from a completely new perspective, and I have this concert to thank, for reviving and strengthening my interest in SFIJ. Now, every time I listen to this song, it brings me back to this night. It's almost as if Baba was written to be 'live'. Awesome stuff and a perfect start.
When it comes to her singing, this truly manifests. Nothing I write here can describe the pure joy with which she creates the living vitality of So Pure, or her shining gratitude to the cheering audience in Thank U (appropriately sung as the first "encore"). With Alanis, there are simply no emotional barriers - every living strand of her being is engaged in her musical spirit when she sings, as she throws herself into soul-bursting choruses. Watching her sing was pure inspiration, for she demonstrates unconditionally the tremendous capacity for spiritual and emotional exaltation through the medium of music.