Newsgroups: alt.music.deep-purple
Subject: Re: Rainbow in Paris, why so little people 
From: Pawel Golik <golik@cgm.cnrs-gif.fr> 
Date: Fri, 3 Nov 1995 18:19:02 GMT 

Hi, This is a reply to Svante's posting (I don't know how to reply properly posting through fsl.com). He wondered, why the Paris Rainbow gig hasn't even sold out the Elysee Montmartre (I estimate there were about 500 people, almost, but not completely full).

First, hard rock (metal - you name it) doesn't seem to be very popular in France these days, at least in Paris. Surely less popular than in Germany or Scandinavian countries. At least so it seems to me (I' ve been living in France for only about a year). But there is also something else, specific to this Rainbow concert. It got absolutely no press coverage, no promotion, not even any information - nothing. On the day of the concert and a day before I got some daily papers - no mention of the event. Even in the 'city agenda' columns, which are supposed to just list the events around the city, there was absolutely no mention of Rainbow.

I started to think that I mistook the date, so I got the "Pariscope" - a weekly agenda which is supposed to list absolutely every event (theatre, music, cinema etc.) around Paris. I looked under Elysee Montmartre, found some concerts earlier that week, but again nothing about Rainbow. This was so strange, that going to Elysee that night I was prepared to find the concert cancelled or the date changed. But it was right there. Almost as though it was delberately kept secret. OTOH the dailies devotet full page features to the concert of Cypress Hill (some american rap, I guess). It sold out Zenith - one of the biggest halls around.

Well, to each country and generation it's own music - I am far from being another crusader. Still I think if TMIB (or his management) decided to play a concert in Poland, he would have sold out a big hall. Apart from that, no comments.

Still, it was a great night. Small halls have their advantages - I could easily see everything without having to hop hopelessly to see above the crowd. The sound was good too - loud but clear (maybe only drums too high in the mix and vocals too low - just a bit).

Cheers Pawel