Last Tuesday, we went to see Jean Michel Jarre’s indoor concert in Gothenburg.

Jarre is one of the musicians I remember from my childhood; I bought almost every record (and then subsequently CD) with him and listened to over and over.

This concert was a smaller one, he is otherwise known for his huge and spectacular concert in Houston, Paris, Lyon, London etc. This was inside the Scandinavium arena, and it was just one night – he played in Malmö the day before, and Stockholm the day after.

It was quite a remarkable concert though. It featured a lot of old songs, as well as some newer ones. And, of course, spectacular effects with lights and lasers and a few other oddities thrown in. It was also unbelievably loud – I should bring earplugs the next time. Lesson learned. Then again, I think that goes for most concerts.

I think the most amazing thing with Jarre is that he is not using synthesizers to emulate the sound of “real instruments” – which they are rather poor that, but that he is using them as instruments in themselves. He has always pioneered ways of using them and producing sound with them that goes quite beyond everything else.

It was quite evident as he was playing some more avant-garde pieces, featuring quite an unusual sound (especially from the theremin) and evoked rather strange moods, that would have been impossible with normal acoustic instruments.

All in all, well worth seeing, although it is evident that the highlight of his career probably was in the past; the audience were mostly people in their 30′s, 40′s and 50′s.