XtineFiles

And finally, here is the review of my trip...


My journey began with good number karma (flight 11 seat 11) and ended with Brad Pitt. I’ll admit from the start that my reason for coming to Paris was because I really really wanted to see Depeche Mode overseas. Why? Because that is what obsessed fans do. I cashed in 90,000 frequent flyer miles, packed my luggage and my sister and off we went. Thanks to friends in high places I got AMAZING Depeche tickets and passes (“The orange pass gets you…”)--more DM later.

Paris, is well, all that you would expect Paris to be. Its sexy, it’s Euro, its arty and free spirited. We saw the Mona Lisa’s, the Degas, the Arcs and the Towers, the bridges the tunnels, the stores and the mounts. We saw it all. My sister was keen on reenacting scenes from key movies that took place in Paris (i.e. Audrey passing out in the Louvre while saying “Rusty are you happy she is dead” a la European Vacation, or strolling past Shakespeare and Co, a la Before Sunset.). I on the other hand took in the sites, ate pounds of goat cheese and counted the seconds to Depeche Mode.

And now…the moment you've (well, the three of you) been waiting for. Seeing Depeche Mode at Bercy was the single most exhilarating concert experiences of my entire life. Thousands of people singing (with accents) to the songs we all love was so moving.

Some important points to make:

* “Oohhh ohhh ahh oohhh” from Waiting for the Night to Fall seems to be the Parisian anthem much like We will Rock You in events in the states

* Depeche Mode fans in Europe are as normal as Bon Jovi fans in New Jersey, thus proving my theory that non DM fans are the strange ones. (I can’t describe to you how important DM is to Europe—I thought I knew, but I had no idea).

* Every single person in Paris saw Depeche Mode this week. Even the kids next to us at lunch a day later were talking about the show

*Hearing Shake the Disease made me cry and hearing David Gahan shout “Goodevening Paris” made me weep

*Getting an Orange VIP after party pass was priceless, realizing all of Paris has been invited was even more priceless AND uttering the phrase “I’m with the band” at the box office will be a moment in time I shall etch into my brain.

* “Eversing COWnts Sen LARgeemounts.” “Deepeche Mode Deepeche Mode Deepeche Mode”

*I was fascinated by the songs that the French seemed to go crazy over. You’d be surprised, because they vary a bit from the songs we freak over in the states. Never Let Me Down Again and Personal Jesus were pretty huge just like in America. But surprising Behind the Wheel and Suffer Well brought EVERYONE to their feet.

*Despite their worship of Depeche, the French are in fact trying to kill David Gahan. Thousands of people chain smoking their way through the show made it the smokiest concert I’ve ever been to. At one point David Gahan coughed up a big one.

*I don’t know how DM do this show over and over and over night after night, but what I do know is that DM is, well, the BEST BAND IN THE WORLD!

Back to Paris. All good things must come to and end. We headed to the airport Wednesday afternoon to take an Air France flight from Paris to JFK. When we arrived at the terminal we were yelled at by a ticket agent and practically strip searched before boarding. Even though I was flying business class I was still treated like a cow in a heard (flying today sucks!). BUT BUT BUT the trauma of check in was erased when I glanced up from my Vanity Fair and saw the one, the only Brad Pitt board my plane.

He sat about 8 rows infront of me. I was gonna take a bet from the girl next to me who was daring me to go up to him and have him autograph the Angelina Jolie photo that was sitting open in the Vanity Fair in my hand. But I chickened out.

Priceless. Well, more like $1500. But who is counting?