The French pop star’s first tour is rather interesting and distinctive, but even at 94 minutes, it feels a little on the long side. The stage’s set up is a cemetery, which is a fascinating visual accompaniment to Mylène Farmer’s dark, often funereal music, and the musical arrangements effectively draw out the layers of the thin-sounding music and accompanying Farmer’s limited range. However Farmer herself seems stiff and uncomfortable throughout, while the choreography is elemental and repetitive. The costume changes are near-constant, which is a nice touch, but they’re all dark and therefore hard to distinguish against the dark cemetery backdrop, and it flattens the video presentation’s impact. However, the audience is enthralled with every move the performer makes (which is a quality that continues to this day for Farmer, who has effectively maintained her cult of personality for decades since this tour), and that energy gives the proceedings an electrifying emotional edge that’s not common for major pop concerts.
Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)