Hooverphonic in concert at the Alhambra: we were there, we tell you all about it

In a band, separations and departures are not uncommon. When Geike Arnaert announced her departure from Hooverphonic in 2008, after 10 years of collaboration withAlex Callier and Raymond Geerts, the news was not easy for fans to digest. It has to be said that the singer and musician took part in some of the most essential albums produced by Hooverphonic. These include"Blue Wonder Power Milk" and"The Magnificent Tree", as well as"Hooverphonic Presents Jackie Cane".

Replaced for a time by Noémie Wolfs, Geike Arnaert finally decided to return in 2020, and to hit the road again alongside her bandmates to defend the opus"Hidden Stories". This spring, the Belgian trip-hop band, who played a leading role in the late 90's and early 2000's, return with a new opus entitled"Fake is the new dope". It's an opportunity for Hooverphonic to take to the stage again, to the delight of our ears. This Thursday, March 28, 2024, the band was in Paris for asold-outdate at theAlhambra.

At 8.40pm, Hooverphonic took to the stage with a surprise string quartet (violins, viola and cello), to make the show even more intense and moving. Because emotion was indeed the order of the day at theAlhambra on Thursday evening.

The young people in the audience were few and far between. In fact, most of the pit and floor of the Alhambra were occupied by heads with greying hair. On stage, Geike Arnaert, Alex Callier and Raymond Geerts, also surrounded by a guitarist, a drummer and a keyboardist, have also aged a little. But not their songs, which seem to have passed the test of time with ease. For Hooverphonic has evolved with the times, moving from trip-hop to more acoustic and then more pop.

That evening, at the Alhambra, Geike Arnaert was the center of attention. Dressed in a black suit, white shirt and top hat, the singer took to the stage to thunderous applause. And it's with " Cheek to Cheek " that the band kicks off the show, buoyed by a cabaret-style staging.

Geike Arnaert quickly drops the jacket and continues the set, alternating new tracks like the catchy " Don't Think " and the surprising " Por Favor " with old hits. The band even indulges in a cover version of a cover version: the famous song " Le Temps qui court ", revised and corrected by Alain Chamfort, itself adapted from Barry Manilow and Adrienne Anderson's 1973 song " Could It Be Magic ". A difficult challenge for Hooverphonic, but a success!

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The emotion reaches a climax, as Hooverphonic strings together three highlights from their discography, starting with " Eden ", the band's most beautiful song according to Alex Callier's father. The musical journey into the past continues with the sublime " Vinegar & Salt ", offered here in a sumptuously pared-down version (keyboard and vocals), where we feel the fragility and beauty of Geike's voice. Certainly the most beautiful musical moment of the evening for us. Finally, Hooverphonic followed up with the beautiful " Jackie Cane ", another highlight from their album"The Magnificent Tree".

As the concert drew to a close, the band decided to satisfy all the audience's expectations with a rendition of the timeless classic " Mad About You ". A classic of the genre, it's still going strong, even 25 years after its release.

Between songs, Geike Arnaert is more discreet and withdrawn, whileAlex Callier doesn't hesitate to take the floor (perhaps a little too long at times) to talk about the anniversaries of their various albums, the film " C'est arrivé près de chez vous ", his depression or even to joke about his name being close to the word " escalier ". The audience laughed out loud.

Exchanges with the audience, in this case a Spaniard and an American in the audience, are not uncommon either. In short, this is an accessible band who like to get in touch and chat with their fans. It's not for nothing that the members ofHooverphonic will meet their audience at the end of the show, to sign a few copies of their new album.

In order to satisfy their fans, Hooverphonic didn't hesitate to provide two encores, marked in particular by a new, very golden outfit for Geike, who shone through with a brilliant rendition of the hit " Sometimes ". And it's with " Fake Is the New Dope ", the opening track of the new opus, that Hooverphonic choose to end this beautiful set of around 1h30, between voluptuousness and thrills.