134 shows in a year, that's too many!

[Lou555]

Here is the link of an exclusive interview René gave to Journal de Québec : http://www.canoe.com/divertissement/musiqu...280556-jdq.html

 

ENTREVUE INÉDITE

 

134 shows en un an, c'est trop! - René Angélil

Pierre O. Nadeau

Le Journal de Québec

07-02-2009 | 11h30

Dans le contexte de la tournée mondiale Taking Chances, Céline Dion sera de retour au Québec, la semaine prochaine. Les 9 et 10 février, elle se pointera enfin à Québec et offrira ensuite trois supplémentaires à Montréal, les 12, 14 et 15. Précédée par la chanteuse-imitatrice Véronic DiCaire, Céline offrira un spectacle différent, puisqu'il comportera plusieurs de ses succès en français. Comme la tournée se terminera le 26 février, à Omaha, aux États-Unis, l'heure est au bilan. Dans un long tête-à-tête exclusif, René Angélil nous a raconté les hauts et les bas de cette tournée.

 

«Si c'était à refaire, c'est sûr qu'on ne répéterait pas les mêmes erreurs, à commencer par le rythme trop essoufflant de la tournée: 134 shows en un an, c’est beaucoup trop», dit René Angélil en traçant le bilan d’une tournée qui a connu ses hauts et ses bas.

 

«La tournée était trop surchargée. On aurait dû faire comme Madonna et les autres grands de ce monde, comme U2 et les Stones, qui font alterner deux mois de tournée et deux mois de répit.»

 

 

Au cours d’une entrevue exclusive avec Le Journal, lors d’une récente étape à Miami, l’influent imprésario se livre à coeur ouvert sur cette mémorable tournée, qui ne faisait pas partie des plans lorsque le couple a quitté les néons de Las Vegas.

 

 

LA VRAIE HISTOIRE

 

«Je vais vous raconter la vraie histoire de cette tournée: il avait été prévu que lorsque nous quitterions Las Vegas, nous nous retirerions de la vie publique pour un bon moment. Mais voilà, il nous était alors impossible d’aller habiter notre nouvelle maison de Jupiter Island, en Floride, parce que sa construction n’était pas terminée. C’est Céline qui en dessine les plans et comme le projet a pris de l’expansion, l’entrepreneur nous a dit qu’il ne pourrait livrer la maison avant trois ans, parce que dans ce secteur très particulier (comprendre élitiste avec ses maisons cossues qui font face à l’eau), il est permis de construire seulement quatre mois par année, de décembre à avril, histoire de ne pas déranger les voisins...»

 

René Angélil ajoute: «Pour des raisons de santé, Céline et moi, on ne peut plus supporter les rigueurs du froid, elle pour sa voix, moi pour ma gorge. Il n’était donc pas question à l’époque de passer un hiver à notre maison de Montréal. J’ai alors proposé à Céline de faire six mois de plus au Caesar’s Palace, car ils voulaient bien sûr nous garder. On aurait pu y rester dix ans. Mais Céline ne voulait rien savoir de retourner se produire sur l’horrible scène penchée qui l’a tant fait souffrir...»

 

«Elle m’a dit: “Tant qu’à ça, partons en tournée“. Je n’en revenais pas. Je lui ai dit: “T’as tellement travaillé depuis cinq ans, t’aurais pas envie de te reposer?“ Elle a répliqué: “Non, partons! Profitons du momentum. Allons faire le tour du monde. Il y aura tant de choses à faire découvrir à René-Charles. Et puis, emmenons maman“.»

 

 

LÀ OÙ IL FAIT CHAUD

 

Histoire de s’assurer de ne pas faire face sur la route aux rigueurs de l’hiver, René Angélil a lui-même tracé l’horaire de la tournée «en m’assurant qu’il ferait chaud partout où l’on irait… sauf, bien sûr, au Québec».

 

Le gérant avait prévu que la tournée se terminerait à Québec ou à Montréal un an, jour pour jour, après son lancement, le 14 février 2008, en Afrique du Sud.

 

 

PROBLÈMES DE SANTÉ

 

Mais cette tournée se prolongera jusqu'à 26 février, à la suite des déplacements de spectacles provoqués par des problèmes de santé qu’a connus Céline (virus, infection aux sinus, inflammation des cordes vocales), lorsque la tournée s'est amenée sous le ciel plus rigoureux de l'Ouest canadien.

 

À mots à peine couverts, René ne cache pas que Céline et lui ont hâte que la tournée se termine pour enfin retrouver leur intimité dans leur nouvelle maison floridienne qui sera prête à Noël.

 

D'ici là, Céline et René s'accorderont quelques semaines de vacances pour ensuite retrouver leur demeure de Montréal, où ils passeront l'été.

 

«La tournée a été difficile par moments, mais elle nous a quand même procuré de beaux moments de bonheur au gré de nos rencontres et de nos déplacements dans des pays où nous n’étions jamais allés, comme la Chine et l'Afrique.»

 

Trois jours après la fin de la tournée, Céline fera une apparition, le 1er mars, à Star Académie, puis s’éclipsera pour «au moins un an et demi», assure son mari et gérant.

 

Exclusive interview - Journal de Québec - February 7th - Pierre O. Nadeau - English translation

 

134 shows in one year, that's too many! - René Angélil

 

Céline will be back in Québec with her Taking Chances tour next week. February 9th and 10th she will offer shows in Québec city and three other shows in Montréal which will be different because they will include many French hits of hers. As this tour will be ending soon in Omaha in the States, it is time now to look back and reflect on it. In a long exclusive one on one with René Angélil he has told us about the ups and downs of the tour.

 

If it was to be done again, we wouldn't make the same mistakes for sure, beginning by a less faster pace for the tour : 134 shows in a year, it's too many says René Angélil assessing the ups and downs of the tour.

 

"The tour was overload. We should have done it like Madonna or other world greats as U2 or the Stones that alternate two months of touring with two months of break".

 

During this exclusive interview with the Journal in a recent stay in Miami the influential manager talks openly about this memorable tour that wasn't part of the couple plans after Vegas.

 

THE TRUE STORY

 

« I will tell you the true story about this tour : it was planned that when we left Vegas we would leave public life for a long while. But then, it was impossible for us to move in our Jupiter Island house in Florida because its construction wasn't over yet. Céline is designing the whole thing and as the project has taken expansion the entrepreneur told us that he couldn't deliver it and that it would take about three years to finish. Because it's a particular area"(understand here huge mansion facing water)"they allow construction to go on only four months per year, from December to April, in order not to disturb the neighbors..."

 

René Angélil adds : "For health reasons, Céline and I, we can not support the very cold weather, Céline for her voice and me because of my throat. So because of it, it was out of the question at the time to spend winter at our home in Montréal. I than proposed to Céline to do six more months in Caesar's Palace because they wanted us to stay, that's for sure. We could have stayed there for ten years. But Céline didn't want to return performing on this horrible steep stage that made her suffer so much..."

 

She said to me : "As things stand, let's go on tour than!" I couldn't believe it. I told her : "You have worked so much for five years wouldn't you prefer resting? She replied : "No, let's go and leave! Let's enjoy this momentum. Let's go tour the world. There will be so many things to make René-Charles discover. Plus, let's bring Maman".

 

WHERE THERE IS HOT WEATHER

 

In order not to encounter cold winter on tour, René Angélil has himself design a tour schedule, "making myself sure that there would be hot weather everywhere we would go except, of course, for Québec."

 

The manager had planned the end of the tour in Québec or Montréal one year exactly from the beginning of this tour February 14th 2008 in South Africa.

 

HEALTH PROBLEMS

 

But this tour will go on until February 26th because of postponed shows due to Céline's health problems (virus, sinus infection, vocal cords inflammation) when the tour arrived on more harsh weather in Western Canada.

 

We found it obvious and René doesn't hide it that he and Céline are anxious to end this tour to finally return to the intimacy of their Florida home that will be ready for Christmas.

 

Until then, Céline and René will give themselves some weeks of vacation and go back to their Montréal home where they will spend summertime.

 

"The touring has been difficult at times but it brought us pleasures and happiness meeting great people and staying in places we had never been like China and Africa."

 

Three days after the end of the tour, Céline will appear on March 1st on Star Académie before going away for at least “a year and a half” insist her husband and manager.

 

END

Edited February 7, 2009 at 04:22 AM by Lou555

[celinesounds]

Here is the link of an exclusive interview René gave to Journal de Québec : http://www.canoe.com/divertissement/musiqu...280556-jdq.html

 

 

"The tour was overload. We should have done it like Madonna or other world greats as U2 or the Stones that alternate two months of touring with two months of break"

 

 

 

[Bellamy]

They finally realized that. Keep adding more dates is not the best idea.

[Chellbie]

Thanks so much for posting that! its great to finally get an inside source of it all! I hate that it has been so difficult for them =( But atleast we now know how the whole tour came about! essh! =) Thanks Lou!!!

[TEREFUNKEN]

GREETINGS FROM MEXICO!

 

Thank you so very much LOU!...I have already copy the whole text to SPANISH section...

 

TERE

[celinefanonline]

u know im surprise that actually is Celine who wants to tour the world! but it's great though

and for the TC tour she could have go to more places / countries and probably a 2 years tour instead of just 1

anyway i hope she'll get another child, and i don't mind about vegas

[ashleylovesceline]

If it was to be done again, we wouldn't make the same mistakes for sure, beginning by a less faster pace for the tour : 134 shows in a year, it's too many says René Angélil assessing the ups and downs of the tour.

Gee, ya think?! Not to be disrespectful, but I think we all thought that from the very beginning...

 

Thanks for translating… it was very interesting to know how the tour came about - and that it was indeed Céline’s idea to tour again & because their house wouldn’t be finished. I always wondered, why now?

 

Did anyone else want to cry when they read “at least a year and a half”… I’m going to miss her. We've been so spoiled the past few years. But they both deserve a break, and at least she’s coming back eventually!

[browseceline]

so she does not want to go to Vegas anymore! she didn''t like the steep stage! I also hope there will be a dvd recording of this last concert - full of French Songs!!! and if not, hope someone will record the audio!

[Timster]

so she does not want to go to Vegas anymore! she didn''t like the steep stage! I also hope there will be a dvd recording of this last concert - full of French Songs!!! and if not, hope someone will record the audio!

 

I hope so too! If the last few french concerts are actually gonna be full of French songs then this would be great for the DVD!

[CSCfan]

Finally a great, open, interview with René... He should do this more often..

[nature boy]

I'm sure they ave learned that such a tight tour isn't practical...but....Sorry to sound mean, the only people who booked those 134 shows was Rene' and Celine, they didn't have to do them. If it was just a case of warmer weather they could have stayed or returned to Vegas and done nothing. Money would have been the reason all these shows took place.

 

As for the Montreal concerts were'nt we told the shows in Paris would have been very different? They weren't.

 

Interesting read though thanks for posting.

Edited February 7, 2009 at 11:02 AM by nature boy

[Terre]

Thank you for the translation!

[Shall]

I wonder, why Rene or Celine didn't tell the real reason of the tour idea from the begining?

[René 2]

Here we are, end of the tour, last appearance on Star Ac and 1year and a half break first in Montreal and then in Florida. If she wants, they can come to their new house in Paris, this summer

[CSCfan]

Only 10 more shows to go....

[Jacqui]

That makes sense. I never thought Rene forced Celine to do things she didn't want to do, but I am slightly surprised that she was the one who suggested it. As for why they never told us before...maybe it just didn't seem like a relevant thing to mention to the whole world, "oh we're touring because our house isn't ready"..."I want to see the world with my Son" is also true, and it sounds cuter? Lol.

[Javito]

Ah, and now they realize

 

Then they add above 60 dates for USA/Canada but ANY for my country, Spain . I'm sorry but I don't understand René

[P@ulin@]

I wonder, why Rene or Celine didn't tell the real reason of the tour idea from the begining?

 

Because that would be a little bit weird if Celine in every single interview would say "we decided to go on tour 'cause our mansion in Florida is not finished yet"

[Prince Whiskers]

If it was just a case of warmer weather they could have stayed or returned to Vegas and done nothing.

 

Not to mention that the concerts in the US were scheduled for fall and winter.

[Filine]

Oh Céline!!

She should take better care of herself and René should take better care of HER!!

We all tought it would be too much, I am glad they finally realize it!

[Shaun]

Pretty interesting interview with Rene there. Thank you for translating it.

 

What I dont understand though is why they didn't just go and spend a year in the Caribbean? LOL Of course Celine has the performing bug and i'm so glad she does, to see her on tour last year was a genuine surprise as we all thought she would be going onto another hiatus. But yes, 134 show is obvioulsy too much. That shouldn't become apparent at this stage of the tour though should it? They should've know it when they were planning it. It's not as if they haven't toured before, they know the stresses it puts on everyone.

 

But anyway, it's almost over and from that interview it sounds like they are both glad of that. Hope they enjoy their time off.

[Cambroneroj]

How cool, i wish i could just say mmm let's go on tour and make 300million dollars, not that we need to but lets go , there's not much else to do. It would be fun. lol

 

BTW what happens to the forum when Celine goes on a long break like she did in 99? i was not a part of it back then.

Edited February 7, 2009 at 03:39 PM by Cambroneroj

[CelineRules!]

So let me get this straight: in order to protect Celine's voice from the cold winter in Montreal, they go on a world-wide tour that has scheduled 134 shows in one year? Am I the only one who doesn't see the logic in this?

 

 

 

Ah well... at least we know now why they did the tour so shortly after Vegas.. I wish I could do the same... "Hmm, my house isn't ready yet.. what shall I do? Oh I know, let's travel the world!"

[Chellbie]

GOOD question.. will it be a ghost town or will we all feed off little things like "new pictures of the family out and about in Jupiter FL" lol

[Bellamy]

so she does not want to go to Vegas anymore! she didn''t like the steep stage! I also hope there will be a dvd recording of this last concert - full of French Songs!!! and if not, hope someone will record the audio!

They had fixed the steep stage for Bette Milder.

 

How cool, i wish i could just say mmm let's go on tour and make 300million dollars, not that we need to but lets go , there's not much else to do. It would be fun. lol

 

BTW what happens to the forum when Celine goes on a long break like she did in 99? i was not a part of it back then.

How cool to say that.

 

Our forum was founded in 2004. There were other ones before.

[xo1hrt4celineox]

great interview, thanks for translating!

 

Uggh, a year and a half I hope Celine gets some good rest, she really deserves it. Maybe they'll set a more practical pace for shows/cds and such in the future now!

[takeachance]

How cool, i wish i could just say mmm let's go on tour and make 300million dollars, not that we need to but lets go , there's not much else to do. It would be fun. lol

 

BTW what happens to the forum when Celine goes on a long break like she did in 99? i was not a part of it back then.

 

Good question. Itll be al little quiter thats 4 sure

Hopefully she'll have a baby and everyone will be discussing that and maybe people will be talking about the new plans for Las Vegas and we will all be busy saving and working hard for the money to go see the show!!

 

PS: Thanks for that interview and the translation!

Edited February 7, 2009 at 05:10 PM by takeachance

[celineyouaremygirl]

i can't say i wont be sad she's gone for a year and a half but !!! for her sake im glad she's taking a break ! it just means she will be in peak form and ready to return to us , with new exciting stuff !

[JP]

That's interesting to know the idea of the tour really came from Celine and not from René! Celine is not a victim, some people should realize that!

Also, that's kinda weird he just realize that there was too much shows, we knew from the beginning! They should do ore shows in major city and not in smaller city (like Nassau, they could came to MSG), or Windsor in Ontario (they can go in Toronto or Ottawa)

[Thomas]

In the past Celine when talked about returning to touring she said they wanted to do it slower and actually get to stay somewhere for a while and really see the place rather than just one day here and one day there. And on the whole they did this, especially in Europe where they based themselves for weeks at a time. But since the show got to the US, the schedule is much tougher due to the size of the place and the amount of shows they need to do so I guess now it's starting to take it's toll. I think if they had done the US leg the same way they did the European leg then they would have had a much more leisurely time, though at least they had Vegas to return to for some of the time which probably made it easier. I thought they would do it even slower actually, kinda like Rene mentioned about Madonna where she tours for a while then rests. I don't think 134 shows is necessarily too many if you take it easy and actually have some kind of life along the way.