Laura Pausini, René Binamé or Morisod? The song sparkles

Do you like rock songs, as well as transalpine pop, the disco ball variety and marzipan choruses? Our selection of Geneva concerts is for you, four events sparkling with uncontained joy to end the year on a high, with stars in your eyes and cheeks burning with emotion.

A brief aside to begin. We know the taste of North American stars for the traditional Christmas album, Frank Sinatra, Phil Spector, Elvis Presley… Closer to us, Taylor Swift didn’t cut it. Even Bob Dylan stuck to it, “Christmas in The Heart” in 2009. What had happened to him? No idea. Even more surprising (although I have my doubts), we will also listen to the Italian singer Laura Pausini in “Let it Snow”, “Jingle Bells” and “Santa Claus va llegó a la ciudad”, in which polyglots will recognize the Spanish-language version of “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town”, first performed by Harry Reaser in 1934 – 90 years worth celebrating.

Laura, Laura, Laura!

But then? Laura Pausini celebrates 30 years of career. Since “La Solitudine”, in 1993. I still shudder. Since this Best Newcomer Award in San Remo, around fifteen albums have been released from the studios, almost as many in Spanish. Laura Pausini50 years old in 2024, is now comfortably seated on the Roof of the World of Italian variety. So here it comes back to us, Monday December 9 at the Geneva Arena. It would be great if one or another Christmas chorus was part of the concert set list…

Need Therapy?

Thirty years of career. It’s funny when you think about it: in 1994, a year after “La Solitudine”, a major record of the independent rock scene of the time was released. Signed by Therapy?, a Northern Irish group, the album Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town appealed to a more agitated section of youth. We particularly appreciated the cover, a naked man plunging his head into a trash can. We were getting really excited about the song “Knives” and its aggressive guitar riff. Since then, every three years or so, Therapy? delivers a new opus, still in a robust style, which does not reinvent anything but is always a pleasure to hear. A bit like Laura Pausini, in short. Therapy? performs on Sunday December 8 at the Usine, under the banner of the association PTR.

Punks under the tree

Monday with Laura, Sunday with Therapy?. We’re going backwards again. SATURDAY? At the Factory, at The Ground Floorit’s René Binamé, Ludwig von 88 and Kochise, three key groups of the French-speaking scene of the 80s. Funny ones, and good ones. We particularly remember René Binamé, from Belgium, who, among other witty finesse, also knows how to sing about the turkey and the tree: to listen to, “It’s Christmas”, an anthem of astonishing simplicity, that the Belgian group had the good taste to publish on a charming compilation disc. When was that? In the 90s, of course, another birthday to celebrate!

Alain Morisod for ever

Let’s dare to do the splits. Let’s go see Morisod. At the Théâtre du Léman on Thursday December 12, the night is his, with his Sweet People. At 75 years old, the Genevan magazine leader has treated some delicate back problems, and is delighted to impress us. That’s to say? White piano, glitter and snowy decorations are required, for three hours of sugary melodies. For the traditional Christmas tour, we wait for “On my boat” or “I’m sick of you” and then “Neige” too. Alain Morisod who, moreover (it was in 2023), remolded the anthem of Servette FCwith the hard rock cover band Ça Va Chier, another Geneva institution. A half-century career for Morisod, who beats them all.

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