2023-04-28 07:12:49
18 years following the last guest performance in Vienna, Avril Lavigne returned to the city on Thursday as part of the “Love Sux” tour. Not in the Gasometer like in 2005, but even in the Stadthalle in front of 13,000 fans. Little has changed since then, apart from new songs: the concert was short and sometimes slow-paced, but that didn’t spoil the mood. At least hits like “Sk8ter Boi” and a cover of “Wannabe” by the Spice Girls did justice to the pop party.
Actually, four years ago, the Canadian was supposed to present her album “Head Above Water”, which was regarding her time during a serious illness, live in Vienna. Due to the pandemic, however, this appearance was postponed until another studio work was finally released. So now the motto was, according to the album title, “Love Sux”. And because Lavigne stylistically reminds of the start of her career with her current songs, the speakers on stage hummed and glowed in style with Joan Jett’s “Bad Reputation” as the intro to the show.
A bright light – then the 38-year-old stood there as if enchanted, frenetically cheered, as she did at 18 with a hooded jacket, bulky boots and fishnet stockings. The opener “Bite Me” sounded worthy of the outfit, as did the following “What The Hell” quite youthfully powerful, so “Here’s To Never Groing Up”, the third song, seemed to be a suitable title. The evergreen “Complicated” was enjoyable despite the somewhat tinny sound, and the audience (repeatedly that evening) proved to have solid singing.
But instead of immediately pushing the next hit, Lavigne disappeared from the stage for a few minutes while the band rattled off a bland instrumental piece and the dynamics fizzled out. This was to be repeated later with the interlude “Hello Kitty”. When a pop star proudly announces “songs from all seven albums”, one has to ask oneself why the performance doesn’t even last 90 minutes and why two of the 17 tracks on the set list do without vocals. Or why, following a 20-year career, not all 14 of their own songs have the quality of the power ballad “My Happy Ending”.
Lavigne was quite approachable, went into the photo pit for selfies, sat down on the drums for “Love Sux” and brought fans on stage to intonate a moody “Wannabe” with her friend Phem, who was allowed to do the opening act. Balloons, streamers and confetti flew in the course of the playback-supported program, which vacillated between anemic and emotion (“I’m With You” as the last encore). You can have fun with Lavigne if you’re willing to indulge in 2000s pop nostalgia and lower expectations of substance. Conclusion: it was short and entertaining, no less and certainly no more.
(S E R V I C E – avrillavigne.com)
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