Toulouse: the concert for the reopening of the Zénith spoiled … by huge traffic jams
Hans Zimmer’s film music concert, the first since confinement this Wednesday evening at the Zénith in Toulouse, has kept all its promises. But outside, the party was marred by heavy traffic jams and the removal of 1,300 parking spaces in the car parks.
The Zénith de Toulouse, which welcomed the public for the first time this Wednesday after one and a half of closure, has also found a taste for corks. Access to the auditorium, which hosted the music of the composer Hans Zimmer 6000 spectators, were completely saturated. Traffic was all the more difficult as the Zénith car parks were partly occupied by the attractions of the Saint-Michel funfair, which begins this weekend. Result: many spectators arrived late.
“I live 40 kilometers from Toulouse, so I left at 5.30pm for 8pm. I am used to always going by the same path. There are often people there, but this evening, it was the pinnacle. 40 minutes to cover around 500 meters while I am 1.5 kilometers from the Zénith, ”says Olivier, an exasperated spectator. “The entrance to the closed car park on one side and the Toulouse funfair which eliminates 1,300 parking spaces,” he continues. We resigned ourselves to park in the grass in an unauthorized place at 7:50 p.m., walking the remaining 500 meters. Arriving in front of the Zénith, several hundred people queuing to validate the health pass, go through the search and then check the tickets. Very few security company personnel completely overwhelmed, which delayed us even more. On the way to the sanitary pass, I ask the person who controls me if the time of the concert will be postponed, the latter answers me: yes at 9 p.m. We are relieved ”. Short-lived relief because the show got off to a good start at the scheduled time, 8 p.m. sharp.
“Where were the police to regulate traffic?
“There follows a ballet of usher who ask people if they have their phone with a lamp so they can identify the ticket seats and be able to accompany them in the dark. Many people being behind us waiting for the ballet to be received more than 30 minutes after the start of the concert: a big masquerade for the big re-entry of the Zenith in Toulouse ”were the police to regulate traffic? ”
“People were very happy to find the Zénith and it is true that the traffic and parking problems spoiled the party for some, often from far away, recognizes Gaëtan Brochard, director of the performance hall. phone calls from disgruntled people. What we feared happened and we even accumulated the difficulties because of the impossibility of using the old parking lot of the Cartoucherie and the presence of the Fête Saint-Michel. Push us to think about solutions to be implemented quickly, not only for the Zénith but also for the inhabitants of the district. A meeting is scheduled for October with the City and the Metropolis. It is necessary to act now to do better in the long term. Because in two years, with the opening of the Halle de la Cartoucherie, the problems are even more complex to resolve. “
An exceptional concert
Too bad, because the concert, the first since the confinement of March 2020, kept all its promises.
Directed by the British conductor Gavin Greenaway, a close collaborator of Zimmer, the Odessa Opera orchestra played the themes of fifteen films for nearly three hours. During the first part of the show, the cinephile public, who for the most part portray the mask, thus immersed themselves in unforgettable films thanks to the images shown on the giant screen, offering complete immersion in the action scenes of ” Mission Impossible 2 ”,“ The Da Vinci Code ”and“ Rush ”, or in the emotion of romantic scenes from Pearl Harbor.
Between each theme, Hans Zimmer appears on the giant screen, sometimes with certain directors such as Ron Howard (Da Vinci Code) and in a few words evokes an anecdote on the upcoming song, thus creating a collusion with the audience.
After an interlude of about twenty minutes, the second part begins on a more playful tone with the themes of the animated films “Madagascar” and “Kung-Fu Panda” during which the enthusiastic audience turns on the light of their mobile phone. ‘he waved, humming. After the romantic comedy “The Holidays”, Zimmer presents “The Lion King” by Walt Disney, in front of an audience moved when the composer confides to have a particular preference for this animated film, himself having lost his father at the age. 6 years old.
The show delights the audience when many themes from “Gladiator” are linked.
Hans Zimmer appears again on the giant screen, who starts playing “Inception” on the piano, and the orchestra accompanies him in what appears to be the final piece of the concert.
After a standing ovation, the conductor offers the audience “one more? “, And despite the desperate cry of a spectator begging” Interstellar! “, The last track played will be” Pirates of the Caribbean “.