micheal_aguilera
Jul 3rd, 2001, 10:59 AM
From http://www.mtv.com
Janet Jackson Tour To Launch (Almost)
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — It was on the eve of Janet Jackson's last U.S. tour, her Velvet Rope outing, that she told me that tour might very well be her last. But now, almost two-and-a-half years later, she's on the verge of launching yet another globe-spanning extravaganza, All for You, which gets underway Thursday night here in Vancouver. So, what changed her mind?
Janet told me Monday at rehearsals at Vancouver's GM Place that dancers Shawnette Heard and Gil Duldulao convinced her she had at least one more tour in her — and this one is the biggest one yet. Sixteen trucks and 110 people make up the All for You caravan. Many of those trucks are needed to transport a massive stage set designed by Mark Fisher, who, besides working on previous Janet tours, has also designed sets for U2 and the Rolling Stones, charter members of the "size matters" club. Only one problem here at T-minus three days and counting: part of that stage set has yet to arrive in Vancouver, and that will necessitate some last minute scrambling. Otherwise, spirits seem high among Janet and her 10 mostly new dancers (three were with her on the Velvet Rope tour), who've already been in Canada three weeks, rehearsing 10-12 hour days, with Shawnette Heard as chief choreographer, taking over for Janet's longtime dance captain, Tina Landon.
Another figure conspicuously absent from tour preparations is, of course, Janet's ex-husband Rene Elizondo, from whom Janet is still going through a litigious split. When I asked if his absence was felt in the days leading up to the launch, Janet replied, "Not really."
What can fans expect from the show that is unveiled Thursday night? Most details are being kept tightly under wraps, but look for a "brighter" show than the last tour, reflecting the more upbeat mood of the All for You album. A 26-song setlist — of which eight are songs from the new CD — includes "Would You Mind," without a doubt Janet's most explicitly erotic song ever. Seeing that one alone being performed live should be worth the price of admission.
—John Norris
Janet Jackson Tour To Launch (Almost)
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — It was on the eve of Janet Jackson's last U.S. tour, her Velvet Rope outing, that she told me that tour might very well be her last. But now, almost two-and-a-half years later, she's on the verge of launching yet another globe-spanning extravaganza, All for You, which gets underway Thursday night here in Vancouver. So, what changed her mind?
Janet told me Monday at rehearsals at Vancouver's GM Place that dancers Shawnette Heard and Gil Duldulao convinced her she had at least one more tour in her — and this one is the biggest one yet. Sixteen trucks and 110 people make up the All for You caravan. Many of those trucks are needed to transport a massive stage set designed by Mark Fisher, who, besides working on previous Janet tours, has also designed sets for U2 and the Rolling Stones, charter members of the "size matters" club. Only one problem here at T-minus three days and counting: part of that stage set has yet to arrive in Vancouver, and that will necessitate some last minute scrambling. Otherwise, spirits seem high among Janet and her 10 mostly new dancers (three were with her on the Velvet Rope tour), who've already been in Canada three weeks, rehearsing 10-12 hour days, with Shawnette Heard as chief choreographer, taking over for Janet's longtime dance captain, Tina Landon.
Another figure conspicuously absent from tour preparations is, of course, Janet's ex-husband Rene Elizondo, from whom Janet is still going through a litigious split. When I asked if his absence was felt in the days leading up to the launch, Janet replied, "Not really."
What can fans expect from the show that is unveiled Thursday night? Most details are being kept tightly under wraps, but look for a "brighter" show than the last tour, reflecting the more upbeat mood of the All for You album. A 26-song setlist — of which eight are songs from the new CD — includes "Would You Mind," without a doubt Janet's most explicitly erotic song ever. Seeing that one alone being performed live should be worth the price of admission.
—John Norris