However, she always sang in play-back[3] when she was invited on television (she only performed live - with difficulty - "Tristana" on La Nouvelle Affiche, on April 1, 1987).

Thus, to prove her talent to her critics, Farmer scheduled a series of concerts for May 1989 in Saint-Étienne and at the Palais des Sports (Paris)[4] for a total of nine shows.

[7] She chose the Palais des Sports, because she explained that she "hated the intimate places" that "prevented her from finding pleasure"[8] and that she needed big spaces.

[14] Before going on stage, Farmer had an intensive athletic training including running (5 km per day[15]), physical and breathing exercises, and was on a diet (she had even stopped smoking).

[19] Thierry Rogen, who has been involved in the elaboration of the show, said in an interview that this concert was "one of [the] most beautiful professional experiences, but at the same time one of [the] worst".

According to him, preparations for the concert were very difficult, because Farmer and Boutonnat had a high level of professionalism and they wanted to produce a great spectacle.

Boutonnat and Farmer wanted to create "a little gothic atmosphere, mixing mysterious, deep and old things", connected to the psychoanalysis.

[27] Highly critical, Le Parisien held that "this show mixes all the clichés from across the Atlantic, spiced with a local pseudo-culture that confuses 'spectacular' and 'ocular spectrum'".

[29] Very critical, an article published in L'Humanité considered the concert as "impeccable", but the lack of spontaneity in the show leads the author to conclude that "Farmer takes the mickey out of her public".

[32] La Nouvelle République du Centre described the concert in Poitiers as being "satanic, grand, perverse, (...) sulphurous, fascinating, on the verge of the uneasiness".

For example, an article underlined "the profusion of special effects, a grandiloquent stage setting", but also "a high-powered and often rough sound system", concluding : "Everything for the eye, nothing for the ears".

[37] La Dépêche du Midi asserted that, "in spite of a so little acoustic and too synthetic music", Farmer "pulled through with the honors".

[38] La Libre Belgique considered that the "intrusive" sound system which "prevents from understanding texts", is perhaps "the main criticism" against this show, adding that Farmer "has a voice, some charm and the talent", but that the concert "misses improvisation and dialogue".

[39] In the same way, Le Provençal said :"The sound saturated by instruments leaves only a tiny space to the small vocal cords" of Farmer.

[41] As for Le Courrier picard, it described as "errors of course" the "blaring sound system" and the "blinding lights" and predicted that Farmer would not perform other tours after that one.

The article stated : "Mylène Farmer on stage, it is a real videoclip in three dimensions, the fury and emotion at the power ten (...), a festival of strong images".

[52] Sud Ouest stated that the show is "well conceived", "every song is highlighted by an original stage setting and choreography", with "beautiful costumes and perfect lighting effects".

[60] 40,000 people attended her single concert in Brussels,[22] 4,000 in Grenoble,[61] 5,000 in Fréjus,[62] 14,000 in Lyon,[63] 7,500 in Lausanne,[51] 2,500 in Rennes,[64] 6,000 in Lievin,[65] 6,000 in Nantes,[66] 3,500 in Mulhouse, 2,500 in Strasbourg.

[71] "À quoi je sers..." was not performed at Palais des Sports (Paris), in May (the song was not created at the time).