lundi 9 mai 2011

Ben Harper @ Fleche d'Or, Paris May 09 2011

Ben Harper @ Fleche d'Or
Paris May 09 2011
Nice to see Ben Harper coming back to Paris to promote his new album "Give Till It's Gone" in the 500 capacity club of La Fleche d'Or.
Of course it's packed, tickets sold-out in two minutes and as usual it's hot as hell in this club, the weather doesn't help as it has been wonderfull in Paris for the last two weeks, it fells like summer time.
We're glad that Ben is back with Relentless 7 even though the new album is out as Ben Harper, maybe the record Cie told him that he needed his name on the cover to sell more records.
Thank god his band Fistful of Mercy with Dhany Harrison & Joseph Arthur didn't last long as it was really... awful.
We like when it rocks and we LOVE R7
The show is broadcasted live on the radio RTL2 (audio) and on SFR (video) @ 9:00 pm
They are on time and Ben is getting on stage on his own for the first song , a long and very quiet instrumental song then R7 is joining him on stage to play new songs (see setlist for details)
Ben will alternate between his electric guitar and acoustic guitar like he used to a few years ago, songs are less heavy than with Relentless 7 's "White Lies...", it's more the Ben Harper we know.
He's still rocking but not as much, too bad as we like when it fuckin' rocks.
Fortunately it's not as mellow as all the records he did after "Diamonds..." because they were really crap.
A good compromise between the soft and heavy sides.
He was supposed to play only 9 songs ( see 1st setlist below) but they've changed the order after the soundcheck and extended it to 12 songs but... Ben Harper came back at the end of )the show to play 3 extra songs ending with a heavy one (From R7)
Very good gig.
Ist setlist & Final setlist (far right)

"I will not be broken"


Check our previous reviews of Ben Harper & R7:
with Pics , Video & setlist @ Arras Main Square with Pearl Jam on July 3rd 2010, @ Cigale on April 20 2009 , private show @ Studio SFR on April 25 2009 & Fnac store Signing session on April 27 2009).

and Fistful of Mercy @ Cigale on Dec 05 2010