Mark Knopfler @ Bercy, Paris June 26 2013

Mark Knopfler @ Bercy, Paris June 26 2013

Mark Knopfler is still very popular in France, Bercy has been sold-out for ages, as the audience is very old, it's an all seated event so Bercy is sold-out with almost 12000 instead of the usual 17000 when the pit is "standing".
Support band is a nice girl with a crystal clear voice: Ruth Moody, but the music is sooo boring, Folk at its worse.

After a 30 min intermission it's Mark Knopfler and its 7 musicians band to grace the stage. 

Lots of mid tempo songs, some with a very Irish feel and others sounding like the first album of JJ Cale.

I thought it would be a bit boring, in fact it's enjoyable.

He has the same soft spoken voice and the guitar playing is very subtle and intact after all these years: incredible.
The girl who opened the show,Ruth Moody is back to sing two songs with Mark.

Needless to tell you that it's not too loud and that the sound is PERFECT, probably one of the best I have ever heard @ Bercy.

Mainly songs from his solo albums and a couple of Dire Straits songs "Romeo & Juliet" (here on video) and a 10 min+ version of "Telegraph Road", both had the best ovation from the very quiet audience who finally stood up and rushed to the stage for the last 4 songs of the 2 hour set

 Setlist:(from AFMK)
  1. What It Is
  2. Corned Beef City
  3. Privateering
  4. Father And Son
  5. Hill Farmer's Blues
  6. I Dug Up A Diamond [with Ruth Moody]
  7. Seattle [with Ruth Moody]
  8. I Used To Could
  9. Romeo And Juliet
  10. Gator Blood
  11. Haul Away
  12. Postcards From Paraguay
  13. Marbletown
  14. Speedway At Nazareth
  15. Telegraph Road
  16. So Far Away
  17. Piper To The End

Very good indeed, much better than expected.

 Merchandising & Pass sheet

Archives:

Mark Knopfler + Bob Dylan @ Paris Bercy in 2011 (Pics + Setlist + Videos...)

ZZ TOP + Jesus Volt @ Zénith, Paris June 18 2013

ZZ TOP + Jesus Volt @ Zénith, Paris June 18 2013

ZZ TOP is back in Paris to promote new album "La Futura" after playing Bercy Arena  in 2010 and the Olympia theater in 2012, The Texans are now playing at the (medium size) Zénith (around 4000 capacity. Opening band French Blues rock band Jesus Volt did  decent set.
After a long intermission ZZ TOP is getting on stage @ 9:15, the stage is kept to a minimum, there is literally nothing apart from a screen in the back and two small ones on each side on the floor.
The light show is still as bright as ever which is perfect to take pictures.

Nice start (see setlist below for details )
The band is on auto-pilot, everything is perfect in fact this is the same show for the last two tours with a couple of new songs.

As usual they are playing a very short set: 80 min max including the Encore.

Good show but feels like seeing automatons with guitars.

SETLIST ( To be confirmed):
Got Me Under Pressure
Waitin' for the Bus
Jesus Just Left Chicago
Gimme All Your Lovin'
Pincushion
Cheap Sunglasses
I Gotsta Get Paid
Flyin' High
Precious and Grace
Heartache in Blue
Foxy Lady ( Jimi Hendrix )
Certified Blues
My Head's in Mississippi
Chartreuse
Sharp Dressed Man
Legs
Encore:
La Grange / Bar-B-Q
Tush

 Archives:
ZZTOP @ Olympia in 2012
ZZ TOP @ Paris Bercy with The Doobie Brothers (Part 1 & Part 2) in 2010

Iron Maiden @ Paris Bercy , June 05 2013

Iron Maiden @ Paris Bercy , June 05 2013

 setlist :
Moonchild
Can I Play with Madness
The Prisoner
2 Minutes to Midnight
Afraid to Shoot Strangers
The Trooper
The Number of the Beast
Phantom of the Opera
Run to the Hills
Wasted Years
Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
The Clairvoyant
Fear of the Dark
Iron Maiden
Encore:
Churchill's Speech/ Aces High
The Evil That Men Do
Running Free

Sixto " Sugarman" Rodriguez @ Zénith 1st show, Paris June 03 2013

Contact: Irockinparis@yahoo.fr

Rodriguez + Jill is Lucky @ Zénith 1st show, Paris June 03 2013

Thanks to OLIVER PEEL I've discovered cult musician Rodriguez just after he played his first ever ( and sold-out) show in Paris @ Nouveau Casino on June 01 2009. Of course Oliver, the lucky Bastard, was at the gig. Oliver offered me both his records for my birthday a few months later and I've been listening to them constantly since. Fantastic records !!! Many People are comparing him to the best records of Bob Dylan, I guess they're right, but I've never been a hard-core B. Dylan fan.
Needless to tell you my expectations were high  as I've been waiting for this moment for 4 years and needless to tell you that the movie "Sugarman",  its success and its quality I've raised my expectations  higher.
All shows are sold-out: 2 Zénith and 1 Cigale.
The audience:  from Posh young girls (many)  to old hippies ( a few). Going to Rodriguez is the Hip place to be/go , just heard a girl waiting in line telling her friend on the phone " I'm going to Rodriguez , Isn't that cool !! But I don't know any of his songs" Nice way to start !!!

Down the front before Jill is lucky starts playing I can see a bit more of the audience around me: a whole posh/ultra catho family, feels like being at the local church party/bazaar. What the Fuck ?!?

Anyway, Rodriguez is escorted onto the stage by 3 people , I guess that now that he is a rock-star he can afford it.
Unfortunately he seems to be a bit lost on this huge stage and a bit nervous, his voice is very weak and we can barely hear his acoustic guitar.
From all the Live videos I've seen on Youtube where he was really playing, now things have changed he's "acting" a Rock-star on stage.
To get things worse, Songs are under-rehearsed, the band is trying to follow him but it's far from being tight. In fact there was no rehearsals.and when Rodriguez is losing the rhythm because the band is not playing the right thing he's editing the song.
Of course like at all his gigs he's not only playing his own songs but he's doing a few covers "dead end street"... including a short " La vie en Rose" for Paris.
This is just above average.
I guess I'm the only one feeling (very) disappointed as all my neighbors seem to enjoy themselves.
75 min show
I have my ticket for tomorrow I hope his voice will be back after a good night sleep.

setlist shortly