Maxïmo Park @ Gaité Lyrique, Paris Oct 28 2012

Maxïmo Park + Animal Kingdom @ Gaité Lyrique, Paris Oct 28 2012

First we have Animal Kingdom at the tiny Gaité Lyrique, indie rock band from England. Not really our drug of choice.

The Gaité Lyrique is far from being full, I guess Maxïmo Park ain't the flavor of the month anymore, it's too bad as they've done a great kick ass rock set, starting very softly with the first part of the first song then exploding 'till the last riff of the last song. Great atmosphere specially the girls down the front who couldn't kept from grabbing his legs.

The singer is acting a bit like a maniac for the whole set (see video below).

Most of their short are very short, 3 min max and fast.

That's how we like it !

Entertaining !

The Rolling Stones @ Trabendo, Paris Oct 25 2012

UPDATED OCT 26 with more pics & videos

 Street Fighting Men ? Not Tonight !

setlist

The Rolling Stones @ Trabendo, Paris Oct 25 2012

Hard to believe that I'm at the tiny Trabendo club to see The Rolling Stones. We've already seen some famous band in this club, including The Strokes, Green day, Muse, Metallica.... but The FUCKIN' ROLLING STONES !!!

Dream Come True

We had to go through several security check points, for the tickets (twice) and search, you couldn't get in with your cell-phone or any camera...
I've never seen so many security guards, police in riot gear (?!?) and they've closed down the whole perimeter around the club. It looked like a military zone in Irak.

All that shit for 500 Rolling Stones fans most of them in their 50's? Bollocks !

Lots of familiar faces in the club, just 3 small backdrops in the back: including the cover of the new album above Charlie's drumkit.

9:15 pm , The band is getting on stage, we're just down the front facing Ron Wood.

They are all skin & Bones with gray faces and grief-written lines.Charlie's looking good and Keith Richards looks a zombie, Scary.

We're so close that we can see every line , every little muscle or vein on Jagger's face : Impressive, specially after seeing him/them only in Arenas or Stadiums.

Lightning is white and not that fantastic, sound is not too loud and perfect !

Route 66 is the first song played... in slow motion, I guess there's a bit of tension as it's their first official show since 2007.

Mick Jagger's is talking in french mostly, "I can't believe that we're still standing up" Yeah that's right specially regarding Keith Richards shadow, He looks scary and very frail; most of the time, there is no life in his eyes and from time to time there's a smile or a wink of an eye or a grin that shows us that there's still a bit of life in his body & brain. I've been told they had trouble finding an insurance Cie to sign them for a tour, I can understand why by looking at Keith.

The guitar playing is (still) perfect but kept to a minimum but isn't it his trademark ? Ronnie 's shining so is Mick.

He's playing the guitar on several songs "when the whip comes down", D&G" &"Miss ya".

You can see that several times they are relying on Chuck Leavell's direction to play a song.He's the Musical director and Mick Jagger , the conductor.

Ronnie's fooling around a bit and Daryl is faultless with some groovy bits, specially on "Miss You".

Fantastic version of "Midnight Rambler". "Doom & Gloom" is sounding very good on stage either.

Great 75 min gig, I would have never dreamed to see the Stones in such a tiny club and (almost) front row.

Now it's done, hallelujah !!!

More Pics from the show HERE

(c) Rolling Stones & Rocks Off

Rehearsals  (with Setlist)  of Oct 23 is HERE

Rehearsals  (with Setlist)  of Oct 22 is HERE

Rehearsals  (with Setlist)  of Oct 15 is HERE
Rehearsals (with setlist)  of Oct 16 is HERE
" I wanna be your man" audio from rehearsals is HERE

 Rehearsals  (with Setlist)  of Oct 11 & 12

The Rolling Stones' new track "Doom & Gloom" available & rehearsals in France

The Rolling Stones' new track "Doom & Gloom" is now available it will be part of another Best of... that is called "Grrr!" with a nice looking artwork (picture below), full tracklisting here.

 There is also a new film on The Rolling Stones: "Crossfire hurricane" (150 min) that will be out on dvd (I guess so) to be shown live in cinemas across the Europe (except France for the moment) on Thursday 18 October. Funny enough it's on the same day as Led Zeppelin's "Celebration day".
The band will attend the Premiere @ Leicester Square in London the same day.

Maybe they will announce some live shows as Keith Richards confirmed that they will play a couple of shows in London at the end of november ( 2 shows at the O2 on Nov 25 & 29 ?) a couple in NYC in december and maybe a few more including a club show in Paris at the end of the rehearsals, as it's no secret that the Rolling Stones have been rehearsing for the last two weeks in the south of Paris at a secret location.

In order to celebrate their 50th anniversary there is a collection of jewelry @ Agatha Paris.

Cody Chesnutt @ L'Album de la Semaine, Paris Oct 08 2012

setlist

Cody Chesnutt @ L'Album de la Semaine, Paris Oct 08 2012

see ya there tonight for this TV rexcording @ Canal+

Great 8 songs set from the new album including an unreleased one at the end, playing with an all English band, 8 musicians in all including 2 backing vocalists,  that is with him for only 3 days (That's what he told us) even if it's hard to believe as the band is very tight.
Lot's of great up-tempo soul songs in a Marvin Gaye style, funny how Cody looks, acts and sings like Marvin Gaye.
Great entertainer that is leaving the stage to come and sing closer to the audience, have the people sing several times the chorus in an extended version of a couple of his songs and as a preacher comes to shake hands and gives his blessing, well sort of...
After seeing so many black singers impersonating Mr James Brown (Charles Bradley for example) it is nice to see that Marvin Gaye is not forgotten.

Next Rock shows in Paris for Oct 2012

Oct 04

Bat For Lashes @ Fleche d'Or (sold out)

Kim Wilde @ Trianon

Oct 05

Roger Hodgson @ Olympia (sold out)

Oct 06

NUIT BLANCHE

Oct 07

Eddie Floyd @ Olympia

Oct 08

Cody Chestnut @ Album de la Semaine

Oct 09
Cold Specks @ Album de la Semaine

Mice Parade @ Oliver Peel session

Oct 10

The Vaccines @ Album de la Semaine

Ultravox @ Trabendo

Richard Hawley @ Cigale

Oct 11

Radiohead @ Bercy (sold out)

Oct 12

Radiohead @ Bercy (sold out)

Chris Isaak @ Grand Rex

Oct 15

Julia Stone @ Cigale

Oct 17

Keane @ Olympia (sold out)

Oct 18

Muse @ Bercy (sold out)

Metronomy @ ? (secret gig)

Oct 19

SUZANNE VEGA @ Casino d'Enghien

Oct 20

SUZANNE VEGA @ La Batterie de Guyancourt

Sera Cahoone @ Fargo Store, Paris Oct 03 2012

 Sera Cahoone @ Fargo Store, Paris Oct 03 2012

Another showcase @ Fargo Store this time with singer-songwritter Sera Cahoone from Seattle, she's onher own now playing some Country-Western with indie Rock.

She was also playing drums in Carissa’s Wierd and on the first album of Band Of Horses.

Paul McCartney @ Stella McCartney Spring-Summer 2013 collection, Paris, Palais Garnier Oct 01 2012

M.I.A.

M..I.A. & Charlotte Rampling

Paul McCartney &Wife + Kate Moss

 Paul McCartney & Friends @ Stella McCartney Spring-Summer 2013 collection, Paris, Palais Garnier Oct 01 2012

It's the end of the fashion week, here are a few pics from the Stella's guests including our Paul McCartney + Kate Moss, M.I.A., Charlotte Rampling, Salma Hayek, Twiggy, Vahina Giocante and few others...

Salma Hayek & Husband

James McCartney

an empty Opéra House

The Opera

The Kills' book signing @ Marck Jacobs' Bookmarc Paris, Sept 28 2012

 The Kills'  book signing @ Marck Jacobs' Bookmark Paris, Sept 28 201

The Kills  IS the Trendy rock band so when they are signing a book it is NOT at a Rock store but @ Marc Jacobs' book store Bookmarc in the very posh Place du Marché St Honoré in center Paris.
The shop is very small and there's a long queue of fans dressed up for the occasion. The atmosphere is very relax thanks to the staff and Alison, Jamie Hince and photographer Kenneth Cappello are nice to everyone signing and posing for pictures.
I've been told that if you're going to the store these next few days there are still signed books to buy, in limited quantities.

 Reminder:

The Kills opening for the mighty METALLICA @ Stade de France in May 2012

@ Olympia in Nov 2011, @ Bataclan in April 2011

@ Rock en Seine Festival in August 2011, @ Fnac Forum April 2011
@ Bataclan in 2008

Archive showcase & signing session @ Fnac Montparnasse, Paris , Sept 28 2012 1:00 pm

Archive showcase & signing session @ Fnac Montparnasse, Paris , Sept 28 2012 1:00 pm

setlist

50 min+ set (11 songs) with Prog rockers ARCHIVE for a free showcase @ Fnac Store in Montparnasse. It's lunch time and the place is packed with dedicated fans. Sometimes when you hear a band playing on acoustic the music or the songs can really sound different, not really the case with ARCHIVE, you can still feel their "epic" sound.The musicianship is perfect including the vocals, they do have a new girl who's voice is sounding amazing and she's very cute too.
We might not be great fan of this band but they've performed a very enjoyable set.
Unfortunately as the band had to go to do radio shows afterwards, so they say, they couldn't sign anything to fans. Strangely enough one of the guys was still hanging out there half an hour after the end of the show.

Bobby Womack @ L'Album de la Semaine, Paris, Sept 27 2012

SETLIST

Bobby Womack @ L'Album de la Semaine, Paris, Sept 27 2012

Legendary Bobby Womack is promoting his new album "Bravest man" in France by playing famous Canal+ Tv Show L'Album de la Semaine.

First on stage are the 5 musicians , while they are playing an instrumental that will give the tone of the whole set: a very soft song with a drum machine, some laid back piano and very little bass, percussion & keyboards, Bobby Womack is sitting down next to the audience watching his own band performing.

Then a minder is escorting him very carefully to his stool on the stage, Bobby is looking very frail and wearing big sunglasses as a blind man.

The first song he's singing is an old one from his youth "deep River" he's on acoustic guitar for this one.We're getting new songs tonight arranged by Damon Albarn who's clearly the MC for the set.

It's not Bobby's usual soul stuff.
Songs are very soft with a touch of Drum machine à la "drum & bass" some piano and of course Bobby's voice that is neat.

It looks like Damon's NOT satisfied with something so he's asking to play the songs once again to our delight and Bobby's singing them this time with more conviction.

We have mixed feelings as the new album is more "electro" than soul so it's not really what we were expecting.

Nevertheless we know that we attended something special as it's not everyday that you can see a show by such a legend in such intimate conditions.