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

Joe Cocker @ Zénith, Paris May 15 2013

Joe Cocker @ Zénith, Paris May 15 2013

WOW ! Jesus ! Finally there is a gig in Paris ! Our second for this month. 2013 has been the quietest year Concert-wise for years. June will be better.
Tonight it's Mr Joe Cocker not anymore with his Englishmen but with some very sexy female singers and a hot bass player, same band as for his last show in Paris 3 years ago.
The Zénith is quite full though far from being sold-out, once again it's an all seated event as most of the audience is in their 50's.
First song is a new one which is not the best choice to start the gig than we have some of the classics ( see setlist below). Joe Cocker has a sore throat tonight so the vocals are not at their best for the first few songs, he will apologize a couple of times for his voice. The lightning is great and the sound crystal clear and not too loud: it's perfect for the Senior in the audience.

The audience is politely clapping between songs, feel like being in a retirement home, even on stage it's "polite" with mid-tempo songs, we even have a semi-acoustic sections to put us all to sleep.
Fortunately people are standing up for the last part.

Overall good 1h40  min+ show, perfect for grannies.

Archives:
Joe Cocker @ Zénith on Oct 10 2010

Garbage @ Zénith, Paris Nov 22 2012

 Garbage @ Zénith, Paris Nov 22 2012

see ya there tonight

Gargabe is back in Paris just a few months after playing a sold-out show at the Olympia theatre (on May 16), tonight is a different story, it's a small zénith (3000 capacity) and it's far from being full.
We have two support bands: first is SUCCESS, we didn't see them as we were still outside, then Pony Hoax that was ok. After a long intermission GARBAGE is finally playing on the very simple stage, a huge backdrop , two keyboards on each side.
Last time we saw Garbage was @ L'Album de la semaine for Canal+ on May 15 promoting the latest album and the day after for a signing session @ Fnac store. Can't say that the new songs sound very good as there are too many electro-effects on them, it's ruining everything, the reviews have been very bad for the new album.
Of course the band is playing all the hits but there's something missing, I don't know maybe I'm not interested anymore in that kind of music. All my friends are telling me that they've done a great show but I'm not convinced at all.
The thing that I'm wondering: how do they get such a big sound with just two guitars ?
Good show just above average

SETLIST:

1. Control
2. I Think I'm Paranoid
3. Shut Your Mouth
4. Why Do You Love Me
5. Hammering in My Head
6. Queer
7. Stupid Girl
8. Automatic Systematic Habit
9. #1 Crush
10. The One
11. Special
12. Blood for Poppies
13. Cherry lips
14. Battle in me
15. Cup of coffee
16. Push it
17. Vow
18. You look so fine------------
19. When i grow up
20. The world is not enough
21. Only happy when it rains-------------
22. "Duke song"

Motorhead + Anthrax @ Zénith, Paris Nov 21 2012

Kick ass show by ANTHRAX: Sound was perfect, great setlist, the audience welcomed them with open arms: Perfect gig.
They stole the show tonight !!!

Motorhead + Anthrax @ Zénith, Paris Nov 21 2012
Death Rider
 

sorry for the lousy Pictures

Good show by MOTORHEAD
A bit short: 80 min
as usual lightning is complete crap, a nightmare if you have to take pics, sound is a bit messy and too loud.

in fact after such a fantastic set by Anthrax , it was a bit of a let down.

"Killed by Death" click on lick if not the right video below:


SETLIST:

1. I Know How To Die
2. Damage Case
3. Stay Clean
4. Metropolis
5. Over the Top
6. Doctor Rock
7. Guitar Solo
8. The Chase Is Better Than the Catch
9. Rock It
10. You Better Run
11. The One to Sing the Blues (including Drum solo)
12. Going to Brazil
13. killed by death
14. Ace of spades----
15. Are you ready (thin lizzy)
16. Overkill

SLASH @ Zénith, Paris Oct 20 2012

 SLASH  @ Zénith, Paris Oct 20 2012

Jesus ! Slash has never been so popular in France, the 6500 seats capacity Zénith is long sold-out and scalpers are selling tickets outside for almost twice the face value. Hard to believe, there was a time ( for the Snakepit records, 1995-2000) when he was only playing the 1500 capacity Elysée Montmartre. Slash has been in France very often these last two years:
 @ Stade de France with AC/DC on June 18 2010

@ Hellfest in Clisson June 19 2010
@ Bataclan June 20 2010 with Alice Cooper as a guest
@ Zénith on July 12 2011.

We didn't catch the support band Ginger from the Wildhearts but had some nice seats in front of the mixing desk dead center. Lightning was ok but the sound was perfect, not too loud and very clear.

We never really took the time to listen to the new album and were not great fans of the first so even though the band is giving it all on stage, can't tell you that the new songs sound fantastic Live.

Myles Kennedy is doing a great job, he has his own little platform on the front of the stage, not too sure about the way he's singing Guns N Roses songs, trying to impersonate Axl's vocals, no one can.

Slash on guitar is faultless maybe I would have prefer a shorter version of "Rocket Queen" (10 min), as the blues jam in the middle was a bit too long.

We had a ballad "Far & Away" (here on video) played for the first time ever Live. so Thanks for choosing Paris for this première.

Lots of young people down the front that are going crazy everytime a Guns song is played.

Glad to hear that SLASH is still playing songs from the Snakepit and Velvet Revolver.

The bass player is singing "Out to get me" and he's rocking.

Great show but we have to say that Axl's version of Guns N Roses sound a million time better on stage.

Cool that we could meet Slash briefly after the show.

setlist

SETLIST with links to videos (Courtesy of our friends @ SLASHFRANCE)

Halo
Nightrain
Ghost
Standing In The Sun
Back from Cali
Been There Lately
Mr Brownstone
Rocket Queen
Bad Rain
Far and Away
We're All Gonna Die
Out Ta Get Me
No More Heroes
Starlight
Blues Jam / Anastasia
You're A Lie
Sweet Child O' Mine
Slither

Fall To Pieces
Paradise City