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...)

Nile Rodgers @ Fnac St Lazare, Paris June 25 2013

Nile Rodgers @ Fnac St Lazare, Paris June 25 2013, 12:30 to 2:00PM

 "Sugarhill Gang" guys coming into Nile's studio threatening him with guns (far right)

Very interesting Master Class with Nile Rodgers from CHIC fame and guitar player or producer of many great records (for Madonna, Bowie, Jagger, Earth Wind & Fire.. and recently the n°1 album of French duet Daft Punk).
The audience asked questions and Nile answered with always a smile and some funny stories while journalist Olivier Cachin was doing the translation
- Working with Daft Punk: album recorded a year ago, he was supposed to play on only one song, then they asked for another one and another one...
-Working on the next album from Etienne Daho.
-Working on David Bowie's "Let's Dance" album: It took them 2 weeks to record and master it.
-Working with low budgets: White musicians always had big budgets for their records whereas Black musicians always had low budget so they had to make things quicker.
-Sugarhill Gang and copyright infringement : interesting story on how he listened to the song for the first time in a club and was NOT pleased when he heard his parts on the song and that after tracking who it was they discovered that they were not credited and not getting any money.So they sued them and latter had 4 guys with guns threatening them in the studio. Everything was settled and contracts were negotiated and SugarHill Gang went to see them with a case full of cash...

As it was a Master Class he played some guitars and told us how he was playing on CHIC records with the different guitar parts... very interesting

Then there was a signing session

 Nile signing my "Let's dance"

The Smashing Pumkins @ Zénith, Paris June 24 2013

The Smashing Pumkins @ Zénith, Paris June 24 2013

 

 setlist

 Merchandising

"Led Zppelin's "Immigrant Song"

Def Leppard @ Hellfest in Clisson, June 21 2013

Def Leppard @ Hellfest in Clisson, June 21 2013

The band has been rehearsing near Paris for the last two weeks, probably the same rehearsals space as The Rolling Stones in Bondy.
it's a Classic Rock day with Saxon, Twisted Sister, Europe & Whitesnake, all playing on the very same stage.
DEF LEPPARD is headlining the day. It's been 17 years since they've played in France. We saw them in London in 1999-2000.
Nice stage with a big screen in the back and stairways on both sides. As it's now dark the lightshow looks fantastic and also do have a great sound.
Weird choice for the first song: "Good morning freedom" luckily we have "Waysted" just next.
Vivian has shaved his head, he's been treated for his cancer, hope he's doing ok.

Joe Elliott put some scarves around his mike-stand like Steven Tyler and also has a fancy hat.
the playing is neat but I'm a bit suspicious about some of the Backing vocals and even on some parts of Joe's lead vocals.
Not the best setlist to start the show with (" Good Morning Freedom", "Let's get rocked", "Action") but we had a fantastic version of "Switch 625".
After this mini set the band is leaving the stage.
Why is the intro so long ? as we had to endure a more than 5 min long footage and interview on the video screen before they played the first song of the album.

"Hysteria "is not their heaviest album but the songs are fantastic so hearing the album from start to finish is a real treat, Can they do this with "High& Dry" ?

 setlist:
Good Morning Freedom
Wasted
Let's Get Rocked
Foolin'
Action (Sweet )
Bringin' on the Heartbreak
Switch 625
----------Hysteria-----------------
Woman
Rocket
Animal
Love Bites
Pour Some Sugar on Me
Armageddon It
Gods of War
Don't Shoot Shotgun
Run Riot
Hysteria
Excitable
Love and Affection
---------------------------------------------
Encore:
Rock of Ages
Photograph

We really thought that the band had left the stage for good when they started playing a song through the PA after" Love & Affection" and people started leaving.
Fortunately there was an Encore with some great renditions of "Rock of ages" & "Photograph".

Great set