The Mabuses + Rachel Unthank @ Maroquinerie Paris Nov 16th 2008

First band to go on in an empty Maroquinerie ( 50 people ) is Rachel Unthank , 4 beautiful English girls ( a gorgeous blonde on piano , 2 lovely sisters on vocals and dance and a fatal brunette on accordion and violin ) in their twenties . They're playing traditionnal english folk songs.
Nice to hear completely different music once in a while.
Lead singer Rachel has a crystal clear voice. Very nice.
Robert Wyatt loves them , they've played one of his song .

Rachel Unthank with sister Becky ( left ) Mabuses ' setlist (right )

When The Mabuses started the show more people had arrived ( around 100 ) , they've played to a devoted audience their Pop-rock-psyche .
Nice set too.

The Mabuses

Patrice Guino , our photographer, will upload more pictures from Jerry Lee Lewis and Chuck Berry tomorrow morning .

Daniel Darc Trabendo sessions Paris Nov 15th 2008

Daniel Darc is playing for Virgin 17 TV show Trabendo sessions.
There are a few gigs tonight in Paris Sigur Ros is playing the nearby Zénith, La Cigale welcomes another sold-out Inrocks festival...
The trabendo is really empty as i make my way in , no more than a 100 people in here , is it because it's saturday night ? Where are Daniel Darc's fans ?
It's a free gig for fuck's sake .
Oh... i forget to tell you that Daniel Darc is the former singer in french 80's band Taxy Girl. He's a character with tattoos all over his body.
He's playing with his mate for years Alice Botté on guitar and musicians from french band Asyl.

Nice hour Pop-rock show, as always in french music lyrics are very important , daniel has lived already several lives not for the better but he's ok now. He played a few songs from his recent cd but the concert wouldn't be perfect without Taxi Girl's only hit " Cherchez le garçon ".
Last song was " Psaume 23 " a -musical poem-
see complete setlist for details :

Chuck Berry + Jerry Lee Lewis + Linda Gail Lewis @ zénith Paris Nov 14th 2008

Legends Of Rock : Live at the Zénith in Paris , France Nov 14th 2008

Linda Gail Lewis , Jerry Lee Lewis & Chuck Berry.

Linda Gail Lewis sister of Jerry Lee

Amazing ! the Zénith in Paris is Sold Out , more than 5000 rockers for this concert of " Les Légendes du rock ". It's an all seated show , 50's rockers' fans are getting old.
For the last 3-4 years there are more and more youngsters when we're attending old rock bands like tonight or Classic Rock bands ( Robert Plant, the Who ... ) That's nice because it's something that never happened before .
First on stage is Linda , Jerry's sister , the set was OK, she dedicated a song to Little Richard, who was on the bill but couldn't performed as he's recovering after surgery.

SETLIST : Linda Gail Lewis (41 minutes)
1. I’m Ready
2. Big Black Cadillac
3. Boppin’ The Blues
4. 88 Friends
5. Blue Suede Shoes
6. Lonely Heart
7. Good Golly Miss Molly
8. Let’s Talk About Us
9. Jambalaya
10. Lovin’ Up A Storm
11. Shake Rattle And Roll
12. Let’s Have A Party

Next to play is The Killer, his band is playing 4 songs without him as usual , then he enters the stage to rousing applause. It's a rock' n roll audience so as soon as he gets behind the piano there's an invasion down the front , security tried to push people back but that was too late. Cool .
Jerry seems to be physically in shape , better than last time in Paris at the Palais des Congres. He's not getting up anymore , well only once during his performance to talk to the sound engineer showing his fist right in front of his nose. He's not playing with his feet no more, but the attitude is intact , he middle finger the camera man who was getting to close, two screens were on the sides, People went nuts.
Nice show in an electric atmosphere . That's what i like !

Jerry Lee Lewis

The Killer Band (14 minutes)
1. Kansas City (Kenneth Lovelace)
2. Love To Ride (Robert Hall)
3. Wooly Bully (B.B. Cunningham)
4. Bright Lights Big City (Buck Hutcheson)
SETLIST : Jerry Lee Lewis (40 minutes)
1. Down The Line
2. No Headstone On My Grave
3. Before The Night Is Over
4. Drinkin’ Wine Spo Dee O Dee
5. I Don’t Want To Be Lonely Tonight
6. C.C. Rider
7. Why You Been Gone So Long
8. Trouble In Mind
9. Rockin’ My Life Away
10. Great Balls Of Fire
11. Whole Lotta Shakin’ Going On

Wanna fight motherfucker !!!

Chuck Berry is headlining , the security has secured the perimeter during the break , no one is allowed to stand up front of stage or stay in the aisles . Too bad .
No screens for his performance , in case anyone is recording and photographers are only allowed ONE SONG by the management ( "FUCK OFF" is Patrice Guino's answer to that )
Chuck is going very well physically ( he's 83 ) walking from one side of the stage to another , he's in fine spirit : smiling , laughing and talking to the audience but ...
Each time i'm going to one of his gigs , it's getting worse , maybe someone should tell him how to tune a guitar , his guitar playing is COMPLETELY wrong all along the concert .
It was APPALLING.
Yougsters in front of me kept on laughing every time he was hitting the wrong chord, they just couldn't believe it . An old fan had is head in his hands for most of the gig .
So embarrassing .
The only good moment was his version of " Maybellene " and thanfully it's on video here on this site .
He asked girls to come on stage for the last song ( see picture ).
Luckily we could met him very briefly after the show .
Patrice Guino, our photographer ,even had his album signed ( bastard ).

Chuck Berry & son

SETLIST : Chuck Berry (65 minutes)
1. Roll Over Beethoven
2. Sweet Little Sixteen
3. School Days
4. Memphis
5. Around And Around
6. Rock Me Baby
7. You Never Can Tell
8. Rock’n’Roll Music
9. Maybellene
10. Let It Rock
11. Honest I Do
12. My Ding A Ling
13. Johnny B. Goode
14. Reelin’ And Rockin’

Calling out for girls ( left ) With Girls ( right )
Isn't life easy ?

SETLISTS are coming from this site :
http://www.topfreeforum.com/jerryleelewis/index.php?mforum=jerryleelewis
" Maybellene " by Chuck Berry :


Check videos of other artists here :
http://fr.youtube.com/user/rockingparis

contact : irockinparis@yahoo.fr

JERRY LEE LEWIS playing " CC rider" here :
http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=epe5ndpDj8Y

MORE PICTURES HERE FROM THE GIG:
http://rockerparis.blogspot.com/2008/11/chuck-berry-jerry-lee-lewis-paris-znith.html

Franz Ferdinand + Yo Majesty + Get well soon Festival des Inrocks Paris Cigale Nov 13th 2008

Festival des Inrocks , Live @ La Cigale in Paris on Nov 13th 2008 with Franz Ferdinand , Yo Majesty and Get Well Soon.

Of course, the show was SOLD-OUT a long time ago almost as soon as Franz Ferdinand was announced.
First band to play is Get Well Soon, they've done a decent set , it's their first record and probably first time in Paris. They've listen to Radiohead's OK Computer too many times , just imagine an indie Radiohead without the electronic and with a trumpet player ( who was stunning ) and you have a guess to what Get Well Soon sound like. Promising for the future.
Then we had Yo Majesty , what the FUCK were they doing here ? Two black girls and a DJ escaped from south central or the Bronx rapping over some electronic shit.
The music is crap but they were enjoyable , they know how to work an audience.

Franz Ferdinand ended the Festival in style. Can we call this a festival with only 3 bands playing between 35 min and 60 min ?
I like them very much LIVE and we were not disappointed at all.
From start to finish they've rocked La Cigale. Many people tried to get on the stage and crowdsurfing to everyone's delight in a lively atmosphere, everyone was jumping up and down in the pit.( see video )
These guys are having fun and we're having fun too.
The set was very short ( 60 min with the encore , COME ON guys you can do longer than this !!! ) but they've pleased Paris by playing a greatest hits gig.
One of the best show i've seen for a few months.

SETLIST : ( TBC )
Bite Hard ( new song )
Do You Want To
Matinée
Kathryn, Kiss Me
Walk Away
40 Ft.
Turn it on
Take Me Out
Ulysses (new song )
What She Came For
Michael
--------
The Outsiders
This Fire
- they may have play another new song ? -

Nice view from the balcony

Mitch Mitchell ( drummer for Jimi Hendrix ) found dead

Sad news as Mitch Mitchell drummer in the Jimi Hendrix Experience was found dead this morning in a Portland hotel room.
He was the last surviving member of the band ( Noel Redding died a few years ago ).

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008383077_webdrummer12m.html?syndication=rss

THE FACES to reform with Rod Stewart & Ronnie Wood

Hi everybody

-THE FACES ARE BACK TOGETHER-

Very good news from London , my friend Ray Morrissey met Rod Stewart yesterday night at a party at the Claridge Hotel in London. And Rod told him that he was meeting up with Ronnie on monday for their first rehearsal just to check if they can remember the song .
Current Rod Stewart bass player will join as Ronnie Lane died a few years ago.

Here's the link to my friend's website : http://www.raysgigs.com/raynews.php
This news is so big that the NME took it from his site :http://www.nme.com/news/faces/41015

Hope they will tour in continental europe.

OASIS @ Bataclan Paris Nov 10th 2008

Oasis Live at the Bataclan in Paris ... at last .
Gig was supposed to take place on sept 30th and was posponed because of what happened to Noel Gallagher In Canada. Fuckin' Canadians.
Adam Green and Gary Moore are also playing tonight in Paris and i really would have prefer to go to Gary Moore, but seeing Oasis in a theatre is something you can't miss as they're filling up stadiums in England.
They will be back in Paris in Bercy next year in March.

The marquee & setlist

I' m not a big fan , i've seen them a few times and i always though they were a bit average on cd and on stage.
Can't say anything on the poor guy who is opening tonight , one song was enough so we left for the bar.
The show is recorded for Canal+ TV ( to be broadcasted December the 11th at 10 :30 pm ) so there are a few cameras , strange enough the lightning is shit they've played most of the first part in the dark.
I didn't know that but the show was broadcasted live on France Inter radio.
http://www.radiofrance.fr/franceinter/ev/fiche.php?ev_id=529
Sorry no picture for this gig as , Patrice Guino , our photographer didn't bother.
Liam and Noel are very static so are the other members of the band and the bros are not really communicating with the audience as least we didn't hear Liam saying "fuck" at all, times they are a changing.
After Liam threw his tambourine in the audience it took 2-3 songs for someone to finally get it, ten people were fighting like mad to get it. That was funny to watch from the balcony.
The setlist is up there , as you can see they've played many old songs at the end.
They've played their usual show , nothing more nothing less, on autopilot.
Thankfully they ended the gig with " I' m the walrus " one of my favorite Beatles song.
Liam threw his microphone to a girl at the end.

contact : irockinparis@yahoo.fr

ULTRAVOX are reforming .

Ultravox are reforming for a full UK tour in April 2009 and includes Hammersmith Apollo on April 24th

This news is from my friend's site : http://www.raysgigs.com/raynews.php

Ray's going to many gigs and lots of parties almost every night in London.
Check his database with concerts from 1973 in London.

Tomorrow OASIS is playing the Bataclan ; pictures, videos and review just after the gig.
well i hope so ...

CARBON / SILICON @ Fnac Ternes Paris Nov 8th 2008

Tony James , Mick Jones and the interviewer

Mick Jones ( ex- Clash ) and Tony James ( ex- Generation X ) are in Paris this afternoon at the Fnac store in Les Ternes to promote the first Carbon / Silicon album.
These guys keep on talking and talking ... about their new band and everything in general. Mick is quite funny , they answer some questions from the audience and then sign a few cds.
Very nice hour spent with those guys who used to be Punk rockers and who are now dressing like some bankers from the City .

Signing stuff

Greements de Fortune @ Fnac forum Nov 7th 2008

After a meeting in the heart of Paris , i went to the Fnac Forum store in Chatelet, a band was about to play in the store . didn't really pay attention as i've never heard about it. They started playing as i was looking for a couple of cds. What they were playing sounded really good so i went to see them.
Greements of Fortune , that's the band, is Funky and really grooving. As they were playing more and more people keep gathering around the stalls. I though they were really great, if Kool & the Gang could be half as good as this band it would be fantastic ( not the case as their last cd is complete crap ).
First I though they were English ( or american ) as the guys were speaking english between songs but then i felt that something was wrong ... in fact they're French.
Their songs are really good and they're tight. It was a surprise to discover such a great band when i wasn't expected it.
The guitar player is very good and knows how to play soft ( à la Nile rodgers ) or really heavy.
They've just played 5-6 songs for 30 min but they 've 'Funked' the place.
Check them here , they are great :
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=57585976
After listening to the songs on Myspace i'm a bit disappointed, live they are much more better than this ( listen to the last song to have a taste of what they are live ).
Very COOL !

The Yardbirds + Samuel James @ Radio France for FIP Paris Nov 6th 2008

The Yardbirds live @ Radio France for "FIP" with opening artist Samuel james Paris Nov 6th 2008

Samuel James

First on stage is american bluesman Samuel James , that's his first album released in France and his first ever show in Paris. He's on his own with his acoustic guitar , playing in front of a "vintage" mic for the vocals AND the guitar ( that's not plugged ).
He's young and he's playing the blues but not the english blues , the original acoustic blues à la Robert Johnson , Booker White or Son House , his influences.
Nice to hear some real vintage blues.

The Yarbirds Feat. French guitar player Jean-Michel Kadjan ( left )

Then we have The Yardbirds , formed in 1963 and still active , this band is famous for having 3 of the best guitar players ( Eric Clapton , Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page )in the 60's.
The only survivors from the original line-up are drummer Jim Mc Carthy and former bass player and now on guitar Chris Dreja. For this french tour they ask french guitar player Jean-Michel Kadjan to join'em. With 3 guitars they should rock.
Opening song " Train kept a rolling" set the record straight, they're here to rock ( and blues ). We're treated to a best of ... ( "Heartfull of soul" ,"Still i'm sad", "for your love" ... See complete setlist below )
The young guitar player is doing great as well as their harmonica player. They have an american on bass and vocals who's playing with them for many years now , his voice is a little bit low in the mix but it's hard to fight ( and win ) with 3 guitars. Chris Dreja is funny to me, like watching my dad rockin' on his fav tune.
Show ends with a great version of "Dazed & Confused " in its original form , remember that Led Zeppelin played its first gigs under the name The New Yardbirds.
The encore is " Im a man" . (i don't think they played "i wish you would" )
Great Night

The Yardbirds + Setlist & Invitation

The Yardbirds are playing the New Morning club in Paris on Nov 20th.

Samuel James is playing tomorrow on friday the 7th @ the Sunset club in the heart of Paris.
http://www.sunset-sunside.com/
check his blues here :
http://www.myspace.com/sugarsmallhouse

Samuel James :

"Train kept a rolling":

OBAMA 44TH President ot the USA

CONGRATULATIONS
YES HE CAN
OBAMA IS ELECTED !!!

Tony Joe White @ Bataclan Paris Nov 4th 2008

Tony Joe white @ Bataclan Paris Nov 4th 2008.
Not that many people tonight , the balcony is closed and it's a seated event , so probably around 500 frenchies.
Support slot Jessica Lea Mayfield played a decent set with her acoustic guitar , she has a good voice but her songs are a bit average and are way too melancolic,

Tony Joe White is playing seated with his trade-mark black hat , sunglasses and harmonica around his neck. The lightning is... confidential.
Small band : a drummer and a keyboard player ( playing the bass part ) .
Tony has no setlist so his musicians have to be very carefull to what the 'master' is about to play.
His low-tuned voice is still doing it and his guitar playing has the 'touch' .
If you don't know his " swamp rock" maybe you'll think some songs are sounding a bit the same but it takes time to fully appreciate his writing skills. he's well-known for writing " Polk salad Annie" that was a huge hit for him and Elvis Presley who covered that song.
I don't know if i'm getting too old but it was quite loud down the front.
Nice evening

"Polk Salad Annie" :

Eli "Paperboy " Reed @ L' Album de la semaine Canal+ Nov 3rd 2008

Second record for this young artist from Boston , here tonight at La Plaine St Denis for Canal+ tv show : L' album de la semaine .

Listening to Eli " Paperboy " Reed and his 6 musicians ( including two saxophones and a trumpet ) is like being into a time -machine stuck in the 60's while you were visiting the Stax studios or James Brown's hometown of Georgia, or maybe the pit in "Hitsville" USA.
It's full of soul music and the guy's white , young ...and from Boston.

He knows his classics : How to be introduced on stage by one of his musicians ( à la JB ), how to talk to his audience ( using the same 'old sentences )... let's not forget his stage moves .
He did his homework perfectly , maybe too much.
He's got the voice and the songs are good so i'll forgive him about the clichés he's using.
Well maybe not completely as long as he keeps wearing that horrible dark green suit.

Check him here:
http://www.myspace.com/elipaperboyreed

sorry no pictures it's Verbotten.

Next shows :
Tony Joe white @ Bataclan Nov 4th
The Pigeon Detectives @ trabendo Nov 5th
Carbon/Silicon @ Fnac store Nov 8th
Oasis @ Bataclan Nov 10th ( Gary Moore and Adam Green are playing on the same night )

Tsonga vs Nalbandian Masters Bercy Final

Great gig ... sorry , Great match
French Tennis player Tsonga did very good during the first set, second set was more difficult : he lost it. Third set was easier but he scared the shit out of us , a couple of times while serving he was losing 00 -40 to win the game in the end.
Nice afternoon

one laughing / one crying

J.L Tsonga vs J. Blake Semi-finals Bercy Masters

Went to see the semi-finals in Bercy:
First match was Davydenko vs Nalbandian , very strange first set as if the russian refused to play at all , then suddenly he woke up ( enough illegal bet on this one ? )and did a good match but Nalbandian was stronger.

Second match was French JL Tsonga vs American James Blake , this game was much more powerful and Tsonga was great , Blake couldn't do anything today to defeat the french player who's the local here. great atmosphere too.

If you compare the level of both matches , Tsonga should win tomorrow
Good luck mate !

I ' m from Barcelona @ Bataclan Paris Oct 31st 2008

I'm from Barcelona @ Bataclan Paris
The doors opened late so the queue was streching very far in the boulevard , but once inside the balcony is closed which is not really a good sign.
I don't really know what they're doing apart from a song that was played very often on the radio, I' ve been told they were a more festive kind-a Arcade Fire.

That's true, they are 15-16 on stage: lots of singers , 2 keyboards , 2 guitars and 1 guy doing all the vocals ( here on the picture )
These swedishs are very entertaining and their Joie de vivre is very communicative, many people came with balloons and their show is a party with confettis and ... huge balloons.
Great gig even though a bit short : 80 minutes. Lots of beautiful girls in the audience.

Setlist and a picture of the Cirque d' Hiver on my way home.

Here's a video, far from being my best but the security was a pain in the ass :

Nadal vs Davydenko Bercy Masters Paris Oct 31st 2008

Went to Bercy this afternoon not for a rock concert but to see some tennis.
Nadal vs Davydenko , They just played one set before Nadal gave up, he hurt his leg.
Straight after this match , Federer officially gave up too because of a backache.
Needless to say that people in bercy were not happy at all. the director of the tournament wanted to say something he couldn't as Bercy was booing him so loud.