Manic Street Preachers @ Bataclan, Paris, May 23 2014

Manic Street Preachers @ Bataclan, Paris, May 23 2014

We've been waiting for this moment for a long time, finally we're going to see MSP live...
Support band Public Service Broadcasting is already playing when we're making our way into an almost empty Bataclan, the balcony is closed and you could play tennis in the pit, hard to believe.

The Manics have never been very popular in France , even James, at one moment during the gig, will acknowledge that the Manics have never sold a lot of records in France.
When the band is taking the stage there are more people in the pit, but still... with many Britons in front of Nicky on the right. There are two additional players on keys and guitars on the left.
Lightning's not that good but the sound is loud & clear.
Lots of dedicated fans in the audience.
James is telling us that he has a sore throat and is constantly running to the drum riser to take "medications" for his voice between songs, honestly his high voice is perfect.
The Manics have lots of great heavy pop songs to have the audience jumping up and down maybe they could have played the -very slow- song "Rewind the Film" later during the concert but I guess they've played it earlier in the set to save James' voice which was fine, that's probably why they added another solo acoustic song "Small Black Flower" that wasn't on the setlist.

Overall good show, I've been told they never play "an encore" , they should !

setlist : a second acoustic song was added " Small Black Flower" & Merchandising

Listening Party/ Press conference for Led Zeppelin remastered albums with Jimmy Page @ Olympia, Paris May 21 2014

Listening Party/ Press conference for Led Zeppelin remastered albums with special guest
Jimmy Page @ Olympia, Paris May 21 2014.

 Jimmy Page (above) in Paris on May 20 doing lots of interviews ahead of the Party @ Olympia tomorrow on May 21

The whole listening Party & interview with Jimmy Page is available HERE

The Olympia theater decorated and Dave Lewis from "Tight but loose" Led Zep magazine & website

The Olympia lobby and theater was beautifully decorated with posters all over the place and projections on the walls and ceilings.
 First thing to say is that there were lots of tickets available outside before the listening party if you were not invited, a guy from the record Cie tried to give away tickets and hardly found anyone without a ticket.
On the way in they gave you a pass, there were three different, each one with the cover of the next to be released album ( Led Zep I, II, II). We only could managed to get two (missing LZ II, if you have one left ?)

 Jimmy Page was introduced by MC ( couldn't get his name) talked for a few minutes and left
Then we had  some music to listen to, some live songs from the Olympia  “Good Times Bad Times / Communication Breakdown" &“You Shook Me” and then some alternate takes from different songs:  “Heartbreaker” (Rough Mix With Vocal) “Whole Lotta Love” (Rough Mix With Vocal) “Gallows Pole” (Rough Mix) “Since I’ve Been Loving You” (Rough Mix) “The Immigrant Song” (Alternate Mix) “Keys To The Highway / Trouble In Mind” (Rough Mix).
For each song there was footage played on the huge screen that was done for the occasion.

Jimmy Page came back to answer questions that were selected from the official website.
No one in the audience could ask a question too bad , it could have been interesting.

The party ended with a couple more songs to listen to.
This listening event wasn't a "World premiere" as there was one in NYC and one last week @ the famous Olympic studios in London on May 16 with a Q&A with Jimmy Page (see review here).

Ticket, passes, wristband for tonight

Everything you need to know about these remastered editions it's HERE

Ben Harper 3rd show @ Folies Bergère, Paris May 19 2014

Ben Harper 3rd show @ Folies Bergère, Paris May 19 2014

Last show for Ben Harper in Paris, his third and last one on the European Tour.

There's a special poster for tonight's gig , like they did for the others, a beautiful one with the Eiffel Tower,still signed by Ben unfortunately it's on very thin paper so we didn't get it.

They still had lots of posters from the previous nights including the awful one from the first show.(see pic below)

Another sold-out concert tonight with the classical Quartet opening. Roughly the same gig and the previous ones with some changes with the setlist, Ben is playing a different guitar for each song.
Strangely enough for the last show not a lot of talking between songs, considering what he said yesterday and the day before that's a good thing. -Less talking More music-
And we'll get more music tonight... of course the quartet is back on stage to play with him 3 songs, his mother is also playing two songs... same as usual but we're having extra songs tonight including one with the Quartet with each musician being introduced to the audience, his mother is back for the encore (see video below).
As always with Ben Harper the atmosphere is very relaxed with a very respectful audience.
For all shows we had a private box on the left but we decided to go upstairs for the encore, just in case Ben played like he did yesterday on the edge of the balcony... he didn't but we had a nice view of the theatre (see pics) never thought it was so big with a second balcony in the back. Beautiful place.

Once again Ben played a song without amplification on the front of the stage, you could hear a pin drop. H thanked the audience for the nice time he had in Paris, signed a few records and that was it.
170 min concert, almost 3 hours of a faultless concert.

sorry couldn't get a picture of the setlist tonight