Pearl Jam & Ben Harper R7 @ Main Square in Arras July 3 2010

Pearl Jam + Ben Harper & Relentless 7 + Taylor Hawkins &The Coattail riders
@ Main Square Fest in Arras, July 3 2010

Lots of bands for this festival but we were only interested in Pearl Jam & Ben Harper so we came to the site very late.
We left the bar where we were staying after Germany score their third goal and headed to the festival site nearby.
It's in the middle of an old Military base (XVIIIE Century) right in the middle of the city of Arras north of Paris.
We catched the end of the French singer -M- set: Boring, boring & boring.

Ben Harper & R7 were next on the main stage, of course there is NO gold circle down the front so we have to stay in the back, luckily there are small stalls on the right.
Their set started unusually very slowly with only Ben on the acoustic guitar for a long instrumental then he played a song on his own before the band came on stage and really rock with songs from his latest album.
Many songs were streched out with Drums , bass or guitar soli. He played two new songs & for the cover of " Under Pressure" Eddie Vedder form Pearl Jam guested on vocals.
We also had two more covers a fantastic version of Led Zeppelin's "Heartbraker" with extended soli.
Ben & R7 ended his hour set with a nice rendition of Hendrix's "Red House".
Very good but unusual set by Ben & R7

The video of Under pressure with Eddie Vedder will be online soon

SETLIST:
1) Instrumental on acoustic guitar (Ben Solo)
2) Lifeline (?) (Ben solo)
3) diamonds on the inside
4) Number with no name ( Or Shimmer & Shime) can't remember !
5) Lay there & hate me
6) new song
8) New song
9) Under pressure (with Eddie Vedder)
10) Keep it together
11) Heartbreaker (Led Zep)
12) Why must you always --->
13) Red House (Hendrix)

Then we went briefly to see Taylor Hawkins from the Foo Fighters with his new band TH & The Coattail Riders on the second stage, I've been told his record is great, his set was very entertaining, this guy is a great drummer.

As soon as his set ended the intro to Pearl Jam could be heard so we rushed to the main stage for the band we came for. Patrice ran to the front in the pit to take some Pictures.
Fucking Hell ! the stage was so high it was nearly impossible to take a decent Picture.
From where he was he told us he could only see their heads & shoulders but he has very long arms so here they are:

Pearl Jam is one of our favorite band, they never play the same set twice, so we're glad to be here as it's their only show in france this year ( the'ye playing a few fest in europe this summer including Werchter this sunday night)

They've done a KILLER set, Ben Harper came to play guitar on"Red Mosquito" ( The video should be online soon)

SETLIST:
Unthought Known, Got Some, Given To Fly, State Of Love And Trust, Corduroy, Even Flow, Just Breathe, Of The Earth, Small Town, Porch

Encore: Red Mosquito w/Ben Harper, Jeremy, Black, The Fixer, Alive, Baba O’Riley (The Who), Yellow Ledbetter

Great gig by Pearl Jam

See Ya guys

In other news:
Prince is rehearsing near Paris this week( Can't tell you where exactly or "they" will cut my head off) for his next shows.
There are rumours of a possible show in Paris mid-july).

Stevie Wonder ( + Prince & Sheila E) @ Paris Bercy July 1 2010

Contact: irockinparis((@))yahoo(dot)fr

UPDATED July 3 with setlist ( and videos)

Stevie Wonder @ Paris Bercy
July 1 2010

+ Prince & Sheila E. on "Superstition" ( Video HERE)

Setlist (corrected setlist , this should be right):

1. My Eyes Don't Cry
2. Master Blaster (Jammin')
3. We Can Work It Out
4. As if you read my mind
5. If You Really Love Me
6. Ribbon In The Sky
7. Lately
8. One night in Paris ---> New York --->
   
9. Empire state of mind
   
10. Higher ground
11. Don't You Worry 'bout a Thing
12. Living for the City
13. Human Nature
14. Uptight
15. For Once In My Life
16. Fingertips
17. Signed Sealed Delivered
18. Boogie down reggae woman (with fred Yonnet)
    
19. Sir Duke
20. I wish
21. Do I Do
22. My Cherie Amour
23. I Just Called to say I Love You
24. Superstition (Feat. Prince & Sheila E.)[another video]
25. Another Star

Great show even tough the beginning was really slow (great version of the Beatles' "We can work it out").
Like last time there was a duet with Fred Yonnet (click for video)
Once again tickets were really expensive & the security was a pain in the ass.
Bercy was packed, lively atmosphere.
No intermission, more than 2 hours of concert.
When Stevie Wonder started playing Hit after Hit , everybody was dancing & cheering.
No need to tell you that we he called Prince on the stage it was madness, it seamed unrehearsed as there was a gap between the moment he called him and the moment Prince showed up ( it's not on the video), as you can see on the video they're having a talk behind Stevie to know what to do.
They are rumours that Prince is looking for a place to do a gig in Paris mid-July as there were rumours the afternoon of the show that Prince might turn up tonight.

IT WAS CHRISTMAS TONIGHT :
Prince + Sheila E. special guests on " Superstition"

Merchandising

Check our review of Stevie Wonder's previous show in Paris Bercy on Sept 28 2008

Stevie Wonder + Prince + Sheila E. on " Superstition":

Thanks for watching nearly 15 000 hits for that video

YEAAAAHHHH BBBAAAABBYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Green Day with Melissa @ Parc des Princes Paris June 26 2010

Musique Mag, Yahoo news & Libération

Well Well Well...
There's a real buzz in France with that young girl Melissa who sung "Longview" with Green Day in front of 40 000 people @ Parc des Princes last saturday.
More and more Medias are talking about her. Even French newspaper Liberation, It seems that they have nothing better to talk about...

The promoter & the band were looking for her, from what i've been told they have found out who she is.
Patrice Guino , our photographer is "proud" that's his video. LOL

Nearly 250 000 hits for that video on Youtube

Review from the show HERE

The Dead Weather @ Bataclan , Paris June 30 2010

The Dead Weather + The Cavaliers @ Bataclan
Paris June 30 2010

Last gig for June.
The Dead Weather @ the hot & sweaty Bataclan, still no air conditioning in this theatre.

First we have a French Surf Music band: The Cavaliers, they've done a decent set.

Then it's time for The Dead Weather to rock the house.
it's the fourth time we're seeing them after La Cigale on June 29 2009, TV Show L' Album de la Semaine on June 30 2009 (just one year ago) & The Olympia on Oct 28 2009.( Click for review Pics & videos)

When we saw them @ La Cigale and @ the Canal+ Tv show we were a bit dissapointed as the band was lacking real songs but there's not doubt that it was powerful.
The album when it came out was also a bit of a let down.

Still haven't listen to the new record yet (once again), still very bluesy & raw.
The band is powerful but it's so hot in here that Jack & Alison are complaining about the heat and lack of AC and they are right. It's hot as hell.
Patrice, our photographer, is also complaining about the light show, I know mate it's hard to take a decent Pic with this band.
Anyway even though they're still lacking proper songs they've done a killer set

Jack is coming down the front, a couple of times, to sing ( and play guitar), here on video.
Too bad the gig was so short they've just done a little bit more than an hour set.
setlist to come shortly

Merchandising

Jack on vocals:

Yo!

Aerosmith + The Cribs Part 1 @ Paris Bercy June 29 2010

AEROSMITH + The Cribs
@ Paris Bercy June 219 2010
Part 1

Part 2 ( here)

The Cribs Feat. Johnny Marr

We're getting into Bercy as The Cribs is starting playing, I really wonder what the hell they're doing here opening for Aerosmith.
It might be a rock band but their music has nothing to do with our rockers from Boston.
They are wwaaaayyy to English, even though they've done a decent set no need to tell you that the audience wasn't impressed at all.
They're a club or theatre band certainly NOT an arena band and the music is average.
Some members of The Cribs were watching Aero's set with some of their friends on the side.

Nice to see Aerosmith back in Paris after all the things that went on those last few months with Steven Tyler. It would have been "funny" to see Aero without Tyler ( personal opinion).
Anyway, TYLER is back and kicking ass like never before.

SETLIST ( correct)
01. Love In An Elevator
02. Back In The Saddle
03. Falling In Love (Is Hard On The Knees)
04. Eat The Rich
05. Pink
06. Livin' On The Edge
07. What It Takes
08. Jaded
09. Mama Kin
10. Cryin'
--Drum Solo--
11. Rag Doll
12. Stop Messin' Around
13. I Don't Want To Miss A Thing
14. Sweet Emotion
15. Baby Please Don't Go
16. Draw The Line
Encore:
17. Dream On
18. Walk This Way
19. Toys In The Attic

Videos of "Walk this way", "Draw the line", "rag doll", "What it takes" HERE

Steven "close-up" Tyler

Bercy is not sold-out but packed.
Really good start with " Love in an elevator" &" Back in the saddle" unfortunatelly things are getting ugly early in the show.
First the sound isn't that good, too much vocals and not enough guitars, hard to hear Joe's guitar clearly.

The stage set up apart from the huge screens in the back is very poor , the lightning's stunning But what is VERY disappointing is the shitty setlist, tonight we had all the shit from the late 80's early 90's : "falling in love", "pink", "what it takes", "jaded", "crying"," rag doll","I don't want to miss a thing" ...
WHAT THE FUCK ???

The Toxic Twins

AERO have done so many great songs, how is it possible to play so many shitty songs in just one set ? Are they trying to punish us or what ?

Steven is back and is looking really fit & rocking like never before and telling funny things between songs or in the middle of the songs.
There's an "ego" catwalk in the middle of the pit and Steven is always on it, Joe is also joining him very often too.
Steven's voice is not as great as before but he's making the show, the mother fucker's a real showman, one of the best.

Joey Kramer

"Eat the Rich":

WAAOOWWW !!!