Santana @ Paris Bercy Oct 12 2010

Contact: irockinparis((@))yahoo(dot).fr
Updated Oct 14 with setlist

Santana + The Gipsy Kings & Cindy Blackman
@ Paris Bercy, Oct 12 2010

Santana is back in Paris (After playing in Bercy on June 24 2008 with Sheryl Crow, click for Pics, setlist & review) to promote his new album of covers with many guests on guitar, as often these last few years Santana is his own guest on one of his album.
needless to tell you that we're not interested but LIVE Santana is always great.
so there's no way we could miss this gig.

Sanntana is still very popular in France , he's playing Bercy, it's not sold-out but it's hard to find an empty seat.
Oh yeah ! it's an all seated concert, lots of late 30's -40's & 50's in the audience and a few kids too, it's a family affair.

Santana + The Gipsy Kings

With Santana it's always groovy with latin rythms, the kind of music perfect for dancing but not in Paris ( once again) people prefered to stay seated even if Santana told them that seats are props and that everybody should dance, even both singers tried to have them stand up on their feet, They couldn't.
Lots of Classics of course, we're here to listen to the old stuff, the sound is perfect even with 2 drummers, 1 percussion, 2 singers, 2 guitars & a couple of horns.
Santana was delighted to introduced the lovely Cindy Blackman on drums for a couple of songs, she's the new Ms Santana and former drummer for Lenny kravitz.
Great drum solo baby !
It's 9:40 PM and after 70 min it's time for a 20 min intermission.

For the second part we had a couple of guys from The Gipsy Kings to play a couple of songs, not really my cup of tea but it was fun.

Then we had more hits more guitar soli, a strange groovy-rap version of AC/DC's "Back in Black" ( great nevertheless) and a great version of Cream's "Sunshine of your love" here on video (scroll down).

There was a small tribute to John Lennon when the bass player during his solo played "Imagine".
Dennis Chambers also had his minutes of fame with a powerfull drum solo.

SETLIST:
1) Yaleo
2) Taboo/whole lotta love
3) Aya Aya Aya/ Para los rumberos
4) Maria maria
5) Foo Foo
6) Corazon espinado (with cindy Blackman)
7) Capri (with Cindy Blackman)
8) Boogie woman
9) Jingo
INTERMISSION 20 min
10) Singing winds crying beasts/ Black magic woman/ Gipsy Queen
11) Oye coma va
12) Bamboleo/ X Factor/ Africa Bamba (with Gipsy Kings)
13) Don Quixote/ Back in Black
14) Europa
15) Evil Ways/ A love supreme
16) Sunshine of your love
17) Smooth/Dame tu amor
Encore
Woodstock chant
18) Soul sacrifice
19) Bridegroom/ Into the nigt
20) Love, Peace & Happiness/ Freedom

All the musicians were introduced, Cindy came back on the stage for a little dance with her husband.

Isn't she lovely

Same encores with "Soul sacrifice & into the night ( I hope I get it right)

Then it' was time to say goodbye to us all.
11:50 PM the End
Thanks again for 3 groovy hours of show.

Can I get an Amen ?

Merchandising

"Sunshine of your love":

Jeff Beck @ Olympia Oct 11 2010

We didn't go but here's what was written on the official setlist (he may have play something different)

SETLIST:(click on links for videos)
Plan B, Short version Eternities Breath, Stratus, Led Boots, Corpus Christi, jb/lmw Shred, Hammer Head, Mna na Eireann, Bass solo, People get ready, Rolling & tumbling, Big Block, Over the Mountain, Blast, Angels, Dirty Mind, Brush with Blues, Higher (jeff starts), A day in the life, How High, Nessun Durma
Another video here (?)

"How high the Moon":

Joe Cocker @ Zénith, Paris Oct 10 2010

Joe Cocker @ Zénith Paris
10/10/10

Two "legends" are playing Paris on this sunday night.
Robbie Williams , for the young girls, is playing a private show @ L'Alhambra in République for 700 competition winners and guests.
Joe Cocker, for the old geezers, is playing the Zénith which is packed but not sold-out, maybe 4000 people as it's an all seated event.

We get there too late to see the French rock support band , from what we heard they seem to have done a very decent set.

It's 9:00 PM when Joe Cocker & his band are getting on stage.
Beautiful setting: 3 huge brick-wall backdrop with different projections over it all along the show, some cool old movie lightnings in the back and a huge chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

Two beautiful and very sexy dressed girls on backing vocals, a very hot black girl on bass, Mike Finnigan on keys + Guitar player , drummer, piano player & sax -percussion player.

Slow start with a new song " Get on" then the hits started to hit: " The letter", " When the night comes"...
Joe Cocker still has his Whiskey fueled voice.
Not really convinced by the latest songs he did those last few years , they are all mid-tempo and average including " N'oubliez jamais"

Luckily there are not too many new songs, we have lots of old songs, that why people are here tonight and we have them all. See setlist for details

All the audience stood up for Randy Newman's " You can leave your hat on".

Great ending with "with a little help", " bathroom window" & Cry me a river".
I didn't really understood why the last song was a new one " thankful" ( another mid-tempo)
10:45 Good Bye Paris and Thank You

"Jump" !

Very good set even though some of the new songs are a bit average.
The whole gig was recorded for a future DVD and only this gig.

setlist

Merchandising

"Come Together":

From The Beatles

Prince to play the Palais des Sports in Paris this week ?

Updated Oct 16: It's been shelved , gig should have took place on Oct 14 (so they say ;-)) even though some of his musicians are in Paris.
Maybe later we'll try to find out but not in december has Prince has just announced at a press conference @ the Appolo a residency in NYC for December called " Welcome 2 America".

Oct 11 , nothing new for the moment, I should have more info tonight.
but it looks like there's something going on

Pics: Prince @ Grand Palais Oct 11 2009.

A friend of mine who knows someone who knows someone... told me that there are strong rumours that PRINCE will play a "private" show at the Palais des Sports next week in Paris.

I'll try to know more today.
So stay tuned to ROCKERPARIS.