Festival Cool Soul with The Bellrays, The Jim Jones Revue & Legendary Tigerman @ Bataclan, Paris April 08 2011

Cool Soul Festival @ Bataclan Paris, April 08 2011 with
The Jim Jones Revue, The Bellrays, The Legendary Tigerman
+ Restavrant, Scott H Biram & Cool Kleps

The Legendary Tigerman

Cool Soul Festival @ the hot & sweaty Bataclan, early start as there are many bands and the curfew is @10:30. Doors are opening @ 6:00.
We missed Cool Kleps who were opening and SHIT as we're getting into the theatre Lisa, the singer from the Bellrays, is already on the main stage. Why are they playing so early ?
In fact NO, she's only playing a song as special guest of The Legendary Tigerman. He also had a female singer on a couple of songs.The guy is on his own sitting down playing guitar and singing AND playing drums with his feet : a one man band. He's playing some heavy greasy blues rock music.
Some Pics from his show HERE
Short set probably no more than 45 min.(corrected).

Restavrant

The we have Restavrant playing on a small stage next to the entrance, not the best location, it's hard to get 3 stages in a 1200 capacity theatre. It's a duet Drums/ guitar-vocals playing some punk greasy heavy country blues-rock.

The Bellrays

As soon as they're done The Bellrays are playing on the main stage, I would have prefer to see them headlining but it doesn't prevent them from playing a heavy set.
The last time I saw them they were playing some of their cool soul songs not tonight it's pure rock'n roll from start to finish with short fast & heavy songs. Maybe are they trying to compete with the headliner or stay in the mood of the festival.
I don't know why they call it "Cool Soul" it's not Cool Soul at all and more "Heavy Blues Rock". Anyway, 45 min take-no-prisoners set.
We're never disappointed with The Mighty Bellrays.

setlist

As the techs are getting the main stage ready for Jim Jones Revue, Scott H Biram is playing on the third small stage next to the emergency exit. He's on his own , another greasy boogie blues rocker from Austin

Scott H Biram

It's 9:30 and it's time for the headliners of the night to take the main stage by storm, a fucking tornado these guys.
It's chaos down the front with people pogoing, dancing , jumping up & down.
We already saw them a couple of times at The Album de la semaine tv show for Canal+.
The atmosphere is really important to feel a gig and at these tv shows the audience was sitting down and clapping nicely at the end of each songs.
Tonight you feel the power.
Don't know about the sound as we're front row next to the guitar player so the guitars are drowning everything.
Once again from start to finish it's a heavy, i mean very heavy hour set.

The Jim Jones revue

For the encore The Bellrays (+ The Legendary Tigerman) are back to play the most heavy version of Good Golly Miss Molly I have ever heard.

It's only 10:30 and we're shattered, sweating buckets.
It's time to go home for a good shower after a visit to the merchandising tables where the musicians are meeting the audience.

Jam with The Bellrays & The Jim Jones Revue & charming lady at the merch

FUCK YEAH !!! That was HEAVY !!!

Chad Vangaalen @ Fargo Store, Paris April 07 2011 6:30pm

Chad Vangaalen @ Fargo Store
Paris, April 07 2011

Folk Artist Chad Vangaalen is playing a showcase @ Fargo Store, 30 min performance with Ukulele, acoustic guitar & banjo.
Cool set

Then we went to the nearby Truskel bar to see a couple of bands from the French rock scene, they have their own songs which is a good point but they need to work a lot, they're barely 18 years old so they have time to get better

We ended the evening @ Gaité Lyrique for some shitty electro djing, technical problems and the DJ had to stop after just 10 min, good for our ears that's when we decided to leave the premises. VERY cool place & nice bar maybe they need to book some rock bands with guitars...which will never happen as it's the new trendy electro place in Paris.

Gaité Lyrique & Horse guard (far right) from my window this afternoon.

The Kills @ Bataclan, Paris April 06 2011

The Kills + S.C.U.M. @ Bataclan

Paris April 06 2011

After seeing Jamie & Alison yesterday @ Fnac Forum for a signing session, it's time to see these two animals live @ the hot & sweaty Bataclan. Unfortunately we couldn't go to their small gig @ La Fleche d'Or last month, we were @ Marianne Faithfull's.
There's a lot of hype with The Kills but there are still playing the tiny bataclan (1200 capacity) so it was sold-out a long time ago.
Scalpers are making a bit of extra pocket money outside, lots of trendy 'Hippie -chic' girls, inside it's hot as hell but we're used to with the bataclan there is no AC.
S.C.U.M from England is opening, it's very psyche post-Punk but not very interesting.

The show hasn't started yet that everybody's sweating like pigs.
9:15 pm The kills are finally on stage, Jamie on the left, Alison on the right, absolutely no light show apart from two searchlights, that will follow every move from the duet for the whole gig.
The sound is raw, Jamie is holding the house with his riffs and Alison is like a lion in cage.
Part of the balcony on the far left is reserved for guests of the band including Kate Moss but don't worry they won't mix with the normal punters, they have their own door to get there from the backstage area. How rock'n roll is that ?

Jamie's in charge of the guitars and starts the drum machine plus some backing vocals, Alison sings of course , plays a bit of guitars and for a couple of songs she's on keys & drums (see pic above)
On stage the post-punk garage rock couple is sweating buckets as well, in fact when you really think about it, most of their (short) songs are sounding the same, only 3-4 songs are "standing out".
The concert is pretty short as they are living the stage for the first time after just 45 min.
Intense 65 min gig.

SETLIST with links to videos:
01: No Wow 02: Futures Starts Slow 03: Heart Is Beating Drum 04: Kissy Kissy 05: U.R.A. Fever 06: DNA 07: Satellite 08: Tape Song 09: Baby Says 10: You Don't Own The Road 11: Sour cherry ENCORE 12: The Last Goodbye 13: Pots And Pans 14: Fried My Little Brains

Check also Oliver's website for review and great pictures (Here)

setlist & Merchandising


The KILLS @ Fnac Forum yesterday April 05 2011

setlist and video from La Fleche d'Or on March 22 2011
Check our (small) review of the Kills @ Bataclan on Oct 28 2008 & @ Arte's One Shot Not on Oct 29 2008.
Check also The Dead Weather @ Bataclan on June 05 2010, @ Cigale on June 29 2009, @ L'Album de la Semaine on June 30 2009 & @ Olympia on Oct 28 2009.
With lots of Pics, setlist & videos

I'M FREE !

I'M FREE

Morcheeba + Melanie Pain @ Casino de Paris, April 05 2011

Morcheeba + Melanie Pain @ Casino de Paris
April 05 2011

Melanie Pain (above)

Morcheeba is back in Paris with Skye on vocals, they have a new album under their belt, the show is sold -out.

First we have french singer Melanie Pain who's been famous for being part of the project Nouvelle Vague.
She's singing both in English & french.She's not doing electro-pop anymore and her music is more retro-cabaret.
She's cute and has beautiful voice.
Very nice set.

Full House for Morcheeba

Can't remember the last time I saw them for a proper gig, I guess it was @ Rock en Seine in 2003.
They've done La Musicale for Canal+ (with Scissor Sisters & Aloe Blacc) in June 2010 but they only performed two songs. We didn't go to the Bataclan in Oct 2010 (click for the setlist).
As always it is a cool & groovy gig, Skye's voice is perfect with the music: soft & subtle.
Sound is perfect but the lightning is a bit shite (well for Patrice); hey man ! what about the atmosphere !!!
Lots of talking between songs to tell a few stories about the tour : she has the bar on the rooftop of a hotel in Brasil named after her.
They have a dj to ad a little flavour to the music as if it needed it. It doesn't.
Great 100 min show, a pleasure to see them after all these years.

setlist & small merchandising