Journey + Foreigner @ Palais des Sports, Paris July 07 2011

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

Journey + Foreigner @ Palais des Sports
Paris July 07 2011

Another day Another gig for ROCKERPARIS.
We're going down south for this one, I mean south of Paris @ Palais des Sports of the Porte de Versailles.
For the last 2 weeks there are 2 to 3 important band playing in Paris EVERY night ( Derek Trucks & Social Distortion are in Paris tonight) so it's hard to decide which one to go and financially for fans it's probably very hard as tickets are very expensive that's why the concert hall is half empty to see these Americans soft rock bands. Less than 2000 people.
You could find tickets for this one at the price of only 25 euros on official websites ( original price was up to 75 euros).
The standing pit down the front is the smallest I have ever seen in such a big hall (4000 capacity) , only 12-15 rows from the stage to the stalls where we're sitting and we have fantastic seats 2nd row dead center. It's as if they were playing in my living room.

First on stage and opening is French guitar player for Trust: Norbert Krief aka Nono, lightning and sound is shit, it's un-rehearsed and songs are lame: all this makes a very average show.

Can't believe that Foreigner is playing before Journey, they're so much more popular in France.
We saw them last year @ Grand Rex ( Click for review with Pics & video, Part 2 is Here) headlining and they were smoking ! They might be a bit soft on albums but LIVE they're kicking ass.
The band is rejuvenated with Jeff Pilson (from Dokken) on bass and Kelly Hansen on vocals, the latter is a great singer and a great showman à la Steven Tyler.
really nice setlist (see below ) with all the hits and a few oldies including a couple from the first album and of course a couple of ballads.
Great sound, great white lightning (that's better for pics), nice stage : Great 75 min show.
A few links to videos: "Can't slow down", "Head Games", "Feels like the first time"

setlist

Merchandising

"Juke Box Heroes":

JOURNEY Headlining tonight !

First time we're seeing this band and we have to admit we're not fans of soft rock even though we like Foreigner and we don't know any songs from Journey, not our drug of choice.

After a 30 minute intermission Journey is getting on stage @ 10:45.
Cool start with some "heavy song", sound is clear once again great lightning.
Each musician is on top form : Dean Castronovo on drums is a monster, he should play in a Heavy Metal band, Neal Schon on guitar is kicking ass, Ross Valory on bass is probably the funny guy in the band as he's always making some funny faces, Jonathan Cain on keys, guitars & vocals is doing his job perfectly and that little guy from Philippines Arnel Pineda is a fantastic singer and is running & jumping everywhere including into photographer's pit to shake hands with fans numerous times.

Nevertheless after a few songs it's getting "boring" well not that much but we don't "FEEL" anything, it's a well oiled machine, everything is perfect but it's too perfect, there's no feeling.
I've talked to some fans after the show and many were very disappointed compare to the show they did @ Bataclan last year.
Overall good 75 min show (with only one Encore "Anyway you want it") but nothing more to say.

Very enjoyable evening thanks to Foreigner.

setlist & Merchandising

The Beach Boys @ Grand Rex, Paris July 06 2011

The Beach Boys @ Grand Rex, Paris July 06 2011

Another day, another show @ Grand Rex, our 6th in 9 days, people working there are not surprised anymore to see us, they're family now ;-)
It's a packed house for the return of The Beach Boys in Paris, well ... what's left of The Beach Boys. There are no Wilson brothers in the band anymore , in fact the only original member is Mike Love (plus Bruce Johnston who came later).
So we can't really consider this as The Beach Boys.
Anyway we're not gonna talk about legal matters here.
Lots of beautiful girls in the audience, some young some others not so young but still hot.

Very strange beginning as we hear music in the background and in fact that's the band playing.
It started badly, as it' an all seated venue the atmosphere is very quiet and the band looks like a country funfair band, you know what I mean.
Bruce on the keys (on the right) is trying his best to get the audience waking up and ... standing up.
Finally after a few songs people are dancing , getting closer to the stage and the show is really starting.
The setlist is fantastic , no new songs ( do they have some ?) just oldies but goodies and What a catalogue !!!
They're just playing hit single after hit single ( see setlist below for details) even our Philippe Manoeuvre is getting down the front and is dancing like mad on "Get Around".(click for video P.M. not included)
Don't know who's the drummer but the guy is singing lead on a couple of songs and is doing a great job.

Mike & Bruce are doing most of the vocals, I'm a bit dubious if they're really singing or miming over tapes.

The band is getting a few young girls from backstage to dance on the stage and doing backing vocals. (see pics above).
As The Beach Boys don't have enough good songs (Just Kidding) they're playing a couple of covers from The Mamas and Papas ("California Dreaming") and Eddy Cochran's "Summertime Blues" with a drummer playing as if he was Keith Moon.

Mike Love as usual is acting funny, waving and pointing at people and shaking hands.
With all these fantastic songs it's hard not to be successful. Strange beginning though.
See ya @ Brian Wilson's gig @ Casino de Paris in September 2011

full setlist

"California Girls" + "Help me Ronda":

Lou Reed @ Grand Rex, Paris July 05 2011

Lou Reed @ Grand Rex
Paris July 05 2011

Support Band (far left) Grand Rex (center) Poster signed by Lou Reed (far right)

Another show at the Grand Rex, our 5th in 8 days ( Brian Setzer was first then Gregg Allman, BB King & Jeff Beck) and tomorrow we're back for The Beach Boys.

Difficult choice tonight : going to Lou Reed or John Mellencamp @ Olympia ?
We chose Lou Reed even though we never saw John Mellencamp Live, that's his first concert in Paris since 1992(?).

First on stage in this beautiful theatre on the Grands Boulevards we have a duet on guitar & Bass... well Ok !

Lou Reed is taking the stage with many musicians : 2 guitar players, bass, drums, piano and sax.
It's starting with heavy rock songs with sax, considering the songs he's playing it's not really a Best of... setlist.
Things are calming down a bit with "Ecstasy" , "Small Town" & John Lennon's cover of "Mother".
Every song is streched out to maximum between 7 & 9 min for each one. Not really what I expected.

Things are slowling down a bit more with a few Velvet Underground's covers including "Venus in Fur" (see setlist below for details).
Lou Reed is always giving his musicians indications with his hands like "hit harder" "faster" " slow down"...He's the boss.
I'm not too convinced by the songs played tonight thankfully with have a long version of "Sweet Jane" with the guitar intro that's close to the one on the "Rock'n Roll Animal" live album.

The end of the set is great with " Charley's Girl" (here on video), "The Bells" and last Encore "Pale blue eyes".
Far from being my best Lou Reed concert as we're a bit disappointed by the setlist and most of the songs are stretched out too much.
Good show overall.

PS: Lou Reed just recorded an album with Metallica.
Kirk Hammett & Robert Trujillo were in the audience.(see pic below) They met him backstage before & after the show with some friends & family.

Check our Pics of Metallica @ Bercy on April 1st 2009 Part 1 , Part 2 & Part 3 and the day after April 2nd @ Bercy Part 1 , Part 2 & Part 3 (including setlists and videos feat Metallica/Biff Byford from SAXON on "Motorcycle man").
Also Metallica doing promo in Paris @ radio station & tv show Taratata for the release of the last album

setlist / Kirk & Rob from Metallica

"Charley's Girl":