Marianne Faithfull @ Théatre de l'Odéon, Paris Feb 15 2012

Marianne Faithfull @ Théatre de l'Odéon, Paris Feb 15 2012

Not a concert tonight but some reading @ Théatre de l'Odéon not far from St Germain des Pres and just in front of Jardin du Luxembourg.
There wasn't a lot of advertising so it wasn't full, it was packed downstairs but lots of empty seats on the sides at the balcony.
As you can see on the pics, it's one of the most beautiful theatre in Paris.

Lady Marianne read us Shakespeare's sonnets (around 20) with Vincent Segal on cello.
She was reading for 2-3 min with the translation on a huge screen in the back and then Vincent Segal played his cello for a couple of minutes.
It went on like this for 80 min.
It was interesting, Marianne's reading was faultless and her voice was perfect.
The cello was sounding amazing, it's one of my favorite Classical instruments .

I would have prefered that they left the translation on the screen while Vincent was playing cello:
If you were reading the text, you didn't focus on Marianne's reading and if you were only listening to her without reading the text, you couldn't understand the meaning of it, sorry we're French.
Cool gig

Reminder:
Marianne Faithfull @ Théatre du Chatelet on March 22 2011 (1st show) & on March 23 (second show) with Wayne Kramer.
@ Fnac Montparnasse on Feb 09 2011 for a Question & Answer.
@ Cité de la Musique on June 17 2009 (1st show) & June 18 2009 (second show)

Django Django @ Fnac Forum, Paris Feb 14 2012, 6:00PM

Django Django @ Fnac Forum, Paris Feb 14 2012, 6:00PM

Nice acoustic show from new pop sensation Django Django.
It started very late and they only played 3 songs ( video of first one below).
They sounded like Syd Barrett's Pink Floyd, very psyche but I Guess when they're playing electric it's more "electro"

Music & Comic Book : Limited Edition giant vinyl with Bowie, Beatles , Led Zeppelin

When Music meets Comic Book

Hervé Bourhis (The Beatles) / Charles Berberian (David Bowie) / Zep (Led Zeppelin)

Available @ Galerie Oblique

Galerie Oblique, when Music meets Comic Book
Some of the most famous French cartoonists have created some very limited giant edition 66rpm vinyl, each copy is numbered and signed by the artist.

Check the gallery's website for the next exhibitions dedicated to Comic book

Nick Lowe @ New Morning, Paris Feb 12 2012

Nick Lowe @ New Morning, Paris Feb 12 2012

Not a lot of people on this sunday night at this famous Parisian Jazz club New Morning.
Once again you've missed one hell of a show.
We're not really familiar with his repertoire, we've just been told that we had to go as he's a great composer and...we were not disappointed.
It was a very relaxed and laid back concert with lots a great songs sounding between Buddy Holly, Johnny Cash & JJ Cale.
Conditions were perfect with tables and seats in front of the stage, a bit as if he was playing in our living room.
He started the show on his own on the acoustic guitar for a couple of songs, his band joined in for the rest of the gig.
Nice arrangements on each songs with subtle keyboards/piano and guitar with stand up bass for a warm sound. Vocals were superb.
Very classy gig.

Whitney Houston dead at 48, RIP

After Amy Winehouse another great singer, even though you like her music or not, has died.

Singer Whitney Houston has died at age 48, according to her representative Kristen Foster
She apparently died at the Beverly Hilton Hotel
no more news for the moment

Gilby Clarke @ L'Empreinte, Savigny le Temple Feb 11 2012

Gilby Clarke @ L'Empreinte, Savigny le Temple Feb 11 2012

Former Guns n Roses guitar player on "Use your Illusion" mammoth world tour is playing for the first time as a solo artist in France, he already played in Paris with GnR, Snakepit & MC5, tonight he's playing a tiny club 30 km south of Paris @ L'Empreinte in Savigny Le Temple.
It may be far but it's very easy to go there, 35 min with the train from Gare de Lyon and the club is just in front of the station.
First on stage is a GNR tribute band with the most ridiculous "Axl Rose" copycat I have ever seen, hard to believe I thought it was a candid camera episode.
Then we have a very average Swedish rock band.
Gilby is getting on stage @ 10pm, he's playing all guitars and singing all vocals with the bass player and drummer for the Swedish band.
Beginning of the set is quite average with some very... average songs, then when he starts playing his best songs from the first album, his best one, or a Snakepit it's getting much better, we have a few covers including " It's so easy" or a Bob Dylan "Knocking..." that GNR were covering.
he has a great rock N Roll voice and the guitar playing is neat.
The show ended with two nice renditions of Rolling Stones' songs, the first "Wild Horses" that he played on his own and then "Dead Flowers".
Overall good 65 min show but plagued by too many average songs at the beginning.

setlist: (from our friends @ GnrFrance)
Wasn't Yesterday Great
Under The Gun
Motorcycle Cowboys
Black
It's So Easy
Monkey Chow
Knockin' On Heaven's Door
Cure Me... Or Kill Me
Be Yourself (And 5 Other Cliches)
Tijuana Jail
-Rappel-
Wild Horses
Dead Flowers

65 min set

"Cure me or Kill Me"

Next shows in Paris for February 2012

Feb 09:
Liz Green @ Fnac St Lazare 6:00pm (free show)
AM + Shawn Lee @ Gibert Jeuneon Bd St Michel 6:00pm (free show)
Big Deal @ Fargo Store 6:30pm ( Free show)

Feb 11:
Gilby Clarke (Ex-Guns N Roses) @ L'Empreinte in Savigny Le Temple
Feb 12:
Nick Lowe @ New Morning
Feb 13:
Keren Ann @ Le Trianon
Feb 14:
Nada Surf @ Bataclan
Phoebe Killdeer + Lisa Portelli @ Fleche d'Or ( free show)
Feb 15:
Les Inrocks Award @ Alhambra
Feb 16:
The Subways @ Alhambra
Feb 21:
Mark Lanegan @ Album de la Semaine (TV show, Invit' Only, bookings will open a few days before the show)

Juliette Gréco @ Théatre du Chatelet, Paris Feb 08 2012

Juliette Gréco @ Théatre du Chatelet, Paris Feb 08 2012

Last of her three shows @ Théatre du Chatelet for this French legend of St Germain des Pres.
Serge Gainsbourg wrote "La Javanaise" for her and she had a love affair with Miles Davis.
She's 85 years old and she's still active, maybe her voice is not as strong and melodic as it used to be and she can still deliver but most of all the passion is still there.
She played her most famous songs including songs by Jacques Brel ("Bruxelles, " Mathilde"..) , Serge Gainsbourg ("L'accordéon", "La chanson de Prévert" &" La Javanaise") or Léo Ferré.
She ended her 90 min set with "Le Temps des Cerises"
Nice

It's not very rock but she's a legend of St Germain des Pres

BILL WARD FIRED FROM BLACK SABBATH BY SHARON OSBOURNE

According to Metaltalk.net
BILL WARD FIRED FROM BLACK SABBATH BY SHARON OSBOURNE

MetalTalk.net understands that Bill's replacement will be Tommy Clufetos from the Ozzy Osbourne band.

Support Bill Ward by liking this page on facebook already more than 25000 registered

Check our reviews (with setlist, Pics & video) of OZZY Live @ Paris Bercy on sept 20 2011 last year
Heaven & Hell @ Casino de Paris on June 24 2009

Skip the Use @ L'Album de la Semaine, Paris Feb 07 2012

Skip the Use @ L'Album de la Semaine, Paris Feb 07 2012

setlist

French electro-rock band Skip the Use is recording famous Canal+ tv show L'Album de la Semaine to promote their latest album.
They do have a single that is played very often on french radios that sounds like Gorillaz, in fact they do sound more like a dancing and heavier version of Bloc Party with a bit of Shaka Ponk.
The singer's giving it all on stage running from one side of the stage to the other and dancin' like a maniac. He's singing in English and considering the music that they are playing they could go international, which doesn't really happen very often (read "never") with french bands.
Each song is a potential hit with some nice hooks and chorus to sing to.
Lots of up-tempo songs , they are the perfect band to see in festivals.
For the last song, the singer ask the audience to join him on stage, cool.
Musically it's not our favorite style but they've kicked asses.
Looking forward to see them on a real stage in front of a few thousands people.

Mark Lanegan's recording @ L'Album de la Semaine is on Feb 21st.

Michael Kiwanuka @ L'Album de la Semaine, Paris Feb 06 2012

Michael Kiwanuka @ L'Album de la Semaine, Paris Feb 06 2012

British soul artist Michael Kiwanuka is in Paris to promote his first album "Home Again" to be out on March 24th. For the moment there's only an EP to listen to that is more acoustic.
He's doing lots of promo and his English tour in clubs starting next week is sold-out.
From the songs he played tonight, you can hear that there's talent, songs are simple & great.
Between folk & soul à la Richie havens & Bill Withers, most of his songs are very laid back and we have to say we prefer when it's less acoustic and more soulful with 70's arrangements like the song "Tell me a tale" (video below).
Nice performance but we need more up-tempo songs.

Recording of Skip the Use @ L'Album de la semaine on Tuesday (Feb 07)

Arts asiatiques @ Musée Guimet & Damien Hirst @ Gagosian galerie, Paris , Feb 05 2012

Arts Asiatiques @ Musée Guimet

Great museum by the Trocadero in Paris

For information Palais de Tokyo is closed from Jan to April 2012 to be expanded, it will triple its size.

Spot Paintings:

Damien Hirst @ Gagosian gallery in Paris

Yes this dude is making millions with that crap !!!

Arctic Monkeys + Miles Kane @ Olympia, Paris Feb 03 2012

Arctic Monkeys + Miles Kane @ Olympia, Paris Feb 03 2012

See ya...in front of your computer here on Arte TV tonight for the live broadcast
Setlist Arctic Monkeys above (sorry too lazy to write it down)

SETLIST Miles Kane:

1. Better Left Invisible
2. Counting Down The Days
3. Rearrange
4. The Responsible
5. King-crawler
6. Telepathy
7. Quicksand
8. My Fantasy
9. The first of my kind
10. Inhaler
11. Come Closer
12. Standing Next To Me (Last Shadow Puppets with Alex Turner)
    

The end of Miles Kane's set with Last Shadow Puppets:

Streaming of Miles Kane 's set here on arte live

Streaming of Arctic monkeys' set here on arte Live

Letz Zep @ Olympia, Paris Feb 01 2012

Letz Zep @ Olympia, Paris Feb 01 2012

More and more cover bands are playing big venues, specially in England or in the USof A.
We don't really have this over here in France.
I mean who's willing to pay between 50 & 80 euros to see a cover band they could see for free in a bar ?
I guess a lot of people and I was quite shocked to see that the Olympia is full for Letz Zep, it's all seated but packed with 40 something old geezers.
Hard to believe that a cover band is filling up a 2000 capacity theatre in Paris.

As tickets are very expensive I hope that it's worth every penny.
Great start with "Rock'n Roll", we're talking first league here... it's like seeing Led Zeppelin on stage, unbelievable, the singer looks like Robert Plant and sings like him, same for "Jimmy Page" & "John Paul Jones", only the drummer doesn't look like John Bonham at all.
The musicianship is high, the lightning is beautiful and the sound loud & clear.
All the songs are played perfectly with all the jams and medleys that Led Zeppelin used to do when they were performing.
The guitar player is terrific, nice look and the guitar playing is amazing.
Maybe the singer is sometimes a bit annoying trying to sing so high but he has all the famous stage moves.
They've played almost two hours over two sets with a intermission. Second set starting on acoustic with "Gallows pole" and a few more ...
Setlist was perfect: "D& C", "Stairway", "Kashmir"," baby I'm gonna leave you", "No quarter","Whole lotta love", ...

I never thought that it would be so good.
Great gig !