Scorpions @ Fête de l'Humanité, la Courneuve, Sept 13 2014

Scorpions @ Fête de l'Humanité, la Courneuve, Sept 13 2014

French Rap band I AM

It's a bit of pain in the ass to get to the Parc de la Courneuve, first it's a few kilometers outside Paris, second it's in a shitty area with nothing around it. It takes ages to go there
Then the site is so huge that it takes more than 30 min to go from the entrance to the main stage.
Probably around 200 000 people on the site every day with 60 000 people watching the gigs on the main stage.
Good thing is that it is very cheap if you want to go : 30 euros for 3 days, yes only 30 euros for 3 days (12 for a day) with lots of concerts , political debates... remember it's the French Communist party's rally. Yes there is still one in France.
Any way, the only interesting band on the bill for this week-end is German Hard-rock band SCORPIONS, Massive Attack played yesterday night.
No time to waste for politics, probably every division  of the Communist Party from every town has its own tent with people debating and food to eat...and local bands playing, You CANNOT imagine how huge is the site.



As we're a bit early you could catch I AM 's set, which was not bad for french rappers, they're very popular over here.
After a long break, SCORPIONS are supposed to take the stage at 9:40 pm, the germans are finally hitting the stage past 10:00 pm.

ROCKERPARIS as always has the best seat in da house: on stage.

---Rudolf about to go on stage with his "Blackout" mask nearby (below far left)---

Scorpion on the P.A.
 
  Each time we came here we could attend the gigs on stage: Babyshambles, Alain Bashung, NERD The Kooks, Deep Purple...this year makes no exception.
For the first part of the show we're on Rudolf's side of the stage, with his "Blackout" Mask just in front of us. From where we are, the sound is not too great but the view is fantastic, we can see the audience from the first row till the last and feel its power, incredible.
First part of the show we were on Rudolf(s side then we moved to the other side to have a closer look at Matthias, good choice the view was better and not obstructed by PA and roadies, just the mixing desk, that's where we get the setlist (photo below this page)
Lots of pyrotechnics all along the show with fireworks and flames. The whole band is in fine form, using the whole stage and catwalk like kids running at Disneyland. They have a new drummer replacing James Kottak , who's probably in rehab for his drink addiction.

SCORPIONS are rocking, playing all the hits with only a couple of new songs, too many ballads (5 in all: "Send me an angel", "Holiday" and encore with "Still loving you", "Wind of change" and second encore and last song "When the smoke is going down" but I guess Klaus needs to rest his voice from time to time. Useless drum solo but it's probably to save Klaus 'voice as well.
Apart from that Great setlist and the band is rocking as always.

The band is rocking...
 

...like a hurricane 

Lots of guitar and costunes change for Rudolf 

 Setlist

"still loving you"

Maceo Parker @ Cité de la Musique, Paris Sept 04 2014

Maceo Parker + Malted Milk @ Cité de la Musique, Paris Sept 04 2014

Jazz à la Villette Festival

Legendary and original JB Maceo Parker is in da house tonight in Paris. No need to tell you that it is sold-out.

First we have French Funk-Soul band Malted Milk, cool set, the playing is neat, the singer/guitar player has a nice warm voice and his guitar licks are wonderful. The playing is perfect, too perfect, it's lacking a bit of Soul. Enjoyable though.

Then we have the master himself, introduced by his female wife(?)/ Manager -as usual- in James Brown style. He's walking the stage in a strange manner to the microphone... in typical Ray Charles' style for a snippet of a Ray Charles song. Then the man is grooving/ Funky-ing for the next two hours... playing saxophone , of course, and singing... and dancing.
He's wondering what he's doing in a jazz festival, saying that they do NOT play jazz and to make sure everyone understands that they are NOT playing any Jazz, he's playing a Jazz song (which was more of a "laugh at" the jazz style) so that everyone can see the difference between jazz and what they usually do: Funky Music.

He mentioned James Brown many times, I mean... he played with the Godfather of Soul for 25 years that's probably where he get his habit of  leading the band like a conductor.
Original Funky Diva Martha High is doing backing vocals and taking the lead for one song, so is the other backing vocal girl. The band has some space and each member is taking the lead even for a short moment at one time or another during the set.
Maceo is even playing the flute for a short tribute to Marvin Gaye before getting back to his Ray Charles' impersonation at the end of the gig before a nice rendition of JB's "Pass the peas".

Very nice set.