Madness + Les Wampas @ Zénith, Paris May 14th 2010

Madness + Les Wampas @ Zénith
Paris May 14th 2010

Les Wampas

We are @ the Zénith a little bit late so we've missed half of French Punk-rock band Les Wampas' set.
We can sneak easily in the first rows down the front as the pit isn't really packed, it's a small Zénith so there's probably 2500 Frenchies in there, well less than that as there are lots of our mates from England.

Les Wampas are ALWAYS fun to watch, and i've seen them many times now , thanks to their leader & singer Didier Wampas who's making the show on his own, running everywhere including at the back of the venue or crowdsurfing on a chair.(see Pics)

Kid wanna rock

A young kid went on a stage to sing " C'est Noel" and as usual many girls went on stage as well for the last song of the set.
There are always beautiful girls at a Wampas gig.

Kiss Kiss Kiss & Hug Hug Hug

Girls, Girls, Girls...

Madness, They call it ... Madness

Then it's time for Madness to play thier first real headlining show in Paris for many years.
They've played 3 times in the French capital last year:
first one was a showcase at the Ciné Aqua (click for review Pics & videos)
Second & Third was @ Rock en Seine festival as Oasis exploded in Paris before playing the festival and Madness was asked to play a second gig on the same day as" headliner". the best substitute you could ever find.
That was our day as we don't give a shit about Oasis and came mainly to see Madness.

They haven't changed things that much since last year.
I mean Who would ? They are at the top of their game.

Always starting the gig with "One step beyond" then straight into "Ambarassment".
The atmosphere is really cool in the front , lots of people jumping up and down or dancing.

Like the Wampas, in a different way Madness is always fun to watch.
The guys as smart as ever in jackets & ties.

Lots of fun and smiles from the band and from the audience.

They've played many songs from the first record ( the best) and some from the last one (see setlist for details).
With all the records they have done maybe they could have played a bit longer, 80 min is a bit short isn't it ?
Short but... great fun !

Setlist for Paris zénith

Sorry no videos from ROCKERPARIS this time but CHECK THIS :
Nightboat to Cairo, Our House, One step Beyond

The Faces are back...without Rod Stewart

The Faces were supposed to reform, they had a few rehearsals last year with Ronnie Wood.
It led to...nothing as Rod Stewart is making so much money in the States with his " American Shitbook" vol I, II, III, IV...that he didn't wanna get involved.

They will be back anyway with Glen Matlock ( Sex Pistols) on bass , he's a good friend of Ian McLagan and... Mick Hucknall ( Simply red) on vocals.

Don't know if we can call them Faces but it should be fun to see them live this August (?).

Source: My mate Raysgigs

Dead Weather to play Bataclan on June 30th 2010

Last month I told you that The Dead Weather might come back to Paris for a secret show at the end of may , in fact it's a small gig at the end of June ( the 30th) @ Bataclan.
On sale in a few days.

June Madrona + Christina Antipa @ Pop'In, Paris May 12th 2010

June Madrona + Christina Antipa @ Pop'In
Paris May 12th 2010

Christina Antipa

After playing an Oliver Peel session on saturday Christina Antipa is still in Paris this time at the Pop'In, same music but different set as she never plays the same show twice.
As no one is working tomorrow the basement is packed.

June Madrona

Headlining is June Madrona from Olympia , Washington, another band which already played an Oliver Peel session ( with Mia Doi Todd ) a few weeks ago. It's folk but much more country with banjo & cello.
And always ending their set with audience participation on wine glasses.

THIN LIZZY 2010 line-up revealed

THIN LIZZY 2010 LINE-UP
© Ross Halfin

One of my favorite band is back in 2010 but WHAT THE FUCK?
Where's John Sykes now that Brian Downey is back in the band ?
Ricky Warwick ? Vivian Campbell ? Is Def Leppard dead and gone ?

Universal will released a series of re-issue, deluxe of the classic THIN LIZZY... over the next few months, that's the only good news so far.

Ben's Symphonic Orchestra + Lisa Portelli @ L' International, Paris May 11th 2010

Ben's Symphonic Orchestra + Lisa Portelli
@ L'International, Paris May 11th 2010

Lisa Portelli

The famous Oliver Peel is co-organising this "Mon petit club" session @ L'international.
This is the first one of its kind and it's a success , I've never seen so many people at the International on a tuesday night, the place is packed, feels like we're on saturday.
We arrived too late to see Lisa portelli's set, we were there for the last song, she was on her own with an electric guitar, she rocked.

Ben's Symphonic Orchestra

Then we had Ben's Symphonic Orchestra.
A power trio playing some indie rock, cool gig.

Too bad they just blew it by ending their set slaughtering a David Bowie song

Listen to the new album " Brothers" by The Black Keys Here

" Brothers" The new album by The Black Keys in online legally

Listen to it HERE or HERE

if you're in the UK you can listen to the whole record , outside the UK you're only allowed 30 seconds of each song , Sorry !

Tonight ( Tuesday May 11th) there's a nice gig @ L' International 9:00PM in Paris' Menilmontant with Lisa Portelli & Ben Symphonic Orchestra. Don't miss it,
And it's free.

Emmanuelle Seigner @ Le Palace, Paris May 10th 2010

Emmanuelle Seigner @ Le Palace

Paris May 10th 2010

French actress Emmanuelle Seigner is playing the beautiful Palace Theatre.
This place is very famous for having the best wild parties back in the late 70's -early 80's ( A French Studio 54) and lots of gigs too ( Johnny Thunders, Stray Cats...).
It's just been re-opened after more than 15 years.

First time I'm going to this mythic theatre, well , it's really beautiful and it is as it was back then.
We have great seats on the second row. Thanks to Marie -Claire ;-)
It looks like most of the people attending the gig were on the guest lists, many of them ( or all of them) coming from the movie industry or friends & relatives.
Not the usual rock punter.

I already saw Emmanuelle Seigner when she did a showcase at the Fnac forum a few months ago when the record was released and I was less than impress, songs were a bit lame and her singing was average.

This time she's rocking !
She opened the set with the theme from Rosemary's baby ( a movie by her husband Roman Polanski who's detained in Switzerland)
The first songs were really rock, it calmed down a bit afterwards with mid-tempo songs.
We had a couple of acoustic songs and then back to some rockier tunes.
She's singing songs in french and others in English.
She's much more confident with her voice, even if she's singing sometimes flat and you can see that she practised a lot her stage moves.
We had nice covers of Jacques Dutronc's " on nous cache tout , on nous dit rien" and Nico's "Femme fatale".

It's a nice surprise , this gig and much better than i thought it would be, in fact we enjoyed it a lot.
She wasn't on stage for a long time only 65 min.
She could have played a bit more as she had a standing ovation from her friends from the showbizzzz.

setlist

Jacques Dutronc cover:

There was an aftershow party at the bar downstairs for the happy few, Emanuelle came to say hello to her friends. French actresses Anne Parillaud ( Nikita) and Agathe de la Fontaine were there among others.
Champagne and canopes were flowing for a couple of hours, when we left the party was still on.
Nice evening.

Peter Doherty @ Maroquinerie, Paris May 9th 2010

UPDATED MAY 11th WITH LINKS TO VIDEOS

Peter Doherty + Alan Wass + Anto Dust
@ Maroquinerie, Paris May 9th 2010

SOLD-OUT

Peter Doherty is still in Paris, he played @ Truskel on wednesday (click for review), this time he's back @ Maroquinerie where he played on Nov 28th 2008 (click for review, setlist Pics).
The gig was sold-out almost instantly so we're glad to be here with 400 people.
The security is strict at the entrance, you cannot even access the restaurant without a ticket, usually you can and cameras are not allowed, well, only small ones.
Rockerparis is providing Pics and videos, so don't worry baby !

aNTO dUST

There is a french band opening we didn't see them and we arrived as Anto Dust is playing, unfortunatelly we only catch the last 4-5 songs of her set.
We like her @ Rockerparis, she played 3 shows in the French capital last month @ Be There, Pop'In & Truskel ( click for...).
She had a nice reception from the crowd and she deserved it.

Peter introducing...Alan & Some girls

After a short break, Peter and Alan Wass went to the center of the stage , we thought that they were about to play NO, Peter was only there to introduce his friend Alan.
They have both played together @ Truskel on March 24th in Paris ( click for review).
Alan played a short set on acoustic guitar, cool music with 60's influences.
Bob Dylan meeting The Rolling Stones "Exile " era.
Cool set.

Alan Wass

Bob Dylan is in da house

Loud cheers are welcoming Peter on stage (9:30PM).
He loves Paris and plays here very often.
This is the 6th time we're seeing him in 2010.

Peeeeeeeeeete ! NO

Like all the gigs we've been to recently , he's very relax and cool.
There used to be a fury all around him a few years ago it has calm down.
The audience is listening to the songs religiously and no one is talking over the music.
It's a real gig and not a circus like it was in the "old days" , the atmosphere for this one is really different from last time in this very same place.

Not much talking between songs from Peter songs are played one after another, but we're used to it now.
He red a few lines from a book that was thrown on the stage, he did the same with a couple of papers that were thrown by a couple of girls.
As you can see on the Pics the WHOLE first row is squatted by girls.

Peter reading

I can't really say that it was "better" than the other shows I've been to this year but the atmosphere was so relax and laid back that it is probably my favorite.
Even though it seems that he really doesn't put as much effort as before , he's more on auto pilot.
No new songs tonight

[In fact he probably played one:
Do you Know this song ?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0dDMoA1668
Mail me if you know the title : irockinparis((@))yahoo(dot)fr ]

SETLIST ( from here):
01. (intro)
02. Lady Don’t Fall Backwards
03. From Bollywood To Battersea (starts @ 3'00'') -new link-
04. Last Of The English Roses, another version
05. Dilly Boys
06. What A Waster
07. Love Reign O’er Me ( starts @2'45'' ) -new link-
08. You’re My Waterloo
09. Ballad of Grimaldi -New link-
10. Time For Heroes
11. The Lost Art Of Murder
12. Music When The Lights Go Out
13. ---new song ---
14. The Good Old Days
15. Salomé
16. Albion
17. Can’t Stand Me Now
18. What Katie Did
19. Hooligans On E
20. For Lovers

Check also Oliver Peel's website for more Pictures

The show was recorded by Katia de Vitas who ( with Christian Fevret) are making a documentary on Peter (click for trailer).They are still recording lots of material and the documentary is far from being completed.
The trailer was cut & uploaded on Youtube just because Peter asked them to.

Too bad he only played for 75 min, with NO encore.

a dedicated audience

A couple of songs from the show:


We've also been told that Peter played an unplanned acoustic gig ( playing covers) at Bergerac bar in the afternoon for customers and passers by.
He'll be back in London tomorrow.

Check these websites for an extra dose of Pete :

France-Albion

Free-Pete
French Dog writtles

Dont' forget than Adam Ficek (Roses Kings & Castles , Ex-Babyshambles) is playing Espace B in Paris on May 19th, it's only 5 Euros.