Joe Cocker @ Zénith, Paris Oct 10 2010

Joe Cocker @ Zénith Paris
10/10/10

Two "legends" are playing Paris on this sunday night.
Robbie Williams , for the young girls, is playing a private show @ L'Alhambra in République for 700 competition winners and guests.
Joe Cocker, for the old geezers, is playing the Zénith which is packed but not sold-out, maybe 4000 people as it's an all seated event.

We get there too late to see the French rock support band , from what we heard they seem to have done a very decent set.

It's 9:00 PM when Joe Cocker & his band are getting on stage.
Beautiful setting: 3 huge brick-wall backdrop with different projections over it all along the show, some cool old movie lightnings in the back and a huge chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

Two beautiful and very sexy dressed girls on backing vocals, a very hot black girl on bass, Mike Finnigan on keys + Guitar player , drummer, piano player & sax -percussion player.

Slow start with a new song " Get on" then the hits started to hit: " The letter", " When the night comes"...
Joe Cocker still has his Whiskey fueled voice.
Not really convinced by the latest songs he did those last few years , they are all mid-tempo and average including " N'oubliez jamais"

Luckily there are not too many new songs, we have lots of old songs, that why people are here tonight and we have them all. See setlist for details

All the audience stood up for Randy Newman's " You can leave your hat on".

Great ending with "with a little help", " bathroom window" & Cry me a river".
I didn't really understood why the last song was a new one " thankful" ( another mid-tempo)
10:45 Good Bye Paris and Thank You

"Jump" !

Very good set even though some of the new songs are a bit average.
The whole gig was recorded for a future DVD and only this gig.

setlist

Merchandising

"Come Together":

From The Beatles

Prince to play the Palais des Sports in Paris this week ?

Updated Oct 16: It's been shelved , gig should have took place on Oct 14 (so they say ;-)) even though some of his musicians are in Paris.
Maybe later we'll try to find out but not in december has Prince has just announced at a press conference @ the Appolo a residency in NYC for December called " Welcome 2 America".

Oct 11 , nothing new for the moment, I should have more info tonight.
but it looks like there's something going on

Pics: Prince @ Grand Palais Oct 11 2009.

A friend of mine who knows someone who knows someone... told me that there are strong rumours that PRINCE will play a "private" show at the Palais des Sports next week in Paris.

I'll try to know more today.
So stay tuned to ROCKERPARIS.

Solomon Burke RIP 1940-2010

SOLOMON BURKE
RIP
1940-2010

Solomon Burke performing at the aftershow party (along Ben E King, Sam Moore, Percy Sledge, Paul Rodgers...) @ Indigo club for the reformed Led Zeppelin gig at the O2 on Dec 10 2007

He wrote Everybody Needs Somebody To Love which was covered by The Rolling Stones and The Blues Brothers in the movie of the same name.
He died on the plane that was flying him to Amsterdam where he was to play a gig on tuesday at the Paradiso.

Gene Simmons @ Midem in Cannes Talking business

Gene Simmons from KISS is in Cannes, France @ Midem talking business, brands, sueing people and how KISS was plan just to make money after studying the market.
Very interesting discussion.
I know it's long but worth watching it ( talk starts at 8:00)

Money Money Money ! And more money !!!

John Lennon 70th Birthday

John Lennon would have been 70 today

Happy birthday John !

Bob Gruen exhibition @ Galerie Basia Embricos
14 Rue des Jardins St Paul
Paris 75004
Oct 5th - Oct 25th

Leslie West of Mountain @ New Morning, Paris Oct 08 2010

Leslie West @ New Morning
Paris Oct 08 2010

Hard to remember the last time that Leslie West was in Paris for a concert, I probably wasn't born.
The guy is a bit of a legend, leader of the band Mountain.
When we arrived at the New Morning for the soundcheck it was hard to believe that he's on his own on the electric guitar, no bass player ans no drummer.
What the fuck ?
Neil Young is doing it for his new album, so if Neil can do it, Leslie can do it either.
Unfortunately things didn't go as smoothly as we thought.
1)his guitar playing is good but could be better
2) It's a fucking karaoke as he's playing only covers apart from a couple of songs
It could have been so much better with 2 other guys on bass and drums.
Disappointing.

SETLIST (set 1, 30 min):
-People get ready
-Blowing in the wind
-Why don'tcha (request from the audience)
-For Yosgun's farm
-Crossroads
-House of the rising sun
Set 2, 45 min:
-Paris song(?)/ Classical song
-The Cell
-Stormy Monday
-Whale song(?)
-Mississipi Queen
Encore
-Theme for an imaginary western

For ya "Mississipi Queen"

Leslie West of Mountain

Montblanc launching party for the Limited edition John Lennon's pens

Montblanc launching Party for the
John Lennon's limited edition Pens
on the Champs Elysées.Paris

We were kindly invited by Montblanc @ the official party fo the launching of the John Lennon's limited edition pens.
Check the official website it's FANTASTIC, specially the animation HERE.
As you can guess it was a very posh event with prices from 300 Euros to 20000 euros for the White gold with saphir limited edition to 70 copies pen.
They only had one in the store , it was already sold and the store had to borrow it to the new owner without possibility to take it out of the special window display that was done for this party.
We had a very interesting chat with Gina Bruzzi, the woman who designed all the John Lennon' pens, and a few others for Montblanc.
A few canapés and a couple of drinks and we left with a nice goodie bag with the catalogue, a Tashen book on John Lennon that is given away when you're buying one of the pens and a single edition of "Imagine" with the Montblanc logo on the back ( collector) especially done for the occasion.

Montblanc John Lennon goodie bag

Cool !

"Ladies & Gentlemen" private screening @ Club de l' Etoile 3:00PM

"Ladies & Gentlemen" Please welcome...
THE
ROLLING STONES

Private screening for 100+ people for the press & hangers on.
Live gigs from 1972, short interview before the concert with Mick Jagger (in the movie , of course) and then The Rolling Stones LIVE AT THEIR BEST with a stunning Mick Taylor.
A must see and a must have ( for the dvd).
The Rolling Stones have never sounded better.
For more info check CielEcran