Arctic Monkeys @ La Cigale, Paris June 16 2011

Contact: irockinparis((@))yahoo(dot)fr
Updated June 17 with links to MORE videos

Arctic Monkeys + Concrete Knives @ Cigale

Paris June 16 2011

Concrete Knives

This is our second Arctic Monkeys' show in two days, yesterday they've played a private show in front of a selected audience of 200 people at the Album de la semaine.
Once again we were a bit disappointed by their shitty attitude as if they didn't give a fuck.

Will it be different tonight ?
First we have French electro-pop-rock band Concrete Knives: they're sounding very 80's, this is not our cup of tea but they were entertaining. The singer did a bit of crowd-surfing on the last song.

It's 8:45 pm sharp when the band is getting on the stage to the music of Steppenwolf , the sound is loud and clear, there is a powerful white lighting on Alex Turner for most of the gig.

The Cigale was sold-out almost instantly when the tickets went on sale a few days ago, in fact it sold-out in two minutes. (They've just added another show in the south of France in a couple of weeks).
The atmosphere is hot, lots of pretty girls down the front screaming their lungs out.

Tonight Alex left his" fuck it" attitude that he had last night for the Canal+ tv show, he's smiling a bit and is talking much more (not enough though) and that is changing everything.

I haven't seen them a lot on stage but this one was the best I've been to.
Songs are rocking, Josh Homme is probably responsible for turning them into a more American band with heavy guitars and that's the shit that we love @ Rockerparis.
Almost a "stoner" band.
Yesterday was more orientated on the new album tonight it's more of a best of (we'll get the setlist soon).
We have a bit of everything fast (the old ones) and slower songs (the recent ones), once again the first single is terrific live, probably the best song on the new album

setlist:
1) Library Pics 2) Brainstorm 3) This house is a circus 4) Still take you home 5) Don't sit down... 6) Pretty visitors 7) Teddy Picker 8) Crying Lightning 9) Brick by Brick 10) Reckless serenade 11) Cornerstone 12) The view from the afternoon 13) I bet you look good... 14) She's Thunderstorms 15) If you were there beware 16) Do me a favour 17) That's where you're wrong 18) Whe the sun goes down Encore 19) Shalala 20) Fluorescent Ado 21) 505

You can see that Alex is the main attraction, he's getting most of the light maybe the others should get more involved in the show but they're doing their job perfectly

With 4 albums under the belt 75 min can be considered a very short gig but we enjoyed every fucking minute of it.
GREAT gig !

Pas sheet & Merchandising

setlist soon

Arctic Monkeys @ L'Album de la Semaine, Paris June 15 2011

Arctic Monkeys @ L'Album de la Semaine for canal+
Paris June 15 2011

setlist

Well, We really like Arctic Monkeys @ ROCKERPARIS but we have to admit that in concert we were disappointed the last time we saw them @ Zénith in Paris in November 2009.
The music has change a lot with slower songs and the guitars are more heavy which is what we like: HEAVY
We cannot consider them as an English indie pop-rock band with up-tempo songs as they sound now like a heavy American band with slower songs.Thanks to Josh Home from the QOTSA.

Nevertheless if we like the music, LIVE there's a problem, all the guys in the band are looking so bored, it's a misery.
Even when Alex Turner is saying hello to the audience he's looking at his shoes and doesn't seem to bother at all.
They have the best job in the world, they're sellling lots of records they have the credibility and they have the fucking attitude of a coal miner going to work @ 5:00 am.
What the Fuck is wrong with them !

New songs sound good specially the single that's terrific, glad with have an old up-tempo song "teddy Picker". Only "Brick by Brick" is sounding like 60's English pop-rock, the rest is very 'American'. see setlist above for details

Good 42 min set but it could have been so much better.
A first @ L'Album de la Semaine in more than 4 years of recordings : the band left the stage to go straight into their cars ?!?, like Elvis did in the old days.

Come on guys !

Check our reviews of The Last Shadow Puppets @ Olympia on August 26 2008 & @ Album de la Semaine for Canal+ the day after

Anna Calvi @ Fnac Montparnasse, Paris June 15 2011 5:30 pm

Anna Calvi, showcase @ Fnac Montparnasse
Paris, June 15 2011, 5:30 pm

With...

Nice surprise to have a free gig @ Fnac Store in Montparnasse as she's not playing any other gig in Paris.
She's playing a REAL gig, I mean with drums, electric guitar & all her stuff, not like so many bands who are coming with acoustic guitars and are playing 3-4 songs-15 min set.
The place is packed but not rammed which is quite a surprise, we arrived there early as I was expecting much more people.
As usual she's starting with the "Instrumental" on guitar but as she has a bandage on her wrist there's a guy playing the guitar for most of the set, in fact 4 songs out of seven.
With Anna Calvi it's always perfect: the hair, the guitar playing, the vocals & the smile.
Great 25 min set.
She signed a few cds at the end but we made a quick exit to go to Canal+ to see the Arctic Monkeys.

... & without guitar in hand / ready to sign / setlist

"Desire":

Check her lastest shows in Paris @ C'est Lenoir in January, @ L'Album de la Semaine a couple of days later, @ Nouveau casino in Feb, @ Cité de la Musique opening for Grinderman in Oct 2010 + Le Trianon on April 22 2011

BEN HARPER is also playing a live showcase @ OUI FM radio in Bastille @ 7:00 pm
He did a 7 song set for 40+ min

For setlist, Pics & official video from his preview show @ La Fleche d'Or last month (click on links)

Yael Naim + Dick Annegarn + Thomas Fersen + Les Tetes raides + Shaka Ponk... @ Cabaret Sauvage, Paris June 14 2011

Deezer Offline #4 with Ben Howard, L, Thomas Fersen, Yael Naim, Dick Annegarn, Les tetes Raides, Shaka Ponk @ Cabaret Sauvage, Paris June 14 2011
for the 15th Anniversary of french Label Tot ou Tard

French label Tot ou Tard is celebrating 15 years of activity @ Cabaret Sauvage with sponsors Deezer & Arte which is broadcasting the concert live on the website.

We arrived in this beautiful circus a bit late to see Ben Howard & French singer Raphaële Lannadère aka L.
All band or artist were playing 4 songs, so we started the evening with Thomas Fersen who played with just an acoustic guitar player : typical french songs.
Yael Naim was next with her easy listening pop-folk music on piano or on acoustic guitar.

Dick Annegarn singer from Belgium did something on his own unfortunately we were outside socializing with people working for the sponsors Deezer & Orange and we missed him.

Then was French Rock band Les tetes raides: things are starting rocking a bit, lively set with brass: between 'Chanson française' and rock. Cool !

Closing the night was french 'novelty' act Shaka ponk, it looks like these guys were playing in hard Rock bands and decided to finally make a bit of money so they decided to change to an electro-rock band with songs with nice hooks so they can get a hit on the radio.
Entertaining but...

It was not over for us as there was an afterparty outside with open bar and canapés.
We had a good time.
Thanks to Miss MC. for the invit'

Shaka Ponk " Kids in America":

Ivry Gitlis @ Cigale, Paris June 13 2011

Ivry Gitlis @ Cigale
Paris June 13 2011

In order to raise money for a association which is playing classical concerts in Schools,hospitals, jails, nursing homes... Ivry Gitlis, one of the most famous classical violin player is helping them out by playing a few songs among many other young musicians.
Ivry Gitlis is also famous in the rock world for playing The Rolling Stones' "Rock & Roll circus" in 1968 with The Dirty Mac a one-time English supergroup consisting of Keith Richards, John Lennon, Eric Clapton , Mitch Michell and Yoko Ono.
Tonight e have a bit of everything: Piano solo, violin , cello, brass.. each one or each trio or quartet playing a"song" for 3-4 min one after another, most of it classical and some jazz too.
Ivry Gitlis is playing a couple of things at the end.
After an intermission young musicians are back to play some more and Ivry Gitlis is ending the show by playing a classical version of an Edith Piaf song with them all .
Very good classical parts and not so good classical version of french Elvis Johnny Hallyday songs just to keep the audience entertained.

Ivry Gitlis came with his 298 year old stradivarius

It wasn't a "classical" audience so the bits played were famous classical songs incorporating some jazz songs. Ivry was nice and chatty, he's 88 years old now and was just back from japan so he didn't played too long but that was cool to see him playing and meet him in his dressing room.