Ravi Shankar ( a lesson with ... ) Salle Pleyel Paris Sept 2nd 2008

Ravi Shankar is in Paris for what is supposed to be his last ever european shows. He's with his daughter Anoushka .
He played a "normal" concert @ la salle Pleyel yesterday which i couldn't go to .
But tonight is different , this is a Master Class with the Master of indian music in the very same theatre.
Of course, both shows are Sold Out because it's probably the last time ever that a french audience will have the pleasure to hear such a gifted musician.
For the people who don't know him , he's a sitar player from India , as a kid he was a dancer ( he first came in Paris in 1933 ) and then turn to the sitar .
He's wellknown in western countries for playing the Monterey & Woodstock festivals and for co-organising "the concert for Bangladesh" in 1971 with Beatles' George Harrison.
He's also the father of Norah Jones( yes , the one ).
I really did not know what to expect tonight. First he started talking about his life then about indian music ( what it is, where it comes from , how you play it , the different rhythms and so on ... ) I thought he would never stop . You can't imagine how complicated this music is .
After a good hour , we still haven't listen to a single note of music. He started introducing each instrument ( tabla , flute ... ) with a demonstration of each instrument by each musician ... at last.
The end was more interesting with a real song played while Ravi was leading on vocals.
Sad he didn't play at all sitar . As you can guess you really have to be into Indian music to fully appreciate this Master Class ( which is not my case ).
Nevertheless on our way home we felt that we have lived a very special event in the company of such a great player who popularized Indian music in western countries , the kind of event that only happens once in your life.
I only wish i was there yesterday to hear him play.
Olivia Harrison widow from Beatles' George Harrison was there Backstage .
Last song from the Master Class :

ROCK EN SEINE 2 : The Raconteurs, Kate Nash , The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Scars on Broadway, Jamie Lidell , Brooklyn & Amy Winehouse ... NOT

Once again i'm late today, i'm on the site and Jamie Lidell is already playing, considering what he's playing i though that he would play with a funk band instead he's playing on his computer some electronic shit and " singing some 'OOh' and 'aaahh' and ' Iiiih' à la Michael jackson .
Complete crap

Jamie Lidell

So we go to the main stage to catch the performance of Scars on Broadway with former System of a Down musicians.As the festival is running late i don't miss anything. Nice introduction as the first world he is saying is "Motherfucker".
They're a light version of System of a Down. Good but after 45 min that's enough and i don't want to miss ...

Scars on Broadway

The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion , well the name says it all it's a BLUES EXPLOSION. Jon Spencer is a real showman, the music is kicking ass . And it's chaos in the pit.
Great set

The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion

Small detour to the third stage to see French band Brooklyn , they sound OK but Kate Nash is about to start her gig on the second stage :

Brooklyn

I've heard a lot about Kate Nash but it's the first time i see her live, her music is not really my cup of tea even if the single is quit funny. She seems a bit tired, she probably has a cold , her roadie is bringing her a inhaler. Nice set but nothing special.
Once again our photographer Patrice Guino manage to go on stage.
Live video here :
http://fr.youtube.com/user/rockingparis
I have to leave before the end to see the Raconteurs on the main stage , they already played the Rock en seine and they were terrific.

Kate Nash on piano (left) and levitating to her music ( right)

Kate Nash on Guitars

Everybody seems to be here, it's really crowdy or maybe is everyone turning up soon to secure a good "seat" for Amy Whinehouse.
No need to waste some time , paper , saliva what-the-fuck-you-want.
THEY WERE FUCKING BRILLIANT , AWESOME , TERRIFIC .

They're blues country rock is kicking ass. The wildness of Jack White and the coolness of Brendan Benson works perfectly on stage. It's so sad that they can't match it on record.
The Raconteurs is a band to see LIVE , just forget about the cd on which they're so disappointing.
Jack is dedicating a song to Amy Winehouse " who can't be here tonight " of course we take it as a joke. Nobody knows for the moment that Amy won't play.
The encore (3 songs) is smashing .
Best performance of the whole Festival.

Brandon Benson & Jack white

The Raconteurs ...

...in action !

Goodbye Miss Flower

Setlist : ( courtesy of www.whitestripes.fr )
consolers of the lonely
hold up
level
hands
you don't understand me
top yourself
old enough
Keep It Clean (Charley Jordan Cover)
steady as she goes
rich kids blues
together
Many shades of black
the swith and the spur
(encore)
salute your solution
broken boy soldier
carolina drama

It's 9:30 PM and Salomon the promoter is making an announcement :
" We're very sorry but Amy Winehouse can't perform tonight just go to the festival website for some compensation" No explanations given
That BITCH she did it once again, last year she cancelled her show a week before.
Can someone slap that Bitch !!!

The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion :

Check also Kate Nash live here :
http://fr.youtube.com/user/rockingparis

ROCK EN SEINE 1 : REM, Dirty Pretty Things,Kaiser Chiefs , Serj Tankian

Review and videos below:

Serj Tankian

Back from the Rock en Seine near Paris , the weather's perfect : cloudy and not to hot. We arrive in this beautiful parc quite late , not too many bands that i dig this year.
We're getting close to the main stage to see Serj Takian , the leader from System of a Down, easy to get down the front as he's far from attracting people not their cup of tea. it's sad because his pop-heavy metal is quite interesting and he has a sense of humour covering ABBA .
Live video here :
http://fr.youtube.com/user/rockingparis
We're leaving before the end to go to the secong stage for Dirty Pretty Things.

Dirty Pretty Things

They have a new cd to promote and Carl's band is very popular in france. Things are getting serious here and it's very crowdy. Lots of young girls praying the Libertines down here. Of course Patrice Guino, our photographer, with all his contacts could manage to get on the stage for their performance ( hope you like the pictures and see his exclusive live recordings here or on our Youtube account , link below ). Well i saw them many times live and i'm not a fan , their rock on stage but they're missing some really good tunes. they're not very tight but they're giving it all on a stage. Enjoyable anyway but it could be better.
Live videos here :
http://fr.youtube.com/user/rockingparis

Kaiser Chiefs

Kaiser Chiefs is already playing as we're getting back to the main stage, twice more people here than for Serj Takian. Hard to find our way down the front as it's impossible to move. They play all their hits plus a few new numbers, the new cd should be good. The singer knows how to treat an audience.They're tight and their songs are fantastic .
Absolutely Great set. This band is getting better and better and they fuckin' deserve it.
Next is Tricky on the second stage, we had a quick look but as we're not fans we prefer to have a walk instead and go to the main stage for REM.

REM

Last time i saw them a few months ago was at Canal+ for a tv show in front of 200 people. They did a great set for 90 min ( longer than the gig they played the day after at the RAH in London ). I've always found them a bit boring apart from a couple of songs, not rock enough for me until their last cd which really rocks.
For this tour they are back to the basics, They ROCK and that's what we like. Michael is still funny to watch. REM alternates some rock tunes with pop songs ( they're biggest hits ). Like Kaiser Chiefs they're getting better and better .
The highlight of the Festival so far.
See our video of Michael Stipe shakings hands with the audience on Youtube for " losing my religion"( link below ).
Live video here :
http://fr.youtube.com/user/rockingparis

Setlist REM:
Bad Day
Living Well Is The Best Revenge
What's The Frequency, Kenneth?
Drive
Man-Sized Wreath
The Great Beyond
Ignoreland
Hollow Man
Electrolite
Imitation Of Life
I’m Gonna DJ
The One I Love
Fall On Me
Let Me In
Horse To Water
Orange Crush
It's The End Of The World As We Know It
-------------------------------------
Supernatural Superserious
Losing My Religion
Man On The Moon

Exclusive live recording ON the stage by Patrice Guino ( you did it mate ! )

The Dirty Pretty Things live @ Rock en Seine :

More videos from the Rock en Seine here :
http://fr.youtube.com/user/rockingparis

George Clinton @ Bataclan August 27 th 2008

Nice dress george / smile for me

Smoking a joint

The summer of 2008 is Funky : after Tony Cook's Trunk- o-Funk and Martha High in June , Bootsy Collins ' Tribute to James Brown featuring Danny Ray , Vicki Anderson & Martha High in july now it's time for George Clinton to play the Hot & Sweaty Bataclan in late August. ( check our reviews of all these concerts on this site ).

Just in time from Canal+ after seeing The Last Shadow Puppets, we get into the Bataclan as the support band leaves the stage. we say hello to a couple of friends and try to get a seat upstairs ( we're getting old ) at the balcony 'cause it's gonna be a long & sweaty night . As always at the Bataclan no AC , the show hasn't started yet that we're sweating like pigs.
Around 9 pm musicians are getting on the stage , many musicians : one drummer , one bassplayer , 2 keyboards , 4 guitar players , 4 backing vocalists , 2 brass ,3-4 MC-Dancers-singers whatever ... and several of them are dressed in typical 70's LSD way ( see picture below ).
Funkadelic's in da house tonight , we are treated to a mix of Funk & some rock with heavy guitars of course the band is playing a good hour before George Clinton finds his way to the stage to rousing applause. He's more a "character" than a real singer. Hard to tell you which songs they've played it's more a long jam with songs played one after another for 3 hours. Looks like a bit of a mess as musicians and singers are coming in and out all along the show ( i try to count them all but i gave up after 20 ), but the band is tight .
George is nearly 70 but he's doing the show : singing , dancing and... smoking some weed that he took from a fan in the audience ( see our picture above ).
Great night but it's so damn hot at the Bataclan.
Thanks again to Patrice Guino who took the pictures in the pit down the front, i' m sure he would have prefered to relax upstairs with us...

Black Cyrano

Setlist :
Funkentelechy
Bop gun
Gamin' on ya
Undisco kidd / you do me (Belita Woods)
Cosmic Slop
Atomic dog
P.funk (wants to get funked up)
I got a thang
I betcha
"I'll be gettin' down with it" / stuff and thangs
Maggot Brain
Garry's one nation intro
One nation under a groove
Aquaboogie
Flaslight
Knee deep
Give up the funk
Up for the down stroke
Bounce to this

Last Shadow Puppets Canal+ August 27th 2008

Once again Great gig , better than yesterday.
Songs are very catchy , i heard them for the first time yesterday at the Olympia and i remember most of '' em today.
Well i 've recorded the show yesterday and i watched it this morning on my computer ;-)
Very intimate afternoon gig as they're playing in front of just 200 people for French TV show " l' album de la semaine " for Canal+ , VV from The kills is there too and like yesterday sing one song.
We have a longer set ( around 75 min ) as they have to replay 4 songs at the end (including the one with VV )
They're really enjoying themselves on stage ( so much that they're telling us ), and so we are .
Great privilege to see them in these perfect conditions.
Sorry no photos or videos for this one.
Setlist ( as picture ) + 'encore' consisting of : Black Plant , Paris summer ( with VV ), Hang the Cyst , i don't like you anymore ( the last 3 songs have been played twice in that order ).

then we rushed to the Bataclan to see George Clinton ... Groovy