Adam Ficek @ 5e Disque Rue Mouffetard Paris May 20th 2009

Adam Ficek aka Roses Kings Castles
5e Disque Rue Mouffetard Paris
May 20th 2009 6:00 PM

Adam is in Paris to promote his cd so he had a couple of solo acoustic performances organised, one was yesterday @ Motel Bar ( see review , Pics & Video HERE ) which was packed.
Today he's playing in a very tiny record store in one of the most 'pittoresque' street of Paris La Rue Mouffetard.
Very odd choice ( to be polite ) to do a gig in such a small store ( He should have a word with the "Promoter" ) nevertheless Adam took it nicely and greeted fans who came ( mostly the same as yesterday ) with very relax and laid back songs from his back catalogue, including a couple of favorites , with audience participation and some brand new songs to feature on his next EP.
As usual with Adam everything went smoothly.
Strange to see him play in such a small place while the tv screen was playing in the back the Woodstock movie in which John Sebastian & Joe Mc Donald are playing their acoustic set in front of half a million people.
Here's a video from Mathilde ( Not rockerparis ):

Adam Ficek aka Roses Kings Castles @ Motel bar Paris May 19th 2009

Adam Ficek @ Motel bar Paris May 19th 2009

Escaping from the drums of Babyshambles , Adam Ficek is taking his acoustic guitar and playing in clubs and bars. This time he's @ Motel not too far from Bastille.
Lots of cool and laid back songs in the packed bar , lots of familiar faces here tonight.
We had the primeur of a couple of new songs.

See Ya tomorrow in the record store of Rue Mouffetard M° Place Monge @ 6 :00 PM for another acoustic show.
he will be mixing @ Social Club around midnight

Gossip @ L' Album de la Semaine Canal+ Paris May 19th 2009

setlist

Gossip are doing famous Canal+ tv show " L' Album de la Semaine" , they are here to promote their new album .
They've played yesterday a long sold-out gig @ Boule Noire.
In front of a selected audience of less than 200 people , Beth Ditto are friends are only playing songs from their new cd ( see setlist ).
They used to be more rock , it seems that new songs are much more orientated with a 80's sound with weird keyboard and all... not for the best.
Beth still has a voice but the music is less interesting, too bad .
The gig was quite short , around 30 min and Beth came to sing the last one in the stalls with the audience.
Hey guys come back to some real rock'n roll.
( sorry no pictures it's forbidden )

Tomorrow May 20th Adam Ficek is playing another gig in a record store at 6:00 Pm @ -5e disque- Rue Mouffetard M° Place Monge in the Latin quarter. 5e district

Then I 'll go to Bercy for the Chris Cornell / Lenny Kravitz concert.

see ya there

PJ Harvey & John Parish @ Bataclan 2 May 18th 2009

UPDATED MAY 25th
with a link to listen to the WHOLE SHOW ( click ) on Deezer

PJ Harvey & John Parish @ Bataclan
2nd show Paris May 18th 2009

The Marquee

Hey Boys , It's hard to make a living in Paris these days !

Once again American artist Tom Brusseau opened the show on his own , oh Boy he was alone! Like yesterday many people in the back were talking as he was playing his sweet folk country music.
He thanked the audience a couple of times for listening to him.
The guy has a good sens of humour.
He has the voice of an angel à la Jeff buckley , frenchies only showed him support when he ended one of his songs a cappela.
Fine job in difficult conditions.

Well , What can I say about this gig ?
They played songs from their 2 records ( setlist below ) , she was wearing the same black dress as yesterday , the band wore the same black suits like a country band would do.
I noticed that John changed his horrible brown colour shoes from yesterday to some black ones.

Polly was in fine form , her voice was crystal clear , dancing barefoot ( remember someone ? ).
John was discreet playing guitar , banjo , ukulele ... only singing lead on one song at the end.

The music went from very quiet songs to nice indie rock spat out lyrics.
They could have changed a couple of things as we had the same songs as yesterday in the same order for a too short 90 min show.

Once again great set !

Setlist

PJ Harvey & John Parish @ Bataclan 1 Paris May 17th 2009

Pj Harvey & John Parish @ Bataclan

1st show May 17th 2009

Tom Brosseau

1st of two sold-out shows @ Paris' Bataclan.

Folk- Country american artist Tom Brosseau opened the show on acoustic guitar. He did well even tough people in the back didn' t seem interested.

With Polly-Jean from tour to tour everything is different , last time she was alone on piano and different other instruments & before that she was rocking hard on guitars with her band.

For this tour she has a companion: John Parish and she's only singing.
The whole band is dressed smartly and PJ has a nice black dress.
As I Haven't heard the record yet I can't really tell you what they've played ( see setlist below ).
The audience is listening religiously to their indie rock ; some cool songs, a few heavy ones.
PJ is the main attraction tonight and John seemed to be only a member of the band.
He sang only once ( PJ doing backing ).
Really nice gig , see ya tomorrow

Close up & setlist

Rough Trade Records stealing videos on You Tube for Jarvis Cocker's promotional video of " Angela"

Record Companies are shouting out loud that people are stealing music by downloading illegal files.

Well they do the same:
Rough Trade Records to illustrate Jarvis Cocker's first single " Angela" have stole 2 videos on Youtube recorded @ Galerie Chappe last week and mixed them as one.

"And there we go we've got a brand new video and it didn't cost us a fucking penny !!!"

I wouldn't mind at all in other circumstances but the only problem is that

THEY STOLE MY VIDEO

Here are the originals:
one (mine ) & two
The stolen one
Check for yourself

Mick Jagger 's private show @ Cannes festival

Mick Jagger & Dave Stewart will play a private show @ The VIP Room in Cannes on May 21st.
This show will take place to seal his business deal with French designer Claude Audigier.

One more thing , Universal will issue shortly remastered version of the Rolling Stones Discography and ... Censorship is fighting hard.
The song Star Star has been censored , you won't hear the "Pussy" word as they've mixed the previous sentence over the sentence that contains the word " Pussy".
Which means that they've used the first version of the American master.
Are we in 2009 ?

Paul Rodgers ends collaboration with QUEEN

Queen and Paul Rodgers have announced that they have ended their collaboration.
It's official

Beirut @ Bataclan Paris May 12th 2009

Beirut @ Bataclan Paris May 12th 2009.

As Green Day's concert @ The Trabendo ended very early we went straight to the sold out Bataclan ( easy it's on my way home ) to catch the end of Beirut's gig.
Of course we didn't see Mina Tindle who was opening tonight.
I don't know if it was because we were coming from Green day but i thought that Beirut was quite boring, I hate that kind of eastern rock gipsy with brass à la Emir Kusturika.

SETLIST ( From Oliver Peel ) click for pictures:
01: Nantes
02: The Shrew
03: Elephant Gun
04: The Concubine
05: Mount Wroclai (Idle Days)
06: La Javanaise (Serge Gainsbourg Cover)
07: Postcards From Italy
08: Mimizan
09: Cocek
10: Scenic World
11: Cherbourg
12: The Akara
13: A Sunday Smile
14: After The Curtain
----
15: The Penalty (Z)
16: My Wife (Z)
17: My Night With The Prostitute From Marseille (Z)
----
18: Brazil
19: Siki Siki Baba (Kocani Orchestra Cover)

Green Day @ Trabendo Paris May 12th 2009

UPDATED MAY 15th : Link to download "Longview " video.

Green Day @ Trabendo Paris
May 12th 2009

setlist inaccurate , they've done more

After seeing them yesterday @ L' Album de la Semaine tv show for Canal+ , I wanted more of that powerful pop music.
What the FFFFFUUUUUUUUCCCCCKKKKKK !!!
Do these guys have to go to bed early or what ? Is their mummy waiting for them at home ?
It's 7:30 and the show has already started for more than 20 min.
Guess I'm late one more time.
Anyway , they know how to entertain 17 year old girls , all screaming like maniacs, they also know how to play their shit , it's absolutely perfect.
Songs are really good too
They're very entertaining even though they're playing a very light american " Punk" , some called it Disney-Punk.
Lost of new songs ( some are 6 min+ ) and a few oldies thrown in at the end.
They've added lots of songs to the original setlist.
They didn't get 20 yelling girls on stage like yesterday , only one but she sang a couple of verses from a song , Lucky you !
Great Show
Sad they're acting like fucking rock stars just because 20 underage girls are waiting for them at the end of the show.
Hey guys come back to mother earth, You're not supposed to be Punks ?
Joe Strummer ( Who ? ) is probably laughing out loud from his grave.

Young girls and a drum stick & Mr Rock Star surrounded by security

SETLIST:
- 21st Century Breakdown
- Know Your Enemy
- East Jesus Nowhere
- Last of the American Girls
- Murder City
- Viva La Gloria? (Little Girl)
- The Static Age
- 21 Guns
- American Eulogy: Mass Hysteria / Modern World
- See The Light
-- Encore --
- American Idiot
- Jesus of Suburbia
- Longview
- Basket Case
- King for a Day (Shout / Stand by me)
- Minority

Greeeeeen Daaayyyyyy !!!!

" American Idiot"


More videos HERE.

Green Day @ L' Album de la Semaine Canal+ Paris May 11th 2009

Green Day @ L' Album de la Semaine Canal+
Paris May 11th 2009

After a week with former Brit-pop lead singer of Pulp : Jarvis Cocker .
It's time for some American Punk-Rock with Green Day.
They called this Punk but it ain't Punk at all for me , Green Day is more a powerfull pop band than anything else.
I made my way into the tiny studio that holds 200 people while the band was already playing their first song , the show had started earlier than usual.
The sound is crystal clear , it's unbelievable , absolutely perfect.
Many years ago they were 3 on stage now there's an additional guitar player and a keyboard-guitar player.
The set didn't last too long they're here to perform some of their new songs ( including the new single ) plus a couple of oldies including " American Idiot".
The band is on top form it's almost too perfect ( for a Punk band LOL ).
Lots of teenage girls in the audience , they even had their 15 min of fame as the singer asked 30 of them to come on stage a couple of times.
It's the first time ever that i'm seeing so much security between the stage ( well it's not really a stage as people are seating in stalls and the band is playing on the floor ) and the audience at L' Album de la semaine.
Are these guys afraid of something ?
Anyway ...Really nice 40 min + gig.
After the show only the bassist came to sign a couple of things to fans outside , the others went straight into their limousine.
Call it Punk ?

Fans & incorrect SETLIST + Drum stick / Invit

Jarvis Cocker @ Galerie Chappe Day 6 Paris May 10th 2009

Day 6 & Last day

Jarvis Cocker @ Galerie Chappe
May 10th 2009

Interviewed by Clash Mag / Relaxing

The whole band minus Steve

Today is the last day of Jarvis Cocker's residency at the Galerie Chappe in Montmartre.
So things are gonna be a bit different than the other days no ' Kids class' , 'Belly dancers' or ' Yoga Class' .
There will be no jamming with members of the audience ( well almost ) , just an outdoor gig to celebrate a great week.

Things are getting ready for a show at 4:00 PM
As an introduction The Band jammed once again with a kid on trumpet , who was there a couple of days ago.
Then Jarvis played, on his own , a couple of acoustic tracks.

Jarvis is blessing the audience ( right )

4:00 PM
It's time to rock Montmartre for the last time . As the band is playing inside the Galerie Chappe
Jarvis is singing on the stairs on the front porch doing the show for the 200+ people that gathered on the tiny place.
It's funny to attend a concert like this with cars and tourists passing by wondering what's going on.
SETLIST :
1) Further complications 2) Caucasian Blues 3) Leftover 4) I never said i was deep 5) Homewrecker 6) Pilchard (instrumental ) 7) Holdstill & 8) Angela

Nice 45 min set with Jarvis thanking everyone involved including the poor neighbors who had to endure rock music 4 to 5 hours a day for a week.
It was really nice to meet people , many of them came several times, during the residency ; the band , the crew & Jarvis were nice to everyone , always available for a chat or photos.
Thanks Guys.
Jarvis will play the Bataclan on June 4th.

Some girls & new cd

New song " Angela " ( click on link)

New song " Homewrecker"