Mark Knopfler & Bob Dylan @ Paris Bercy, Oct 17 2011

Mark Knopfler & Bob Dylan @ Paris Bercy, Oct 17 2011

Bercy is Sold-out, even scalpers outside are looking for tickets, it's no surprise with this double bill: Both acts can play a sold out show in this arena.

Mark Knopfler is first on stage (@ 8:05pm) in front of an all seated audience, 7 musicians in all including Mark.
He's playing songs from his solo albums, we've never been fan of his celtic-country music, a bit too soft for us even though we like JJ Cale who's a major influence on Mark's work, you can tell by listening to his songs.
Good set by Mark Knopfler, songs are bit in slow motion specially for the most "celtic" songs.
The guitar playing is subtle and stunning.
He's probably one of the best guitar player we have seen on stage with Eric Clapton & Jeff Beck.
For the last couple of songs the very quiet audience is rushing down the front and the last one is welcome with open arms as it's a Dire Straits song "So far away" the only song we knew tonight.
He was on for 75 min ending @ 9:20 pm

setlist Mark Knopfler: (tbc)
1) What It Is
2) Cleaning My Gun
3) Sailing to Philadelphia
4) Hill Farmer's Blues
5) Privateering
6) Song for Sonny Liston
7) Done With Bonaparte
8) A night summer long
9) Marbletown
10) Speedway at Nazareth
11) So Far Away

Reminder:
Mark Knopfler @ Paris Bercy June 09 2010

Twenty min + intermission before Bob Dylan to get the stage ready for the master.
People are trying to get down the front against the crash barrier but the tight security from Bercy is watching and everybody has to go back to their seat.Funny: lots of young fans and also lots of boring old farts who are not happy that people are standing up.

We have never seen Bob Dylan in such good form, of course the voice is still as horrible as ever but the legend played a few songs, not hidden behind the keyboards, center stage posing like Elvis Presley. He also smiled a lot.
For once the lightning was good.
A very good surprise AND tonight we can recognise the songs he's playing which is not always the case.
It's probably the best show I've seen him perform, compare to other bands it could be considered as crap but for Bob Dylan standard it was a good show.

Pass sheet

setlist Bob Dylan:
1. Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat
2. It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
3. Things Have Changed
4. Tangled Up In Blue
5. Honest With Me
6. Spirit On The Water
7. Summer Days
8. Desolation Row
9. Highway 61 Revisited
10. Blind Willie McTell
11. Thunder On The Mountain
12. Ballad Of A Thin Man
13. All Along The Watchtower
14. Like A Rolling Stone



Reminder:
Bob Dylan: two shows @ Palais des Congres in Paris on April 09 2009 & on April 08 2009

French Premiere of Martin Scorsese's documentary on George Harrison "Living in the material world" @ Grand Rex, Paris Oct 16 2011

Martin Scorsese's documentary on George Harrison :"Living in the Material World" Première
@ Grand Rex, Paris Oct 16 2011

Feat: Yarol Poupaud, Martin Rappeneau,Peter Von Poehl, Mohini Geisweiller, Poni Hoax, Yann Destal, Alister, Turzi, JP Nataf.

Dhani & Girlfriend (far right)

Olivia Harrison / Yarol Poupaud

First we have each band or French artist performing one George Harrison song, most of them are average or very bad ( Poni Hoax completely off key) except for JP Nataf who's playing a great version of "Give me Love" which is probably my favorite George Harrison solo song.
I'm being a bit hard: Mohini, Yann, Yarol & Turzi did good version of their song.

Peter Von Poehl / Mohini Geisweiller

Poni Hoax / Yann Destal / Turzi

JP Nataf (far left), Editor + Olivia + Philman+ Dhani

Then we have Olivia Harrison, Dhani and the editor of the movie on stage interviewed by none other than Philippe Manoeuvre, with his trademark shades, the editor in chief of French rock mag Rock & Folk.
That was the interesting moment of the evening and also... the funny part.
He has his own special way of speaking English, so we all had a good laugh.
A video of the interview should be coming soon on this site.

The interview:

Thanks to Philippe Etzi aka Filoudelou for the video

Last part but the most important, the one we're all here for: The screening of the Martin Scorsese movie on George Harrison, played in two parts as the doc is 3h30 long.

Very interesting documentary, there are some footage that I've never seen (Live songs from the 1974 American Tour) a couple of interviews from American tv...
There are some long parts too which are less interesting.
Good documentary overall but don't know if it's really worth getting it on dvd, not the kind of thing that you will watch everyday like a concert.

I've seen the book it's really fantastic, this one is really worth buying.

For Paul McCartney news , Pics, live reviews with videos it's HERE

Crosby & Nash @ Olympia, Paris Oct 14 2011

Crosby & Nash @ Olympia, Paris Oct 14 2011

Crosby & Nash are back in Paris for the first time since their show @ Casino de Paris in 2005.
Of course we saw them last year with CSN in this very same théatre ( scroll down for links to previous reviews).
We've always prefered CSN to C&N but we're not too sure after seeing tonight's performance.

They opened the first set with a great rendition of The Byrds' "Eight Miles High".
The sound is terrific, it's like listening to your stereo at home, we have some nice seats, 4th row on the right on David's side.
These guys might be (very) old they still have the same voice.Incredible.
David is on top form tonight making lots of jokes between songs, there are also lots of very serious talks on politics and nuclear energy.

All along the show to keep things interesting the band is alternating classics and more recent songs, Crosby songs and Nash songs, acoustic and electric, full band or just the duet ... so it's always something different.

The first set is 60 min long then we have a intermission.
After this first part, all the audience is rushing to the merchandising stall to get a card so they can download, next week on the official website, tonight's show.(25 Euros).

The second part of the show will be as terrific as the first one.
More classics are played, they do have a fantastic guitar player Shayne Fontaine that is taking Steven Stills guitar parts when needed. Reproducing his sound and soli perfectly.
James Raymond , David's son, is on keys and backing vocals; Kevin McCormick that they stole for Jackson Browne's band is on bass; Steve DiStanislao on drums and vocals.
Hard to get things wrong with such a tight band and so many fantastic songs.

The end of the gig is stunning with "Cathedral"-"Deja Vu"-"Military Madness"-"Wooden Ships"-( with terrific soli by each member) and last :"Teach your children" (see full setlist below)
When they are leaving the stage , they've been on for 2h30 min, it felt like just an hour.

One of our best gig for 2011.

Merchandising

setlist

"Our House":


Check our previous review of last year's concert @ Olympia ( Part 2) on July 12th.
CSN in 2009 @ Olympia (with live video) Part 1 & Part 2 & Stephen Stills @ Olympia 2008.

Jane's Addiction streaming entire new album " The Great Escape Artist" before its release

Listen to the album HERE and on itunes