Friday's Playlist: Happy Chuck Berry Day!

On what would have been Chuck Berry's 93rd birthday, we pay tribute to one of the pioneers of Rock and Roll with a playlist of some of his most famous songs as performed by some other great artists.

Durand Jones & the Indications @ le Trabendo, Paris - October 15th, 2019

The past year has seen the release of a number of great traditional Soul Music records, chief among which was Durand Jones & the Indications' sophomore LP American Love Call (check out our review HERE). Their traditional approach to the genre lends itself particularly well to the stage: like on their records, there are no tricks or gimmicks to their performances. Just great tunes performed with passion and craft.

Friday's Playlist - R.I.P. Ginger Baker

This week we got the news that Ginger Baker passed away so we concocted a long playlist celebrating his many accomplishments. Blues, Jazz, Psychedelic, proto-Metal, Afro-Beat, Funk, Post-Punk... Ginger Baker could play it all.

Greatest Hits Live (2011-2019)

We've just updated this page with some of our most recent favorite shots. There's quite a few legends in here... Click on the captions to check out the full galleries.

Angus Young (AC/DC)

Friday's Playlist: Fictional Bands

This Friday's Playlist features songs that mention bands or artists that don't actually exist. Johnny B. Goode, Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Sultans of Swing, the Spiders from Mars...

Friday's Playlist: Last Week's Originals

I received a couple of emails after last week's playlist essentially asking about where the songs came from. So here's the companion playlist to last week's covers: the originals. The songs are sequenced in the same exact order, so the flow might not be as good as last week's (believe it or not, these playlists are usually pretty thought out) because what worked with last week's version do not necessarily work with these. Oh, well. It's a collection of great songs and any opportunity to listen to Cosmic Slop or Bastards of Young shouldn't be passed upon! Enjoy, comment, share!

Wilco @ le Trianon, Paris - September 22nd, 2019

Wilco's concert at the Trianon was an intimate experience despite the fact that it took place before 1500 people, many of them American expats. Jeff Tweedy was his usual endearing self, still displaying the demeanour of a shy teenager despite his gray hair. 

Alice Cooper @ la Seine Musicale, Boulogne-BIllancourt - September 20th, 2019

Last time I saw Alice Cooper was just a little over a year ago in Los Angeles. It was my fourth show on the Paranormal tour after the London date in the fall of 2017 and the two Paris gigs at the end of that year (here and here). The shows were great but it was time for an overhaul. Of course, there are some staples that he can't do away with: songs like School's Out or I'm Eighteen and theatrics like the execution at the end of the second act of the show. But there is still a lot of room for change and creativity within those constraints and fans will be delighted to know that the new act is every bit as good as the previous one.

Black Stone Cherry @ la Seine Musicale, Boulogne-Billancourt - September 20th, 2019

I last saw Black Stone Cherry ten years ago when they were opening for Heaven & Hell. Back then their set had failed to impress me and the rest of the crowd, especially since they made the puzzling decision to feature not one but two guitar solos during their short 40-minute set. I'm glad to say they didn't make that mistake this time around, and they seemed much more professional.

Friday's Playlist: Awesome Covers (part one)

This long playlist gathers some of the covers I love. Are they better than the originals? Usually not, but they're awesome in their own rights. 

Friday's Playlist: Back to School

OK, so school has been back for several weeks now. I'm still on vacation mode, however. It'll probably feel that way for a while. Reality will hit me eventually, but I'm in no hurry. This Back to School playlist is dedicated to all the truants, drop-outs and juvenile delinquents. You know who you are. Enjoy, share, comment.

Friday's Playlist: New Wave Of British Heavy Metal

In last week's Playlist we featured Britpop, so this week we figured we'd stay in Albion but go back a little further in time. Needless to say, this Friday's Playlist needs to be played LOUD.

Duff McKagan @ Trabendo, Paris - September 2nd, 2019

Duff McKagan's new record Tenderness, his first foray into Americana and country-tinged roots rock, is one of this year's best releases and that's why the Trabendo is sold out. It's quite a privilege to see such a big star in such an intimate setting: ever since the core trio of Guns N'Roses reunited over three years ago, he has mostly been playing enormodomes. But this isn't stadium rock: this is something much more delicate, and much more emotive.

Shooter Jennings @ Trabendo, Paris - September 3rd, 2019

Shooter Jennings is pulling double duty tonight: the country star and his band are backing Duff McKagan on his Tenderness tour as well as opening the show.

Friday's Playlist: Parkas & Bowl Cuts - 80's & 90's Britpop

As promised, this Friday's Playlist is a little more palatable than last week's. In fact, a lot of those songs have great sing-along choruses, catchy melodies and great hooks.

Britpop is arguably the last movement that produced a true blockbuster rock band: Oasis might have fizzled out fast, but their first two records still hold up to this day.