Summer Cleaning: Setlists

Welcome to Summer Cleaning! Grab a broom, make yourselves useful.

This second installment focuses on setlist we've grabbed of photographed on stage over the years. Once again, they are presented to you in particular order, some of them for the first time. Check them out after the jump. Enjoy, comment share!

2021/2022 Concert Season Recap pt. 1

The 2021/2022 season has been an exceptional one for rock shows in Paris. Obviously, any time the Stones roll through town, you know it's going to be something to remember. 

This season was also notable for the fact that it marked the return of live music after the pandemic effectively shut down the world for the better part of two years. And if the virus is still around, still dangerous, we have learned to live with it. 

Our last gig before the cancellations and lockdowns was Tenacious D in February 2020, and then we didn't set foot in a concert hall until September 2021 for Robert Jon & the Wreck. But between the Robert Jon gig and today, we have attended 34 shows in almost every possible genre, from Metal to Jazz, Pop, Blues, Progressive Rock, Punk Rock, Americana... Some of them were old favorites that we'd already seen a bunch of times, and others were first times for us. 

Singling out one show would be impossible and unfair, so here's a quick recap of every show we've been to. Apologies to opening acts, but we're only featuring the headliners here. Click on the titles to access the full articles.

Summer Cleaning: Mixing Desks

It's summer, we're on vacation, and we won't be covering a show until the end of August at the very least so here's the first installment in our Summer Cleaning series where we just dump a bunch of photos, most of which we've not published before.

This one focuses on a very important instrument: the mixing desk. Here they are, in no particular order!

Suffocation @ Backstage By The Mill, Paris - August 2nd, 2022

Fancy a little brutality on this hot summer day? O'Sullivan's Backstage By The Mill was the place to be. Suffocation literally annihilated the Paris red light district venue with their savage musical assault on the senses and their brand of old school Death Metal.

Transatlantic @ l'Olympia, Paris - July 28th, 2022

Less than two months after two of its core members played the Trianon in Paris as part of the Neal Morse Band, neo-Prog supergroup Transatlantic decided to end their short European tour with a bang at the famous Olympia theater in the French capital.

Jeff Beck feat. Johnny Depp @ Olympia, Paris - July 25th, 2022

Jeff Beck has made a career out of confounding expectations: he's changed his approach to the instrument several times, has taken several sharp turns in his musical direction, concentrated on session work for a while and even stopped working altogether for a long stretch in the nineties. He's tackled blues, rock n' roll, jazz, soul, hard rock, electronica and countless other genres while never losing his artistic identity and, as he's pushing eighty, is showing no sign of settling down.

The Rolling Stones @ Hippodrome de Longchamp, Paris -July 23rd, 2022

For over forty years, each new tour undertaken by The Rolling Stones has been met with comments alluding to the fact that this might be The Last Time. And with each passing year, that possibility is getting ever more real: Jagger turns 79 in a few days, and Richards isn't far behind. This tour sees the World's Greatest Rock n' Roll Band celebrating 60 years, and the celebration is bittersweet: beloved drummer Charlie Watts died last year at age 80, another sign that Time Waits For No One. Thankfully, it seems his replacement by longtime Keith Richards associate Steve Jordan was well accepted by the fans, and let's face it: no one ever expected them to stop. As long as Mick and Keith are alive and willing, the Stones will keep rolling.

Ayron Jones @ Hippodrome de Longchamp, Paris - July 23, 2022

We discovered this young man and his top notch band a few months ago at the New Morning, on their very first concert outside of the U.S. and it was obvious that great things were in store for them. Hopefully this short but powerful set opening for the Rolling Stones will help them grow their audience and find the success they deserve.

Popa Chubby @ Cabaret Sauvage, Paris - July 22nd, 2022

The artist formerly known as Ted Horowitz is celebrating thirty years on the road as his larger-than-life blooze-rock persona. This is Popa Chubby's second Paris gig in less than ten months, which probably explains why this date at the Cabaret Sauvage wasn't as well-attended as the Olympia from last October.

Friday's Playlist: Voodoo Rock

This Friday's Playlist will be the blog's last entry for a few weeks as we're going on vacation. We'll be back on time for The Rolling Stones show in Paris!

Social Distortion @ Élysée-Montmartre, Paris - June 29th, 2022

Social Distortion last played Paris seven years ago in support of the 25th anniversary of their self-titled record. Tonight they return to the French capital with no new album to promote, and essentially delivering a Greatest Hits set for the pleasure of the small but fervent crowd gathered at the Élysée-Montmartre.

Brown Sugar No More

The Rolling Stones returned to live work last year in a post-pandemic world. They first toured America in 2021 and are now celebrating 60 years by embarking on a European trek which has already rolled through Spain, Germany, England, Italy and is scheduled to hit France in a few weeks.

Iron Maiden @ Paris La Défense Arena, Nanterre - June 26th, 2022

Iron Maiden was last in town four years ago and this is the continuation of that same Legacy of the Beast tour which, like many things, was put on hold by the COVID-19 pandemic. But since they've released Senjutsu last year, they've added a few songs from that album on this leg of the tour, and the change is both a good and a bad thing.

Friday's Playlist: Americana

As the title indicates, this Friday's playlist focuses on Americana, Country and Folk artists. This is in no way an anthology (that would take several days) but a rather concise selection of some of our favorite somewhat recent Americana recordings. We've emphasized some younger artists, but there are some older legends in here too. Save this playlist in your favorites for your upcoming summer road trip: it is best enjoyed while watching a highway scroll by. It's even better if you have no idea where you're going.

Enjoy, comment and share.

Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets @ le Grand Rex, Paris - June 22nd, 2022

Nick Mason has assembled a top band to play the early Pink Floyd repertoire, going all the way back to the Syd Barrett era. Needless to say, the setlist is a fan's dream.