Saturday, November 18, 2017

R.I.P. Malcolm Young


We knew that day was coming. We even got used to not seeing him on stage with the band. There will be many eulogies in the upcoming days. All of them will highlight his impeccable sense of rhythm, his unshakeable vision, his psycho-rigid unwillingness to budge from a certain rock and roll ethos.

Thursday, November 16, 2017

Alice Cooper @ SSE Arena, Wembley, London - November 16th, 2017


At almost seventy, the man formerly known as Vincent Furnier has nothing left to prove. He doesn't need to release new records, and he could easily phone in his performances like some of his costumed contemporaries. But he is a song and dance man, an entertainer. For an hour and a half, the man formerly known as Vincent Furnier lets his creation take over. This Frankenstein's monster name is Alice Cooper, and he only exists on the stage.

The Mission @ SSE Arena Wembley, London - November 16th, 2017


I've never been a big fan of the Sisters of Mercy so I never really checked out their offshoot band The Mission. Unfortunately their 45-minute set in the middle slot of the Alice Cooper London show wasn't at all convincing. The less said about them the better... 

The Tubes @ SSE Arena, Wembley, London - November 16th 2017


Th Tubes are a legendary band and their legend was built upon outrageous live shows more than upon their dozens of great songs. In that respect they are very much like tonight's headliner, who is almost never recognised by the mainstream for the most important part of his act: the music.

Friday, November 10, 2017

Trust @ Élysée-Montmartre, Paris - November 10th, 2017


John Lennon famously equated French rock to English wine and it's a sentiment I tend to share. As a general rule the French are better at gastronomy than rock and roll. There are some notable exceptions and Trust is one of them. They received a seal of approval from AC/DC themselves, had their biggest hit covered by Anthrax and shared a musician or two with Iron Maiden. These guys are good.

Thursday, November 2, 2017

Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit @ Café de la Danse, Paris - November 2nd, 2017


Jason Isbell is one of the greatest living American songwriters. This might seem like a bold claim since Dylan and Springsteen are still alive and kicking, but the Alabama native belongs in the same pantheon.

Tift Merritt @ Café de la Danse, Paris - November 2nd, 2017


Although she has several records out and was based out of Paris for a while, I had never heard of this young singer/songwriter.