Friday, May 27, 2022

Derek Trucks Band @ la Scène Bastille, Paris - May 27th, 2006

Derek Trucks is touring the world as part of Eric Clapton's band and tonight, before tomorrow's gig with the British blues legend, he brings his own band to the city of light. His wife Susan Tedeschi is also part of the trek, and it's a treat to finally hear the two on a French stage. They are, no doubt, the future of blue, soul and American roots music. Their rendition of the Band's The Weight was one of the musical highlights of this reviewer's life.

Monday, May 23, 2022

John McLaughlin @ l'Auditorium de la Seine Musicale, Boulogne-Billancourt - May 23rd, 2022

Five years after his last concert in the French capital, and a few months into his 81st year, John McLaughlin returns to Paris (well, Boulogne-Billancourt, close enough) with his star-studded 4th Dimension band. This is the first night of the tour and John's first concert in a few years, having been sidelined by the pandemic like much of his peers and colleagues. His most recent record Liberation Time was therefore mostly recorded remotely, with each musician contributing their parts from different places in the world.

Thursday, May 12, 2022

Neal Black & the Healers @ Jazz Club Étoile, Paris - May 12th, 2022

Neal Black & his Healers played their first Paris gig since the pandemic at the Jazz Club Étoile with the help of special guests Janet Martin and Amar Sundy. French Bluesman Fred Chapellier was also announced but had to bow out on account of some unspecified medical reason.

The club formerly known as the Lionel Hampton Jazz Club is a somewhat hoity toity venue situated in the posh Paris Méridien hotel. For an artist who paid his dues playing seedy New York dive bars and rowdy Texas barrelhouses, this decidedly well-behaved audience with a median age averaging Medicare eligibility must have been a little disconcerting...

Saturday, May 7, 2022

A-Ha @ le Zénith, Paris - May 7th, 2022


I've lost tracks of how many times A-Ha have called it a day only to resurface a couple of years later. The sirens of crowd adulation are hard to resist and financial solvency is reason enough to quell any of the inner-band tensions hinted at in last year's documentary about the band. I, for one am not complaining: I've loved the band ever since I was a child. In fact, they were the very first band I ever saw in concert (at the Mane Garrincha stadium in Brasilia, on May 17th 1991). Since then I've only seen them once twenty years ago at the Zénith in Paris, and tonight they are playing that very same venue to celebrate their debut album Hunting High And Low.

Friday, May 6, 2022

Simple Minds @ la Seine Musicale, Boulogne-Billancourt - May 6th, 2022



Simple Minds' current tour is a fan's dream come true. Titled 40 Years of Hits, the show is over two hours long and spans their entire career. Opening with the pre-historic Act of Love, a song that dates back to their beginnings but had remained unreleased until recently, the set list then progressed through the band's history somewhat chronologically, which emphasized the sheer progression of the band from an alternative post-punk band, indebted to Joy Division and new wave, to the stadium pop/rock juggernaut they are known as today.

Friday's Playlist: Last Week's Originals

Last week we published a playlist compared entirely of covers. This week, we are giving you the original versions of these great tunes. That's it. No theme, no concept. Enjoy, comment and share!

Wednesday, May 4, 2022

Therapy? @ la Boule Noire, Paris - May 4th, 2022

I don't know if you guys have heard, but apparently there's been a worldwide pandemic that effectively shut down entire countries, killed millions of people and decimated businesses the world over. I guess this explains why Therapy? are celebrating their 30th anniversary as a band in their 34th year. It's a valid excuse.