REVIEW: KT Tunstall- Tiger Suit

FRENCH VERSION ALSO ON sound of violence

Third album for KT Tunstall. And we can easily tell you it's a damn pretty good one. Kate is like your usual girl next door, the good friend who takes her guitar wherever she goes and decides to start improvising over a Bob Dylan's song. Rewind: KT reached fame in 2004 with Black Horse And The Cherry Tree and its easy-to-remember « wouhou ». But she had had her share of difficulties for almost 10 years before that. From bars to mini tours, the Scotsgirl has learnt how to captivate an audience and to give her listeners the songs they want to hear and that she likes to play.


Since 2005, KT Tunstall got us used to her bluesy pop-rock. Of course, it's pretty conformist and selling but it's also fucking enjoyable. For Tiger's Suit, she had Jim Abyss, the producer of the demential Kasabian beat, to work for her. Not to change her folk tunes into some Vlad The Impaler soundalike but to include more electro sounds and rhythms, like on Uummannaq Song. And that was a good idea: Abyss managed to give her some fresh air. 

First impression with the design- gee, is it really  KT Tunstall's new album? I mean, she looks totally like Natalie Appleton on it! (come on, Natalie Appleton, Liam Gallagher's sister-in-law, Liam Howlett's wife...the former All Saints!). Well, anyway, despite this little visual bug, it's clear that KT knows her job. Of course, some people will say that there's nothing new in it, that Come On, Get In is just a copy of Black Horse, that sometimes she sounds just like Sheryl Crow (on The Entertainer or Glamour Puss), that her attempts to verge on the electro side like in Lost will go unnoticed or that this album is designed to please the ears of the average over-thirty woman and will leave a younger, rockier audience totally indifferent.


Yet KT is, before and over all, an urban folksinger, a female version of Bruce Springsteen, in skinny jeans and leather boots, a John Fogerty from the Highlands, a girl cradled by the 1990s Britrock. And that is what she keeps delivering us. Glamour Puss, Push That Knot Away or Difficulty remain in a very American blues trend, with hints of sounds Muse could use in their albums.


So if you didn't like her previous albums, you will certainly not go for Tiger Suit. But if you somehow appreciated Eye To The Telescope and Drastic Fantastic, then this album should become a classic in your record collection.

INTERVIEW: The Wombats

FRENCH VERSION AVAILABLE WITH PICS FROM THE CONCERT on www.soundofviolence.net

Google map was wrong. And it took me about 45 minutes trying to find my way around the Canal Saint Martin to get to the venue where The Wombats were playing and where I was to interview the band. But it was worth it as the gig was legendary and the interview turned out to be a nice chat with Tord Overland-Knudsen, the bass player, about the (in)famous pressure of the second album , working with four producers and becoming a Norwegian legend on the Merseyside.

HAL : You're at the beginning of the European leg of the tour. So how do you feel?

Tord: Well, apart from having a cold, I'm really excited about showing people our new songs, the things we've been working on for a year and a half now. I think.... It's gonna be really exciting to see how people react to the songs. There are a lot of of new elements, a lot of keyboards going on that we didn't have previously so it's all like, you know, things that technically work out live. I think we're gonna be OK. Fingers crossed!

HAL : This tour will last about five months and you will come back to Paris in February. How do you explain such a popularity in our country, which is not particularly famous for loving rock bands?

Tord: Well, I can't really tell why but I guess, I mean I do like our music, obviously that's why I'm in this band, and I can see why I would like it if I were a teenager. I mean, we're pretty good live.

HAL: You've got lots of very young fans already queueing for the gig. (pointing to a young German fan trying to get her name on the list)

Tord: actually, I don't know if it's an all-age or 18 + gig tonight

HAL: Well, there's no 18+ in France.

Tord: Oh? really? OK then!

HAL: You're back with your new single entitled « Tokyo:Vampires and Wolves » which is like the perfect dancefloor song. Is it important for you, as a band, to have people dance on your songs?

Tord: I don't know, it doesn't really have to be dancing. If a song inspires you to do something- even relax, or be cheerful- it can have various effects on people, I think it's great if music makes people happy in whichever kind of way, if music is doing something right to people

HAL: And why this title « Vampires and Wolves?

Tord: Well, Murph wrote this song, It's about escaping daily life, being away, having fun being on tour and coming back and having to face reality. It's a bit of a let down thing at the beginning and also the process of writing songs and having the band write or perform songs that are supposed to be better, well at least as good as the o nes on the previous album. That's what people expect from us. Even ourselves as well, we want that to happen. So it's all about the pressure of doing a second album

HAL: Well, that's true coz it's a highly-anticipated album. I mean you've got a great press coverage but you must feel a lot of pressure.

Tord: We do. But I think pressure can be good in terms of pushing yourself creatively and aesthetically. I think that the songs that we've written for this album, some of the songs are probably the best songs we've ever written. Whether it is the pressure or not, I don't know but it's been definitely a lot of pressure, having a successful first album. Well, the label wants us to repeat the success we've had with the first album so I think the biggest pressure has been from the label. We've written 30 songs but its only 10 songs on the album you know.

HAL: Did you pick up the songs you wanted or...

Tord: it was the label choice but we wouldn't have been able to choose the best in the 30 songs so we kind of agreed. We picked the songs together. The songs that we wanted wouldn't probably have been the best for the album.

HAL: When will you release this album? Coz there's no official release date yet.

Tord: Well, this is the thing: it was supposed to be at the end of November but it's now been pushed back. It's gonna be early February. So we have more time to promote it. It all came a bit of a sudden coz we basically finished studio 3 weeks ago so we need to take time to promote and we felt we would have done it in a rush otherwise.

CC: What is the name for the album? Is it already chosen?

Tord: No, there is no title yet. But it will probably be the title from a song on the album. Maybe like Jump Into The Fog.

HAL: You recorded the album with 3 producers.

Tord: Well, now 4 actually! (laughs)

HAL: wow! But why 4 producers?

Tord: Because the producers went away for longer than 2 weeks at a time. The first one only had 2 weeks. And 2 and a half weeks with Eric Valentine and we went to LA, and then back to the UK for two weeks. Then 3 weeks with Rich Costey and 3 weeks with Butch Walker. They're all producers we wanted to work with. Rich Costey mixed our 1^st album so we knew it was gonna be fun. Eric Valentine was the label's suggestion. A lot of things he'd done was like cheesy American rock music that we didn't really like. But as a producer, he is a genius, he ended up being one of the producers we liked best.

HAL: So what was it like, working with someone you didn't really choose?

Tord: He only did 2 and a half songs. He's just like, he had a very msuical approach to things. He was geeky about sounds. But the thing is that you lose the right feeling if you don't have that live approach. It's fun though. It's cool to work with many producers because they have very different ways to approach the recording and mixing.

HAL: Those who've heard the album already compares it to The Horrors, Depeche Mode, The Killers. Is it a mix of all this or did you try to put your influences away and do something that could become typically Wombats? I mean you are becoming a reference for new bands.

Tord: Actually, I don't know who's heard the whole album! But people have to refer to whatever they like. I personally, and we, as a band collectively don't drag our references. We don't refer to them. A song is a song, whatever suits the song is good. Any genre can be fine.

HAL: And what about you? What are your influences?

Tord: Me personnally? When I was a kid, it wasn't like one band or one guitarist. It was more, I liked the idea of making music that I enjoyed listening. I was really into Weezer, Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, it was grunge, I grew up in the 90s.

HAL: So no Britpop. You were more on the US side.

Tord: I grew up in Norway you know, so we were more influenced by America. I loved Blur though but they were almost a grunge band, an English version. At the time, I didn't like Oasis. I learned to like them afterwards. Basically I played classical music. I got tired of playing an instrument that played music I wouldn't listen to.

Which intrument did you play?

Tord: Cello.But it wasn't creative enough. And I came to think: « why should I even bother playing this when some people can do it ten times better than me? » I knew how to read music, it was useful, I used my classical experience in rock and indie music

HAL: You never wanted to put cello in your songs?

Tord: we did on the 1^st album. For one of the songs we'll record the strings in Abbey Road. I don't know if I'm going to be on it though. I think they're going to hire someone coz I haven't played it for so long. I'd screw everything up! (laughs)

HAL: Or they'd tell you it's you, when it's a professionnal cello player.

Tord: yeah, probably! « yes, listen, it's you »! (laughs)

HAL: You said you used more keyboards on this album. Was it an attempt to get a more 80s sound or were you tired of playing the guitar?

Tord: Yep, the second one! We really liked with the idea of playing many instruments at the same time. « How can we get all these sounds playing at the same time? »

HAL: You're gonna play many instruments tonight?

Tord: yes! But it's a surprise.

HAL:The last tour was pretty harsh on you all. Is it why you're having this 2-month break in the middle of the tour this time?

Tord: No, well ,the reason is that we want to do promotion around the album. I don't think there was any reason. It's not gonna be a gap, as we've got radio and TV things to do. And hopefully meet the fans. It's not gonna be time off.

HAL: You're from Norway but you moved to Liverpool. Why did you decide to move there and did the town have any influence on your music?

Tord: I chose Liverpool because of the university, it's got a good reputation in Norway, it's like Paul Mc Cartney founded it! so I wanted to go to Paul McCartney's school. (laughs) Now, I'm gonna stay, I've got a girlfriend in Liverpool.

HAL: As we're reaching the end if the interview, is there a new band you particularly like, or that you think the readers should know about?

Tord: I listen to a band called Miniature Tigers. They're from NY. But I quite like older bands. Nothing particularly new. No, it's more like new releases. I'm not really finding much these days. There was a lot of things last year like Passion Pit and Phoenix. PVT also. They're good live.

HAL: Well PVT is really more electro than rock. Are you into a lot of electro?

Tord: Well,I would listen to anything as long as there is something that is inspiring in it

REVIEW: The Bees- Every Step's A Yes

Si vous êtes adeptes d'un folk urbain, fans de Simon and Garfunkel ou encore appréciateurs de Sean Lennon, le nouvel album de The Bees devrait être pour vous. Avec Every Step's A Yes, le quatuor livre ici dix titres parlant d'amour et de joies quotidiennes. Un retour musical à une époque- les années 1967-1970 - qui fait encore fantasmer la jeune génération.

Le combo n'en est pas à son coup d'essai: avec trois albums au compteur, une nomination au Mercury Prize et deux soirs à Glastonbury, The Bees est un groupe qui sait ce qu'il fait et est conscient de son potentiel. Cinq soirées d'affilée à l'Olympia de Dublin notamment sur cette tournée, une jolie performance pour un groupe dont finalement, les média ne parlent que très peu.

The Bees, ce sont avant tout un duo de songwriters: Aaron Fletcher et Paul Archer ; ce dernier a notamment contribué à la production du dernier Devendra Banhart, ce qui laisse suggérer la couleur que cet opus peut avoir. C'est donc trois ans après Octopus sorti chez Fiction que nous revient le groupe avec cet album, sorti cette fois-ci chez Darling.

L'album s'ouvre sur le single I Really Need Love. Petite pépite folk-pop qui pourrait être tout droit sortie d'un ce ces album séminaux du milieu des années soixante, elle a depuis été reprise en session acoustique sur diverses radios. Même le Sun, qui s’attache plus souvent à diffuser des live de groupes archi-connus, a récemment organisé un mini-concert pour la sortie de Every Step's A Yes. Silver Line, autre titre folk, suinte l’influence du songwriting de Paul Simon. Mais, malgré des titres de bonne facture ensuite, on ne cessera d'attendre la chanson qui donnera une identité particulière à cet album, la chanson qui le fera sortir du lot des nouveautés de la rentrée. En effet, si No More Excuses, Change Can Happen ou encore Island Love Letter ressemblent à s’y méprendre à du Sean Lennon- timbre de voix inclus- et si Winter Rose transpire une influence mi-byrdsienne, mi-reggae, l'ensemble, bien que cohérent dans son optique néo-hippie, laisse un goût d'inachevé.

Manque de mélodies récurrentes ou mémorables, production éthérée, révérb’ sur les voix parfois trop présentes, titres trop mielleux voire mièvres, le duo n’a pas réussi à reproduire sur la longueur l’intensité de I Really Need Love ou le cachet de Silver Line et n’a pas pu ou pas voulu se soustraire au carcan du « San Francisco revival ». Dommage car ce groupe transpire une volonté de bien faire et un amour pour sa musique. A voir sur scène, car comme tout album acoustique, celui-ci prendra peut-être son envol en live.

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If you are an urban folk lover, a fan of Simon and Garfunkel or a Sean Lennon follower, the new album by The Bees should be the “album of the month” for you. With Every Step's A Yes, the quartet delivers ten songs talking about love and daily little pleasures. A musical comeback to an era- the years 1967-1970- that still makes youngsters fantasize about what it was like.

The band is not having a try: having three albums, being nominees for the Mercury Prize and singing two nights in Glastonbury, The Bees is a band who know what they do and is pretty aware of their high potential. Can you imagine: five concerts in a row at the Dublin Olympia on this tour! That is a genuine success for a band that is often left on the side by the mass media.

The Bees are a band- that’s for sure- but first and foremost, it’s a duo of songwriters: Aaron Fletcher and Paul Archer. He recently contributed to the last Devendra Banhart’s opus so that is food for thought. So here they are, back again, three years after Octopus, released on Fiction.

The album opens with the single I Really Need Love, little folk and pop nugget that could well be taken from one of these seminal 1960s records. It has already been played and re-played in acoustic sessions on many radios. Even The Sun, which usually gives more importance to famous bands, recently organised a mini-concert for the release of Every Step's A Yes. Silver Line, another folk tune, is pure Paul Simon. But, despite some fancily good tunes, we keep waiting for the song that will give a particular musical colour to this album, the song that will make it pop out of the bunch of new releases. Indeed, if No More Excuses, Change Can Happen or Island Love Letter sound like Sean Lennon – even when it comes to vocal similarities- and if Winter Rose is somewhat a Byrds-reggae song, this set, though pretty coherent in it new-hippie perspective, leaves the listener with a sort of left-undone feeling.

A cruel lack of recurring or memorable melodies, an ethereal production, too much reverb on the voices, and too many mellowish songs, the band didn't manage to reproduce the intensity of I Really Need Love or the style of Silver Line and could not or would not escape from the “San Francisco revival” stranglehold.

Too bad as this band demonstrates the will to do things right and a love for its music. Hopefully, we'll see them live and they might surprise us, as many other folk bands before them.

LIVE REPORT: Love Amongst Ruin @ La Flèche d'Or Oct 14th 2010

Jeudi soir, la Flèche d'Or recevait Love Amongst Ruin, nouveau projet solo de Steve Hewitt, ex-batteur et co-compositeur de Placebo. Le musicien avait été limogé du groupe en 2007 pour des motifs plus ou moins obscurs et avait pris, pendant les dix-huit mois suivants, le temps de se recentrer sur la musique qui, au milieu des années 90, l'avait poussé inexorablement à intégrer le groupe de Brian Molko. C'est donc au printemps de cette année qu'il était revenu, entouré de cinq musiciens et avec un album éponyme, sous le très dark pseudo de Love Amongst Ruin. Avec cet album et cette tournée, Steve Hewitt se fait plaisir: il joue les titres qu'il veut, il les chante comme il veut, il mène sa barque sans pression de maisons de disques ou d'attentes de fans. Libérateur pour celui qui était souvent relégué à l'arrière-plan médiatique de Placebo. Un peu comme Dave Grohl en son temps, Hewitt a décidé de prendre les rênes et de devenir le frontman.

Et ce soir, à la Flèche d'Or, c'est clairement un retour aux sources que Steve opère. Après deux premières parties pas franchement mémorables, Glow et Lys, groupes electro-rock français, et dans une Flèche d'Or clairesemée- les perturbations et grève de RER l'ayant certainement emporté sur la volonté de se déplacer jusque dans le 20ème arrodissement- les LAR montent sur scène. Bien évidemment, ce sont des fans de Placebo qui ont majoritairement fait le déplacement mais pas seulement. Moins électro, plus roots, plus vrai, Hewitt a réussir à attirer un public plus mainstream.

Petite dédicace à Molko, « un ex-ami », avant de commencer. Ce qui fait sourire les fans, visiblement en empathie avec Steve. Pas faciles, les deux premiers titres, Blood And Earth et Alone, semblent être pour lui une épreuve, passant son temps à demander plus de retour dans les amplis, balançant quelques « fucking » à l'ingénieur du son – et peut être finalement aussi à la foule, peu réactive. Mais avec Heaven and Hell, Steve reprend la main. Enjôleur, souriant, avec une volonté de bien faire, il s'attelle à démontrer que son groupe a de la ressource. Et il a bien raison. Ancien batteur, il a eu la volonté de mettre en avant le son de son ami Keith Yorke. Il laisse volontiers les projecteurs se braquer sur son guitariste ou sur celui qui prend le violoncelle électrique sur quelques titres. Mais c'est avec Got To Give It Up que le groupe atteint son sommet ce soir-là. A la fois rock, métal mélodique et anthémique, ce titre a toute la potentialité d'un single. S'excusant de jouer peu de titres -onze ce soir-là- Hewitt précisera qu'il ne gonflera pas la setlist avec des titres de Placebo. Sourires en coin, pour les musiciens comme pour le public. Un peu comme un tout jeune groupe, les Love Amongst Ruin sont venus avec familles et amis, et c'est tout ce petit monde qui réclame à force de « come on » un rappel, qui se fera avec Rise.

Alors bien sûr, ce soir, les Love Amongst Ruin n'ont révolutionné ni le rock, ni le métal mais c'est avec tendresse que l'on ne peut que regarder ces musiciens faire la musique qu'ils aiment et prendre leur pied. Love Amongst Ruin 1- Placebo 0.

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Thursday night, La Flèche d'Or was welcoming Love Amongst Ruin, the new solo project of Steve Hewitt, ex-drummer and co-songwriter of Placebo. The musician had been fired from the electro-androgynous- rock band in 2007 for very obscure reasons and had taken the following eighteen months to focus on the music which, in the 1990s, had pushed him relentlessly in the musical arms of Brian Molko. He came back this springtime with a new album and surrounded by five musicians, with an eponymous album, under the very dark name of Love Amongst Ruin. With this album and this tour, Steve Hewitt has decided that his pleasure comes first: he plays the songs he wants, sings them the way he wants without any pressure from the record company or the fans. Pretty liberating for the one who was often relegated to the background of the Placebo media circus. A bit like Dave Grohl in 1994, Hewitt has decided to become the frontman.


And Thursday, at La Flèche d'or, it was clearly a come back to his sources that Steve was operating. After two support bands, whose names are not even worth being written down here, and a scattered venue – the strikes being certainly the main reason for having so few people that night- the LAR came on stage. Of course, mostly Placebo fans had turned up. But not only actually. Less electro, more real, Hewitt had managed to also attract a more mainstream public.


A little word for Molko, « an ex-friend », before starting. This made the fans smile. Obviously, they all support him in that crusade. The first two songs, Blood And Earth and Alone, seemed to be pretty harsh for the guy who spent his time asking for more sound in his amp, shouting some F- words to the sound engineer, and maybe, also, to the apathetic crowd. But with Heaven And Hell he regained his hand. Glib, smiling, with a visible will to do things right, he got down to demonstrating that his band is a good one. And he is just right. As a former drummer, he wanted that the sound given by his friend Keith Yorke to be perfect. And he let the light shine on his guitar player or the guy who played the electric cello. But it's with Got To Give It Up that the band reached the top that night. Rock, metal and anthemic, this song is a highly-potential single. He apologized for playing few songs – eleven as a whole- Hewitt felt the need to precise that the setlist would not get any bigger with songs from Placebo. That put a smile on everyone's faces. Just like any new or young band, the Love Amongst Ruin had come with their families and friends and they shouted a few come ons to have them back with one last song, Rise.


Well, some will say that the Love Amongst Ruin have neither revolutionized rock nor metal but it's with a certain tenderness that I want to look at these musicians who play the music they like whatever happens.
Love Amongst Ruin 1- Placebo O.

LIVE REPORT: Morcheeba @Bataclan Oct 12th 2010

Morcheeba à Paris, c'est forcément un événement. Surtout depuis que Skye, chanteuse historique, identité vocale du groupe, est de retour avec les frères Godfrey. Après sept années qui ont vu défiler trois frontwomen, Daisy Martey, Jody Sternberg et finalement Manda, le groupe revient à ses origines et l'alchimie originelle métamorphose à nouveau les titres, qui chez d'autres auraient fait ritournelles pop, en un trip hop classieux. Ce soir, c'est leur septième album Blood Like Lemonade que le groupe du Kent vient promouvoir. Deux concerts parisiens sold out, une presse en ébullition et des fans transis, c'est l'exploit qu'ils auront réalisés cette semaine.

Il est 20h05 quand j'arrive au bataclan. Entre les classiques revendeurs à la sauvette et ceux qui distribuent moults flyers, je me fraie un passage à l'intérieur de la salle où Nic Bennett, première partie du groupe, est déjà en train de jouer. Jolie surprise: voix folk plutôt agréable, habileté à raconter des histoires. Accoudée à la barrière en bout de salle et malgré -ou peut être à cause- d' un son assez étouffé, j'ai l'impression de me retrouver au fin fond d'un pub Londonien un soir de novembre. Visiblement, le public de Morcheeba ne doit trop apprécier l'ambiance « public house » car après quelques applaudissements épars et pas franchement convaincus, il laisse partir le songwriter dans l'indifférence la plus totale.

C'est vers 20h50 qu'apparaissent tout d'abord Ross et Paul, chaudement applaudis. Le reste des musiciens prend ensuite place avant que Skye en mini-robe rouge evanescente ne fasse son apparition. Un ventilateur idéalement placé donne l'impression qu'elle est une sorte de papillion tropical, virevoltant au dessus de ses très terre-à-terre comparses. Visiblement ravie de retrouver la scène et le public- elle passera son temps à papoter avec les premiers rangs, à embêter gentiment les autres musiciens, eux aussi plutôt contents que la miss soit de retour avec eux – Skye retrouve ses anciennes habitudes avec une facilité déconcertante et une voix qui n'a pas changé.

Set list quasi parfaite pour l'occasion, bien qu'un peu courte. On aurait certainement aimé avoir plus de quatorze titres pour un groupe avec quinze années de carrière. Le nouveau single Blood Like Lemonade, en rotation maximale sur les sites musicaux, mais aussi les plus anciens comme Rome, Part Of The Process ou Be Yourself déclenchent des sourires entendus sur les visages des fans. Mention spéciale à Slow Down, Never An Easy Way, et bien sûr Beat Of The Drum pour lequel Skye organise un petit concours de chant inter-sexe et nous prouve qu'elle n'a pas qu'une vois doucereuse et trip hop mais aussi un sacré coffre de chanteuse blues.

Cependant, il n'y a pas à dire, Morcheeba possède aussi une capacité singulière à agacer. Agacement provoqué par les petits rires de Skye, qui minaudait beaucoup. Ceux qui n'étaient pas venus en vénérateurs de la belle se demandaient parfois où ils avaient atterri , s'en fichaient clairement de savoir que c'était elle qui avait fait sa robe et ont trouvé franchement ridicule les références quasi-constantes aux pétards, herbe et autre cannabis. D'accord, les Morcheeba ont toujours assez honnêtement revendiqué leur passion commune pour la weed mais passé un certain âge, le côté drôle, sympathique et un peu rebelle a tendance à devenir ridicule voire ringard. Un peu gênant aussi, comme si, à l'adolescence, votre mère venait raconter à vos potes ses souvenirs de jeunesse embrumée. Ou comme si Noel Gallagher continuait à discourir sur les bienfaits de la coke.

 A chaque âge ses passions. A un moment, il faut aussi savoir vieillir avec grâce. Si l'on veut devenir culte.

images:   www.le-hiboo.com 

photographe NYCD

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Morcheeba in Paris, it is a special event. First and foremost because Skye, the historical singer, vocal face of the band, is back with theGodfrey brothers. After 7 years and three frontwomen , Daisy Martey, Jody Sternberg and finally Manda, the band has decided to come back to their roots and the original alchemy turns some of the songs, that would have sounded bubblegum pop, into classy trip hop again. Tuesday night, the band from Kent was promoting their 7^th album Blood Like Lemonade. Two sold-out gigs, a press with some fever of excitement and bashful fans, that's the little feat the band made this week.

It was already 8:05 when I arrived at the Bataclan. I made my way through the crowd of black market ticket sellers and into the venue where Nic Bennett, support singer of the band, was already playing. Nice surprise: he's got a good folk voice and a certain capacity to tell everyday life stories. Leaning against the barrier at the back of the venue and despite – or let's say maybe because of- a muffled sound, I felt like being in a pub somewhere in Chelmsford on a November night. Well, the Morcheeba crowd must not be a pub-crawling one as after some scattered and not so-convinced applause, they let the songwriter go away in total indifference.

It was towards 8:50 that Ross and and Paul decided to come on stage. Heartily applauded by the fans. The rest of the musicians took their places before Skye, in a red evanescent mini-dress, appeared. An ideally-placed fan (the one making wind, not the cheering one!) gave the impression she was a sort of tropical butterfly, twirling over her very down-to-earth sidekicks. It was visible she was happy to be back on stage with a cheering public- she spent her time chatting with the first rows, teasing the lads who were obvisously also very happy that the lady was back with them. Skye has succeeded in coming back with an easiness and a voice that has not changed a bit.

A near-perfection setlist, yet a bit short. I mean 14 songs covering a fifteen-year career, this sounds a bit meagre. Their new single, Blood Like Lemonade but also the old tunes like Rome, Part Of The Process or Be Yourself triggered knowing smiles on the fans' faces. A special award could have been handed to Slow Down, Never An Easy Way, and of course Beat Of The Drum for which Skye organised an inter-sex singing contest and proved that she has the lungs of a blues singer and not only a soft and mellow voice.

However- because there is a however, Morcheeba has the peculiar ability to irritate. Irritation caused by Skye's gigglings and mincings about. Those who had not come as worshippers were clearly wondering where the heck they had landed. They did not care about the fact that she had designed and sewed her dress and they found pretty ridiculous all the references to cannabis and joints. So what? We all know Morcheeba are weed lovers but at a certain point in your life (and age), the funny, nice, friendly and rebel side of it tends to become ridiculous and obsolete. All the more when the demands come from one of the most un-rock n' roll bands on the British scene. A bit awkward also, as if, when you were a teen, your mum had come to your friends to tell them all about her sex life. Or as if Noel Gallagher, now 43, was still discursing about taking coke like sugar on corn-flakes.

Yes, just like The Byrds would sing, to everything, there is a season. And Morcheeba will have to age gracefully. If they want to become a cult band.

pictures, courtesy of www.le-hiboo.com 

photographer NYCD

DISCOVERY: Big Money Makers

Pour faire court, disons que ce groupe est probablement le meilleur de ce qui se fait sur la scène rock française. C'est vrai, j'ai dit dans une chronique précédente que les groupes français qui s'acharnent à chanter en anglais sont souvent pitoyables, ridicules, et massacrent allègrement les diphotongues autres fabulosités de la langue de Shakespeare.

Et bien les Big Money Makers sont l'exception (qui confirme la règle). Vendredi soir, ces 5 là ont vraiment fait du bon boulot pour le Plug In du Virgin Megastore Champs Elysées. Et mieux que ça, ils ont réussi à faire rester les gens alors que le groupe précédent,  trop Nickelback/Linkin Park, les avaient plutôt poussés à visiter les étages.

Pour ceux qui aiment les comparaisons et autres références, les BMM sont influencés par les Strokes (le chanteur poussant la ressemblance vocale très loin avec Julian Casablancas) mais aussi par le punk et le garage des années 60. Attitude, look et âge, ils ont tout pour réussir. S'ils n'y arrivent pas, c'est que le paysage musical français est définitivement bien pourri.

www.myspace.com/bigmoneymakersrock

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To make a long story short, let's say that this band is probably the best of what is going on on the French rock scene these days.

Alright, I remember saying somewhere that French bands singing in English were often crap, well, this one surely proves me wrong. They did a great job on Friday night at the Virgin Megastore on the Champs Elysées and succeeded in making people actually stay to listen to them.

As we all like comparisons and references, it's clear that the band is influenced by The Strokes (just listen to the singer's voice and attitude and you'll know) but also by punk and 60s garage music. Attitude, look and age, they've got it all and if they don't make it, that would mean there is really something wrong with rock in France.

www.myspace.com/bigmoneymakersrock

LIVE REPORT: The Wombats @Point Ephémère 11/10/2010

Il flottait comme un air de Temple Bar lundi Quai de Valmy pour le retour des Wombats en France. Il n'est que 18 heures et pourtant, un groupe de fans est déjà là, tentant par tous les moyens de prendre des photos avec le groupe, en pleine promo, ou de récupérer une place pour le concert de ce soir, sold out depuis longtemps déjà. Quelques parents errent aussi, visiblement désemparés par l’exaltation sans borne de leur progéniture.

A 21h30, dans un Point Ephémère rempli à craquer, The Wombats montent sur scène. On avait laissé il y a deux ans le trio Liverpudlien épuisé après une tournée extensive de presque dix-huit mois aux quatre coins de la planète. Leur premier album A Guide To Love, Loss And Desperation, et son single tubesque Let's Dance To Joy Divsion, récompensé d'un NME award en 2008, avait reçu un accueil dithyrambique; et de Londres à Los Angeles en passant par Sydney, la planète electro-rock s'était à nouveau enflammée pour un groupe du Lancashire. Ce soir, c'est en tout cas dans une forme olympienne que l'on a retrouvé Matthew Murphy, Dan Haggis et Tord Øverland-Knudsen, remontés à bloc et prêts à conquérir les sommets avec un nouvel album tout juste terminé et prévu pour février 2011. Et c’est avec une joie non dissimulée que le trio retrouvait la scène et Paris. Encore plus vrai pour le batteur, puisqu'il annoncera d’ailleurs au public son prochain emménagement dans la capitale.

  

Pendant une heure, dans un Point Ephémère à la limite de l'hystérie collective, le groupe va livrer ses nouveaux titres dont le premier single Tokyo : Vampires and Wolves. Ce soir, c'est avant tout leur tour de chauffe et le public, « des cochons d'inde », expression toute Murphyenne pour cobaye. En tout cas, il n'y a pas eu cobaye plus réjoui que le public à l’écoute des titres tant attendus. Malgré quelques hésitations- c'est le clavier de gauche ou de droite?, se demandera plusieurs fois Matthew- et un faux départ, les nouveaux titres rendent diablement bien en live et on ne pourra qu'admirer la capacité de ces trois là à faire du rock avec une batterie déchainée, un bassiste survolté et un chanteur, à la fois clavier et guitariste. I Never Knew I Was A Techno Fan, Anti-D, chanson calibrée pour faire fondre en moins de 3 minutes 30 n'importe quelle adolescente et Schumacher The Champagne sont efficacement bien ficelées ; Schumacher The Champagne peut sans souci recevoir la palme d'or du titre indie de cette fin d'année, avec un refrain très Beatles. Pas de doute, ce second album devrait recevoir Brit et autres Q et NME awards.

Les titres du premier opus sont eux, reçus avec délectation : Party In The Forest (Where’s Laura ?) et son refrain entêtant ponctué de wouhou et bien évidemment, le fameux Let's Dance To Joy Division qui verra leur roadie se déchainer sur scène, les adolescentes grimper sur le côté de la scène et tenter de se tenir en équilibre sur la barrière. Les Wombats ont fait la démonstration que leurs deux influences, quasi-contradictoires, grunge et électro sont en fait totalement pertinentes.

A 22h30, après une courte mais intense heure, le groupe quitte la scène et quand les lumières se rallument, on réalise que ce soir, on a vraiment eu beaucoup de chance. Pour les absents, une séance de rattrapage est prévue fin février à la Maroquinerie. A ne manquer sous aucun prétexte.

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 It was just like Temple Bar, Monday night Quai de Valmy for The Wombats' return gig in France. It was only 6 pm but a group of harcore fans was already there, trying to take pictures with the band- being interviewed- or to get passes for the gig, which had been sold out for the past weeks already. A few parents were standing there, not knowing what to do and kind of flabbergasted by the limitless excitation of their offspring.

At 9:30, The Wombats came on stage in a totally packed venue. Two years ago, we had left the Liverpudlians, totally knackered by too-long a tour. Their first album, A Guide To Love, Loss And Desperation, and its hit single Let's Dance To Joy Divsion,which won the 2008 NME award for best dancefiller, had received ecstatic reviews. From London to LA through Sydney, the electro-rock planet went beserk again for a Lancashire band. Well for sure, the band is back and in great shape. Matthew Murphy, Dan Haggis and Tord Øverland-Knudsen are full of energy and ready to conquer the rock n' roll summits with their latest album, due to release in February 2011. Joyful as they could be, the trio was there for the Parisian public. For the drummer, it was a preview of his new hometown as he told the crowd he would move to Paris in the next few weeks.

During an hour, in the Point Ephémère who was on the verge of mass hysteria, the group delivered their best, starting with the new single Tokyo : Vampires and Wolves .It was a warm-up gig for them, even a « rehearsal » as Matthew Murphy said, and the crowd was a bunch of « guinea pigs ». Somehow lost in translation, Murph was anyway understood by all the cheering fans. And they were delighted little guinea pigs when the band started playing the new tunes. Despite some hesitations – Do I play with the right or left keyboard?- and a false start, the new songs sounddevilishly good live and the ability of them musicians to produce a good rock n' roll with wild drums, an over-excited bass and a singer, both keyboard and guitar playercan only be admired. I Never Knew I Was A Techno Fan, Anti-D -if the girls don't fall in love with Matthew on that one, I don't understand fans any more- and Schumacher The Champagne are efficiently crafted. Schumacher The Champagne can easily win the 2011 award for best indie title with its Beatles-like chorus. Undoubtedly, this second album is Brit, Q and NME-awardable.

The songs from the first album are genuine anthems: Party In The Forest (Where’s Laura ?) and its insistant chorus punctuated with « wouhouhou » and the now so famous Let's Dance To Joy Division during which their roadie started dancing on stage while the teenage girls tried to climb on the side or on the barriers. The Wombats demonstrated tonight that their two influences, as contradictory as grunge and electro can be, are actually totally relevant.

At 10:30, after a short but intense hour, when the band left the stage and the lights went back on, everyone realised we were some lucky bastards. If you weren't there, a remedial will take place in February at La Maroquinerie. Be there. Or die trying.

DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT THE LINKS FOR PICTURES!

LIVE REPORT: The Undertones @ Le Trabendo 9/10/2010

L'un des meilleurs concerts de l'année. Affutés, aiguisés, acérés, The Undertones ont livré samedi soir un concert d'anthologie pour un public qui avait bien conscience d'assister à un moment exceptionnel.

A 20 heures, une foule en total look punk, mod, two-tone voire rocker attendait patiemment devant les portes du Trabendo. Foule de tous âges, des grands-parents étaient venus avec leurs petits-enfants, des fans de la première heure s'étaient donné rendez-vous, des jeunes étaient venus en couples, et des adolescentes en bande. En ce soir de match France-Roumanie, il était clair qu'il était plus important de voir The Undertones qui n'avaient plus mis les Doc Martens dans la capitale depuis presque trente ans que d'aller au Stade de France. En attendant la première partie au nom imprononçable, Os Haxixins, le groupe avait eu la bonne idée de mettre un DJ en total look Fred Perry. Petite revue des meilleurs titres punks et mods des années 60-70, de quoi mettre tout le monde dans l'ambiance, et ravir les britrockers présents avec un petit Caught By The Fuzz de Supergrass.

Vers 20h45, les Brésiliens de Os Haxixins ouvrent donc le bal. Avec un synthé au look des plus improbables, un chanteur moulé dans un slim turquoise et un bassiste entre look early 60s et Prince, tout deux auréolés d'une coupe de cheveux à faire pâlir d'envie un Jackson 5, le groupe décrit comme fuzz psychédélique balance des titres très Doorsiens. Très bons pendant la première demi-heure de leur set, on finit vite par arriver à saturation des longues lampées de Hammond. Aller retour au bar et au beer garden, plein à craquer, avec un peu l'impresson de se retrouver dans une soirée New Untouchables à Londres.

C'est peu avant 22 heures que les Nord-Irlandais arrivent sur scène devant une salle quasi sold out et des premiers rangs littéralement écrasés sur les retours du bassiste et du chanteur. Entamant leur set sur Jimmy Jimmy, c'est tout le punk de la fin des années 70 et du début des années 80 que le groupe mené par Paul Mc Loone, remplaçant de l'historique Feargal Sharkey va balancer à tour de bras pendant quantre-vint dix minutes. Jump Boys, Here Comes The Summer, Male Model, Wednesday Week, Family Entertainment, Julie Ocean, You've Got My Number, les derniers des mohicans livrent à la fois un show très Northern Soul et totalement punk. Regardez et apprenez, ce soir, il n'y a aucun doute possible, The Undertones étaient et restent un groupe d'envergure qui tient sa scène et son public de main de maître.
Après 50 minutes de concert, ce sont finalement les oreilles qui réclament une pause. Ce soir, le son est très, très fort dans le Trabendo et boule quiès oubliées, je me retrouve à nouveau dehors à prendre l'air entre mods et rockers. Moins de dix minutes plus tard, quand résonnent les premiers accords de Teenage Kicks, c'est une ruée dans les escaliers à l'intérieur de la salle, tout le monde se précipite pour voir et écouter ce qui reste, de fait, le titre ultime du groupe de Derry. Paul McLoone veut en faire profiter tout le monde, il saute, gesticule, bondit, serre des mains dans le public, la foule se compacte, les gens se penchent dangereusement des mezzanines pour tenter de happer le chanteur. A ce moment-là, il est clair que The Undertones, presque trente-cinq ans après la sortie de Teenage Kicks, reste capable de mobiliser une foule bien plus fidèle, motivée et réactive que des groupes labellisés héros rocks modernes. En ce jour anniversaire de Lennon, le groupe enverra même en fin de concert une petite reprise d'Instant Karma.

Après 26 titres et une soirée marathon qui ne semble même pas les avoir épuisés, The Undertones quitte la scène parisienne. Il n'y a pas de doute, le punk conserve. Du No Future comme ça, on en redemande.

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One of the best gigs this year. Sharp, edgy, blistering. This Saturday, The Undertones delivered an epic concert to a public who was well aware that they were attending a very exceptional moment.

At 8pm, a punk, mod, two-tone and even rocker crowd was patiently waiting at the doors of the Trabendo. A crowd of all ages as grand-parents had come with their grand-children, long-time fans had joined together, young couples were sitting on the stairs and teenage girls were giggling. Tonight, there was also the France-Romania game but it was clear that it was far more important to see The Undertones, who had not put their DocMartens in Paris for almost thirty years, than to go the the Stade de France. As we were waiting for the support band with the most unpronouncable name, Os Haxixins, the band had the great idea to recruit a DJ wearing Fred Perry from head to toe. All the best punk and mod tunes from the 60s and 70s were played, which put everybody in the right mood, and delighted Britrock fans with Caught By The Fuzz from Supergrass.

Around 8:45, the Brazilians of Os Haxixins opened the ball. With a singer in skin-tight turquoise-blue jeans and a bass player who tried a very osé mix of early 60s shirts and cuban-heeled boots, both of them with a haircut that would make any Jackson 5 become green with envy, the band described as psychedelic fuzz played some very Doorsian tunes. Very good during the first half hour, I finally got plainly bored by their long Hammond solos. I went to the bar and then off to the packed beer garden, feeling like I was in a New Untouchables allnighter in London.

A little before 10, the Northern-Irish lads came onstage in an almost sold-out venue where the front rows were basically crushed on the bass player's and the singer's amps. Starting with Jimmy, Jimmy, it's the whole late 70s and early 80s punk that the band, led by Paul McLoone, substitute of historical Feargal Sharkey, devotedly gave to the public during 90 minutes. Jump Boys, Here Comes The Summer, Male Model, Wednesday Week, Family Entertainment, Julie Ocean, You've Got My Number, the last punk heroes played a very Northern Soul but totally punk set. Watch and learn, tonight, there was no dout, The Undertones were and remained a fabulous rock band who holds their stage and crowd by the stomp of their boots and beats of their guitar riffs.

After 50 minutes, my ears finally gave up and rang for a break. Tonight, it was loud, v-e-r-y loud in the Trabendo and as I forgot my earplugs, I ended up once again outside, taking fresh air and cool beer among mods and rockers. Less than 10 minutes later, when the first chords of Teenage Kicks blasted in the venue, people threw away their fags and started rushing in the stairs to watch and listen to what remains the ultimate punk song from the Derry band. Paul Mc Loone wanted everyone to enjoy the moment: he jumped, gesticulated, leapt, shook hands with people in the crowd, crowd who was getting more and more compact. People started leaning dangerously from the balcony, trying to catch the singer's hand. At that point, it was obvious that The Undertones, almost 35 years after the release of Teenage Kicks, are still able to mobilise a more faithful, motivated and reactive crowd that many new bands who are rapidly labelized as modern rock heroes. And because it was John Lennon's birthday, the band finally did a cover of Instant Karma.

After 26 songs and a genuine marathon-like evening that did not even seem to exhaust them, The Undertones left the Parisian stage. Undoubtedly, punk preserves from aging better than Nivea. If that is No Future, well, give me some more.

LIVE REPORT: Fiction Plane @ La Cigale 4/10/2010

Dans la famille Sting- aka Sumner- après la fille Coco, je demande le fils. Après la Flèche d'Or la semaine dernière pour la petite soeur prodigue, c'est la Cigale qui accueillait lundi Fiction Plane, le trio anglais mené tambour battant par Joe Sumner, pour la sortie de Sparks, leur troisième album.

19h45, le boulevard Rochechouart est déjà bien illuminé, les terrasses sont pleines et la Cigale étant l'une des salles les plus agréables de Paris, on s'attend déjà à passer une bonne soirée. A 20h, c'est The Hall Effect, groupe colombien, qui monte sur scène pour une première partie très rock musclé, version chanteur bodybuildé en chemise à carreaux et bassiste avec un petit côté Santana 1970. Malgré des titres loins d'être mauvais, quoiqu'il est vrai passe-partout, le groupe n'arrive pas à acquérir un quelconque capital sympathie de la part du public qui reste, durant les chansons, passablement indifférent et applaudit poliment entre chaque titre. A 20h30, montre en main, The Hall Effect quitte la scène pendant que le public se dirige soit vers le bar, soit se décide à enjamber les barrières mises dans les escaliers pour empêcher l'accès à la mezzanine. Peine perdue, en moins de cinq minutes, les sièges à l'étage se trouvent pris d'assaut.

J'en profite pour jeter un coup d'oeil autour de moi. M'attendant à un publc plutôt adolescent ou tout du moins de milieu de vingtaine, ce qui aurait été logique pour un groupe avec moins de dix ans d'existence, je suis plutôt surprise de découvrir de plus tout jeunes trentenaires et pas mal de quadra-quinqua. Tout ce petit monde semble à peine sorti du boulot. Seuls quelques ados se trouvent en mezzanine, visiblement prêts à hurler dès que le groupe apparaitra. Et à 21h, là encore à la seconde près, le trio chaudement applaudi monte sur scène. Surprise encore, Joe Sumner est le sosie, non pas de son père mais de Cyril Lignac- pantalon patte d'eph en cuir et cravate rouge en plus. 

Il semble visiblement ravi de retrouver le public parisien. Le groupe entame donc son set sous les cris des plus jeunes et face à une salle qui pogote dès le premier titre.

Même si Joe a des intonations proches de son père parfois, il faut vraiment savoir qu'il est le fils-de pour les entendre. Au troisième titre, noyé, il balance à un public tout acquis à sa cause « c'est putain chaud, ici » avant d'enchainer sur Out Of My Face. Vite remarqués, les quelques anglais présents dans la Cigale sont gratifiés d'un « bonsoir, Rosbifs » par Sumner qui entame It's A Lie, titre éminemment mid 90s. Clairement, le public est venu plus pour Sumner que pour Fiction Plane. Seton Daunt et Pete Wilhoit, guitariste et batteur, sont d'ailleurs totalement effacés, chacun effectuant son boulot, et laissant la vedette au bassiste qui apprécie visiblement la place de leader. Bondissant, sautant, courant, il occupe toute la scène, harangant à droite et à gauche la foule qui en demande toujours plus. You Know You're Good, Push Me Around, Two Sisters ou encore Silence, le groupe passe ainsi en revue la quasi-totalité de sa discographie face à un public fasciné.

La salle conquise d'avance et le public féminin venu en masse encourager son héros, le trio partait gagnant. Mais malgré toute sa bonne volonté et une prestation toutefois correcte, Fiction Plane reste un groupe ingrat. Trop jeune pour être vintage et trop âgé pour les ados, trop musicalement américain pour des Anglais et trop anglais pour plaire aux Américains, trop pop sur album et trop metal-rock sur scène. Trop et pas assez, c'est peut-être ça le problème de Fiction Plane: une identité volatile mais reconnaisons-le, une fanbase fidèle.

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In the Sting -aka Sumner- family, after the daughter Coco, give us the son. Indeed, last week, the prodigal younger sister was in Paris for a gig at la Flèche d'Or but Monday night, it was la Cigale who was welcoming Fiction Plane, the English trio led by the flamboyant Joe Sumner, who was touring with their third album Sparks.


7:45pm, the boulevard Rochechouart was already buzzing and people were having drinks outside bars. La Cigale being one of the nicest venue in Paris, a good evening was more than expected. At 8pm, The Hall Effect, a band from Columbia, come onstage for a very heavy, muscled rock n' roll set with a singer who obviously did too much weightlifting and was tightened up in a checked shirt, and a bass player who was the modern version of 1970 Santana. Even though they had quite good songs, the band didn't manage to get a bit of demonstrative love from the public who remained pretty much indifferent and politely applauded between each song. At 8:30 sharp, The Hall Effect left the stage while the crowd gathered at the bar or decided to jump over the barriers the security had put in the stairs to prevent access to the balcony . A total waste of time as in less than 5 minutes, all the seats upstairs were besieged.

And so, this gave me a little time to have a look around me. I was expecting a teenage or mid-twenties crowd, which would have been logical considering the band has not even turned ten, but I was flabbergasted as a lot of late 30s and quite a few people in their 40s-50s were also there. Only a bunch of teenage kids were standing upstairs, ready to scream and shout when the band started playing. And, at 9pm -sharp once again- the warmly applauded trio came onstage. And once again, I was totally flabbegasted as Sumner is not the spitting image of his dad but of Cyril Lignac (the French equivalent of Jamie Oliver), with leather flared jeans and a red tie though. The band started his set under the cheerings of the youngest ones and for a crowd who was jumping everywhere from the first song onward.

Even if Joe sounds sometimes a bit like his dad, you really have to know this guy is the « son of » to realise it. After the third song, completely soaked from head to toes, he shouted to an all- supportive public « it's fucking hot in here »( in French, s'il vous plait!) before going on with Out Of My Face. Quickly noticed, some English lads in the venue received a « Good Evening, Rosbifs » from Sumner who took on with It's A Lie, a perfect mid-90s tune. It was clear that the crowd was there for Joe Sumner more than for the band? Seton Daunt and Pete Wilhoit, guitar player and drummer, were hidden out, each of them doing their job and leaving the fame and the glory to the bass player, who obviously appreciate this leadership position. Either jumping, bouncing, or running, he is everywhere on the stage, haranguing the ever-demanding crowd. You Know You're Good, Push Me Around, Two Sisters and Silence, the band went over their whole discography for a fascinated public.


With an already conquered venue and a mostly female crowd who had come to encourage their hero, the trio was a winner from the beginning. But despite their good will and a correct show, Fiction Plane remains an unattractive band. Too young to be vintage and too old to appeal to teenagers, too musically American for an English band and too English to appeal to Americans, too pop on the album and far too old-fashioned power rock on stage. Too much and not enough, that is probably their biggest issue. A versatile identity but at least let's admit it, a faithful fanbase.

SOON TO COME , so stay tuned !

LIVE REPORTS SECTION: Fiction Plane, The Undertones- on the blog this weekend
                                             The Wombat: on the blog next Wednesday.

INTERVIEW:  The Wombats : on the blog next Wednesday

CD REVIEW: KT Tunstall, The Bees:  hopefully this weekend, or early next week.

LIVE REPORT: Sky Larkin w/ Noemi + Lamarca @la Flèche d'Or

Sky Larkin, trio anglais de Leeds, était à Paris vendredi soir pour présenter son nouvel album. Rendez-vous était donc pris à la Flèche d'Or pour ce début de weekend. Soirée pluvieuse, embouteillages monstres, certainement les deux ingrédients qui ont fait que ce soir, la salle était encore quasi vide à 21h30. Sur scène, les français de Noemi ouvraient la soirée. Entre Sheila et Catherine Ringer, ils ont accompli un boulot correct mais à l'opposé de ce qu'on s'attendait pour une première partie des anglais. Vers 22 heures, c'est Lamarca qui prend le relais. Toujours en français, les trois garçons livrent un pop-rock francophone rafraichissant. Mention spéciale au sympathique titre sur Belleville. Pourtant là encore, on s'interroge sur la pertinence de deux groupes estampillés « chanson française » pour cette première partie.

A 23h10 arrivent donc sur scène les trois membres de Sky Larkin. Chanteuse, guitariste, pianiste et compositrice, Katie Harkin a l'air tout droit sortie de l'adolescence, coupe de cheveux de lycéenne, petite tunique sage tandis que le bassiste Doug Adams vêtu pour l'occasion d'un magnifique T Shirt orné d'une tête de Yorkshire fait figure de jeune étudiant.

Visiblement à l'aise, le trio entame son set dans une salle qui s'est peu à peu remplie. Le groupe qui a tourné en Europe et aux Etats-Unis pour son premier album Golden Spike paru l'année dernière repart sur la route pour présenter Kaleide, son second opus.
Démarrant sur les chapeaux de roues avec deux ttires de Golden Spike, les Anglais fixent de suite les bases de ce concert: power pop et rien d'autre. Katie manie sa guitare avec une agilité déconcertante, à croire que celle-ci fait partie intégrante d'elle. Le batteur, Nestor Matthews, quant à lui martèle le rythme, réclamant ici ou là plus de retour- il faut dire qu'il joue comme si sa vie en dépendait et impose une cadence effrénée au groupe. Katie Harkin pose sa voix fluette, un peu à la façon d'une Dido ou d'une Beth Orton sur Fossil, Antibodies ou Windmills. Bon point; les titres du nouvel album rendent diablement mieux en live que ceux du premier.

Le public présent à l'intérieur de la salle semble conquis mais ce soir, même si le groupe s'est attaché à faire du concert un moment convivial pour leurs fans, il faut bien admettre qu' ils n'ont pas réussi à attirer ceux qui étaient venus à l'improviste et sont restés au beer garden. Gentillette, répétitive, convenue, la prestation des trois de Leeds manquait cruellement de titres phares et de la présence d'une seconde guitare qui aurait pu leur donner plus de souffle.

Alors, laissons-leur le temps d'écumer les scènes europénnes et américaines ces trois prochains mois avec Kaleide. Peut-être nous reviendront-ils plus dynamiques au printemps 2011.

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Sky Larkin, the Leeds power pop trio, was in Paris last Friday night to present their latest album. So there we were for the start of the weekend at la Flèche d'Or. A shitty rainy evening with a trafic almost never seen in Paris, these were the two ingredients that led to the near emptiness of the venue at 9:30 pm. On stage, the French band Noemi was opening the evening. A crossover of Sheila (early 60s pop singer) and Catherine Ringer (mid 1980s crazy rock singer), Noemi did a correct job however on the total opposite of what was expected for a support band. Around 10pm, Lamarca took the stage. Still in French, the three guyrs delivered a refreshing pop rock. Favourite of mine: the song about Belleville.
However, there again, we kept wondering why two bands, classified as French pop were opening for Sky Larkin.

At 11:10, the three members of Sky Larkin jumped on stage. Singer, songwriter, pianist and guitarist, Katie Harkin looks like a teenage girl with a well-behaved high-school kid haircut and the bass player wore the most unusual T-Shirt with the face of a Yorkshire for the occasion.


Clearly comfortable on stage, the trio started their set in a venue that was a little bit less empty. The band who already toured Europe and the US for their first album Golden Spike, released last year, is back on the road to present Kaleide, their second opus.

Taking off with two songs from Golden Spike, the band sets things clear: this gig was going to be power pop. Katie is a perfect guitar player and it seemed ridiculously easy for her to be onstage. The drummer, Nestor Matthews, was banging his drums, asking loudly for some more sound in his amps. We must admit that this guys drums as if his life depended on it and imposes on the band a frenzied rythm. Katie Harkin just poses her frail Dido / Beth Orton voice on Fossil, Antibodies and Windmills. Good point: the songs from the new album are devilishly better live than those from the first one.

The audience in the venue seemed won over but tonight, even if the band tried to make this gig a friendly moment for their fans, we have to say that they did not manage to attract those who had not come for the band and who stayed in the beer garden. Cute, repetitive, conventional, the performance of the band cruelly lacked flagship tunes and a second guitar, which could have given them proper melodies.

So let's give them some time to scour European and American stages these next three months with Kaleide. Maybe they'll come back a little more dynamic in Spring 2011