Status Quo @ Casino de Paris, Nov 20 2012

Status Quo @ Casino de Paris, Nov 20 2012

Jesus, can't remember the last time we saw STATUS QUO  live in Paris ? Probably 15 years ago even though they're playing in the French capital almost every year.
The Casino de Paris is quite full and all seated but thanks to the french Fan Club and some English , everyone is standing up and getting closer to the stage so we can boogie all night long...
It's 9:00pm sharp when the band is getting on stage, nice and bright light-show, perfect for take pictures, the sound is loud and very clear and where we are, down the front facing Rick, we can hear LOTS of guitars. It's obvious when you're listening to the video below.
As usual with the Quo , the guys are in fine form with always a smile on their faces to the dedicated fans that are probably following them everywhere on these European Tour. The guys in the first rows are all wearing the t-shirt made specially for this gig in Paris.
With The Quo nothing has changed, still the same 3 chords simple rock 'n Roll, that's what we want from them them and that's what they are giving us: no bullshit.
Just simple basic ol' Boogie Rock'n Roll !

See setlist below for details, we had a drum solo in the middle and like all drum solo it is pretty useless, thankfully they kept it short. They also performed a "medley" of some of their songs.
They probably played some of the new stuff but I'm not very familiar (in fact not at all) with the latest records they've done.
Fortunately they were lots of classics
Cool 90 min set !

Next rock shows in Paris for november 2012

UPADATED NOV 15 with new shows

Nov 15
Two door cinema club @ zénith
Beth Orton @ Gaité Lyrique
Nov 17
Rihanna @ trianon
Nov 18
Ian Anderson @ Olympia
Kate Nash @ Nouveau casino

Johnny Winter @ Le Plan in Ris Orangis

Nov 19
Gaz Coombes @ café de la danse
Sallie Ford @ Trianon

Steve Vai @ Olympia

Nov 20
Crocodiles @ Divan du monde CANCELLED

Status Quo @ casino de Paris

Nov 21

Motorhead + Anthrax @ Zénith

Monster Magnet @ Maroquinerie

Nov 22
Eugene McGuiness @ Fleche d'or for Fred perry

Garbage @ Zénith

Gary Lucas @ Shakespeare's in Paris

Nov 24
Skunk Anansie @ Zénith

Shuggie Otis @ La bellevilloise
Nov 25
Bat for lashes @ trianon (sold out)
Cranberries @ Zénith
Nov 26
Arno @ cafe de la danse
Alanis morrisette @ Olympia

Nov 27
Jim jones revue @ Maroquinerie
Amy McDonald @ Trianon

Florence & the machine @ Zénith

Nov 28
Andy Burrows @ fnac ternes (free show @ 6:00pm)

John Mayall @ N Morning

Lionel Richie @Zénith

Jim Jones Revue @ Maroquinerie

Nov 29
The Nits @ Café de la danse

The Hives @ Zénith

Please check first before going !

DEEP PURPLE @ Zénith, Paris Nov 13 2012

DEEP PURPLE @ Zénith, Paris Nov 13 2012

It's a packed Zénith for DEEP PURPLE , one more time should I say, the band is touring in France almost every year, playing several shows in France each time and it's packed. Good for them.

No new album this time , Once more so we have lots of classic songs, Well I guess this is what everybody wants, it's a shame as we would like to hear new stuff.
Anyway , first we have on stage a Funk band that was really crap, a bit like La Cie Creole, really don't know what the fuck these guys are doing here ?!?

Then it's time for DEEP PURPLE, as you can see it's a very simple stage with no backdrop and a very bright lightning, it's always like this with Purple they could light up two Eiffel Towers, it's perfect when you're taking Pics or recording.

"Fireball" is a great set opener with "Into the Fire", that gets you straight in the mood.
Luckily we have songs they rarely perform like "Wasted Sunsets" from "Perfect Strangers" album which is an odd choice as there are much better songs on this album. Since Richie Blackmore left ,the band is really enjoying themselves on stage. Ian Gillan still have a great voice but you can see that the band is trying to get him some space to breath and rest his voice as we have several solo spots all along the show the first one only after 45 min with Ian Paice kicking his drums like a maniac, Don Airey maybe as a hidden tribute to the late Jon Lord has two.
We would have prefer less soli and more songs but I guess that's the only solution to save Ian's voice.
Strangely enough the band won't perform "Highway Star " tonight.
Very good show but too many solo spots.

SETLIST: (may not be correct)

1. Fireball
2. Into the Fire
3. Hard Lovin' Man
4. Maybe I'm a Leo
5. Strange Kind of Woman
6. The Battle Rages On
7. Contact Lost
8. Guitar Solo
9. Wasted Sunsets (YES nice song from "Perfect Strangers")
10. The Well-Dressed Guitar
11. The Mule (drum solo)
12. Lazy
13. No one came
14. Keyboard solo
15. Perfect strangers
16. Space trucking
17. Smoke on the water
18. Hush
19. Black night 

 Fireball + Into the Fire:

One day after the band was live on the 1:00pm news on France2 tv for an interview and a live Jazzy version of "Smoke on the Water" (click for video)

Lou Reed @ Thé des Ecrivains, Paris Nov 13 2012

Lou Reed @ Thé des Ecrivains, Paris Nov 13 2012

Avery rare Picture: Lou Reed Signing LULU's box set

 After the reading @ Palais de Tokyo yesterday night Lou Reed is still in Paris promoting his new photo-book, this time at Thé des Ecrivains, very nice place in the trendy Marais, you can buy books and other stuff but you can also have a coffee or a glas of wine.
No reading tonight , just a short introduction and then Lou is signing his book to a well behaved crowd of fans. Some people also bring some vinyls and he signed probably for the first time ever a box set of the record he did with METALLICA : Lulu as nobody bought that crap but...me !!!

Lou Reed Conférence @ Palais de Tokyo, Paris Nov 12 2012

 Lou Reed @ Palais de Tokyo in Paris 7:00pm

"SHUT UP"

To present his new book Rhymes/Rimes

Very late opening as Lou Reed worked on the Exhibition, starting in the morning then he had some interviews so he needed a rest. It was supposed to start at 7:00pm in fact Lou Reed showed up at 8:30pm.

They contacted the Palais de Tokyo just 3 weeks ago for this exhibition, it really shows that they have a huge space and really don't know what to do with it. We've been a few times at recent exhibitions at the Palais de Tokyo and we have to say that we haven't seen so many crap exhibitions in such a short amount of time excluding Lou Reed's pictures, most of them are pretty good even though the man doesn't want to "legend" any of them.

It started with a "lecture" of RAVEN but first Mr Grumpy asked people in the back to "SHUT UP".

It lasted for 20 min.

Then there was a Q&A for another 20 min: There are pictures dating back from the late 60's, no photoshop, he has several cameras, all the pictures in the book are in a certain order... ans so on.

and Lou signed his new book "Rhymes/Rimes.

The Palais de Tokyo knows how to spend our money so we had a nice reception afterwards with champagne and canapés/macarons.

Cool evening !