I spent that nice day trying to save in urgency my numerous and heavy audio and video archives and transfering them to different external hard drives and DVDs hoping it will give more energy and oxygen to my computer which shows very worrying signs of weakness these last days and didn’t work correctly. So no time and no possibility for a very creative post to celebrate that 7th anniversary but with luck maybe my cleaning will help and I will be able to do something better in a not too distant future !!

My good friends from Oriental Fusion (Hakim Hamadouche vocals and mandoluth, Ahmad Compaoré drums and Edmond Hosdikian sax) reforming the band after a 10 years break at La Meson in Marseille February 18th 2012 : a videoclip from that great night soon !

Anyway I couldn’t miss to point that day despite the technical difficulties because I love too much the number 7 and funnily I share for a few years now this anniversary March 1st with Texas Terri who told me in her last live interview she decided to move that day from Los Angeles to Berlin (a big change in her life and carreer) and Ed Kuepper who chose also that day to launch his blog for his own label Prince Melon Records. Btw : If you live in Australia you can see Ed in Melbourne and Adelaïde where he is currently touring with Mark Dawson…:)

The International Women Day March 8th my podcast Meltingpod will be 7 years old, hoping I could publish some new songs you never heard before…:) and by a lucky coincidence Ed Kuepper chose also that day to release his new studio album “Second Winter”..so stay connected !!!

 

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In this podcast N°110 I propose to you the second part of the Live interview I recorded with Chris Bailey from The Saints when he came to Marseille last year in October with his drummer Peter Wilkinson to perform the new album “Stranger” they co-wrote with two members of the French band H-Burns : Renaud Brustlein and Antoine Pinnet.

Chris Bailey and Peter Wilkinson during the soundcheck in Marseille at Cabaret Aleatoire Oct 2011

Chris Bailey and Antoine Pinnet, Peter and Chris in Marseille Oct 2011

In that part I talked with Chris about more personal things as his new solo album’s recording in Australia (release expected very soon, maybe this year, can’t wait!!), his projects with The Saints and his last duo tour with Ed Kuepper in May/June 2010.
As I can’t play songs from Chris’ new album yet, I illustrate the interview with some excerpts of that Australian tour with Ed, thank to a hard fan who sent me his audio recording in the audience at Troubadour in Brisbane.

Chris Bailey and Ed Kuepper in the recording studio to test some songs after the tour in 2010 : never says never !! (pic : Jude Dransfield Kuepper)

I chose three songs from Chris where Ed is playing guitar and doing the backing vocals : “In the mirror, Photograph and Gone with the wind”.
I finished with one of my favorite songs from Ed “The way I made you feel” where Chris is playing bass and doing the backing vocals ! Enjoy !!! Hoping they will record something together one day again or at the minimum wishing they will tour Europe with that duo !!

Chris Bailey and Ed Kuepper during their duo tour in Melbourne Australia (pics from Carbie Warbie)

By the way Happy New Year 2012 Everybody !!

 

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In this podcast N°109 I have the great pleasure to propose to you a Live interview with Chris Bailey from The Saints. Chris came to Marseille October 13th with Peter Wilkinson his drummer in The Saints to promote during a French tour the new album “Stranger” they recorded with Renaud Brustlein and Antoine Pinnet two members of the French band H-Burns.

Renaud Brustlein at the vocals and guitar, Peter Wilkinson on the drums, Chris Bailey at the vocals and the bass, Antoine Pinet at the guitar.

Chris and Renaud put in common a few of their new songs and then asked Peter and Antoine to join the new band who can be called, depending the mood : Bailey Burns, The Burns Brothers Band or The Harry Burns Project…:)

Chris Bailey, Peter and Renaud

In that interview recorded before the show at Cabaret Aleatoire in Marseille, Chris talked about the album’s making in France and the pleasure to play with new musicians at the opposite of his habits with The Saints, being in that new context “only the bass player of a French band”!!

 
Peter and Renaud, Renaud and Antoine

To illustrate Chris Bailey’s talk I play some songs’ excerpts from the new album “Stranger” : “Hey You and Cruel Sea” from Chris and “New Sidewalks and Postcards” from Renaud. You can order the album if you like it to their label Vicious Circle.

Renaud, Peter and Chris

I will publish soon the second part of the podcast where Chris talked about his personal projects : the next solo album he recorded in Sydney, his ideas about new albums with The Saints, his duo last year in Australia with Ed Kuepper : stay connected !!

 

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After a long silence with the podcasts (exactly one year today, strange coincidence !!) I’m back with you again and to honor this return I propose to you a great live interview or more exactly a very friendly conversation with Rob Younger (ex Radio Birman) I recorded this Summer before his show at La Machine à Coudre in Marseille when he was touring Europe with his famous Australian punk rock band The New Christs !!!

 
Rob Younger and Brent Williams on the left, Dave Ketley and Paul Larson (from the Celibate Rifles, specially here for the tour 2011 replacing Stuart Wilson) on the right…the New Christs at La Machine à Coudre !!

The New Christs delivered us a fantastic performance, sincere, warm-hearted, professional and wild like the great talentuous musicians and generous rockers they are…they can play on big festivals’ stages like they can play for a small venue with the same powerful energy…I can even say they are more impressing in a small venue…Wow that superbe wall of guitars in front of the stage with Brent, Jim and Dave !! Rob adapted his show to the place he had and still was more fascinating, the air was saturated of music, the drummer was a hero (and all of us by the way) with that highly hot temperature of Summer : in fact we all shared a bath of sounds in a complete pleasure close to the trance…:)
Here below a short videoclip I filmed with my small compact camera to try to give you a little idea…Enjoy!

 
The Irritones opening the show on the left; Rob Younger, Jim Dickson (both ex-Radio Birman) and Dave Ketley on the right

The French punk band from Marseille Irritones opened the show for their famous Australian guests : only happiness !! (videoclip of their show below, a short live recording in the podcast)

 
The New Christs and Irritones at the dinner : a good way for the Australians to test the French cooking, cheese and wines thank to the great Relax and Co’s organization !! On the right, Rob Younger backstage with me in the interview’s room ! It was small but we had a lot of fun talking very relaxed before the show about music, projects, life, politics, flavors you can capture in Marseille by night…:) I hope you will like it ! I illustrated that interview with some excerpts of their new live album recorded in Sydney in May 2011 : “On top of me, Coming apart, Daddy’s calling” and of their last studio album Gloria : “Animalisation”…

If you haven’t enough here, you can listen or re-listen to THAT OTHER PODCAST with a live interview with Rob and the band and many live recordings of the show at Le Poste à Galène in Marseille I have published in May 2009 !

Last Saturday October 22th 2011 I had the great pleasure to see again one of my favorite French rock bands Conger! Conger! performing Live their new and first album “At the corner of the world” at Studio Decanis in Marseille !!

 
Conger! Conger! Live at Studio Decanis Marseille 22th 2011 (click to enlarge the pic)

Each of their shows always contains the promise of some theatrical and musical surprises. Maybe it comes because the drummer Patrice De Benedetti is a dancer as well and his both mates Pierrot Gon at the guitar and Didier Bautzmann at the bass are very sensitive and inventive musicians !! They really created a new sound, highly structure their songs and mightily play them on stage sometimes at the limit of our ears’ abilities…:) Hoping you will enjoy the photos and the short videoclip I filmed that night and spread the word if you like them !

It was the first time I went to that place “Studio Decanis” and I really appreciated to find out a new cosy and well adapted space dedicated to the music and the arts in general in the town. So many dynamic clubs closed due to financial difficulties (cf Le Balthazar) or administrative issues (cf recently L’Enthröpy, temporarly I hope) despite the town is preparing to be the capital of Europe for the culture in 2013…

Anyway if you like Conger! Conger! you will find more videos and pics about that band on Meltingpod HERE LIVE at Café Julien in November 2010 and HERE Live at La Machine à Coudre in April 2010, by the way two nice places to listen to Live Music in Marseille too !!

PS : I got some computer’s major issues these last months but they seem to be fixed now so I will try to publish asap the reviews of older events where I took pics or videos or recorded interviews…stay in touch !!

The Cowboys from Outerspace the famous band from Marseille opened the night at La Machine à Coudre in Marseille May 26th 2011 for their friends Holy Curse from Paris who gave their last show in our town during a goodbye tour all over France : a great and moving rocking night in a terribly hot atmosphere around 50°Celsius…:) Enjoy this report with some pics and two videos clips with both bands !

Michel and Henry from the Cowboys; Paulo Eric and Vinz from Holy Curse

Holy Curse played some songs from their new album “Take it as it comes” produced by Rob Younger (The New Christs, Radio Birman) and if they were stopping the band after that tour they didn’t break their friendship as it’s obvious on the video and pictures : it was a very moving goodbye to the friends and a great musical performance !! Thank you guys for your passion and good luck for your new projects !!

Mr Henry from The Cowboys; Eric and Vinz’s hugs during the last song…

Young artists from the 3 harbour cities Shanghaï, Hamburg and Marseille met first time in Marseille in April 2011 in the context of the Helix project (financed by the French-German Office for the Youth, DRGSCS PACA and Marseille townhall) to build a show together crossing their cultural background around the Street Theater.

Big Bang Dockers Premiere in the Street Arts City April 9th 2011

The project called Big Bang Dockers started in Marseille in April and was artistically managed for the first part by Marseille street theater company Generik Vapeur. It was performed by the young artists first time in front of the audience in the Street Arts City April 9th 2011 after a week working together.
I filmed (below) a few moments of the show to give you an idea of their fantastic energy, creativity and good spirits !

After the show a big party and BBQ was organized by Eurocircle who technically initiated and managed the whole project and hosted by Generik Vapeur in their new place in the Street Arts City : another great moment to exchange around the food and the music !

Both last pics : a part of the Chinese group; 3 of the young artists from the 3 countries : China, France, Germany !!

Big Bang Dockers will be improved and developed in a second part in Shanghaï and then in a third part in Hamburg. We hope the final project will be performed in 2013 for Marseille European Capital for Culture.
For more info : A blog is opened to tell the story step after step at http://helixtheater.blog.com/

Kid Congo Powers an American/Mexican artist who co-founded the Gun Club in 1979 in Los Angeles with Jeffrey Lee Pierce, played with the Cramps and Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds…came to Marseille last week April 4th 2011 during his current European tour and performed at the Embobineuse with his band The Pink Monkey Birds for our greatest pleasure (Big Thank to The Depanneur who booked the show and Good Luck for the future !)

Kid Congo Powers (lead vocals and guitar)

I made a short video clip for you with some Live excerpts I filmed during the show with my small compact camera; you will maybe recognize there the signature of the great artists on stage : smiles and simplicity, the fun to play and to share the music in a warm-hearted ambience !! With Kiki Solis at the bass guitar, Ron Miller on the drums, Jesse Roberts at the guitar and keyboards.

Kid Congo and The Pink Monkey Birds played a lot of songs from their repertoire including some songs from their new album “Gorilla Rose” but also this famous old song “Sex Beat” from The Gun Club. Here a video for the people who like it a lot , like me…:)

Thank to Rudy for the sound, thank to Adam and Dimitri for the lights !!

Meltingpod Connections :
Happy to find out Kid Congo Powers’ own channel on youtube : http://www.youtube.com/elkidcongo and to see my videoclip was added among his last favorites !!! Thank you El Kid Congo !!

Yes !! Each time I’m the first surprised : one year more and still alive despite the difficulties of the life and some periodic moments of doubts. I have to admit there is a long time I didn’t post anything here but a big part of my blogging acitivity happened on my facebook page these last times : by the way you can join me here at http://www.facebook.com/meltingpod if you want. On another hand I lost a big part of the pleasure I had to run my other blog on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/meltingpod since their commercial team decided to make more money with the advertizing and updated so badly their datas and design that they completly killed their tool which was at the beginning a fantastic idea to promote the music. Though I try to resist there hoping they will realize one day their mistake…
In fact to be honest my favorite place is here, I feel home, I hope you too my faithful friends…so Happy 6th Birthday to Meltingpod, wishing to share with you still more exciting news in the next future !!!
PS : My podcast Meltingpod will be 6 years old March 8th so stay connected, you could have a nice surprise very soon..:)

Happy New Year 2011 to everybody with always more live music, energy and happiness in your life !

Speaking about live music a lot of tours and new albums are announced by bands or musicians who are among the favorites on Meltingpod :
- in January Chris Bailey from The Saints will share the bill in Australia with the American folk singer Judy Collins from 12th to 25th (Sydney, Port Macquarie, Brisbane, Caloundra, Warragui, Richmond, Hobart, Invernay, Castelmaine) as well as Nick Cave with his band Grinderman from January 17th to February 6th in Australia and New Zealand, mostly for the Big Day Out !
- in March from 18th to 26th Ed Kuepper will tour Melbourne 18/19th, Adelaïde 20th, Newcastle 24th, Sydney 25th and Kincumber 26th in duo with Mark Dawson his old mate and drummer in The Aints and they will re-visit Ed’s both albums Electrical Storm (1985) and Today Wonder (1990) in their entirety; btw : Ed released a lot of new bootlegs under his own label Prince Melon Records, most of them already are sold out but among the new ones you can still order the volumes N°14 and 15 from his website (cover painting Judi Dransfield Kuepper).

- the first half of this year Mick Harvey will tour the world with PJ Harvey to promote her new album he co-produced : “Let England Shake” released February 14th !! Already 12 shows are scheduled in Europe from February 18th to 28th in Brussels, Berlin, Paris, Londres, May 25/26th in Lisbon, 30/31th in Amsterdam !! During the same period Chris Bailey should tour with Peter Wilkinson (The Saints) and the French musicians Renaud Brustlein and Antoine Pinet from H-Burns to promote the album they recorded together last year under the General Dog’s name !
- closer, in Marseille Conger! Conger! will perform at Le Local January 22th and release their new album at the end of this month or at the beginning of February,
- to end that first list BugGIRL with Amber and Clinno will maybe close their incredibly long world tour with performing again in the USA from January to February !!
PS : The New Christs who are on the photo above could come back again to Europe this year as Rob hoped it…:)
Anyway if you like it, stay connected for the next updates and podcasts !
And as you are nice a second wishes card with the French band LO : ambience in the Meltingpod style !!

Meltingpod Connections : Update Last Minute January 6th !
Ed Kuepper will open the show for Grinderman in Brisbane at Tivoli January 24th and in Sydney at Enmore Theater January 28th : a solo performance !! hurry up my Australian friends !!

The Festival des Méditerranées 2010 offered us December 2sd at Nomad Café the first show of a new trio formed with some famous Algerian Egyptian and French musicians from Marseille I mean : Hakim Hamadouche at the vocals and mandoluth with Rachid Taha, former Oriental Fusion with Ahmad Compaoré on the drums and Manu Théron at the vocals and percussion (Lo Cor de la Plana, Gacha Empega).

 
Manu Théron and Hakim Hamadouche (pics from my friend and mate Pirlouiiiit Live In Marseille Concert and Co : his camera was better than mine under this low red-yellow lights show : more HERE !!).

They played a lot of songs from their respective repertoire re-arranged for the trio, re-visiting the occitan, arabo-andalous and oriental traditional melodies with a very contemporary and new eye, or ear…:)

 
Ahmad Compaoré and the trio saluting the audience at the end of the show (pics : Pirlouiiiit).

We got the nice surprise to have two other great musicians joining the stage for a short improvisation during one song : Sam Karpienia (vocals; former Dupain : a podcast with them HERE recorded in 2006 ) followed a few seconds later by Daniel Gaglione at the mandole (Sam Karpienia band) : I filmed a short video to give you an idea of the ambiance, here below !!

Meltingpod Connections :
Hakim got the pleasure to have one of his songs released on Tricky’s (former Massiv Attack) new album 2010 “Mixed Race”, here below :

One of my favorite rock band from Marseille Conger! Conger! gave a show at The Cafe of the Espace Julien November 20th 2010 and tested that night a lot of their new songs before going to Toulouse to record there their new album…in fact this week !!!

Click to enlarge these pics at Cafe Julien with such a nice light-show !

As always each show is different with Conger! Conger! : the new songs brought a new color it’s clear but the performance is always surprising with Patrice De Benedetti the drummer and lead singer (former dancer with Ex-Nihilo and right now with his own dance company beside his creative activities with the band !!) which tries all the time to feel the intuition of the moment : very focused his both mates on stage Pierrot Gon at the guitar and Didier Bautzmann at the bass quietly followed him in each of his fantasies for our greatest pleasure !! (live video below)

BTW = You can find another review and longer Live video HERE on MELTINGPOD from one of their shows at La Machine à Coudre last April !!

On the left : Flying above the stage at Cafe Julien ! On the right : Patrice playing with small bells’ bracelets to increase the effect of his drumming !

Can’t wait to listen to their new album and talk to you more about it : an interview is scheduled !!

Meltingpod Connections :
When my friend Eric Tessier from Radio Libertaire hosting “Place aux fous musique” in Paris abandoned his backstage pass for the Alice Cooper’s show in Marseille that night and joined me at the Conger! Conger! show…:)
The review in French is HERE !!
When my friend Bob Nebe writer of “That Striped Sunlight Sound” a music webmagazine came from Australia to Marseille and followed me a night of September at Enthropy to a Conger! Conger! show…:)
The review in English is HERE !!
Thank to you both to help me to spread the good music around the world!!