I met Mick Harvey (ex-Birthday Party, ex-Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, PJ Harvey’s band) a few kilometers from Nimes France October 5th 2012 at the Hacienda during a kind of private party proposed by the Tontons Flingueurs a bunch of friends who are passionated people and music lovers. Thank to everyone for this warmhearted and very beautiful night !!

Mick Harvey at the Hacienda in Nimes France Oct 5th 2012

Just after the dinner we went both outside with Mick, sat down at a table under a tree and I recorded our very relaxed conversation about his new solo album (recorded in 2010, released in 2011 and effectively promoted in 2012 after he finished his world tour with PJ Harvey) ”Sketches from The Book of The Dead“ and the probable songwriting of his future solo album…A dog invited himself to the talk and added a special note to this very strange night in an old farm lost in the country, far away from everything …it’s a kind of atmospheric podcast I propose to you this time illustrated by ones of Mick’s beautiful songs : I started with “Bethelridge” (Robbie Fulks) from his covers’ album “One Man’s treasure” (2005), then 3 excerpts of the songs from his new solo album : “The Ballad of Jay Givens, To Each his Own and A Place called Passion” then an excerpt of “The Colour of the Earth” a song he sang in duet with PJ Harvey in her last album “Let Egland Shake” and I finished with one of the new songs “Two Paintings”.

A short videoclip to share with you a bit of that unique experience with a very talentuous and so famous artist playing directly on the floor without his band, just a microphone, a guitar and some recording tapes…How not to feel each other very privileged and and completly charmed…

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

A video I filmed during the show in Marseille Oct 2011 where Chris played in solo “Photograph” then “In the Mirror” with the Bailey Burns Gang !

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 !!

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”!!

A short videoclip to give you an idea of the show in Marseille

 
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

Chris and the Burns Brothers Band gave us the pleasure to add to the show some songs of The Saints repertoire, here “Messin’ with the Kid”!!

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 !!

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 !

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…

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 !!

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 !!

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!!

Little Green Fairy a French band from Sete gave a show in Marseille at Enthropy November 6th 2010 (thank to Well Done who booked the show) and played a lot of songs from their new album “Stuck out of time”! A true pleasure for me to meet them again (among my first guests on meltingpod HERE) and for the audience which was formed with a lot of musicians (Cowboys from Outerspace, Irritones, Ze Cardiacs…).

Erik Dim at the guitar, Clarisse B on the drums and Rauky at the lead vocals and guitar.

A short videoclip to give you an ambience of the night is surely better than a long talk! For the rest, buy the CD without hesitation !! (soon a podcast!).

The after-party show was full of friends, laughters and smiles, just what we need !!

 
Clarisse, Erik and Rauky; Clarisse and Michel (Cowboys from Outerspace)

 
Erika (Pariah! Records) and Dimi; LGF PomPom Girls : Annie, Clarisse and Iza (Ze Cardiacs)

Meltingpod Connections
A review about the album in English and coming from the Australian Barman HERE !!

I met BugGIRL an Australian rock band first time in Berlin last July thank to Texas Terri who turned me to them in front of one of my favorite punk rock clubs “Wild at Heart”, the place to join the rockers of the planet !!! The connection immediatly was friendly and one month later BugGIRL came and play to Marseille at Enthropy and we spontaneously decided to record an interview after their show.

 
Clinno the volcanic drummer and Amber the electric woman

I started the podcast with their song Rock and Roll Hell, then Hungry as Hell, Rock Your City, Blood Sweat and Beers and Dirty in the Skirt, a pure Australian rock and roll in the tradition AC/DC, Rose Tattoo…

 
Amber and Clinno in strong connection during the whole show.

we talked a lot about the bands they love in Australia during and after the interview : it was a very cool meeting, unforgettable thank to Well Done and Alex (Vaginal Liquid Devilish Piranhas Johnny Division) who booked the show and found us a place in a garage to talk very quietly (with Ze Cardiacs who joined us) the whole night in fact until the day light surprised us…:)

a short video clip to give you an idea of the ambience!

Amber and Clinno in fusion !

Generik Vapeur the famous French street theater company from Marseille left the ex-Abatttoirs based in the old industrial area St Louis the 10/10/10 a symbolic date for a symbolic move with all the family, friends and fans who accompagned them to their new place : The Street Arts City erected in another old industrial area in Marseille, Les Aygualades.
It was hard to leave the old Abattoirs which was the theater’s stage of such fabulous events and stories, artistic or humans, full of poetry and passion during 20 years !!
 
Karine De Barbarin on the left picture, Bruno Montlahuc on the right picture : two Generiks who were there in 89 when the company started the adventure in the Abattoirs…between smiles and strong emotion just before the departure…

 
Everybody took a bag or an object and moved out towards the new place, under the rain…abandoning a few colorful feathers on the road…

The spontaneous theater show with the friends happy to become a street actor for a few minutes, one hour, during the time of the move.

 
Arrival in front of the new black metal building specially made for them and adapted to their professional needs. The old bar from the Abattoirs took a place in their new spacious hall.

 
Caty Avram and Pierre Berthelot, both founder members of the company opened a giant Champagne bottle for the guests-workers !! On the right a last thought to the old Generik’s head quarters in the ex Abattoirs before taking my car again back home…all these memories which still float around…you could find some of them saved by Sara Vidal (aka Andree Vidal : Generik Vapeur president) in her book : “the ex Abattoirs, an original story” (Publishing Cris Ecrits).

Meltingpod Connections :
A thought to Pierrot Bidon who founded the circus Bidon and then Archaos in the same spirit than Generik and who passed away last March…his shows were pure rock and roll !! Watch it !!

Lars Wallin and The Tribelars toured South of France at the end of September and played in Marseille at Enthropy a folk music with a punk spirit accompagned with traditional instruments from the Australian aboriginal people like the didgeridoo : strange no ?
In fact I knew Lars Wallin since 5 years but just through a friendly regular emailing and a podcast-interview I did with him on the phone in November 2005 called “The Aborigines love punk and roll” around our common passions : the music, The Saints and Australia !! So thank to Well Done who booked the show at Enthröpy and who allowed this first meeting in person around his music Live !!

 
Lars Wallin (on the right : guitar, didgeridoo, vocals) and The Tribelars (Peter Hansson in the middle at the bass and backing vocals, Thorolf Andersson on the percussion) in front of the venue Enthröpy, then inside scarrying the girls from Marseille…:) (click to enlarge).

a video clip to give you a very short idea of the show

 
I was sure I could impress Lars the globetrotter with a visit to the shops in Noailles a very exotic area from Marseille; the wild vikings around me before they left Marseille back to Sweden.

Lars Wallin and The Tribelars Live in my bed with Beautiful People…:)