Ok, it’s just to stay alive one more time…hoping to post more beautiful, powerful and wild new rock songs in a not too distant future…Happy Ten Years Anniversary Meltingpod !!
Back in the days, I could never forget that intense emotion I felt when I sent the first post, here…http://meltingpod.net/?p=1
A strong emotion as well but of a quite different nature this year in that pic I took when people spontaneously joined the harbour of Marseille around some candles to honor the memory of the numerous victims in Charlie Hebdo’s attack January 7th 2015 and to show their deep attachment to the freedom of expression. In the end Charlie proved they were not dead and still even stronger…a good message of hope in the adversity.
That anniversary sounds a bit depressing as my blog is partly destroyed by my web host Free : they disactivated my anti-spams then they deleted my comments data base due to too much spams…cool ? eh…
Anyway I still hope to find a solution to be able to publish again some stuff around music soon, in the waiting you always can write to me on my facebook page : Happy Birthday Meltingpod !!!
Meltingpod the blog is 8 years old today and I thought I could celebrate that event with posting during the next week (until March 8th which is the 8th anniversary of the podcast) the whole stuff in late I recorded during the past year in the hot city of Marseille…I will start with The Movements a rock band from Gothenburg Sweden who came to Marseille April 6th 2012 in La Machine à Coudre : great show, hot ambience !! Enjoy the video :
They played the new album they recorded with the « Angry Dead Pirates » from Toulouse under the French label from Marseille « Pariah ! Records.
Pariah! Records’ hot team : Erika and Alex presenting the Movements’ and Angry Dead Pirates’ new album released as a vinyl !!
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…
Meltingpod was 7 years old this year in fact since last March and I will play songs from 7 new albums released these past 7 months of 2012 to celebrate it !!
Above Conger! Conger!’s new album released in vinyl (click to enlarge the pic), the new CDs from Ian Rilen and The Love Addicts, Ed Kuepper live and studio (on the left) and The Spectrum Family (on the right)
I chose to play one song from each album so join the party and listen to that great musical stream around the world ! If you wish more you can buy the albums clicking on the links below !
1 and 2 Australia :  « The way I made you feel » from Ed Kuepper’s live album recorded in Sydney with his drummer Mark Dawson as a bonus disc accompagning Ed Kuepper’s new studio album « Second Winter » with the song « Palace of Sin » (release party and show November 9th at the Old Museum in Brisbane)
3 England : « Carboard Cutouts » from 3 Foot Ninja’s debut album !
4 Sweden and France : The Movements’ (Göteborg) song « Being » played by The Angry Dead Pirates (Toulouse) released by the French Label from Marseille « Pariah ! Records »
The vinyl released by Pariah ! Records for The Movements and The Angry Dead Pirates; on the left the 3 Foot Ninja’s CD.
Ian Rilen and The Love Addicts’ CD includes a beautiful book with a lot of musicians’ contributions to Ian’s work and life.
Byt the way tomorrow in France or today in Australia, it was exactly 6 years Ian passed away : a nice celebration day to play his posthumous album thank to Greg Sawers his manager who did a great labor of love for that release during these past 6 years !
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 !!
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 !!!
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)
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 !
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…
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/
First French Woman in Podcasting – Meltingpod : the Queen of Rock and Roll Podcasters will rock your world Live from Marseille
