Podcast 97 Rodolphe Burger Live interview and music in Festival de Marseille : From Kat Onoma to Mix Up Beyrouth with Marsatac July 2009

Rodolphe Burger was invited by Marsatac in the Festival de Marseille to work with 6 young musicians from Beyrouth in Libanon and one musician from Marseille in the context of a project called « Mix Up Beyrouth » : what a great idea which at last gave me the opportunity to do a Live interview with one of my favorite French musicians !


Rodolphe Burger (guitar and vocals) during the show Mix Up Beyrouth; Rodolphe with Julien Perraudeau (bass).

I immediatly loved Rodolphe Burger‘s music, special sound and style when I saw him Live many years ago with his ex-band Kat Onoma so I will play a lot of songs’ excerpts from this band to illustrate that interview (The Radio, Artificial Life, Idiotic, La Chambre, Le déluge « d’après moi », John and Mary, Play with Fire with James Blood Ulmer, Billy The Kid) as well as some excerpts from the Mix Up Beyrouth’s first Live performance at la Friche Belle de Mai July 11th 2009 (including an excerpt from the soundcheck !!). You can also check Rodolphe’s solo albums : HERE.


Mix Up Beyrouth Live in Marseille !! a short clip but a great moment !


Rodolphe with Ziad Saad (keyboards, vocals, guitar); Rodolphe with Rayess Bek (vocals and computer) in the background Julien and Ziad.

Rodolphe met these 7 musicians from Beyrouth and Marseille for the first time just 10 days before the show and it really was a challenge to be creative and in harmony in a so short period of time : but they got it !! Second step in September for the Marsatac festival’s overture : don’t miss them if you’re in the area !


Youmma Saba (vocals guitar) Rodolphe, Julien and Ziad.


the whole band (from right to left) : Frederic Nevchehirlian (vocals guitar), Fady Tabbal (multi-instumentist), Youmma, Abed Kobeissy (busuk), Rodolphe, Julien, Ziad and Rayess.


Ziad taking the vocals, Youmma and Rayess during the encore !


Everybody focused during the soundcheck.

Obviously after the Mix Up Beyrouth’s project, I couldn’t resist to ask Rodolphe questions about Kat Onoma’s eventual future, how he built his own recording studio « The Farm », launched his own label ‘Derniere Bande » and created his own festival « C’est dans la Vallée » + he announced me the next tour with his new trio…so many things that I forgot to speak about his last tour in China and Ouzbekistan !! Hoping it just was the part 1 !!

#96 The Laughing Clowns in 2009 Part 2 : Interview with Jeffrey Wegener the drummer who played also with the Saints and the Birthday Party (Nick Cave’s band before the Bad Seeds) !!

The Laughing Clowns part 2 and a 50 mn long show with Jeffrey Wegener the drummer at last on Meltingpod !! We started when Jeffrey met Chris Bailey and Ed Kuepper at school in the 70’s, his first show with Kid Galahad and the Eternals aka The Saints, the first meeting with Ed back from London to found the Laughing Clowns in 78/79 and then we entered more in the details of the music and his work with Ed.


Ed in Dresden June 2009, Jeffrey at Mt Buller January 2009 (thanks to Justin for this nice pic !)

I played a lot of songs’ excerpts from their 3 albums compilation Cruel But Fair (Lucky Days, Ghost of an Ideal Wife, Holy Joe, Song Of Joy, Time No Hit But Missed) and The Laughing Clowns’ last album recorded Live at GoMa in Brisbane last January and produced by Ed’s own label Prince Melon Records (Bully in the Town, Come One Come All and Eternally yours) !!
The current line-up is : Ed Kuepper (guitar vocals) Jeffrey Wegener (drums) Louise Elliott (sax flute)) Leslie Millar (upright bass) and Alister Spencer (keyboards).


Ed and Jeffrey in Australia 2008 (pic from the greensea); Ed in Dresden with the Bad Seeds 2009

We closed the show with some of Jeffrey’s memories when he played with Nick Cave and his band the Birthday Party in 84 and the last performance at ATP in January 2009 in Australia which reunited the Laughing Clowns, The Saints and Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds the same days in Sydney !

Meltingpod Connections :
Happy to be blogged by the famous Australian « Barman » !!