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.

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 !!!

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 !!

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”.

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.

5 France Marseille : “Beistaguen” from The Spectrum Family’s new album “Transylvania”
6 France Marseille : “Pray” from Conger! Conger!’s new album “At the corner of the world”
7 Australia : “Wishing Well” from Ian Rilen and The Love Addicts’ new album “Family from Cuba”

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 !

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 !!!

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 !!

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 !!

 
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 !

 
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 !!

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…

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 (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 !!

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 !!