Foo Fighters gig was a great show as usual, but it was actually almost the same show as in Helsinki in June. Even the same order (but fewer songs) with the same kind of word to the audience. The main difference being Dave Grohl asking few times the security asshole to not « hit the kids, they are only kids who want to have fun »...
Paul Kalkbrenner was the electro main course of Friday evening. Only saw the end of the gig (Foo Fighters remain a good show to see until the last drop) but the guy has some very good sounds. The problem is once again, to me listening electro like this even if he had an interesting stage installation, the rain, the mud and the freaking long way back home did not put me really in. Again something to check in a club.
Saturday
Interpol was maybe one of the disappointment of the festival. First of all they were not helped by the sound check of the main stage. Far too much basses and sometimes some very annoying larsen...quite unprofessional. But what was missing the band was Carlos Denger. Their current bass player might be a good studio player but on tour it was almost a catastrophe, playing too « round » not with the typical Interpol sounds, not really playing with the rest of the band, it sounded almost than one guy was playing bass on guitar hero video game...At least it did not feel too bad to leave the gig before its end to go and see DFA.
CSS was there as well. I haven't seen them since maybe 2 or 3 years in Flow festival in Helsinki. Well these girls still rock! Lots of energy, old songs still have this kick which makes you dance and the new songs which I heard for the first time then are pretty promising. And of course LoveFoxx and her band mates still have this trendy sexy thingy.
The other band seen here and there: HushPuppies gave a bad show, the band seems to not be what is was since they change bass player; Austra saw only few minutes but heard from people at the gig that it was very refreshing, let's check their myspace later on; Cage the Elephant, BB Brunes, Kid Cudi...please guys go home and don't come back...
Beer was 5€ for normal Pint of Lager, and 6 for a pint of white beer. Add a 1€ deposit for the plastic glasses and you have a not too expensive beer for a festival. Also there was enough stand to get you drink without queuing ages, that's a good point.
Que? La Bodega? This year the festival had, on top of the regular ones, few thematic bars. La Bodega and the Metal bar were some of them. But honestly was too busy with music to check them out.
Gibson SG Gordini! If you think you are a good guitar player, like Gibson SG, not afraid of the sky blue and white stripe colour, and eventually get a kiss from one of the hostess you could have try to win a Gibson SG Gordini. Register, play 30 seconds what you want on front of the camera and maybe the judges will pick you! But would have been better to know it before trying bar...
General thoughts:
Metro station. To reach the site of the festival 2 metro lines go there. Line 10 (advertise everywhere on the website of the festival) and line 9 (the most convenient if you are living in the East of Paris). Such a stupid idea from the organization to have only 1 entrance close the the line 10 and to reserve the entrance next to the line 9 for VIP only!
VIP...that's France a former royal country which still hasn't give up with privileges. If you were one of the happy few, you get your own entrance where no security ass hole is checking your bag or insulting you, you get access to the champagne bar (still have to pay your glass though) and you can almost do whatever you want...who said France was the country of « Droits de l'Homme »?!
What's the menu today? Since the festival opens 9 years ago it grew up a lot, and this year it took the direction of many other festival offering a very large variety of food selection (French traditional, Thai, Mexican, Tapas...). Of course quality was not really everywhere, but better than having only the hotdog and fries for menu.
Xenophobia? Let's not be paranoiac but being called « Chinese » by the security guy is really WTF?
Yeah man...stupid security crew at the entrance, removing the cork on your plastic bottle and not checking really if people were carrying drugs or liquors...during all the festival, bottle of vodka, Pastis and strong smell of weed was noticeable at every corner. Good job security!
Ze end, the festival had 38000 visitors per day this year, which is quite good if you think about the size of the site. Let's hope for the 10 years they will fix all the problems (but it's France let's not be too optimistic).