‘Même si tout s’éffondrait, je serais près de toi’ (even if everything was falling apart, I would be by your side). The words are taken from a song by French band Les Rita Mitsouko. Quite an appropriate caption to a wonderful evening.
The last time I updated this blog was to tell of the untimely death of Fred Chichin, guitarist, one half of aforementioned Rita Mitsouko, the other half being his life companion, the flamboyant singer Catherine Ringer. The pair released an album, Variéty, their seventh, last year, and toured quite extensively as Fred was progressively falling victim to a rapidly developing cancer. They came to London in November. I was unaware of Fred’s poor health, and although I was very tempted to go and see them, I eventually didn’t.
Earlier this year, Catherine gathered the band that her and Fred had put together and got back on the road, stopping, for one night, at London’s flamboyant and rococo Koko in Camden. This time, I was determined to, and glad I am I did too.
Catherine walked on stage with her band, announcing in broken English that the night would be quite emotional, with Fred not being by her side anymore, adding how much he loved London. She then kicked off with L’Ami Ennemi, from Variéty. I must say that, if Les Rita Mitsouko have been present in my life ever since their first hit single, Marcia Baila (apparently, I was reading recently, the most played song on French radio ever) was, well, all over every single radio stations all the way back in the mid eighties, I until recently only owned their second album, The No Comprendo, released in 1986. This means that, although I know quite a lot of the band’s songs for hearing them on the radio or on TV, there were plenty I didn’t know tonight. This didn’t however prevent me from enjoying the show, especially since Catherine was giving all she had, looking like a cross between a rock chick and Edith Piaf, dressed in a sober little black number.
Four songs in, and the opening bars of C’est Comme Ça, from The No Comprendo, sent Koko into a trance. The temperature never really came back down much after that, and when she kicked off Les Histoires D’A, much later, it was pure madness. Soon enough, it was the end, but Koko was not going to let Catherine go and erupted in a typically French chorus of ‘une autre, une autre’ (another song, another song). Catherine returned to give a full encore a la Française. Not the standard ‘two songs if you’re lucky’ that most British artists dish out at the end of a gig, but four songs, including a cover of the Velvet Underground and another of Mink DeVille (she had also done a Bowie track earlier), finishing with an incendiary version of Andy, an odd to Andy Capp, which had once again the whole of Koko on its feet, clapping, singing and dancing. She then introduced the band and left as ‘une autre, une autre’ resounded once again throughout the venue. Catherine and the band returned for a second encore during which they graced us with a magnificent version of Marcia Baila, with Ringer on the guitar, the very song that propelled Les Rita Mitsouko from unkown artists to superstars.
Fred might not be around anymore, but he was looking down tonight, his presence felt through each song. And the French community in London was definitely by Catherine’s side. Même si…
Filed under: Life
I received an email a few days ago announcing the death of Fred Chichin, one half of Les Rita Mitsouko, a French band who he formed with his partner Catherine Ringer in 1979. Les Rita Mitsouko released their first self-titled album in 1984. The band shot to fame in France the following year with the single Marcia Baila, which was taken from the album. I remember taping the song on my radio back then and playing it over and over, and I still love it now.
Marcia Baila (1985)
Their second album, The No Comprendo (1986), remains their best record to date. Produced by long time Bowie producer Tony Visconti, it featured a string of singles that really established the band in France. Songs such as Andy (a song based on the cartoon character Andy Capp), Les Histoires D’A, C’est Comme Ça and Nuit D’ivresse, which featured on the soundtrack of the film of the same title, showed a few different sides of the band, from the electro funk of Andy to the driving rock of C’est Comme Ça. This is the only album of theirs I ever bought (apart from Bestov, their…er.. best of, a couple of years ago), but I’ve always had a soft spot for their quirky and non-conformist approach.. Around the time of The No Comprendo, they refused to play on any TV show where they couldn’t play live, a stance that not many few bands were ready to take then.
Andy (1986)
C’est Comme Ça (1986)
In 1988, Catherine and Fred released Marc & Robert, their third album, which featured the great single Le Petit Train and a brilliant duet with Sparks, Singing In The Shower Tonight. Re, released in 1990, saw the band embrace the dance scene by asking a few high profile dance producers (Mark Moore, Fat Freddy, William Orbit) to remix a handful of their tracks. Since, they have continued to deliver records on a regular basis; Système D (1993), Cool Frénésie (2000), La Femme Trombone (2002), with an acoustic live album published in 1996 and a second live album this time with l’Ochestre Lamoureux, a classical formation in 2004.
Singing In The Shower Tonight, with Sparks (1988)
Their seventh- and last – studio album, Variety, was released earlier this year and was hailed as their best since The No Comprendo by the French press. The album was released in two versions: one in French, with three songs in English, and one totally in English, which some interest over here. The band were in the middle of a tour that had them play the Scala in London in October, which I was very tempted to go to but didn’t.
Fred passed away on Wednesday 28 November after a two month battle with cancer.
Filed under: Life
You know what it’s like, you wait for a holiday for ever, and then two come at once! I am not yet again fully back into London mode, but I will be off all next week as I go and soak up a bit more sun, this time in Portugal. As before, comments will not be posted until I get back, unless I find an Internet cafe and can be arsed checking emails, but please keep them coming… in fact, bring them on full stop!
For those interested, click on the picture below to check the photos of Mexico.
Filed under: Life
This blog is going to stagnate for the next couple of weeks while I am sunning myself in Cancun (Mexico) and explore some of the Maya wonders that are found around the resort.
Comments will also not appear on the blog while I am away but it should stop anyone for posting reactions to reviews and comments on albums while I am away. I will publish them all on my return, unless I can drag myself away from the sun and sit in front of a computer screen for a while.
Filed under: Life
Wearing an almost identical dress to the one she is depicted in on the cover of Ys, Joanna Newsom shyly steps in front of a full Barbican Hall framed by her drummer, guitarist and conductor. Once behind her towering pedal harp, she delivers the first notes of Emily. Tonight, she will be performing Ys in its entirety, backed with the London Symphony Orchestra. This date comes at the end of a short tour of the UK, and is the sole performance with the Barbican-based formation.
Joanna is there, on stage, just behind the guitarist…
The songs are presented in the exact same order as on the album, but Van Dyck Parks’s arrangements at times appear to have be given a slightly different relief. Cast against the orchestra, Newsom’s voice sounds as if it has once again gained in maturity and clarity, giving the songs a much sharper and vibrant feel. Emily flows well. The song, for her younger sister, provides a perfect introduction to the evening. Monkey And Bear follows. Equally as exquisite as the original, its Celtic roots, brushed with discreet medieval tones, appear much clearer, highlighted by the outburst of percussions and the soft vocal harmonies provided by Newsom’s drummer.
As the lights are dimmed, the focus is on Joanna alone when she starts Sawdust And Diamonds. Her execution is particular acute and physical here as she caries the whole song alone. Her hands run on the strings in intricate sequences, like spiders on a web, yet, nothing of the complexity transpires in the music as she weaves melodic patterns and lays upon them her delicately acidic tones. Here, she captures the attention of the audience for good and will not let go until the end of the performance.
The epic Only Skin follows. Stretching over sixteen minutes, it is a monster of a piece, but it is delivered with precision and class. The pastoral feel of the song is accentuated as the orchestral backdrop ebbs and flows with the melody. Toward the end, Newsom is joined by Smog’s Bill Callahan, her partner in life, who adds a deeper, darker harmony to the culminating section of the song. Cosmia, which is, as Joanna informs us, the last song she will be performing with the orchestra, flows like a river, at times tumultuous and wild, at others peaceful and vast. The soft accordion brushes which give the song a discreet Jacques Brel flavour on Ys are absent here, but this almost goes unnoticed as vibrant orchestral swathes continuously swell.
After a short interval, Joanna returns to the stage, this time on her own, for a few more songs. ‘This is not a Christina Aguilera costume change’ she says, justifying her change of dress by the intensity of the first half of the concert. She begins with The Book Of Right On and Sadie, renamed Sasha in honour of a friend, both from The Milk-Eyed Mender, followed by Ca’ The Yowes To The Knowes, a traditional Scottish song which is perfectly suited to her voice and instrument. Joanna is then joined by her drummer and guitarist for a brand new song with strong Irish folk flavours, which may give an insight into what the follow up to Ys might sound like. With one more song under their belt, the trio retire. Joanna comes back once more for a one song encore. ‘We have been debating which song I should do, and this is the one’ she says before breaking into Bridges & Balloons, concluding a truly magnificent evening under the ovations of a devoted audience.
The contrast between Joanna Newsom’s frail appearance and disarming modesty and the confidence with which she delivers her songs, either with the orchestra or on her own, couldn’t be greater. With Ys, Ms Newsom undoubtedly delivered a career-defining record, and this live performance didn’t disappoint.
Filed under: Life
The most recent post on Enda’s blog describes his usual listening pattern for a track as:
1. Discovery
2. Love/Hate/Indifferent
3. If love, repeated plays for certain period of time
4. Less regular outings
5. Even fewer outings.
I often have noticed similar patterns with albums. I will sometimes play them a lot in the first few weeks, depending on whether I like them a lot or not, then a bit less, then, depending on whether they made a lasting impression, they will get very irregular airings or not leave the shelf they’ve ended up on ever again. This is, you understand, not related to whether an album is actually good or not.
There are however a handful of albums that keep on creeping up on me at very regular intervals. They are linked to artists I am mad about, obviously, and reaching for them depends on a variety of reasons, whether it is dictated by my mood, events, magazine article or just a particular track resurfacing in my mind out of the blue.
Here’s the non-exhaustive list, in no particular order:
Autechre: Tri Repetae / Chiastic Slide
Cocteau Twins: Heaven Or Las Vegas / Head Over Heels
Broadcast: Tender Buttons / Ha Ha Sound
Biosphere: Substrata / Dropsonde
Alice Coltrane: Ptah, The El Daod / Journey In Satchidananda
Animal Collective: Campfire Songs / Feels
310: Recessional / After All
Pet Shop Boys: Behaviour / Very
The Creatures: Boomerang
Joanna Newsom: Ys (this one is very recent obviously, but I have noticed the pattern developing already).
Filed under: Life
I’ve decided to introduce comment moderation to keep track of comments posted on this blog. This means that your comments will not show up instantly, and I hope this will not deter you all from commenting on my posts as it is always good to know what your thoughts are.
Filed under: Life
Warp have published the 2006 release summary I wrote for them. It is available on the Warp website as two pieces. The first one, reviewing their releases for the first part of the year, including Prefuse 73, Battles, Jimmy Edgar, Nightmares On Wax, Plaid and a few more, was published last week, and the second part, with bits on Broadcast, Grizzly Bear, Clark, The London Sinfonietta and the rest of the label’s releases for this year, was published this week.
You can check the full article here:
Filed under: Life
Some may have been wondering why this blog has been a bit quiet in the last week. Well, I was involved in a motorcycle accident last Thursday (28/09) which resulted in a broken shoulder for which I needed an operation on Saturday.
I have been back home since Monday, and although I have mobility in both hands, and even discovered that I could type with both hands when my keyboard is on my laps, typing like this gets very tiring very quickly, so I cannot curently work on full blown reviews, but I am hoping that things will improve in the next couple of weeks… Bear with me for a little longer as I have received some interesting music lately and am dying to write about quite a good few records.
