Eyes Of The World/Contents
Eyes OfThe World/The Music Never stopped
This second Parisian Deadfest took place in a somewhat smaller venue than January's Hot Brass. The Cithea is a former cinema turned bar/nightclub on rue Oberkampf in the 11e.... an open bar space by the door, and on the other side a small performance area with slightly raised stage, dance floor and half a dozen tables on risers towards the rear. Lots of vintage album sleeves for seventies US soul singers... the current flier listed jazz and funk bands with an African influence, as well as DJs dealing in something called, intriguingly, Daft Punk and Daft Funk...
Tonight, though, the place belongs to Deadheads: by early evening a welcoming stealie hovers above the door, and there's a cool little poster too: a ticket-seeking digit poking through clouds, with the Eiffel tower in the background, framed by two unicorns and the phrase "French Deadheadism movement for miracles".
French Deadheadism seems to be in pretty good health. Lots of Cithea late night regulars, but also many Parisian Heads, willing to forgive even my touristic whining about the price of beer (five quid for a pint of draught lager!) when I break the news about the upcoming Phish show at the Zenith in July. Few American voices, despite all the US students in the city : very much a homegrown occasion.
Everyone assembles for a group photograph outside in the evening light, and when I go back in Les Voyageurs are soundchecking French-language *accordion* versions of Bertha and Iko... which makes perfect sense really (think Neville Brothers).
First on are Cousin Medard, an active gigging band who play some Dead covers along with Dead-influenced music of their own composition. They hit us with the big one first, the piece de resistance from the Hot Brass, St Stephen (version francaise). No "L'Onze", but you can't have everything. Then pretty tight covers of The Treasure (the Steven Stills song), Dire Wolf, some franglaisised Chuck Berry, and their own material, some of which is very Deadlike. "Le Seuil" in particular is quite incestuously related to Eyes of the World, and some in the audience applauded it as such...
[Dead-in-translation: To a native English speaker it can't help but seem funny at first. But these are (as far as I can tell!) thoughtful reworkings of the originals, recreations very much in the Dead's own spirit--which includes being not too serious about things, of course, as well as turning all kinds of material into songs of their own... From the outside, the novelty somehow refreshes the songs for me, makes them strange again...]
Down to earth with Patrick Coutin et ses Onanistes. Loser is brave if a bit sluggish, but a funky, rhythmic Franklins is a highlight. By now the place is really jumpin, with a ganja 'n' gauloises ambience which is overwhelming at times...and at the same time is exactly right for the occasion! Midnight, and the place is packed out with I'd guess 350 or so in attendance: overcrowded if anything, and sightlines not the greatest, but a great atmosphere with lots of dancing and mingling.
Herix le Mar changes the pace a bit, with a well achieved acoustic/electric duo set. The guitarist looks Dylanesque (complete with Cuban cap) and sounds it too, though Tom Thumbs gets a phaithful Phil arrangement. The concluding Throwin' Stones goes down well: "Jerry's gone, we are on our own."
Fool Moon deliver a tight, high energy series of first-set Dead and other classics, with even Friend of the Devil rocking out in the middle 8, and a nice, Allmans-ish jam in mid-Speedway.
Finally, at around two am or so, Deadicace, the all-Dead band specially reformed for the January concert. launch into a long set... Stranger starts things going and Jump for Joy a is a nice surprise choice. Bill's piano-driven Stella reinterprets the song very successfully. While Christophe deals with percussion problems, To Lay Me Down offers a delicate lead vocal and keyboards from Nikki Matheson.
Something about a China>Rider transition defines what I love about the Dead... Alex's tonight is a virtuoso, high energy job that had everyone on their feet. In a night of contrasts, thirteen year old Laurie Laugier follows on keyboards for He's Gone.
Also in the audience, Relix editor Toni A. Brown, who I think/hope is planning a piece on the event. Toni has an album coming out (with David Nelson and others backing) and has already made some onstage appearances. A suggested Morning Dew doesn't materialise, but instead we get an expressive and warmly welcomed Mississippi, backed by some New Orleans style keyboards. Toni seems delighted to discover a whole new side to the Dead "family ". As the saying goes: we are everywhere!
Into the small hours and the evening's only really sustained jammin'. A nice gliding feel to Cassidy, and then the inevitable power cut gives space for a drum solo. Things are seriously hazy for me at this point. But I manage to follow the flute drifting gracefully in and out of Bird Song, and afterwards there's still energy left for Deal and OMSN.....
When the poster said "a l'aube" (till dawn) I hadn't believed it, but some natural birdsong accompanies my rather erratic meander back to the hotel...
So, thanks everyone for a real good time...(and especially Bill for his introductions and general bilingual assistance!).Also the lightshow, which video-projected quite spectacular fractal effects onto a screen behind the bands.
For another review of this show--with pictures-- see the June 96 Summer Special edition of RELIX magazine. --"Deadheads Ignite the City of Light!" (pages 54-55)
CITHEA, PARIS. SUNDAY 7 APRIL 1996.
The event was put on by "Eyes of the World" (a different one!--Philos Guerra and Alex Foks), who also provided the amazing fractal light show manipulated by Mister Freeze. Monies raised go to pay off some of Graceful Deal's uncovered expenses from the January Captain Trips Festival and provide a funding base for the next event, now planned to be held open air near Paris on SATURDAY 22 JUNE. More details will follow. Any queries to
Alex Foks on +33 1 47 41 89 37 or Bill Giles at <bgiles@pratique.fr>
Eyes of the World
billpannifer@easynet.co.uk