100th post it seems, and another legend in the box

February 21st, 2010

What a marathon tonight thanks to the multi disruptions of the transport for London network. I started by catching up with the uber cool Foxy Shazam right after their soundcheck at The Flowerpot in Kentish town for some cool portraits. These are the American madmen who supported Hole last Wednesday and impressed me a lot both for their music and stage presence. I’ll post a gallery of these shots very soon but here is a teaser.

Foxy Shazam posing in Kentish Town, London, 20 February 2010

Foxy Shazam posing in Kentish Town, London, 20 February 2010

Now unfortunately I couldn’t stay for their performance, but I’m sure they’ll be back soon and you’ll definitely hear about them, I’d be surprised if they don’t show up to some of our numerous festivals. Hey in the meantime go to The Flowerpot it’s a very cool bar and venue on Kentish Town Road!

So there I was with only an hour to reach the O2 Arena and catch Depeche Mode, from Kentish Town Rd, considering Camden Town was closed, and that there wasn’t any Jubilee line. That involved a bus, a run to Mornington Crescent from Camden Town, tube, train to Greenwich, and then a real mess with all cabs and buses full and not stopping, I hate it when the Jubilee Line is down I tell you. I ended up getting on a bus half way from Greenwich and the O2 and arriving just on time, pfew.

Great show from Depeche Mode, Dave Gahan was on top form, the lighting was great, Martin Gore was all glitter and the place was packed – but isn’t it always. The gallery is here.

Depeche Mode performing at the O2 Arena, London, 20 February 2010

Depeche Mode performing at the O2 Arena, London, 20 February 2010

And to avoid another bus nightmare I took a Clipper to go back to town, that’s a pretty nice way to get back from the O2 I must say, shame it is not included in the Oyster capping tho…

Depeche Mode at the O2, from a Thames Clipper

Depeche Mode at the O2, from a Thames Clipper

In the mood for Love

February 18th, 2010

This time she was there and very well there, right on time and looking awesome. You could feel the excitement in the crowd, a much younger crowd than I had expected actually, I thought it would be lots of 30-somethings but it seems Courtney Love never stopped building on Hole’s reputation since last time they played like 11 years ago! For me it was the very first time I saw Hole live, the closer I was last was listening to their set on John Peel’s live broadcast at Reading festival in 1995, wishing I had a ticket instead hehe. Ok I must say it would have been a lot wilder back then and I was also hoping for more titles from the Pretty On The Inside album, but still she really got us all charmed from the first sound of her voice to the end of the encore. First chords were those of Pretty On The Inside, precisely and I felt the shiver over all my skin, I couldn’t focus on my cameras instead I just banged my head when Courtney screamed “from the baaaack”, my good old glasses jumped off (left eye infection, don’t ask to borrow my cameras for a week or two haha) and here I was blind in a busy pit. Anyway that was just a split of a second and I was back on track before they went on to cover the Stone’s Sympathy For The Devil for some reason. And I do have a nice gallery to show you. A few shots Are gonna be added soon too. Well it has to be a Flickr gallery again, can’t find the time to properly update the site, I blame Flickr, too easy to use hey. After the 3 songs and leaving my gear to the stage door guys I was back in time for a headbanging electrifying version of Violet, my highest moment of the show.

Did I say that was awesome? ;)

Courtney Love of Hole at the SHpeherds Bush Empire, London 17 Feb 2010

Courtney Love of Hole at the SHpeherds Bush Empire, London 17 Feb 2010

Hole at Shepherds Bush Empire, London February 17th 2010

Hole at Shepherds Bush Empire, London February 17th 2010

Oh and the second support (I missed the first) was my new favourite band, seriously these guys were just, er, MAD! It was Foxy Shazam, I must admit I never heard of them before but I very much hope we will soon because I can’t wait to see that again, they are mental believe me, and the gravity defying front man is just pushing the boundaries further so much that even Charlie Fink (the Charlie Fink from The Cesarians I mean, and former Penthouse, Blood Safari) is back one place just behind in my own personal rank hehe.

Ok enough.

New Website

February 17th, 2010

My new website is now online come have a look and give some feedback here!

http://www.marcbroussely.com

New Marc Broussely Photography website, come have a look!

New Marc Broussely Photography website, come have a look!

Guitar Heroes

February 14th, 2010

Two legends sharing the stage of the world’s number one venue last night it’s Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck at the O2 Arena. Tens of thousands of seated fans listening quietly the sound of two Fenders. Flickr galleries of Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, then Jeff & Eric together.

Jeff Beck at the O2 Arena, London, February 13 2010

Jeff Beck at the O2 Arena, London, February 13 2010

Eric Clapton at the O2 Arena, London, February 13 2010

Eric Clapton at the O2 Arena, London, February 13 2010

Waiting for Love

February 13th, 2010

That was a long wait last night instead of a great show when Courtney Love never showed up at the gig at Proud Camden. Such a shame I was really looking forward to that one!! A short gallery of I Blame Coco, featuring Sting’s daughter Coco Sumner. Courtney Love was supposed to close the night around midnight but some sort of flash-facebook-rave in Myfair turned into a riot, just where she was staying and she got stuck home while we were waiting for some action to happen! grrrrrrr gutted (and sleep deprived)

I Blame Coco at Proud Camden, London, 11 Feb 2010

Also a gallery from the Lacuna Coil show at Shepherds Bush Empire last week.

Lacuna Coil at Shepherds Bush Empire, London, 5 Feb 2010

Lacuna Coil at Shepherds Bush Empire, London, 5 Feb 2010

Robyn Hitchcock, KT Tunstall, Graham Coxon and Amy MacDonald

February 3rd, 2010

A maritime evening with Robyn Hitchcock with guests KT Tunstall, Graham Coxon and Katherine Williams at the Queen Elizabeth Hall last Saturday, and again this is a set for Flickr, I haven’t had time to update the LP galleries, although hmm I’m getting pretty used to simply posting on Flickr. I do wish they didn’t reduce the size and over sharpen whatever with feed them with though but hey it’s pretty convenient after all. But I’m digressing here, yes a maritime evening with songs about the sea, whales, icebergs and boat trips. A very civilised gig after the Rolo Tomassi mayhem, no bruises after the show, hehe.

Robyn Hitchcock at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London - 30 Jan 2010

Robyn Hitchcock at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London - 30 Jan 2010

Graham Coxon at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London, with Robyn Hitchcock - 30 Jan 2010

Graham Coxon at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London, with Robyn Hitchcock - 30 Jan 2010

KT Tunstall at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London, with Robyn Hitchcock - 30 Jan 2010

KT Tunstall at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London, with Robyn Hitchcock - 30 Jan 2010

And tonight a nice show at the ICA, Institute of Contemporary Arts, with Amy MacDonald supported by Jersey Budd. And special thanks for the light engineer, man the lighting was awesome, you should, like, do the lighting everywhere in London. Seriously :)

Amy MacDonald at the ICA - February 2 2010

Amy MacDonald at the ICA - February 2 2010

Now for some action

January 28th, 2010

Somewhere towards the other extreme from the musical scale, compared to Abba I mean :) , lies the Jazzcore of Rolo Tomassi. A blend of Melt Banana and Gallows, a big slap in your face, loud and crazy yet clever, and absolutely full of adrenaline, that was tonight at the Camden Barfly. Some action on my Flickr page here: http://bit.ly/rolot.

I filmed a bit of video too but haven’t got my head around compressing this to put only somewhere but will try…

Eva Spence of Rolo Tomassi performing at the Camden Barfly - 26 Jan 2010

Eva Spence of Rolo Tomassi performing at the Camden Barfly - 27 Jan 2010

Rolo Tomassi at the Camden Barfly - 27 Jan 2010

Rolo Tomassi at the Camden Barfly - 27 Jan 2010

The A&B in ABBA

January 27th, 2010

A bit less rock’n'roll than usual this update is a red carpet for Bjorn Ulvaeus and Anni-Frid Lyngstad of ABBA coming to visit the premiere of the interactive exhibition ABBAWORLD at Earls Court, along with some celeb’s stopping by for a snap before going to be entertained with Abba memorabilia and other hologram live stage attractions. So here it is to share this, in my Flickr gallery.

Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Bjorn Ulvaeus of ABBA at the ABBAWORLD premiere in Earls Court on 26 Jan. 2010

Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Bjorn Ulvaeus of ABBA at the ABBAWORLD premiere in Earls Court on 26 Jan. 2010

Happy New Year and Decade!!

January 21st, 2010

A great 2010 for all music and photography lovers!

A few shows already but I haven’t had time to update in here, in the meantime check out my latest updates on flickr! Images from Ok Go, Tiffany Page, Micachu and the shapes, Starsailor’s James Walsh and Chapter24. And more to come soon!

Oh and did I mention my twitter? :)

James Walsh of Starsailor performing an acoustic set at the Love Music Help Haiti show at Proud Camden, January 20 2010

James Walsh of Starsailor performing an acoustic set at the Love Music Help Haiti show at Proud Camden, January 20 2010

Micachu (Mica Levi) of Micachu And The Shapes at the Love Music Help Haiti show at Proud Camden, 20 Jan. 2010

Micachu (Mica Levi) of Micachu And The Shapes at the Love Music Help Haiti show at Proud Camden, 20 Jan. 2010

Jean-Michel Manson, P!nk and other updates

December 19th, 2009

This month saw Marilyn Manson play with fingertip lasers under a sea of smoke at Brixton Academy, a grand circus show by P!NK on her Funhouse tour at the O2 Arena, Mars Volta in great shape but with a ridiculous (release) form (cf previous post), a press conference with Rihanna announcing her UK arena tour 2010 and last night The Raveonettes supported at Islington Academy by ex- Hope Of The States, The Nothwestern. A near miss with Them Crooked Vultures, the supergroup with Dave Grohl, John Paul Jones and Josh Homme, which I refused to shoot eventually due to a non negotiable ridiculous form, again, third time this month. The release was word for word the same as for Mars Volta, grabbing rights throughout the Universe and etc.

P!NK at the O2 Arena - 8 December 09

P!NK at the O2 Arena - 8 December 09

Marilyn Manson at Brixton Academy - 9 December 09

Marilyn Manson at Brixton Academy - 9 December 09

Rihanna - Press Call in Westfield - 19 December 2009

Rihanna - Press Call in Westfield - 19 December 2009

Mars Volta at The HMV Forum - 19 December 2009

Mars Volta at The HMV Forum - 19 December 2009

The Raveonettes at Islington Academy - 18 December 2009 with support from The Northwestern

The Raveonettes at Islington Academy - 18 December 2009 with support from The Northwestern