Of course i’m not objective on this one. They are irish, they are talented, they have published my pictures from their brussels gig on their official website, and i’m having a photo pass for their concert in Luxembourg Tonite. After driving their through the nite (4 til 6.30 am yup, after a very nice evening in Liège in belgium actually), wandering around the city during the day, it was time to reach « Den Atelier », the venue of Tonite, and prepare for what would once again be a very nice moment.

Went there with 3 friends, that didn’t saw the gig in Brussels I saw. « How are they live? » would ask one « honestly? a lot of fun, energy, passionnate by what they are doing and singing, why do ya think i’m here once again ^^ « . And that would sum up perfectly the mood of the nite. Support Act was SpLeeN, a luxemburgish act. Nice, not as was Gary Go though (once again twas one of the best support act i’ve seen so well). But let’s move on to the St James Street Natives we all want to see. This time, i’ll be ready to shoot Glen (the drummer), because on stage, the drums are on the right and not « as used to » on the dead center back of the stage, so i barely saw him the first time, a shame considering that he’s a good drummer!

Fade to black, crowd (not sold out though   ) screams, Glen is coming on Stage and style in the dark starts the show, Mark (guitar is coming as well), obviously when Danny (lead singer) arrives, I lost my right ear once again ahah, but damn this feels good to have a crowd that responsive! The piano of « before the worst » starts all.. and then i became an Irish again… I remember why this country changed me, changed my life, and still haunts me from time to time, the exact place where I change to fall from teen to a man that will handle is life. Remembering the spire, the pubs, the people I met, and it feels damn good. And Grafton street, sweet grafton street with his BK, HMV and so on … *dream face*(tickle me everytime i look at the movie « once » as well don’t worry).
♫ « It was Dublin city on a Friday Night/ You were Vodkas and Coke, I was Guinness all Nite/ […it was grafton street on a friday nite/ I was down on one knee and you were mine for life« ♫

« Talk you down » gives a little bit uptempo (love the drums on this one), the voice of the singer seems more calm than in Brussels even if they were tired : (you should hear the cute irish accent) « Man, we litterally just came out of the plane, we’re like so exhausted… and we’re surprised, we were expecting like ten people here ya’ know » *crowd shouting* then the guitar of « Break even » splits the venue in a nice mood, and the crowd -young yes, but nonetheless- jumping, claping and singing. <3 those moments, the exact reason why i like concert, why i like photography concert, ’cause in those kind of moments, we see how good people can be, how they can be passionnate and be there for stuff that others can not understand.
♫ « I’m still alive but I’m barely breathing,/ Just prayed to a god that I don’t believe in,/ ‘Coz I got time while she got freedom,/’Coz when a heart breaks no it don’t break even.« ♫

« The end where i begin » will remember us how much his voice can go high pitch (there we can see a little bit of pushing for the high notes but no biggie), and will just be the opening for « This is the reason why we are here, it’s called We Cry ». And yes, it’s good for radio, but the lyrics are just so much more. Talking about James Street, the neighborhood where the Guinness brewery is. When i used to live in dublin, i was south side, next to Rathmines in the Griffith College (17 2B, the number of the flat, numbers that will always be with me), where as James Street is more north compared to where i was. How i remember walking in this city, loving it, so many nationalities, accent in the language, attitude even under the influence of booze, ahah, i’m back there just with a song
♫ « Sometimes we don’t learn / from our Mistakes/ Sometimes we’ve no choice/ But to walk away, away« ♫

« If u c kay », « fall for anything » and « man who can’t be moved » seal the deal… This is some artist we’re having in this small venue, and everyone is loving every single note coming from those leprechauns « rusty halo » with his hip hop accent and rythm (the bass ahhhhh) will close the flow of this very tight main set. They will be back with 2 awesome encore « i’m yours » and « we can be heroes ». Security tried to pull me out around this time (they’re just doing they’re job, i agree… nonetheless… keep your head on ur shoulder will you?), and once they cleared the fact that i had a photo pass and everyone was ok for me to take picture, i was able to come back in the place, of course behind and way too far to take the slightest good clichés grrrrr :/
♫ « Yeah I’m looking for the right type of pleasure but all I find is pain/ Now there’s no light to guide me on my way home/ now there’s no time to shine my rusty halo« .♫

The time to come out, happy once again of a fairly consistent set (i’m now willing to hear some new songs, dunno what we can expect actually). Big up for the « i’m yours » intro when Danny explains « this song has been wrote after a nite we had a lot of wine… we’ve all been there you know what i mean » ahah when i think about it and this song is just *sigh*
♫ « I may not have the safest touch/ I may not say the words as such/ And though I may not look like much/ I’m yours« ♫

Eveyrone loved it as usual, i took the time to bought buttons (yeah, i’m like that, even with a photo pass i got to get something, just like that when i love the concert i saw.. might sounds stupid, but don’t feel ashamed at all to show artists i like how much we like them) that i will offer to my friends that were there time to hit back the road after 40 hours, 3 countries and a memory full of nice moments. But before, i’ll wait for them to come out, just to take some clichés out of stage, to show how much they actually are human you know, they are loving what they’re doing, they’ll thank everyone that stayed an hour after the end to see them, they’ll sign, take pictures, smile, talk.

Gave a moo card to Glen and to Danny « do you want me to sign it or are you giving it to me » they will both say actually « don’t really know, the thing is that i don’t have anything to make you sign, but once again, impressive gig, thanks a lot ». Danny to wrote « to vince then right » when i said i was the photographer from the brussels gig.. But i suspect he just remembered from the card with my name on it I just gave him hehe I truly and sincerely hope to be able to see them again, even if they are touring in some festival this summer, but on dates that i’m already booked by other artists elsewhere (eg  while i’ll shoot peaches in july :/ ). Farewell in the meantime, and once again, thanks to Mark who saw the pics from brussels, Tom who contacted me to put them on the site and gave me with Quinner a photo pass

Exhausted, but worth it every second of the way. Now having red bull instead of blood in my veins… Slainte!

 All the pictures can be seen in Hi Res on Flickr as usual

===

In my ears : Snow Patrol -Chasing Cars- « If I lay Here/ If I just Lay Here/ Woud you lie with me/ And just forget the world? »

Jason Mraz. Sir Mraz was coming to sweet Luxembourg. I obviously wanted to go and see him first in the Ancienne Belgique in Brussels (Flogging Molly, Eagles of Death Metal, Franz Ferdinand, Bloc party amongst the pure enjoyable concerts I saw there), but it was soldout in no time, just couldn’t make it and had to cry. Until a friend had the awesome idea to ask « do you care to join for Mraz in luxembourg? ». Not at all, of course i’ll be there Den Atelier, a sweet and small little gig place (saw Dropkick Murphys & The Plain White T’s there). Should be intimate and very nice. What could we expect from the Jazzy Ballads that Jason is able to write and talented musicians he has…

As a support act was Marit Larsen « a fairy who’s in a tiny small globe in Norway » as Mraz would state later. Music is sweet and kind, warming up the place for the American is actually pretty easy, Luxemburgish crowd also kinda helping. A nice support act, really.

Then comes the time for the important concert of the nite to begin, we’re on the left side « well, it’s easy, when you see a hat passing by just there (a meter away on the left as I was pointing), it’s him » I said to the friends I was with. And here we were going for more than 90minutes of real talented music. Starting by « Make it mine » and the trumpets, 3 on stage, damn talented I have to confess, and it’s soooo nice to see something I don’t usually in a concert place like that, real trumpets in a jazz mood (I agree it’s not pure jazz, but it’s the best way to describe it easily)
♫ » don’t wanna wait no more/ No I wanna celebrate the whole world/I’m gonna make it mine/ Because I’m following your joy/I’m gonna make it mine/Because I… I am open« ♫ -Make it mine-

« Only human » is more down tempo, the voice is showing how sweet he can go, the drummer is here, but on the back, barely noticable, putting the voice of our guest of honor tonite in front of everybody. And then on the chorus I finally notice that the guy on the right is actually deadly good on drumming you know, the typical cuban huge drum. And it’s even more present on « common pleasure » and the « radadam dadadam » that is part of the song, and this rythm feels good, at that point, of course the crowd has moved and i’ve been taken away from the friends that where there. A shame, I almost had to move to the other part of the place, because the back was so frakin’ crowded I couldn’t even come back close to them, a shame really, I wish I could have dance with them :/
♫ «  I remember when we used to walk together/ Used to talk together, go to the park together/ In all kinds of weather we would share/ This common pleasure with most of human kinds/ It was a kind of treasure One that I was surely glad to find« ♫ -Common Pleasure-

And that’s the point where I realise where the last album « we sing. we dance. we steal thing » is really different from the previous ones by the guy with the hat. It’s getting moving, the crowd kinda liking it, but all the musicians are really impressive. And this first part is really groovy, the brass instuments really there, I’m really stuck how it can actually melt really well with the whole crew. « Did you get my message » is obviously on the list. But gotta confess I had such a blast hearing the version from his « Selection for Friends : Live in Schubas », that this version live seems poor. But it’s just because on the record, he’s interacting so much with the crowd, preparing the chorus and special parts, and the crowd is absolutely well responding that here, because no one is actually doing the « wouuuuhouuuu ahhhhaaaaaaa » well… no goose bump.. but he’s making his job and really into it. A shame though.
♫ « Did you get my message, the one I left / While I was trying to condense everything that I meant /In a minute or less when I called to confess /And make all of my stresses go bye-bye« ♫ -Did you get my message-

I didn’t remember « unfold » when I heard it from the records I have, but I actually have it on the « Live at Joe’s » one, weird I didn’t remembered such a nice and quiet ballad. This is definitely where I like his voice the most, with sweetness and lyrics as good as usual, and the up and downs he’s doing. The acoustic guitar is such always a nice sound, really, incredible when it’s simple and efficient like that. I oftenly describe it as just a look that can say so many thinks from someone you have feelings for. Simple, direct, honest, pure. « Live high » keeps going with the sweet tempo, Jason is starting to talk a little bit, mimicing the lyrics, seems like he’s getting into it Happy to see the brass guys appearing at the balcony, that’s cool

♫ « Hands in line/ Arms close, to my side/ I’m fighting tides, of an ocean’s undertows /And I figure that I might not make it,/ And I’m waking empty /But I’m seldom speaking/And the words retreat yeah they breathing histories into these stories untold/ And my arms unfold. »♫ -Unfold-

Calling Marit Larsen (yeah, Colbie Caillat is not on the road with him hehe) and starting the delicious « lucky », so many lyrics are so true in this song, so many way to say things that we keep to ourselves usually. Marit (i’m guessing it’s more her first name than larsen right? :p ) is doing a pretty good job, close to the high voice of Miss Caillat, the 2 voices perfectly blending for the chorus (both singing with pitch notes of a different octave, not the easiest thing to do, gotta confess). Right now i’m not physically close enough to the one i’d wish i coud have whispered in the ears the lyrics, but I really wish i’d been… a missed occasion some would say…
♫ « Boy I hear you in my dreams/ I feel your whisper across the sea/I keep you with me in my heart/ You make it easier when life gets hard« ♫ -Lucky-

Cliquer ici pour voir la vidéo.

It was probably the turning point of this concert for me, the moment where I realise everything’s here to be a good nite, but i’m not at 120% into it. No big deal, just a shame, a mixed feeling, amazed by the musicians, lyrics and voice, moving my body a little bit, but overall not really into it. I know why, and well, can’t do much about it, « The Dynamo of Volition » and is speedy tempo will not leave me the time to think really, but allows me to really dance a little bit, this rythm is just so awesome

♫  « Good Job /Get ‘em up way high /Gimme gimme that high five /Good time /Get ‘em way down low /Gimme gimme that low dough /Good times /Bring ‘em back again /Gimme gimme that high ten /You’re a representation of good intentions.  » ♫ -The Dynamo of Volition-

But then, yes, he’ll get me thinking once again, why am I not into the concert as I was for Rodrigo y Gabriela or Coldplay… « I’m Yours » is totally made to be a radio billboard hit, and it’s working. But it’s also so much more. Yeap, that’s why i’m not into it. ’cause I’ve got no one right now, looking into my eyes and telling me « I’m Yours », as simple as that. As someone would say later « maybe you need to be in love to be entirely into it ». Well… maybe, dunno. This concert would probably have been awesome any other day, or so right now it’s just pleasant. Like for a movie, if ur not in the mood well… ur not in the mood (wow, philosophical!)

♫ « Well you done done me and you bet I felt it/ I tried to be chill but you’re so hot that I melted/ I fell right through the cracks/Now I’m trying to get back » ♫ -I’m Yours-

Cliquer ici pour voir la vidéo.

« boy’s gone » is almost anecdotic to what the next song represent for me. Notneed to name it, it’s just one of the best ever, I could listen to it over and over and over again. Really happy to havin’ heard it live, bc it’s just so well written that yeah, it’s the only one that will really make me dream and move me. Even better, it’s not even on the set list. Just wanted to say wow. And the ones who know which songs is it and know me will agree on that. No pity in here, just saying outloud what I think right now. And yeah, I do think so much more, but don’t say a quarter of it…

« A beautiful mess » live is just the perfect way to go towards the end of this concert, coming to an end of this moment between brackets. The polaroid moment where he’s taking his musicians and sending the polas in the crowd is actually really nice (and I have to confess i disagree with a friend who’s saying that he was throwing old photographs, i’m more thinking that the other packet he has was just stuff to reload the device), and will close the nite nicely.

♫ « And what a beautiful mess this is/It’s like we’re picking up trash in dresses/ Well it kind of hurts when the kind of words you write/ Kind of turn themselves into knives/And don’t mind my nerve you could call it fiction/ But I like being submerged in your contradictions dear/’Cause here we are, here we are« ♫ -A Beautiful Mess-

Cliquer ici pour voir la vidéo.

Overall, not disapointed, just not the concert I needed tonite, but the guy is definitely talented that’s for sure, will need to see him one more time when i’ll be more up to it. Owww and I phoned a friend during a song, sweet to be able to make someone happy who’s in an other country, we haven’t seen each other in years, we had a fling, i’m guessing it would have been much more but well, the time wasn’t the proper one, life’s life hehe overall, thanks luxembourg for being full of moments and people I truely love.

And as usual, the whole Set can be seen on Flickr.

 ===
In my ears : Phoenix -Girlfriend- « because visible horizon, right where it starts it ends ohh and then we start the end, because, visible illusion, ohh, where it starts it ends, burn like a sunset » (lyrics quickly taken from the audio, might be wrong though hehe^^)