Mick Harvey: Je T'Aime Serge event

Another mention for tonight's Je T'Aime Serge event at the  Institut Francais du Royaume-Uni in
London, with Mick Harvey discussing his three albums of English language covers of Serge Gainsbourg songs.

Harvey is of course a bona fide legend in his own right, from his part in The Birthday Party to his role with Nick Cave as one of the key members of the Bad Seeds.  As part of Crime and the City Solution to his work with PJ Harvey.

He's also an established solo artist and has also released a number of film soundtracks over the years.

I've loved both Intoxicated Man and Pink Elephants, his first two volumes of Gainsbourg songs that were released in the 90s. Quite simply, they're albums I've listened to repeatedly for years.

This year's  new collection - Delirium Tremens - is every bit as classy in its sympathetic re-imagining of Gainsbourg's work. Another volume is coming out early next year.

In the meantime, tonight's a great opportunity to find out more about Mick and Serge.

Je T'Aime Serge: Mick Harvey Questions and Answers in London

A great opportunity to question music legend Mick harvey about his Serge Gainsbourg cover albums at an event at the Institut Francais du Royaume-Uni in London tomorrow night.

Mick Harvey has of course had an astonishing career beyond these albums, as a founder member of Australian band The Birthday Party who were one of the pioneering acts in the in the UK and Europe in the aftermath of punk. He continued to work with Birthday party vocalist Nick Cave as a founder member of the Bad Seeds where he was a cornerstone of the band  for 25 years.

He was also an integral part of  the band Crime and the City Solution, who released several albums throughout the 80s but never really got the recognition they deserved.

His first solo album was a collection of Serge Gainsbourg covers entitled Intoxicated Man released in 1995, where he performed some of Serge's best known songs in English. He followed this with a second volume of Gainsbourg covers in 1997 entitled Pink Elephants.

I'm pretty sure it was Harvey's covers that helped introduce Gainsbourg to many of those who now hold his work dear. Gainsbourg was very much an unknown in the UK for much of his career despite his success at the end of the 60s. At best he was regarded by many simply as a novelty act or a one hit wonder. Mick Harvey showed that Gainsbourg was a genius in any language.

June 2016 saw the release of a third volume of Gainsbourg covers - Delerium tremens. A fourth volume is in the pipeline and scheduled for release early in 2017.

Tomorrow night Mick Harvey will be speaking about this and the two previous releases with author Simon Price, about his relationship with Gainsbourg's work and the challenges of his legacy.

If you're in London, it's an event not to miss.

Saycet: Culturethèque interview

Hats off to Culturetheque for an interview with Saycet during his trip round the UK  as part of the Oui Love 2015 tour.

The tour saw him perform in London, Newcastle, Glasgow and Manchester alongside St.Lô & Acre Tarn.

The video features some nice footage of him performing as well.

Albert Camus lit L’Etranger / REMIX

An interesting event being held in Edinburgh tonight, courtesy of the Institut français d’Ecosse as part of its
marking the Semaine de la langue française et de la francophonie.

Albert Camus lit L’Etranger / REMIX is an event that brings one of the biggest figures in 20th century French literature into 21st century club culture, in a live experience.

The show centres on a reading of the book L'étranger, by its author Albert Camus which was recorded in 1954, six years before his death.

This recording is brought to life and mixed with contemporary electronic music by Belgian DJ Pierre de Mûelenaere, the performance added to by images mixed live by video artists Orchid Bite.

The show takes a text, acknowledge to be  a classic of modern literature, and creates a contemporary multi-discipline interpretation.

It was originally created to mark the centenary of Camus' birth, and has since been staged internationally, and was in Moscow and Washington at the end of last year.

Literature, music and visual art are brought together and made to overlap, creating a new and unique performance that goes far beyond a simple recitation.

The show is being held at the Institut français d’Ecosse 13 Randolph Crescent, Edinburgh tonight (March 20) and tomorrow (March 21)

A free programme in English and French will be available at the door. Members : £5 / Non members : £8
Albert Camus lit L'étranger REMIX - teaser from ONLIT Editions on Vimeo.

Fête de la Musique in London at the Institut Français

Another belated Fête de la Musique event taking place in the UK today, this time in London at the Institut Français.

In keeping with the spirit of the event, there's a wide range of styles on offer, and the event is free.

The music has been overseen by the French music export office (Bureau Export), with sets by Benoit Carré, Modou Touré, Nogabe Randriaharimalala, Chantage and Odran Trümmel.

Carré is a former member of the band Lilicub who had a hit in France in '96 with the song Voyage en Italie. Since then he's written for the likes of Françoise Hardy and Johnny Hallyday, and pursues a solo career with the release of his first solo album Célibatorium.

Modou Touré from Senegal mixes Afro-blues with pop and folk, Nogabe Randriaharimalala from Madagascar is a former member of China's first rock band, and performs in a trio with two percussionists,

Chantage is a choir from London that has been active since 1999, and Odran Trümmel is a songwriter with a jazzy folk-informed psychedelic pop.

The event gets under way at 5pm at the Institut Français du Royaume-Uni, 17 Queensberry Place, London.

La Grande Sophie: Drawing Jam in London

A look ahead at what looks like a great event in London on May 31, with La Grande Sophie and performing live accompanied by artists creating improvised work.

The show - a Drawing Jam - is part of the BD & Comics passion festival organised at the Institut français in London.

La Grande Sophie has been releasing material since her debut album in 1997, La Grande Sophie s’agrandit

She's released six albums in total, the most recent La place du fantôme bagged her a Song/Variety Album of the Year Victoires de la Musique aWard in 2013.

She released in February an EP entitled Re(cord) , which featured versions of some the songs off the album re-recorded with a string quartet.

Meanhwile, the song Suzanne has been put forward as the third single from the album, following and ne m'oubliez pas and Sucrer les fraises.

A concert by La Grande Sophie would be worth a mention at the best of times, but an event like this looks like a unique opportunity to see something extraordinary.

She's a big enough artist in France to be playing at the Olympia on June 21 with the orchestra of Radio France as part of the Fête de la Musique.

The show on Friday May 31 takes place at the Institut français in London, 8 - 11pm.

BD and Comics Passion is on at the Institut français in London from 30 May to 2 June 2013, and it includes workshops, live drawing, book signings, concerts and movies.

Live: Mesparrow at the BD and Comics Passion festival

A quick heads up for those in the London area that singer Mesparrow playing live at the BD and Comics Passion festival courtesy of the good folks at Bureau Export French-Music United-Kingdom

She's playing at the Ciné Lumiére at the Institut Francais on Saturday May 26 as part of the event.

Mesparrow, born Marion Gaume ,sings soul and jazz, but more in line with the likes of Portishead or Bjork than any traditional artist.

The show will be different from the usual show as it will not only feature music but live art, with comic book artists including Luke Pearson, Tom Gauld, Richard Short and others collaborating live, their improvised work being projected onto the cinema's big screen as accompaniment to the Mesparrow's performance.

The international BD and Comics passion festival runs from May 24 to 27, and features some of the biggest names in the world of comics and BD.

There will be talks, workshops and book signings, and on the bill features Christophe Arleston, David B and Jean-Louis Mourier from France, Pat Mills and Kevin O’Neill from the UK as well as Tom Gauld, Guy Delisle, Karrie Fransman, Luke Pearson, Grzegorz Rosinski.

Celebrity comic fan and Cinémoi regular Jonathan Ross will be discussing his loves for comics and BD.

The Mesparrow gig is followed by a fancy dress club night on the theme of Victorians vs Decadents, in homage to The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, with music by DJ Sacha Dieu.

More details of the BD and Comics passion event here http://www.bdandcomicspassion.co.uk/