As you all already know, I travel a lot, and I love getting to go to new and exciting destinations with such great frequency, however exhausting it may be. But one of the wonderful things about living in a large European city is that occasionally the best that the world has to offer comes to you, instead of the other way round.
Despite the recent inclement weather, I can tell that we are moving towards summer by the changing posters and advertisements in the metro and train stations. Whereas in winter, these are dominated by museum exhibitions and special collections, the summer brings with it a wide array of music.
A particular highlight for me in May 2010 was getting to see the incredible Johnny Clegg, in all his Zulu-dancing glory, perform at Parc de la Villette. It was one of those wondrous experiences that took me right back to my childhood, when my brother and I would dance around our living room and sing along. [Note: the video below is, sadly, not from the gig I went to, but from one a year later in Paris...]
There are also a number of music festivals that take place throughout the summer, my personal favourite being Rock en Seine, at the end of August, which is a 3-day music extravaganza, with four stages, all-day concerts, and a truly awe-inspiring selection of food stalls to suit any tastes. Highlights from last year include Biffy Clyro,
Leaky Biro, as my one friend insisted on calling them
the Foo Fighters[sadly it was too dark, and we were too far away, for any reasonable pictures], My Chemical Romance (who were responsible for my first ever mosh pit experience),
Mosh pit = lots of jumping around and physical contact with random strangers + proximity to the band. Good fun!
The La's. They forgot to bring their drummer. And their musical talent.
which resembled more the drunken caterwauling of a pair of toothless old sailors than any sort of professional performance.
I have just purchased my tickets for this year's Rock en Seine. I admit that I have high expectations after last year's experience, but I feel certain that it will not disappoint. How can you go wrong with 3 days of music, good food and drink, and excellent company, after all?
Rock en Seine, aptly summarised
But there's more to look forward to this summer… something truly epic, which literally stopped me in my tracks when I saw its advertisement in the train station: B.B. King -- living legend and music royalty -- plays at Le Grand Rex in Paris on the 9th of July. And I HAVE A TICKET!
I've got a golden ticket
I sort of feel like I've stepped into a cupboard and ended up in Narnia, or like I've woken up to discover a lifetime's worth of Christmas presents strewn across my living room. So while I'm excited about spending next week hard at work at a conference (in a spa hotel in Italy -- here), I think I'll probably be more excited to come home…
