“Why is he taking his shoes and socks off?“
“He’s about to go on stage and introduce the band.”
“Oh, ok. Wait – I’m not sure that really answers the question?”
“Ah, true. Errr, well, it’s just his thing, I guess?”
The gentleman in question is a very nice American chap who I had had the good fortune of chatting to just a few minutes earlier. Now, he is indeed walking onto the stage and delivering a rousing speech (in English) about how the world has been in the three years since Bad Pelicans last played a show. He is a writer by trade, but my goodness, he is a fine orator also.
Not that the crowd needs much rousing. Paris punk crowds are always lively, and this lot are like a coiled fucking spring.
Paris is actually a very underrated punk rock city. The French capital had a significant punk movement in the seventies and has retained a strong underground scene ever since. Not really a surprise, given that this is a city famous for its creativity, and its rebellious spirit. In Bad Pelicans, though, it now has a band that may be poised to make a significant impact on the international stage.
Comprising Fernando Dias (vocals/bass), Simon Vouland (drums) and Lucas Lecacheur (guitar/vocals), the Pelicans released their debut album, entitled (either arrogantly or pessimistically, depending on your perspective) Best Of in 2018. A superior slice of fuzzy surf/garage punk, they played a number of international shows in support of the album, including a few in the UK, and went down very well.
Since then, the band have refined their image considerably, eschewing their long hair and baggy vests for stylish trims and leather jackets, and have applied similar nuance to their music. Tonight’s show on the banks of the Canal Saint-Martin is a record release show for their new album, Eternal Life Now, recorded with Dylan Wall in Seattle, and it is a record that oozes quality and excitement from every pore.
Opening with the album’s title track, it is second song ‘Paris’ that really sets the tone for the night. Reading the lyrics of the song without context, one would think that it is a celebration of the city’s many touristy wonders. However, the video, shot in the style of classic urban French movie La Haine and featuring the band walking menacingly around the city armed with golf clubs, tells the real story. Tonight the delivery reflects this too, harder and grittier than on the record.
This duality of purpose is repeated throughout tonight’s set. ‘Dance Music’ is indeed a number to move your body to, but nobody is mistaking this for a party anthem. Driven by Dias’ fabulous, rumbling bassline, this is dance music for a post-apocalyptic world, and the crowd absolutely loves it.
The early part of tonight’s show is actually a little stop-start, due to what initially appears to be technical issues, but which later seems to have morphed into costume changes. Costume changes at a punk rock show? Weird shit. Only in Paris, eh?
Nobody seems too concerned, though – as the American had said at the beginning, tonight feels like a celebration of being ALIVE. As the band roll further through Eternal Life Now, the momentum just keeps building.
The post-punk element of the new Pelicans sound is prevalent on ‘Best Friend’, a song that is reminiscent of cult Seattle band A-Frames (maybe Mr Wall was a fan?). Tonight, it is absolutely fearsome, led by Lucacheur’s urgent, angular guitar piece. There is much more to the album than just this, though, varying from the (relatively) mellow grooviness of ‘Flex Hang 4‘ to the blistering noise-rock of ‘Supercop’. It’s kinda quirky in places too, notably on ‘2 Cool 4 The Wavpool’, where a slightly goofy verse, contemplating whether we are, well, too cool for the wavepool or not, gives way to explosive noise in the chorus, led by Vouland’s powerhouse drumming.
So, now Eternal Life Now has been played in full, it’s time for a quick drink and then head for home, right? HELL NO. After a short break, the Pelicans are back, and proceed to play pretty much the whole of Best Of as well. Plus their blistering non-album track ‘Zero Talent’. Plus a couple of cuts from their back catalogue that are so obscure, I have to rely on my American friend to tell me what they are.
If the crowd was lively before, they are positively rabid now. A particular shout out to the young ladies in the audience, who absolutely outdo the guys in the insanity stakes in the pit. I haven’t been thrown around like that by girls since…… well, let’s not get into that. The band respond in kind, and at one point, they are playing a song with both Dias and Lucacheur surfing on top of the crowd. Somehow, they still don’t miss a beat.
What a night, and what a band. Hopefully they find their way back to the UK sometime soon, as they would fit perfectly with what we have going on over here right now, only with a fabulous French twist. Either way, definitely give Eternal Life Now a listen. Despite the band’s claims, you may not live forever as a result (although there’s no conclusive evidence that you won’t), but it will certainly enhance your being.
