Yesterday the weather seemed to abandon festival-goers, as the sky was grey and it started raining in the evening. People looked slightly less high spirited - you can see a week of wild merry-making starting to exact its toll on some and the rain, falling quite heavily by now, seemed to dampen everybody's spirits.
A damp start but the spirit of Paléo carried on
But the dampness and general drabness of it all didn't last for long and after all, Paléo without any rain isn't really Paléo as Rodrigo y Gabriela came jumping on to the main stage, putting smiles to people's faces and chasing the rain away. Accompanied by C.U.B.A, a Cuban ensemble, made of a drummer, a bass player, a pianist, a saxophonist and a trumpeter, they gave an explosive show. Although they have made themselves known for their guitar duo-with nobody else playing with them, the addition of other (very talented!) musicians was really welcome, as it let them revisit their music and offer the audience something more than what they were used to – which is really what concerts are really all about. If you wanted to listen to the same exact thing they did on their album, you might as well stay at home and listen to it in front of a photo of them! It's strange to think that these two met while playing trash metal; they have come quite a way from such music, developing a unique style of music, but the overflow of energy is still there. When the musicians left the stage, leaving Gabriela and her rhythm guitar alone in front of 35, 000 people, it didn't seem to be a problem, and listening to her, it was amazing to think she was alone on stage; the combination of strumming and drumming making it sound like there was a band and not just one person playing.
Mind blowing solos from the bass player
They managed to find the right balance between playing with the band, with mind-blowing solos from the bass player and the pianist (not to mention the drummer!), but also playing alone, with the energy and skill that have become their trademark. They had the public clapping to the music, and although they weren't very talkative, they did stop to say how they were happy to be here and thank everyone. One last fun fact about the concert, that people paying attention might have noticed, was the recurring appearance of the same song- with which they started the concert- always in a different form, throughout the concert (I counted at least seven versions!).
See video below taken from the Paléo festival blog site of both backstage and of the Rodrigo and Gabriela concert.
Paleo 2012 - Concert frontstage avec Rodrigo y...par paleoThe Paléo Installations
You might have seen the installations above the Quartier des Alpes. Similar in a way to what the Cie Carabosse did for six consecutive years, this year Monic La Mouche has set up camp on the grounds. Big corrugated iron structures and rusty sculptures that look like they have come out of some old abandoned factory, illuminated from the inside, give a very poetic touch to the area. The slope is a favourite spot for a lot of people, and although yesterday's slightly damp weather wasn't the best day for that, there are always lots of people sitting down among the sculptures, having something to eat, chatting with some friends or listening to the concert on the main stage.
Finally if you are interested in photography, you can go and see the work of Paléo photographer Pierre Descombes, who took the photos that you might have seen in the book issued for the festival's 35th edition. They can been found in the Galerie, held by Paléo veterans, right next to the sunflower fields. His photos of the festival are amazing, and really worth checking out!
Note: Reviews of Lenny Kravitz and other Friday and Saturday night concerts on this site soon.