VINGT April Gig Guide

Text: Nick Forrester
Image: Speech Debelle

To stat the month off, Social Club has Scratch Perverts and Erol Alkan playing on the 1st and 2nd respectively. Though one can be easily put of Social Club by the sickeningly trendy crowd that frequent the place, we should not forget that this was once the beating heart of French electro. The sheer quality of these two acts will hopefully make up for constantly catching your reflection in the numerous and colorful ray-bans littering the scene. 

Scratch Perverts, the former world scratch champions and now residents at London’s Fabric, are followed by Erol Alkan, London founder of Trash, regular at End and multi-talented producer of the likes of the Mystery Jets. On the 2nd Alkan is playing with Brussles DJs Aeroplane who hold their own prestigious residency at Ghent’s Make Up Club. Two nights of electro delights not to be missed.

Those interested in this should also note that Italian duo the Bloody Beetroots are in town on Thursday for a night of raucous electro at La Cigale. Looking a bit further ahead, former Noah and the Whale youngster Laura Marling, who released her second album this March is playing with Swedish folk duo First Aid Kit at Fleche D'Or on the 7th. Marling has been highly praised for her delightful folk tunes and poetic lyricism. Speech Debelle has had plenty of problems since her unprecedented Mercury Music prize win, not to mention sacking her manager and label, but she has a great musical accompaniment and has such lively set that she is unlikely to disappoint.  Also, Canadian crowds have been raving about her performance this March.

Wild Beasts released their excellent second album Two Dancers last year and they will be gracing the Paris music scene, playing at the Maroquinerie on the 15th. Their original and slightly off-centre indie rock has been lauded by fans and critics alike. Oxford band Foals are playing at Trabendo and and Brighton duo Blood Red Shoes, on tour following the release of Fire Like This earlier this year, complete the impressive trio of indie bands visiting Paris on the 15th. Also on are Italian two-step and electro DJs Crookers - the pairs remixes are a delight to both clubbers but are now doing the rounds as commercial backing tracks.

At the end of the month These New Puritans, having supported the XX in February, are returning to Paris on their own steam to play at Point Ephémère on the 29th. Though you certainly won't get a smile out of them all night, they have a truly original and innovative sound and are certainly the British band of the moment.

There is plenty more to see this month, with a few more details, bits and pieces listed below:

1st The Bloody beetroots @ La Cigale
1st DJ Zebra @ Nouveau Casino
1st Scratch Perverts @ Social Club
2nd Erol Alkan & Aeroplane @ Paris Social Club
3rd Mind your head: Marvin, Papier Tigre, Gablé and Fordamage @ Flèche d'Or
4th eliotE & the Ritournelles, General Bye Bye and Anabel's Poppy Day @ l’International
7th Laura Marling and First Aid Kit @ Fleche D'Or
7th Absynth Minded @ Nouveau Casino
7th Solillaquists of Sound @ Centre Fleury Goutte D’Or
8th Band of Horses @ Fleche d'Or
9th April Skip the Use @ Equinox (Gala Ecole Central)
11th Rodrigo y Gabriela @ l'Olympia
11th Kaki King @ Nouveau Casino
13th Speech Debelle @ La Mariquinerie
15th Foals @ Le Trabendo
15th Wild Beasts @ La Maroquinerie
15th Blood red shoes @ Nouveau Casino
15th Crookers @ Elysée Montmartre
16th We Have Band @ Nouveau Casino
16th We Were Promised Jetpacks & Dan Black @ Fleche d'Or
20th  Midlake @ Bataclan
20th Wave Machines @ Nouveau Casino
26th Crystal Castles @ Nouveau Casino
27th Lightspeed Champion @ Cafe de la Danse
27th Tété @ La Cigale
27th Bear in Heaven @ Point Ephémère
29th These New Puritans @ Point Ephémère