Who could have thought of a better way to start the New
Year?! Many lucky French citizens can
rejoice at the privilege - the word is no usurpation - to attend a series of
gigs scheduled in our beautiful country by the Dog Soldier combo, and the tour
begins tomorrow, Wednesday 10 in Montreuil!
Yours truly will - alas - not have this opportunity since
his - voluntary - exile in the land of Genghis Khan means a few more years in
the snowy steppes… Oh, well…
Anyway, this French tour begins in Paris - Montreuil to be
precise - goes on in Normandy, Le Havre (where else?) and then Brittany (Brest,
Rennes and Nantes). What? No date in the east? Nothing in the south? One might
puzzle at this but no way are we going to deny our pleasure! For the ones who
might not yet be familiar with those Dog Soldiers, let’s have a look at their
track record, which is not exactly crummy…
First,
credit where credit’s due. Founding member of Radio Birdman, of the Hitmen, ex
New Christ, former Screaming Tribesman and current leader of the Viveiro Wave
Riders based in Viveiro, Galicia, Spain), a man of fine taste in guitars, ChrisKlondike Masuak will be on guitar and vocals. On bass, no other than BrunoPerrin, well-known muso of the French punk rock scene with an impressive list
of achievements under his belt (Trotskids, Gunners, The Outside (*) among
others, and the tireless soul of MondoBizarro, a must-visit place for live music gigs for fans and bands alike, in Rennes.
And to complete the picture, the traps, drums, skins and cymbals shall be
flogged by the energetic Juan Martinez El Kara, known to us from his duties in
the Viveiro Wave Riders.
For many of us, there is no doubt that this French tour is
in itself an event not to be missed. The absents - I’ll be one of them - might
want to find solace in the hope that a local Keith Claringbold or Boris
Zemdjlacenko will have the good idea and the necessary talent to capture these
unforgettable moments and share them…
To these attending, may they not forget how lucky and
privileged they are!
I really wish I was there.
A.M.
Notes:
(*) The Outside was an outstanding band, featuring Chris
Masuak, Bruno Perrin, Gregory J Bowen (an Aussie expat in our beautiful country
who, unfortunately won’t take part in this adventure but a little bird told me
he might appear on stage for a tune or two) and a drummer whose name I forget,
now. That’s clever! I just got acquainted with this great band recently through
some YouTube videos. Those who, like me, want to make up for what they have
missed (a lifetime wouldn’t be enough, though!) might want to have a look at these:
and purchase, while they are still available, the records
sold by Beast Records and Pitshark Records:
More info can be found in this article by the Barman I94:
and the Dog Soldier tour Facebook page shall provide you
with any additional information:
