Q: Julien Desprez (guitar), Fanny Lasfargues (bass guitar) & Sylvain Darrifourcq (drums)
Bebop Spoken Here is a jazz blog. Q's performance wasn't, by any stretch, a jazz gig, so hardcore jazz fans can switch off now. Those of a more open persuasion read on.
Q flew in from Paris with a box full of pedals, assembled them on the floor, did a sound check - it was loud, very loud - then went off to sink a beer or three in the downstairs bar of the Central Bar. The band's guitarist Julien Desprez is composer in chief and his left-field approach was, at times, percussive with a subtle blues undercurrent. Influences? Hendrix. Comparisons? Chris Sharkey.
Fanny Lasfargues played a heavily amplified five string acoustic bass guitar, slung low, punk gunslinger style.
Drummer Sylvain Darrifourcq visited Gateshead last year with Emile Parisien across the road at the Old Town Hall. On that occasion he stole the show with a sparkling straightahead performance. Last night's set was very different yet he once again gave a five star performance. Four weeks earlier in the same room Norwegian free jazz drummer Dag Erik Knedal Anderson gave a startling display of controlled power and last night Darrifourcq more than matched him. He sustained immense power for long periods with laser like accuracy, Lasfargues locked on to the rhythmic pulse and the duo deployed pedal effects one after another as Desprez's Fender Strat pierced the Gallic riot of sound.
This was dazzling, uncompromising music. The gig was a Jazz North East promotion and the next in the series on June 22nd features New York's viola/violin player Mat Maneri with friends Corey Mwamba, George Burt and Andy Champion at the Bridge Hotel in Newcastle .
Russell
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