I decided to skip the major concerts of this annual music festival. Four years ago, I shot for two days and got a cool t-shirt in return but the t-shirt still fits and now everyone’s a photographer. I don’t think they needed me and I didn’t need another black t-shirt.
But I did want to take in the free festival events and brought a camera along. Les Femmes à Barbe do not wear beards at all, but they did manage a few costume changes during their performance in the sweltering Place de la Mairie. A high energy trio featuring lively harmonies and a variety of musical styles that began with some French Pop, segued quickly through a brief Marilyn Monroe interlude into an Almodóvar film. Bedsheet saris accompanied Polynesian rhythms and on to Africa by way of James Brown.
The heat drove most of the crowd away from the stage into the shade, but didn’t slow down the unbearded singers at all.
The lovely old Chapel of St. Roch was the venue for a duo known as NUT, a singer and guitarist performing vaguely folky tunes in French and English; a mélange of pop, reggae, soft blues and ballads. Pleasant enough to listen to, not compelling enough to keep me in the airless church with sweat in my eyes, while thinking of a cool shower and a glass of rosé.
©2017 Ron Scherl
What a cool venue, despite the temp. Wonder if the assorted saints enjoyed the concert.
JP
It’s a beautiful chapel, unfortunately considered structurally unsafe for regular use, so they built the modernist church that looms over my terrace.
The saints didn’t appear to express an opinion, which I suppose is saintly behavior although I have little experience with which to judge.
So, the risk is acceptable for those who would attend a non-religious music festival but not those who would go there to worship?
Or is it just flawed uses of statistical analysis of risk?
Hi Karl,
You’d think worship would offer some additional level of protection but perhaps not enough for the church’s insurance company. “Statistical analysis of risk”. Nah, probably just someone wanted a new church and donated the money.
Those pictures are really fun. Glad you braved the sun to get them.