IMA Robot/Turin Brakes
Paris – La Cigale
Monday, 5/12/2003

::Dynomite
::Song#1
::Dirty Life
::Alive
::Sexy
::Scream
::Let’s Talk Turkey
::12=3 (Here Come The Doctors)
::Here Come The Bombs

We just returned from seeing IMA Robot aka « I Am A Robot » as listed on the ticket at La Cigale in Paris…I’ll mention right off the bat that the name confusion is rampant amongst new Bot fans. The French audience seemed very confused when I handed out stickers after the show, and wondered where to find a site for I Am A Robot on the internet. It was weird.

And the Parisiennes sure know how to smoke. I smell like I ate a cigarette tart for dinner and washed it down with a Camel Light smoothie right now.

It was interesting seeing IMA Robot out of their comfort zone by a couple thousand miles, actually. And even more interesting watching the audience response. Here’s the setlist and general progression of things this evening:

1) Dynomite – I really like hearing this one off the top instead of Song 1, for its sheer ability to hook anyone in. Tonight they had a cool second guitar layer that was previously unheard, and the backing vocals were right on—just as solid as you could get. This theme of sharp backing vocals carried through to the next few songs, including—
2) Song 1 – Here is where I started to notice the excellent acoustics in the room. If only Coachella had the same ability to bring out Joey’s rim clicks at the start of this song as well as La Cigale. And if only The Troubador had the same canny lighting designer! This was a really spot-on engineering crew that enhanced the sound IMA Robot brings to the table anyway. Which was most evident in a song like this, with tons of staccato and speed. We managed to get a cracking recording of this show, which will reveal the engineering if not the lighting skills.
3) Dirty Life – Again, terrific backing vocals. Perhaps this was the result of recent studio time? Who knows. Alex’s voice also sounded great tonight. When chatting with the audience after the show, I spoke with one young woman who refused to believe Alex wasn’t British. I heard that and still more comparisons to Bowie from the audience.
4) Alive – Ack, I can’t recall if this is the one that had a really surprising arrangement to the end of it, with OlieGee laying down this freaky sound storm over the major chords at the end. We’ll have to listen to the recording again.
5) UNKNOWN – I thought this was Scream at first, since it has the lyrics “This is making him scream, this is making him dream,” but when they played the actual Scream immediately following, I resigned myself to the fact that Alex must like repeating various words in the manner of Beck or uh, Biggie Smalls. Anyway, it had a nice guitar part and was in the tortured soul vein of Bot songs.
6) Scream – I love this one more and more each time I hear it. This one had its live debut at Coachella in the stank tent from hell, so it was nice to hear it in a room with good acoustics and a fantastic engineering crew. The audience, pretty laid back up until this point, appeared to “get” IMA Robot during this song. What I love about the melody to Scream is the Joy Division /early U2 guitar parts, and I now sincerely hope that it ends up on the album.
7) Let’s Talk Turkey – Ah, the softer side of the Bot. This one was slow and steady without being ploddingly so, and we recalled a conversation with the aforementioned O.G. earlier where we were told the show would be pretty mellow. This was a really nice arrangement of the song, with I believe the coda eliminated at the end to make for a brief bit o’ Bot heaven. I think I am going to regret writing that phrase tomorrow…
8) 12=3 – Crazed ending. The funky part included some new keys and the disappearance of the repeated two beat pattern at the end. However, the usual bleed into Here Come The Bombs was preserved.
9) Here Come The Bombs – Joey bringing the backbeat. You can’t lose it. Any old way you use it.
Fin.
Passed out stickers, answered questions, met JMJ’s cousin! Thanks to Casper for finding a way in for us. We have exactly one blurry photo due to irrational fear of getting kicked out by the Matrix-garbed security staff. But of course, we’ll post it. And hopefully have more tomorrow after the Blur show in London.


[Edited on 5-12-2003 by draconian]

[Edited on 16-5-2003 by Phobiac]

You guys are lucky bastards, I tell ya!! Nice review, drac!! :D Can't wait to hear about the Blur show!!:D

Ooh la la! Sacrebleu! Je voudrais aller a la discotheque!

You guys certainly are lucky bastards. Alas, I assume the show wasn't taped with the Matrix security?

Also would these setlists be an accurate indication of what songs will be on the album, you think?

Any luck in finding that EP? I guess that's more of a question for when you get to the UK.

We;re in the UK now, searching for EP...don;t think it;s out yet though running out of credits at kiosk more later!

Hello! I'm the biggest french fan of IMA Robot since I saw the band play in LA at the beginning of last year.

I was at the concert in Paris and I was so sorry that the public didn't react in a better way.
I'm sure IMA a robot could be enormous in France, the audience the other night was so cold and boring. Maybe The French Turin brakes audience wasn't expecting such a big sound and so much energie!
Alex you were superbe!
Next time I'll go to see IMA robot in London!

I think that they kinda expected a mellower set, especially since the audience was waiting for Turin Brakes to go on next. By the way, Turin Brakes were quite good, weren't they? And so many encores. Great harmonies as well.

Chouquette, you are officially the number one Ima Robot fan in France. Let us know if you read any reviews from that show in the French press!