When I first heard
Nouvelle Vague, I was sitting in the back of a convertible driving around downtown San Francisco on a gorgeous sunny day in the fall. A French-Canadian filmmaker in the passenger seat handed me her iPod and said "Pick some songs to listen to."
I scrolled down, hit the songlist and selected "Guns of Brixton" expecting to hear the bass drum and snare setting the tone for a march, the memorable bass line and driving guitars of the legendary Clash - perfect for a sunny cruise through the bustling business district. Instead I got Flamenco guitars and deep, dreary female lead singing a strange version of the famous Clash tune.
"What the hell is this?" I asked.
"Oh it's Nouvelle Vague a.." She started to reply before I cut her off.
"You don't fuck with The Clash" I said with knowing authority, ruining any chance of maintaining any friendly international relations with my newfound friend and changed the song to some Indie Canadian band with too many musicians and instruments I've never heard of, but knew to be safe.
About two months later, half in the bag at a Christmas party at our apartment, somebody handed me the debut CD by Nouvelle Vague and asked me to play it. Forgetting my early experience with Nouvelle Vague I popped it in and hit play. Again, I immediately dismissed their cover of Joy Division's ?Love will tear us Apart? as just another band trying to capitalize on Joy Division?s never reached true success in this new millennium and skipped to the next track.
My friend Chaz, who musical tastes I trust, pleaded with me, ?No, you don?t get it. It?s hot French Bossanova chicks doing 80s new wave covers and it?s fucking incredible.? I gave it a few more tracks at my guests request. I seem to remember there were a few people asking me to play it that night - but cut it off for something more upbeat. Fortunately for me, I ripped it to my hard drive before I gave it back to him.
A few days later I went back to my ?Recently Added? section in iTunes to see it sitting there. I played it as I read a book and was completely blown away. The Cure, The Specials, Modern English, The Undertones, XTC - all done in a completely new and exotic fashion.
What had changed? I think I had quickly dismissed it as a gimmick, not realizing its true value. Maybe it was a gimmick, but it?s a damn good one. We?ve all heard these songs countless times, even seen/heard dozens of covers, but how many bands truly put a unique and talented spin on an already established genre and can do it brilliantly? Not many and even fewer can do it with the flair of Nouvelle Vague.
The brainchild of
Marc Collin and
Oliver Libaux, their premise is simple: forget the initial punk or new wave background of each song, keep simple fundamental chords, work with young singers who never heard the original versions, and make the quality of original songwriting happen in a completely different way.(bossanova, jazz style and sixties pop).
Their second album came out a few months ago and I was fortunate enough to pick it up in Belgium before its US release. Underwhelming at first (likely poor song choice) and after a few listens, though I was enjoying it, I began to get worried that I should have trusted my first instincts. ?Enjoy the gimmick for as long as I could? became the mantra.
Last night I had the pleasure of seeing ?the gimmick? for first time in person at three-quarters filled, yet always intimate and gorgeous Fillmore in San Francisco. Let me tell you - gimmick my ass! Nouvelle Vague are brilliantly talented and engaging - I haven?t had that much fun at a concert in years. The straight couples were dancing, gay guys were dancing, the lesbians were dancing - hell I?m pretty sure even straight guys were dancing with each other!
Three extremely talented males on a nylon string guitar, a stand up bass, and a percussion set respectively, one female in front of a Mac laptop armed with an accordion, and two female lead singers led the crowd on a 90 minute journey through the world of 80s new wave and punk visiting such romantic destinations as Brazil, Paris, Jamaica along the way - you name it! The lighting was exquisite, the sound incredible, the girls were engaging and sexy and the crowd responded enthusiastically.
After opening with Echo and the Bunnymen?s ?The Killing Moon? amid smoke, lights and birds chirping, the band hit cabaret style for Billy Idol?s ?Dancing with Myself? and other great 80s classics. Before I knew it, I found myself on stage throwing back a shot of Maker?s Mark and dancing with lead singer
Melanie Pain to the Dead Kennedy?s ?Too Drunk to Fuck.? And I wasn?t the only one - there was about a dozen of us on stage!
Every song was a treat, highlighted with an engaging and near tearful version of The Smiths ?Sweet and Tender Hooligan? with just Melanie and an acoustic guitar and the at times frightening
Phoebe Killdeer under the red lights doing the Bauhaus classic ?Bela Lugosi?s Dead.? Towards the end they gave a great crowd filled version of ?Mexican Radio,? seeking help because they didn?t know all the words.
The songs might be covers, but the arrangement is original, the show is original, and whether or not you?re sold on Nouvelle Vague, you?d be hard pressed to not have a great experience at their show. I had such a good time, I?m seeing them again at the French Embassy in Washington, DC on Sept. 20. And I despise the French.
Partial Set List (as I can recall and in no particular order)
The Killing Moon
Ever Fallen in Love
Dancing with Myself
Dance with Me
Heart of Glass
Human Fly
Sweet and Tender Hooligan
Blue Monday
Love will Tear us Apart
Guns of Brixton
Teenage Kicks
Making Plans for Nigel
Mexican Radio
In a Manner of Speaking
I Just Can?t Get Enough
Hear Nouvelle Vague
