Nouvelle Vague back in town!

NOUVELLE VAGUE at Chalk, Brighton 7.3.24 (pic Sara-Louise Bowrey)

NOUVELLE VAGUE + KILL THE PAIN + DEAD CHIC – CHALK, BRIGHTON 7.3.24

Nouvelle Vague hit Brighton’s Chalk venue last night for a soiree of bossa nova punk classics and new wave melodic pop to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their eponymous debut album also called Nouvelle Vague. That record was a hit back in 2004 and defined the band’s unique French retro sound with its love affair of punk and new wave anthems run through a kitsch bossa nova blender.

Producer and musician Marc Collin and (recently deceased) Olivier Libaux’s unique project has spent two decades on the road with a bevy of talented musicians and female front women, covering artists such as The Cure, The Clash and The Undertones amongst others. This special Brighton celebrated all of these and some new tracks to add to the mix.

NOUVELLE VAGUE at Chalk, Brighton 7.3.24 (pics Sara-Louise Bowrey)

Opening the gig with not one but two support acts – first up was duo Dead Chic – a collaboration between long-standing musicians Damien Felix & Leeds frontman Andy Balcon begun in 2020.

This two piece whilst being the first band on stage, brought a melancholic film music feel to the venue intertwined with a country and western vibe. There was a sense of an Arizona landscape backed with a sturdy kick drum. It evoked a sense of the Ry Cooder soundtrack in the Wim Wenders film Paris, Texas at points, but with a meaty growl of the throat from singer Balcon to give it some heft.

DEAD CHIC at Chalk, Brighton 7.3.24 (pic Nicola Benge)

Some inter song banter in Franglais broke up this short set, followed by melodic and atmospheric music which painted a wide canvas accompanied by some whimsical whistling. I will definitely explore this pair more, as I really liked what they had to offer.

Next up was another supporting duo, this time an all-female pair Kill the Pain with both longstanding Nouvelle Vague members (as their diffusion project) Mélanie Pain and Phoebe Killdeer stepping up to the microphone. Loved this quirky outfit with their costumes, patter and moves. Housed by the Kwaidan label which was set up by producer and musician (and Nouvelle Vague originator) Marc Collin.

KILL THE PAIN at Chalk, Brighton 7.3.24 (pic Sara-Louise Bowrey)

Starting with the track Zig Zag, there was a gleeful combination of early 1980s guitar synth pop, combined with some quirky late ’70s futuristic noise. Songs with refrains such as “Watch your step your standing on my foot”, and later an attempt to make sense of this crazy times we live in “what the fuck is going on”, all with a rousing back beat.

In the vein of band Le Tigre was next song Good Girl, an exploration of what happens on tour stays on tour from a woman’s perspective. And finally, in honour of International Women’s Day (“our one day!”). was the fierce and mighty Woman. A really gutsy howl about being female. It was great to see cool women d’un certain age (comme moi) living it up on stage. Definitely on my new must watch list.

Nouvelle Vague came on stage to an almost full house and a very enthusiastic reception from the crowd. Both the band’s first album and its follow up Bande a Part (2006) defined their niche approach to taking much loved punk classics and morphing them lovingly each gem.

Starting the gig with a crowd pleasing Love will Tear us Apart by Joy Division, this is a paired back and elegiac version of the punk classic, a monochrome version of the song with the band.

The swiftly followed this up with People are People, a version of the Depeche Mode 1980s classic, in the style of an anthemic Bond film song. Their most recent project, ‘Only You’, a captivating cover of the Yazoo hit – recorded in collaboration with Mélanie Pain, one of the band’s original singers was so good.

The first few songs in the concert were delivered in a style, somewhat different to the last year’s gig at the same venue, but Making Plans for Nigel from XTC went down well with the audience, followed by This is Not a Love Song by Public Image Limited in a boit de nuit chanson performance. The evening was a more downtempo visit, but also a sexier vampish style.

Girls on Film from 80s superstars Duran Duran was next delivered in a Peggy Lee Fever esque delivery. Later came A Forest the epic song by The Cure backlit in a spooky ethereal green along with an impressive dance performance by one of the band’s current frontwoman Alonya.

Teenage Kicks up next, the 1978 classic from The Undertones which became a popular acoustic singalong with the crowd helped by an enthusiastic singer Marine Quemere.

Using this as an opportunity to showcase diverse female singers to front the band and announce a new album new album, Should I stay or should I go? which was released on 16^th February, Novelle Vague next covered Should I Stay or Should I Go, a ska version of the classic from The Clash.

In honour of their 20^th anniversary, the band have embarked on an epic world tour lined up for 2024 and 2025, with the first run of concerts in Europe, showing the band’s oeuvre continues to be a popular one across the globe.