Brad Spurgeon's Blog

PARIS – Is it a reflection of the location of this most interesting Paris open mic, one of the latest additions to the open mic scene in the city of lights? The Place Pigalle is nothing if not eclectic – music stores, strip joints and sex shops, but also the cool quarter at the foot of the Sacré Coeur, bars of every variety…the area around the Place Pigalle is a sea of contrasts. And Friday night, in mid-summer, it was the most eclectic crowd of musicians I’ve seen so far at the open mic.
Guitar and sax, Brazil and U.S. at the Noctambules:

I think it is a reflection of the neighbourhood, the fact there are a number of open mics closed for the summer so the musicians congregate here, and the MCing by Raphaëlle, whose own music is vastly eclectic.
A bit of gypsy jazz stuff at the Noctumbules open mic in the Place Pigalle:

In any case, there was gypsy jazz, Brazilian music, rock, pop and soul; there was spoken word of two different kinds; saxophone playing, bongo hitting, a mandole, as well as some telephone soundtracking. It was all there at the Noctambules on Friday evening. While there was a long list of musicians – but everyone got to play until around 1 a.m. and most people played twice – there were maybe a tad few drop-by spectators, as a large percentage of the Paris population left for the August vacation.
Deborah Elina plays at the Noctambules open mic in the Place Pigalle:

But the Noctambules open mic will continue throughout August, and I’m already looking forward to every edition in the coming weeks….
A bit of spoken word at the Noctambules open mic:

Follow @BradSpurgeon
Simon Ferrante doing All Along the Watchtower at the Noctambules open mic:

A small bit of a wonderful song at the Noctambules:

Leandro’s new song at the Noctambules:

First one at the Noctambules:

Mandole gets in on the act at the Noctambules open mic in Paris: