Brad Spurgeon's Blog

PARIS – A few years ago one of the best vocal jams in Paris took place at a bar fabulously well-located, on the rue Dauphine in the Latin Quarter. Better than the location was the extraordinary basement room where the jams took place it wore its name perfectly: Le Cavern. The bar seemed to have done everything perfectly for the vocal jam, with a great group of musicians backing anyone who wanted to come on stage and sing the rock and pop standards, the great room, a bar owner that must have loved the jam. Everything was there for several years. Then suddenly I went one day to find it had ended. No idea why. Anyway, the Cavern still exists, it still has its great little stage in the comfortable cavern cellar room, and on Thursday it tested out a new open mic format. Run by Simon Ferrante, an up-and-coming singer-songwriter from the north of France, but who has lived in Paris for years, the night was a kind of “anything goes” evening mix open mic and open jam. I went, and I’ll probably go again….
Simon at Cavern open mic

I immediately fell back in love with being in the Cavern, but I also immediately had the same sense of stagefright on the stage that I always had there. This time, though, I was much more in my own personal element as it was possible just to play the acoustic guitar and sing – with the previous jam, you virtually had to play with the band, and an acoustic guitar – or even playing the instrument yourself – was not hugely encouraged.
Rockin blues at Cavern open mic

That said, the open mic on Thursday welcomed all kinds of band formations, there is a drum set, and electric guitars in addition to the acoustic, and I was allowed to call up a drummer once I decided to get a bit of movement into the playing – after much of the stagefright had subsided.
first at Cavern open mic

In the end, it was quite a successful night in terms of the number of musicians and spectators. So I hope the Cavern will continue the gig. Ferrante, whom I met the first time at the Highlander open mic around the corner a few years ago, said that Thursday’s was just a trial gig and he would have to wait to see what happened.
Duet at Cavern

So I will keep my fingers crossed.
another at cavern

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bit o bob at cavern