SOCIAL DISTORTION
Bataclan - Paris, France
June 8, 2009

Imagine you had a week end full of party with friends, with a Lynyrd Skynyrd concert, and just enough time to sleep on sunday and try to get back to work on monday.
Social Distortion is in town that monday night.

Would you stay home?

No hesitation! the answer in NO!

This was my first Social Distortion concert, and that was also the case for most people attending.
This band hadn't play Paris since like forever.

Now they decided to come as part of the 30 years Of Underground Rock'n'Roll World Tour.

For sure a gig not to be missed.

All sorts of people were gathering in front of the Bataclan before the show.

Punks, Rockers, Metalheads, Glammers, Goths, people in suits coming out of the office, families with children... It's just incredible how this band not only passed the test of time, but also became a major influence in various musical styles.

If I had to sum up this show in just one sentence it would be this one: It was so hot inside!

Hey, that's what happens in a rainy day, when summer is coming, and you pack some 800 people... who can't stop moving, headbaning, moshing, singing and claping their hands during an hour and a half.

I think I've said it all, the show was great and everybody inside seemed to enjoy it!

It was an intense concert, no time to take a breath.

Social Distortion played song after song, almost with no speeches between them.

There were just a few jokes between some songs.
Mike Ness described his Crêpes with Nutella lunch and, instead of telling people to buy a CD or a T-shirt from the Merchandising store... he told everybody to spend their money on a drink!

Like most bands from the USA, he also said a couple of lines about their new President... and he said he was proud once again of his country.

But the speech that marked the audience was an apology. An apology for almost always skipping Paris on their tours.

He said that in 30 years this was only the second Social Distortion concert in Paris!
I don't know if that's true, but it seems absolutely possible.

The sound was really good, well balanced and not that loud.

This is not always the case of this venue. I've seen before Paradise Lost and Iced Earth at the Bataclan and they had an awful sound.

On the contrary the lights were quite dark. But that's just the case of every band I've seen playing here.

All four musicians gave it all on that night. Jonny Wickersham and Brent Harding did really good on their guitar and bass, but on the backing vocals too. That's an essential part of Social Distortion's music and it's great to see that they can do as good on stage as they do on their albums.

Social Distortion's setlist contained all the classics people wanted to hear (Except I Was Wrong...).
The crowds were very enthousiastic and sang along most of the set.

By the end of the show came Still Alive, one of my favourite Social Distortion Songs.

Then they played The Story Of My Life, which was obviously acclaimed.

Thus ended a great Rock'N'Roll night.

What else can I say? With a mix of punk and Rock'N'Roll, Social Distortion plays the kind of music that leaves you with a smile on your face.

It was a monday night. Is there a better way to kick off the week?

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Setlist Social Distortion – Bataclan, Paris, France – June 8, 2009

01. The Creeps (I Just Wanna Give You)
02. Anothe State Of Mind (ASOM)
03. Mommy's Little Monster (MLM)
04. Sick Boys
05. Don't Drag me Down
06. Ring Of Fire
07. Reach For The Sky
08. Highway 101
09. Won't Run No More
10. Can't Take It With You
11. Bad Luck
12. Ball & Chain
13. Nickels & Dimes
14. Sometimes I Do
15. Alone & Forsaken
16. Prison Bound
------------------------------
17. Still Alive
18. Story Of My Life
19. Don't Take Me For Granted

Social Distortion Links:

Social Distortion Website
Social Distortion My Space
Social Distortion CDs on Amazon.com
Social Distortion on Metal Traveller's Flickr

Social Distortion Line-up: