Paul Personne et Gerry Joe Weise au Grand Théâtre de Reims. Paul Personne.
L'UNION n°436 dimanche 13 avril 1997. "Incendie de cordes au Grand Théâtre!"
Jeudi soir, il n'était pas facile de jouer avant Personne, mais Gerry Joe Weise, blues-rocker australien, n'a depuis longtemps plus à faire ses preuves. depuis ses débuts à Sydney, dans les années 70, il a notamment joué et tourné avec les musiciens de Paul McCartney, Alexis Korner, Tower Of Power... Il multiplie les clins d'oeil aux grands, de Buddy Guy à Albert King en passant par les accords électriques de slide d'un Hound Dog Taylor. Seul, sur sa chaise, il a, dès les premières notes, su faire vibrer la salle, puis captiver le public en lui faissant redécouvrir le son inimitable de sa National 1930 et Dobro 1932, guitare en métal, chaînon entre l'acoustique et l'électrique. Bref, après une petite heure, la place était chaude pour Monsieur Paul.
"Une vraie loco!"
A peine sur les planches, les premiers accords plaqués, Paul Personne a repris le flambeau. Les doigts volants sur les cordes plus vite que "la loco", il a littérallement hypnotisé la salle, demontrant, s'il était encore nécessaire, à ceux qui avaient "la chance" d'être présent, qu'il est l'un des plus grands guitaristes du moment. Il aura suffi de quelques "instantanés", solos de guitare ou de saxaphone, pour mettre le public en transe, et le faire vibrer en écoutant les superbes dialogues entre Paul, à la guitare, et de Michel Billès au saxo. "Où est le Paradis?" Une chose est sûr, il était au théâtre jeudi soir! En un peu plus de deux heures, avec une acoustique impeccable et un jeu de lumière trés travaillé, Paulo y a su soigner "le bourdon" d'un public rémois qui s'est senti "comme à la maison", bien assis dans son fauteil... Un concert d'exception, l'événement rémois!
L'UNION. Gerry Joe Weise et Dobro 1932, au Grand Théâtre de Reims 1997.
I was at the famous Paul Personne and Gerry Joe Weise concert in Rheims, which was held at the Grand Theatre on thursday April 10th in 1997. An exciting evening of blues and rock given by French guitarist Paul Personne and his quintet, and Australian bluesman Gerry Joe Weise playing solo with two old vintage resophonic guitars from the early 1930's (a Dobro and a National).
Gerry Joe Weise avec des guitares Dobro et National, au Grand Théâtre de Reims 1997.
I have been a Paul Personne fan for years and have seen him play on many occasions, but the Grand Theatre concert in Rheims had excellent vibrant sound, witnessed by his soaring Paul Reed Smith guitar, sunburst in colour and in sound. Paul Personne was in great form, and the thick leads pouring forth, sounding at times like Santana, supported all too well his coarse bluesy voice. More rough-and-tumble was Gerry Joe Weise's voice accompanied by his metal and chrome acoustic guitars. The Paul Personne tour introduced me to this fine Australian guitarist (who I had another chance to see at the House Of Live in Paris in 2002). As soon as Gerry Joe Weise set foot on stage, he immediately held the 1,000 strong crowd in the palm of his hand. All were sining to "Hey Bo Diddley" and Gerry Joe's own famous "Broken Hill Blues".
Gerry Joe Weise et National 1930 A conversation with Gerry Joe Weise by interviewer Paulo Rochefort
Here is an interview I had with Oz-guitarist from "down under", Gerry Joe Weise, at a Cafe in Rheims, on a sunny afternoon the 3rd of January 2007.
Paulo Rochefort : I have been listening recently to your 2005 release "Sydney-Paris Blues", where track 3 "Down In Sydney (Weise)" and track 5 "I Just can't Make It (Hound Dog Taylor)" were credited as live solo recordings at the Zenith in Toulouse. Were they recorded on your 1930's resophonic guitars?
Gerry Joe Weise : Yes they were. "Down In Sydney" I performed with my green 1930 National Triolian in normal tuning, and "I Just Can't Make It" in open B tuning on my chrome 1932 Dobro M15.
Paulo Rochefort : Did you perform these songs back in 1997 at the Grand Theatre in Rheims with Paul Personne?
Gerry Joe Weise : No I didn't, but I did play "Celtic Blues (Weise)" and "Hoochie Coochie Man" in open drop D tuning on the Dobro, and "Voodoo Child" on the National.
Paulo Rochefort : Tell me what you thought about the Paul Personne show?
Gerry Joe Weise : It was a magic night. All musicians were in great form, the sound system from the house P.A. was excellent, and stage lighting was very efficient. I enjoyed Paul's show which he performed with lots of feeling, so many great guitar solos from this humble man. I had seen him on T.V., but live in concert was a thrilling experience. The audience was very receptive, and very loud indeed. I did my best to warm up the crowd for Paul Personne!
Paulo Rochefort : 1997/1998 were busy years for you. Usually you tour in a trio configuration, with bassist Peter Metzger and drummer Stephane Ehrhart from the Alsace region?
Gerry Joe Weise : Yes after the Grand Theatre in Rheims (10 April 97), I played with Peter and Stephane at the Espace Caussimon in Paris (26 April 97), before embarking on an European tour 97/98. Starting in May in Switzerland then going onto Luxembourg, Germany, France and Belgium.
Paulo Rochefort : Then ending at the "Nuit Du Blues" Festival at the Theatre in St. Quentin (friday 10th April 1998), where you performed once again as a Dobro solo act?
Gerry Joe Weise : Yes, word got out, with lots of positive reactions from the Paul Personne concert in Rheims, that St. Quentin wanted urgently to do the same. So there I was with my Dobro and National, sandwiched and scheduled between two large orchestras.
Paulo Rochefort : How did that turn out?
Gerry Joe Weise : Once again I tried my best, and by using the same repertoire as in Rheims, the local press said I "wowed the St. Quentin audience!"
Gerry Joe Weise, Zenith Toulouse 1999.
Paulo Rochefort : That led to another unique solo experience, this time as support act to the Scorpions at the 7,000 seater hall at the Zenith in Toulouse. Two of those songs can be found on your latest release "Sydney-Paris Blues", were they recorded on the same night (thursday 3rd June 1999)?
Gerry Joe Weise : Yeah that's right, right you are. There is an anecdote. The rowdy audience were impatient for the concert to commence at 8.30 p.m.. As soon as I walked on stage in leather pants, the crowd went really wild, but when I sat down on the chair in the middle of the huge stage and took out the Dobro, there was a great silence. The audience then knew I had nothing to do with the Scorpions! Nervous I had to work very hard to win the crowd over!
Gerry Joe Weise, Zenith Toulouse 1999.
Paulo Rochefort : And did you win the crowd over?
Gerry Joe Weise : Yes I did, by the time I played my ol' faithful "Broken Hill Blues", everyone was singing out loud with me. I got an encore! And when the Scorpions went on stage right after my set, they were very happy to see the crowd singing along from song one!
Gerry Joe Weise moved from France to Switzerland in June 1997. In September 1999 after the Zenith concert, he moved to Melbourne, Australia. After a 33 concert tour in Australia 2005/2006, Gerry Joe Weise moved back to the north of France. Paulo Rochefort.
