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RACHID AT THE BARBICAN, LONDON, 6TH APRIL 2007.

I've almost run out of words to describe a Rachid Taha concert (this is the eighth I've seen, here in the UK and in France) but the sell-out concert at the Barbican, London, 6th April was certainly the loudest yet!!! He roared his way through his familiar repetoire, from Voila Voila, Kelma, ShufShuf, Habina etc. (you know them all) and included three songs from Diwan 2 ~ Josephine, Ah Mon Amour and Ecoute Moi Camarade. His 14 strong playlist could be accused of being repetitive (especially if you've been to eight ~ but I'll go to see nine, ten...ad infinitum, untill I finally drop!) but his gigs are never boring. The audience were with him from the start and rose to their feet from the moment he appeared ~ a tone point he invited so many dancers from the audience onto the stage he and the band were lost in the melee. Additions to the stage band included a trumpet player, new lead and bass guitars and the qaraquba (double castanets). After Ah Mon Amour, Rachid left the stage and Hakim, solo on his mandolute, surprised all, singing with an impressive voice. Rachid returned, in red suit, with the legendary Mick Jones, for Ya Rayah, then what else but Rock The Casbah. And of course the concert finished with Garab.

I know there are those of you out there who are interested in Rachid's sartorial adventures sooooo~ for the first half he wore a shiney grey suit, white shirt, gold tie and pale leather trilby with a bit of ostrich fluff stuck in it. He returned to the stage, with Mick Jones, wearing the above mentioned exceptionally well-cut red suit, no shirt. And with both, a pair of slip-on bright white winkle pickers (for younger fans, these are extremely pointed shoes popular at the beginning of the 1960s).

Next gigs in the UK are Glastonbury and the Musicport World Music Festival at Whitby in Yorkshire.

Wrasse Records have just released Rachid Taha The Definitive Collection, a compilation of 15tracks from his Carte De Sejour days through to Tekitoi? The first 2,000 copies are a limited edition which includes the DVD of Rachid's Algerian tour. This can be got from Wrasse for £9.99 plus £1 postage wherever you live in the world!!!! Go to Wrasserecords now!

Yvonne Mitton all rights reserved.

Former posts on this concert: Barbican video's.