New Years Day & Conquer Divide at Les Etoiles, Paris : a date that was the talk of the town...
- Eden Bisiot
- Jan 31
- 2 min read
On 23 January 2025 we headed to Les Etoiles de Paris for our first gig of the year: New Years Day, accompanied by promising young band Conquer Divide! We were eager to get back to gigging at the start of the year, and this first date was the talk of the town…
Conquer Divide ; when the pupil surpasses the master
Conquer Divide took to the Les Étoiles stage at 8pm sharp, and the tone was set from the very first seconds: edgy riffs, sharp double pedals, and Kiarely Taylor as the ultra-committed frontwoman. Her voice alternates brilliantly between clear vocals and rougher passages, delivering a solid, lived-in vocal performance.
The crowd, still filling up, responded immediately: the first circle pits were formed as early as the second track, and the mosh pits gradually intensified. Tracks like The INVISIBLE and Paralyzed were greeted with fervor by fans already familiar with the band. While the sound isn't always perfectly balanced (the clean vocals are sometimes drowned out in the mix), the dynamic on stage more than makes up for this minor technical fault.
The musicians confidently take over the stage, and Kiarely's calls to action - jumping, shouting, raising their hands - are always met with an immediate response. There's a real sense of chemistry in this group, which is both powerful and unifying. In short, a powerful opening set that laid the foundations for the evening with sincerity and strength.
New Years Day
After a lengthy set change, New Years Day took to the stage in front of a sparse audience, some of whom were still merchandising Conquer Divide. Yet Ash Costello was not to be denied: she kept moving, pacing the entire stage, even going down into the pit on Skeletons to recreate an intimate atmosphere and show off the fans present.
Despite a voice supported by a permanent vocal backup, you can feel that something is stuck: Costello only screams at half speed, the vocal effects seem too present and dilute the spontaneity of the live show. The set relies heavily on Half Black Heart, such as Come for Me, Shut Up and Fearless, but struggles to be totally convincing in the absence of a solid live foundation.
The rather unexpected cover of Pantera's Fucking Hostile was a bold attempt - albeit a little shaky - but it failed to really get the crowd going. The finale on Kill or Be Killed remains intense, but in stark contrast to the peaks of sincere interaction that Ash is trying to create.
Les Étoiles is an intimate venue, seating around 250 people according to several sources, with the ideal proximity between stage and pit to feel every vibe. This intimate atmosphere made for some touching moments, as the band descended into the audience and sang along. Conquer Divide made the most of the space, galvanising the fans despite a sparse crowd at the start of the evening. For New Years Day, on the other hand, the low attendance slowed some of the momentum, especially as the performance seemed too smoothed out, lacking the raw sparkle of the live mix.
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