Rise Against took over the Olympia on Sunday February 2 for a concert eagerly awaited by their Parisian fans. Accompanied by Spiritual Cramp and L.S. Dunes, they played one track after another to a packed house, in an evening that oscillated between hard-hitting punk rock, committed lyrics and communion with the audience.
Spiritual Cramp
At 8 p.m. sharp, six musicians burst onto the Olympia stage to an already packed house. Hailing from San Francisco, Spiritual Cramp infuse their punk rock with a rebellious intensity, somewhere between Californian hardcore, garage rock and new wave. The band is rooted in the punk heritage of the 70s and 80s, with influences from the Clash, Ramones and Modern Lovers. Influences that are perceptible at every level, notably in the riffs and tempos, but also in the attitude, with a straightforward, no-nonsense approach. The frontman, Michael Bingham, is a veritable tornado on stage, linking nervous dance steps with sharp jokes.
Communication with the pit is constant. Bingham harangues the room relentlessly, lets out a scathing “Fuck the US president” and finally ends the show shirtless, sweating after jumping and dancing throughout the set. Their 30-minute set was enough to sweep the audience away with them, and they've now warmed up to the rest of the program.
L.S. Dunes
At 8.50pm, L.S. Dunes take to the stage for a 30-minute set mixing tracks from their debut album Past Lives and several from their latest opus, Violet, released last January. The band, made up of musicians from Circa Survive, My Chemical Romance and Thursday, deliver an electric performance, led by a lively Anthony Green. His vocals oscillate between ethereal melodies and passages bordering on scream, while he regularly holds out the microphone to the audience, who sing along to the lyrics of the various tracks.
The band's energy is heightened by the carefully crafted lighting effects, which support the frontman's commitment to the stage, even going so far as to slam in the middle of a song. The band also keeps a close eye on audience safety: seeing the crowdsurfers' rough handling, one of the musicians calls out to the staff to avoid any dramatic accidents.
As the set drew to a close, Green addressed the French audience with a heartfelt "We love you", greeting them with an ever-warm welcome. L.S. Dunes leave the stage after a very masterful performance, proving that they don't rely on their pedigree, but on real stage chemistry.
Rise Against
10pm. The band are back in Paris, two years after their latest concert at the Bataclan. The Olympia literally explodes from the first notes of their brilliant Satellite. Cheers and shouts of joy: the audience is already in a trance before the first chorus has even finished. The carefully-constructed setlist demonstrates the band's ability to navigate between their different eras. Sixteen tracks that tell a story, a musical and militant journey. The absence of Give It All from the evening's program, which remains one of their mythical songs, is regrettable.
Tim McIlrath doesn't just sing, he almost prophesies. Several speeches punctuate the concert, evoking the “dark times” through which the planet is passing. His discourse is nuanced, lucid on the worrying situation in North America, yet profoundly optimistic. Every time he speaks, he hammers home a message: everyone present has the power to change things, little by little.
The middle of the set brings its share of gentleness with the traditional acoustic passage. Hero of War and Swing Life Away transform the mood. The electric power gives way to an almost melancholy intimacy, with every word sounding like a confidence. Lyrics are taken up in chorus, and telephone flashes light up across the pit and stands to accompany this moment of suspended time. It's the calm before the storm, because it's not long before Nod, their single released just a week earlier, is blasting through the venue.
McIlrath warmly invites the audience to turn the pit upside down with a memorable circle pit, which the crowd performs without hesitation. The communion between band and audience is total, and every moment is marked by constant interaction. Sincere thanks go to Spiritual Cramp and L.S. Dunes, underlining once again the spirit of fraternity surrounding the evening and the punk rock scene as a whole.
As the evening draws to a close, it's time for the encore, with the much-anticipated Make It Stop, Blood-Red, White & Blue, and finally Savior. Ahead of this last track, Tim McIlrath delivers a poignant speech on the struggle that still lies ahead. More than just a concert, this was a moment of collective resilience. Rise Against proved once again tonight that they are not just a rock band, but a vehicle for social awareness and hope.
Many thanks to Oliver Garnier & AEG productions for making it possible.
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