Ah France!
Not only have they given us good food, wine, art, men romance and films but they have also produced Punk-pop band Nouvelle Vague.
‘Nouvelle Vague’ translates to ‘the new wave’ which is exactly what this dynamic band represents. With their chilled out covers of punk and post-punk classics, Nouvelle Vague bought their je ne sais quoi to Her Majesty’s Theatre for one show.
Considered one of Australia’s favourite French contemporary acts, Nouvelle Vague have come back from a long hiatus to tour their new album.
The seven piece band opened their Adelaide show with the chilled out original tune, ‘I Could Be Happy’, also the name of their latest album.
‘I Could Be Happy’ comprises a compilation of new wave classic covers including ‘Love Comes in Spurts’, and also contains four original songs.
Greeting the crowd with a simple, sweet “Bonsoir!” followed by a cheeky “How’s it going Brisbane?” Nouvelle Vague proceeded to play crowd favourites ‘Ever Fallen in Love,’ and ‘Dancing With Myself’.
Don’t let Nouvelle Vague’s classification as a cover band scare you away because their hour and a half setlist included surprisingly refreshing takes on such post-punk classics like ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ and ‘I Wanna Be Sedated’.
Dressed to the nines in noir, lead singers Elodie Frégé and Melanie Pain were accompanied by five band members including group founders Olivier Libaux and Marc Collin.
A combination of sexy cabaret numbers complimented the energetic, jazzy and samba tracks while the truly beautiful moments of the live show came from Cuban-American stunner, Liset Alea’s vocals (and sheer sequin dress) in a rendition of ‘In a Manner of Speaking’ originally by Tuxedomoon.
The Nouvelle Vague sound is pure, sultry afternoon listening – Tres Bien!
Nouvelle Vague is currently touring Australia with their album ‘I Could Be Happy’.
To find out more click here.
Image: Brisbane Powerhouse
