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In England the August Bank Holiday traditionally hosts some of the unruliest festivals of the summer season.

In fields outside Reading and Leeds hoards of teenagers become briefly feral, while organisers attempt to distract them from the determined aim of destroying their temporary home with the promise of Blink 182 and Metallica. In Notting Hill a cacophony of noise and colour dominates West London and terrifies the faint of heart.

But a short hop across the channel, in a leafy park just West of Paris, hides something a little more refined. Rock en Seine is not exactly new, as it’s been going since 2003. But it’s starting to carve out a niche among Europe’s packed summer programme and this year boasted an impressive global line-up, infused with a little local flavour, to rival some of the more established players.

Gigwise ventured across for the first time this year to check out the scene on the Seine. And here’s what we saw…

Brian Jonestown Massacre

Anyone who watched Dig, the documentary about the severed alliance between The Dandy Warhols and Brian Jonestown Massacre, might be shocked that the latter’s talismanic frontman Anton is still in the business more than a decade hence. But he and his band are not only holding it together, they are playing some of the best shows of their career.

They wowed a receptive French audience on the Friday afternoon, producing their trademark wall of sound aesthetic with an assurance and effortless charm that hasn’t always been apparent. The self-destructive streak (at least on stage) seems to have left the band and a deserved mid-career renaissance may be around the corner.

Damian Marley

Unlike the eponymous boxer in Creed, Marley has never been afraid of taking pride in his family’s prestige – and why should he?

But anyone hoping for some sort of macabre tribute act to his late father will be disappointed. Marley Jr is very much his own man. And a (very good) cover of ‘Could This Be Love’ aside, his Friday evening set demonstrated a man who has forged his own path throughout the years.

His hyped-up roots-style reggae suited the Parisian crowd to the ground and a mix of showmanship (especially from one particularly turbo charged back-up dancer) and some pretty decent tunes saw in the transition from evening to nighttime perfectly.

Two Door Cinema Club

The main stage’s Friday evening line-up was a dream for fans of erudite indie rock. Northern Ireland’s Two Door Cinema club occupied the sunset slot and performed their task admirably.

The trebly guitar lines can sometimes become overfamiliar by the end of the set, but there’s no doubting the craft of what they do. By the time the infectious ‘What You Know’ closes the set, the crowd are defying the searing heat to pogo along without a care in the world.

The Last Shadow Puppets

There are those who will forever see The Last Shadow Puppets as nothing more than a vanity project for Alex Turner to indulge his Scott Walker obsession. And to be honest they’re right. But on Friday night they showed that even vanity projects can sound pretty damn good.

The songs from new album Everything You’ve Come to Expect seem more accomplished that those off debut The Age of the Understatement (although the title track from the latter still shines).

Miles Kane, the lesser talented Puppet, holds his own but it’s Turner who will always be the draw. During a faithful (and excellent) cover of Bowie’s ‘Moonage Daydream’ he prowls along the ego ramp, playing up to the camera and pretty much enjoying his side project in the way they’re meant to be enjoyed. Top stuff all round.



Wolfmother

The Australian rockers are always a welcome sight at a summer festival. Dumb hair rock, with all of its posturing and preening, only works if the musicians involved take it very seriously, however it looks from the outside.

Wolfmother take their art very seriously so we don’t have to. All that is required of us is to bang our heads, smile and suffer slow but certain hearing loss. As Andrew Stockdale howls out the chorus of ‘Woman’ it feels, just for a moment, as if rock music may yet return to rule the world again one day.

La Femme

La Femme are one of the significant minority of French acts at Rock en Seine. And they draw a large crowd to the second stage on Saturday afternoon. They immediately justify the hype that is starting to build around them on both sides of the channel with a blistering set to match anything rest of the world has to offer.

They sound the the B-52s if Serge Gainsbourg were their musical director and Peter Hook their bass player. They’re an absolute joy and Gigwise urges anyone who gets a chance to see them to do so. ‘Elle ne ‘t’aime pas’ is a particular highlight.

Massive Attack

Twenty five years is a long musical career by anyone’s standards. And to stay fresh and relevant after all that time takes serious skill. But on Saturday night Massive Attack show that it is possible.

They always sound huge live and tonight is no exception. Reggae pioneer and long-time collaborator Horace Andy takes on the lion’s share of the vocals, which is a situation over which few would ever complain. As is their way, they tackle the political issues of the day, including Brexit and the Burkini ban, through stunning visuals and impassioned speeches.

The powerful closing one-two of ‘Safe From Harm’ and ‘Unfinished Sympathy’ leave no one in doubt of the power of Massive Attack to make noise as well as political statements. And they do it beautifully.

Peaches

UK indie fans who briefly became aware of Peaches at the turn of the century would be surprised if they caught her live shows today. She is a force of nature, twerking and rapping her way through a fierce set of electronica. ‘Fuck the Pain Away’ sees the French crowd go clean off. Those who forewent Foals and Soulwax to end their weekend with the inimitable Peaches were richly rewarded.

Iggy Pop

Who else could start a set with three hits as huge as ‘I Wanna Be your Dog’, ‘The Passenger’ and ‘Lust for Life?’ Very few Gigwise can think of. The peerless Iggy Pop brought the festival to life on Sunday with a barnstorming showcase of both his solo and Stooges’ back catalogue.

There is always an element of pantomime with Iggy’s shows, but that’s not in any way a criticism. The man is the big show, the big time and the big draw that any festival would kill for. Rock en Seine played its ace card on Sunday evening. Long live King Pop.

More about: Massive Attack