Belle & Sebastian - Black Session # 246

A Black Session is a show that is broadcast live in the national French Radio called France Inter. It’s exactly the same than a John Peel Session except that it’s Bernard Lenoir, the Black, who is the big man. The lucky peoples in the attendance (not more than 200) are invited after put their names on Internet. Sometimes thousands of demands depending of who is on the bill. This time, I was one of the lucky one!
So, last Thursday was Black Session number 246. It was not the first one for Belle & Sebastian; they came in October ’98, with Isobel Campbell, of course. Last week, she wasn’t there and, well, we missed her a bit.
Belle & Sebastian you loved them or you may think that they write little pretty and naïve tunes for scotch grandmas and their childrens. I don’t want to enter in this debate. I am kind of neutral this time. I have records from them, not the last one yet, but I definitely appreciate them and was really happy to see them live.

They played new songs from The Life Pursuit (Matador, February 2006) and old ones like The State I am In to start, Fox in the Snow, The Boy with the Arab Strap and Judy and the Dream of Horses before they left (no encore). But, for me, the highlight was the song from the short TV story Belle et Sebastien directed buy Cécile Aubry in the sixties. A delight!

Belle & Sebastian - Studio 105, Radio France, Paris - April 4, 2006

1. THE STATE THAT I AM IN

2. ANOTHER SUNNY DAY

3. FUNNY LITTLE FROG

4. BELLE & SEBASTIAN

5. SUKIE IN THE GRAVEYARD

6. ELECTRONIC RENAISSANCE

7. MIDDLE DISTANCE RUNNER

8. TO BE MYSELF COMPLETELY

9. DRESS UP IN YOU

10. FOX IN THE SNOW

11. THE B0Y WITH THE ARAB STRAP

12. JUDY AND THE DREAM OF HORSES

• http://www.belleandsebastian.co.uk/
• http://matadorrecords.com/belle_and_sebastian/

• Belle & Sebastian - Another Sunny Day.mp3