Once again free concerts* will be held during the 2012 Le Mans 24-Hours week. They are probably the biggest in the Sarthe and take place inside the circuit. Topping the bill are Gérald de Palmas, the Pony Pony Run Run and Shaka Ponk Groups, and the 2012 programme will see local and international talent following one another on stage. Between 13-16 June seven singers and groups will perform over three evenings on the stage just beside the Dunlop footbridge. Here are the details:
Wednesday 13th June: Gérald de Palmas and THoM
THoM
THoM is an author, composer and arranger from the north of the Sarthe. He has learned his trade from artists of all horizons, from home to studio, from the stage to the street, accompanied by others or as back-up but always motivated by the same determination to put on a show and serve the pop music cause. With his urban poetry that breaks out of the usual mould highlighted by pop melody, THoM is both a touching and entertaining artist. Through cultivating the sincere, natural side of his art he has found his place in the new French song movement.
Gérald de Palmas
After an 18-year career Gérald de Palmas is back on the road again for the launch of his new album, which retraces his career through 18 songs. Two new titles (The Outsider and Like Lovers) and a revival (Hard to Handle) as well as new arrangements are at the heart of this exclusive concert in the region. De Palmas doesn’t follow the easy route of variety or the tortured pathways of the ultra-trendies. The artist was rewarded at the ‘Victoires de la Musique’ ceremony and his style is at the crossroads of several musical influences, which he expresses through very special jazzy blues and rock with catchy melodies.
Thursday 14th June: Pony Pony Run Run and The Dandies
The Dandies
The Dandies is a rock/pop group created in Le Mans in 2009 when four guys, Pierre, Quintin, Jean-Baptiste and Olivier, got together. From light pop/rock to heavy metal rock with catchy riffs as well as flowing melodies and minimalist solos, they find their energy on the stage which is what they do best!Pony Pony Run Run
Gaëtan, Amaël and Antonin from Nantes are true musical alchemists who translate their imagination into multiple sounds with a talent that always makes us dream. This group has real pop culture in the best sense of the term and thrills its audience with dance and rock due to its large and eclectic vision, and is a worthy inheritor of the tradition of the 90s. The songs have a successful feel to them as records, dance floor music or in concert halls that really shake. More and more Pony Pony Run Run!
Saturday 16th June: Shaka Ponk, Kill the Young and Ekhô
Ekhô is a pop, rock, electro duo from Le Mans consisting of Jérémy Hallermeyer (lead vocals, guitar, keyboard) and Xavier Potiéris (drums, no. 2 voice and samples). They burst on the scene in 2008. Jérémy and Xavier have both grown up in the same musical ambience. They are used to concert halls and rehearsal studios in the west of France, and their first concert together under the name Ekhô in 2008 was a key moment for both musicians and their public. What, at the time, was an occasional collaboration, quickly become a real stage adventure.Kill the Young
Three brothers, Tom, Dylan and Oliver Gorman, form Kill the Young, an independent English rock group from Congleton. The group’s name has a deliberately provocative sound to it, and it underlines the pressure of the consumer society on young people. Since the launch of their eponymous first album in 2005, Kill the Young has travelled all over France and Europe. They continue touring (often with sell-out concerts) to the delight of their fans.Shaka Ponk
Shaka Ponk saw the light of day between Paris and Berlin at the start of the noughties from a concept combining music, images and activism. It is now a group in its own right, a part of the alternative aggressive rock movement begun by Rage against the Machine. While avoiding being labelled is another of their characteristics, Bad Porn Movie Trax that came out in 2009 resulted in them appearing at the biggest festivals, and they put on over a hundred shows including the Elysees Montmartre and the Bataclan in Paris (sell-outs) In 2010, they were nominated for the ‘Victoires de la Musique’ in the stage revelation category. Shaka Ponk is a collective adventure and a female singer called Sam has been part of the group since 2010. They are back with a new album ‘The Geks and the jerkin’ socks’ consisting of twelve songs expressing that explosive rage that emanates from rock and seduces their fans. Six videos accompany the launch of their album. For Shaka Ponk the best way to express what they really feel is to use to the potential of the machine, whether it consist of optimizing sound by computers or using virtual people to the best possible advantage even if it means distorting this power.
*Free for general enclosure ticket holders
Practical information
Le Mans 24-Hours concerts
The concerts held during the 2012 Le Mans 24-Hours week will take place inside the 24-Hours circuit during practice and the race.They will start at 20h00 on the stage just beside the Dunlop Bridge. Free for holders of general enclosure tickets.Wednesday 13th June (first practice session): Gérald de Palmas and THoM. Thursday 14th June (second practice session): Pony Pony Run Run and The Dandies.Saturday 16th June (race evening): Shaka Ponk, Kill the Young and Ekhô.
