Beastö Blancö finally played a headlining set in the City of Lights last night, giving the Parisian audience the full thrill of their theatrical rock spectacle. Fittingly, the show took place under the literal and symbolic shadow of the Moulin Rouge, birthplace of cabaret and eternal beacon of bohemian excess. In other words, rock and roll before the term or the music even existed.
Calico Cooper and Chuck Garric do not shy away from their heritage. Singer Calico, of course, is the daughter of the master of shock rock himself, Alice Cooper. Chuck, her onstage counterpart and guitarist, has served as Alice’s bassist for more than two decades. This legacy is something they embrace rather than avoid, even covering “Feed My Frankenstein” on their first album. Yet Beastö Blancö is no mere echo of the father figure. Their image is darker and more apocalyptic, part science fiction, part Mad Max, and entirely their own. Above all, they have the tunes to back it up.
The focus naturally falls on the two stars but the other boys in the band are just as vital: Brother Latham on lead guitar (and theremin!) is a dyed-in-the wool 80's style guitar hero, while the rhythm section of Jan Legrow (bass) and Sean Sellers (drums) kicks mucho ass.
The turnout may not have been as large as one might have hoped, yet those who were there made up for it in volume and enthusiasm, singing, shouting and dancing from start to finish. When the smoke cleared, the final note faded, and the lights came back on, it was hard to tell who had enjoyed themselves more, the band or the audience.
The props, costumes, lights, and theatricality are just the surface. What truly matters is the music, and on that front Beastö Blancö delivers. Their sound is an unholy fusion of classic hard rock, industrial pulse, pop hooks, and metallic weight, bound together by the one ingredient too often forgotten in modern rock: pure, unadulterated fun.
