This Week: Livingstone

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Livingstone kicks off their U.S. tour today, hitting 20 cities across the South. This’ll be their third U.S. tour in three years, and their hoping to rekindle the wild reception they’ve received in the past. This Thursday, the Parisian garage trio plays at The Nick, bringing a genuine grit and aggression that should feel right at home in Birmingham’s reemerging rock scene.

The trio features Thomas Chazerain on guitar/vocals, Théophile Olivier on bass/backing, and Romain Hoffschir on drums. Their sound is to-the-point, feisty garage rock, combining elements of blues, stoner, and indie styles. They have a firm grasp on the old bluesy revival sound that’s taken hold in the South, with licks reminiscent of Led Zeppelin and The Black Keys. These relatively clean tones often give way to devastatingly crunchy chords, and their stoner rock sentiments channel Black Sabbath and Wolfmother.

The band draws from their influences without carbon copying, and it’s clear that all three members have a few favorites in common. “It’s important, because we understand the ideas of the others when we compose our songs,” says Olivier. Songs like “Trappist” hit all the high points of a good garage outfit. Dynamic tempo shifts, psychedelic wah, and growling octave guitar licks.

Back home, the band finds that the Parisian rock scene is dominated by electro rock. While there’s a small stoner and indie rock scene, the local press doesn’t seem to look far beyond the electro niche, and rock acts typically have to look elsewhere for traction. “It’s why we come in the US,” says Olivier, “because our music is played here, because people are great and so we love to play in the US.”

Livingstone’s latest album released on April 29 in the U.S., and they hope to return next year with a new album and new tour. Expect to see them returning to the South for a long time to come. “When we were 15, we decided to play rock n roll together until we die,” says Olivier. “Livingstone is our first band, and the only one.”

You can follow the band’s progress right here.

This Thursday, the band will be joined by Good Sex and Bad Cologne. The show starts at 10 p.m. The Nick is located at 2514 10th Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35205.

Photos by Alain Cianci.

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