User Reviews

The Festival Art Rock in Saint Brieuc is a very eclectic music festival that allows artists to explore the boundaries of what constitutes music. The acts vary from spoken word to sung to jazz-fusion noise to instrumental, as well as combinations of all of the above. There are no interviews, and most of the songs are played in their entirety. Also, this is a foreign festival so the singers perform in their native language (w/ no subtitling). Not for all tastes, but if you like avant garde rock 'n' roll, then the 13 min. set from Canadian band "Metric" is worth the price of admission alone (and that goes double for "Sonic Youth" fans, re: Mirror/Dash). Other than that, you're on your own with this very diverse rock-noise-music documentary from director Olivier Assayas ("Clean").

The set list:

'Alla'

1. Several solo instrumentals & vocals by Algerian Oud virtuoso 'Alla' (approx. 5 min.)

Pascal Rambert

2. Spoken word, music, singing by "de l'A" w/ Pascal Rambert & Kate Moran (approx. 4 min.)

Vincent Epplay's musical noise equipment 3. Synth noise by Vincent Epplay, then vocalist Joanna Preiss of "White Tahina" (approx. 5 min.)

Steve Shelley 4. Instrumental 'noise' (various instruments) by Steve Shelley, Lee Ranaldo, Alan Licht and Tim Barnes of "Text of Light" (approx. 21 min, good time to visit the concessions or smoke a cigarette).

Jeanne Balibar

5. 3 songs (2 in English) by Jeanne Balibar w/ guitarist Rodolphe Burger (approx. 14 min) 6. Malian master Afel Bocoum & Ali Farka Touré (Drum trio w/ vocals/approx. 10 min)

7. Vocalist Marie Modiano (approx. 4 min.)

8. Band set from "METRIC" feat. Emily Haines (approx. 13 min.)

Kim Gordon 9. Performance by duo MIRROR/DASH feat. Kim Gordon & Thurston Moore from "Sonic Youth" (approx. 32 min.)