In case anyone here on the forum is in Paris; I'll go down there to play the second week of February. So far four gigs are planned: two (at least) at the art exhibition at Grand Palais, one at the Swedish Church and one at some art café that I forgot the name of. It would be nice to meet up with local Stick players for a coffee and chat

At Grand Palais the focus will be "Scandinavian style" (dark melodic northern ethno traditionals and my own stuff in that mood) while at the art café there will be weird experimentation (in my own mind: "to honor the IRCAM evolution of Musique Concrète etc"). The church gig will be more, eh.... like "church friendly".

Sounds exciting! Please post video or audio afterward if you can!

We should notify the French Assoc. of Stick players and tap guitarists (AFSTG) who will certainly be interested. Maybe thru their organization your mid Feb. visit might expand to include more gigs and activities. I can be helpful if you'd like, or you could contact Youenn Landreau or Yannick Lepitit directly.

Thank you, Emmett. I'm not able to find them here on the forum, but well on YouTube. So I can send them a note through YouTube, I guess.

(later edit)
Oops.... I just found Yannick on this forum and sent him a PM.

Holy crap, they have their own association? Those guys sound serious...

In France the gov't funds "liberally" for all the arts and so the common man forms hobby and recreational groups, submitting an agenda to a gov't bureau for public financial support.

It seems to me that there's so much natural talent among the French that such artists' support is a necessity, not merely a luxury.

Here in the US we have the dichotomy of "arrrrt or penyemonye" as Danny Kaye once proclaimed in an old movie (finger held high). What I noticed in France was that there's no separation between what's popular and what's from the heart. Serious or smiling, it seems that the French like to perform and do so with conviction.

Sounds like an artistic haven, I'm a little envious of those who get to live in that kind of cultural attitude.

I visit this forum (http://www.afstg.com/fora/) on a regular basis and there is a thread (english spoken) where you can leave a message in english. These guys speak english. Or you can announce your shows on this forum too.

Good luck

In Europe, any group of more than 1 person has to create an association [emoji851][emoji23]

We receive fund if we ask, but AFSTG didn't do it since several years because our activities are no more high like ten years ago when we had the "International Tap Guitar festival" or "Folies Tapping".

With Youenn we're living in Nantes (near 500 kms West of Paris) but I'll see what can I do, asking Parisian Stickists I know (like Florent L'Hériteau who busk sometimes in Subway)