The seventh episode of the monthly French-language Invisible Bordeaux podcast is now available and is a serious case of time traveling with former musician and beatnik Philippe Serra, who also happens to be a renowned authority on the history of the local music scene (he notably contributed to the benchmark publication "Bordeaux Rock(s))". And together we go in search of a now-mythical entertainment venue: the Alhambra theatre.
There is now an apartment block where the Alhambra once stood on Rue d'Alzon, just off Rue Judaïque, and only the exterior remains of this venue which operated from 1870 until it closed in 1984. The versatile facility hosted concerts, theater shows and films, not to mention boxing, wrestling, Christmas parties, conferences, debates and political meetings. For a time it even had its own roller-skating rink, and during the First World War became the lower house of the French parliament, which had relocated from Paris!
Some time ago on the blog, Philippe kindly shared his memories of events that he had witnessed at the Alhambra, his writings based on his draft memoirs. So here we are together with a couple of microphones to go one step further. Philippe talks about Gene Vincent, Chuck Berry, Memphis Slim, Soft Machine, Pierre Henry and the Stranglers... as well as illustrating how venues like the Grand Parc concert hall and the Jimmy gained momentum, and explaining why the live album recorded by the chanteuse Barbara at the Alhambra is something quite special. Oh, and a live elephant also makes an unexpected and unforgettable appearance!
Here then is the podcast, which you'll also find on miscellaneous platforms including Anchor, Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Breaker, PocketCasts, RadioPublic, Overcast, Podbean, Podcast Addict and Stitcher. Feel free to hit the subscribe button on the platform of your choice! And scroll on down for additional resources!
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> L’Alhambra: the iconic Bordeaux venue which hosted some of the most iconic artists of the 20th century
> Philippe Serra's Alhambra scrapbook
> Further information about the live album by Barbara
> "Veuve de Guerre", live recording from Barbara's 1969 Alhambra performance
