They say that Sundays are made to stay in your bed, in your pyjamas, watch TV shows, eat junk food and chill. Guess what? They are absolutely wrong.

My Sunday nights are made for gigs like the one I will be talking about shortly.

(Spoiler alert : all the days of my week are made for gigs like these)

On the 25th of October, I headed to the Divan du Monde, in Pigalle, Paris, to see an entirely French line-up - Nasty Toaster, The Great Divide, The Earl Grey and local homeboys who are doing great all over the world, Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! It's a night I have been looking forward to for a long time, and, if you know me, you know that I'll always, always say that Chunk! gigs in Paris mean home and that, if I'm honest, not many things mean home as much as Chunk! does.

The evening starts with Normandy based band Nasty Toaster. Usually, when you go to a gig in France, there is no one inside until the headliner starts, so it is very surprising to see the Divan absolutely packed, and boy, it is boiling inside. What is it with Paris not having air conditioning anywhere?  I thought we were a first world country, guys. Anyway, back to the stage where Nasty Toaster, who are on one of their first ever Paris appearances, are delivering a brand of modern hardcore that wakes everyone up. They're not at headliner stage yet, but, trust me, they will get there. They have talent and they have the capacity to drive a crowd nuts and make people throw themselves against each other on a casual Sunday night. Well done, boys.


Second band on is local boys The Great Divide. They are a staple name in the Parisian scene and really good friends with the Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! guys. Despite having never seen them live before, I easily recognise their faces - this scene is a very small world in the best of ways. Music wise, they are hardcore driven too and have great power over the crowd too, a crowd who is on top form tonight. (Paris has such a bad reputation for crowds and gigs that when it is different and positive, it needs to be celebrated) On stage, the band looks incredibly glad to be here, in front of such an energetic and positive group of people, and their modern hardcore fits the bill and the atmosphere of the evening perfectly. Another band, another success. This night is shaping up to be something special.




Next up is another local band, The Earl Grey. If you are a part of this scene and this environment, it is impossible that you do not know them. They are everywhere and have supported everyone. Tonight Alive, Mayday Parade, Young Guns, You Me At Six, Kids in Glass Houses - you name it, they were here. Their dynamic pop-rock is slightly different from the heavier bands that have played tonight but the crowd is responsive nonetheless and dances about and jumps when frontman Alex Ragon invites them to. They have come a long way since I first saw them five years ago and now, I can truly appreciate how good they have become. What can I say? Tonight is special.




Finally, finally, the headliners and our local heroes Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! take the stage with Haters Gonna Hate, extracted from their 2013 release Pardon my French. All the bands who played before have received attention, love and dance moves from the crowd but, from the get go, it's obvious that the still packed venue had been waiting for one band and one band only. People go crazy and yell the almost iconic "Get the fuck out" together. The guys haven't played a Paris headline show since April 2014, when they probably could have sank the Petit Bain with English metalcore rising stars Bury Tomorrow, and a come back was long overdue - not just for the audience, as frontman Bert Poncet reminds us how long it's been and how much they wanted to play for their hometown again. On stage, they are excellent as always and showing us why they have all the opportunities they do - they surely haven't come around by accident. The musicianship is getting better by the minute and Bert's vocals are stronger than ever, especially his growls. Yes, this show is the occasion for them to play in front of many of their friends, but also to promote tracks from their newest record Get Lost, Find Yourself, released earlier this year, and they go down a treat - the audience is just as responsive as they are when older songs (I Am Nothing Like You, Taking Chances, Captain Blood) are played. They conclude an hour long set with single Restart and absolute classic In Friends We Trust, associated with, obviously, a stage invasion, and I wouldn't have said no to more.





When the lights came back on an ecstatic Divan, it seemed that everyone agreed to say that it was a very special gig. It is truly inspiring to see a bunch of guys that you run into everywhere, from the local bars to Paris train stations, get to a stage where they are finally able to play bigger gigs and triumph in their own country. Here's to hoping that Sunday's success will allow them to do the French tour everyone wants them to - it's our turn, now.