Gift for a music lover: 5 ideas to think outside the box

Giving something to someone who lives for music is harder than it seems. They already have the albums. They already have the tour t-shirts. They know the artists better than you do. And a concert ticket is nice, but it disappears in two hours.

Here are five ideas for around 200 euros, all of which leave a lasting impression.

A concert photography book

Not a general coffee table book about the history of rock. A photography book by a photographer who spent years backstage and on stage. Kevin Cummins on Joy Division, Bob Gruen on the Ramones and the Rolling Stones, or Pennie Smith, whose photo of The Clash became one of the most iconic images of punk. These are objects you look at, reread, place on a table, and pick up again.

A studio recording session

Many studios offer hourly or half-day sessions for individuals. You don't need to be a professional musician. It's the experience of recording something in a real acoustic space, with real equipment; for someone who has been playing guitar in their living room for twenty years, it's a memory that lasts.

A working vintage instrument

Not new, not perfect. A 1970s amp found at a reputable dealer, an 80s bass guitar with its signs of wear. For a musician who plays, an instrument with history in their hands is often worth more than a new, soulless one. Specialized resale platforms like Reverb make it possible to find pieces within this budget.

A subscription to a quality music publication

Not a supermarket magazine. Publications like Shindig, Uncut, or the French magazine Longueur d’Ondes, which cover less exposed scenes with real editorial depth. It's a gift that arrives every month, lasts, and introduces artists you wouldn't have looked for yourself.

A portrait on audio cassettes

It's the hardest idea to explain and the easiest to understand when you see it.

Take the artist who means the most to the person you are giving the gift to. Sid Vicious, David Bowie, Gainsbourg, DJ Mehdi, anyone. An artist creates a stencil and spray-paint portrait on assembled vintage audio cassettes, mounted on Dibond, with a certificate of authenticity. A unique piece, in a compact format that fits in your hands before it fits on a wall.

It's not decoration. It's an object that brings together two things at once: the artist the person loves, and the cassettes that are part of their youth. The small pieces start at €60 (Demo Series), the portraits on 4 to 6 cassettes are €200 and €250.

See the gift ideas. And if you have a specific artist in mind, write to me: some custom orders can be considered.