On stage, with a powerful gesture, with a furious face, Christine and The Queens rips off, at the end of the first title, her long white skirt covering her pants until then. Like a symbol. A way to close a chapter. The artist, who is now a masculine gender, was in concert on Tuesday evening in Lyon, as part of the Nuits de Fourvière. A particularly scrutinized arrival, as much as she registers on the eve of the release of her next album Paranoia, Angels, True Lovescheduled for Friday, June 9.
After the failure of his last opus, which went almost unnoticed, the singer left us wanting more. Should we expect him to return to the very essence of his success? In a few minutes, Christine and the Queens shows that he has taken another path, as if he wanted to leave behind everything that refers to the past. The set-list sets the tone. With the exception of St. Claudeno song from his first two albums appears in the repertoire.
Raging and manly dances
Forget the levity and the bursts of infectious laughter. The mine is dark, torn by grimaces that exude suffering or frenzy. No more “private jokes” or jokes thrown at the public. No more direct interactions with the first row or the back of the stands. This time, the communion operates through poetry. Literally inhabited, locked in a world that is sometimes dark, sometimes spiritual, the artist now declaims long tirades by way of breaths to his fans. To the point of sometimes confusing part of the public. “It’s not better,” jokes a spectator, a bit disconcerted by the last salvo, nevertheless “hypnotized” by the show.
Muscles tense, long hair slicked back, the singer engages in furious, virile dances. Sometimes wanders like a disjointed puppet, defeats invisible enemies, contorts with the energy of despair or cuddles the huge red angel who sits on stage. The voice becomes more powerful than ever, like cries of distress addressed to the beyond or messages of painful love. Each particularly theatrical gesture echoes the rolls of the drums, the rock riffs of the guitars in an almost schizophrenic rhythm. But in a masterful way.
“I found that there was a “Joker” side [personnage interprété par Joaquin Phoenix sur grand écran en 2019] in his attitude”, hot analysis Mikely, 26, who discovered the artist for the first time on stage. “In his attitude, in his movements, in the expressions of his face, sometimes very hard, and even in his hairstyle, there was this resemblance. As if the same things were happening in his head, as if it wasn’t him, as if he was rocking on the edge of madness, “she continues, highlighting” an incredible performance “.
“He managed to lock me up in his universe”
“Even if I was expecting known songs, and there weren’t many of them, he was able to transport me into his world”, reacts Benjamin in turn. “It was a great trip, abounds Quentin. The scenography enchanted me. I don’t know if he took things but he knows how to embody people specific to himself. I felt like he was struggling with a double. »
“It was quite dark but he managed to lock me up in his universe”, continues the first, saluting the performance of the “impressive” musicians. “It was great,” repeats Muriel three times. “I’m all upset because I’m a fan and I’ve been waiting to see them again since his last concert”, supports his daughter Meryl for whom Christine and the Queens is “today the only French artist who has talent”.
A “big lover” of concerts, Olivier had only one desire: to discover the phenomenon on stage. “I’ve wanted to see it for a long time. So, I shouldn’t miss it… And that would be a real shame, ”he explains, also conquered. “His dancing, his phenomenal voice, the show, it was the big digs”, he summarizes, still sounded.
“It’s very different from what he was doing before, though, it’s very fun to see,” smiles Emmy. Posted at the very front, at the foot of the stage, the young woman was able to savor every moment. “I could see that he was giving his all. I loved it, including these contemporary poems”. Same speech in the mouth of Nelly, a faithful since the first hour. “You can’t compare with the shows before. It’s impossible. With each new era, it offers something different, she argues. Some people think it’s quite dark but when you listen to the songs, I think there’s quite a lot of light. You just have to know how to find it. One thing is certain, Christine and The Queens was able to reconnect with her audience, literally in heaven.