He will perform Saturday evening on the stage of Warehousea trendy concert hall in Nantes which has already seen Orelsan, Booba, Bob Sinclar, Amir or, more recently, Black M. Not enough to impress Yannick Bons who will come with his dancers, his musicians and will perform Cloco, as usual. For more than ten years now, this Claude François look-alike has been filling theaters paying tribute to the popular singer who suddenly died 45 years ago. “I played in all types of places: cabarets, nightclubs, campsites… Sometimes in front of 200 people, other times 2,000. My record was for the Bobital festival (Côtes d’Armor), I had 15,000 spectators in front of me. It was crazy! », he smiles.
Aged 34, Yannick, his artist name, has made a reputation for himself thanks to his “show” imitating Claude François down to the smallest detail: he sings the same repertoire, dances the same choreography, wears the same costumes from the seventies, is accompanied by the four Claudettes… “I try to stick as much as possible with the artist that he was. Thanks to the archives found on the Internet, I was able to repeat the outfits, the rhythm, the intros, the sequences… Everything is redone until the end, right down to the throw of the jacket for the finale and the return in a bathrobe. »
Less obvious than it seems. “It’s hours and hours of work,” he assures. Hours and hours analyzing concerts, listening to songs, taking singing lessons, rehearsing dance steps. I still train a lot, even if the show is well-established. This is essential to be credible. I especially don’t want to look like other look-alikes who do this in a somewhat caricatured way. I think they give a bad image. » The model is all the harder to imitate as he was renowned for his excess of energy. “Claude François was speed for two hours, he gave everything on stage. So me too. It surprises people. To keep up, I have to follow a complete sports program. »
“I stayed hidden behind a door, I was scared to death”
The passion for Cloclo, Yannick Bons fell into it since childhood, while listening to records at his father’s house, in Béziers (Hérault). The boy already had the blond locks of his idol, evocative features, but was far from imagining that he would one day earn his living thanks to her. It’s a story of the heart and a double (definitely) which ultimately changed the destiny of the young man who, with a BTS in hand, had started working in the oil drilling sector. “I was dating a girl whose father was a Rod Stewart lookalike and was in lookalike shows. The troupe knew that I loved Claude François and, one day, they pushed me to sing in public. I sang but remained hidden behind a door! I was scared to death. As my voice seemed to please the spectators, I then did it again on stage, gradually overcoming my shyness. »
Encouraged by the “positive feedback”, Yannick ends up putting on his own show. “I was called more and more often to give concerts, it was no longer tenable to keep my job. » Today, the thirty-year-old continues a fifty dates per year. “Every year I tell myself that the public will get bored, that Cloclo has ended. But no, every year I do more dates. Claude François left an immense mark. His music has crossed generations, his songs still play in nightclubs, it’s crazy. »
“I set myself a maximum of 45 years”
Like the original, Yannick’s audience is made up mainly of women. “Quite a few real fans who knew Cloclo at the time. Younger people who discovered it with their parents or through television. Some come back three to four times, others cross France to see me. They appreciate the pieces that we all know but also the madness of the show I think. »
The nostalgia sequence is in full play. Sometimes too much. “At the end of the concerts, some spectators have tears in their eyes and come to hug me. These are strong moments. As if they had seen Cloclo again and they had forgotten that it was me, Yannick, on stage. Sometimes I have trouble understanding. » The Biterrois, however, wants to reassure. “Critics criticize me for not having a personality. But, off stage, I don’t think of myself as Claude François. I know who I am. Singing Cloclo, I consider it my job. »
The 70’s star died at the age of 39. Until what age will Yannick Bons be able to continue his activity while remaining credible? “If the public responds, I plan to continue for ten years,” he confides. I set myself a maximum of 45 years old. Afterwards I will no longer be able to perform. You have to know how to stop at the right time. »