In Clisson (Loire-Atlantique),
Clisson, its vineyards, its Tuscan airs, and… its Hellfest. Starting Thursday and for four days, the dolce vita going to take a little break in this Loire-Atlantique commune located south of Nantes. By whole trains and long lines of cars, some 150,000 festival-goers will descend on the 17th edition of the largest extreme music event in Europe. Decibels galore, long hair, Metallica, and improbable looks that would surely scare away more than one uninitiated person. But not Colette, 71, met on the square in front of Clisson station, which had been completely redesigned for the occasion. “Metal isn’t really my music,” this short-haired lady laughs shyly, “more Florent Pagny than Megadeth. But the young people are happy. They don’t bother me, on the contrary, it’s lively! »
Like her, this is the refrain echoed by everyone when we walk through the cobbled streets of this charming city of 7,000 inhabitants, already used to receiving tourists. Not far from the castle topped with a superb umbrella pine, Nadège and her aunt Monique also say they are impatiently awaiting “the event of the year”. “We love the atmosphere, the atmosphere is friendly,” say the two women, aged 54 and 79, without hesitation. Apart from always the same grumpy people, no one criticizes here. » The niece even has an anecdote that would raise the hackles of many embittered Parisians during this Olympic period. “Like every year, the road that leads to my business is cut because it is next to the festival site,” says Nadège. Well, colleagues go all the way, and without flinching! What wouldn’t we do for Hellfest, eh…”
“The preconceptions have fallen away”
At the Clisson tourist office, we are talking about a “love story” between the locals and this musical event. A romance that runs like iron since it dates back to 2007, a year after the festival (which had made its mark in Rezé and Le Mans in previous years) launched on its current site, open all year round for walks. “The troubles continued that year, including a lot of rain and mud,” says Marine Priou, communications representative at the tourist office. Seeing the festival-goers completely soaked, the Clissonnais spontaneously opened their doors, offering a coffee, a shower… The preconceptions about these “big, scary bearded men” fell away at that moment. The image of big teddy bears, in respect and exchange, took over, and has since remained anchored. »
So much so that the residents wanted to get involved in the following years with the boss Ben Barbaud, a native of the country. It’s difficult to walk around Clisson without meeting one or more of the 3,000 volunteers, recruited via a local association. “Places are expensive to get,” confides Alexandra, who has long been busy checking tickets at the foot of the famous cathedral. When you see it all from the inside, it’s even more pleasant, like a sort of parenthesis. This year, I’m not volunteering but I’m staying around, obviously! Seeing the banners in town, everyone arriving, it does something. And I’m pretty sure that, like every time, everything will go well. »
“Good customers”
Under the halls, we also confirm that we can expect festival-goers without fear, people who are “overall respectful”. But above all, people who consume and that’s also what appeals to Aimé and Régine, who have been running a tobacco bar in the historic heart for four years. “Instead of twenty barrels of beer per week, we will turn to twenty per day,” smiles the boss. It’s a good clientele: some save all year to treat themselves. » Other traders have understood “the tourist and economic benefits” and have already revamped their windows.
Like the Leclerc hypermarket, a must-see especially for the many campers, where pallets of beer have been sitting in the foreground for several days. A small sign was also posted to inform local residents of the times when they should not go shopping… Because not everyone wants to encounter crowds. “At the time, we went to Hellfest, but now the tickets have become too expensive, with too many people,” reports a fifty-year-old pushing his shopping cart. So there I do my shopping, and then that’s it, I never leave my house! » In the middle of the guitars, all well tuned, there had to be a dissonant note.