The crowd has gathered for a long time in front of the Beauregard stage, this Saturday, July 9, somewhat neglecting the Metronomy concert on the other side of the estate. Finally, shortly after 11 p.m., the shadow of Orelsan appears in the play of light. One of the concerts – if not the concert for many – the most anticipated of the Beauregard festival, in Hérouville-Saint-Clair (Calvados) at the gates of Caen, is launched, with “Civilization” to start the evening, echo to his album of the same name, which went gold even before its release last November.
To warm up an already electric audience, the Caen rapper continues with “Du clean” and his now famous references to the evenings on the port of Caen. “He went through the same things as us,” proclaimed a group of friends. One of them goes there with a family anecdote: “Even my parents recognize things in his songs”.
Like this sauce from a Caen kebab that has become a legend with this verse: “It’s for my city, Magic handsome guy sauce”, taken up in chorus by the whole public. They were 6,500 at the Zénith de Caen in February and April. But in front of the big Beauregard stage, they are 30,000 shouting and jumping in all directions. Fans who had, by the hundreds, gained strength at the stand of… the handsome Magic kebab, side star of the evening.
The artist and his public accomplices
Under the eyes of the artist, moved, the flags of the album “Civilization” bloom as well as many jerseys of the Stade Malherbe Caen. A supporter has even already purchased the club’s new tunic, released the day before, and has the name … Orelsan stamped on it. Even more home hints? He proposes to “recreate the atmosphere of the rue Caponnière apartment”, where the rapper and his comrades met when they were younger; then recalls the “outings rue Ecuyère”, a hotspot for student nights in Caen. Determined to live a great moment with his audience, Orelsan decrees open “the fair of Blainville-sur-Orne”, neighboring town of the festival, triggering the hilarity of the assistance. “But when do you make your audience laugh like that? asks a seduced viewer.
“The interactions with the public are exceptional, agree Xavier, Jade and Justine. It touches everyone. It is an accomplice”. To the point of chambering the public by cutting the song “Basique”: “Yesterday we played in Perpignan, they were much hotter than you. Do you realize that? I understand why Liam Gallagher left”. An ironic nod to the incredible exit from the stage of the former singer of the group Oasis on Friday evening on the same stage after about twenty minutes of performance, on the pretext of laryngitis… Laughing and stung to the quick , the 30,000 spectators react: the second version of “Basique” resounds for miles around, carried by the voices of Beauregard.
“It was fire! »
Beyond the vocal performance, the public gives of its person. “Do you want to do festival stuff,” says Orelsan. The whole estate squats and gets up as one man on a chorus. Before reproducing the artist’s races along the entire length of the stage. “In front, it was a bit difficult, we couldn’t move too much because we were too tight,” laughs Camille afterwards. “It was fire,” she concludes, marked by the atmosphere in the midst of an incandescent human tide. A little further on, a Caen fan who came with equally won over Marseille friends manages to articulate: “I no longer have a voice. I am redone”.
Orelsan’s return to Beauregard took on the appearance of a triumph, in the middle of a prosperous year 2022 for the artist and his lifelong crew (Ablaye, Skread among others, all highly applauded). From the album to the tour via the documentary directed by his brother, the Caen artist is at the peak of his art and has never seemed so close to his region. “It’s his return to his roots”, say spectators. Léa, Marine and Guillaume confirm: “The better it goes, the more he relates to Caen. We identify”.
The stars were aligned to live “a strong moment”, says a young man. It’s one of the most significant concerts here, ”support Xavier, Jade and Margaux. Two parents, Elodie and Arnaud, also share this feeling. ” It was so good. We didn’t have a favorite moment, it was the whole concert, ”enthused their children Liam and Léandre, SM Caen jerseys on their backs for the occasion.
In the audience, many agree a few minutes to breathe and exchange their first impressions. “Besides, he is inspiring. We agree with everything he says, ”slip Léa and Marine. Guillaume even thanks Orelsan “for knowing how to give moral lessons, in the good sense of the term. As if he was kicking us in the butt.” We then think back to this question from the artist to the public at the start of the concert: “In my brother’s documentary, did you see the moment when we were losers? It lasts a long time! “. A magnificent loser fulfilled like never before at home. Beauregard was like a huge, roaring family party.
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