Exactly at 10 p.m. on Friday evening, the first tones of the Bateaux-mouches ring out and make the floor and walls of the MTelus vibrate. Eddy de Pretto is here. The music is silent and it’s a cappella, landed in the middle of the crowd, that he sings the words of the song from his latest album, the great To all the bastards. The crowd cheers.
Posted at 12:15 p.m
Marissa Groguhé The press
What a start to the show! And the sequel didn’t disappoint. Celebrated by the audience, de Pretto declares that he will be giving an a cappella show, a gentle show. We almost believe it (in fact, we’re excited about the idea), then the lights come on and on stage his musicians send everything they’ve got. The space beneath our feet shakes again. It won’t be a cappella. It won’t be easy – although moments of deep tenderness await us later in the concert. No scruples for this glowing performance that de Pretto admits he’s been waiting for a long time.
Montreal is a very special place for the French singer-songwriter, who hasn’t returned for a show in four years. He takes the time to say how lucky he is to be there.
Eddy de Pretto knows how to animate a crowd. He could just sing, and the already convinced Montreal audience would be ecstatic. But he takes the necessary time to interact with his filled to the brim MTelus. Montreal loves Eddy de Pretto and he loves it back. That’s nice to see.
Photo Denis Germain, Special Collaboration
Eddy de Pretto – and the crowd – at the MTelus
When Créteil-Soleil starts, the bass booms and the singer does what he does best. His voice is precise, his energy infectious, his interpretation dazzling. After that he does it every time.
It has to be said that de Pretto is well served with his repertoire. His two albums Cure and À tous les bâtards are well equipped with prose pieces and fabulous rhythms. Add to that an undeniable ability to put on an impressive performance. Result: a memorable evening that will last more than an hour and a half, but will still pass far too quickly.
Quartier des lunes, La Fronde, La fête de trop, Parfaitement, Random: we navigate between the titles of 2018 (Cure) and 2021 (To all the bastards). Then he presents a new song, “A Sad Song”, which will be released soon.
Eddy de Pretto’s voice is unique, strong. He therefore does not hesitate to return to a cappella, so that the sounds of his microphone alone enchant the audience.
The effect is also striking when he sits down for piano voice interpretations, particularly on the so pretty Rose Tati and Pause (a duet with French Yseult that we hear on the recording).
The King of the “Bastards”
“These two albums saved my life, you really saved my life. Because oh how hard it is to accept who we are,” he confides mid-show, before continuing with Why good. Eddy de Pretto is the narrator of “all the bastards”, for all those who don’t fit into categories and have to fight for the right to be who they really are. Many can, in one way or another, relate to the experience that the redhead describes in his songs. Friday night was proof of that. On the other side of the Atlantic, the words of the French resonate.
“Are there crazy people here in Montreal? Pretto asks before the piece Freaks, the hymn to “all monsters”, “the pariahs”, “the only ones”.
After the encore, again installed close to the audience, he finished Kid and then returned to Bateaux-mouches, this time accompanied by his (very talented) musicians. He leaves the stage with a bang. The loop is nicely closed.
It is to be hoped that it will not be another four years before he returns. We all need moments like Eddy de Pretto’s.