“There are so many people, it has nothing to do with it! It’s going to be the biggest show of our careers. It’s too big for me, says Philippe Brach. It’s definitely the first and last time we’ll play on the biggest stage! »
With a big smile on his lips, letting out his slightly crazy laugh a few times, Philippe Brach made this observation at the very beginning of the show, as if in disbelief at the moment he was sharing with thousands of festival-goers. Although he seemed impressed all evening to find himself on such a large stage, in front of so many people, he never seemed to be out of place, quite the contrary.
“Are you in a wafer oven? » It was first of all with these words that Philippe Brach greeted the spectators, while he gave his first concert on the biggest stage of the festival. As soon as he arrived, dressed in a bathrobe, socks and wearing his mushroom hat, he invited us into his somewhat shaky world. As long as you’re too hot, you might as well be too hot in good company.
Brach began with one of his most demanding recent songs, Fear is avalanche, surrounded by his group of musicians, impeccable all evening. As he often does, he describes what is wrong in the world, using images that say everything without saying anything. Racism, pedophilia and human stupidity are all there.
Only him could open a show like this. His acolytes were immediately able to impress the festival-goers with a beautiful instrumental flourish. Brach grabbed his acoustic guitar, Last call followed, we were seduced by his incendiary words.
It was so hot Wednesday evening, even though the sun was well down, that it was… frankly unpleasant. And yet, nothing would have made us leave the Place des Festivals, what was happening on stage was so captivating, almost making us forget that we were liquefying on the spot. The heatwave can do nothing against these artists who dispel discomfort with great bursts of happiness. Philippe Brach was visibly very happy to be there and his audience clearly wanted to enjoy the moment as well.
“Good job, because on a 43 degree day you figured you were going to the worst heat island in town. Thanks for that ! »
The catchy piece Tic tac brought back the new album. The more frenetic pace then immediately fell back: Happiness coughs less than before, published in 2015 on the masterful Portraits of Famine, maintained the slower tempo. The show was designed as a roller coaster, there are the high points of the songs that make you jump up and down and dance, then the gentle moments where you land at the bottom of the thrilling descent for a moment of respite.
Brach then played MusiquePlus VJ, hosting an on-camera TV segment on stage to introduce his first guests, Population II. “You’re not ready,” he warned: prog-electro rock full of distortion and reverb-doped vocals took over the show. It was great.
The sumptuous Soleils d’automne followed by Alice allowed us to descend into a calm time from the roller coaster. And then Héroïne began a new moment of strong emotions which was then opposed by the calm of La fin du monde, which led to a very generous instrumental moment where guitarist Simon Trottier shone.
New hilarious TV segment on MusiquePlus then, to present the second guest of the show, the electric Lisa LeBlanc for a funky interpretation of her song Gossip.
Then return to the main program. Philippe Brach’s songs do good and sometimes also hurt, because they attack all of humanity, reproach it for its deviances. After the brilliant It’s all forgotten, the lugubrious but groovy (yes, yes, both at the same time) My white hands is another which places us face to face with the criticism of the world that Brach writes and sings. He does it without the moralizing side of those who think they know everything, he does it with an ingenious sense of dark humor, often introspection.
Ridiculousness often prevails in a Brach show. Like when he screwed a mushroom and grass helmet onto his head to which a GoPro is attached which films his face very, very close. His cover of the Canadian national anthem, full of innuendo, was then sung with a solemnity that we guess was artificial, with this grotesque shot of the singer projected on the big screens. It’s great fun, great entertainment.
Revolution came right after. A hymn to our false revolutions, to our unworthy indignations. After a crazy rendition of Dans ma tête, a song with a text as quirky as the tune is catchy, to say goodbye to a crowd who braved the heat to share this beautiful moment of music, Philippe Brach sang A little magic , guitar in hand.
The world is not going well, we know it and Philippe Brach reminds us. And, at the same time, subtly, it also reminds us of the importance of coming together, of singing, of being indignant together, of making misfortune a joke so that misery is a little less overwhelming. The evening under the crushing heat of the heatwave hitting Montreal seemed much lighter thanks to Brach’s crazy tunes.
