When one becomes immense, to make oneself smaller, to have humble triumph. When you reach the peaks, make yourself more accessible. It sounds like a principle of samurai sobriety and that’s what OrelSan seems to be aiming to achieve on his new tour, which makes a long stop of five sold-out dates this week in Paris (until Saturday March 19). We were there on Wednesday.
It’s a genius idea and like all the best ideas it’s simple, basic. The concert has not started, the lights are still on, the hubbub is there and it is not yet dark when the rapper from Caen arrives, alone, without pretension or trumpet, on the advanced stage of the ‘AccorArena. No decor, no scenography, and not the slightest drumbeat to underline the moment. The biggest record seller of 2021 in France (for an album released in November!) presents himself naturally, in a cap and long-sleeved T-shirt. Nothing that does not underline the difference between him and us. OrelSan is with us and the clamor of the public is up to it, impressive. The party can begin.
“We had to postpone so much because of the Covid, we’re so happy to be here and we’re here for five days“, he underlines at the microphone, smiling, before starting best day in a capella version with the public, followed by the autobiographical The questalso taken up in chorus, while Skread, the faithful producer and sound director took his place at his side.
Still no scenography. “I started out rapping in party halls, I feel better that way“, justifies the 39-year-old rapper. Immediately the crowd, without the need for another signal, begins to chant “Aurélien, a song, Aurélien, a song“, as in the hit Family Defeat, which he attacks immediately, now surrounded by a few musicians. And then suddenly the power goes out. The black is done. Did the AccorArena seals blow?
From there, we can not strongly advise readers who have not yet attended the show to immediately stop reading this report. We’re going to spoiler and we wouldn’t want to spoil the fun for you.
This bug that shortens family defeat is of course wanted. Fatal error is displayed on a giant screen supposedly in full download, in the background, which the raised black curtain has finally revealed. Cleanand his “Magic Beau Gosse sauce“, takes over and raises the room, galvanized by an OrelSan mounted on springs which invites the public to jump. But we are not going to tell you everything, firstly because we have never felt so sorry about ” spoiler” a show.
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Just know that there was a curved screen in the background, surmounted by another rounded screen, which gives us beautiful effects, that flames are summoned on the fire The smell of gasoline and that OrelSan sings in his reconstructed childhood room with posters of Eminem and Bruce Lee on the magnificent Notes for too late in which he offers his advice to the teenager that he was.
Know again that the last album Civilization is logically in the spotlight on this show, which does not forget the old nuggets such Mermaids’ song, Basic Where The earth is round. And that unlike the first Parisian show where no guest had shown the tip of his nose, Gringe, his partner at Casseurs Fowters, went on stage to So easy and Blocked during the medley placed at the heart of the show, and later for an explosive Infinity Flowers Breakerswhile Ibeyi’s two sisters made a brief appearance at the end of Notes for too late.
What is striking during this skilfully constructed show is OrelSan’s desire to cultivate proximity and to reduce the distance with the public in this room of some 20,000 people and to involve them. This is the case with the part of Civilization Fightera retro combat video game opposing the character of OrelSan to that of RaëlSan, for which he puts two people from the public on stage and divides the room in two.
Also on the menu is a giant karaoke for which no one needs to read the lyrics to sing Alone with people around. On The earth is round, he goes to contact and descends into the pit, squeezing ladles with ardor. Regularly, the rapper comes to the front of the stage, he even sits at the edge to Togetherand he lies straight down with his arms outstretched at the end of Basice, once assured that we have the basics.
An accomplished performer, OrelSan is clearly in Olympic form. He ends by presenting his musicians at length, his friend and “backer” Ablaye, the pianist Phazz, the guitarist and bassist Eddy Purple, the drummer Manu Dyens as well as his producer and beatmaker Skread, who was applauded for a long time, at whose feet he prostrates himself. And this just after having replayed for the euphoric pleasure Cleanwhich says in particular “I want to see my fans grow with me, I will never sell them anything“. Mission accomplished. Saturday evening, after his five concerts at Bercy, 100,000 people came to applaud him.
OrelSan is again in concert at the AccorArena on Thursday 17, Friday 18 and Saturday 19 March 2022. Then he continues his tour throughout France and Belgium before returning to the capital on December 9 at La Défense Arena.