After football, cinema or painting, Eric Cantona, former Manchester United star, embarked on a concert tour to share his “emotions” which oscillate between “dark and light”.
For his first date in France after England and Ireland, football legend Eric Cantona sang on Friday November 3 in Lyon, sometimes in English, sometimes in French, around twenty of his compositions with rock and melancholy accents. The former Manchester United star has embarked on a concert tour.
“That’s my pleasure”
In front of a largely established audience, in the small Comédie Odéon theater, Eric Cantona, wearing shoes and red sports pants, a long black coat and a small hat, literally soaked his shirt. After forays into the musical world with other artists, Cantona presents himself, at the age of 57, solo, or almost: only two musicians, a pianist and a cellist, accompany his gravelly voice.
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” I do this for the stage and for the audience. That’s my pleasure“, he explained before the concert. ” On stage I become someone else upon contact“from the room,” enthuses the former international, “ interested“first by” this moment of sharing“.
His tour Cantona sings Eric (Cantona sings Eric) logically began at the end of October in Manchester, the city which crowned him king (“King”) of football between 1992 and 1997, and will soon take him to Geneva, Marseille and Paris, before a second tour planned for spring 2024. Four titles, one EP ( I’ll Make My Own Heaven), are available on the platforms and a live album of around twenty songs is due to be released at the end of the two tours.
First songs “for my wife”
Music is not unfamiliar territory for Eric Cantona who, since leaving the field, has distinguished himself above all on the screens, notably in Looking for Eric by British filmmaker Ken Loach. In France, his voice has already been heard in the group Dionysos, in songs by Bernard Lavilliers or Rachid Taha.
” The first songs I started writing were for my wife“, the actress Rachida Brakni, he recalls. ” These are pieces that I wrote for myself“, in a state ” at the limit of unconsciousness where things take shape“spontaneously.” I wrote down my feelings (…) my emotions, what I dream of, what I aspire to. It’s very personal“, explains the man with many jerseys who, when he dies, hopes to be ” old/But surrounded by love/Of happy people“.
If his texts often evoke death, he says he is especially interested in ” metamorphoses“, that is to say at the ” reincarnation“of every moment in the form of memory.” We live a thousand lives every moment…“And he insists on the notes” of hope“in his repertoire.” This contradictory side between dark and light always emerges from my songs: this way of trying to find light at the end of the tunnel.“.
“Non-conformist”
” I want beloved friends/Nocturnal animals/Bats/Spiders/From morning to evening/Sorrows yes/But hope“, he whispers again in I wanta song with psychedelic echoes whose version available online is inspired by the famous The End of the Doors, whose singer, Jim Morrisson, appears ” at the Pantheon” by Eric Cantona. The football genius also cites Leonard Cohen, Nick Cave, Tom Waits as references. ” I like them because they are personalities and I want to be a personality“.
” His non-conformist side“has already seduced Florence Faubourg, 48, who waited with around fifty other fans at the exit of the dressing rooms to greet the artist, whom she appreciates” the person and the texts“.” I don’t know how to explain it, but everything he does speaks to me“, she says. ” He holds up well on stage“, also believes her husband David, 52 years old and a football fan who first followed the player in Cantona” rebel“.