Cœur de pirate at the El Rey Theatre
That evening Béatrice Martin (Cœur de pirate) played her first LA gig at the intimate El Rey Theatre. In such a notoriously vapid and culturally transient city, would her natural talent, charm and bewitching pixie smile win over the hip and the cool?
It wasn't quite a packed-to-the-rafters El Rey (hey, Los Angelenos, your loss not ours) and Béatrice wasn't exactly alone amongst strangers given the number of French-Canadian accents overheard (and at least one Fleurdelisé spied in the crowd), but it's safe to say that she came, she saw and, boy, did she conquer…
More importantly, I was there…
Now those of you expecting an objective concert review might was well click away now. There's not going to be one iota of objectivity in the following review.
I've been a huge fan of Béatrice Martin ever since I heard her eponymous Cœur de pirate debut album back in 2009 and was literally knocked back two years later by the maturity of the then 22-year old's follow up, Blonde. I was there (even dragging along the long suffering and definitely non-Francophone Mrs Blog with me) to pay hommage to this ridiculously talented Québécoise singer-songwriter.
This was a Cœur de pirate back to basics. No backing band... Just Béatrice and her piano (OK, not strictly true - a few months of guitar lessons saw us serenaded by a brief acoustic guitar interlude mid-set. I'm pleased to report that her voice sounds just as great, and as a four-chord wonder she's just fine in my book!)
Exiled here by the Californian coast (320 days of sunshine a year - It's basically a sacrifice on my part) and with French-speaking artists generally conspicuous by their absence from the otherwise vibrant concert scene, I'd waited four long years for a chance to see her live (seriously, I'd even contemplated a holiday to Montreal to coincide with the annual Francofolies festival).
We're even invited to try and sing along but advised that if we don't know the words, "mumbling" along is just fine by her. (Moi? luckily I'm far enough from the stage for my atrocious French accent not to put anyone off…), before launching straight into "Ensemble" with it's easy to follow audience-participation clap-along beat!
The set drew heavily and seamlessly from amongst the favourites of her two studio albums. Listen to the two albums and the musical progression is noticeably detectable, but stripped-bare, the songs blend effortlessly. "Saint-Laurent", with it's distinctive piano intro, "Ava" "La Petite Mort" and the set's closer, "Francis" all really benefited from the stripped-down, intimate, atmospheric focus which forced the audience to concentrate on the at times fragile, but always crystal clear voice.
There are several you-tube video clips showing Cœur de pirate covering English-language standards, and tonight we were treated to a couple. "You Belong to me", first recorded by Sue Thompson in the early 50's and dedicated to daughter Romy was so beautiful and plaintive that I swear there wasn't a dry eye in the house at the finish… There was a silent pregnant pause... And then the crowd erupted. The second, one of three guitar-accompanied numbers, was a warming rendition of Ben E. King's "Stand by Me" ("Verseau" and "Hôtel Amour" also received stunning guitar-backed interpretations).
I wrote previously that the key to a successful gig was the artist always leaving crowd wanting more.
As Saturday night gave way to Sunday morning, not only did the crowd want more, you got the impression that so did Béatrice Martin, who appeared visibly moved by the warmth reciprocated by the crowd, would have gladly reciprocated.
I'm not sure how long I'll have to wait to have the opportunity to see Cœur de pirate again, or whether the success of this gig will open the door to other French-speaking artists, but what was proved without a doubt was that you don't need to perform in English or Spanish to wow an appreciative LA crowd…
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