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L'école ATLA présente ses élèves de niveau avancé sur la scène du Divan du Monde pour une soirée concert autour de Serge Gainsbourg. 

"Two keys, two guitars, sax, trumpet and oboe, drums and bass, four BVs, and Benoit Charron as the shameless shaman conjuring up old Gainsbarre's demons !" 

 

Une version théâtrale de l'opus "L'Homme à Tête de Chou", création de John Meldrum avec ses élèves : 

 

l'Homme à Tête de Chou : Benoît Charron

Drums : Sacha Lounis

Bass : Loïc "Lyön" Brom

Gibson Guitar : Nolan Rivetti
Fender Guitar : Jacques "Keuj Keuj" Mayet
Trumpet : Antonin Lespagnol
Saxophone : Quentin Dubarry
Oboe + vox : Lily Jane Devries
Keys + Vox : Anna Lindblom
Concept, arrangement, Keys + Vox : John Meldrum

 

I've just looked at the video taken from a phone during this performance from two years ago, and I'm still really thrilled with this theatrical medley of a concept album from the '70's by the French icon Serge Gainsbourg.

The arrangements that we put together as a band and the phenomenal performance of Benoit Charon make for a spellbinding spectacle. The mask that was created especially for the show is a work of art in and of itself. When Ben reveals it to the rhythm of Ravel's Bolero as the horns climb chromatically up the scale to a beautifully dissonant crescendo, he uses his hands so poetically, so magestically. And finally when he screams "MARILOU!" to finish the piece, there's such a rush of energy between the artists on the stage and the audience at the Divan du Monde, a rush of love and hatred fuelled by the jealousy of the protaganist and his now defunt lover, but also truly a meeting of rock and classical, of high art and low art.  I would love to stage this work again someday!

John Meldrum June 11th, 2016.

  

The whole performance at Divan du Monde (June 24, 2014):