Pierre pressure
>> Eight reasons to love and/or hate Pierre Lapointe
by JOHN CUSTODIO
Reason 1: He's arrogant. In the liner notes of his eponymous debut CD, the Quebec singer thanks those "who have crossed my path and allowed me to be who I am: a perfect being. Signed, Pierre the Great." He once started a concert by declaiming, in the haughtiest classical French, "I want to make one thing clear before I begin. I am beautiful." He then sat down to admire himself in a mirror strategically perched atop his piano and, after one song, threatened to leave the stage if more adulation was not forthcoming.
It's all an act, of course. In person, he projects a vulnerability that's nothing short of endearing. "It was to deflect attention away from me," he says of the persona he created to be the target of criticism he was still unable to take himself. He needn't have worried. Audiences ate it up and clamoured for more.
Reason 2: He's the toast of the francophone critics, who see him as their next great chansonnier and throw the most superlative-packed compliments his way. "It has been a shock every step of the way," he says. "I put out the demo CD for fun, just to see what would happen. I wasn't ready for calls from record stores in Rimouski and Rouyn-Noranda asking for more boxes to be delivered. And I certainly didn't think, when we were recording the CD with Audiogram, that it would sell this many copies." (More than 50,000 at last count.)
Reason 3: He's talented. Not for nothing has he been showered with honours and prizes at festivals all over the world, including the Félix Leclerc award at last year's Francofolies. In May, he was nominated for France's most prestigious award, the Charles Cros Academy's Grand Prize, and many think he'll win it.
His songwriting really does bear favourable comparison to that of Aznavour, Brel and Vian, though he says his greatest influences were Barbara and Serge Gainsbourg. His "La Reine Emilie" has something of Brel's "La valse à mille temps" in it, while "Tel un seul homme" brings to mind Legrand's "Les moulins de mon coeur".
"I really wanted to master the basics of the classical style," he explains, "so I listened to that music the way a painter painting his first portrait would study academic painting, before going on to try other ways of expressing himself."
Does this mean he'll be trying something different on his next album? Might he even "rock out?"
"Yes, I think on my next album, you'll see a little more of that." Great. So he's versatile too. And culturally literate.
Reason 4: He's passionate. He clearly loves what he does, but it took him years to accept his destiny as a songwriter, even after he'd already won an important competition, accolades and a loyal fan base. When asked about his upcoming show, his eyes light up. He'll be doing songs from the album, yes, but with a twist. Pépiphonique, as the show is called, involves musique actuelle composers Nicolas Jobin and Philippe Brault, who have come up with new arrangements of Lapointe's songs. "It's electro meets classical," he explains, "but it's still accessible, still pop. I know, it's a fine line, and never a perfect balance, but that's the part that excites me."
Reasons 5, 6, 7 and 8: He's charming. He's handsome. He's 24. He's gay. Is there no justice in this world? Be still, my artfag heart.
At Place des Art's Théâtre Maisonneuve on Friday, Aug. 5 (sold out) and Saturday, Aug. 6, 8 p.m., $27.50-$37.50
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http://www.montrealmirror.com/2005/080405/music5.html
J'Lai pas lu mais jai cherché Pierre + Lapointe + Gay et jai trouvé sa