Gérard Sibelle has passed away, but he will live on forever in the hearts of many in the performing arts. His kindness, his humanity, his wit.
I wanted to pay tribute to him by publishing this extract from my university dissertation.
As I wrote those lines, I was smiling; today, I’m crying.
13 August 1994 – in a dressing room in Ruoms.
My Pygmalions: Gérard Sibelle, head of promotion at RMC, producer, talent scout and creator.
Gérard Sibelle is a very charismatic man.
The RMC office is situated on the second floor of an upmarket building on Rue de la République.
The secretary is keeping me waiting; my hands are sweaty.
He gave me a warm welcome; we spoke about Nantua, the Ain, Bourg-en-Bresse, and his current protégé, the artist Laurent Gerra, and offered me – an unexpected stroke of luck for me – the chance to be the support act for stars of yesterday and today, as he put it.
That day, he went on to explain his proposal by asking me three things:
I am available on 9 October 1993 from 3 pm to 7 pm.
If I’d like to play in front of 2,500 people
If I know Dave...
He offered me a generous fee after I answered «yes» to those three questions, and that’s how I found myself celebrating the 10th anniversary of Part-Dieu station on Radio Monte Carlo’s stage truck, as Dave’s special guest.
The term «American headliner» has nothing to do with the nationality of the person I’m impersonating: it’s the expression used to refer to the artist who will perform just before the main act
.I watch Gérard Sibelle every time, and I learn a great deal
Later, from 1993 to 1999, with a single phone call he booked me onto major stages to support these American stars – singers whose glory days were behind them but who still attracted a sizeable audience (Herbert Léonard, Dave, etc.) alongside boy bands and the latest female singers (Alliage, G-Squad, Larusso).
Gérard Sibelle manages me on these stages, and I quickly notice the respect he commands, thanks to the rigour and precision of his work on the ground.
Indeed, I am learning the ins and outs of the trade and the hierarchy of tasks and people within this regional show business scene.
For example, when I arrive behind the stage, I locate my dressing room and check how far it is from the stage. After greeting everyone, I head straight to the control room to hand over my soundtrack, along with a carefully written lighting cue sheet in large print (as the stage managers work in the dark once the auditorium lights have been switched off).
I watch, I learn and I keep quiet.
My job was to turn up on time for «soundcheck» – a word I pretended to understand once or twice back then, before anyone explained what it meant to me.
«Balances» are the moments a sound engineer sets aside for you to test your audio track and adjust the volume balance between the monitor speakers (the speakers at your feet) and the front-of-house speakers (the speakers positioned on stage facing the audience).
Rehearsals are used to go over my entrance, the interludes, and my exit – which is also crucial for a performance.
November 2019 – Maison du Peuple, Pierre Bénite.
I will never forget you.
I learnt a great deal from him as a professional, but he also knew how to speak to people on a personal level, from one human being to another.
Because, in fact, the first thing he’d ever ask when he met you was, »How are you?», a genuine »how are you?«…
Thank you, Artist.
Thinking of his family, Théo and Thomas.
