G\u00e9rard 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I wanted to pay tribute to him by publishing this extract from my university dissertation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As I wrote those lines, I was smiling; today, I\u2019m crying. <\/p>\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n
13 August 1994 \u2013 in a dressing room in Ruoms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
My Pygmalions: G\u00e9rard Sibelle, head of promotion at RMC, producer, talent scout and creator. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
G\u00e9rard Sibelle is a very charismatic man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The RMC office is situated on the second floor of an upmarket building on Rue de la R\u00e9publique. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The secretary is keeping me waiting; my hands are sweaty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He gave me a warm welcome; we spoke about Nantua, the Ain, Bourg-en-Bresse, and his current prot\u00e9g\u00e9, the artist Laurent Gerra, and offered me \u2013 an unexpected stroke of luck for me \u2013 the chance to be the support act for stars of yesterday and today, as he put it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That day, he went on to explain his proposal by asking me three things:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I am available on 9 October 1993 from 3 pm to 7 pm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If I\u2019d like to play in front of 2,500 people<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If I know Dave...<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He offered me a generous fee after I answered \u00abyes\u00bb to those three questions, and that\u2019s how I found myself celebrating the 10th anniversary of Part-Dieu station on Radio Monte Carlo\u2019s stage truck, as Dave\u2019s special guest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
The term \u00abAmerican headliner\u00bb has nothing to do with the nationality of the person I\u2019m impersonating: it\u2019s the expression used to refer to the artist who will perform just before the main act<\/p>\n\n\n\n
.I watch G\u00e9rard Sibelle every time, and I learn a great deal<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Later, from 1993 to 1999, with a single phone call he booked me onto major stages to support these American stars \u2013 singers whose glory days were behind them but who still attracted a sizeable audience (Herbert L\u00e9onard, Dave, etc.) alongside boy bands and the latest female singers (Alliage, G-Squad, Larusso).<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
G\u00e9rard 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Indeed, I am learning the ins and outs of the trade and the hierarchy of tasks and people within this regional show business scene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I watch, I learn and I keep quiet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My job was to turn up on time for \u00absoundcheck\u00bb \u2013 a word I pretended to understand once or twice back then, before anyone explained what it meant to me. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00abBalances\u00bb 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). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rehearsals are used to go over my entrance, the interludes, and my exit \u2013 which is also crucial for a performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
November 2019 \u2013 Maison du Peuple, Pierre B\u00e9nite. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
I will never forget you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because, in fact, the first thing he\u2019d ever ask when he met you was, \u00bbHow are you?\u00bb, a genuine \u00bbhow are you?\u00ab\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thank you, Artist. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thinking of his family, Th\u00e9o and Thomas. <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
G\u00e9rard Sibelle nous a quitt\u00e9s, mais il restera \u00e9ternel pour bon nombre de gens du spectacle vivant. Sa gentillesse, son humanit\u00e9, son esprit. Je souhaitais lui rendre hommage en publiant cet extrait de mon m\u00e9moire de facult\u00e9. En \u00e9crivant ces lignes, je souriais, aujourd’hui, je pleure. 13 Aout 1994 – dans une loge \u00e0 Ruoms. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2177,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2176","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ben-jackson"],"yoast_head":"\n
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