Vive La France: Melanie Pain/Amelie

The finale of this year’s superb Vive La France festival began with a set of contemporary chansons by Nouvelle Vague vocalist Pain. Speaking only in French, the audience interaction may have been awkward but the classy songs were a cut above.
The breathy delivery of ‘Peut-être Pas’ was sublime, while ‘La Cigarette’ recalled 60’s Yé-Yé. Melanie and her guitarist moved to the front row for the childlike ‘If You Knew’ which got the sleepy crowd animated. The music was ideally-suited to the venue and a perfect precursor to the midnight screening of Audrey Tautou’s beguiling performance as the do-gooder extraordinaire.

Duke of York’s Picturehouse, 28 January 2012

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