“L’automne est cruel, Et les filles sont belles, Et les filles sont belles”

Concert review by Eugénie Durocher and Megann Rey

29th November, Studio TD, French Canadian artist Aliocha Schneider took the stage on a cold fall night. While we had to wear our coats so we would not freeze outside, listening to Aliocha during that concert was like listening to the ocean. He mentioned in his song L’océan des amoureux: “Vogue où tu veux” (Sail wherever you want) – and yes, we can live through the artist’s sunny summer memories, from beginning to end of his last album, self-titled Aliocha Schneider (2023). 

Aliocha wrote this album while being away for six months in Anthènes, Greece, to film a French television series titled Salade Grecque (Greek Salad), available on Amazon Prime. Before his last album, which came out in September 2023, the French Canadian artist had two other albums titled Naked (2020) and Eleven Songs (2017), as well as his EP Sorry Eyes (2016) to his credit. Aliocha was supposed to tour his album Naked in 2020, which sadly did not happen due to the pandemic.

This night was memorable for the fans as well as for the artist. Like Aliocha mentioned multiple times during the concert, it has been a while since he returned to the stage in Montreal, in front of his family and friends. It was his mother’s birthday, and the crowd had the chance to sing her Happy Birthday. The fans also had the opportunity to hear numerous anecdotes and stories - every single one of these giving further context about the writing of his songs. The night started with songs like Suspendus, L’autres, and towards the end of the night, the artist even covered Rêver mieux by Daniel Bélanger. With him on stage were two musicians, and the harmony between the three of them gave the public a serene and comforting feeling.

It was easy to feel a closeness with the artist. At the end of the show, he even took the time to meet fans: he took pictures with them, and signed vinyl. The acknowledgement of the artist towards fans is easily felt between Aliocha and his public. Seeing Aliocha in concert is like getting coffee with him as if we were getting to know each other. Everyone should live a moment as delicate as the autumn night that was November 29th in Montreal.