Paul Piché will put the final touches to his “40 spring” tour surrounded by several guests he admires, next May 19, at Place Bell, a stage he has had to postpone three times in the past two years because of the pandemic.
Five years have passed since the first performances of “40 Springs”, which led along the way to the disc of the same name. Both celebrate the rich work of Paul Piché over four decades. The 42 performances attracted 75,000 faithful, who came to hear timeless hymns such as “Happy Spring”, “There’s not much in the evening sky”, “My Joe”, “The staircase” and how many other great successes are inscribed in the DNA of Quebecers.
The 68-year-old singer-songwriter was rehearsing a few days ago for the 43rd and final performance. For the occasion, he will do what he loves most, perform in the spotlight, but the pleasure will be increased tenfold thanks to the presence of several artists he esteems and who are, in a way, his heirs.
This is the case of 2Frères, Émile Bilodeau, Daniel Boucher, Marc Hervieux, Laurence Jalbert, Damien Robitaille, Stéphanie St-Jean, Marie-Élaine Thibert and Vincent Vallières, without forgetting his son Léo, with whom he will push the note for the song “Stop”, which they wrote together.
Initially, the show “40 Printemps” was to be shown only at the Bell Center and the Videotron Center, but the demand was such that the team had to plan a proper tour. Then the COVID-19 came to thwart the plans to complete the adventure.
“All of this is a beautiful love story, we do it for us and for the public. The public doesn’t just come to see the artists, they come to see themselves, with their memories. Everyone comes together and there is something very joyful about it. We can’t wait,” said Paul Piché in an interview with the QMI Agency.
When a new record?
Although his last album featuring original material dates back to 2009, Paul Piché promises that he has not said his last word. Calling himself “slow” and saying that it gets worse and worse over the years, he has been working for a long time on a song that could be called “Celui” or “Celui qui naître”.
“I’m going to do it on May 19 at Place Bell. She talks about life, love and death, three blocks, three great mysteries of existence. We have courage and fears, and we have to manage with that.
Stimulated by all the effervescence of Quebec music and saying he is “privileged” from the career he has had, Paul Piché will also be “passeur” this summer with Émile Bilodeau at the Festival en chanson de Petite-Vallée.
“We want to talk a lot about the problems of the song industry, and with good reason, that the records are no longer selling and that we don’t have the money that we had before. But I think Quebec song is going through a period of glory. There are so many singers and singers, they are all good as well as their texts, there is something for everyone, they name all the emotions, the shows work and they sing in French everywhere. I am very happy and proud of what I see.”
A committed man
Saying that his songs belong to the public and that his “train has been running for too long” to stop, Paul Piché lives for the stage and for the social causes that inhabit him.
All the causes that have occupied him over the years remain unfinished battles, such as that of Quebec sovereignty. He says that it is not cruel and that we must continue to fight.
“Not only is it not over, but I got used to losing. I spent my life losing battles, for aboriginals, unions, feminism, the national question and the environment. That’s what being committed is, you have to expect to lose most of the time and win sometimes. The most important thing is to constantly remain vigilant.”
The final show of the “40 Printemps” tour will take place on Thursday, May 19, at 8 p.m., at Place Bell. Tickets are on sale on the evenko website [https://www.evenko.ca/fr].
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