We saw Polnareff in Marseille: here's why his Var tour is unmissable

If you thought Michel Polnareff's voice had stayed in the 80s, you're mistaken. At almost 81 years old, the Admiral has lost none of his panache. Since last May, he has been on stage as part of his Derrière Tournée , to be seen in Toulon this July 12 and in Sainte-Maxime this July 17. On June 4, he was at the Dôme de Marseille for a memorable journey through time and a demonstration of his vocal and musical abilities. Even before entering the concert hall, you know you're in the right place: T-shirts bearing the artist's image, caps, wigs and glasses, the Polnafans have answered the call.

After a quality first part offered by Léman, the grids arranged on stage were raised, and Michel Polnareff appeared behind his piano, mythical white glasses on his nose, eternal blond curls, pastel blue Stetson hat screwed on his head and python-pattern leather Perfecto. The "Michel we love you!" burst out from all over the room. The interpreter of Lettre à France , teasingly, declaims: "Good evening Marseille, good evening OM and good evening Jul". He will spend the entire concert seated behind his instrument and yet, the atmosphere in the room soon becomes electric and overexcited.

For the opening of the ball, the Admiral performed Tam Tam l'homme préhisto , a song released in 1981, with projections of black and white manga boards scrolling behind him as a backdrop. At each "Tam Tam Tam Tam Tam" of the chorus, the man who had caused a scandal in the early 70s by showing his buttocks, turned to his "choristers ", as he liked to call them, pointed at them and invited them to sing the refrain in chorus. From the first notes of the second song, La Poupée qui fait non , the Polnafans began to rush to the front of the stage, causing the anger of the audience in the front rows who implored for very long minutes "sit, sit" , in vain. Michel Polnareff, imperturbable, smiled: "I have a suggestion, those who are standing, stay, and those who are sitting, stand up!" The man has lost none of his legendary impertinence, and the most ardent spectators will remain standing until the end of the concert. Accompanying the Admiral on stage are eight musicians, including a string quartet that adds a touch of sweetness and grace to the artist's timeless melodies.

The show moves along, between hypnotic projections and covers of his many songs. He performs pieces from his latest album, Un temps pour elles , released at the end of April, such as Sexcetera and Tu n'm'entends pas , a song that the artist particularly likes and which evokes the difficulties of communication. The magic continues with Love Me, Please Love Me , performed under a sea of ​​cell phone lights, transforming the room into an improvised constellation.

The final bouquet lives up to the legend: Tout, tout pour ma chérie , well-paced and danceable, On ira tous au paradis transformed into a gigantic karaoke and of course Lettre à France , performed a cappella with a precision that gives you goosebumps. When the first notes of Goodbye Marylou ring out, the entire Dôme starts singing, from the elderly spectators to the parents who have come with their teenagers. If the majority of the audience is graying, judging by the number of phones filming in landscape format, Michel Polnareff's melodies remain multi-generational. To the applause of an audience that wants more, the encore is inevitable. Lettre à France returns in a very soft and moving acoustic version, followed by Sexcetera and this time, not a single spectator remains seated. The Admiral takes a long bow, visibly moved, before disappearing into the Marseille night.

As they left the venue, the audience was unanimous and won over. Séverine and Pascal, who had travelled from Gap, were delighted: "It was the first time we'd seen him and we loved it, I even shed a few tears. We still have a two-hour drive home and work tomorrow, but we don't regret it!" It was also a first for Annabelle, a psychology student at Aix-Marseille University, who came alone to listen to "the songs my father used to sing to me when she was younger" . That evening in Marseille, Michel Polnareff didn't just give a concert, he offered a masterclass as a total artist, proving that musical genius has no age.

Michel Polnareff at Son by Toulon on Saturday, July 12, at 8:30 p.m. From 79 to 120 euros.

At the Scènes d'Été in Sainte-Maxime, Thursday, July 17, at 9 p.m. From 62 to 72 euros.