Renaud — Le Zénith, Paris, 1986

Filmed live concert by Renaud at the Zénith in Paris in 1986, titled La Chetron sauvage. A major figure of French chanson, the bandana-wearing singer delivers a now-canonical repertoire: Parisian cheek, tenderness and revolt mingle across a generous set. The capture runs through Trois matelots, Si t’es mon pote, En cloque, Deuxième génération, Miss Maggie, Baston !, P’tite conne, La pêche à la ligne, the moving Mistral gagnant, Dès que le vent soufflera, Morts les enfants, Baby-sitting blues and Fatigué, punctuated by a long medley of his classics (Dans mon HLM, Hexagone, Laisse béton, Marche à l’ombre…). Backed by his band, Renaud unfolds the blend of realist chanson, rock and political commitment that made him one of the most popular artists of his generation. This 1980s full concert restores the atmosphere of a Zénith won over to his cause, between emotion and streetwise humour. An essential document of live French chanson, testifying to the singular bond between Renaud and his audience at mid-decade.