Troubles with Béatrice Dalle, Virginie Despentes and Casey in Paris: we were there, we tell you all about it

For several years now, Casey, the rebellious rapper, Béatrice Dalle, the iconic punk actress, and Virginie Despentes, the committed rock novelist, have been touring France, proclaiming their militant, hard-hitting lyrics, backed up by the talented group Zëro.

After winning over the public (and us) with their show"Viril", Casey, Béatrice Dalle and Virginie Despentes are back with a new literary concert entitled " Troubles " . The concept remains the same: accompanied live by Zëro, the three artists recite excerpts from protest texts with rage and conviction. This time, they focus on the writings of American Donna Haraway, pioneer of cyber-feminism, Françoise d'Eaubonne, co-founder of the Women's Liberation Movement in 1968, Spanish transgender activist and writer Alana S. Portero, poet and activist Alana D'Eaubonne, and the poet and activist Alana D'Eaubonne. Portero, American poet and essayist Audre Lorde, American author and activist Mikki Kendall, as well as Paul Preciado, Pedro Lemebel and, of course, Virginie Despentes, with her powerful, heartfelt text: " Nothing separates me from the shit that surrounds me ".

This Thursday, May 16, 2024, Béatrice Dalle, Casey, Virginie Despentes and Zëro were at the Gaîté Lyrique for the first of their three performances of"Troubles" in Paris. A sold-out show we were lucky enough to attend. We tell you all about it.

Just before 8.40pm, four members of the group Zëro took to the stage to get the audience in the mood with their post-rock sounds. Casey, Béatrice Dalle and Virginie Despentes soon took to the stage at the Gaîté Lyrique to thunderous applause from an already enthusiastic audience.

And Casey is quick to grab the microphone. From behind her music stand, the shaven-headed rapper declares: " Trouble is an interesting word, coming from a 13th-century French verb meaning to stir up, obscure, disturb. We are living in disturbing and confusing times, troubling and troubled times. And when I say 'we', I mean everyone on Earth. To be able to respond together in all our disparity, that is the task before us". After three minutes, it's Virginie Despentes's turn to continue, followed by Béatrice Dalle, all to the haunting, heady music played live and brilliantly by Zëro.

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Over the course of a 1h15 show, the three artists - in solo, duo or trio - will string together feminist and queer texts, denouncing sexism, systemic racism and patriarchy. " The ecologist, trans, feminist, decolonial and anti-racist revolution that was in the making before Covid arrived may be fragile, but it's unstoppable," says Casey, whose incredible performance is to be commended. This Thursday evening at the Gaîté Lyrique, the rapper was exceptional. With her infectious rage and incredible flow, Casey has the upper hand over her two acolytes. For us, the most poignant moment was Casey's recitation of a text about " mainstream white feminism ". Beautiful, striking and powerful!

The rapper reiterates and touches us to the core, comparing homosexuality to " a sniper as blind as love [...]. And if he tires of targeting children, he fires a flurry of stray bullets that will lodge themselves in the heart of a farmer, a cab driver, a hip-hop singer, a postwoman on her rounds ".

But Béatrice Dalle and Virginie Despentes also excelled in this exercise. Despite her slight cough, the French actress delivered a more theatrical solo performance that was deeply moving and touching.

For her part, Virginie Despentes, more reserved at the outset, becomes more determined as the evening progresses, culminating in a climactic finale. Together, Casey, Béatrice Dalle and Virginie Despentes decide to end this memorable literary concert by exchanging sharp words that click like bullets. For over 8 minutes, the three artists evoke George Floyd, Adama Traoré, Joaquin Delgado and Angela Davis... all interspersed with shouts and applause from the audience.

Hard-hitting, militant and incredibly rocking... " Troubles " is one of those thought-provoking literary concerts from which you won't come away unscathed. The only downside is that we'd have liked to see and hear a bit more. Far too short for our taste. Note that two other performances are scheduled for May 17 and 18 at La Gaîté Lyrique, but they too are sold out. So we're hoping for more dates in the capital soon!