Francos | Ariane Roy’s Rock Aura

From the very first notes of the homonymous song from the Dogue album, the launch concert, the crowd erupted in cheers, welcoming the long-awaited arrival of the singer-songwriter. An electric atmosphere immediately set in, and one thing was already clear: Dogue’s Ariane Roy marks a break with medium plaisir. More rock, more unleashed, she gives herself body and soul on stage, in a visceral, self-assured performance.

On Wednesday evening, Ariane Roy presented the material from her second studio album on Montreal soil for the very first time, to a packed Club Soda.

The explosive intro was followed by a perfectly controlled sequence of new songs and crowd favourites: Âmes sœurs, Quand je serai grande, Si je rampe and Kunda, each song finding its place in a coherent whole.

After a fast-paced first half, Ariane takes a breather with Coule. “I wanted to write a song about fatigue. I have the impression that today, you always have to give more to be satisfied – and I don’t feel like going into that,” she confided, between breaths. A gentle moment, performed with disarming sensitivity and that unmistakable vocal accuracy. To close this more introspective segment, she dedicates Une cigarette sur le balcon to her mother, present in the auditorium. Chills guaranteed.

Among the highlights: after a musical interlude at the end of Mordre, Ariane returns to the stage in a new costume, accompanied by two dancers. Together, they deliver an impeccably interpreted dance version of Tous mes hommages, a demonstration of power and mastery. Here’s another: for I.W.Y.B., the dancers don stuffed dog heads, a nod to Dogue’s music videos. Ariane then invites the audience to crouch down… before exploding into a Charli XCX-style synth-pop finale.

Of course, the concert couldn’t end without Ce n’est pas de la chance, much to the delight of the audience, who knew all the words. But it was during the encore that the crowd went wild, when Lou-Adriane unexpectedly came out from backstage to perform Fille à porter with her soul mate. Big week for this duo of best friends!

With Dogue, Ariane Roy reveals herself freer and more electrifying than ever. A show to see again and again.

Photo: Victor Diaz Lamich