5,000 spectators participated in the test party on Saturday, 29 May at the AccorHotels Arena in Paris-Bercy. The first concert in months. Indochina beats taken at heart, dance moves and race. We were there.

Finally, there are some things that don’t change. The crowd is shoulder to shoulder, ears whistling at the end of the concert, an Indochina fan in trance on every song, the one shooting half of the concert on his laptop, and above all, the bass that makes the earth roar on the floor to feel it in the flesh . 5,000 spectators in the crater and 2 planned artists. Étienne de Crécy, the pioneer of electricity in France in the first part, then the Indochine rock group. The first concert after many months due to Covid-19But above all, an experience we shared.

The general atmosphere is there

You have to be patient before entering the room. 45 minutes. The winds of the queue. “I’m not a fan of Indochina” Stephan admits, “But we’re not rejecting a party like this. It’s totally Indochina! Then there’s the experience.”. He signed up, like 20,000 candidates, then took the test less than 72 hours ago. Only 5,000 lucky people participate in the ceremony. “I am the only one of my group of friends who has a place.”, Ludovic admits.

In a world without Covid, Indochine had to put on a show in Bordeaux that evening, to celebrate the group’s 40th anniversary. In the hole, Charlotte and her brother Maxense danced together: “First approach with crowd is complicated.”, She admits. “We have lost the habit of being neck and neck.” Because yes, We are against each other, we step on each other’s toes, and some of us hug and sing in the choir. And one of their friends, Fayrouz, continues: “I felt sad because I thought I could no longer dance. But in the end, I didn’t forget. Here, generations cross.”

In the audience, we also wonder which group or other singer could attract a lot of people to the experience. “Maybe stromaeAnd the “Master Gims or IAM”We are told. “Those who can fill the stadium in France are not many.”

“We’ll be in pain tomorrow.”

There is a desire to share and connect, especially when the great classics echo: “I asked the moon,” “Three nights a week,” or “The Adventurer.” There are also those calling their families on FaceTime, live. On the screen, we see faces, they are at home. One way to follow your desired party by proxy.

In the first row, they are impossible to miss: group fans. There are T-shirts with statues of tours of Indochina, and some have badges. “Two years since I saw them play.”, Or the eternity of Anjali. She came with a group of friends, who was among the first to enter the concert hall. “We completely forgot the situation, despite wearing masks.” Leave steam like never before, Clame Orlane, “And tomorrow we will be grandmothers.”

At the end of the party, after an hour and a half of music, 22-year-old Lauren wonders: “How have we been able to do without this for more than a year?”. “It was a moment of fullness” Adds this admirer from Indochina, who inevitably knew the words by heart: “The mask made it a little awkward for me to sing and catch my breath, but whatever.” Proof that attending a concert is a real sport, especially after long months without it : “Pedometer on my phone, congratulate me.”Morgan, 21, laughs. Handheld, it includes: “I lost 500 calories!” And she cannot wait to repeat the experiment.

Real science experiment

All participants in this ceremony (especially A very serious clinical study conducted by Assistance publique-Hôpitaux de ParisHe’ll need another saliva test in seven days. The number of positive cases will be compared to 2,500 other people who have seen them from home. Those who attended physically had already undergone a preliminary antigen test 72 hours before the concert. Then take a sample of saliva on the same day. During the event, a clever camera spotted wearing the mask.

The preliminary results of the study are expected to be released at the end of June This will be followed by publication at the end of the summer. Entertainment professionals hope to have scientific proof of throwing concerts without going away in the fall. If weaknesses are identified, then the protocol will have to be adapted. Otherwise, a two-hour show with a permanent audience of 5,000 people would prove possible.