IMMERSION. Behind the scenes of the Zénith de Rouen… for the premiere of Gims

It’s a room that welcomes the biggest French stars. At the Zénith de Rouen, how are shows planned, prepared and put on that can attract up to 8,000 spectators? We offer you a look behind the scenes at the Zénith, on the occasion of the first date of the new Gims tour.

On a Wednesday afternoon at the Zénith in Rouen, it's empty, calm, and the atmosphere is even quite relaxed. However, Romain and Julien, sound engineers, only have 48 hours left to put everything in place before Friday's concert. “It's the very beginning of this tour. New show, new scenography, new songs… We're taking the time to do things well and rehearse to have a truly great show”explains Romain, sound engineer.

No stress before a first show which promises to be big: flamethrowers at the edge of the stage, giant screens in the air and a star: will be born. The first date of his “The Last Tour” tour is sold out. For this very first date, there is no room for error.

Behind his computer, David, a slave motor operator, has his hands on three bridges topped with screens. “I modeled the scene. On my 3D it tells me if I'm going to type something or not. There's no room for improvisation with this kind of system”he shows us.

On the contrary, everything has been planned for months. Before a date, there are numerous exchanges between the artist's team and that of the zenith. Amal Hamada, general manager of the zenith, checks in advance that the technical elements are compatible with the stage. “I take the production plan and I implement it on our own framework. From there, we see if it is compatible.”

Zeniths are rooms whose main characteristic is modularity. But be careful, not all zeniths are the same. “They are different in terms of architecture but the specifications remain the same with inside a certain number of boxes, a stage, a stage with a certain minimum dimension, with stands in the shape of an amphitheater,” explains Didier Thibault, director of the Zenith of the Rouen Normandy Metropolis.

As a zenith, we do not have the right to produce a date and we do not have the right to sell tickets directly.

Didier Thibault, director of the Zenith of the Rouen Normandy Metropolis.

Before being director of the Zénith de Rouen, he himself was on tours. Blues Borthers, Nina Simone, incredible memories for Didier Thibault.

But it is not Didier Thibault's team, nor that of the artist who sells the tickets. A third actor intervenes: the local producer. He hires the handlers called les roadwho set up and take down the stage. He also hires couriers called runners.

We meet Yannis. He must plan his routes and know the city well. We can ask him to pick up an artist from the station or the hotel, or send him shopping to the supermarket or a DIY store. “All day I'm on the road. For example, for Gims, he needs a small teapot in his dressing room. explains Yannis.

Once, an artist asked me to get him lots of chicken rumps.

Yannis, runner of the zenith of Rouen

While Yannis carries out the missions, musicians and technicians sing songs. For now, everyone is keeping their cool, a few hours before the big show.

We're only in rehearsals, but things are already happening behind the scenes! Lighting engineers, pyrotechnicians, sound engineers… these professions are a story of passion. Love of spectacle and entertainment. “We have flamethrowers that sweep from left to right. Flames that go up to 5 meters high! It's hot, but it radiates enormously. It's going to be impressive!” rejoices Sylvain Tauron, special effects technician.

His eyes sparkle, but his gaze remains vigilant, with his eye always fixed on the singer and the musicians. Knowing that before each flame, Julien warns the artists equipped with earpieces. “Watch out for the flames in 5 seconds!”

These dozens of technicians work in the shadows to safely highlight the artists. “During the show, we are constantly in case of problems”explains Raphaël, lighting designer. The latter leads the lighting team. He shows us the latest state-of-the-art system. Using a handlebar, he moves a light.

Rouen is the first date of the Gims tour, and it would not be a coincidence. “First of all, it’s close to Paris, so easier for the artists. It seems that it’s a demanding audience; it seems!” says Julien, sound engineer.

We're talking about an urban legend. In all cities we say that a bit, that artists like to start here because if it works here, it will work elsewhere.

Didier Thibault, director of the Zénith de Métropole Rouen Normandie

In any case, the public arrives in 24 hours. And if we want to speak with Luc Linassier, it's now. On the day of a show, the technical director of the site is responsible for all the teams on site, and that can be up to 200 people! “200 people + the public…there are 7,500 of us in the building!”

D-Day! 3:37 p.m. Concentration is at its zenith. The teams want to put on the best show. Gims should arrive soon to rehearse. The store is setting up, things are busy in the entrance hall… Lucie comes to take stock with her teams, it's 5 p.m. “We’re going to have around twenty bartenders to manage the flow, it’s going to be very intense the last fifteen minutes before the show.”

The show is sold out, 5,500 people are expected. “In general, 10% of the public consumes food at the bar,” explains Lucie. The fridges are filling up, and so is the zenith. Not by the first spectators, but those who will take care of them: hostesses, bartenders, first aiders, firefighters, security agents… all board the boat at the same time with their captain, Luc Linassier. “Everyone is at their post at 6:20 p.m. for an opening at 6:30 p.m.”

The 60 hostesses, in uniform, await instructions. Distributed to all the doors, they will seat the spectators, because this evening, everyone has a seated and numbered place. No point in coming early, the flow is calmer.

But in just a few minutes, it fills up and consumes! As expected, hot dogs appeal to the family audience of Gims, beers are more successful at rock concerts. Lucie expects around 7,000 euros in revenue for the evening.

7:50 p.m., the room is full. Latest radio communications…no problems to report. The concert can begin.

Behind the scenes, there are hundreds of them. Technicians, artists, manager, cook, courier… to have worked for this moment. At the Zénith in Rouen… the very first concert of the GIMS tour begins. The 5,500 spectators seem to appreciate it, but one of them leaves the room after 3 minutes. This is Didier Thibault, the director of Zénith.

My job is elsewhere than in the room. We rent a space, we have a meeting with a producer to finalize the contract. This is oddly enough the calmest time to do it. People are at the concert, the artist is on stage, we are calm, nothing will happen.

Didier Thibault, director of the zenith

How much does it cost to rent the Zenith? Didier Thibaud gives us this figure: around €60,000 for a capacity of 6,500 people. While Gims sings, people are talking about contracts in the offices, and things are already moving… in the corridors.

It’s 9:30 p.m., The show has just started and yet… they’re cleaning up. There are 32 handlers of the show, called Road. Hired to support the tour team in dismantling the concert, starting with Gims' kitchen equipment.

“No catering, we recharge it during the show, it's time to save. When we're in a one-shot, we need things to go quickly so that they can leave as quickly as possible for Caen, tomorrow, to rest too. Dismantling is always a race.” explains Fred, local production manager.

Gims plays the next day at the Zénith de Caen. Tonight, you have to fold up, leave, and reinstall everything, in a minimum of time. “It will go very quickly, as soon as the public is out. You will see there are ants running everywhere, it sends wood.”

While the ants prepare to return, the cicadas… leave the room. “LThe musicians were great, Gims true to himself. He sings well!” fans shout at us.

A human tide joins the dark night. THE roads take action. Like an orchestra, everyone knows their part. The pieces of the puzzle fall one by one, the speed of execution to clear these tons of material is impressive.

The chair bed is evacuated, the trucks can return. In a very precise order, and to the millimeter, we will arrange the giant screens, the confetti cannons, the flame throwers.

The touring team goes on the road. The zenith will have to get a makeover because in a few hours, a new concert will begin.