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| Manchester faithful lap up Eric Cantona’s raspy whisper and jazz groove |
Former Manchester United icon, Eric Cantona, embarked on a new stage of his life, trading the "Theatre of Dreams" for another kind of dream. During one of his initial forays into the world of music, Cantona's performance was nothing short of extraordinary.
Selling out two consecutive nights in just 12 minutes, the football great took to the stage with an almost messianic aura. His appearance in the dimly lit venue was met with applause that rivaled what one might expect from a seasoned musician rather than a debutant. As he approached the microphone, a fan's sudden dash towards him sent a ripple of panic through the security team, while cameras clicked away like it was a red carpet event.
Dressed in a long black coat, sunglasses, a hat, and eye-catching red tracksuit bottoms, Cantona, who had turned to songwriting during the lockdown, stood at the microphone and delivered a raspy, deep, yet whispery vocal style reminiscent of the late Leonard Cohen. Accompanied by a cello, often played like a double bass, the performance featured subtle jazz grooves intermingling with looping neoclassical piano. Notable tracks like "The Friends We Lost," dedicated to departed loved ones, carried a genuine emotional weight, with spirited and profoundly evocative cello playing as Cantona gently purred through his lyrics.
The atmosphere was far from the pandemonium of a football terrace; instead, it was marked by a reverent silence. With only four songs released via the "I'll Make My Own Heaven" EP, the audience patiently absorbed new material Cantona chose to record during these live shows, with plans to release them as part of his debut album next year.
In one of his new tracks, set against a subtly fizzing electronic beat, Cantona sang about being a lizard sipping "Sex on the Beach" cocktails in a bar. A burst of cello erupted over hissing electronics and wild stabs of the piano, resulting in an enjoyable, deranged, and humorous experiment in avant-rock.
While Cantona's vocal range tended to stay in the lower registers, there were moments when a punchier, more dynamic delivery was needed, which he either couldn't or wouldn't deliver, leaning instead on his sandpaper whisper. This limitation occasionally led to a sense of repetitiveness, particularly as the evening stretched on for an extended 90 minutes.
As Cantona exited the stage, the appreciative audience could no longer contain their enthusiasm. They rose to their feet and united in a football chant, ending the evening much as it had begun: with Cantona, head arched back and arms outstretched, basking in the rapturous applause, bordering on religious adulation from the crowd.
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