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Denis Vanier at Ultimatum Festival 1985-05-04
The following is a transcription of Denis Vanier's performance at the Ultimatum Festival I, Saturday, May 4th, 1985 at the Foufounes Electriques bar and performance space in Montreal. Vanier was a francophone, Quebecois poet with over twenty-six published collections. He published his first collection, Je, in April 1965 at only 15 years old. He frequently collaborated with Jose Yvon. He was the co-director of Hobo-Québec and criticized in Mainmise. In Alan Lord’s memoir High Friends in Low Places (2022), Lord reflects on Vanier's interaction with a heckler at this 1985 performance, "The woman came up, Vanier offered her his tome, and she brushed him off with "I don't need the book". She finished the poem from memory, to great applause. Vanier came back to the microphone and thanked 'Marie'" (130).
Annotations
00:00 - 00:01
Room noise.
Foufounes Electriques
00:01 - 00:04
[Unintelligible] dans la salle, hein ?
Denis Vanier
00:04 - 00:06
Room noise.
Foufounes Electriques
00:06 - 00:08
Ca n'est pas un gros probleme.
Denis Vanier
00:08 - 00:12
Room noise.
Foufounes Electriques
00:12 - 00:14
Speaks [unintelligible].
Denis Vanier
00:14 - 00:17
Room noise.
Foufounes Electriques
00:17 - 00:24
Okay. Une chanson pour Pagliaro. Que j'ai fait pour Paglio que j'ai jamais chante evidemment. C'est trop epe, qui dit…
Denis Vanier
00:24 - 00:26
Speaks [unintelligible].
Audience Member
00:26 - 00:32
Eugh. Et j'ai commence par [maybe:Rafenbag], je fini par Pagliaro, bon.
Denis Vanier
00:32 - 00:33
Il y a une personne qui veulent chante.
Audience Member
00:33 - 00:35
Il y a une personne qui veulent chante.
Denis Vanier
00:35 - 00:36
Mais [maybe:Janice] a envi la.
Audience Member
00:36 - 00:45
Bon b'en elle restera la. Bon il s'appelle "Les baisers". Chanson pour Jarry et le group [maybe:Offenbach].
Denis Vanier
00:45 - 02:13
Reads "Les baisers" [French].
Denis Vanier
02:13 - 02:23
Applause.
Audience
02:23 - 02:30
Speaks [unintelligable].
Denis Vanier
02:30 - 02:34
Viens tu ? Viens tu, ou t’a peur ?
Denis Vanier
02:34 - 02:35
Speaks [unintelligable].
Audience Member
02:35 - 02:37
Bon ben viens pas. Vient en.
Denis Vanier
02:35 - 02:45
Oui je le veux. Je [maybe:film] le reste. Non, mais, esti… Si t'es pas capable, dis les pas.
Denis Vanier
02:37 - 02:38
Speaks [unintelligable].
"Marie"
02:45 - 02:48
Laughter.
Audience
02:48 - 02:50
J'ai pas besoin du livre.
"Marie"
02:50 - 02:52
Speaks [unintelligable].
Denis Vanier
02:52 - 03:49
Performs poem by memory [French].
"Marie"
03:49 - 03:51
Room noise.
Foufounes Electriques
03:51 - 04:00
Applause.
Audience
04:00 - 04:13
Apres Marie, c'est l'electrolyse masculine. Ca c'est pas loin de ou ce qu'on est la. C'est a [unintelligable].
Denis Vanier
04:13 - 06:11
Reads "L'électrolyse masculine" [French].
Denis Vanier
06:11 - 06:17
Distorted and clipped audio.
Tech
06:17 - 06:24
[Distorted audio continues] Euh, ca s'appelle "Des images de riz". Ca vient de sortir chez [maybe:BLB], si ca t'interesse la.
Denis Vanier
06:24 - 06:53
[Distorted audio continues] Reads "Des images de riz" [French].
Denis Vanier
06:53 - 06:53
Distortion is resolved.
Tech
06:53 - 07:15
Continues "Des images de riz" [French].
Denis Vanier
07:15 - 07:19
Ca c'etait pour [unintelligible], c'est cent pourcent.
Denis Vanier
07:19 - 07:24
Applause.
Audience
07:24 - 07:26
Sharp breath.
Denis Vanier
07:26 - 07:28
Room noise.
Foufounes Electriques
07:28 - 07:32
Bon. Le dernier. Blackstrap, Vous conaissez-vous ca? Blackstrap–
Denis Vanier
07:32 - 07:36
Audio cuts out, static.
Tech
07:36 - 07:38
Chatter.
Audience
07:36 - 07:38
Par a…
Denis Vanier
07:38 - 07:41
Starts reading poem [French].
Denis Vanier
07:41 - 07:46
Loud chatter.
Audience
07:46 - 07:48
Parles-y, hello ?
Denis Vanier
07:48 - 07:50
Chatter continues, laughter.
Audience
07:50 - 07:56
[Sighing], bon ca s'appelle "Le journal du peuple". C'est un affair chinoise, la.
Denis Vanier
07:56 - 09:24
Reads "Le journal du peuple" [French].
Denis Vanier
09:24 - 09:29
Applause.
Audience
09:29 - 09:29
[End of recording].
END