RIMOUSKI – Salebarbes had only two concerts, no album and no income when guitarist Kevin McIntyre gave up his full-time job and a comfortable retirement fund to bet everything on this unlikely reunion of Acadian musicians with a heart for the party.
The two concerts in question are the founding evenings at the Salle des Pas Perdus on the Îles-de-la-Madeleine, performances immortalized on the first Salebarbes album from 2019, which is more than 40,000 copies were sold, a score worthy of a gold record.
Even though the shows were all the rage and the union of Acadians Jean-François Breau, Éloi and Jonathan Painchaud, Georges Belliveau and McIntyre already had that little something that made the difference, it took a lot of courage to leave everything behind.
“We had nothing at all,” recalls the guitarist during an interview Le Journal conducted with Salebarbes before a concert in Rimouski in early August.
“We played in bars with 122 people,” Jonathan Painchaud reminds him.
Jean-François Breau, standing in the kitchen of the tent trailer that served as the five boys’ locker room, best summed up his colleague’s decision. “It’s a similar step.”
“I felt that,” explains Kevin McIntyre. It wasn’t my first rodeo with people, I knew there was something going on here in Tabarnac, it’s not a joke. I have a family, a wife, and you can’t go without a pension. Also, we’re breaking up [les revenus] at five, but you have to take risks in life.”
Salebarbes in concert, August 3rd, in Rimouski. Photo by Cédric Bélanger/Le Journal de Québec
Quebec-Acadie friendship
The future proved him right. The success of Salebarbes’ second album, Gin à l’eau salée, was also certified gold and there is rarely an empty bench in the halls where the group performs, both in Quebec and New Brunswick.
The quintet’s danceable Trad/Cajun/Country melodies clearly hit the nerve of the times in Quebec. Would Salebarbes have given Quebecers back a taste for Acadian culture?
“I think it confirmed a very natural friendship between Acadians and Quebecers. There are many Acadian communities in Quebec, particularly in Lanaudière and Abitibi. There are also icons from Quebec who are of Acadian descent, like Louis Cyr, the strongest man in the world,” points out Éloi Painchaud.
“I live in Acadia,” continues Georges Belliveau, “and I see there the influence we have on young groups that have taken some small businesses away from the rest of us.” »
“We’re starting to dress well,” Éloi Painchaud interrupts him with a laugh, alluding to the stylish suits that musicians wear on stage.
Photo from the archives of Stevens LeBlanc/Le Journal de Québec
The good old Dirtybears
All of this leads us to Salebarbes’ third baby, À Drink Standinge, available this Wednesday.
Anyone who has heard the excerpts “Tite-gomme” and “Stirer la roux” can already attest that Salebarbes remains on familiar territory. Their admirers will find the group’s festive spirit as well as typical allusions to the Acadian way of life, this time in all of the original songs.
The boys were also happy when the author of these lines answered the question “What do you think of the album?” that he had found his good old Dirtybears.
“That’s a nice compliment,” says Jean-François Breau. I think we want to evolve into what we are, we have existed for six years as of July 14th. Salebarbes was born out of the fun of borrowed repertoire. Today it is a great pride to be able to offer an album composed, written, sung and produced from A to Z. Since I know that the people who loved Dirtybears in the beginning still love it, I think it’s a win-win. At least for us, because it allows us to continue making music together.”
– Salebarbes will perform at the MTelus in Montreal on October 5th and at the Théâtre Capitole from November 24th to 26th. All dates can be found at salebarbes.com.