“Love is the only fire for which there is no insurance.” Edith Piaf
The fans were struggling to move the hot and humid air around The Basement, Sydney’s iconic music venue, and the atmosphere did not cool down for Nikki Nouveau’s sultry performance.
Nikki is a Sydney born Melbourne based singer and cabaret entertainer, who has had a long term fascination with Piaf, and subsequently travelled to Paris many times.
The show’s introductory number was an evocative instrumental piece by Andrew Scott on his piano accordion, conjuring up the feelings of an old French café.
Scott was then joined on stage by Nikki and Max Alduca, on double bass. Nikki opened with the classic Piaf song La Vie en Rose. Her voice is clear and melodious and Scott’s accompaniment, whether on piano or accordion, with Alduca on bass is skillful and understated.
Nikki interspersed her songs with selected stories from Piaf’s life. She told how Piaf was abandoned by her mother and then brought up by her grandmother in a brothel. The stories were cleverly interwoven with the songs, including a song about a prostitute longing for her lover to return from the war, and an autobiographical song about the loss of the love of her life, boxer Marcel Cerdan, killed in a plane crash on his way to visit her. She closed the first set with the enigmatic Mon Dieu, a plea for one more day with Marcel.
Resuming with La Foule had the crowd singing along. La Foule is about a singer becoming infatuated with a man in the audience, the concert finishes, and the two she never sees him again.
As a tribute to Piaf’s long term friendship with Marlene Dietrich, Noveau donned a top hat and sang Lili Marlene, followed by Illusions, a song sung both by Dietrich and Piaf.
Nikki’s big closing number was the ever popular Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien, a fitting close to an entertaining evening. The audience called for an encore and Nikki and the band obliged with the sublime Autumn Leaves and then we were left to wander back into Sydney’s cool soft rain.
Nikki performed her tribute show for one night only at the Basement on Thursday 23rd March. Her Katoomba show is sold out but she will be giving a concert in Melbourne in April.