VALÉRIE JODOIN KEATON
PUBLICATIONS
BACKSTAGE : Moments Before and After
Varia Publications
Year: 2009
112 pages
Photos and texts by Valérie Jodoin Keaton
Preface poem by Daniel Bélanger, translated by Donald Winkler
Texts are in English and French
​Price: CDN$34.95 + tx.
You may contact me to purchase the book or purchase it online at Renaud-Bray, Chapters, Indigo and Paragraph bookstores:
Content: Portraits of 50 musicians backstage, right before or after their performance (Jack White, Beck, The Flaming Lips, Beastie Boys, Paul McCartney, The Killers, Feist, The Smashing Pumpkins, Rufus Wainwright, Cat Power, Bloc Party, The Dandy Warhols, Sam Roberts, Rita Mitsouko, Arthur H., Ariane Moffatt, Coeur de pirate, Yann Perreau, Pierre Lapointe, Patrick Watson , Dumas, Mara Tremblay, Daniel Bélanger, Richard Desjardins...).
Text excerpt:
"I photographed Jack White with only one shot. He was about to play with The Raconteurs at Pukkelpop Festival in Belgium. He shined in the distance with his ghostly white skin, jet-black hair, cool sunglasses, tall stature and fashionable cowboy shirt. I had only one shot left on my last roll of film. He invited me into his trailer. I was standing in front of one of modern rock’s best guitar players. His band mates were waiting around quietly drinking a beer while Jack put on some blues in the background. He sat down and stared at me through his shades. Holding my breath, I pressed the release button with my shutter speed at a low 1/8th of a second. One shot did it."
"Catherine Ringer, singer and co-leader of Les Rita Mitsouko, made the courageous decision to resume touring a few months after her other half and co-leader of the band, Fred Chinchin, had died of cancer. The band’s last performance of the tour was scheduled for Montreal’s Francofolies. When I entered the backstage at Metropolis ten minutes before the show, Catherine was sitting at a table surrounded by her band mates and close family. The impatient crowd above was shaking the ceiling. She noticed me and nodded politely. I stood at a distance, waiting for a signal. Then, she stood up and walked past me into her private dressing room. The art of the unsaid. I followed her and found her in front of the mirror buttoning her shirt. Raising a finger, she said warningly: ‘Only one shot before, and one after’. And I dove for it. Later, after the show, she locked herself into her dressing room. When she walked out, her long black hair hung loosely to her hips and she looked deeply relieved. She reminded me of a beautiful Spanish dancer. My camera had been ready for another shot, but I didn’t want to disturb this moment of grace. We simply smiled at each other and said goodbye."
Jack White (THE WHITE STRIPES / THE RACONTEURS)
Before his performance
Pukkelpop Festival, Hasselt, Belgium
August 18th, 2006
Catherine Ringer (LES RITA MITSOUKO)
Before her performance
Les Francofolies, Métropolis, Montréal, Canada
July 27th, 2008