Yelle at Adelaide Hall

Photos by Katrina Lat

Yelle are spectacularly fun, both on record and on stage. Julie Budet, GrandMarnier and Frank Richard had the crowd squeezed into Adelaide Hall bouncing up and down throughout the show.

Yelle perform the kind of catchy French electro pop that has you moving without even thinking about it. The only French I speak is the strange sounds I make when I’m singing along to Christine and the Queens, but you don’t have to understand the words Yelle sings to have a fantastic time. The beats, the rhythm and the exquisitely simple dance moves on stage make it impossible not to get swept away in the happiest French Discotheque you’ll ever witness.

Budet appears on stage in a glittery purple bodysuit, dancing up a storm for the whole set, involving the crowd in her performance and skilfully backed up by the robotic backing dancing and drumming of GrandMarnier and Richard, who almost seem to read each other’s minds with their drum beats. They’re a great ensemble who have worked their music and stage performance down to a tee

The set heavily featured latest album Completement Fou, a few old favourites: A Cause Des Garcons and Safari Disco Club, topped off with new tracks Interpassion and Romeo – proving that Yelle have been consistently making perfect pop tunes for years. The choice of tiny venue seems purposeful – Yelle have sold out their N. American tour and could clearly move to larger spaces. But this is the Club Party Tour and the intimate surrounds add to the dance party vibe Yelle cultivate perfectly.

Yelle’s Club Party tour is named well. The question is, when will they be back, and how big will the venues be?