Sam Sauvage

On December 12, 2026, Le Transbordeur in Villeurbanne will host Sam Sauvage. A self-taught singer-songwriter from the north of France, he shapes an alternative pop where 1980s rock, new wave and contemporary poetry intersect. On stage he moves with a gentle tension: angular guitars, supple basslines, drum machines and weathered synths support a clear, inhabited voice, vivid lyrics and a storytelling sense that takes its time.

One can hear influences without pastiche: the shadow of Bashung in the broken lines, the off-kilter drive of Talking Heads in the grooves, Stromae’s precision in the songwriting. The concert centers on songs from his debut album, thirteen tracks that glide from luminous melancholy to a rawer energy, with catchy choruses and arrangements that oscillate between retro warmth and a contemporary touch.

At Le Transbordeur, Sam Sauvage performs on the edge of theatre and rock, with restrained staging, rhythmic ruptures, backing vocals and machines that reinvigorate the set. It’s a moment to catch French songwriting in motion, between danceable pulses and intimate confessions into the mic.