After his Parisian successes, the “dandy of humor” returns to his native land to present his brand-new show “Damien Lecamp is Virile”. A look back at the journey of a gifted child.
From the French Riviera to the Parisian sirens…
Steps of stairs as far as the eye can see, a significant elevation. This is what separated Damien Lecamp from his current life.
Let’s say a beautiful story with twists and some cliffhangers worthy of the series “Lost”.
A child of Menton where he spent his childhood before attending Albert 1er College-Lycee in Monaco, this “passionate and very attached” individual to his valley and village joined the University of Law in Nice, which he attended until his Master’s degree.
“Why law? Because like many, I didn’t really know where to go or what to do after the baccalaureate…”. Almost unwittingly, Damien headed to Paris to finish his studies and then started a professional life. “I worked in an open space in marketing. I didn’t feel fulfilled in the corporate world. I wrote in reaction. At first, my texts were mainly about the world of work and its pitfalls… It was only later that it clicked, like that without warning like a spark, transforming this mixed experience into a strength. But I had no idea where I should go to try anything.“
Like the greatest who had rocky beginnings, Damien searched and then found.
First, he needed to have an objective feedback on the quality of his texts, even if it meant “not seeing the stage light of day. I had no experience…”.
Later, after gathering information, the man from the French Riviera found what he was looking for, “the most direct way to get feedback on the texts you write is to test them in front of an audience in open mic nights. There are many in Paris, most without audition, like the Chinchman Comedy Club, which I now host. I came to the stage through writing. Then gradually, I learned to love the audience, to feel liberated, not to be overwhelmed by stage fright. And to make it my profession, quite simply.”
from free stages to the Olympia with Franck Dubosc
Potentially everything can go very fast in life for almost everyone. Sometimes it takes very little. For Damien Lecamp, it was the confidence he gained that led him to multiply his efforts towards this new adventure and its share of unforgettable memories: “I opened for Franck Dubosc at the Olympia twice. I remember the first time; I leave the stage, the atmosphere is crazy, but I have to leave immediately because I’m expected to play my show at the Instinct Theatre where I was programmed. I run down the street, rush down the Boulevard Des Capucines to arrive on time. It was a very small room, 40 spectators were waiting for me there, a difference of 1960 people compared to the Olympia. I had such energy; I performed for them as if I were in a stadium.” Affable, communicative and naturally humble, the man from Menton is far from getting a swollen head. A character trait found on stage, as he considers himself “a child of the ‘bohemian middle class’. I’m here to entertain people; I won’t change their lives. But for an evening, I make myself useful by making them laugh.”
“I allow myself all subjects”
Some say my humor is dark, I would rather say skeptical. Finding the incoherence of a system, a thought, pointing it out, always with a smile. I allow myself all subjects. I also like to play with the subtleties of language, I give a lot of importance to writing”.
And in ten years? “As John Lennon said, ‘Life begins at 40’. Well, he died at 40… What rock stars say is gospel truth. So I see myself perfectly happy and fulfilled in 10 years. And with an intact enthusiasm.”
A piece of advice for those who want to turn dreams into reality? It would be terribly pretentious to give such advice. One day I learned that a famous yogi died of a stomach ulcer… caused by stress. No one is well placed to give lessons. Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes. I believe it’s good to pause, to stop when everyone else is running, not to rush where everyone is going. It’s not to give up your ambition, it’s to better understand it. One shouldn’t fall into self-satisfaction.“
