Les Sans Culottes

Les Sans Culottes is a French language rock band from Brooklyn, New York. They perform original material as well as covers of French rock songs and French-language reworkings of some classic American rock songs. Their name is a reference to the citizen soldiers of the French Revolution.

History

The band was formed in 1998 by Clermont Ferrand after he travelled to France and developed a deep interest in French pop and yé-yé music of the 1960s, particularly artists such as Serge Gainsbourg, Françoise Hardy, France Gall, Jacques Dutronc and Nino Ferrer. The band made its debut in April 1998, at Freddy's Back Room, a neighborhood bar in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. The original lineup was singer-frontman Ferrand, vocalists Kit Kat Le Noir and Gigi Soleil, drummer Albert Camembert, bassist Jean Luc Retard, keyboardist Beau Pantalons, and guitarist Luc Panatalons - aka Le Marquis!. Retard quit following this first show (only to return the following year), thus inaugurating a long list of over 25 lineup changes over the next ten years. Vocalists Ferrand and Kit Kat Le Noir are the only remaining original members.

Les Sans Culottes in Châlons-en-Champagne, France August 2009. Left to right: Kit Kat Le Noir, Edith Pissoff, Johnny Dieppe, Clermont Ferrand, Jacques Strappe, Jeanaté, Theo Neugent

In 2005, the band's guitarist and drummer attempted to start another French language band with some former members and others and to call themselves "Les Sans Culottes". The original group brought a trademark infringement claim in Federal Court in Manhattan which resulted in a court order barring the new group from using the name of the original group.^[1] The new group eventually reformed as Nous Non Plus.

In June 2008 Les Sans Culottes embarked on a 10-city US tour with The Detroit Cobras.

In July 2009 the band played its first ever shows in France, performing at La Feline and L'Opa Bastille in Paris and at the 18th annual F'Estival des Musiques d'ici et d'ailleurs in Châlons-en-Champagne.

In October 2009, bassist Francoise Hardly (aka Jeanaté) left the band to join The Detroit Cobras and was replaced by Sid Vichyssoise.

In early October 2010, vocalist Edith Pissoff and guitarist Theo Neugent left the group. Pissoff was replaced by Courtney Louvre and Jean L'Effete returned to fill in for Neugent until a permanent replacement could be found. On May 2, 2011 the band played at The Bell House in Brooklyn with new guitarist Geddy Liaison and bassist Mr. Pomme Frittes, who replaced the departing Sid Vichyssoise.

Their song "Allo Allo - I love you" of the album "Fixation Orale" was selected as the background for Nexus S Ad (published on Dec 2010).

The band released 'Pataphysical Graffiti, its seventh album, in September 2011

In April 2012, Les Sans Culottes went on a 2 week tour of California. Shortly after the tour, Johnny Dieppe announced he was leaving the band to concentrate on composing. New keyboardist Benoit Bals made his debut on July 26, 2012.

Discography

• Les Sans Culottes (1999, Escargot-Go Records)
• The Ennui and the Ecstasy (2001, Escargot-Go Records)
• Faux Realism (2002, Aeronaut)
• Full Frontal Crudité- Live in Paris (2003, Digital Club Network)
• Fixation Orale (2004, Aeronaut)
• Le Weekender (2007, Vibratone Records)
• 'Pataphysical Graffiti (2012, Vibratone Records)

References

External links

• Official band web site
• Les Sans Culottes MySpace page
• Les Sans Culottes page at Vibratone Records
• Interview with Clermont Ferrand - Rocker Magazine
• Profile on The World from PRI and the BBC
• Followup on The World from PRI and the BBC
• Review of La Feline show
• Review of Châlons show in L'Union