- Les Sans Culottes
Les Sans Culottes is a French language rock band formed in Brooklyn, NY in 1998 by Clermont Ferrand. The band was formed after he travelled to France and developed a deep interest in French pop and ye-ye music of the 1960's, particularly artists such as Serge Gainsbourg, Françoise Hardy, France Gall, Jacques Dutronc and Nino Ferrer. The band made its debut in April 1998, at [http://www.freddysbackroom.com/ Freddy's Back Room] , a small bar in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. The original lineup was comprised of 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.
The band has released 6 recordings:
"Les Sans Culottes" 1999;
"The Ennui and the Ecstasy" 2001;
"Faux Realism" 2002;
"Full Frontal Crudité- Live in Paris" 2003;
"Fixation Orale" 2004 and
"Le Weekender" 2007.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 infringment claim in Federal Court in Manhattan which resulted in a court order barring the new group from using the name of the original group.
The current Les Sans Culottes is comprised of eight members: Clermont Ferrand, Kit Kat Le Noir and Edith Pissoff on vocals; Theo Neugent and Jean L'Effete on guitar; Johnny Dieppe on keyboards; Jeanate' aka Francoise Hardly on bass; and Jacques Strappe on drums.
In June 2008 Les Sans Culottes embarked on a 10-city US tour with The Detroit Cobras. Filling in on bass was Sid Vichyssoise.
External Links
* [http://www.lessansculottes.com/ Official band web site]
* [http://www.myspace.com/lessansculottes Les Sans Culottes MySpace page]
* [http://www.theworld.org/?q=node/11409 Profile on PRI's The World]
* [http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2008/06/06/lake.eof.french.pop.ny.cnn Profile on CNN International]
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