Mirouze Jean Pierre
Le Mariage Collektif
Label: Born Bad
Genre: Soundtrack
Availability
- LP €17.49 Out of Stock
IT'S HARD TO BE SO FEWER WHEN WE LOVE SO MONEY "
Haut les cores ... If there is a cult punk band in France, it's the Olivensteins. With Metal Urbain, they embody what has been best by us.
The 33t Olivensteins should have appeared in 1980, but this was not the case for various reasons that are well explained in the booklet accompanying this album that mixes the three titles of the 45t "official" group and all kinds of unpublished models or live recordings, found in the archives.
In their time (that is to say from mid-1978 to the very beginning of 1980), the four rouen (Gilles Tandy, vocals, Vincent Denis, guitar, Romain Denis, drums and Ludovic Groslier, bass) and their lyricist ( Eric Tandy) struck the spirits, first because their twisted punk rock was not locked in the clichés that the genre imposed too often, but also because some of their songs ("Proud to do nothing", " Euthanasia papi ") were immediately identifiable. For some, during or after, they had the same value of micro hymns.
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June 21, 1975. Olympia, Dr. Feelgood concert, with Little Bob in the first part. For the Tandy brothers, ridden in Paris tonight, it's the slap ...
It must be said that in Rouen, their city, the concerts of Rock and roll are rather rare. The Rouen wildlife must retreat to Le Havre, 80 kilometers away, to be able to attend Rock concerts. The English groups freshly landed from the Calais ferry come to amortize their travel costs before descending on the capital. The Tandy brothers can follow the peregrinations of the pub rock scene of the time, and enjoy the concerts of Eddie and The Hot Rods, Dr. Feelgood and others, who are then what is more violent on stage.
In short, an early taste for concerts noisy, but not really for study to believe Eric who quickly leaves the school circuit to hire Melodies Massacre record store rock and roll downtown (Mi 76). He starts working on weekends and Wednesday afternoons before being permanently hired full-time. As for Gilles, their commercial father, being transferred to Setes, he reluctantly follows the family in the south.
Melodies Massacre imports discs through live labels which is still rare at the time in a music market still very protectionist. By daily consulting the NME, and referring to the chronicles of Philippe Garnier, correspondent of Rock & Folk in the United States, Eric discovers each week more phenomenal groups than the others. The store multiplies the orders and works to widen the sound spectrum of the Rouen rocker lambda. The city is thus stamping with the sounds of the Rough trade releases, and their musical prospections know no limits (garage punk sixties, experimental music, post punk, etc. ..). The time when Dominique Laboudée singer of the Dogs, came triumphantly in town with a brand new copy of the single Anarchy in the UK Sex pistols already seems far 77. Eric becomes through the store a real smuggler. First Swell maps, as well as albums by Pere UBU are sold on the basis of his wise advice.
The brothers Tandy fun to publish in the agenda of Rock & Folk false group announcements, false concerts fake groups and Eric already writes some texts without real backs thought. In short, nothing that can suggest that Eric will become the great lyricist we know. Finally, for now, Eric wants the DOGS records for Melodies Massacre a flexible 45t to the glory of the store as in England Rhino records had done with Wild Man Fisher. Eric writes the text and Dominique Laboudée models the piece (End 77) but the idea of a self-promotional disc is quickly abandoned to make room for a real 45th. The first 45t of the Dogs, the founder and killer "Nineteen", is born.
The experience amused Eric who would like to reiterate it. The Dogs invite the Tandy brothers to go to their local and try some "tricks". They record so to laugh a first piece "This brothel" on a K7 which is now lost. Dominique Laboudée makes sax, and Gilles Tandy who has never sung of his life, tries to sing. Nothing really serious for the moment ...
A few months later, at a concert by Johnny Tunders with the Livind Dead at Gibus (April 3, 1978), Eric noticed the presence in the public of Dr. Olivenstein in full session of anthropology. He came to see the "Beast" to put water in the mill of his fight against drugs. From this incongruous encounter, the name of the group was born.
Wishing now get down to business, they then recruit Vincent Denis leaving Special Section on lead guitar and Alain Royer officiating in the collective Bazooka designers under the name TIRDUR (like pencil mines) to the 2 nd guitar. To close the line-up, Bertrand "Bitos" Barrette joins them at the bass. In June 1978, All this little world finds itself to repeat in the cellar of the house of Dominique Laboudée. The group headed by Dominique is progressing rapidly. The sonic digressions and electro-bricolo arrangements that enrich the titles, are brought by Vincent thanks to an effect pedal that he has tinkered, and puts it in circuit.
Quickly operational, a first concert will take place during a private party organized by psychiatrists friends of one of their relationship. A feast of petit bourges in the suburbs of Rouen to commemorate the 10 years of May 68. The Olivensteins do not miss to encrust all their friends and the concert turns quickly chaos, leaving behind a barracks ransacked by these young thugs.
In mid-September, the Olivensteins finally give their first public concert at Club Saint Pierre, a nightclub crappy forty kilometers from Rouen. The concert opens with a provocative "Marechal here we are" who sneers the public and the band of friends, but let the Club DJ fizz. A fight ensues between the staff of the establishment and the group ...
But, their first concert on Paris (September 1978), the Olivensteins will owe it to the withdrawal of Dogs to Gibus. The latter were booked to honor four evenings in a row, but Dominique, who is doing his military service, did not get his permission. Barely 10 people in the audience during the premiere, and a new fist fight. Their sound engineer (Michel Crogenec) was screwed by the bouncers of Gibus, and the group must flee without asking for his rest.
The following month, the Olivensteins will again have the opportunity to play in the capital. They play Rose Candy in the first part of the Dogs. If the first 45 of the Dogs, had the effect of a bomb in the French rock and roll microcosm, the first maxi they just came out to drive the point. In short, this is the group to see, and all the music press is present (Philippe Garnier, Paul Rambali, etc ...) to come gauge and cheer the group.
The Olivensteins thus open for them, and make (finally) a good concert. Philippe Garnier will publish a review of their performance in the columns of Rock & Folk.
November 12, 78, the Olivensteins are delighted to make the first part of the Damned in Le Havre, but they scuttle the Olivensteins concert, cutting the jack of Bittos (bass) during their set. Not very classy ...
Change of staff within the group at the beginning of 79. They take Romain Denis, the little brother of Vincent, on the drums, and Ludovic Grollier, who worked at the postal sort of Rouen, on the bass. They repeat and the group now feels ready to release a first record.
On March 20, 1979, they debouch at Nogent sur Marne in the eastern suburbs of Paris, to record the hymns "Proud to do nothing" and "Negative". At the end of the day as they have a little time left, they take the opportunity to sleep in the wake "Euthanasia". Expensive studio session, sound and mix will not even take 8:00.
A month later, the disc is in the bins. The disc pressed to 2000 copies flows very quickly thanks to the unconditional support of Patrice Blanc Francart, and his show "Houba houba" on France Inter. The latter estimates that it is the record of the year and clubs the piece "Euthanasia" every day for 3 months. Jackie Berroyer and Philippe maneuver also work on their side to impose the group and the record, multiplying the dithyrambic articles about the Olivensteins.
At the end of '79, Lionel Ermani, boss of Melodisc, then tries to take them further by seeking a real artist contract in a major. The majors are all looking for their Telephone, and the Guilty Razors and Stinky Toys (two authentic punk bands far from Telephone's variety) have just signed with Polydor. Everything seems possible then. Fernandez, the Artistic Director of Barclay seems even interested. The appointments follow one another, and the talks go on well until the question of their name is addressed. Without explicit authorization from Dr. Olivensteins, Barclay requires the group to change their name. They refuse. End of negotiations and big disappointment for the group, mowed in full dream of glory.
To top it off, the Doctor who is very close to the peregrinations of the group, enough in any case to have knowledge of songs they played exclusively live, decides in turn to get involved. He writes a letter to Vincent's father who is also a psychiatrist in the "Dear Brother ..." mode and threatens to sue the group if they continue to perform under this name.
A status quo ensues. They must resign themselves to cancel a concert at the Palace in December 1979 where they were to perform the first part of the Little Finger Stiff. The controversy is indeed at its height. Philippe Bouvard, friend of Dr. Olivensteins, published a few days before this date an article of intimidation to dissuade the group from happening that night. Three days before the concert, the stups make a descent to the Palace, and put pressure on Alexis, the artistic director of the Club, to cancel the concert. It's too much, the group gives in ....
Finally, the Olivensteins are caught up by some of their words and provocations that some balls have taken the first degree. Thus, the sarcastic piece "Petain Darlant, it was the good time" is apprehended literally by many skins facho who are more and more present and seeing the concerts of the group. All this is unbearable in the eyes of Olivensteins who decide to scuttle themselves rather than accept such promiscuity.
In January 1980, a farewell concert is organized on Rouen at the Salle Sainte Croix. The event may be only local, the relay is national. France inter particular continues to promote the date. The group triumphs by performing in front of more than 1000 people came to cheer them one last time.
The Tandy brothers are bouncing off with other projects (Local Glories, New Riches, and Solo) but all of this is already another story.