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Les Thugs
Les Thugs were a punk band from France. Their records are distributed in North-America by Sub Pop Records.
The founding members of Les Thugs were two brothers, Eric and Christophe Sourice, from Angers, France. The Sourice brothers were teenagers in 1977 and were influenced by the English punk wave that was sweeping through France. Without knowing how to play any instruments, the band used the DIY ethic. Their first band was founded in 1979, a group called IVG. They then played in the groups Dazibao and Stress with Gérald Chabaud, Thierry Méanard and a fifth member (Philippe Brix) as singer.
In April 1983, following the departure of the lead singer, they officially became Les Thugs. The band's name refers to the historical brotherhood of the Thuggee, followers of the goddess Kali, and not directly to the English loan word thug. Eric became the lead singer and the band quickly created its own repertoire, performing its first concerts in bars in Angers and surrounding towns. In July 1984, during a concert in Juvisy, near Paris, Les Thugs met the very young independent label Gougnaf Mouvement with whom they decided to release a 45 rpm single. Frenetic Dancing, the group's first record, was released in January 1985 by Gougnaf Mouvement. This single includes two tracks Night Dance and Femme Fatale. Both were recorded in a basement in Juvisy with an 8 track tape recorder. The success of the record was well beyond the expectations of the group: the single, although limited, was internationally distributed and sold more than 3,000 copies. Response to the record in specialized fanzines was good; the group got reviews in maximumrocknroll in the United States and in Sounds in England. One hundred copies were sold in Vinyl Solution, a shop and a label in London run by two French expatriates in England. Greg Shaw, a protagonist in the Californian underground scene, put the track Femme Fatale on the Bomp! Records compilation Battle of Garage.
Les Thugs then recorded their first mini-album, Radical Hystery. They were approached by many labels such as New Rose records in France and Midnight in United States. Eventually the band chose Closer, a French independent label which was more established than Gougnaf Mouvement. The album was released in 1986 and sales were good, with 3,000 copies sold in France and 2,000 abroad.
In 1987 the band left Closer to join the English label Vinyl Solution. The seven tracks on the mini-album Electric Troubles were recorded in London in July. On November 8, during their first tour of England, they participated in John Peel's Peel Sessions on BBC Radio 1.
The year 1988 was mostly occupied by touring throughout Europe. In June their bassist Gerald left the band. He was replaced by the group's roadie, Pierre-Yves Sourice, the younger brother of Eric and Christophe. At the start of the year they released the EP Dirty White Race in Europe, and on 11 October the French quartet played in Berlin at Independence days festival. This performance brought them to the attention of the Seattle-based label Sub Pop. Later, Jonathan Poneman, founder of the label recalled
"I remember back in 1988, Bruce Pavitt and I scammed a trip to Berlin with Mudhoney, who were scheduled to play the then state-funded, now defunct Berlin Independence Days music festival. As an unofficial representative of the insurgent American Rock Underground I was pleased to note that most of the European bands that were playing this extravaganza were godawful. Wondering just how horrible it could get, I decided to go check out a French rock band for laffs. Maybe they would play some Mink DeVille covers. The band was Les Thugs and they effortlessly blew my shit away."
This meeting resulted in the signing of the group to Sub Pop, who started to distribute the band's catalog in North America. During the summer of 1989 the group performed a two-month tour in North America in precarious conditions. They played in Seattle with PIL then toured with Blood Circus in the USA then with SNFU in Canada, and with Tad in Washington. It was during this time that they crossed paths with Jello Biafra.
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Les Thugs
Les Thugs were a punk band from France. Their records are distributed in North-America by Sub Pop Records.
The founding members of Les Thugs were two brothers, Eric and Christophe Sourice, from Angers, France. The Sourice brothers were teenagers in 1977 and were influenced by the English punk wave that was sweeping through France. Without knowing how to play any instruments, the band used the DIY ethic. Their first band was founded in 1979, a group called IVG. They then played in the groups Dazibao and Stress with Gérald Chabaud, Thierry Méanard and a fifth member (Philippe Brix) as singer.
In April 1983, following the departure of the lead singer, they officially became Les Thugs. The band's name refers to the historical brotherhood of the Thuggee, followers of the goddess Kali, and not directly to the English loan word thug. Eric became the lead singer and the band quickly created its own repertoire, performing its first concerts in bars in Angers and surrounding towns. In July 1984, during a concert in Juvisy, near Paris, Les Thugs met the very young independent label Gougnaf Mouvement with whom they decided to release a 45 rpm single. Frenetic Dancing, the group's first record, was released in January 1985 by Gougnaf Mouvement. This single includes two tracks Night Dance and Femme Fatale. Both were recorded in a basement in Juvisy with an 8 track tape recorder. The success of the record was well beyond the expectations of the group: the single, although limited, was internationally distributed and sold more than 3,000 copies. Response to the record in specialized fanzines was good; the group got reviews in maximumrocknroll in the United States and in Sounds in England. One hundred copies were sold in Vinyl Solution, a shop and a label in London run by two French expatriates in England. Greg Shaw, a protagonist in the Californian underground scene, put the track Femme Fatale on the Bomp! Records compilation Battle of Garage.
Les Thugs then recorded their first mini-album, Radical Hystery. They were approached by many labels such as New Rose records in France and Midnight in United States. Eventually the band chose Closer, a French independent label which was more established than Gougnaf Mouvement. The album was released in 1986 and sales were good, with 3,000 copies sold in France and 2,000 abroad.
In 1987 the band left Closer to join the English label Vinyl Solution. The seven tracks on the mini-album Electric Troubles were recorded in London in July. On November 8, during their first tour of England, they participated in John Peel's Peel Sessions on BBC Radio 1.
The year 1988 was mostly occupied by touring throughout Europe. In June their bassist Gerald left the band. He was replaced by the group's roadie, Pierre-Yves Sourice, the younger brother of Eric and Christophe. At the start of the year they released the EP Dirty White Race in Europe, and on 11 October the French quartet played in Berlin at Independence days festival. This performance brought them to the attention of the Seattle-based label Sub Pop. Later, Jonathan Poneman, founder of the label recalled
"I remember back in 1988, Bruce Pavitt and I scammed a trip to Berlin with Mudhoney, who were scheduled to play the then state-funded, now defunct Berlin Independence Days music festival. As an unofficial representative of the insurgent American Rock Underground I was pleased to note that most of the European bands that were playing this extravaganza were godawful. Wondering just how horrible it could get, I decided to go check out a French rock band for laffs. Maybe they would play some Mink DeVille covers. The band was Les Thugs and they effortlessly blew my shit away."
This meeting resulted in the signing of the group to Sub Pop, who started to distribute the band's catalog in North America. During the summer of 1989 the group performed a two-month tour in North America in precarious conditions. They played in Seattle with PIL then toured with Blood Circus in the USA then with SNFU in Canada, and with Tad in Washington. It was during this time that they crossed paths with Jello Biafra.