The band was formed in Bordeaux in 1983 by singer Bertrand Cantat, drummer Denis Barthe, guitarist Serge Teyssot-Gay and bassist Frédéric Vidalenc (replaced in 1996 by Jean-Paul Roy). Their first album Veuillez rendre l'âme (à qui elle appartient) (1989) was recognised as one of the best French rock albums ever made, and it produced a hit single: "Aux sombres héros de l'amer", a sea-shanty-like harmonica-driven ballad that uses the metaphor of sailors "lost in the sea" to speak of the 19th century "poètes maudits" and other fellow navigators of existential emptiness.
Noir Désir became one of the most prominent rock bands in France, releasing albums every few years. Noir Désir's second album, Du ciment sous les plaines (1991), introduced punk rock elements to their sound. This continued with their next album, Tostaky (1992), which contained the hit song of the same name.
Their success continued with the release of 666.667 Club, and the remix album One Trip One Noise. Their last album, 2001's des Visages des Figures, was a slower, more ambitious affair. des Visages des Figures won the Victoires de la Musique awards as Best Rock Album of Year 2002 and Music Video of the Year for "Le Vent nous portera", in collaboration with the French artist Manu Chao. Even if their last album seemed to be the slowest one, the following gigs were huge rock shows where thousands of fans came to see the group. Moreover the last song of the album was co-written by French avant-gardist Brigitte Fontaine. In 2003, following an argument related to infidelity, Bertrand Cantat, drunk at the time, hit his girlfriend Marie Trintignant, also drunk, in a hotel room in Vilnius, Lithuania. She fell and hit her head on the radiator, becoming unconscious. Bertrand Cantat put her to bed and called her brother who was in the area. Seeing his sister in bed, he thought she was asleep and advised Cantat to wait until the morning. The following morning, Marie Trintignant was found in a coma in her bed and died a few days later. A Lithuanian judge sentenced Cantat to eight years in prison after he was found guilty of manslaughter. He served four years of his sentence in a prison near Toulouse, France, and was freed on parole on October 16, 2007.
September 2005 brought two new releases of their work. The album, Noir Désir en public, contains highlights of their last tour. The DVD set, Noir Désir en images, contains various live performances footage and videos. Special permission was obtained for the imprisoned Cantat to participate in the development of those. On the May 8, 2008, Serge Teyssot-Gay, the guitarist of the band, told a Swiss paper that the group was planning to produce a new album the following winter. It is not clear however whether or not this project would include Cantat. In November 2008 the band released two free tracks on their website, performed by the whole band (including Bertrand Cantat). The songs are "Gagnants/Perdants" and a cover of "Le temps des cerises".
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[Video]
[Discography]
Noir Desir - Où veux-tu qu'je r'garde (1987)
Noir Desir - One Trip One Noise (1998) - remixes
Noir Desir - Veuillez Rendre L'ame (à qui elle appartient) (1989)
Noir Desir - Du ciment sous les plaines (1991)
Noir Desir - Tostaky (1992)
Noir Desir - Dies Irae (1994) part1 // part2
Noir Desir - 666.667 CLUB (1992)
Noir Desir - EN ROUTE POUR LA JOIE (2000) part1 // part2
Noir Desir - DES VISAGES DES FIGURES (2001) password: MOODSWINGSmusic
Noir Desir - Live a Amneville (22.10.2002)
Noir Desir - Live a Nancy, (Mai 2002) part1 // part2
Noir Desir - Gagnants / Perdants, Le temps des cerises (2008)
source:
goodmusicbox.blogspot.com // deankorrlmusic.blogspot.com // newmoodswings.blogspot.com /
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