h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Les Thugs were great!
Beefy songs, tight as hell..... nice!

ABSOF*CKINGLUTELY! And I'm overjoyed you like them too!

I used to manage another very good band called Mad Monster Party and their records were released on a label called "Black & Noir" ran by Les Thugs singer. MMP's first LP (recorded in Huddersfield!) was also produced by Les Thugs drummer. I know the guys pretty well and unlike some bands mentioned earlier on this page, they are also kings of the anti-bighead league.

They were also friends with loads of incredibly good international bands (most of them finished now)such as the Cateran, Mega City 4, Hard Ons, etc.

These guys have really toured the world (in small/medium venues, squatts, support acts, festivals...) and that's including UK and US (supporting PIL) which is most unsual for a French band.

VIVE LES THUGS!!!

*just about reading the backlog but throwing some names in* For Mano Chao - anybody knows Mano Negra? And, for music from France... *still and ever adoring them* Berurier Noir???? Do they still play? They always neglected to play in Germany, unfortunatly...

... and hey... I still own a single of Oberkampf... French bands used to have creepy names in the 80s...

Love my profile on the Punk Page I couldn't have done a better job myself! Although saying I'm mates with the cream of Italian punk is a bit of a stretch (hey, leave it anyway! Positive thinking! It'll come true! Soon! Like, tonight!!!)

Manu Chao is now huge internationally for his world music type stuff. La Mano Negra (eclectic lively rebel band) was his but is long finished. His previous band was more rock and called the Hot Pants.

Béruriers Noirs have completely disappeared since the mid/late 80's. I believe they got p*ssed off being successful (they never intended to be in the first place).

Oberkampf were a very good early punk rock band in the late 70's or very early 80's. Their stuff's been forgotten, so have they. There were rumours at the time that they were not doing too well with coping with their class A drugs consumption.

The reference in current French punk rock is Burning Heads but I think they've gone reggae.

Does anyone remember a MAG-NI-FI-CENT Germany-based French band called the Viet Nam Veterans who used to do in 60's punk revival? These guys were worlwide class gear and never made it to fame (not even in France or Germany!) just because they were doing this before the 1980's 60's revival trend had even started. I suppose War Veterans are bound to losers fates...


PS: While typing this, I'm listening to a Woody Guthrie anthology album. Talk about angry rebels...

Skugga,
Bet your Oberkampf single is called "Couleurs sur Paris".

How did you know?

That was a bloody good single at the time. It hasn't aged very well though... You can hear more there: http://www.oberkampf.net/
I wouldn't bother listening to their ex-singer's efforts if I were you...

About Les Thugs, I also found something there: http://www.subpop.com
but there's nothing to listen to, just a bit of literature. Caution: they are registered under L in alphabetical lists. I found a better place (still throug subpop)but, for some reason, the direct link doesn't work from here and takes you to the previous site. However it may be worth trying this on your favourite search engine: www.subpop.com/bands/lesthugs/lesthugs/html
This one has song extracts for those who don't know the band.

Any links to your favourite combos people?

Hello peeps,

Gig night was great, met a lot of people there and had the distinct impression that half the boys fancied the pants off me, which is always a very good feeling, innit?

Didn't get a snog but I'm fine, cheers The music was also very good. They played "Blitzkrieg Bop" among others, as well as the usual Vines/Strokes/Interpol material. I just don't understand why they never play TARM, I mean, they got started playing at that club, it's unfair to snub their music just cos they've made it big nationally.

Mind you, their bass player is often in attendance, so maybe they don't want to give him too much of an ego boost; he's such a sweet bloke that I can't see that going to his head.

(Rambled on a bit... normal service will be restored soon.)

U lot make me feel very closed to the world of punk, i must have a lot to learn.
I'm listening to a lot of nofx, antiflag, agnostic front, no use for a name, minor threat etc.
Now i think about it maybe i just don't know enough about european punk?

Oh no, not really. I'm more of a punk in spirit than discography! And anyway, we all have a lot to learn, so much music around, so little money to buy it all...

exactly, i really should get a job sometime. punk is more about the spirit i think, the music is awesome tho.

There's a lot of USA stuff I've never heard .... although I'm slowly tracking down.

i listen to mostly american and australian stuff.

I'm very much into the local scene, altough they have the annoying tendency to sing in bogus English, when good Italian would do perfectly well (speaking as a former lyricist, I know a thing or two about that ).

Have not got any recent Aussie stuff but have a killer compilation of Oz garage bands from '74-'86:- New Christs, Lime Spiders, Radio Birdman etc

The only recent Aussie punk stuff I've got is the Vines. I always loved Radio Birdman, as well as Suicide Squad, the Saints, and X. Superdogmonkey, that compilation you've got sounds like something I'd like- do you think I'd be able to locate a copy, or is it a very obscure sort of release?

I went to a small gig over the weekend as well. A friend and I went to see her former boyfriend's band play, and it was an awesome show! There wasn't any moshing, owing perhaps to the fact that the audience consisted mainly of friends of the band, all of us over 30 (just let me sit and drink my beer and blow my eardrums out in peace!)... but I haven't had that much fun in ages!

* @ Chan-Mick* Great!!!

The Vines are brilliant