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Mud, pop and alternative french rock
Les Têtes Raides and Tahiti 80 at Bourges
Bourges
20/04/2001 -
Splashing through the muddy festival-ground in Bourges, it's interesting to note that the association responsible for organising the annual "PdB" event was originally called "Ecoute s'il pleut" (Listen to the Rain!) And when you announce you're off to Bourges for the first time the first thing any seasoned festival-goer will tell you is: "Don't forget to pack your wellies!"» First-time festival-goers would do well to heed this particular piece of advice. By the second day of "PdB" most paths have turned into slushy walkways and mud-spattered music fans are sliding their way from one gig to the next. But, let's face it, mud has been an integral part of music festivals since Woodstock days and the crowd at Bourges (90% of whom are under 35)* don't give a damn about "la boue!"
Slipping and sliding our way across the fields we make our way to the musicians' tent where we huddle up with two drenched but smiling figures - Christian and Grégoire (aka Iso) from alternative French rock band Les Têtes Raides. The 7-piece band are renowned for their authentic guitar-led sound and their non-conformist approach. And, as we sit warming our hands round mugs of coffee, the conversation inevitably turns to the group's recent appearance at the "Victoires de la musique" awards (broadcast live on French TV).
Never a band enamoured of TV chit-chat and media hype, Les Têtes Raides spent much of the evening gritting their teeth. "The only thing that interested us," admits Christian, "was reaching a new audience. We were playing live to viewers who didn't necessarily know who we were. But the only way to get through the awards ceremony itself was to take a big dose of aspirin beforehand!"
Les Têtes Raides have not always enjoyed an easy relationship with the national media. "We've been thrown off TV sets more than once," says Christian, "Back in '95, for example, we were meant to be performing on a TV tribute to Piaf. We got through the rehearsals and everything and then someone came up, tapped us on the shoulder and asked us to leave. It was obvious we didn't fit in – we were like Martians compared to the other groups appearing on the show!
"They thought we were a bunch of provincials," mutters Iso, "and you know what? They were right!"«We've been the way we are for 15 years," declares Christian, "so we're not about to change anything now! What counts for us is the people who turn up to see us live in concert. They come along to the shows because they want to hear the music, not because they've seen us on TV. And, frankly, we find that's a lot more healthy!"
Call them a bunch of alternatives, but Les Têtes Raides are into the idea of sharing the spotlight with other musicians rather than hogging it all for themselves. "We've always been open to dialogue and musical exchange," explains Christian, "In fact, it's something that's very much part of our daily lives. We're always hooking up with other groups like Les Casse Pipe and Noir Désir or working with solo artists like Jean Corti and Yann Tiersen. It's always positive to get feedback from other musicians or other people in general."
Iso points out that ever since Les Têtes Raides first appeared at Bourges (back in 1989 when they came to sell their first album themselves!), the group have always invited guest stars up on stage with them. Yann Tiersen preceded the group up on stage that first night and Iso remembers the impact of their famous encounter backstage. "It's not something you can put into words really. It's just a buzz that happens between you. That's the way music is. It's brilliant working with Yann. You never have to ask questions or explain anything. There's an instant understanding between us. And the great thing about working with other people is that it makes you rethink your own musical approach!"
While Iso's musing about different styles and musical approaches, his brain is ticking over with a long list of tour dates. In fact, this man is a walking encyclopaedia of Têtes Raides memorabilia and, as long-term fans of the group know, he likes to reel tour dates off at the end of each concert, pointing out that the group have appeared at the PdB "five times since 1989!" Les Têtes Raides are slightly cynical about how Bourges has evolved over the years, however. "Music festivals should be a pure celebration of music," they complain, "But the problem with Bourges these days is that it's lost touch with that philosophy. The way things are going now it could well end up being an event for journalists and industry professionals - and that's not what music's about!" 
Bourges being Bourges, there's always room for both ends of the musical spectrum so, after enjoying a musical coffee-break with Christian and Iso, we stomped off across the fields to find out more about up-and-coming French pop outfit Tahiti 80. The group were rushing straight from their soundcheck to a press conference, but we managed to corner drummer Sylvain Marchand and bass-player Pedro Resende in a dark corner of the Natural History Museum and got the low-down on the hot new popstars from Rouen.
Less than two years after the release of their debut album Puzzle (released on Atmosphériques/Trema/Sony), the Rouen four-piece have sold a staggering 120,000 copies in Japan and earned themselves a coveted gold disc in the process! What's more, the band are hot back from their first tour of the U.S. Passionate fans of 60s groups such as the Byrds, the Beatles and the Kinks, Tahiti 80 play a mix of snappy pop melodies and upbeat lyrics - sung entirely in English!
Owing to their success on the export market, Tahiti 80 are often lumped in with the "French Touch" crew. But while drummer Sylvain recognises that "to some extent we've followed the path opened up by electro stars like Air and Daft Punk, the group's bass-player Pedro is at pains to point out that Tahiti 80 "stand out from that crowd because our style's so Anglo-saxon!»
The group's record label obviously had their sights set on export sales when they snapped up Tahiti 80 in any case. "It's true that when we started out our label never really considered promoting us in France," says Sylvain. "They knew it would be really tough for us to break through here!" The group insisted on keeping their Anglo-saxon sound however. Indeed, Pedro insists that "it's important to show that French groups are capable of coming up with something other than French 'chanson'! 
The fact that Tahiti 80 sing in English will obviously be a major advantage when the group's album is released in the UK at the end of May. The group see this cross-Channel experience as a 'symbolic' step forward in their career and point out they've already scored two single hits in the British charts. Tahiti 80 are rather less optimistic about their chances in the States, however. "Things are really complicated over there," says Sylvain, "The American market is really huge and you have to promote your album non-stop for it to have any chance of taking off at all!"
Now they've made it big in Japan and have their sights firmly set on conquering the UK and the US, do Tahiti 80 ever think about getting things going in France? "Euuuh… , stutters Pedro, sounding decidedly less motivated all of a sudden, "Well, we'd obviously like a bit of recognition back home. It would be good to play a few gigs over here. Yes, I guess the next step is France …" he says, sounding far from convinced.
"Maybe we have to go through a rite of passage abroad before we can be credible in France?" wonders Sylvain, "The problem is that with the quota system imposed on French radio stations we end up having to compete with Anglo-saxon groups for airplay. There's a lot less chance of getting our music played on French radio because we sing in English!"
Interestingly enough, Tahiti 80s appearance at Bourges was programmed as part of an Anglo-saxon night, where the band shared the stage with the likes of Muse and Divine Comedy. But maybe Tahiti 80 have more chance of striking a chord with the French public than they think. In any case, when the group took to the stage the other night the pop foursome (and especially Pedro) attracted their own share of groupies!
Joined on stage by a musician friend who alternated between trumpet and synth, the Rouen popsters played a fresh, upbeat set at Bourges, beneath a barrage of flashing psychedelic lights. In fact, the live version of Tahiti 80's electro-pop songs were generally much stronger on stage than the studio versions presented on the group's syrupy album. And when the group launched into the opening bars of their hit Heartbeat a buzz of recognition finally went through the audience. Towards the end of their (hitherto rather flat) set Tahiti 80 actually managed to whip up a good deal of enthusiasm in the crowd. In fact, as they trooped off stage, there was even a general clamour for an encore!
Catherine Pouplain
*(according to a 1997 survey carried out by "PdB" and the local student community)
