Special report

Louise attacks Brazil

Louise Attaque wind up their comeback tour in Brazil

Sao Paulo 

27/06/2005 - 

The fab four of French rock are back. In the run-up to the release of their third album in late September, Louise Attaque hit the road on a world tour that took in Russia, India and South America. The final date was in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on May 25. The foursome's pleasure in playing together again was plain to see.

It was hard to believe to begin with. After a four-year break which included the side-projects Tarmac and Ali Dragon, would Louise Attaque really want to get back together again? Of course, they had never officially split up, they'd just taken some time off to reflect on their future. "We'd decided on a break because at one point things had got too complicated," says the group's violinist Arnaud. "We felt we were being less and less creative. We had a lot of pressures coming from the outside, but also from within the group. In four years we accumulated a lot musical and life experiences. Getting back together for the third album, we benefited from those experiences. It allowed us to put the past behind us and work with a real spontaneity again." To see them happy playing together again and working well with each other, it seems the wait was worth it.

After performing to Russian and Indian audiences, the Parisian group were more than happy to find themselves in Brazil with its energetic atmosphere. The only trouble was that in Sao Paulo May is the rainy season. Torrents flow down the city's streets, and the constant thunder strikes make it feel like the end of the world. Sao Paulo is also well-known for its monumental traffic jams, and Louise Attaque almost paid the price in the hours preceding their concert. The group was stuck in a traffic jam in a minibus in the middle of the city, advancing a few metres every five minutes. Things were starting to look desperate; in the end they abandoned the minivan and walked the rest of the way under torrential rain. "That's rock'n'roll!" commented Marc Thonon, boss of their label Atmosphériques, who travelled with them to Brazil. At the same time, totally unstressed, Gaëten (lead singer) and Arnaud, were sharing their impressions of their lunchtime menu: "an excellent Jewish cuisine which made Arnaud think of his grandmother's cooking."

At 7 pm, with the concert having kicked off two hours previously, Louise Attaque finally arrived at the SESC Pompeia, a major cultural centre in a renovated factory dating from the early years of the last century. A lot of students were there, to work in the library, see films or simply to have a drink in the bar. The place they were performing at was called the Choperia, which basically means beer hall. It immediately captured Gaëten's imagination, with the exception of one detail: "We're playing in a hall with tiles on the floor, I'm not sure that's going to be good for the sound ... but apart from that, the idea of playing in a cultural centre is really great and this old factory is really beautiful. It reminds me of La Villette!" For the first time in the tour, Louise Attaque shared the bill with a young local group, Hurtmold. It really pleased the band, who in France have always promoted new talents, such as Mickey 3D. Another cause for satisfaction was the ticket price: 10 reais and 5 for students (3 and 1.5 euros). A low ticket price policy to enable the greatest number of people to see the band is something the band has always been committed to.

At nine the band finally hit the stage. The hall had filled up, which was a relief to Bruno Boulay of the Export Office of French Music in Brazil: "Honestly, I didn't think there would be so many people. But the concert was announced yesterday in a Sao Paulo city guide, and there's been word of mouth within the French community in Sao Paulo." The result was nearly a thousand people there to cheer on the Parisian band. "I never thought I'd get to see Louise Attaque here in Brazil," explained one young French expat, his voice hoarse from singing along. "I knew them when I was living in France. Tonight they've given us an amazing concert." A concert made possible thanks to the Génération Musiques programme of the Association Française d'Action Artistique, a body which promotes French culture internationally (see below).

Musically, this one and half hour set met all expectations. The sound was more dense than before, since Gaëten had swapped his acoustic guitar for an electric one, and Alex, the drummer, was using samples which created a new musical ambience. Of course, the sound remained very much rock, as did the attitude of the members on stage. Arnaud leapt about on stage to Toute cette histoire, while Robin wielded his bass in true axe-man style. The new songs were well received by the crowd, who could be attentive at times but would then go wild over classics like J't'emmène au vent, Ton Invitation or Léa. Not terribly at ease in Portuguese, Gaëten nevertheless managed an obrigado (thanks) after each song.

After the concert the band met up with the fans, who were totally under the charm of the group. The Brazilian night stretched out into the early hours of the morning. Next day, Louse Attaque left Sao Paulo for New York where they were finalising the recording of their new album. This long-awaited opus is slated for release in September. In the meantime, the band performed at the Grand Rex, Paris on June 17 and will also be doing several summer festivals. In September, they will be kicking off their tour of France. But they'll be back in Brazil before long, and for longer this time as well. Just a few months ago, it seemed like the group was over. Instead Louise Attaque have begun a new page in their history.

Olivier  Chappe

Translation : Hugo  Wilcken