Wampas

The Wampas () are a group of alternative Rock French, being claimed more precisely of the movement than they name them-even Yéyé - Punk. Formed in 1983 in Parisian area , the group rests today primarily on its singer, the charismatic Didier Wampas (of its true name Didier Chappedelaine). It includes/understands also Jean-Semi (low, ex- Satellites), Phil Almosnino (guitar, ex-Dogs/Wanderers), Niko (battery) and Tony Truant (guitar, ex-Dogs).

Wampas are especially known for the texts humoristico-trash or wrongfully youthful of Didier Wampas, whom he sings of a false voice. On scene, Didier Wampas communicates his unslung energy, traversing in full concert the room, and not hesitating to go up on a chair carried by the public. This communion with the public is illustrated by the song KIS , since 2000. Often during the concerts, Didier Wampas goes down in crowd and traverses the room by kissing his public, punctuated of a “KIS” to each north wind. The public in the concerts of Wampas was caught with the play of the singer: he claims the group regularly by singing “Didier Wampas is the king”, words drawn from the song “Oï”.

Ignored a long time general public and been unaware of media of mass, Wampas one considering their notoriety to increase in 2003 after their signature with a subsidiary company of Universal. Individual the Manu Chao is then diffused on the national musical radios like Europe 2 and NRJ, and Didier Wampas on TV multiplies his interventions and with the radio. The group is named, at the time of the Victoires of the music 2004, in the category “Groups/Artiste revelation scene of the year”. Their removed from rim service this evening then enables them to be made known “general public” for which the group multiplies the appearances.

Formation and beginnings

The group is formed in 1983, with as leader and singer Didier Chappedelaine, alias Didier Wampas. The name Wampas comes from the name of a tribe in bédé the Rahan, the son of the savage ages , the tribe of the Men-Wampas, equipped with capes pointing out the wings of the bats. The influences are varied: Psychobilly with Mike Brant, while passing by Johnny Halliday, the Punk, the Beach Boys, and the Yéyé S. the group repeats in a cellar with eagerness, and leaves in 1985 its first 45 turns: Dracu Bop . The guitarist Marc surfing-rock'n'roll Organizes joined the group a little later and a new dimension brings to him. Wampas turn much, they belong to the alternate scene of the time, which includes/understands in particular Mano Negra, Washington Dead Cats, Wanderers, Coronados, Butcher's assistants, the Satellites, black Bérurier, Ludwig von 88, Parabellum, etc The first album, Tutti Frutti , leaves in 1986. It is characterized by a sound very Psychobilly with Alain Wampas with the double bass. The texts are shifted, sometimes made up only of repeated onomatopoeias all along the song ( Yeah yeah yeah! , Shala it! ). The song of Didier Wampas is overshrill, sometimes limit: that becomes the trademark of the group for all its albums. But Wampas are without complexes, they assume this atypical song. They create even a Tee-shirt carrying the inscription “ the singer of Wampas sings false (but it is done purposely) ”. It is at that time that a tough rancour towards the Washington Dead Cats appears. It appears through several songs: a bomb on Washington , Bang! Bang! Bang! (“the Washington Dead Cats which were reformed, I believe that I will cry”; this song goes back however to good later: 1998 and the album Chicoutimi ), rich people (“rich people listen to Washington”). The two groups divided the same room of repetition, and the argument would have related to a problem of material…

In the middle of the independent scene

After the exit of their first album, Wampas foam the bars and the small rooms in concert. They take part in several compilations ( Psycho attack over Europe , My big brother is a rocker ). It is the golden age of the alternative rock'n'roll, all the groups referred to above start to be made known of a more or less large public. At Wampas, the musicians ravel. Didier Wampas and Marc Police constitute the pillars of the group and write the songs. Their second album, heading Hot, Dirty and Wet , leaves in 1989. Much more Rock' roll that the precedent, it also lets foresee what will be the texts in the following albums: a mixture of poetry ( the lord is a flower ), of childhood, onomatopoeias ( Yeah Yeah ), of humor, and nonsenses ( Ver of ground ). But it is on scene that the group is made a reputation, with energetic concerts, at the time which Didier Wampas devotes himself to all kinds of eccentricities. The third album, Wampas loves you , leaves in 1990. For the first time, the group has important means for the production. The album has a good commercial potential (the alternate scene then gaining an important success near the general public), and contains good number of traditional group: Tataratatata , This evening, it is Christmas , Which joy Rock' Roll , It is easy to make fun , and especially Little girl . The video clip of this song relatively often passes on M6, and the song also appears in the film I do not embrace Andre Techine. But promotion does not follow and the album does not gain discounted success. To note, at the beginning of the album, a quotation summarizing the spirit of the group well: “The rock'n'roll, it is very at bottom”. This frame of mind is found on scene, and bears its fruits since the group attracts world now. In 1991, their round passes thus by the Printemps of Bourges , the Bataclan as well as the Japan, where they make the first part of the Mano Negra. In December 1991, Marc Police commits suicide. The group is shaken, and the years which follow are difficult, with changes in the composition of the group. The arrival of Philippe Almosnino, one of the best guitarists rock'n'roll of the Parisian scene, will consolidate the power of the formation. Philippe belonged to the legendary Parisian group Wanderers, one of the true pillars of the Rock' scene roll in France. At that time, the alternative rock'n'roll is on the decline, much from groups separate. Wampas, they, continue to play and fight to sign with a major. For the anecdote, one of the episodes of the black series the Octopus , entitled the pals of perception , is inspired much dead the guitarist Wampas.

Signature at BMG

Finally, the group concludes a contract with BMG, which enables him to leave a fourth album, Simple & Tendre in 1993. BMG offers to Wampas important means: the disc is produced by Mark Wallis (U2) and is partly recorded with the Studios Abbey Road. Marc Organizes not being to shoulder it there, it is Didier who undertakes the essence of creation of the songs. The whole of the album lets appear a greater part of poetry, the majority of the texts turning around the love or childhood. One finds in this album a good number of traditional of the group, often played in concert, such as the islands with the sun , As an angel which cries and the red boots . The group connects on a great round, with a passage to Olympia in 1993.

In 1995, Wampas record their fifth album, Trop invaluable , which leaves in May 1996. There still, BMG gives them great ways since part of the album (in particular production) is carried out with Austin (Texas). The album is very homogeneous and one finds the ingredients suitable there for Wampas: surrealist texts ( the sun , Gisele ), sad songs ( It will come ), of the merry songs ( Trop invaluable , Johnny McDonald ), of the love ( do not say to the buddies (begun again France Gall), It is the love ), of the friendship ( My amis/oh yes I love you ), of poetry…

Wampas embark then for a great world tour, with passages in Europe but also with Austin, Tōkyō and Montreal. The album live Toutafonlive , left in 1996, is the reflection of this round. Wampas play in small rooms and bars and are sometimes unknown of the public. The small pocket of Toutafonlive testifies some, since there the photograph of a posting announcing appears a concert of Wamp U S.

Return to an independent label

The contract which binds Wampas to their recording company BMG is not renewed. The group sets out again in the independent circuit and leaves its sixth album in 1998. It is entitled Chicoutimi (name of a Canadian city in which Wampas played). The tackled subjects are eclectic, energy of the mother ratios/wire ( My mother returns insane to me) with the group Toto ( Toto ) while passing through the cyclist Laurent Jalabert ( Jalabert ) and the singer of It was once, Joelle . One notes also many winks with groups resulting from the same scene and from now on disappeared ( I will always love you , Oï (which refers to the song " specifically; Béruriers are the rois" Black Bérurier), Bang! Bang! Bang! ), leaving Wampas only surviving.

In 2000 leaves the seventh album the group, sobrement entitled KIS . Even if the group forever ceased evolving/moving since its beginnings, the difference is rather outstanding here because this album lorgne sometimes on the side of the Pixies. On the small pocket, a made up Didier carries glasses 3D acquired at the time of a concert of the group KIS, from where the title of the album. At the time of the round which follows, the song KIS , interpreted at the end in the concert serves as a pretext for Didier to embrace all those and those which want it well, by punctuating the kisses of “KIS! ”. It is noted that in messages placed at the beginning and the end of the disc, the group car-proclaims Inventeur Rock' Roll . Nostalgia and the love seem to be the main themes of the album, in particular in the songs I met Marilou , I swallowed a fly , DW , Like punk in winter .

Recognition of the general public

In February 2003, Wampas leave their eighth album, with a title with extension: Never trust has Guy who after having been has punk, is now playing electro . It is about a wink with BenSam, former bass player of the group which was directed towards the electronic music. The album leaves on Atmosphériques, a label of Universal. Blow, Manu Chao , the individual extracts from the album, is supported by a valid promotion and meets a business success. One can truly speak about revelation to the general public, twenty years after the creation of the group. It is surely what is worth in Wampas to be nominated with the Victoires of the music in the category “revelation of the year”. They lose vis-a-vis Kyo but are noticed for their boosted scenic service. This one starts indeed with a Didier descending the steps by shouting “Wampas do not like the others, they do not like Kyo, and they do not like the rotted variety”; the singer does not calm himself during the remainder of the song. The group also makes at the summer the 2003 majority of the great estival festivals like the Vieilles Plow, the Vaches with the gallo or the Eurockéennes.

The album itself is more traditional than KIS , punk and humorous: Like a Kenyan , Country in Croatia (in which they scoff the progressive rock group Genesis), Chocorêve , the tactile aquarium . The round which follows is recorded and leaves in 2004 in the form an album live ( Never trust has live ) and a DVD ( Never trust has DVD ).

At the time of the live exit of the album, the group also leaves simple: a Taken again of Patrick Juvet: Where is the women? . Wampas connect then on a round of some dates in India. David Vallet carries out documentary on the group, heading For the Rock , which is diffused in a confidential way.

Today

The last album Rock' Roll Part 9 left in spring 2006, a limited series being accompanied by a DVD Psychomovie which reports the recording of the album.

In February 2007, Philippe Martinot, guitarist of Wampas in 1984-85 publishes under the pseudonym of Philippe Wampas, the Dictionary bordelic of Wampas (Except Collection), an enamelled random biography of anecdotes, reports and interviews, illustrated new photographs.

Didier Wampas took part in the last album of Indo-China , on the song Harry Poppers of which he wrote the text and on which he sings in duet with Nicola Sirkis .

In 2007, Wampas belong to the 10 preselected to represent France with the Eurovision, and record a piece for the occasion, Faut to vote for us . But they are eliminated with the first turn of the election of the French representative, with the profit of a group with which they divided several scenes of festivals, Fatal Picardy the.

Wampas For the rock'n'roll 2: The doors of the future of David Vallet (who had produced the first shutter) left in 2007

Polemics around Wampas

Individual, Chirac in prison , created a polemic, the television channels and many radios refusing to diffuse it. However, Oüi FM (radio operator rock'n'roll Parisian) diffuses it regularly and the public radio Mouv' diffuses it also from time to time. In addition, the Puppets of information carried out a noticed adaptation. Besides the group acknowledges to have launched this song to test the capacity of Autocensure French audio-visual mediums.

The most notable reaction was that of François Goulard, mayor of Vannes and Ministre for the Higher education, which tried to make prohibit the concert of the group envisaged in its city, but could not that to requisition the young militants of the UMP to make tear off the posters (see the video interview of Didier Wampas)

Discography

  • Vidéos :

    • Never trust has DVD! (2004 - concert)
    • For the rock'n'roll (2005 - documentary)
    • Psychomovie (2006 - documentary on the design of Rock' Roll 9 Does not leave, in limited edition with the album)
    • For the rock'n'roll 2: Doors of the future (2007 - documentary 2:00 + 30 minutes of no-claims bonus)

  • Individual, 45 turns and maxis:

    • Dracu Bop (1985)
    • I left my country (1988)
    • Touche wee (1988)
    • Little girl (1990)
    • the purple costume (1991)
    • As an angel (which cries) (1992)
    • the red boots (1992)
    • the islands with the sun (los) (1993)
    • It is the love (1996)
    • Trop invaluable (1996)
    • My mother returns to me insane (1998)
    • I swallowed a fly (2000)
    • I coils you (2000)
    • Manu Chao (2003)
    • I gave you my life (2003)
    • Where are the women? (2003)
    • Chirac in prison (2006)
    • Rimini (2006)
    • Is necessary to vote for us (2007)

  • Homage

    • Tribute to Wampas (2006)

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