Noir Désir is a French rock band from Bordeaux. During the 90s and early 2000s they were generally regarded as France's biggest rock band.
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). In 1987 they released their first album, Où veux-tu qu'je r'garde ?, however their first critical and popular success came two years later, in 1989, with their next album, Veuillez rendre l'âme (à qui elle appartient). It became recognised as one of the best French rock albums ever made, and produced a very popular 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. Their third album Du ciment sous les plaines (1991) received lack luster success in comparison to their previous album, however the next year Tostaky was released to much acclaim. In these two albums the band developed an increasingly fast, punk like sound. In 1997 their success continued with the release of 666.667 Club, and the remix album One Trip One Noise. Their most recent 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.
Incarceration Of Bertrand Cantat
In 2003, following an argument related to infidelity, Bertrand Cantat, drunk at the time, hit (19 times in all, according to prosecutors) his girlfriend Marie Trintignant, also drunk, in a hotel room in Vilnius, Lithuania. He later alleged she had fell and hit her head on the radiator, becoming unconscious, though a post-mortem examination showed she had suffered multiple head injuries. 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 court sentenced Cantat to eight years in prison after he was found guilty of murder. After a year spent in Lukiškės prison of Vilnius, he served further three 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.
Discography
Studio Albums
* Où veux tu qu'je r'garde? (1987)
* Veuillez rendre l'âme (à qui elle appartient) (1989)
* Du ciment sous les plaines (1991)
* Tostaky (1992)
* 666.667 Club (1996)
* des Visages des Figures (2001)
* Nous n'avons fait que fuir (2004)
Singles
* "Où veux-tu qu'je r'garde?" (1987)
* "Toujours être ailleurs" (1987)
* "Aux sombres héros de l'amer" (1989)
* "Les Écorchés" (1989)
* "Tostaky (le continent)" (1992)
* "Versions" (1992)
* "Lolita nie en bloc" (1993)
* "Ici Paris" (1993)
* "Marlène (live)" (1994)
* "À ton étoile" (1997)
* "L'Homme pressé" (1997)
* "One trip one noise (Treponem pal mix by Rasboras Inc)" (1998)
* "Fin de siècle (G.L.Y.O.) (Andrej mix)" (1998)
* "Le vent nous portera" (2001)
* "Lost" (2002)
* Noir Désir live (2005)
Other releases
* Dies Irae (live) (1994)
* One Trip / One Noise (1998 - remixes)
* En route pour la joie (2000 - compilation)
* Noir Désir en public (2005)
* Noir Désir en images (DVD) (2005)
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