A wonderful comic strip tracing the history of French alternative rock in the 1980s

Through multiple perspectives, this documentary album narrates the history of French punk rock through the voices of those who lived and supported this youth movement for a decade. The drawing, meticulous and inventive, perfectly serves this story that builds excitement on every page.

“It is not easy to tell and draw a story ‘Hexagonal free rock From the eighties“, remarks Laurent de Perurier Noir in the introduction to this wonderful album, and “And less than that to make the soul perceptible.” For a rebellious young man in turmoil who wanted “Building another world“.

It was difficult, but Arnaud Le Gueflic (screenplay) and Nicolas Moog (drawing) did it. And they do it so well that this comic is a veritable document of a decade of the French alternative rock scene, as rich as a 300-page book.

Doc, because Live Free or Die – Punk and alternative rock in France 1981-1989 He gives voice to countless actors in this movement, from Didier Wambas to OTH’s Spey, from Jean-Yves Bérurier, founder of Bondage Records, to Marceau, director of Bérurier Noir, including writer-director Virginie Despentes, and documentary filmmaker and journalist David. Dufresne, Eric Debris from Metal Urbain, Olivier from Sheriff, or Eric Sourice from Thugs. Everyone digs into their memories here to tell this vivid story.

The genesis, coming, and end of the pioneering group form the common thread of this historical choral story. But the authors give the whole scene plenty of room to breathe – the Camera of Selins, the Cabots, Les Colabuses, Cochise, and the Trotskyists are mentioned here, in the same way as the most famous OTH, Ludwig von 88, Parabellum, Garçon Boucher, Negresis. Vertes or mano negra.

A choral story in hindsight

It is an interesting and necessary story because all those who express themselves here do so with hindsight, without ever falling into the frills that the nostalgic and selective memory of a bygone youth sometimes leads to.

So this shocking and very honest note from Olivier de Chérif: “The ’80s are corrupt, you know. No equipment, fights… I don’t know if I’m rebuilding memory or not… just bullshit. But it was the life we ​​wanted“.

Beneath the creative self-determination of this idealistic youth in rupture were also drugs, alcohol and decline, and some paid dearly, sometimes with their lives. ““A lot of groups were doing heroin and we couldn’t afford that.”He remembers Laurent from Bérurier Noir. ““In the Peruvian team, we did not take any drugs before playing, nothing, not even a drop of alcohol.”

One thing is for sure, punk was more than just music to all of them. A political line of conduct as much as an artistic one, a do-it-yourself philosophy. Furthermore it, “Alternative, that doesn’t mean much. (…) It is a word invented to name something that we did not know exactly what it was.”“, confirms Eric Sores of the thugs.”Alternative rock is the English equivalent of rock music, the thing that explodes and blows everything up.Marceau adds. Whatever you call it, this scene asked nothing of anyone and cultivated a fierce independence.

The idea was to do everything yourself. “No labels? We have prepared labels. No rooms? We play squat. Does the media talk about what you do? “We make fans.”, sums up Jean-Yves Prior. To protect themselves from violent gangs, the Perots have also created their own security apparatus, specifically monitoring outward signs of racism or association with the far right. Later, Laurent regrets “let him go” of damaged mouse at this level. The rise of the National Front, as well as the March for Equality and Anti-Racism (known as the “March of the Arabs”), and the death of Malik Oskin: Arnaud Le Guevlecq and Nicolas Moog regularly recall the social and political context.

A lively, precise line that says a lot with a little

In this x-ray of alternative movement, the woman’s position is not forgotten. Attest to the Tets family, whose participation contributed greatly to the brilliance of Berus’ concerts and to introducing girls to this rebellious group. “In punk music, women (…) can leave the role of the main pin and develop their masculine sideMisti confirms. In the dance, I released my hatred and anger.”

For her part, Virginie Despentes remembers Les Titis as “ “Important and crucial numbers”but were also distinguished by writing in the particular style of this scene, citing in particular the texts of Géant vert, Tai-Luc from La Souris Déglingué, Spi d’OTH or Vérole des Cadavres.

This album is bold, energetic and successful, and it’s also so because of its graphics that make every page exciting. With his bold and precise black line, Nicholas Moog cultivates a strict but playful sobriety, multiplying the mischievous details, the winks (after Capo, after Fred…), charitable caricatures and graphic discoveries that burst the boxes with glee. In perfect accord with its subject, it does and says much with great economy of means.

Very complete, this comic book that begins with the first punk wave, at the end of the 1970s, concludes with the post-Birus period, with a gallery of typical images “What have they become?“, and their discography has been commented on. Punk is “The pop culture virus that reactivates every time it descends into the world of entertainment“If this definition at the beginning of the book is correct, the next wave will come soon.

“Live Free or Die – Punk and Alternative Rock in France 1981/1989” by Arnaud Le Guevlecq and Nicolas Moog (Glinat, 22.50 minutes) €)