Bérurier Noir and the enduring defiance of French punk rock
One nation that has always known the power of protest is France. From the bloodthirsty days of the French Revolution in 1789 to the student protests that dominated the streets of Paris in May 1968, the people of France have always shown a willingness to stand up against authoritarian regimes. It was something of an inevitability, therefore, that the nation would take to the revolutionary sounds of punk rock like a duck to water. However, nobody could have predicted the lasting political impact of punk groups like Bérurier Noir.
The exact origins of punk are endlessly debated, but the accepted view seems to be that the genre emerged from the underground clubs of New York during the early 1970s. From there, local scenes formed around places like the CBGB club and across the Atlantic at the Roxy Club in London. Despite their legendary reputations, however, these vibrant scenes burnt out very quickly as punk bands pursued various musical avenues, particularly the advent of styles like new wave, ska, and hardcore during the early 1980s.
Conversely, across mainland Europe, punk had firmly taken root, and it was not one for moving. Of all the European countries that punk managed to infiltrate, France fostered one of the most diverse and interesting scenes, ranging from the experimental punk of artists like Lizzy Mercier Descloux to the defiant anarcho-punk of Bérurier Noir. Formed by François Guillemot in 1983, Bérurier Noir quickly grew a reputation for their politically active lyrics and the riots that would often ensue after their live performances.
Much like in the United Kingdom, the punk scene of France was plagued by an infiltration of skinheads and far-right thugs masquerading as music fans. As you can imagine, these hate groups often clashed violently with the hard-left-leaning fanbase of the anarcho-punk outfit. The band gained a reputation for violence as a result, which made them the ire of the authorities and establishment, inadvertently bringing more people to their concerts in the process. Not wishing to waste this opportunity to spread a message, Guillemot wrote a plethora of groundbreaking and regrettably timeless political anthems.
One such example of this politically-conscious songwriting came with their 1985 track ‘Salut A Toi’, from the ‘Joyeux Merdier’ EP. The infectiously angsty punk track calls for brotherhood and fraternity between all walks of life and namedrops various marginalised and oppressed groups of people from around the globe. Not every Bérurier Noir track was so awash with peace and harmony, and their defining track ‘Porcherie’ called for a more hands-on, direct-action approach to the rise of far-right hatred.
“When we wrote it, the song was only partially meant to be about the rise of the far right,” Guillemot told The Guardian earlier this year, “It was more of a lament directed at the situation in the world as a whole, which to us then looked like ‘Porcherie’ (‘pigsty’) full of violence, wars and oppressions.” Nevertheless, the song became known nationwide for its era-defining lyric, ‘La jeunesse emmerde le Front national’. Roughly translating to ‘The kids say the National Front can fuck off’, in relation to the French far-right political part, the slogan is still used today to protest against the right-wing in France.
As the songwriter explained, “It really developed into a political statement at our concerts. At the time, there was a strong far-right skinhead movement, some of whom would turn up at our gigs.” However, the slogan proved itself to be adaptable to the wider rise of far-right nationalism across the nation, a problem which persists to this day. Hence, you can still find that lyric on pin badges and sprawled across placards and banners at most anti-fascist rallies in Paris, nearly four decades on from when it was first recorded.
Although Bérurier Noir officially disbanded in 1989 – before reuniting for concerts between 2003 and 2006 – their political and musical legacy will live on indefinitely. Few other punk bands, regardless of nationality, could hope to enjoy the same lasting relevance in society. It certainly makes the UK scene, populated by empty, performative politics in the shape of groups like the Sex Pistols seem incredibly quaint and superfluous in comparison.
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