Noir Désir

Noir Désir

Industry	Music
Founded	1980 in Bordeaux, France
Founder	Bertrand Cantat, Serge Teyssot-Gay
Defunct	2010
Fate	Disbanded
Headquarters	Bordeaux , France
Area served	France, Italy, international
Key people	Bertrand Cantat (vocals, guitar), Serge Teyssot-Gay (guitar), Frédéric Vidalenc (bass), Denis Barthe (drums), Jean-Paul Roy (bass from 1996)
Products	Music albums, live performances
Number of employees	5 (band members)
Parent	Barclay Records, Universal Music Group (label)

Noir Désir (, ) was a rock group originating from Bordeaux, France, established in 1980. The primary members consisted of Bertrand Cantat on vocals and guitar, Serge Teyssot-Gay handling guitar duties, Frédéric Vidalenc on bass, and Denis Barthe playing drums. In 1996, Jean-Paul Roy took over bass responsibilities from Vidalenc.

Throughout their career, they produced six albums, with two receiving double platinum status and three achieving gold certification within France. Their musical style significantly impacted various French artists including Cali, Louise Attaque, and Miossec. The band's well-known track, "Le vent nous portera" (2001), reached number one in Italy and climbed to third place on French charts.

Following the incarceration of Cantat for the 2003 homicide of actress Marie Trintignant, Noir Désir ceased activities. Although Cantat was released in 2007, internal disagreements led to the band’s formal dissolution in 2010.

Formation: 1980–1985

In 1980, Bertrand Cantat relocated from Normandy to Bordeaux, where he met Serge Teyssot-Gay at secondary school; Teyssot-Gay was 17 years old, while Cantat was 16. United by their enthusiasm for music—particularly bands like Led Zeppelin and the Who—they founded a band. Teyssot-Gay, who had classical guitar training, took on guitar duties, whereas Cantat assumed the role of vocalist despite lacking instrumental experience initially. During a summer break, they enlisted Denis Barthe as drummer, who learned percussion informally.

After several changes in bass players, Vincent Leriche joined the group. Early on, the band experimented with names such as "Psychoz," "6.35," "Station Désir," and eventually "Noirs Désirs" (later shortened to Noir Désir). In 1982, Teyssot-Gay and Leriche departed to create BAM (Boîte A Musique). Subsequently, Barthe and Cantat brought in bassist Frédéric Vidalenc from local act Dernier Métro and guitarist Luc Robène. Cantat briefly exited in 1983; Emmanuel Ory-Weil replaced him temporarily before becoming their manager. When Robène left in 1985, Cantat invited Teyssot-Gay back into the fold. This configuration—Cantat (vocals), Teyssot-Gay (guitar), Vidalenc (bass), Barthe (drums)—remained intact for eleven years.

Early albums: 1985–1991

With a stable lineup, the band pursued a recording contract. Their demo attracted Théo Hakola of American group Passion Fodder, who recommended them to the French label Barclay Records. Initially hesitant, Barclay opted to release a mini-album rather than a single. The label also suggested shortening their name from Noirs Désirs to Noir Désir. In 1987, they launched the mini-album Où veux tu qu'je r'garde?, which sold 5,000 copies within two months—surpassing expectations—and secured them a contract for three full albums.

Their major breakthrough arrived in 1989 with Veuillez rendre l'âme (à qui elle appartient), which earned the Bus d'Acier award recognizing the best French rock group and sold over 150,000 copies to achieve gold certification. This album is frequently regarded as one of the finest rock records produced in France and featured the successful single "Aux sombres héros de l'amer," a harmonica-led ballad that used sailors lost at sea as a metaphor for existence. Nonetheless, the band expressed frustration that many listeners overlooked the song’s underlying message and judged them solely based on this track. Subsequent releases revisited a heavier sound reminiscent of their initial mini-album, partly as a reaction to concerns about being typecast by that hit single.

Post-success: 1991–2001

The band's third studio effort, Du ciment sous les plaines (1991), introduced a more aggressive tone but was met with tepid critical reception and did not produce any singles. In May 1991, during a show in Besançon, Bertrand Cantat collapsed on stage, leading to an early end of the concert and prompting the group to pause touring until their subsequent album, Tostaky, was ready.

Recorded in London, Tostaky signaled a resurgence in both critical praise and commercial achievement, quickly earning gold certification after its release. By August 1993, The Christian Science Monitor had identified Noir Désir as France’s foremost grunge ensemble. The live album Dies Irae, released in January 1994, captured the band’s powerful stage presence. However, the demanding tour schedule took a toll on Cantat’s vocal health, necessitating surgery on his vocal cords. Following this, the band took a year-long hiatus. During this break, Cantat underwent professional voice coaching, and bassist Frédéric Vidalenc departed to explore other ventures; his place was filled by longtime associate Jean-Paul Roy. Meanwhile, guitarist Serge Teyssot-Gay utilized the downtime to produce his solo project, Silence Radio, which came out in 1996.

Maintaining their momentum, the band released 666.667 Club in December 1996, which achieved double platinum status within twelve months. In 1998, motivated by a remix of their track "," Noir Désir issued , an album comprising reinterpretations of their songs by up-and-coming artists.

Des visages des figures: 2001–2003

Their 2001 studio release, Des visages des figures, presented a more subdued sound compared to earlier albums but surpassed one million copies sold and garnered five Victoires de la Musique nominations. It won Best Rock Album and Music Video of the Year for "Le vent nous portera", which featured Manu Chao. At the awards ceremony, Cantat publicly criticized Jean-Marie Messier, CEO of Vivendi (the parent company of their label Universal), accusing him of exploiting the band’s political convictions to justify Vivendi’s corporate focus on mainstream entertainment at the expense of French culture and emerging talent. The accompanying tour for Des visages des figures consisted mainly of performances in large venues with a limited number of smaller club shows in the Middle East. In 2002, they delivered a distinctive 55-minute set at the Montpellier Radio-France festival where Cantat recited an extended poem over improvised music; this performance was later issued on CD by Éditions Verticales.

Incarceration of Bertrand Cantat: 2003–2007

In 2003, Bertrand Cantat was involved in a violent incident with his girlfriend, actress Marie Trintignant, during an altercation in Vilnius, Lithuania. She succumbed days later due to multiple head traumas. Cantat acknowledged striking her four times; prosecutors reported 19 blows. He contended that she had fallen and hit her head on a radiator, resulting in loss of consciousness. In March 2004, a Lithuanian court convicted him of manslaughter and sentenced him to eight years imprisonment. After serving one year at Lukiškės prison in Vilnius, he was transferred to a facility near Toulouse and granted parole in October 2007 upon completing half of his sentence. The conditions included mandatory psychological therapy and refraining from discussing the incident publicly through interviews or music. By July 2010, Cantat had fulfilled all terms of his sentence and restrictions were lifted.

Disbandment and final releases: 2005–2010

In September 2005, Noir Désir unveiled Noir Désir en public, an album compiling standout moments from their concluding tour, accompanied by the DVD collection Noir Désir en images, which featured live footage and music videos. Despite incarceration, lead vocalist Cantat received special authorization to contribute to both productions.

By November 2008, the group made available two complimentary songs on their official website: "Gagnants / Perdants (Bonne nuit les petits)" and a rendition of "Le Temps des cerises". They were in the process of creating a new studio album, initially slated for release in 2009 but postponed until January 2010.

On 29 November 2010, guitarist Serge Teyssot-Gay announced his departure from Noir Désir, attributing it to "emotional, human and musical differences" with Cantat. The next day, drummer Denis Barthe declared the band's definitive dissolution, expressing that continuing would be akin to "artificial respiration."

Barthe later revealed that discord stemmed from Cantat casting himself as a victim due to his past conduct and the suicide of his wife Krisztina Rády. Former members also accused Cantat of domestic abuse toward Rády. The immediate reason for Teyssot-Gay's exit was Cantat's accusation that his bandmates were dependent on his fame.

Subsequent activities

A year following their breakup, in November 2011, Noir Désir released a compilation album titled Soyons désinvoltes, n'ayons l'air de rien, showcasing their greatest hits.

On 24 January 2020, they issued Débranché, an Acoustic/Live album containing eleven live tracks recorded during concerts in Milan (2002) and Buenos Aires (1997).

Later that year, on 4 December 2020, Noir Désir introduced Integrale, an extensive 18-disc anthology featuring the previously unreleased song "Imbecile", a collaboration with Alain Bashung.

Discography

• 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)