Music like Bérurier Noir

Bérurier noir is a French punk band formed in Paris in 1983 by Laurent "Loran" Katrakazos (guitar), François Guillemot (vocals) and Dédé (drum machine). They called themselves "noir" (black) for the color of mourning (because their first concert was planned to be also their last) and for anarchy and "Bérurier" after the character from the novels of Frédéric Dard. Instead of being an end, the success of their first show inspired them to continue. A cult band, Bérurier Noir were loved by a generation of youth and feared by concert organisers for the riots that followed their shows.

On the one hand, Bérurier Noir's songs were clearly derived from British punk rock as far as music and lyrics were concerned. Most of their songs were short, aggressive and usually based on a couple of basic power chords. Their lyrics reflected the typical concerns of punks such as the rejection of consumerism, politics and traditional social order and the anger felt by disaffected youth, tramps and outsiders in general. On the other, they added some interesting innovations. Their rhythm section consisted of a drum machine. The frequent use of a saxophone as of the mid-1980s also set them apart from most other punk rock bands.