Dirty
Hands
This article originally appeared in NFH #22 in
the winter of 1992.
It probably wouldn't
be too much of a stretch to say that Dirty Hands are the best band on France's Black and
Noir label. Right from the start they showed a powerful, well directed sound fueled by
droning walls of guitars. Their songs have more sophisticated construction than usual for
this sort of music, with numerous tempo changes and shifts of mood. Check out "Wanna
Be" from The Violence Inherent In The System compilation for a taste, which
starts with a seductive intro built around a slithery bass line, and then builds in
several steps to a pounding chorus, after which it drops back down and repeats the
pattern.
The Dirty Hands
started to play together in the middle of 1989 playing in their bedrooms with just two
guitars and bass, no drums. Later in the year they met Patrice, who became their drummer
and began writing songs. By September they had their first live gig, with Les Thugs, the
Mega City Four and the Doughboys...a pretty great bill to break in on! They began frequent
gigging in 1990. Although they are a fairly new band, the members have previous
experience, which explains why they have come so far so fast. Guitar players Doume and
Gilles both played in the outstanding French bands Les Noodles, who had a tougher sound
influenced by Australian bands like the New Christs or Radio Birdman (track down their Dirty
Soul lp on Gougnaf Movement Records). Patrice had played in a group called Seconde
Chambre, which could be described as a cross between the Velvet Underground and Robert
Fripp. The members describe their interests as very broad, covering all periods of rock
and roll, but especially the Doors, the Beatles, the Buzzcocks and most recently, Fugazi.
In France today they go for Les Thugs and Davy Jones Locker, while in the US they like the
last Nirvana lp and Mudhoney.
They sent a demo they
made to Black and Noir and were signed for a single in January of 1990, which was the
"Gimme Love"/"Suicide" 45. This single was OK, but the lp that
followed in November was a real step up with a much bigger and stronger sound. The record
didn't sell that well because of shakey distribution, but did get solid reviews, including
one in Metal Hammer, of all places.
The lps have made
gigging easier if nothing else, although still primarily in Europe, where they do pub
shows and some larger shows. Playing in England is difficult even though it's a short hop
cross channel; the English don't seem to believe that French music can be valid. The
hassle of trying makes it hardly seem worthwhile; one time they set up a single gig in
London and when they went to cross the channel the ferry company was about to go on
strike. As the band debated what to do, the situation changed several times, going, not
going, going, not going. Finally they booked a later boat with a different company and
just made it to the gig on time. But hardly anybody showed up, and they weren't paid
anything for their troubles. "This is England!", says Doume.
But in Holland,
Switzerland and other European countries there is better acceptance. The French scene
seems to be changing now; the great rock and roll bands of the late 80s that were
influenced by late 70s punk and the Australian scene are giving way to a newer generation
of bands that are more organized and more professional in the way of playing and promoting
themselves. There's also a lot more variety in the sounds of the bands. But still, Doume
says, "Rock music is new for Frenchies. It's only in the beginning of the 80s that we
started getting rock bands in France, so for a lot of people rock music is from the USA or
England but not from France. So it's very hard for French bands to play in France in good
conditions. People don't believe in you unless you sing in French like Maruice Chevalier.
For rock bands, the problem is to have enough self confidence and be strong enough in the
head to be able to say: fuck everybody! We are a band and we play! That's why Les Thugs
made it and it's a good way. Les Thugs showed that it's possible to play everywhere and be
famous and honest even if you are on a little label playing loud and French!"
The Dirty Hands have
a new lp out now, entitled Letters For Kings. Like the Lost In Heaven lp
before it, it was produced by Les Thugs drummer Christophe Sourice and recorded in
Huddersfield, England. It shows the band stretching even more away from the Noodles type
of rock and roll, with much moodier and darker sounding songs. They've been touring
heavily in Europe to support it and they're already writing for a new lp that they hope to
record in 1993. "After that", says Doume, "a lot of questions. Is it good
to be a baker if you sell no bread? Perhaps the easiest answer is no, but I think we will
say yes! It's crazy, OK, but we need something crazy in this boring world. This is the
spirit of life and we need it. How can all the people explain their exciting life with
their ass in a chair looking at the TV? This is incredible. That's why we say to them, OK,
no bread for you!".
