Raucous French punk band Les Lullies plays Bay Area shows
Rising French punk quartet Les Lullies make an anticipated return to the Bay Area this week, playing three shows in San Jose, Santa Cruz and Oakland.
Formed in Montpellier by vocalists/guitarists François Bérard and Roméo Lachasseigne, bassist Thibault Sonet and drummer Manuel Monnier in 2016, the band bashes out a fervent mix of raw early punk -- drawing influence from both American bands (The Ramones, The Real Kids) and Normandy scene French punk groups like Dogs and Fixed Up -- as well as hooky power pop. They recorded their first EP Don't Look Twice for Slovenly Records the following year, quickly establishing themselves as a live force to be reckoned with.
The band followed with their self-titled debut in 2018, appearing at the Slovenly-affiliated Debauch-A-Reno festival in 2019 and touring the U.S. extensively. Already a fan favorite thanks to their unhinged stage performances, the album showcased the band's knack for writing tuneful blasts of punk. While the pandemic would curtail Les Lullies penchant for living on the road, the time at home provided ample chance to write new material.
While their earlier recordings had captured the band quick and dirty in their rawest form, for their sophomore effort, Les Lullies spent several months at Château Vergogne with noted engineer Maxime Smadja for their latest effort Mauvaise Foi (translation: "Bad Faith"). Singing in their native language for the first time on record, the band embraced a more refined sonic palette without sacrificing any of their frenetic energy, making their latest a melodic, two-fisted punk triumph.
The group traveled to Mexico for Slovenly's We're Loud Fest in Puerto Escondido last month with SF garage-rock heroes the Mummies, Mexian garage-punk trio Los Explosivos and many more before embarking on a wider North American tour that comes to the Bay Area this week. Les Lullies headline the Ritz in San Jose Wednesday night with local support from SF's Fuzz Attack and Sacramento band Problem Plays. The tour lingers in the south, stopping at the Crepe Place in Santa Cruz Thursday with SF group Tess & the Details and Gun Club tribute band Death Party before coming to Thee Stork Club in Oakland Friday with San Francisco punks The Circulators and fellow Slovenly band Control Freaks, the latest project led by guitarist Greg Lowery (Supercharger, The Rip Offs, The Zodiac Killers).
Les Lullies
Wednesday, March 6, 7 p.m. $17-$20
The Ritz
Thursday, March 7, 8 p.m. $10
The Crepe Place
Friday, March 8, 8 p.m. $12-$15
Thee Stork Club