Les Wampas

Formed in 1983, Les Wampas, who take their name from a tribe mentioned in an episode of Rahan, revolve around the eccentric and charismatic personality of Didier Chappedelaine, the band's singer, who was quickly renamed Didier Wampas.

This substitute surname was also adopted on stage by other members of the group, such as Niko Wampas (drums), and, more occasionally, Philippe Martinot – alias Philippe Wampas – one of the band's first guitarists.

Drawing inspiration from the punk wave, but also from rockabilly and "yé-yé" rock, the band released their first 7-inch single, "Dracu bop", in 1985, followed by their first album "Tutti Frutti" in 1986.

Recognised by the general public in 2004 for their participation in the Victoires de la Musique final, Les Wampas gained further media attention in 2005 thanks to their single "Chirac en prison", which was banned from broadcast.

The band, who had already made headlines two years earlier with the virulent "Manu Chao", are unparalleled in their ability to combine punk rock with absurd lyrics, which they do with determination in "Rock'n'Roll Part 9" (2006) and "Les Wampas Sont la Preuve Que Dieu Existe" (2009).

In 2014, after two solo escapades, Didier Wampas and his band returned to celebrate thirty years of their career as they should in "Les Wampas Font la Gueule".

Disregarding all conventions, the band did not take advantage of this round number to release their first compilation and waited another two years to release "Never Trust a Best-Of".

On their latest album to date, "Tempête, Tempête", 3 years after the excellent "Sauvre Le Monde", the band surrounded themselves well: Lionel Limiñana (The Limiñanas) for production, and Nicolas Quéré (The Arctic Monkeys, Delgres) for recording and mixing.