Barking Dogs (French)
Encyclopedia
The Barking Dogs is an Anglo
-French
alternative rock
band
formed in Paris
in 1988 and separated at the end of 1996.
The musical style of the band, an eclectic mix of fast energetic rock, folk and ska sung in English and French, sounded like the Pogues
trying to be the Clash
with moments of Tom Waits
, Madness
, Jacques Brel
and Taraf de Haïdouks thrown in for good measure. In the final years of the band some electronic, sampling and dub elements were added.
Although apolitical they played a number of benefit gigs for anti-racism and charity causes.
The strength of the Barking Dogs was their live performances where direct interaction with the audience and humour were an essential part of the show. The between-song banter sometimes lasted longer than the songs themselves.
The instruments played were guitar, double bass, electric bass, drums, Roland SDP11, mandolin, violin, accordion, trumpet, saxophone, penny whistle, harmonica, casio SA-5, vacuum cleaner.
, before rapidly widening their repertoire to include their own compositions and covers of songs by Tom Waits, the Pogues, Motorhead and Jacques Brel.
At that time Paris was in the midst of the French alternative rock movement and live music bars were plentiful and Busking
was more-or-less tolerated.
1989 saw the addition of a double-bass player and the first of many trips around Europe, travelling by train, playing in the street and in bars and staying either in cheap hotels or with local people.
The band's line-up changed gradually over the next 8 years, with musicians from the UK, France, the USA and Germany.
They recorded a never-released album in Switzerland in 1990 with sound engineer Martin Pearson.
The first real album Une nuit tranquille chez les Barking Dogs (A quiet night in with the Barking Dogs) was recorded in just 3 long nights in 1991 at the legendary Mix-It Studio in Paris. This album saw the addition of a drummer and a trumpet player making the band a 5-piece.
The band set up its own publishing company Woof Trade Publishing Limited which was taken over by the band's co-manager, when the band split, and became WTPL.
The second album Bark is considered to be most typical of the band's style. It was recorded in Switzerland and released in 1993.
A live album recorded in Paris was released in 1994.
The 4th album Spasm was released in 1996 and was a considerable change in style as the arrival of new musicians brought with it a new palette of musical influences, notably electronic music, particularly drum & bass and eastern influences from Arabic and Indian styles.
The band split at the end of 1996.
10 years later, in 2006, the Japanese label Galactic released an Early Years CD with the first two albums packaged together, and a vinyl single, the first in the band's history.
The band has played in France, England, Ireland, Spain, Belgium, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Italy.
Some live video clips of various quality are now on You Tube!
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
-French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
formed in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in 1988 and separated at the end of 1996.
The musical style of the band, an eclectic mix of fast energetic rock, folk and ska sung in English and French, sounded like the Pogues
The Pogues
The Pogues are a Celtic punk band, formed in 1982 and fronted by Shane MacGowan. The band reached international prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. MacGowan left the band in 1991 due to drinking problems but the band continued first with Joe Strummer and then with Spider Stacy on vocals before...
trying to be the Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
with moments of Tom Waits
Tom Waits
Thomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."...
, Madness
Madness (band)
In 1979, the band recorded the Lee Thompson composition "The Prince". The song, like the band's name, paid homage to their idol, Prince Buster. The song was released through 2 Tone Records, the label of The Specials founder Jerry Dammers. The song was a surprise hit, peaking in the UK music charts...
, Jacques Brel
Jacques Brel
Jacques Brel was a Belgian singer-songwriter who composed and performed literate, thoughtful, and theatrical songs that generated a large, devoted following in France initially, and later throughout the world. He was widely considered a master of the modern chanson...
and Taraf de Haïdouks thrown in for good measure. In the final years of the band some electronic, sampling and dub elements were added.
Although apolitical they played a number of benefit gigs for anti-racism and charity causes.
The strength of the Barking Dogs was their live performances where direct interaction with the audience and humour were an essential part of the show. The between-song banter sometimes lasted longer than the songs themselves.
The instruments played were guitar, double bass, electric bass, drums, Roland SDP11, mandolin, violin, accordion, trumpet, saxophone, penny whistle, harmonica, casio SA-5, vacuum cleaner.
History
The band was formed by 3 Englishmen in Paris at the end of 1988 and played mostly covers of country and Irish traditional tunes in the Paris MétroParis Métro
The Paris Métro or Métropolitain is the rapid transit metro system in Paris, France. It has become a symbol of the city, noted for its density within the city limits and its uniform architecture influenced by Art Nouveau. The network's sixteen lines are mostly underground and run to 214 km ...
, before rapidly widening their repertoire to include their own compositions and covers of songs by Tom Waits, the Pogues, Motorhead and Jacques Brel.
At that time Paris was in the midst of the French alternative rock movement and live music bars were plentiful and Busking
Busking
Street performance or busking is the practice of performing in public places, for gratuities, which are generally in the form of money and edibles...
was more-or-less tolerated.
1989 saw the addition of a double-bass player and the first of many trips around Europe, travelling by train, playing in the street and in bars and staying either in cheap hotels or with local people.
The band's line-up changed gradually over the next 8 years, with musicians from the UK, France, the USA and Germany.
They recorded a never-released album in Switzerland in 1990 with sound engineer Martin Pearson.
The first real album Une nuit tranquille chez les Barking Dogs (A quiet night in with the Barking Dogs) was recorded in just 3 long nights in 1991 at the legendary Mix-It Studio in Paris. This album saw the addition of a drummer and a trumpet player making the band a 5-piece.
The band set up its own publishing company Woof Trade Publishing Limited which was taken over by the band's co-manager, when the band split, and became WTPL.
The second album Bark is considered to be most typical of the band's style. It was recorded in Switzerland and released in 1993.
A live album recorded in Paris was released in 1994.
The 4th album Spasm was released in 1996 and was a considerable change in style as the arrival of new musicians brought with it a new palette of musical influences, notably electronic music, particularly drum & bass and eastern influences from Arabic and Indian styles.
The band split at the end of 1996.
10 years later, in 2006, the Japanese label Galactic released an Early Years CD with the first two albums packaged together, and a vinyl single, the first in the band's history.
Concerts
The Barking Dogs were one of the hardest-working bands in France. In the first 3 years the band played an estimated 3000-4000 times in the street and the metro in Paris. The next 5 years saw long periods of solid touring with over 600 concerts throughout Europe.The band has played in France, England, Ireland, Spain, Belgium, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Italy.
Some live video clips of various quality are now on You Tube!
Discography
- Une nuit tranquille chez les Barking Dogs, 1991
- Bark, 1993
- Live, 1994
- Spasm,1996
- The early years (Japan), 2006