The deputies of San Antonio...

Nostra Dam
Nov 4, 2020
6 min read

Updated: Feb 6, 2024

Les Béruriers Noirs, also nicknamed the Béru or the Bérus, is a French group formed in 1983 in Paris by Laurent Katrakazos aka "Loran" and Francois Guillemot known as "Fanfan".

Originally, the group was founded in 1978 and was called Bérurier, in reference to the deputy commissioner San Antonio, famous characters from the San Antonio series written by Fréderic Dard. It is made up of Olaf, François and Stef, quickly replaced by Pierrot. Their musical style is very simplistic and consists of a drum machine, an electric guitar pushed to its extremes and a voice.

Which Pierrot quickly leaves the group because called to do his military service (he will end up deserting and end up in prison). He was replaced in 1982 by a certain Loran who had just left the Guernica group. At the end of 1982, it was Olaf's turn to be called up for the service, a call that compelled him and thus saw himself obliged to leave the group himself. A departure which precipitates the decline of the group 1st version resulting in a last farewell concert which takes place in February 1983. To mark this announced death, the group is then renamed Bérurier Noir.

But paradoxically, this last concert creates a buzz, suddenly thickens the group and allows them to sign with the label V.I.S.A. The group is reborn from its ashes and connects concerts, official and unofficial, but often cause incidents during their passage through their rebel and provocative sides.

The year 1984 saw them participate in a European tour of groups in their movement, allowing them to increase their notoriety a little. Which will be followed in 1985 by a tour of France.

It is the year 1986 which will allow them finally to reach a semblance of consecration with the title "L'emprereur tomato ketchup", which passes surprisingly in loop on the radio NRJ, thus allowing them to reach an audience that they had never reached before. Suddenly, the fans of the first hour cry scandal and treason.

The group is at the height of its art in 1988 with a concert at the Zénith in front of almost 7000 people. The group has matured, and above all displays a much more festive and friendly face, something paradoxical about them. Unfortunately, the same year, some members of the group found themselves indirectly involved, through their membership in the Autonomous milieu, in the explosion of the offices of the president of the Regional Chamber of Bailiffs. Accusations concerning them ultimately unfounded but which scare the "turners". Many of their concerts are canceled in the process.

Cancellations which will sharply break the dynamic which carried the group until then and which will end up taking the group which will separate at the end of 1989.

Which will be reborn from its ashes in the middle of the 2000s, to the delight of its core fans, of course.

To discover or rediscover...

Discography (among others ...) :

80s Decade :

Guernica 1983
Nada 1983
Amputé 1983
Macadam massacre 1984
Elsa je t'aime 1984
Les Béruriers sont les rois 1984
Bucherons 1984
J'aime pas la soupe 1985
La mère Noel 1985
Salut à toi 1985
Petit agité 1985
Vivre libre ou mourir 1985
Les rebelles 1985
L’empereur tomato ketchup 1986
Ibrahim 1987
Tzigane, tzigane 1987
S.O.S. 1987
Et hop ! 1987
Nuit Apache 1988
On a faim 1988
Sur les toits 1988
Makhnovtchina 1988
Scarabée 1989
Camouflage 1989
Soleil noir 1989

2000s Decade :

Le cerf, le druide et le loup 2006
Love in Laos 2006
La pluie 2006
Quelque part 2006

2010s Decade :

Mourir à Paris 2015
Au pays des routes contraires 2017
Mourir à Falloujah 2017
Hänschen klein 2017
La piste inconnue 2017

Tracks :

1983 ... the beginnings of an unclassifiable, indefinable group, totally out of the ordinary and at the very least anti-system. But that's also the 80s !

1984...a style that is delirious to say the least and only reserved for those in the know. General public abstain and even then the word is weak...

1983...from the start the group pushed its contradictory, rebellious and anarchic spirit far, even very far. We have been warned in any case...

1984...for them the melodic side is the least of their worries and it is above all the provocative and shocking side of the lyrics which is their main leitmotif...

1984...for them a love song that's it. We suspected that even in this area they were absolutely not going to respect the codes...

1984...thanks to all their excesses they managed to make a name for themselves in underground circles and that is already a feat in itself...

1984...same on the vocal side we can't say that we are dealing with big names in lyrical singing. Afterwards, that won't stop them from living their adventure to the fullest...

1985 ... an adventure that will last much longer than expected. What should have been a most ephemeral adventure given the particular style of the group will also be its strength. Astonishing paradox ...

1985...on the other hand it is clear that there was only room for very few groups of the same style. They will have managed to take all the available light in any case...

1985...what they managed to do during the 80s would be literally impossible to do today given the current and more particularly commercial dictates of record companies...

1985...despite all the excessive side of their style, we still feel a slight evolution in terms of sound. It's already that...

1985...of course we are not talking about standardization far from it but the sound is slowly but surely being structured, it is clear...

1985...we suspect that at some point they might still manage to produce a title that is a little more audible to ordinary mortals...

1986 ... then THIS title comes ! They sign here without knowing it the title which will offer them a direct ticket for posterity, at least at the French level. HU-GE !

1987...a semblance of success that they will never be able to regain later but the main thing is done as they say. We know them now !

1987...in any case they are making real efforts to make their titles a little more affordable, at least in terms of sound. Because lyrically, nothing changes...

1987...on the overspeed side nothing changes either. We won't remake them again as they say and it will be like that until the end...

1987...it is clear that normalization on their part is a pure and simple miracle. The years pass and they remain firm in their anarchic and indomitable side...

1988...despite all their excessive side they are still there in any case. For how much longer, that's something else...

1988...for the moment it still holds up regardless, it is clear. It remains to be seen whether they will succeed in moving on to the next decade...

1988...it is certain that their very particular style risks being in total opposition to what will be done the following decade...

1988...they will last as long as they can as long as there is a minimum of core fans to follow them. And there's still more...

1989...an 80s decade which ends with this new opus, one more you might say. So for now it's holding up...

1989...with each title we tell ourselves that it might be the last but each time they stay the course and tell themselves that the adventure is worth continuing a little longer...

1989...it now remains to be seen what the following decade has in store for them : consolidation of positions or pure and simple disappearance ? Good question...

2006...we were heading for a pure and simple disappearance but here they are back a little more than 15 years later. Who would've believed that...

2006...so in music nothing is ever finished, even for them ! It must be said that the adventure ended badly in 1989 and that it would have been a shame not to try to pick up the pieces at one point or another...

2006...a totally unexpected comeback which inevitably delighted the core fans to the highest degree. Fans who want more...

2006...a much more elaborate sound, just like the style, we really wonder if we are dealing with the same group...

2015...we will lose sight of them for almost 10 years but here they are again. Of course they will just re-release old titles that have gone unnoticed but it's always better than nothing...

2017...they will come back as often as they can, it is clear. A desire to believe in it until the end which undoubtedly commands respect...

2017...lyrically the group remains true to himself and pushes the envelope as far as ever. But that's also their trademark...

2017...a trademark which will have been as much their strength as their weakness. Excess is paid for in one way or another and inevitably shortens careers...