CAMPAG VELOCET Bon Chic Bon Genre 1999

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biography

[+] by Rovi

This London, England-based band, who released their debut single in 1998, arrived on the back of some wildly misplaced hype from the capital’s music press. The band’s roots could be traced as far back as 1986, when Pete Voss (vocals) met Arge (b. Ian Carter; guitar) in his native Portsmouth. The duo moved to London two years later and, after teaming up with Barney Slater (bass), played their first gig in 1994. A succession of drummers passed through their ranks before they recruited Lascelles Gordon in 1997. The band’s ‘skunk rock’ sound earned comparisons to contemporaries the Lo-Fidelity Allstars and Regular Fries, while Voss’ childish lyrics and atonal vocals saw him heralded as an avatar in some circles. Their debut single ‘Sauntry Sly Chic’ was an infectious slice of funk rock, but set a high standard not matched by the following September’s Bon Chic Bon Genre. From the calculated A Clockwork Orange slogans on the cover art, to the overt musical references to ‘baggy’ heroes the Stone Roses and the Happy Mondays, the album was a triumph of artifice over art. After parting company with their record label the quartet continued to work on new material, some of which was premiered at their live comeback in September 2002. After finalising a recording contract with the London-based Pointy Records label, Campag Velocet released their long-delayed second album in summer 2004.

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