La Came Aux Damélias

Formed in 1975 by musicians from the Oise region of northern France, La Came Aux Damélias belonged to the early wave of French rock groups that began incorporating the raw energy of punk into the country's rock scene. The original line-up featured Jean-Pierre Lefèvre, Gilles Prigent and Denis Barry, with Alain Gilles joining on vocals. By 1977, Gilles was the only remaining member of the original formation, keeping the band's name and rebuilding the group around Alain Fournier on bass, Roland Leday on drums, Patrick Henri on lead guitar and Jean-Yves Brenaut on rhythm guitar. Rehearsals took place at Gilles' house in Beaumont-sur-Oise, with the musicians coming mainly from the surrounding area. 

The band's first record appeared in 1978, when they recorded three tracks at Studio Oxygène in Paris after responding to an advertisement in Best magazine. Two of the songs, “La 5ème Roue Du Système” and “Chopper,” were released on a 7-inch single through Oxygène Records, catalogued as OXY 014. Around 1,000 copies were pressed, although relatively few sold at the group's concerts. The third track was included on the label's 1979 compilation '125 Grammes De 33 1/3 Tours', alongside recordings by other French underground acts, including Strychnine, Le Fracas and Écoute Maman. Brenaut was away doing his military service when the recordings were made, so he did not play on the sessions.

 
Their music sat between the rough-edged French rock of the 1970s and the faster, more abrasive approach of punk. The single's guitar work provides the clearest link with the new sound developing in France at the time, while Alain Gilles handled the vocals and wrote the lyrics. The band also became part of the live circuit, playing at Paris' legendary Golf-Drouot venue, including an appearance on 8 July 1977, and performing at the 1978 Mantes-la-Jolie festival, which also featured Bernard Lavilliers, Catherine Ribeiro and Magma. They continued gigging into 1979, building a modest live presence despite the limited circulation of their record. 

Changes in the line-up marked the group's final years. Roland Leday died in 1980 and was replaced by a drummer known as Sammy, while Patrick Henri subsequently left. Gilles took over guitar duties as well as vocals, and the revised line-up recorded a demo at the Florida studios in Paris in August 1980. The results were considered unsatisfactory by the band, and the recordings remained unreleased. La Came Aux Damélias finally split in June 1981, leaving behind a small recorded legacy centred on their 1978 single and their contribution to the Oxygène compilation.