October 19, 1997, France, Plouneour Trez, Les Hesperides

Fourth day of the Ball Of Fire 1997 tour

The breakfast in Rennes was as small as all the other ones so far on this tour. Brevett is a lot talking in monologues. The feeling in the crew is not that easy as it should be. It’s too much moaning about this and that. I don’t know who is talking shit, but nobody is on the same line. The way to this wonderful place was all through the nice Bretagne.

On the way in the Bretagne, 1997 (scan from my fotoalbum of the tour)

The club here is great. It’s more than a club, there are about 3 or 4 houses built together. One is a restaurant, another is the venue, the third is a backstage and the fourth house is the bar. It’s really outside of nowhere. But the club was a real cult club for all the reggae bands. There are year sheets with the who’s who in reggae to demonstrate who took that long way to play this place. I’m truly impressed.

Wall of the past shows (Burning Spear, Max Romeo, Big Youth and really every famous Reggae act was in this place!), Les Hesperides, 1997

We’re playing soccer on the street just in front of the club. I shot the ball right into the graveyard and had to climb over the grid. It was a shot to the deaths. Later it was Shay helping Bill over the same grid (because the door to the graveyard was locked). Nathan came a long as well. The diner started with a fish soup and tuna with a potato and a tomato plus rice. The dessert was two slices of an apple in strawberry souce with a lemon ice. Lester Sterling told me, he was the writer of Junior Jive and Lee Harvey Oswald.

Church of Plouneour Trez, where we played soccer, 1997

The warm-up band wasn’t too bad. But sometimes I don’t like these almost “Rastas” who only toll respect to the Lloyd & Lloyd & Rolando & Lester and ignore the rest of the Skatalites. It’s a shame, but that’s the way it is…

Shay with Bob Marley on the wall, Les Hesperides, 1997
Between backstage and venue, Doreen Schaffer, Shay, Lloyd Brevett, Les Hersperides, 1997
Backstage with Barney, Rolando Alphonso, Lloyd Knibb, Will Clark, Devon James, Les Hesperides, 1997
Lester Stering backstage under the nice poster of The Ethiopians, Winston Jarrett, Mighty Diamonds tour, Les Hesperides, 1997
Lloyd Brevett with Willi Dixon’s wall painting outside the venue, Les Hesperides, 1997
Rolando Alphonso showing his Academy Award medal (Grammy nomination for Hi-Bop Ska 1996) at soundcheck, Les Hesperides, 1997
Soundcheck Bill Smith and Rolando Alphonso, Les Hesperides, 1997
Soundcheck Lester Stering, Lloyd Brevett, Nathan Breedlove, Les Hesperides, 1997
Soundcheck with Rolando Alphonso and Lester Stering, Les Hesperides, 1997
Soundcheck with Nathan Breedlove and Will Clark, Les Hesperides, 1997

I haven’t found anything about that club. That’s why I guess it doesn’t exist anymore. Sad. But the Skatalites played a very hot gig in this place!

8 thoughts on “October 19, 1997, France, Plouneour Trez, Les Hesperides

  1. hi unfortunatly this club shut down around 2010 after 30 years of activity. It was the place to go if you wanna see and listen to real reggae at the time. And as you said the entire Jamaican artists came there to perform (the congos, Culture, Mystic revelation of rastafari, Yellowman, Horace andy…..) it was so so good!! thanks for the picture nice souvenir!

    1. Hi Jean-Marie,
      Merci beaucoup pour ton commentaire et les informations.
      Yes, this club was one of the very best around Europe (as far as I saw). Food was great, backstage, ambiance, stage, the whole place and the all the people I met. Everything was so so great and respectful. It’s very sad, that a club like that haven’t survived. But in this worst year of culture the so-called corona-year, everything is turning much sadder and badder. I guess too many great clubs won’t open again, when the lockdowns are over.
      Truly no good times for promoters and touring acts. All my best wishes to you and to all those involved in culture… Maybe next year will be better, hope so.
      Jah guidance. All the best wishes always.
      Claude

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *