Dead Chic: The Venus Ballroom
DEAD CHIC, The Franco-English Rock and Roll group debuted in 2022 with their first single « Too Far Gone ». Described by Rolling Stone as « a mixture of heavy rock and soul, cinematic and brilliantly orchestrated ». Together they have forged a sound which could be described as a dark ceremony within a duke joint, at the foothills of a fuzzy Morricone landscape.
The four-piece ensemble compromising of Andy Balcon (Heymoonshaker), Damien Félix (Catfish & Bigger), Mathis Akengin (Emea) & Remi Ferbus (Kimberose & Mika) spared no time in releasing a follow-up live session EP, «The Bastion Session». Quickly gaining attention amongst their peers, they opened for the Levitation Festival Fr (Brian Jonestown Massacre, Pond, Kikagaku Moyo) & Cognac Blues Festival (Ben Harper, Marcus King, Liam Gallagher) to name a few. As seasoned Musicians through and through, having toured the world extensively with their previous endeavors, Dead Chic return in 2023 with «The Venus Ballroom».
DEAD CHIC, originally, is the association between Andy Balcon and Damien Félix.
• Andy Balcon, from Wakefield, toured the world over with the duo Heymoonshaker. Appearing at emblematic festivals such as Glastonbury, Womad, Rock in Rio, Osigiri Jam, and Made in America. Over the years he has accumulated an impressive number of followers in the public, as well as on the networks, boasting 77+ million cumulative views on Youtube.
• The second, Damien Félix, Performed and produced the French Rock/Blues band Catfish, a group with which he performed on some of the biggest stages in Europe, Asia and Latin America (Rock Al Parque, Monsoon Festival, Provincia Emergente, Les Eurockéennes...). He is also a founding member of Bigger, where he honed his production skills alongside Jim Spencer (New Order, The Charlatans) and Larry Mullins (Iggy Pop and The Stooges, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds).
It was during tours with their respective groups that Andy and Damien met a few years ago, crossing paths regularly on the road and meeting backstage to discuss music, Art, and a hypothetical collaboration. A few years pass without them meeting again. In the fall of 2020, their paths crossed with a stepping stone collaboration to be featured in Rolling Stone (Fr). The idea of working together then becomes serious and after a few exchanges the single «Too Far Gone» arrives. DEAD CHIC was born. They were then joined by Rémi Ferbus on drums (Kimberose, Mélissa Laveaux...), after a previous collaboration with Andy on his 5-star Rolling Stone reviewed EP « Who Am I ? » ; Mathis Akengin on keyboards, an accomplice of Damien in Catfish then took to the ivories. Over the years, through tours and travels, the musicians have digested their influences, nurtured their culture and affirmed their personalities. The combination of the 4 instantly sparks.
In April 2022 they recorded their first studio EP “The Venus Ballroom” at the mythical Black Box Studio, under the guidance of Peter Deimel (Anna Calvi, The Kills, Last Shadow Puppets). Four days of intense takes, recorded on tape, to pay tribute to the group’s live power. Mixed by Flavien Van Landuyt, this first studio EP, to be released on March 24th, delivers six tracks charged with fervor and emotion, a real panorama with rich songwriting and production that is both rough and refined. After a first round of concerts in France in 2022, the group will present “The Venus Ballroom” live with an international tour in 2023.
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Photo credit: Mathilde Dupanloup
