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Claude Bessy (writer)

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Claude Bessy (20 June 1945 – 2 October 1999), also known as Kickboy Face, was a French writer, magazine editor, singer, video producer, and painter. He is noted as an early organizer[2] in the Los Angeles punk scene in the mid-1970s[3] and was involved in the British post-punk scene in the 1980s.

Claude Bessy
Also known asKickboy Face
Born20 June 1945[1]
Normandy, France
OriginLos Angeles, California, United States
Died2 October 1999(1999-10-02) (aged 54)
Barcelona, Spain
GenresPunk rock, post-punk
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter, writer, magazine editor, music video producer
InstrumentVocals
Formerly ofCatholic Discipline

Biography

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Bessy was born in Normandy, France. Bessy was kicked out of the Sorbonne after showing up drunk at nine in the morning, brandishing a bottle of brandy, and threatening a teacher.[4] Bessy moved to the US in 1966 and to Los Angeles in 1967.[4] Bessy later left for Afghanistan to "deal" hashish.[4] Bessy later detoxed from methedrine in a French asylum.[4] In 1970 Bessy returned to Los Angeles, finding work first as a busboy in Santa Monica, then as a waiter as well as other jobs,[4] and founded Angeleno Dread, L.A.'s first reggae fanzine.[5][6]

In May 1977, he helped Steve Samiof[7] launch the monthly punk rock magazine Slash, which he edited until it ceased publication in 1980.[8][9][10][11]

  • "FACT 125 Bessy Talks Turkey". Cerysmaticfactory.info. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 27 October 2013. Christmas video of Factory acts, discussed and presented by Claude Bessy. Short video clips (many excerpted from previous promo vids) include James [live], Section 25, Thick Pigeon, 52nd Street, Quando Quango, The Wake, Kalima, The Jazz Defektors, Stockholm Monsters [live], Durutti Column [live], Marcel King [live], and some of Bessy's work. Other bands mentioned in passing: New Order, Abecedarians, Shark Vegas, Streetlife, A Certain Ratio, Life, The Royal Family and the Poor and Red Turns To. Originally titled Factory Video Hype.[12]

As Kickboy Face (a pen name adopted from, Kick Boy Face a song and album by Prince Jazzbo), Bessy was the lead singer for the band Catholic Discipline, the film The Decline of Western Civilization includes a Bessy interview, and two songs.[13][2]

"The scene was not fun anymore, so I bailed on L.A. and the USA, never to return the day Ronald Reagan was elected." — Claude Bessy[14]

Bessy left California in November 1980.[15] moving with his lifelong partner Philomena Winstanley to the U.K. where he landed a job as a press officer at Rough Trade record label. There he championed American groups such as The Gun Club[6] and Panther Burns.

In 1982 Bessy was hired as the resident VJ at The Haçienda in Manchester. He went on to produce music videos and films for The Virgin Prunes, The Fall and William S. Burroughs,[6] and work with Factory Records' Ikon FCL video label, producing a Factory Records Christmas video trailer Bessy Talks Turkey.[8]

Bessy returned to London[16][17] where he worked for Forbidden Planet and wrote record sleeve notes. He contributed vocals to records by Sonic Youth, Howard Devoto, Wire's Graham Lewis and trumpeter Marc Cunningham.[6]

In 1987 Bessy moved to Barcelona, Spain where he took to painting and earned a living teaching English. He died of lung cancer in 1999.[6]

Discography

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Filmography

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Further reading

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Catholic Discipline". AllMusic. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  2. ^ a b Morris, Chris (23 October 1999). "Declarations of Independents: In Memory of 'Kickboy,' the Voice of L.A. Punk Scene". Billboard 111 (43): 71.
  3. ^ Heylin, Clinton, From the Velvets to the Voidoids: A Pre-Punk History for a Post-Punk World. Penguin Books, 1993.
  4. ^ a b c d e Bishop, Moe (29 September 2011). "Kickboy Face". Vice.com. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  5. ^ "Kickboy Face Page in Fuller Up, The Dead Musician Directory". Elvispelvis.com.
  6. ^ a b c d e Thomas, Richard (22 October 1999). "Claude Bessy". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 October 2013.
  7. ^ "Melanie Nissen and Steve Samiof of Slash Magazine, 1977. Photo by Alice Bag". Flickr.com. 2 June 2007.
  8. ^ a b "Photographic image". Flickr.com. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  9. ^ "Photographic image : Hill's Hot Shorts column, High Performance vol.1 no.2 June 1978". Flickr.com. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  10. ^ "Bessy – Bessy Talks Turkey (1984, VHS) - Discogs".
  11. ^ "FACT 125 Bessy talks Turkey" – via www.youtube.com.
  12. ^ Mullen, Brendan. "'Thees Ees Zee Reel Shit!' Remembering Claude Bessy, a.k.a. Kickboy Face/" L A Weekly, 22–28 October 1999.
  13. ^ "Claude Bessy". Flickr.com. 27 January 2012.
  14. ^ "ART FOR A CHANGE - Mark Vallen's Portrait of Claude Bessy". Art-for-a-change.com.
  15. ^ Young, Rob. Rough Trade: Labels Unlimited. Black Dog Publishing Ltd., 2006.
  16. ^ Panter, Nicole (17 August 2008). "Jarboe, Mike & Kickboy Face, circa 1986". Flickr.com. Retrieved 22 September 2021. This was a typical evening at Claude & Philomena Bessy's flat in Elephant and Castle, circa 1986. Jarboe and Mike Gira of Swans were in town for a gig. I was visiting from California. Claude, after a certain point in the evening was to be found prone, wine bottle nearby
  17. ^ Panter, Nicole (5 September 2008). "Claude Bessy (Kickboy Face), Nicole Panter, Philip K. Dick, circa 1979". Flickr.com.
  18. ^ GEORGE, LYNELL (25 April 1999). "L.A.'s Punk Eruption". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  19. ^ Harvey, Doug (5 May 1999). "Recline and Sprawl". LA Weekly. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
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