Stéphane Sirkis, 39, guitarist and one of the band composer, died of fulgurant hepatitis on february 27, 1999 in Paris. Indochine was recording the Dancetaria album in Brussels. Nicola, his brother, decided to finish the recording of the album in memory of Stephan.
Stephan’s funeral took place on march 4, 1999.
As the Rock comes from the Blues and black slaves musics, it always made the conservatives furious. The Ku Klux Klan inviting the youth to destroy The Beatles because of John Lennon’s ironical speech on religion. Rock has always been a multi-cultural music, as Blues, Rap, Reggae, Raï, Funk… Reflection of youth rebellion, even if today capitalism considers this music as consumable product, it remains basically anti-nazi, anti-racism. The majority of Rock bands agree to that. I don’t know any Rock band who support the french far-right. On the contrary.
And as the song says, youth fu** Front National. Me too.
Stéphane Sirkis, winter 1992, Ras l’front n°6
To Stef
On this end of july night in Paris, I’m still unable to look at some photographs of you, or even read all the letters, testimonies I’ve received. Yet, this evening I read what a canadian fan sent : thousands of reactions collected on the Internet, from Peru to Sweden, from France to Belgium… There are also photographs of you from concerts, airports, radios. I hadn’t read nor look anything since this february 27.
The artwork of the album is now finished, it’s beautiful. You are on the last page of the booklet, you’ve ended the album as you had started : in a beautiful way… On the front cover, as usual, the’re no band’s member, just a girl drinking on the tap, with water on her face and mouth. All interpretations are possible… Here’s the tradition too, I’m sure you’d appreciate.
This summer I remain in Paris and give all the interviews to prepare and promote our album, named Dancetaria. We have decided to shift the release to the end of august, I did not want it to be released as initially decided in spring. It was too early, too much early.
We speak a lot about you, about the album, about your guitars, about your compositions and, I do not know if you remember, last summer you had just finished Atomic Sky and I said you had written your best song there, you told me, as you used to, Yeah, we’ll see, and the following day on the studio you surprised everybody by performing Manifesto then She Night on guitar. In less of a week you wrote so powerful and beautiful songs. People who have already listened to the album agree with that.
That is the best disc of the band, magical.
The tour ended as expected at the Olympia on June 24. Honestly, I had never felt such a strength, such an emotion but I don’t know if these are the good adjectives… I’m sure you saw that from up there, you saw how our fantastic public was. Many people couldn’t come but all these evenings I said to them that you would be so proud. The first night we played She Night it was so hard for me, we ended the show with Stef II and it was just incredible, people were still singing the song even when we were backstage. I wish you could see and hear that…
Lightings effects are impressive and the band’s clothes on stage makes much speak : me in black dress, Marco in kilt. You’re location on stage is still empty. Each night is so impressive, it gives me the strength to go on… and I’m sure you’re happy with that. The Dancetaria tour is on the way, it begins on november 12 and ends on december 17 in Paris. I think the show will last more than 2.30 hours, I’m working on the screen videos for the scene, that will be trashy ! Anyway, as you see all is ok here… ok except the essential. We miss you so much. Your humor, your mood – good or bad -, the way you talked to certain journalists miss me, you see what I mean…
I hope it’s funny up there, you’ve joined those you wanted to and you’ll come to visit us from time to time.
I sleep a little better now but my stomach is still hurting me.
Ah yes! Lou’s birthday present is a ticket to see The Offspring, I even think I’ll go with her to the Zénith to see them, I am sure you would have done this…
I miss you so much Stef, but I’m not sure if it is the good verb…
Nicola, July 1999