She is therefore the world champion in Calamités record covering and tells us about her career.

-Curlee Wurlee, could you introduce yourselves in a few words (for those too lazy to click on the link to your website)?

-Curlee means "against" and Wurlee means "laziness" in old German. Curlee Wurlee is a non-profit organization against laziness, idleness and indolence. By extension Curlee Wurlee means "Action!". Located in the smart capital of Nordrhein-Westphalia - Düsseldorf -, the organization is sponsored by the middle-sized and big firms of the Ruhr. Four members run it, starting with Frauke who is the boss and in charge of the management and the accounting. Then Michael manages human resources and Armin organizes the drinks during the meetings. As far as I know, my own role is not really well-defined. Actually, I guess they use me as a mascot.

-In order to discover your music, I strongly recommend to buy your LP with one's eyes closed. But for the ever-sceptical ones, could you explain what Frenglish sound is?

-Like Les Calamités used to sing in franglais, the geographically more international Curlee Wurlee sings in Frenglish. Frenglish is interpreted either in a somewhat bubble gum sounding French or in a rough English with a daring little French accent added, therefore comprehensible mainly by French-speaking people. It is an explosive sound, given rhythm by a determined bass, with aggressive guitars, a boisterous drum set and a savage organ. It's a mix of Garage Punk, 60's Beat and 79 Power Pop. Some call it "Sexy Frenglish SHE-sound".

-How did you come to the Calamités songs?

-After having lived some time abroad, I started longing for the few little French bands who never sank into the fun-punk nor the French-pop-goes-untertainment wave, so I took out my singles and cassettes.
About six years ago, my former friends from Boonaraaas and I decided to set up a girl band. We recorded a demo in order to get som gig engagements. But Anouschka at Thunderbaby Records, undoubtedly the patron of rock girl bands, got charmed and released the first Boonaraaas EP including "Toutes les nuits". By the way, I would avoid commenting that version of the song... Nevertheless it was clear that I was caught up in the system: I would cover a Calamités song with each of my bands.

- How did you decide to cover "Je suis une calamité"?

-When I was little I used to listen to the Calamités at my neighbour's, whom I was in love with. I was even allowed to go and see them at the Rex Club, a famous Parisian club at that time. Those three girls amazed me because they played the kind of music that already fascinated me, they had beautiful vocal harmonies and looked lovely. People here like them because they sing in French. But that didn't impress me at all since in France everybody sings in French... What I liked, for instance, was their covering "The Kids Are Alright" as I was experiencing an acute "Quadrophenite" crisis. So I loved the Calamités. I even have a tape of their magnificent video "Toutes les nuits" as well as an excerpt of, I think, "Pas la peine" recorded from the awful "Cocoboy" TV show...
Going back to "Je suis une calamité" (never ask a French to be brief!), two or three years ago I went to the Parallèles bookshop at Châtelet in Paris, vowing to find at last "A bride abattue", the mini-L.P. "F.I.N.I." by the Rythmeurs as well as "bis" by the Snipers, although those had been unobtainable for a long time. I went out of there with the Rythmeurs, the Snipers and the "Snapshot(s)" compilation, which I used to listen to at my neighbour's, then produced by Robin Wills of the Barracudas and which includes "Je suis une calamité"... What a delight. What a day to show off it was! Do I need to add that Curlee Wurlee has a secret?... (A little scooter-boy from Düsseldorf eventually found for me "A bride abattue" in Belgium but unfortunately there is a hole (yes, a huge hole) on the whole "Toutes les Nuits" track - and consequently on "Malhabile".)

-Linking your cover of "Je suis une calamité", your song "(tu es une) Pestoonette" and the title of your album "She's A Pest" is a sort of concept - or am I overtaxing my brain again?

-Indeed, "She's A Pest" is a kind of concept-album on bitches. No, that's not true. Actually, my Parisian friends called my best French friend and me the Pestoonettes because we are short and annoying. The name of the song comes from that. Adding "Je suis une calamité" certainly indulges in some leitmotiv. But we appreciate Wagner in moderation and it was our former guitarist Lutz (of the Cheeks and mailorder-boss at Soundflat) who suggested the title of the album, based on a great song by the Insects. "It's definitely the ideal title for you" he added. I don't know why...

-Did you notice that you recorded your album exactly 35 years after the day when the Who recorded "My Generation" and "The Kids Are Alright"? You didn't? Well, I'm telling you.

-Sure. We are all very superstitious, we always book the studio according to major events. By the way we record our next EP (for a French label) on the 24th December because we believe in Santa Claus too... Thank your for telling us that. We can repeat it in our next interviews...

-Reading the press of the time, one sees that Les Calamités faced an amazing basic misogyny from the rock world. Is this still the case now, while there are girl bands almost everywhere?

-What do you mean exactly? As for misogyny, it is intolerable but it doesn't seem to be specific to the rock world. Nevertheless, it is true that few girls know how to use a music instrument. But some do. Indeed, there are still idiots shouting "get off!" when they see a girl on stage and that's unbearable. Luckily enough, it happens more and more seldom, especially with our generation where boys cook and girls hold positions of responsibility. Such reactions are often caused by the girls' behaviour on stage. There are those so called rock slag bands who find it amusing to be as coarse as the boys.
What was striking and charming in Les Calamités was their freshness. They were cute with their little just-under-the-knee skirts (like real mod girls). You can be sexy without being teasing. And to answer your question, you will remain safe if you are a good band and if critics are not stupid enough not to look beneath one's hip measurement. Did Les Calamités experiment difficulties in that field?
To tell you the whole story, Frauke and I founded Curlee Wurlee because we are real good friends, which is the main issue in a group. We chose two boys for Curlee Wurlee for... first of all it was by chance. Each of us two had had a girl band experience: unlike what they say, girls in a band often make life complicated. And we are serene enough not to need any girly image. Besides, although Frauke is the author of the booklet "The Definition Of Being A Gentleman", we are no militant feminists. Then, the boys can take care of us, carry the amps, be charming... Most of all it gives us a delightful Abba image (hee-hee!)

-How does it feel being the best band of the year 2001 in the category "Recorded cover of a Calamités song"?

-It's a wonderful feeling that we can just recommend to everyone.

-Is there any chance we can see and hear you soon outside Rhineland-Westphalia?

-If you wish to make us come back to France, don't hesitate to contact us. We played in Bourges last summer and we dream about going back to that beautiful country, where our guitarist Michael had the pleasure to discover Gallic sensuality. The label boss at Uncontrolled Pussy Records, Pascal, contacted us recently and we might be coming again to your country in 2002. Otherwise, we happen to play in Holland and by the way we will soon rule over the whole world (an old Teutonic tradition).

-Finally, what would you like to say to visitors at www.calamiteux.com?

Keep listening to good guitar music (with organ added!), buying Calamités compilations, Curlee Wurlee new releases, and most of all: Stay Frenglish! Actually not: Stay OK and do what you like!

Hum...