The band started out during the summer of '95. Marty, otherwise known as Sleepy  Marmotte, (that tendency he had to spend so much time hibernating when the rest of us were out) along with Joao Pasta Solo, who has since left the band (but is still hoping to reunite with them some time during the new year), created the foundation of what would become the most famous Band in Belfort (Belfort is a city in the east of France, Good cheese,  good Wine and very close to Switzerland and Germany) since Ange.

The group started as a trio with a fiddler whose name fell in the pits of our memory, rehearsing in an attic... A few Levellers covers and an embryo of writing.

Five months later, the first opportunity to test the group potential live on stage for the first time. By then the trio had become a quatuor with the inclusion of a famous busker in Belfort, the mighty Pinto McWhistle on the tin whistle. The concert was great. Pinto started singing one song and lost his voice after the first line... Too bad for la Jument de Michao. Since then the expression "when you wear a kilt, don't forget to cover your balls or you'll lose your voice" is an anthem in the group. Pinto brought to the band that bit of craziness and Irish diddle haie-ho that was missing to the band.

After a few more concerts and a bit more rehearsing, the band finally got a big concert in Strasbourg opening for a famous French band whom history has forgotten. Too bad the venue is half empty and FFR are only allocated half the stage. Who cares? The concert is a success and the group gets positive feedback from the crowd. As a guest star on two songs the band welcomed on stage the mighty Gilbert on Didjeridoos and Dances...

A few changes in personnel occured during the summer. Binbodick the young fiddler was ousted from the group for personnal differnces. Vinnie Terranova, nicknamed Kayser Sauze for his groovy dancing stylee, came in as a bass player and brought lots of energy and spiritual challenge to the band.

"C'est differnt mais c'est pas pareil".  Virginie Baccardi, a  superb woman, a wonderous beauty steeped in to replace Binbodick. She brought along with her a certain touch of beauty to the FFR stage show. That same summer Matthew Oyster came out of a cloud of smoke to give a bit of boum boum and bam tam bam tschouingg to the rhythmic part of the band. It is with that formation that the band that was to be known as the "more famous than the Rattlesnakes" made its reputation. The band has not stopped playing live since, all over France and Navarre as well as Switzerland and Germany. A few demos and two CD's later, the adventure continues. Since the winter of '98 Joao Pasta Solo has left the band to hibernate somewhere in the west of Ireland where he is still in touch with the band.

The Famille Follement Remontée or Five French Rogues as they are known abroad are still touring and writing new material.

So, if you want to see them, don't forget the FFR anthem:

Fais la Fête et Reviens!