Trust

Biography

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Trust (1977-1985, 1988, 1996-2000, 2006-2011, 2016-present): a Hard Rock band from Paris, France.

rench band Trust was founded in 1977 by Bernard "Bernie" Bonvoisin (vocals, lyricist), Norbert "Nono" Krief (guitar, composer), Raymond "Ray" Manna (bass) and Jean-Émile "Jeannot" Hanela (drums). The band released its first single Prends Pas Ton Flingue (Don't Take Your Gun with You) in the same year a French adaption of AC/DCs Love at First Feel (Paris by Night) as the flipside. This record was re-released when the band made its first short-lived comeback in 1992. The band is best known for guitarist Norbert "Nono" Krief's prowess, for Bernard "Bernie" Bonvoisin's voice reminiscent of AC/DC's Bon Scott with whom Trust had a friendly relationship. Ride On by Bon Scott's AC/DC was also covered in Trust's 1979 debut album. He also became known for his lyrics about social and political themes. Iron Maiden's drummers Nicko McBrain and Clive Burr were part of the line-up in the 1980s.

Trust rose to fame in 1979 and 1980 with their music, which mixed hard rock influences, acerbic social and political commentary, anarchist undertones and a renegade attitude in the style of MC5. Trust's success was also due to Krief's stature as a French guitar hero and Bonvoisin's sincere and mature lyrics, as well as his raw energy in live performances. To translate the songs' aggressive political messages Trust were helped on English lyrics for the Répression album by Jimmy Pursey of British punk band Sham 69. The English adaptation of the song Antisocial however is pretty rough and mild compared to the original lyrics.

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By 1983, after releasing three successful albums in a row and with worldwide touring, opening for Iron Maiden and others, the band came under increasing criticism for its less "incisive" sound, the use of synthesizers and the frequent changes of drummers (e.g. Nicko McBrain quit the band after Savage (the English version of Marche ou Crève (March or Die) to join Iron Maiden). The former Iron Maiden drummer Clive Burr went the opposite way, before himself quitting after recording the 1983 album Trust IV (Idéal). After disappointing record sales of the latest album Rock'n'Roll, Trust disbanded in 1985, with Bonvoisin concentrating on his subsequent solo career and Krief joining the "French Elvis" Johnny Hallyday as a lead guitarist both in the studio and live from 1985 to 1993.

Meanwhile the English version of the band's most successful song Antisocial was covered in 1988 by Anthrax on their State of Euphoria album and became one of their most popular songs and videos. A year later Anthrax also recorded the French version of the song which is featured on their 1989 EP Penikufesin). A Live version of the 12" single for Anthrax's' song Make Me Laugh features Bernie Bonvoisin on vocals together with Anthrax singer Joey Belladonna. Bolstered by a sudden worldwide interest in the band, Trust was added to the 1988 Monsters of Rock festival in Paris. The live-album, Paris by Night followed. The band kept on touring in 1989 and released a stop-gap covers and outtakes album literally called While Waiting ("En attendant"), before disbanding yet again.

Trust reunited around Krief and Bonvoisin with a new studio album Europe et Haines in 1996 (literally translating to "Europe and Hate", while being pronounced "European" in French), signing a contract with 'Warner'. After some touring and another live-album, Bonvoisin and Krief split over differences concerning the recording of the follow up studio album Ni Dieu, ni maitre (Neither God nor Master), which was independently released by Krief in 2000 before being pulled from the shelves after an intervention by Bonvoisin.

In early July 2006, Trust's extended classic line-up, later upgraded by a DJ, reformed to perform a gig at the Festival des Terres Neuvas, which was later released as live album. After a Jubilee-Gig in 2007 30 years after their first appearance on stage at the Paris Olympia venue, an album of all new material, 13 à table (Thirteen at the Table) was recorded and released in September 2008.

In 2012, Bonvoisin stated that there would be no Trust reunification and also no remastered albums. However, later in the year the band was added to the Sonisphere France line-up, but canceled soon after. Bonvoisin started touring in 2013 with a line-up excluding Krief under the moniker Kollektif AK47 before disbanding again.

Since 2016 and on the occasion of their upcoming 40th anniversary 2017, Trust has been touring and recording regularly again with a, for once, stable line-up, releasing 3 albums in the form of Dans Le Même Sang (2018), Fils de lutte (2019) and ReCiDiv (2020) of all new material (all of them recorded under "live" conditions and mixed by Mike Fraser and a Boxset of their first three albums, rerecorded with updated lyrics released separately or as a boxset.Propaganda would follow in 2022.

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