Ferrét Le Bat

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Ferrét Le Bat - Memoirs of a complex man

Born to a family of French gypsies on the 1st of March, 1979, and put up for adoption.

He was adopted by Maurice and Betty LeBat, a successful business couple who ran a business that made erasers for pencils. He continually dreamed of a life that was not limited to the corporate world, yet he was bound by it. He continually failed school and was unemployed for the greater part of his late teen years. Betty, a feminist and hippy, encouraged Ferrét with art and music from a very young age despite his crucial lack of any talent. His first performance came at age 16 when he was asked to play a hymn on guitar for the local congregation. He learned the song but struggled with it, eventually becoming frustrated with his performance and breaking into an improvised song about "thundercocks," and finishing up by smashing the guitar on the priest's face. He had learned that pre-arranged music was just not for him. But at what cost? He had lost everything - he was thrown out of the church and disowned by his family. He went searching for his original family but found they had died in a freak boating accident (it was a freak accident because they somehow were crushed by a giant rock - even though it was in the ocean).

Alone and sad, Ferrét began supporting himself by holding up Domino's Pizza signs on the side of the road. As he was standing, thinking of his life and all that he had lost, a car drove by and threw a 2 dollar coin at his feet. He looked at the coin, wiped the tears from his eyes, and realised someone cared. All he saw was the licence plate of the car as it turned the corner... it said "MATTY." He now knew what to do. He bought a new guitar, quit his job and went to any open mic night he could find - singing the praise of a man only known as "Matty."

Several years later, and after countless relationships failed because he kept calling his gay lovers "Matty," Ferrét released his first album, Sunset of your love, with PT Productions. The album consists entirely of one of Ferrét's frantic improvised live sets, recorded at an open mic night at a local coffee club.

Disappointed with the lack of success of his first album, Ferrét became lost in his depression and took up a career hustling people at snooker halls. Unfortunately he'd never played snooker in his life, so ultimately this new career choice failed too. But it was at one of these sleazy snooker halls that Ferrét met Roger Katz, a German-Jewish immigrant who love for darkwave/electronic music was exceeded only by his insanity and B.O..

Despite the smell, Ferrét and Roger hit it off and before long were inseperable buddies. Roger introduced Ferrét to a world of synthesised music and a circle of friends that opened his mind to the arts, the avant-garde, and the drugs. And thus Ferrét and Roger began their downward spiral... the downward spiral which would eventually serve them to get motivated into making their debut album, I'm on crack, a combination of electronic and narcotic induced psychedelia...

Ferrét's obsession with the seas came from his parents' tragic death but he now loves this man as the one person that has saved him and awoken his passion. He constantly thinks of "Matty," his saviour, and he constantly stalks the shadowy windows of unwary residents desperately seeking to get the brief view of "Matty" that will help him through the night.

"Matty" is his light, his source, and all he needs to continue through the night...

It may be obvious that Ferrét Le Bat is a deeply disturbed and obsessed individual but there is no denying that his performances are entertaining and that Ferrét, while deranged, has a kind heart. His guitar playing and singing may not be excellent, but his ability to improvise catchy melodies and honest lyrics make Ferrét LeBat a sight (and sound) not to be missed!

Roger Katz - From exile to excel!

Born on the 17th of January, 1978, Roger Katz enjoyed a peaceful and content childhood

At the age of 16, Roger started his first job as a baker's assistant, and quickly worked through his apprenticeship to be a master baker. With the money he earned, he invested in various musical instruments and studio equipment to fulfil the musical void in his heart. A fan of Kraftwerk and other German industrial bands, he took up the keyboard to be like his idols. He would spend hours in his room composing electronic ditties on his computer.

Just 12 months into his baking career, he was exiled from Germany when he made hot cross buns with swastikas instead of crosses as a joke. So he sold his business before he was kicked out and headed for Helsinki. With the money he made selling his bakery, he bought a small house and developed it as a recording studio where he worked with several low profile celebrities until he was kicked out for putting a swastika on an album cover as a joke.

Embarrassed, Roger sold his pride and joy, his studio, and decided to follow his heart to where his electronic music was most needed: like Batman looking for crime he focused his sights on South Australia's capital city, Adelaide. He had the equipment and the skills, but lacked a voice and a vision... it came in the form of a beret-wearing and fairly insane French immigrant, Ferrét Le Bat. They met in a sleazy pool hall. They obviously hit it off and in the time they spend not being attacked by invisible bats they made an awesome album. I'm on crack comes out in March 2006.

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