name	Metz
settlement type	Commune
official name	Municipalité de Metz
image shield	Blason Metz 57.svg
nickname	The Maid; The Unviolated; The Green City
pushpin map1	France
pushpin map caption1	Location of Metz within France
coordinates region	FR
subdivision type	Country
subdivision name
subdivision type1	Region
subdivision name1
subdivision type2	Department
subdivision name2
subdivision type3	Agglomeration community
subdivision name3	Metz Metropole
seat type	Prefecture
seat	; Moselle
coordinates type	region:FR_type:city
coordinates display	inline,title
elevation min m	162
elevation max m	358
area total km2	41.94
area metro km2	277
established title	Founded
established date	5th century BC
population total	122,838
population as of	2008
population demonym	Messin
population density km2	5492
population metro	230,334
timezone	CET
utc offset	+1
timezone dst	CEST
utc offset dst	+2
postal code type	ZIP codes
postal code	57000; 57050; 57070
area code type	Dialing code
area code	+33 03
government type	Mayor-Council
leader title	Mayor
leader name	Dominique Gros
leader party	PS
website	;
footnotes	}}

Metz (; ) is a city in the northeast of France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers.

Metz is the capital of the Lorraine region and prefecture of the Moselle department. Located near the tripoint along the junction of France, Germany, and Luxembourg, Metz forms a central place of the European Greater Region and of the SaarLorLux Euroregion. So, Metz is a fellow member of the ''QuattroPole'' union of cities, along with Luxembourg City and German Saarbrücken and Trier.

Celtic oppidum, an important Gallo-Roman city, Merovingian capital of the Austrasia kingdom, birthplace of the Carolingian dynasty, cradle of the Gregorian chant, and one of the oldest republics of the common era in Europe, Metz has a rich 3,000 year history. The city has been steeped in Romance culture, but has been strongly influenced by Germanic culture due to its location and history. A basin of urban ecology, pioneered under the leadership of people like Jean-Marie Pelt, Metz gained its nickname, ''The Green City'', boasting over 37 m² (398 sq ft) of open ground per inhabitant and the city's historic downtown also displays one of the largest commercial, pedestrian areas in France.

Metz possesses one of the largest ''urban-conservation area'' in France covering and around 100 buildings of the city are classified on the monument historique list. Because of its tremendous historical and cultural background, Metz benefits from its designation as a ''town of art and history''. The city is home to some world-class venues such as the Arsenal concert hall, the Centre Pompidou-Metz museum, and the National Opera of Lorraine (along with Nancy Opera).

A historical Garrison town, Metz is the economic heart of the Lorraine region, being specialized in information technology and automotive industries. Metz is also a centre for applied research and development in the materials sector notably in metallurgy and metallography, the heritage of the Lorraine region's past in the iron and steel industry.

History

Roman ''Divodurum Mediomatricum''

In ancient times, Metz was called ''Divodurum'' (meaning Holy Village or Holy Fortress in Latin), and was the capital of the Celtic ''Mediomatrici''. The abbreviated name of this tribe, ''Mettis'', gave rise to the name ''Metz''. At the beginning of the Christian Era, the site was already occupied by the Romans. Metz became one of the principal towns of Gallia, more populous than Lutetia (ancestor of present-day Paris), and rich thanks to its wine exports. It had one of the largest amphitheatres in Gallia. An aqueduct of and 118 arches, extending from Gorze to Metz, was constructed in the 2nd century AD to supply the city with water. This aqueduct supplied water for public baths. As a well-fortified town at the junction of several military roads, Metz soon grew to great importance. One of the last Roman strongholds to surrender to the Germanic tribes, it was captured by the Huns of Attila in 451. Only a solitary chapel was left standing. About the end of the 5th century, Metz passed into the hands of the Franks.

Early Frankish Metz

Though the first Christian churches were to be found outside the city, the existence in the 5th century of the oratory of Saint Stephen within the city walls has been fully proved. In the beginning of the 7th century the oldest monastic establishments were those of Saint Glossinde and Saint Peter. Since King Sigibert I, Metz was frequently the residence of the Merovingian kings of Austrasia and the reign of Queen Brunhilda in particular imbued the town with great splendour. The town preserved the good-will of the rulers, when the Carolingians acceded to the Frankish throne, as it had long been a base of their family and one of their primal ancestors, Saint Arnuff, as well as his son Chlodulf, had been bishops of Metz. Emperor Charlemagne considered making Metz his chief residence before he finally decided in favour of Aachen.

There is evidence that the earliest western musical notation, in the form of neumes ''in camp aperto'' (without staff-lines), was created at Metz around 800, as a result of Charlemagne's desire for Frankish church musicians to retain the performance nuances used by the Roman singers. In the basilica, Louis the Pious, King of the Franks, and his half-brother the Bishop Drogo were buried, and King Charles the Bald was crowned there.

Lotharingian Metz

In 843, Metz became the capital of the kingdom of Lotharingia, and several diets and councils were held there. Numerous Christian manuscripts, the product of the Metz schools of writing and painting, such as the famous ''Trier Ada'' manuscript and the Drogo Sacramentary for the personal use of a bishop of the royal house (Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris), are evidence of the active intellectual lives and sumptuous patronage of Carolingian Metz. After the death of King Lothair II, the kingdom of Lotharingia, and thus Metz, was contested and alternated between the eastern and the western Frankish kingdom until in 925 it finally became part of the east kingdom and subsequently the Holy Roman Empire, as a free imperial city. The increasing influence of the bishops in the city became greater when Adalbert I (928–62) obtained a share of the privileges of the counts; until the 12th century, therefore, the history of the town is practically identical with that of the bishops. Under Dietrich I of Metz (ca. 984) the monastery of Saint-Symphorien was restored. In 1039, the former Ottonian cathedral was built by Dietrich II to take the place of the Carolingian Saint-Stephen church. In the spring of 1096, Metz became one of the scenes of the Rhineland massacres of non-Christians as count Emicho of Flonheim gathered followers for the First Crusade. A group of these crusaders entered Metz, forcibly converting Jewish families, and killing those who resisted baptism. 22 Jewish citizens of Metz were slaughtered.

The Commune of Metz

In the 12th century, the burgesses began efforts to free themselves from the domination of the bishops. In 1180, the burgesses formed a close corporation, the ''Tredecem jurati'', which were appointed as municipal representatives in 1207. The burgesses were still nominated directly by the bishop, who had also a controlling influence in the selection of the presiding officer of the board of aldermen (which originated in the 11th century). The twenty-five representatives sent by the various parishes held an independent position; in judicial matters they helped the ''Tredecem jurati'' and formed the democratic element of the system of government. The other municipal authorities were chosen by the town aristocracy, the so-called Paraiges, i.e. the five associations whose members were selected from distinguished families to protect the interests of their relatives. The other body of burgesses, called a Commune, also appears as a Paraige from the year 1297; in the individual offices it was represented by double the number of members that each of the older five Paraiges had. Making common cause, the older family unions and the Commune found it advantageous to gradually increase the powers of the city as opposed to the bishops, and also to keep the control of the municipal government fully in their hands and out of that of the powerful growing guilds, so that until the 16th century Metz remained a purely aristocratic organization. In 1300, the Paraiges gained the right to fill the office of head-alderman, during the 14th century the right to elect the ''Tredecem jurati'', and in 1383 the right to mint its own coins. The guilds, which during the 14th century had attained great independence, were completely suppressed (1383), and the last revolutionary attempt of the artisans to seize control of the city government (1405) was put down with much bloodshed.

The city had often to fight for its freedom: from 1324–27 against the dukes of Luxembourg and Lorraine, as well as against the archbishop of Trier; in 1363 and 1365 against the band of English mercenaries under Arnold of Cervola, in the 15th century against France and the dukes of Burgundy, who sought to annex Metz to their lands or at least wanted to exercise a protectorate. Nevertheless it maintained its independence, even though at great cost, and remained, outwardly at least, part of the German Empire, whose ruler, however, concerned himself very little with this important frontier stronghold.

French Metz

Charles IV in 1354 and 1356 held diets here, at the latter of which was promulgated the famous statute known as the Golden Bull. The town therefore felt that it occupied an almost independent position between France and Germany, and wanted most of all to evade the obligation of imperial taxes and attendance at the diet. The estrangement between it and the German States daily became wider, and finally affairs came to such a pass that in the religious and political troubles of 1552, Metz found itself in the middle of the war between Charles V and the rebellious princes. By an agreement of the German princes, Maurice of Saxony, William of Hesse, and John Albert of Mecklenburg, with Henry II of France, ratified by the French king at Chambord, Metz was formally transferred to France, the gates of the city were opened, and Henry II took possession as ''vicarius sacri imperii et urbis protector''. Francis, Duke of Guise, commander of the garrison, restored the old fortifications and added new ones, and successfully resisted the attacks of the emperor from October to December 1552. Metz remained French.

The recognition by the empire of the surrender of Metz to France came at the conclusion of the Peace of Westphalia. By the construction of the citadel (1555–62), the new government secured itself against the citizens, who were discontented with the turn of events. Important internal changes soon took place. In place of the Paraiges stood the authority of the French king, whose representative was the governor. The head-alderman, now appointed by the governor, was replaced by a royalist mayor (1640). The aldermen were also appointed by the governor and henceforth drawn from the whole body of burgesses. In 1633, the judiciary passed to the parliament. The powers of the ''Tredecem jurati'' were also restricted, in 1634 totally abolished, and replaced by the Bailliage royal.

Among the cities of Lorraine, Metz held a prominent position during the French possession for two reasons. First, the city became one of the most important fortresses through the work of Vauban (1674) and Cormontaigne (1730). Vauban wrote to King Louis XIV: "Each one of the fortified towns of Your Majesty protects one province, Metz protects the State." Second, it became the capital of the temporal province of the Three Bishoprics of Metz, Toul, and Verdun, which France had seized (1552) and, by the Peace of Westphalia, retained. In 1633, to this end three bishoprics, a supreme court of justice and court of administration, the Metz's parliament, were created. thumb|Courthouse, former Governor's Palace, built by [[Charles-Louis Clérisseau|Clérisseau. Place of the diner of Metz in 1775, when Lafayette decided to support the American Revolutionary War.]] In 1681, the ''Chambre Royale'', notorious assembly chamber, whose business it was to decide what fiefs belonged to the Three Bishoprics, which King Louis XIV claimed for France, was made a part of this parliament, which lasted, after a temporary dissolution (1771–75), until the final settlement by the Estates-General of 1789, whereupon the division of the land into departments and districts followed. Metz became the capital of the Department of Moselle, created in 1790. The revolution visited great calamities upon the city. In the campaign of 1814 the army of the Sixth Coalition besieged the city, but was unable to take the city which was defended by a French army under command of General Durutte.

1819: A view of Metz during the Bourbon Restoration

In July 1819, the Scottish born naval officer Norwich Duff visited Metz and recorded a detailed description of the town:

Metz is a large and strongly fortified town, situated on a plain at the confluence of the Moselle and Seille. It manufactures woollen goods, linen, china, paper, oil, starch and is famous for its hams, liquers, sweetmeats and artificial flowers: they also have a king's manufacture of gunpowder. The government house and the promenades round it are very fine: there is also [an] immense extent of barracks for troops, a large cathedral and a theatre. From the number of running ditches formed by the river there are a great many bridges: the streets, like in all French towns [sic], are narrow and dirty and the houses high: the ground is also very uneven on which they stand. Some street performers gave us a little very tolerable music during our dinner.

Metz and the Franco-Prussian War

During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71, Metz was the headquarters of the Third French Army Corps under the command of General Bazaine. Through the operations of the German army, Bazaine, after the battles of Colombey, Mars-la-Tour, and Gravelotte was besieged in Metz. The besieging German army was commanded by Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia; as the few sorties of the garrison were unable to break the German lines, Metz was forced to surrender (27 October 1870), with the result that 6,000 French officers and 170,000 men were taken prisoner. The philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche took part in the siege of Metz as a German soldier. By the Treaty of Frankfurt of 1871, Metz became a German city, and was made a most important garrison and a strong fortress. The German army decided to build a second and a third fortified line around Metz. The former fortifications on the south and east were levelled in 1898, thus securing space for growth and development.

20th century and modern day Metz

Following the armistice with Germany ending the First World War, the French army entered Metz in November 1918 and the city was returned to France under the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. But after the Battle of France in 1940 during the Second World War, the city was immediately annexed by the German Third Reich. Most of the Nazi dignitaries assumed it was obvious that the city of Metz, where so many German army officers were born, was a German city. In 1944, the attack on the city by the U.S. Third Army faced heavy resistance from the defending German forces, and resulted in heavy casualties on both sides. The Battle of Metz lasted for several weeks and the heavily fortified city of Metz was captured by the U.S. Army under the command of General George S. Patton before the end of November 1944. Metz reverted to France after the war. Nowadays, the military importance of Metz has decreased, and the city has diversified its economic base. Expansion has continued in the recent decades despite the economic crisis that besets the rest of Lorraine region. Metz is in the heart of a new economic region known as the SaarLorLux Euroregion, and combines the culture and economic aspects of this unique region in Europe. Since the 1970s, the city has developed its university and overall infrastructure for the European Greater Region. Metz's technopole is another example of the economic revival of Metz and its region. The technopole, a high-tech park spread over specializing in information technology, was established in 1983 and has attracted over 200 companies, 4,000 employees and 4,500 students. World-class academic institutions such as Arts et Métiers ParisTech, Georgia Tech and Supélec along with established companies including ProConsultant, SFR and TDF are located at the technopole.

In 2010, Metz opened a branch of the Parisian Pompidou centre, the Centre Pompidou-Metz, inaugurated by the president of the French Republic, Nicolas Sarkozy, on 12 May 2010. He stated that "the Lorraine region has suffered greatly in recent decades from restructuring, transfers, changes, the textile and steel industries, the mines, the military (...) In this remarkable architectural gesture, we will from now on be able to take hold of the renaissance of Metz and the renaissance of Lorraine." Indeed, in addition of the arrival of the high-speed rail connections in 2007 and the Pompidou centre in 2010, the municipality launched urban renewal plans (e.g., edification of the modern Amphithéatre district, reconversion of Metz's extensive military facilities); important infrastructure projects (e.g., building of the Mercy high-tech hospital, refurbishment of squares, public ways, and Saint-Symphorien stadium, improvement of public transportation); ambitious cultural and educational programmes (e.g., construction of a new popular music venue, creation of a veterinary school, establishment of the Lorraine-University along with Nancy); and economic and industrial development (e.g., extension and creation of a second technopole).

Politics and administration

List of mayors of Metz

colspan="2" style="background:#f5f5f5; color:#000; height:17px;"	Période	Name	Party	Others
style="background:#f5f5f5; color:#000;"	2008			style="background:#f5f5f5; color:#000;"
			style="background:#f5f5f5; color:#000;"	style="background:#f5f5f5; color:#000;"
		style="background:#f5f5f5; color:#000;"	style="background:#f5f5f5; color:#000;"
	1938		1947		Gabriel Hocquard		Unknown		Unknown
	1924		1938		Paul Vautrin		Bloc Lorrain		General councillor of Moselle

Capital and prefecture of the Lorraine and Moselle

The Lorraine parliament is held in the former Saint-Clement abbey in Metz. Metz is also home of the council of Moselle and the Lorraine prefecture is located in the former Intendant palace.

City administrative division

The city of Metz is divided into different administrative divisions:

Metz Nord (harbour zone)

The Islands (opera house, Protestant Temple Neuf, Paul Verlaine University, the marina)

Metz downtown and Old City (Centre-Ville, Ste Croix, Outre-Seille, and l'Esplanade garden)

German Imperial District (railway station, Central Post Office, Ste-Therèse-de-l'Enfant-Jesus church)

Sablon (Centre Pompidou-Metz museum, indoor sport arena, Seille park)

Plantières and Queuleu (Queuleu fort)

Bellecroix (Bellecroix fort)

Vallières (Robert Schumann hospital)

Borny and Grigy (technopole)

La Grange-aux-Bois (congress centre, Mercy hospital and Mercy château)

Magny

Cityscape

Civilian architecture

The city is famous for its yellow limestone architecture, due to the extensive use of the Jaumont stone. The historic district has kept part of the Gallo-Roman city planning. Indeed, ''Divodurum'''s ''Cardo Maximus'', then called ''Via Scarponensis'', includes today the Trinitaires, Taison, and Serpenoise streets and the Robert Schuman and General Leclerc avenues. The ''Decumanus Maximus'' is the ancestor of present-day En Fournirue and d'Estrées streets, passing in front of the Saint-Stephen cathedral from the 13th century.

Metz is home to a mishmash of architectural layers, witnessing its millennium history at the crossroad of different cultures. Thus, from its Gallo-Roman past, the city conserves vestiges of the thermae (in the basement of Metz's museums), parts of the aqueduct, and Saint-Pierre-aux-Nonnains basilica. The Saint-Louis square with its arcades, where currency changers gathered, remains a major symbol of the High Medieval heritage of the city, as well as, a Knights Templar chapel. The Gothic cathedral, several churches and ''Hôtels'', and two remarkable municipal granaries reflect the Late Middle Ages.

Examples of Renaissance architecture can be seen in the ''House of Heads'' () and in the Burtaigne ''Hôtel'' from the 16th century. The Enlightenment is represented by buildings of the Petit-Saulcy island, the opera house and the prefecture palace built by Jacques Oger, and the court house built by Charles-Louis Clérisseau in 1776. Also, the city hall and buildings surrounding the town square are works of Jacques-François Blondel, awarded by the Royal Academy of Architecture to redesign the centre of Metz in 1755.

The German Imperial District was built during the first annexation of Metz by Otto von Bismarck to the German Empire. In order to ''germanify'' the city, Emperor Wilhelm II decided to create a new district shaped by a distinctive blend of Germanic architecture, including Renaissance, neo-Romanesque or neo-Classical, mixed with elements of art nouveau, art deco, Alsatian and mock-Bavarian styles. Moreover, the Jaumont stone, commonly used everywhere else in the city, was replaced by stones used in the Rhineland, like pink and grey sandstone, granite and basalt. The district, thought by German architect Conrad Wahn, features noteworthy buildings including the water tower, the impressive railway station, the Central Post-Office, the Mondon square (former Imperial square), and the large Foch avenue (former Kaiser Wihelm Ring).

Modern architecture can also be seen in the town. Hence the Fabert boarding high school built by architects Roger Parisot and Paul Micholeau in 1936 and the Sainte-Thérèse-de-l'Enfant-Jésus church was built by architect Roger-Henri Expert in 1954 in a thin-shell structure. Then, the fire station was designed by architect Georges-Henri Pingusson in 1960 and the Miséricorde chapel by architects Henri Drillen and Pierre Fauque in 1965. Subdivisions designed by architects Jean Dubuisson and Roger Gaertner (1978) can also be seen. The refurbishment of the former Ney Arsenal into a concert hall venue in 1989 by architect Ricardo Bofill represents the postmodernism movement. The city displays street furnitures designed by Philippe Starck and Norman Foster.

The Centre Pompidou-Metz museum represents a strong architectural initiative by Shigeru Ban and Jean de Gastine, marking the entrance of Metz into the 21st century. The building, along with the arena by Paul Chemetov built in 2002, will be the cornerstone of the Amphitheatre district. The new district of , conceived by architects and urban planners Nicolas Michelin and Jean-Paul Viguier, is currently under construction and includes the erection of a convention centre and a shopping mall. Thi inner district already encompasses the Seille park designed by landscape architect Jacques Coulon. The urban project is expected to be completed by 2015. Moreover, the Borny district, formally designed by architect Jean Dubuisson, is currently being extensively refurbished by urban planner Bernard Reichen, and will include a concert venue, conceived in music box shape by its architect Rudy Ricciotti. Its completion is expected in 2012.

Military architecture

As a historical Garrison town, Metz has been largely influenced by military architecture throughout its history. Indeed, from classical antiquity to the present, the city has been successively fortified or complemented in order to receive the troops stationed there. Thus, defensive walls from classical antiquity to 20th century are still visible today and are included in garden and park design along the Moselle and Seille rivers and in the city surroundings. A medieval city gate from the 13th century, named ''Germans's Gate'' (), has become one of the symbols of the city. Remains of the citadel from the 16th century and fortifications built by Louis de Cormontaigne are still visible today. Important barracks, mostly from the 18th and 19th centuries, are spread around the city, and some of them which are of architectural interest have reconverted to civilian facilities, e.g. the Arsenal. Ringing the city are extensive fortifications of Metz, that include early examples of Séré de Rivières system forts. Other forts were incorporated into the Maginot Line defence. A hiking trail on the Mont Saint-Quentin plateau passes through former military training zone and ends at the now abandoned military forts of the first belt, and also provides a high ground from which to survey the city.

Culture

Museums and exhibition halls

The Centre Pompidou-Metz is a museum of modern and contemporary arts, the largest temporary exhibition area outside Paris in France. The museum features exhibition from the extensive collection of the Pompidou centre (Europe's largest collection of 20th century art). Designed by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban and French Jean de Gastine, the building is remarkable for the complex and innovative carpentry of its roof. The museum also includes a theatre, an auditorium, and a restaurant terrace.

The Golden Courtyard museums () in reference to the palace of Austrasia's kings, are museums of Metz dedicated to the history of the city. The museums are divided into four sections (history and archeological, medieval, architecture, and fine arts), and incorporate the Gallo-Roman baths, the ancient Petites-Carmes abbey, the former Trinitarian church, and the Chèvremont medieval granary.

The ''49Nord-6Est'', the Lorraine's exhibition of contemporary art, is located in the Saint-Liver Hôtel, the oldest civic building of the city dating from the 12th century. The municipal archives, located in the Recollets cloisters, preserve and exhibit the historical records of Metz's municipality dating from medieval times to present. The Solange Bertrand foundation conserves and presents the works of the artist and organizes different art exhibitions. The city also boasts several private art galleries.

Entertainment and performing arts

The Opera-Theater of Metz is a 750-seat opera house on the Petit-Saulcy island. Designed in a Tuscany-influenced neo-Classical style by Jacques Oger and inaugurated in 1752, it is the oldest opera house working in France and one of the last possessing its own costume ateliers. The duke of Belle-Isle described it as "one of the most beautiful France's opera-theatre" at his time. The Metz opera works in close collaboration with the National Opera of Lorraine and features plays, choreographies, and lyric poetry.

The Arsenal is former military building turned into an exposition and concert hall by Catalan architect Ricardo Bofill, and inaugurated by Russian cellist Mstislav Rostropovich in 1989. The Arsenal is dedicated to art musics is widely renowned for its excellent acoustics and considered as one of the most beautiful concert halls in Europe.

Located on the Sainte-Croix hill, ''Les Trinitaires'' is a multi-media arts complex housed in an ancient convent, whose vaulted cellar and chapel have been the city's prime venue for jazz music for over 45 years. Some big names of Jazz, such as American saxophonists Sonny Rollins and Archie Shepp, have performed there. The Gothic cloisters from the 13th century, used now as an open-air stage, housed once the Trinitarian Order founded by Saint John of Matha and Saint Felix of Valois. The arts complex includes also a theatre, an exhibition hall, and a bar.

Other venues, such as the Braun hall or the Bernard-Marie Koltès theater, contribute to the choice of performing halls in Metz. Finally, numerous associations and private music bars and theatres collaborate to the entertaining life in Metz.

Gastronomy

Different recipes, such as jam, tart, charcuterie and fruit brandy, are made from the Mirabelle plum, which is one of the gastronomic symbols of the city and the surrounding area. Damson plum and rhubarb are also widely consumed. Other local specialties include the quiche, the potée, and also the suckling pig. Metz cuisine, as well as Mosellan and Alsatian cuisine, is also known for the use in vinaigrette dressings of Melfor vinegar, a local vinegar made with the infusion of honey and plants. Local beverages include Moselle wine and Amos beer. Also, Metz is the cradle of some pastries like the Metz's tart (cheese pie-like) and the ''Metz balls'' (), a ganache-stuffed biscuit coated with marzipan, caramel, and dark chocolate.

Annual events

France's second largest flea market is held once or twice a month in the congress centre of Metz. In addition, many other events are celebrated in Metz throughout the year. Here is a non-exhaustive list:

Pilgrimage of Saint Blaise on 3 February

Funfair in May

''Été du Livre'', festival of literature in June

Bastille Day on 14 July

''Macellum'' the first week-end of August

Mirabelle festival in August. Every year, the city of Metz dedicates two weeks to the Mirabelle plum. In addition to open markets selling fresh prunes, mirabelle tarts, mirabelle liquor, etc. there is live music, fireworks, parties, art exhibits, a parade with floral floats and competition, and the crowning of the Mirabelle Queen and a gala of celebration

''Les Montgolfiades de Metz'', Europe's largest hot air balloon festival in September.

European Heritage Days, the third week-end of September

Open de Moselle in September

Nuit Blanche in October

Christmas market in November and December (2nd most popular in France, after Strasbourg)

Saint Nicholas parade in December. Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of the Lorraine region.

The legend of the Graoully

''More details about the legend of the Graoully''

The Graoully is depicted as a fearsome dragon, vanquished by the sacred powers of Metz's first bishop, Saint Clement. The Graoully quickly became a symbol of the town of Metz and can be see in numerous insignia of the city, since the 10th century. Authors from Metz tend to present the legend of the Graoully as a symbol of Christianity's victory over paganism, represented by the harmful dragon. Today, the Graoully remains one of the major symbols of Metz. A representation of the Graoully may be seen in the crypt in the cathedral. A semi-permanent sculpture of the Graoully is also suspended in mid-air on Taison street, near the cathedral, and the Graoully is shown on the heraldic emblems of football club and ice hockey team of the city.

Education and Research

High schools

Metz is home to numerous high schools. The most notable of them is the Fabert high school, reputed for its scientific education and its ''classes préparatoires'' in mathematics. Notable fellows of the school include Alexis de Tocqueville, Robert Schuman, Jean-Victor Poncelet, or Joachim von Ribbentrop.

University

Metz is home to the University of Lorraine, which was a result of the fusing of the Metz Campus, the Nancy-University, and the National Polytechnic Institute of Lorraine. The University of Lorraine is divided into two university centres in Metz (Material sciences, technology, and management) and one in Nancy (biological sciences, health care, administration, and management). The University of Lorraine has student body of over 55,000 and offers 101 accredited research centres organized in 9 research areas and 8 doctoral colleges.

The Paul-Verlaine University, Metz unit of the Lorraine University, was created in 1970 as the Germans had removed any university from Metz during the Alsace-Moselle annexation. Since then, the university has developed on three different main sites, Saulcy Island, Bridoux, and Metz-Technopôle. The Paul-Verlaine University enjoys a privileged position at a hub opening up to Germany and the Benelux, and has gained recognition for the development of joint Franco-German curricula. Metz's university has a student body of more than 17,000 and offers a wide range of multidisciplinary courses. Here is a list of institutes in Metz:

Georgia Tech Lorraine

International Institute of Information Technology (Supinfo)

International Commerce Graduate School (ESIDEC)

Franco-German Institute of Technology, Economy, and Sciences (ISFATES)

Franco-German Innovative Centre of Metz (CIRAM)

National Engineering Graduate School of Metz (ENIM)

École Nationale Supérieure d'Arts et Métiers (ENSAM)

Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers (Cnam)

École Supérieure d'Électricité (Supélec)

Regional Institute of Administration (IRA)

Music Education Centre of Lorraine (CeFEdeM de Lorraine)

Construction Engineering Graduate School (ESITC)

Art School of Metz

Research

Georgia Tech Lorraine is home to the Lafayette Institute, which offers high tech service to industry, applied research and development, and spin-off companies in the optoelectronic sector.

Transportation

Railways

The Gare de Metz-Ville is connected to the French high speed train (TGV) network, which provides a direct rail service to Paris and the city of Luxembourg. The time from Paris (Paris East station) to Metz train station is 82 minutes. Additionally Metz is served by the Lorraine TGV train station, located at Louvigny, to the south of Metz, for high speed trains going to Nantes, Rennes, Lille, or Bordeaux (without stopping in Paris). Also, Metz is one of the main stations of the regional express trains systems named Métrolor. One of the main lines is the Nancy-Metz-Luxembourg line, completed by many lines going to main cities of the area.

Airports

The Luxembourg international airport is the nearest international airport connected to Metz by Métrolor train. Also, Lorraine TGV station is 75 minutes by train from France international Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport. Finally, Metz-Nancy-Lorraine Airport is the airport serving the Lorraine region. It is located in the city of Goin, at Metz southeast.

Motorways and local transportation

Metz is ideally located at the intersection of two major road axes: The Paris to Strasbourg A4 motorway, itself a part of the E50 motorway connecting Paris to Prague, and the A31 motorway, which goes north to Luxembourg and the Mediterranean Sea towards Nancy, Dijon, and Lyon.

Local transportation in the agglomeration is carried out by buses.

Waterways

There is some significant cross border fluvial tourism on the Rhine-Moselle system. Additionally, Metz port is the biggest port handling cereals in France with over 4,000,000 tons/year.

Sports

Clubs and sports events

Metz is home to the Football Club of Metz (FC Metz), a football association club in Ligue 2, the second division of French football. FC Metz has twice won the French Cup (in 1984 and 1988) and the French League Cup (in 1986 and 1996), and was French championship runner-up in 1998. FC Metz has also gained recognition in France and Europe for its successful youth academy, winning the Gambardella Cup 3 times (in 1981, 2001, and 2010), and producing players such as Emmanuel Adebayor, Miralem Pjanić, Louis Saha, or Papiss Cissé.

Metz is also home to the Open de Moselle, an ATP World Tour 250 tournament, which takes place usually in September. The tournament is played on indoor hard courts. Frenchman Arnaud Clément won the inaugural tournament in 2003, with players Ivan Ljubičić (2005), Novak Djokovic (2006), Tommy Robredo (2007), and Gilles Simon (2010) following his success.

The Metz Handball is a Team Handball club is the current French women's champion and displaying 17 wins in French Woman First League championship, 7 wins in French Women League Cup, and 4 wins in French Women F.A. Cup. French Vice World Champion Allison Pineau, who plays for the club, was elected female IHF World Handball Player in 2009.

Sports infrastructures

Saint-Symphorien stadium, a multi-purpose stadium built in 1923, home to FC Metz since the creation of the club.

Palais omnisport Les Arènes, nicknamed Les Arènes, an indoor sports arena built by architect Paul Chemetov in 2002. It is the home venue of the Metz Handball team.

Saint-Symphorien indoor arena with its ice rink home to Hockey Club Metz Moselle Lorraine, Ice Hockey team club of Metz

Plan d'Eau Saint-Symphorien, an expanse of water bulging from the Moselle river, used as a marina and for water sports

Garden Golf of Metz-Technopôle, designed by golf course architect Robert Berthet, is an 18-holes golf course on 50 hectares located near Metz's technopole

L'Anneau, an indoor athetics hall

Main Sights

Religious heritage

Saint-Stephen, Gothic cathedral () built in the 13th century. The cathedral is sometimes nicknamed ''the Good Lord's lantern'' (), possessing the largest expanse of stained glass windows in the world (6,500 m² or 70,000 sq ft). The stained glass windows include works by Hermann von Münster (14th C); Théobald of Lixheim and Valentin Bousch (16th C); Laurent-Charles Maréchal (19th C); Roger Bissière, Jacques Villon and Marc Chagall (20th C). Moreover, the cathedral possesses the third highest nave in France (41.41 m – 136 ft).

Saint-Pierre-aux-Nonnains basilica, the oldest church in France built between 380 and 395 AD as a Roman gymnasium, was converted into a Christian basilica in the 7th century. The basilica is one of the birthplaces of the Roman ''Messin chant'' later called Gregorian chant.

Saint-Maximin church, built between 12th–15th century, features stained glass windows of Jean Cocteau. Here, theologian Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet delivered eulogies and Paul Verlaine was baptized.

Notre-Dame-de-Metz church built during the 18th century in the Jesuit style and once part of a Jesuit complex. The church displays stained glass windows of Laurent-Charles Maréchal (19th C).

Sainte-Thérèse-de-l'Enfant-Jésus church (20th C) displays stained glass windows of Nicolas Untersteller. The building has a thin-shell structure designed by architect Roger-Henri Expert, and possesses a spire in the form of a pilgrim's staff of 70 m (229.64 ft) high.

Sainte-Ségolène church (13th C).

Saint-Martin church (12th C, Laurent-Charles Maréchal's stained glass windows).

Saint-Pierre-de-la-Citadelle church.

Saint-Euchaire church.

Saint-Clément church (17th C, now regional council of Lorraine).

Saint-Vincent abbey (10th C)

Recollets cloisters (14th C), housing today the municipal archives and the European Institute of Ecology

Trinitarian Order cloisters (13th C), today a multi-media arts complex which promotes jazz music.

Chapel of the Knights Templar (13th C), built in Romanesque style and once part of the commandry of the Knights Templar. The chapel features important murals.

Protestant Temple Neuf (New Church)(1901–1904), neo-Romanesque church, built during the German annexation by German architect Conrad Wahn

Protestant church of the German Garrison (1875–1881), neo-Gothic church. Only the bell tower has survived as the church was partially destroyed by Allied bombing during the Second World War.

Synagogue (1848–1850) built in neo-Romanesque style

Christian necropolis from the 19th century

Jewish Cemetery of Metz-Chambière

Civil heritage

House of François Rabelais (12th C), including Sainte-Genest chapel (13th C)

Paul Verlaine's native house

Chèvremont and Antonistes granaries (respectively from 13th and 14th century)

Saint-Livier Hôtel (12th C); Bulette Hôtel (14th C); Heu and Gargan Hôtels (15th C); Burtaigne and Gournay Hôtels (16th C); House of Heads (16th C)

Opera house, built between 1732 and 1752 in Tuscany-influenced neo-Classical style

Covered market, one of the oldest, most grandiose in France. Originally built in 1785 as the palace for the bishop of Metz, the French Revolution broke out before he could move in and the citizens decided to turn it into a food market.

Centre Pompidou-Metz, built between 2006 and 2010, museum of modern and contemporary art designed by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban and his colleague Jean Gastine

Administrative heritage

City hall and the tourism office, built by architect Jacques-François Blondel in neo-Classical style in 1755

Hôtel de l'Intendance, prefecture palace, from the 18th century, neo-Classical style

Courthouse, built by Charles-Louis Clérisseau in neo-Classical style during the 18th century. It is in this building, then the Governor's Palace, that the famous ''dinner of Metz'' took place. During the dinner organized by Broglie-Ruffec, the duke of Gloucester convinced Lafayette that the insurgent's revolt in America was in some measure justified. Lafayette wrote in his memoirs that at this dinner when he "(...) first learned of that quarrel, [his] heart was enlisted and [he] thought only of joining the colours".

Railway station, a 300m long neo-Romanesque building designed by German architect Jurgen Kröger between 1905 and 1908. The station echoes the shape of the church (at the departure hall with the clock tower, said to have been designed by the Kaiser himself) and an imperial palace (at the arrivals hall and the station restaurant), which is a reminder of the religious and temporal powers of the Holy Roman emperors. In the great hallway, the Emperor Charlemagne is depicted on a stained glass window sitting on his throne. The statue of the Knight Roland on a corner of the clock tower represents the imperial protection over Metz.

Central post office, neo-Romanesque building built by German architect Ludwig Bettcher between 1908 and 1911

Governor's palace (former General-Kommando), built by German architects Schönhals and Stolterfoth between 1902 and 1905 in neo-Flemish style. Once the residence of Emperor Wilhelm II during his visits to Metz, the mansion is used today as the headquarters of the commander in chief of the North-East military region of France.

Military heritage

City gates: ''Porte des Allemands'' (13th and 15th centuries), Chandellerue gate (13th C), and Serpenoise gate (19th C)

Ruins of city walls (2nd, 13th, 15th, and 17th centuries from Louis de Cormontaigne), and supplies shop of the military citadel from the 16th century (today a luxury hotel called La Citadelle)

Extensive fortifications of Metz. The fortifications of the first belt include early examples of Séré de Rivières system forts (Fort de Plappeville, "groupe fortifié du Mont St-Quentin").

Fort de Queuleu (19th C), also called the ''Hell of Queuleu'', was used by Germans as a detention and interrogation centre for members of the French Resistance during the Second World War.

Former arsenal built in 1859, today a concert hall dedicated to erudite musics

War memorial of Paul Niclausse (1935), art deco sculpture representing a mother cradling the dead body of her son

Public gardens

Esplanade garden, located close to Saint-Pierre-aux-Nonnains basilica and the Arsenal auditorium, a 9,200 m2 (140.5 sq ft) French style garden, offering a commanding view of the Saint-Quentin plateau. On the Esplanade, Philippe Pétain received his marshal's baton from President Raymond Poincaré and Prime Minister Georges Clémenceau in November 1918. The garden also hosted a World Fair in 1861.

Seille park, located near Centre Pompidou-Metz, is a public garden designed by landscape architect Jacques Coulon

Marina of the Plan d'Eau Saint-Symphorien

Régates garden, an English-garden park stretching around the bottom of the ramparts of the old citadel

Tanneurs garden, gives a commanding view of the city's roofs

Botanical garden, called jardin botanique de Metz

Squares

Place d'Armes, the town square surrounded by the city hall and the Saint-Stephen cathedral

Chamber square and adjacent Saint-Stephen square, once used as an amphitheatre for Mystery plays during the Middle Ages

Comedy square, parvise of the opera house. It is the square where the guillotine was erected for executions during the French Revolution.

General de Gaulle square, parvise of the railway station

Human rights's parvise, parvise of the Centre Pompidou-Metz museum

John Paul II square, parvise of the Saint-Stephen cathedral and the market hall

Mondon square (former Imperial square), surrounded by the current chamber of commerce and the former chamber of trade

Mazelle square, livestock marketplace during the Middle Ages

Republic square, adjacent to the Esplanade garden and in the heart of the city, serves as Metz's civic center

Saint-Louis square, medieval market square from the 13th C. The alignment of the buildings surrounding the square corresponds to the original Roman ramparts which were used for the actual foundations. During medieval times, the square used to accommodate money changers and also trade fairs and religious theatre plays under the vaulted gallery and arches.

Saint-Jacques square, located in the commercial and pedestrian historic downtown. The public square is surrounded by busy bars and pubs, whose open-air tables fill the centre of the square.

Metz in arts

The Metz School

The Metz School () was an art movement in Metz and its region gathering around Laurent-Charles Maréchal between 1834 and 1870. Originally the term was proposed in 1845 by poet Charles Baudelaire, who appreciated the works of the artists. They were influenced by Eugène Delacroix and inspired by the medieval heritage of Metz and its romantic surroundings. The Franco-Prussian War and the annexation of the land by the Germans resulted in the dismantling of the movement. Main figures of Metz School are Laurent-Charles Maréchal, Auguste Migette, Auguste Hussenot, Louis-Théodore Devilly, Christopher Fratin, and Charles Pêtre. Their works encompass paintings, engravings, drawings, stained-glass windows, and sculptures.

Painting and printing

Monsù Desidero represented a general view of the city at the beginning of the 17th century from the high ground of the Bellecroix hill. Painter Auguste Migette created many drawings and sketches showing ancient monuments of the town, as well as monumental paintings representing the most significant moments in local history. He left his works and manuscript to the city and they are today exhibited in the museums of Metz. Also, in his work dedicated to ''The Beautiful Gallic Cities between the Rhine and Moselle Rivers'', Albert Robida depicted in a lithography the Saint-Stephen cathedral.

Poetry and literature

During the German annexation of the city, French poet Paul Verlaine dedicated a poem to his hometown. Making reference to the Bazaine's treachery and to the French revanchism, he wrote:

German author Adrienne Thomas published in 1930 a harsh criticism of the war with the First World War best-seller novel ''Katrin becomes a soldier'' (). The text is a diaristic novel based on Thomas’s own life, describing her work at the Metz's railway mission and then as a hospital nurse during the war. The work centres upon the area around Metz, then in German territory, and not only poised between France and Germany linguistically and culturally, but very close indeed to the Western Front and on the direct line to Verdun. The text was banned in Germany during the Third Reich.

Music

Metz is the seat of the National Orchestra of Lorraine. Violist, composer Alain Celo has written a piece for ensemble entitled ''The Graoully, Messin dragon''. The piece is a musical story with narration depicting the epic fight between Saint Clement and the legendary dragon in the Roman amphitheater.

Like Adrienne Thomas, French singer Bernard Lavilliers mentioned the Metz's railway station in his work. In a song entitled ''Le buffet de la gare de Metz'' on album ''Le Stéphanois'' from 1975, he described the sort of melancholy Teutonic beauty of the building located in the German Imperial District, and the smoky, strange atmosphere of its station restaurant, where "the poetry is there, Verlaine resuscitated."

Notable people linked to Metz

Notable people from Metz

Notable people linked to the city

International relations

Metz is a fellow member of the QuattroPole union of cities, along with Luxembourg, Saarbrücken, and Trier (neighbouring countries: Luxembourg, France, and Germany). Metz also forms a central place of the Greater Region and of the economic SaarLorLux Euroregion.

Twin towns – Sister cities

Metz is twinned with:

	*	* [[File:Flag of Germany.svg	* [[File:Flag of Israel.svg		[[File:Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg>20px	* [[File:Flag of the Czech Republic.svg	* [[File:Flag of the United States.svg		* [[File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg	*	*

Notes

External links

Official Town Council's website

Official Agglomeration communities of Metz's website

Historic maps

University of Metz's website

Metz Technopôle's website

Metz.Online.Fr – Your guide to all web sites related to Metz

Centre Pompidou-Metz's website

History museums of Metz – Musées de la Cour d'Or

Metz Opera's website

Arsenal-Metz Concert Hall's website

Caveau des Triniatires – multimedia arts complex's website

National Orchestra of Lorraine's website

Category:Communes of Moselle Category:Imperial free cities

af:Metz als:Metz ar:ميتز an:Metz roa-rup:Metz be:Горад Мец bo:མེ་ཊི་ཛི། bg:Мец ca:Metz ceb:Metz cs:Mety cy:Metz da:Metz de:Metz et:Metz el:Μετς (Γαλλία) es:Metz eo:Metz eu:Metz fa:متز fr:Metz gl:Metz ko:메스 (프랑스) hr:Metz id:Metz it:Metz he:מץ ka:მეცი sw:Metz la:Mettis lv:Meca lb:Metz lt:Mecas hu:Metz mk:Мец mr:मेस nl:Metz ja:メス (フランス) no:Metz nn:Metz oc:Mètz pfl:Meds pnb:میٹز pl:Metz pt:Metz ro:Metz ru:Мец sco:Metz sq:Metz scn:Metz simple:Metz sk:Metz sl:Metz sr:Мец sh:Metz fi:Metz sv:Metz ta:மெட்சு th:แม็ส tr:Metz uk:Мец vec:Metz vi:Metz vo:Metz war:Metz yi:מעץ zh:梅斯

name	Giel Beelen
birth name	Michiel Antonius Adrianus Beelen
birth date	25 May 1977
birth place	Haarlem
show	GIEL
station	3FM
network	VARA
timeslot	6:00 - 10:00 a.m.Monday-Friday
show2	Nachtegiel
station2	3FM
network2	VARA
timeslot2	1:00 - 4:00 a.m.Friday
style	Disc Jockey
country	Netherlands
spouse(s)	Marisa Heutink (1999-2008), Guilia Wolthuis (2008-present)
web	http://www.giel.vara.nl/ }}

Michiel Antonius Adrianus Beelen, better known as Giel Beelen (born in Haarlem, on 25 May 1977) is a Dutch radio-dj and presentator. Currently he presents the VARA morning show ''GIEL'' at 3FM from Monday till Friday between 6:00 and 10:00 am. He also has a show called ''Nachtegiel'' at Saturday morning between 1:00 and 4:00 am, at the so-called ''Freaknacht'' ("Freak night").

He also presents the VARA extreme participation (grammar) TV show Factor giel and a TV talkshow called ''GielTV''. In one part he and the interviewed person are naked (but largely this amounts to showing the bare shoulders).

Career

From an early age, Beelen was determined to become a disc jockey. When he was just a little kid, he made himself a mock radio station to pretend he was a dj. After starting at a local Haarlem broadcasting company, presenting a show for kids, he soon moved to Radio 10 Gold and later to Radio Noordzee to work as an engineer.

In 1997 Beelen moved to the AVRO at Radio 3FM, where he hosted a show during night time.

In October 2003 he won a Dutch Marconi Award, for best radiomaker of 2003.

Since 2004 Giel moved from the NPS, back to the VARA, to presents his morning show 'GIEL!' and his Friday Nightshow, Nachtegiel as part of 'The Friday Freak night'. The Friday Freak night has also, Ekdom in de nacht ('Ekdom in the night'), presented by Gerard Ekdom, between 4.00 and 7.00 am.

In 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2009 he lived in the House of Glass (''Het Glazen Huis'') a week prior to Christmas without anything to eat to collect money for projects supported by the Red Cross in a show called Serious Request.

Presentator of event

Serious Request in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009 and 2010 as Radio DJ.

Pinkpop in Landgraaf as Radio DJ, Reporter on Radio 3FM and TV Host, on Nederland 3.

Liberation pop festival on Liberation Day in Haarlem.

Student demonstration, on 30 November 2007 in Amsterdam.

Dance4life event 2006.

References

External links

Official website of Giel Beelen Dutch Wikipedia of Giel Beelen Giel Beelen in 'Love'

Category:1977 births Category:Living people Category:Dutch radio personalities Category:People from Haarlem

fy:Giel Beelen nl:Giel Beelen

name	Aphex Twin
landscape	yes
background	non_vocal_instrumentalist
birth name	Richard David James
born	August 18, 1971 Limerick, Ireland
origin	Lanner, Cornwall, United Kingdom
genre	Electronic
instrument	Synthesizer, piano, electronics, laptop, softsynth, turntables, drum machine, computer, sampler
occupation	Musician, composer, remixer
years active	1985-present
associated acts	Universal Indicator, Mike & Rich
website	}}

Richard David James (born 18 August 1971), best known under the pseudonym Aphex Twin, is an electronic musician and composer described as "the most inventive and influential figure in contemporary electronic music". He founded the record label Rephlex Records in 1991 with Grant Wilson-Claridge.

Aphex Twin has also recorded music under the aliases AFX, Blue Calx, Bradley Strider, Caustic Window, DJ Smojphace, GAK, Martin Tressider, Polygon Window, Power-Pill, Prichard D. Jams, Q-Chastic, Tahnaiya Russell, The Dice Man, Soit-P.P., and speculatively The Tuss.

Aphex Twin has released albums on Rephlex, Warp, R&S;, Sire, Mighty Force, Rabbit City, and Men Records.

History

Early years

Richard David James was born to Welsh parents Lorna and Derek James in St. Munchin's Limerick Regional Maternity Hospital, Ireland. He grew up in Lanner, Cornwall, England enjoying, along with two older sisters, a "very happy" childhood during which they, according to James, "were pretty much left to do what [they] wanted." He "liked growing up there, being cut off from the city and the rest of the world". James attended Redruth School, located in Redruth, Cornwall.

According to musician Benjamin Middleton, James started producing music at the age of 12. As a teenager he was a disc jockey at the Shire Horse Inn in St Ives, with Tom Middleton at the Bowgie Inn in Crantock, and also along the numerous beaches around Cornwall. James studied for a National Diploma in Engineering from 1988 to 1990 (aged 16 to 18) at Cornwall College. Talking about his studies, James has said that "music and electronics went hand in hand." James graduated from college; according to an engineering lecturer, however, he often had his headphones on during practical lessons, "no doubt thinking through the mixes he'd be working on later".

Early career: early 1990s

In 1989 James met and befriended Grant Wilson-Claridge when working as a DJ on alternate weeks at the Bowgie pub, near Newquay in Cornwall. Wilson-Claridge was intrigued by James's sets and was surprised to discover that James was playing tapes of his own music.

James' first release was the 12-inch EP ''Analogue Bubblebath'' on Mighty Force Records in 1991. It was first released under the moniker Aphex Twin, later changed to AFX. The track "En Trance to Exit" was made in collaboration with Tom Middleton, also known as Schizophrenia. The EP got on the playlist of Kiss FM, an influential London radio station, which helped the release to become a success.

In 1991, James and Wilson-Claridge founded Rephlex Records to promote "innovation in the dynamics of Acid — a much-loved and -misunderstood genre of house music forgotten by some and indeed new to others, especially in Britain."

Between 1991 and 1993, James released two ''Analogue Bubblebath'' EPs as AFX, and an EP under Bradley Strider, ''Bradley's Beat''. James moved to London to take an electronics course at Kingston Polytechnic, but at the time admitted to David Toop that his "electronics studies were already slipping away as a career in the techno business took precedence." After quitting his course, James remained in London and released a number of albums and EPs on Warp Records and other labels under many aliases including AFX, Polygon Window, and Power-Pill. A number of James' tracks (released under the aliases Blue Calx, The Dice Man, and others) appeared on various compilations. Local legend has it that James lived on the roundabout in Elephant and Castle, South London during his early years in the capital - in fact he lived in a nearby disused bank.

Gaining success: 1992–1995

The first full-length Aphex Twin album, ''Selected Ambient Works 85–92'', was released in 1992 on R&S; Records. It received high ratings and praise from critics. John Bush of Allmusic described it as a "watershed of ambient music". In 2002, ''Rolling Stone'' wrote of the album: "Aphex Twin expanded way beyond the ambient music of Brian Eno by fusing lush soundscapes with oceanic beats and bass lines." Pitchfork Media's review called it, "among the most interesting music ever created with a keyboard and a computer." Critics also noted that the songs were recorded on cassette and that the sound quality was "relatively poor".

In 1992, he also released the EPs ''Xylem Tube EP'' and ''Digeridoo'' (first played by DJ Colin Faver on London's Kiss FM) as Aphex Twin, as Power-Pill the ''Pac-Man EP'' based on the arcade game ''Pac-Man'', and two of his four Caustic Window EPs. "Digeridoo" reached #55 in the UK Singles Chart, and was later described as foreshadowing drum and bass by ''Rolling Stone''. "Digeridoo" was recorded initially for the benefit of FIZZ-BOMB (at the Shire Horse, St Ives, Cornwall). These early releases came out on Rephlex Records, Mighty Force of Exeter, and R&S; Records of Belgium.

In 1993, James released ''Analogue Bubblebath 3''. He also released a single titled "On"; his second Bradley Strider EP, ''Bradley's Robot''; two more Caustic Window EPs; and his first releases on Warp Records, ''Surfing on Sine Waves'' and "Quoth" under the alias Polygon Window.

Warp Records pressed and released a follow-up to ''Selected Ambient Works 85-92'', ''Selected Ambient Works Volume II'' in 1994. The sound was much less beat and melody-driven than the previous volume. All of the track names were described with pie chart symbols, each of which was meant to be paired with a corresponding image in the album jacket, with exception for one song, which was named "Blue Calx". To decipher song titles, listeners had to compare the length of each track with the size of each pie chart symbol. For example, the first title, which is often labelled ''cliffs'', is realised by pairing the first symbol with the first image, which is that of a rocky cliffside. James claimed in ''The Wire'' magazine and other media that these songs were inspired by lucid dreams and synaesthesia. Other releases are a fourth ''Analogue Bubblebath''; ''GAK'', derived from early demos sent to Warp Records; and ''Classics'', a compilation album that includes "Digeridoo" and the ''Xylem Tube EP''.

For his 1995 release, ''...I Care Because You Do'', James used an image of his face for the album cover, a motif that would continue on many of his later records. The album was a compilation of songs composed between 1990 and 1994 and represented a mish-mash of Aphex Twin's various music styles. This was James's last record of the 1990s to use mostly analogue synthesizers. He commissioned Western classical-music composer Philip Glass to create an orchestral version of one of the songs from this album, "Icct Hedral", which appeared on the ''Donkey Rhubarb'' EP.

Jungle, DSP, and laptops: 1995–1999

In 1995 (primarily with ''Hangable Auto Bulb'', a near anagram of ''Analogue Bubblebath''), James began releasing more material composed on computers, combining a jungle sound with nostalgic childhood themes and computer-generated acid lines.

James's early adoption of software synthesizers predated the later popularity of using computers to make music. In the mid-to-late 1990s, his music became more popular and mainstream, as he released ''Richard D. James Album'' and ''Expert Knob Twiddlers'' (a collaboration with fellow dance producer µ-ziq) in 1996, "Come to Daddy" in 1997 (#36 on UK charts) and "Windowlicker" in 1999 (#16 on UK charts). Two pop songs that heavily use Digital Signal Processing (DSP) techniques, "Come to Daddy" and "Windowlicker" were shown on MTV and became cover features for music magazines such as ''NME''. The videos for both singles were directed by British artist Chris Cunningham and caused controversy on release because of their disturbing images and themes.

In 1998, Aphex Twin's track "[rhubarb]" (from ''Selected Ambient Works Volume II'') appeared as part of the BBC's digital widescreen test transmission, which was on loop for many months as the service was introduced across the UK.

Prepared piano, laptops, and more DSP: 2000–2003

In 2001 Aphex Twin released ''drukqs'', a two-CD album that featured computer controlled piano songs influenced by Erik Satie and John Cage. Many of the tracks' names are written in the Cornish language (e.g., 'jynweythek' translatable as 'machinemusic'). Also included were abrasive, fast, and meticulously programmed computer-made songs. ''Rolling Stone'' described the piano songs as "aimlessly pretty". Some reviewers concluded that ''drukqs'' was released as a contract breaker with Warp Records—a credible guess, as James's next big release was released on his own Rephlex label. James claimed to interviewers he had accidentally left an MP3 player labelled "Aphex Twin—unreleased tracks" on a plane, containing a large set of new songs, and rushed the album release to preempt an Internet leak. He also released a short EP titled ''2 Remixes By AFX'' the same year as ''Drukqs''. It featured two remixes, the originals being from 808 State and DJ Pierre. In addition, there is one untitled third track that consists of an SSTV image, which consists of mostly of high-pitched sounds, which can be decoded to a viewable image by proper software such as MultiMode (for Macintosh) or MMSSTV (for Windows).

Synthesizers and drum machines: 2004–2011

In late 2004, rumours of James's return to an acid techno-based sound were realised with the ''Analord'' series, an 11-part series of EPs with 42 total tracks, averaging 2–4 tracks per EP. The series was created by playing and sequencing analogue and digital electronic music equipment such as synthesizers and drum machines. The series was recorded on magnetic tape and then later pressed on vinyl.

James was meticulous about the whole process of recording, mastering, and pressing. James has said Rephlex Records was strict on quality control, trying out various pressing-plant companies until they felt it sounded perfect. To James's ears, vinyl or tape is better than digital, as no two copies are the same. However, label co-owner Grant Wilson-Claridge convinced James to release a CD compilation, ''Chosen Lords'', which included 10 selected tracks from the ''Analord'' series. For the ''Analord'' series James used his collection of vintage synthesizer and drum machines, some of which were quite rare by that time. Some of the record inserts have pictures of rare synthesizers like the Synton Fenix, and the notoriously difficult-to-program Roland MC-4 sequencer, as well as the legendary Roland TB-303.

Media reports indicate Aphex Twin is now recording under The Tuss. Rephlex Records has denied that Aphex Twin is The Tuss, but Aphex Twin fans and the media have ignored Rephlex's denial and The Tuss is treated as yet another Aphex Twin project; further evidence being provided by the fact that all Tuss tracks are published in the BMI Repertoire under the name JAMES RICHARD DAVID.

In March 2009 Steve Beckett of Warp Records announced a new album for a possible release. As of May 2011, no new album was released, however, 20 more tracks were added to the ''Analord'' series in December 2009, only available through download from the Rephlex Records website.

In an October 2010 interview with British magazine Another Man, James stated that he had completed 6 albums, one of which was a remake of the unreleased ''Melodies from Mars'', originally produced around the time of ''Richard D. James Album''.

Background details

The Aphex Twin name

The name Aphex is derived from Aphex Systems Limited, a brand of audio signal processing equipment (itself derived from "analogue effects"). It is used with permission, as acknowledged on the back sleeves of ''Richard D. James Album'' and ''drukqs''. He has explained in interviews that the Twin portion of his moniker is used in memory of his older brother, also named Richard James, who died at birth.

Artwork

James's own face, grinning or distorted in some way, is a common theme in his album covers, his music videos, and the songs themselves. The cover of ''I Care Because You Do'' features a painting of James, while the cover of ''Richard D. James Album'' presents a close-up photograph. His face is transplanted onto other peoples' bodies in the music videos of "Come to Daddy" and "Windowlicker". Near the end of the second track of the "Windowlicker" single (commonly referred to as "Equation"), a photo of James's face is embedded as a steganogram which is revealed when run through spectral analysis. Another embedded image of James, along with collaborator Tom Jenkinson, appears in the third track of ''2 Remixes by AFX'', "Bonus High Frequency Sounds", encoded in SSTV format, with text relating to the release.

James has used his own photography for some of his releases, such as the elaborate album sleeve for ''Selected Ambient Works Volume II''.

Braindance

Richard's own Rephlex Records label, which he co-owns with Grant Wilson-Claridge, coined the term Braindance in 1991 to describe Aphex Twin's music. Rephlex Records' official definition of Aphex Twin and his followers' music is quoted as follows: "Braindance is the genre that encompasses the best elements of all genres, e.g traditional, classical, electronic music, popular, modern, industrial, ambient, hip-hop, electro, house, techno, breakbeat, hardcore, ragga, garage, drum and bass, etc."

Braindance applies to forward-thinking electronic music that can appeal to the mind as well as the desire to dance and party. Examples including Ed-DMX's Breakin' records label, µ-ziq's Planet-mu label, the Aphex Twin EP ''Come to Daddy'' and ''Astrobotnia Parts 1, 2 & 3''.

Influences

At age 17, Richard D. James mentioned these influences: "Phonic Boy, ''Computer World'', Mental Telepathy, Industrial Inc., Tomita, Tangerine Dream". Mixmaster Morris mentions on the "I Luv AFX" BBC Radio 1 ''Breezeblock'' session that James' preferred moniker while working as a DJ in Cornwall was Phonic Boy on Dope. More recently, he has said that he gets inspiration from "everyday sounds that can be emulated/reconstructed electronically, quality techno, especially from Europe, which overshadows the current hardcore pop crap." When asked about what is next for electronic music, he said "acid-techno, ambient-techno." Avant-garde music has been an influence on James, including artists such as Kraftwerk, Can, Tangerine Dream, Tod Dockstader, Xenakis, Piero Umiliani, Bernard Parmegiani, Karlheinz Stockhausen, John Cage, and the French composer Erik Satie for his piano works and his ideas for furniture music.

In acknowledgment of another influence, James released ''Music from the BBC Radiophonic Workshop'', a compilation of music recorded by the pioneers of BBC Radiophonic Workshop, which included artists such as Delia Derbyshire, on his own label, Rephlex Records.

Many songs include sounds from and references to the ZX Spectrum. For instance, "Carn Marth" from ''Richard D. James Album'' includes the tape-loading noise of the game ''Sabre Wulf''.

Influence on others

The London Sinfonietta has performed arrangements of Aphex Twin tracks. In 2005, the orchestra Alarm Will Sound released ''Acoustica: Alarm Will Sound Performs Aphex Twin''. The album consists of acoustic arrangements of some of James's electronic tracks. Aphex Twin has said, "I don't really like rock & roll." Despite this, he has had an influence on rock bands like Radiohead. However, he has dismissed the notion of going on tour with them: "I wouldn't play with them since I don't like them." The animator David Firth has much of his work influenced and soundtracked by Aphex Twin.

Intelligent Dance Music

The term 'intelligent dance music', or IDM, was coined in August 1993 by the (now defunct) IDM mailing list based at hyperreal.org, as a term to describe the sound pioneered by the Warp Records Artificial Intelligence Series. The series featured Aphex Twin tracks (under a different pseudonym), as well as early productions from labelmates such as Autechre and LFO. The usage of this term spread in the USA and on internet messageboards, but the term is still a source of controversy and derision amongst the artists and fans, including Aphex Twin.

Aphex Twin refers to his own breakbeat tracks as breakbeat, jungle, or drum and bass interchangeably. Other genres that he indulges in include acid, ambient, ambient techno, noise, and many more.

Equipment

! Synth	! Synth	! Drum Machine	! Sampler	! Sequencer	! Software	! Effects
Roland SH-101	Yamaha DX 1	Roland TR-606	Casio SK-1	Roland MC-4 Microcomposer	Reaktor	Alesis Quadraverb
Roland TB-303	EMS synthi 100	Roland TR-808	Atari ST	ReCycle
Yamaha GX1	Elka Synthex	Roland TR-909	Casio FZ 10	Cubase	Metasynth
Synton Fenix	Roland Paraphonic 505	Roland TR-707	Roland SP-808	Apple Mac
Roland MKS-80	3 Korg MS-20's	Roland TR-727
Roland 100m	Yamaha CS 5	SuperCollider

During an interview with Future Music, Richard said he likes using Ableton Live but prefers Liveslice for beat editing/stretching. Asked what equipment did use, he responded "Raveolution 309, the Raven Max, MC-909 limited edition, Quasimidi Van Helden, MAM Freebass 383, Roland DJ-70, E-15, SP-808, Akai S3200, Behringer MX602A and all the Behringer effects that copy other things."

Aphex Twin's press

James described himself in ''The Guardian'' as follows: "I'm just some irritating, lying, ginger kid from Cornwall who should have been locked up in some youth detention centre. I just managed to escape and blag it into music."

James said he composed ambient techno music at the age of 13; he claims to have "over 100 hours" of unreleased music, and to have made his own software to compose with, including algorithmic processes that automatically generate beats and melodies; in addition he claims to experience synaesthesia, and that he is able to incorporate lucid dreaming into the process of making music.

He lives in southeast London in a converted bank, which was formerly the Bank of Cyprus and then HSBC. Contrary to popular opinion, however, he does not own the silver structure in the centre of the roundabout at Elephant and Castle. This is, in fact, the Michael Faraday Memorial, containing a power transformer for the Northern Line, which James jokingly claimed to be buying in an interview with ''The Face'' magazine in 2001. Some of these rumours are hard to confirm as he has been known to spread mistruths in the prankster tradition, making such claims as only sleeping two to three hours a night.

Stockhausen vs. The Technocrats

In November 1995, ''The Wire'' published an article titled "Advice to Clever Children". In the process of producing the interview, a package of tapes containing music from several artists, including Aphex Twin, was sent to Karlheinz Stockhausen.

Stockhausen commented:

Aphex Twin, a fan of Stockhausen, responded: }}

ZX81 competition

Richard claims to have produced sound on a Sinclair ZX81 (a machine with no sound hardware) at the age of 11:

When I was 11, I won 50 pounds in a competition for writing this program that made sound on a ZX81. You couldn't make sound on a ZX81, but I played around with machine code and found some codes that retuned the TV signal so that it made this really weird noise when you turned the volume up.

Discography

Studio albums (as Aphex Twin)

''Selected Ambient Works 85–92'' (1992)

''Selected Ambient Works Volume II'' (1994)

''...I Care Because You Do'' (1995)

''Richard D. James Album'' (1996)

''Drukqs'' (2001)

References

External links

Aphex Twin discography at Discogs.

Category:1971 births Category:Ambient musicians Category:Braindance musicians Category:British electronic musicians Category:British experimental musicians Category:British techno musicians Category:English people of Welsh descent Category:Intelligent dance music musicians Category:Living people Category:People from Cornwall Category:People from County Limerick Category:Sire Records artists Category:Remixers Category:Warp Records artists Category:TVT Records artists Category:People with synesthesia

ca:Aphex Twin cs:Aphex Twin da:Aphex Twin de:Aphex Twin et:Aphex Twin es:Aphex Twin eu:Aphex Twin fr:Aphex Twin ko:에이펙스 트윈 is:Aphex Twin it:Richard David James he:אפקס טווין lv:Aphex Twin lt:Aphex Twin hu:Aphex Twin nl:Aphex Twin ja:エイフェックス・ツイン no:Aphex Twin pl:Aphex Twin pt:Aphex Twin ro:Aphex Twin ru:Aphex Twin sq:Aphex Twin simple:Aphex Twin sk:Richard David James fi:Richard D. James sv:Aphex Twin th:เอเฟ็กซ์ ทวิน

name	The Cure
background	group_or_band
origin	Crawley, England
genre	Alternative rock, gothic rock, New Wave, post-punk
years active	1976–present
label	Fiction, Suretone, Geffen, Polydor, Elektra, Asylum, Sire|, Warner
associated acts	Malice, Easy Cure, The Glove, Siouxsie and the Banshees
website
current members	Robert SmithSimon Gallup Porl Thompson Jason Cooper
past members	Michael DempseyMatthieu HartleyPhil ThornalleyAndy AndersonBoris WilliamsPerry Bamonte Lol Tolhurst Roger O'Donnell }}

The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member. The Cure first began releasing music in the late 1970s with its debut album ''Three Imaginary Boys'' (1979); this, along with several early singles, placed the band as part of the post-punk and New Wave movements that had sprung up in the wake of the punk rock revolution in the United Kingdom. During the early 1980s, the band's increasingly dark and tormented music helped form the gothic rock genre.

After the release of ''Pornography'' (1982), the band's future was uncertain and Smith was keen to move past the gloomy reputation his band had acquired. With the 1982 single "Let's Go to Bed" Smith began to place a pop sensibility into the band's music (as well as a unique stage look). The Cure's popularity increased as the decade wore on, especially in the United States where the songs "Just Like Heaven", "Lovesong" and "Friday I'm in Love" entered the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. By the start of the 1990s, The Cure were one of the most popular alternative rock bands in the world. The band is estimated to have sold 27 million albums as of 2004. The Cure have released thirteen studio albums and over thirty singles during the course of their career.

History

Formation and early years (1973–1979)

The first incarnation of what became The Cure was The Obelisk, a band formed by students at Notre Dame Middle School in Crawley, Sussex. The band made their public debut in a one-off performance in April 1973, and featured Robert Smith (piano), Michael "Mick" Dempsey (guitar), Laurence "Lol" Tolhurst (percussion), Marc Ceccagno (lead guitar) and Alan Hill (bass guitar). The first real incarnation though came in January 1976 when Ceccagno formed Malice with Smith and Dempsey along with two other classmates from St. Wilfrid's Catholic Comprehensive School, with Ceccagno on lead, Smith on guitar, and Dempsey switching to bass. Ceccagno soon left, however, to form a jazz-rock fusion band called Amulet. Increasingly influenced by the emergence of punk rock, Malice's remaining members became known as Easy Cure in January 1977. By this time, Smith and Dempsey had been joined by Lol Tolhurst from The Obelisk on drums, and new lead guitarist Porl Thompson. Both Malice and Easy Cure also trialled several unsuccessful vocalists before Smith finally assumed the role of Easy Cure's frontman in September 1977.

That year, Easy Cure won a talent competition with German label Hansa Records, and received a recording contract. Although the band recorded tracks for the company, none were ever released. Following disagreements in March 1978 over the direction the band should take, the contract with Hansa was dissolved. Smith later recalled, "We were very young. They just thought they could turn us into a teen group. They actually wanted us to do cover versions and we always refused." Thompson was dropped from the band in May, and the remaining trio (Smith/Tolhurst/Dempsey) were soon renamed The Cure by Smith. Later that month the band recorded their first sessions as a trio at Chestnut Studios in Sussex, which were distributed as a demo tape to a dozen major record labels. The demo found its way to Polydor Records scout Chris Parry, who signed The Cure to his newly formed Fiction label—distributed by Polydor—in September 1978. However, as a stopgap while Fiction finalised distribution arrangements with Polydor, in December 1978 The Cure released their debut single "Killing an Arab" on the Small Wonder label. "Killing an Arab" garnered both acclaim and controversy: while the single's provocative title led to accusations of racism, the song is actually based on French existentialist Albert Camus' novel ''The Stranger''. The band placed a sticker label that denied the racist connotations on the single's 1979 reissue on Fiction. An early ''NME'' article on the band wrote that The Cure "are like a breath of fresh suburban air on the capital's smog-ridden pub and club circuit" and noted "With a John Peel session and more extensive London gigging on their immediate agenda, it remains to be seen whether or not The Cure can retain their refreshing ''joie de vivre''."

The Cure released their debut album ''Three Imaginary Boys'' in May 1979. Due to the band's inexperience in the studio, Parry and engineer Mike Hedges took control of the recording. The band, particularly Smith, were unhappy with their debut; in a 1987 interview, he admitted, "a lot of it was very superficial – I didn't even like it at the time. There were criticisms made that it was very lightweight, and I thought they were justified. Even when we'd made it, I wanted to do something that I thought had more substance to it". The band's second single "Boys Don't Cry" was released in June. The Cure then embarked as the support band for Siouxsie & The Banshees' ''Join Hands'' promotional tour of England, Northern Ireland, and Wales between August and October. The tour saw Smith and Tolhurst pull double duty each night by performing with The Cure and as the guitarist / drummer with The Banshees when their guitarist John McKay and drummer Kenny Morris both walked out on the group just two days into the tour. That musical experience had a strong impact on him: "On stage that first night with the Banshees, I was blown away by how powerful I felt playing that kind of music. It was so different to what we were doing with The Cure. Before that, I'd wanted us to be like The Buzzcocks or Elvis Costello, the punk Beatles. Being a Banshee really changed my attitude to what I was doing."

The Cure's third single "Jumping Someone Else's Train" was released in early October 1979. Soon afterwards, Dempsey was dropped from the band due to his cold reception to material Smith had written for the upcoming album. Dempsey joined the Associates, while Simon Gallup (bass) and Matthieu Hartley (keyboards) from The Magspies joined The Cure. The Associates toured as support band for The Cure and The Passions on the ''Future Pastimes Tour'' of England between November and December—all three bands were on the Fiction Records roster—with the new Cure line-up already performing a number of new songs for the projected second album. Meanwhile, a spin-off band comprising Smith, Tolhurst, Dempsey, Gallup, Hartley and Thompson, with backing vocals from assorted family and friends, and lead vocals provided by their local postman Frankie Bell released a 7-inch single in December under the assumed name of Cult Hero.

Gothic phase (1980–1982)

Wary, due to the band's lack of creative control on the first album, Smith exerted a greater influence on the recording of The Cure's second album ''Seventeen Seconds'', which he co-produced with Mike Hedges. The album was released in 1980 and reached number 20 on the UK charts. A single from the album, "A Forest", became the band's first UK hit single, reaching number 31 on the singles chart. The album was a departure from The Cure's sound up to that point, with Hedges describing it as "morose, atmospheric, very different to ''Three Imaginary Boys''." In its review of ''Seventeen Seconds'' the ''NME'' said, "For a group as young as The Cure, it seems amazing that they have covered so much territory in such a brief time." At the same time, Smith was pressed concerning the concept of an alleged "anti-image". Smith told the press he was fed up with the anti-image association that some considered to be "elaborately disguising their plainness", stating, "We had to get away from that anti-image thing, which we didn't even create in the first place. And it seemed like we were trying to be more obscure. We just didn't like the standard rock thing. The whole thing really got out of hand." That same year ''Three Imaginary Boys'' was repackaged for the American market as ''Boys Don't Cry'', with new artwork and a modified tracklist. The Cure set out on their first world tour to promote both releases. At the end of the tour, Matthieu Hartley left the band. Hartley said, "I realised that the group was heading towards suicidal, sombre music—the sort of thing that didn't interest me at all."

The band reconvened with Hedges to produce their third album ''Faith'' (1981), which furthered the mood of misery present on ''Seventeen Seconds''. The album peaked at number 14 on the UK charts. Included with cassette copies of ''Faith'' was an instrumental soundtrack for ''Carnage Visors'', an animated film shown in place of an opening act for the band's 1981 Picture Tour. In late 1981, The Cure released the non-album single "Charlotte Sometimes". By this point, the sombre mood of the music had a profound effect on the attitude of the band. The band would refuse requests for older songs in concert, and sometimes Smith would be so absorbed by the persona he projected onstage he would leave at the end in tears.

In 1982, The Cure recorded and released ''Pornography'', the third and final album of an "oppressively dispirited" trio that cemented the Cure's stature as purveyors of the emerging gothic rock genre. Smith has said that during the recording of ''Pornography'' he was "undergoing a lot of mental stress. But it had nothing to do with the group, it just had to do with what I was like, my age and things. I think I got to my worst round about ''Pornography''. Looking back and getting other people's opinions of what went on, I was a pretty monstrous sort of person at that time". Gallup described the album by saying, "Nihilism took over [. . .] We sang 'It doesn't matter if we all die' and that is exactly what we thought at the time." Parry was concerned that the album did not have a hit song for radio play and instructed Smith and producer Phil Thornalley to polish the track "The Hanging Garden" for release as a single. Despite the concerns about the album's uncommercial sound, ''Pornography'' became the band's first UK Top 10 album, charting at number eight. The release of ''Pornography'' was followed by the Fourteen Explicit Moments tour, where the band finally dropped the anti-image angle and first adopted their signature look of big, towering hair and smeared lipstick on their faces. The tour also saw a series of incidents that prompted Simon Gallup to leave The Cure at the tour's conclusion. Gallup and Smith did not talk to each other for eighteen months following his departure.

Increasing commercial success (1983–1986)

With Gallup's departure from The Cure and with Smith's work with Siouxsie & the Banshees, rumours spread that The Cure had broken up. In December 1982, Smith remarked to ''Melody Maker'', "Do The Cure really exist any more? I've been pondering that question myself [. . .] it has got to a point where I don't fancy working in that format again." He added, "Whatever happens, it won't be me, Laurence, and Simon together any more. I know that."

Parry was concerned at the state of his label's top band, and became convinced that the solution was for The Cure to reinvent its musical style. Parry managed to convince Smith and Tolhurst of the idea; Parry said, "It appealed to Robert because he wanted to destroy The Cure anyway." With Tolhurst now playing keyboards instead of drums, the duo released the single "Let's Go to Bed" in late 1982. While Smith wrote the single off as a throwaway, "stupid" pop song to the press, it became a minor hit in the UK, reaching number 44 on the singles chart. It was followed in 1983 by two more successful songs: the synthesiser-based "The Walk" (number 12), and the jazz-influenced "The Lovecats", which became the band's first British Top 10 hit, reaching number seven. The group released these studio singles and their B-sides as the compilation album ''Japanese Whispers'', designed by Smith for the Japanese market only, but released worldwide on the decision of the record company. The same year, Smith also recorded and toured with Siouxsie & the Banshees, contributing as guitarist on their ''Nocturne'' live video and their ''Hyaena'' studio album. Meanwhile, he recorded the ''Blue Sunshine'' album with Banshees bassist Steven Severin as The Glove, while Lol Tolhurst produced the first two singles and debut album of the English band And Also The Trees.

In 1984, The Cure released ''The Top'', a generally psychedelic album on which Smith played all the instruments except the drums—played by Andy Anderson—and the saxophone—played by returnee Porl Thompson. The album was a Top 10 hit in the UK, and was their first studio album to break the ''Billboard'' 200 in the U.S., reaching number 180. ''Melody Maker'' praised the album as "psychedelia that can't be dated", while pondering, "I've yet to meet anyone who can tell me why The Cure are having hits now of all times." The Cure then embarked on their worldwide "Top Tour" with Thompson, Anderson, and producer-turned-bassist Phil Thornalley on board. Released in late 1984, The Cure's first live album, ''Concert'' consisted of performances from this tour. Near the tour's end, Anderson was fired for destroying a hotel room and was replaced by Boris Williams. Thornalley also left due to the rigors of the road. However, the bassist slot was not vacant long, for a Cure roadie named Gary Biddles had brokered a reunion between Smith and former bassist Simon Gallup, who had been playing in the band Fools Dance. Soon after reconciling, Smith asked Gallup to rejoin the band. Smith was ecstatic about Gallup's return and declared to ''Melody Maker'', "It's a group again."

In 1985, the new line-up of Smith, Tolhurst, Gallup, Thompson, and Williams released ''The Head on the Door'', an album which managed to bind together the optimistic and pessimistic aspects of the band's music that they had previously shifted between. ''The Head on the Door'' reached number seven in the UK and was the band's first entry into American Top 75 at number 59, a success partly due to the international impact of the LP's two singles, "In Between Days" and "Close to Me". Following the album and world tour, the band released the singles compilation ''Standing on a Beach'' in three formats (each with a different track listing and a specific name) in 1986. This compilation made the US Top 50, and saw the re-issue of three previous singles: "Boys Don't Cry" (in a new form), "Let's Go To Bed" and later "Charlotte Sometimes". This release was accompanied by a VHS or LaserDisc called ''Staring at the Sea'', which featured videos for each track on the compilation. The Cure toured to support the compilation and released a live concert VHS of the show, filmed in the south of France called ''The Cure in Orange''. During this time, The Cure became a very popular band in Europe (particularly in France, Germany and the Benelux countries) and increasingly popular in the U.S.

''Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me'' and worldwide success (1987–1993)

In 1987, The Cure released the double LP ''Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me'', which reached number six in the UK, the Top 10 in several countries and was the band's first entry into the U.S. Top 40 at number 35 (where it was certified platinum), due to the combination of the band's rising popularity and the success of lead single, "Why Can't I Be You?". The album's third single, "Just Like Heaven" was the band's most successful single to date in the US, being their first to enter the ''Billboard'' Top 40. After the album's release, the band embarked on the successful Kissing Tour. During the European leg of the tour, Lol Tolhurst's alcohol consumption was interfering with his ability to perform so The Psychedelic Furs keyboardist Roger O'Donnell was frequently called upon to stand in for him. In 1989, The Cure released the album ''Disintegration'', which saw a return to the gothic atmospheres of earlier releases like ''Faith'' and ''Pornography''. It became their highest charting album in the UK to date, entering at number three and featuring three Top 30 singles in the UK and Germany ("Lullaby", "Lovesong" and "Pictures of You"). ''Disintegration'' also reached number twelve on the US charts. The first single stateside, "Fascination Street", reached number one on the American Modern Rock chart, but was quickly overshadowed when its third US single, "Lovesong", reached number two on the American pop charts (the only Cure single to reach the US Top 10). By 1992, ''Disintegration'' had sold over three million copies worldwide.

During the ''Disintegration'' sessions, the band gave Smith an ultimatum that either Tolhurst would have to leave the band or they would. In February 1989, Tolhurst's exit was made official and announced to the press; this resulted in Roger O'Donnell becoming a full-fledged member of the band and left Smith as The Cure's only remaining founder member. Smith attributed Tolhurst's dismissal to an inability to exert himself and issues with alcohol, concluding, "He was out of step with everything. It had just become detrimental to everything we'd do." Because Tolhurst was still on the payroll during the recording of ''Disintegration'', he was credited in the album's liner notes as playing "other instruments", however it has since been revealed that he contributed nothing to the album in either performance or song writing. The Cure then embarked on the Prayer Tour, which saw the band playing stadiums in America.

In May 1990, Roger O'Donnell quit and was replaced with the band's guitar technician Perry Bamonte. That November, The Cure released a collection of remixes called ''Mixed Up''. The album was not well received and quickly slid down the charts. The one new song on the collection, "Never Enough", was released as a single. In 1991 The Cure were awarded the BRIT Award for Best British Band. That same year Tolhurst filed a lawsuit against Smith and Fiction Records in 1991 over royalties payments, and claimed joint ownership of the name "The Cure" with Smith; the verdict was handed out in September 1994 in favour of Smith. In respite from the lawsuit, the band returned to the studio to record their next album. ''Wish'' reached number one in the UK and number two in the US and yielded the international hits "High" and "Friday I'm in Love". The Cure also embarked on the "Wish Tour" with Cranes, and released the live albums ''Show'' (September 1993) and ''Paris'' (October 1993). As a promotional exercise with the Our Price music chain in the UK, a limited edition EP was released consisting of instrumental outtakes from the ''Wish'' sessions. Entitled ''Lost Wishes'', the proceeds from the four-track cassette tape went to charity.

In the years between the release of ''Wish'' and the start of sessions for The Cure's next album, the band's line-up shifted again. Thompson left the band once more during 1993 to play with Robert Plant and Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, and Bamonte took over as lead guitarist. Boris Williams also left the band, and was replaced by Jason Cooper (formerly of My Life Story).

Period of transition (1994–1999)

The album sessions began in 1994 with only Smith and Bamonte present; the pair were later joined by Gallup (who was recovering from physical problems), and Roger O'Donnell, who had been asked to rejoin the band at the end of 1994. The Cure performed "Burn" in the movie The Crow and "Dredd Song," the theme song of the 1995 movie ''Judge Dredd'' starring Sylvester Stallone. It was not released on a Cure album until 2004 on ''Join the Dots: B-Sides & Rarities 1978–2001 (The Fiction Years)''.''Wild Mood Swings'', finally released in 1996, was poorly received compared with previous albums and marked the end of the band's commercial peak. Early in 1996, the Cure played festivals in South America, followed by a world tour in support of the album ''Galore''. ''Galore'' contained all of the Cure's singles released between 1987 and 1997, as well as the new single "Wrong Number", which featured longtime David Bowie guitarist Reeves Gabrels. Gabrels also accompanied the Cure on a brief American radio festival tour as an onstage guest guitarist for "Wrong Number". In 1998 The Cure contributed to the soundtrack album for ''The X-Files'' feature film as well as the Depeche Mode tribute album ''For the Masses'', with their cover of "World in My Eyes".

Recent years (2000–present)

With only one album left in their record contract and with commercial response to ''Wild Mood Swings'' and the ''Galore'' compilation lacklustre, Smith once again considered that the end of The Cure might be near and thus wanted to make an album that reflected the more serious side of the band. The Grammy-nominated album ''Bloodflowers'' was released in 2000 after being delayed since 1998. According to Smith, The album was the third of a trilogy along with ''Pornography'' and ''Disintegration''. The band also embarked on the nine-month Dream Tour, attended by over one million people worldwide. In 2001, The Cure left Fiction and released their ''Greatest Hits'' album and DVD, which featured the music videos for a number of classic Cure songs. In 2002, the band headlined twelve major summer music festivals, and played three extended concerts (one in Brussels, two in Berlin) in which they performed the albums ''Pornography'', ''Disintegration'' and ''Bloodflowers'' in their respective entireties each night. The Berlin performances were released on DVD as ''The Cure: Trilogy'' in 2003.

In 2003, The Cure signed with Geffen Records. In 2004, they released a new four-disc boxed set on Fiction Records titled ''Join the Dots: B-Sides and Rarities, 1978-2001 (The Fiction Years)''. The compilation includes seventy Cure songs, some previously unreleased, and a 76-page full-colour book of photographs, history and quotes, packaged in a hard cover. The album peaked at number 106 on the ''Billboard'' 200 album charts. The band released their twelfth album ''The Cure'' on Geffen in 2004, which was produced by Ross Robinson. It made a top ten debut on both sides of the Atlantic in July 2004. To promote the album, the band headlined the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival that May. From 24 July to 29 August, The Cure headlined the Curiosa concert tour of North America. While attendances were lower than expected, Curiosa was still one of the more successful American summer festivals of 2004. The same year the band was honoured with an MTV Icon television special.

In May 2005, Roger O'Donnell and Perry Bamonte were fired from the band. O'Donnell claims Smith informed him he was reducing the band to a three-piece. Previously O'Donnell said he had only found out about the band's upcoming tour dates via a fan site and added, "It was sad to find out after nearly 20 years the way I did but then I should have expected no less or more." The remaining members of the band—Smith, Gallup and Cooper—made several appearances as a trio before it was announced in June that Porl Thompson would be returning for the band's 2005 Festival summer shows, as well as their set at Live 8 in Paris on 2 July. Later that year, the band recorded a cover of John Lennon's "Love" for Amnesty International's charity album ''Make Some Noise''. It is available for download on the Amnesty website, while the album was released on CD in 2006. On 1 April 2006, The Cure appeared at the Royal Albert Hall on behalf of the Teenage Cancer Trust. It was their only show through to the end the year. In December a live DVD, entitled ''The Cure: Festival 2005'' including 30 songs of their 2005 Festival tour was released.

The Cure began writing and recording material for their thirteenth album in 2006. Smith initially stated it would be a double album. The Cure announced a last-minute postponement of their autumn 2007 North American 4Tour in August in order to continue working on the album, rescheduling the dates for spring 2008. Titled ''4:13 Dream'', the album was released in October 2008. The group released four singles and an EP—"The Only One", "Freakshow", "Sleep When I'm Dead", "The Perfect Boy" and ''Hypnagogic States'' respectively—on or near to the 13th of each month, in the months leading up to the album's release. In February 2009, The Cure received the 2009 Shockwaves NME Award for Godlike Genius.

In 2011, the band played their first 3 studio albums in their entirety during two shows in Sydney, Australia. These "Reflections" shows notably featured Roger O'Donnell and Laurence Tolhurst, both in a keyboard and percussion role. The shows are due to be released on DVD in 2011.

Musical style

The Cure are often identified with the gothic rock subgenre of alternative rock, and are viewed as one of the form's definitive bands. However, the band has routinely rejected classification, particularly as a gothic rock band. Robert Smith said in 2006, "It's so pitiful when 'goth' is still tagged onto the name The Cure", and added, "We're not categorisable. I suppose we were post-punk when we came out, but in total it's impossible [...] I just play Cure music, whatever that is." Smith has also expressed his distaste for gothic rock, describing it as "incredibly dull and monotonous. A dirge really." While typically viewed as producers of dark and gloomy music, The Cure have also yielded a number of upbeat songs. ''Spin'' has said "The Cure have always been an either/or sort of band: either [...] Robert Smith is wallowing in gothic sadness or he's licking sticky-sweet cotton-candy pop off his lipstick-stained fingers."

The Cure's primary musical traits have been listed as "dominant, melodic bass lines; whiny, strangulated vocals; and a lyric obsession with existential, almost literary despair." Most Cure songs start with Smith and Gallup writing the drum parts and bass lines. Both record demos at home and then bring them into the studio for fine-tuning. Smith said in 1992, "I think when people talk about the 'Cure sound,' they mean songs based on 6-string bass, acoustic guitar, and my voice, plus the string sound from the Solina." On top of this foundation is laid "towering layers of guitars and synthesisers". Keyboards have been a component of the band's sound since ''Seventeen Seconds'', and their importance increased with the instrument's extensive use on ''Disintegration''. With the Departure of Roger O'Donnell in 2005, keyboards have not been as prominent in the band's album 4:13 Dream and their live shows.

Music videos

The band's early music videos have been described as "dreadful affairs" and have been maligned for their poor quality, particularly by the band itself. Lol Tolhurst said, "Those videos were unmitigated disasters; we weren't actors and our personalities weren't coming across." It was with the video for "Let's Go to Bed", their first collaboration with director Tim Pope, that The Cure would become noted for their videos. Pope added a playful element to the band's videos; the director insisted in a 1987 ''Spin'' interview, "I think that side of them was always there, but was never brought out." Pope would go on to direct the majority of The Cure's videos, and his videos, which became synonymous with the band, helped expand The Cure's audience during the 1980s. Pope explained the appeal of working with The Cure by saying, "The Cure is the ultimate band for a filmmaker to work with because Robert Smith really understands the camera. His songs are so cinematic. I mean on one level there's this stupidity and humour, right, but beneath that there are all [Smith's] psychological obsessions and claustrophobia."

Legacy

The Cure were one of the first alternative bands to have chart and commercial success in an era before alternative rock had broken into the mainstream. In 1992 the ''NME'' declared The Cure had during the 1980s become "a goth hit machine (19 to date), an international phenomenon and, yep, the most successful alternative band that ever shuffled disconsolately about the earth". Smith has noted he looks at Cure-influenced bands like Interpol and My Chemical Romance with affection, adding, "I also think [Interpol bassist] Carlos D.'s obsession with Simon Gallup is sweet." Interpol lead singer, Paul Banks was quoted as saying ""The Cure is the band that all of us in Interpol can say influenced us. When I was younger I listened to them a lot. Carlos as well. Actually, he took a straight influence from this band on the way he played the bass and the keys. To me, Robert Smith is also one of these examples: you can't be Robert Smith if you're not Robert Smith. It's one of the bands with the deepest influence on Interpol, because we all like them. They're legendary."

Several references to The Cure and their music have been made in popular culture. A number of films have used the title of a Cure song as the film's title, including ''Boys Don't Cry'' (1999) and ''Just Like Heaven'' (2005). The Cure's gloomy image has been the subject of parody at times. In series two of ''The Mighty Boosh'', The Moon sings 'The Lovecats' over the credits. In the same episode, a powerful gothic hairspray, Goth Juice, is said to be "The most powerful hairspray known to man. Made from the tears of Robert Smith." ''The Mary Whitehouse Experience'' often featured brief clips of the stars of the show performing comical songs and nursery rhymes as The Cure in a morose style. Robert Smith appeared in the final episode of the first series of ''The Mary Whitehouse Experience'' singing "The Sun has got his hat on" before punching the character Ray (played by Robert Newman) whilst uttering Ray's catch phrase "Oh no what a personal disaster". Robert Smith was also portrayed on an episode of ''South Park'' (Season 1, Episode 12) where he transforms into the form of Mothra and battles Mecha-Streisand to save the day and Kyle shouts "''Disintegration'' is the best album ever!" In Craig Thompson's graphic novel ''Blankets'' the chapter seven is called "Just Like Heaven". The same chapter shows Raina singing some lyrics from this song to Craig.

Discography

''Three Imaginary Boys'' (1979)

''Seventeen Seconds'' (1980)

''Faith'' (1981)

''Pornography'' (1982)

''The Top'' (1984)

''The Head on the Door'' (1985)

''Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me'' (1987)

''Disintegration'' (1989)

''Wish'' (1992)

''Wild Mood Swings'' (1996)

''Bloodflowers'' (2000)

''The Cure'' (2004)

''4:13 Dream'' (2008)

Members

;Current line-up

Robert Smith – lead vocals, guitars, keyboards (1976–present)

Porl Thompson – guitars, keyboards (1976–1978, 1983–1993, 2005–present)

Simon Gallup – bass guitar, keyboards (1979–1982, 1985–present)

Jason Cooper – drums, percussion (1995–present)

References

Sources

Apter, Jeff. (2006). ''Never Enough: The Story of the Cure''. Omnibus Press. ISBN 1-84449-827-1

Further reading

''Ten Imaginary Years'', by L. Barbarian, Steve Sutherland and Robert Smith (1988) Zomba Books ISBN 0-946391-87-4

''The Cure: A Visual Documentary'', by Dave Thompson and Jo-Ann Greene(1988) Omnibus Press ISBN 0-7119-1387-0

''The Cure: Songwords 1978–1989'' S. Hopkins, Robert Smith and T. Foo (1989) Omnibus Press ISBN 0-7119-1951-8

''In Between Days: An Armchair Guide To The Cure'' by Dave Thompson, Helter Skelter Publishing (October 2005) ISBN 1-905139-00-4

''The Cure – Greatest Hits'' (songbook containing 20 of their best, transcribed note-for-note with tab, chord symbols and complete lyrics), Hal Leonard Corporation (May 2002) ISBN 0-634-04667-5

''Robert Smith: "The Cure" and Wishful Thinking'' by Richard Carman (2005) Independent Music Press (UK) ISBN 9-78095-497041-3

''Jeremy Wulc : My dream comes true : Carnet de route avec The Cure. (2009) Editions : Camion Blanc

External links

'Chain of Flowers' – News about The Cure

Category:BRIT Award winners Category:English alternative rock groups Category:British New Wave musical groups Category:Gothic rock groups Category:Musical groups established in 1976 Category:British post-punk music groups Category:People from Crawley

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