In Toulouse, the Bikini does not resonate like the famous two-piece swimsuit but like the place of parties, concerts and meetings. Born on June 27, 1983, he can boast of being part of Toulouse’s heritage and of having marked several generations.
It all started on June 25, 1983 on the banks of the Garonne where this former nightclub stands out for its concerts: two to three per month then five to six per week. Little by little, this rock music hall is becoming one of the most famous concert halls in France and welcomes young and old artists alike. The Bikini scene saw the first steps of Rita Mitsouko, Lloyd Cole and the Toulouse group Zebda.
From 1983 to 2001, 5,000 groups will follow one another and big names will move an always present public: Mano Negra, Placebo, Coldplay, Muse or Indochine…
And at its head, Hervé Sansonetto, one of the youngest concert hall owners: “I was 28 years old. I was one of the youngest and now, 40 years old, one of the oldest”, laughs the one who started this family business “with my wife, my mother, my brother…”
Fix the Living and the Bikini
Initially located at 54, chemin des Etroits in Toulouse, very close to AZF, the Bikini was wiped off the map during the tragic factory explosion on September 21, 2001. The obstacle course then began for Hervé Sansonetto, the great bikini boss. Six years to rebuild a new Bikini in the Toulouse conurbation.
“It was a tragedy and a miracle, believes the big boss who lived in Bikini. A tragedy because our whole life was shattered in a second, but a miracle because we got out of it safe and sound. Like the Bikini, Hervé Sansonetto had to rebuild elsewhere.
During these six years, the musical activity will be maintained as much as possible with nearly 500 concerts organized in various local halls until the official reopening. “We wanted to leave quickly, to see the future but in reality, it was above all necessary to save part of the programming and we were opened their arms all over the region”, develops the great pasha of Toulouse music. “I thought that when we were going to start talking about the imperfect Bikini, we were screwed,” recalls the boss.
No midlife crisis
And on September 21, 2007, a key date in Toulouse’s history, the Bikini finally reopened its doors in Ramonville and swapped the banks of the Garonne for those of the Canal du Midi to resume its cruising speed with 150 events a year. And no midlife crisis since, we keep the same recipe. Music, atmosphere and everything that made the reputation of the Bikini, or rather “Biko” in Toulouse. We don’t change anything. “What was left of the old Bikini moved into the new one. We are the same as in 1983.
With this anniversary, “millions of memories and anecdotes without one in particular coming to mind,” adds Hervé Sansonetto. But unlike the chef at the helm for forty years, many Toulouse residents have a special memory of a singular moment like Gilles, now 28 years old: “I remember the Mass Hysteria concert on November 14, 2015 the day after the Bataclan . All day, we were afraid that the concert would be canceled, the heart not being at the party. Finally, it was an incredible tribute, a unique moment, a concert that will remain engraved for life. The texts and the presence of Mass Hysteria on stage, the minute of noise in tribute to the victims, everything resonated so strongly. “Or” the jump of Hakim from the Zebda group during a magnificent concert “, as Jamer tells it, from the top of his 58 years.
Almost a month away from the anniversary week, while the people of Toulouse are preparing for the party, Hervé Sansonetto is “preparing for the 50th anniversary”.
On the 40th anniversary program of the Bikini, meet from June 22 to 26:
- Thursday, June 22 (doors open: 6:00 p.m.) – Louise Attaque + Later. + Meteo Mirage + Baccus Social Club (dj set aperitif/after).
- Friday, June 23 (doors open: 6 p.m.) – Psykup + Sidilarsen + The Liminanas ” happening ».
- Friday June 23 (doors open: midnight) – 1980s – 1990s – 2000s evening.
- Saturday June 24 (6:00 p.m. – 5:30 a.m.) – Brawl + Lewis Ofman + Naughty Dog + Rally + Boston Bun + Krystal Klear + Mangabey (live) + Sophonic (live).
- Sunday June 25 (doors open: 6 p.m.) – La Gayguette _ special guest: Kiddy Smile.
- Monday, June 26 (doors open: 8:00 p.m.) – My Bikini to me by Mouss & Hakim.