Culture 40 years ago, the extraordinary concert turned into a clash

The Cure, Roxy Music, The Clash ... On June 14, 1980, the Rettel Rock Festival, the first and last of its name, featured international groups who should have provided an unforgettable spectacle. But the show was elsewhere ... January 1, 4, 1980. open-air base of the Usi-nor works council, below the village of Keitel, between the forest and the water. It is 1 p.m. the Rock Festival organized by the essential Jean-Marie Sanzey opens its doors to thousands of festival-goers who love punk rock and pogos. We expect more than 20,000! The stage is immense: 2.80 m high by 35 m long and 10 m deep. Three generators are installed and develop a power of 20,000 watts! This is necessary to satisfy the artists, some of whom already flirt with notoriety. 'lite Clash, The Cure and Roxy Music are indeed there and eagerly awaited by their fans. D. fans overexcited and already, for some, well alcoholic. RÈmi Schwenck, the current mayor of Rettel, confides in me I was 16 years old in 1980. The cow, it goes back! I remember that there was a crazy world, it was delirium, it was almost inaccessible at the end. The concert took place on the old sailing base of the CAP 250 club. club created in 1975 in Rettel. There was quite a crowd. the village grocer had to sell more beers today than during his entire career! Fighting during The Clash GÈrard was one of the 20,000 festival-goers. Originally from Metzervisse, the young man of 24 years follows a good number of concerts. I got there before the start, at the end of the morning. Everything went well at the start.

I remember a great poster even if the guys from The Dead Boys didn't come. They have been replaced by Fischer-Z. The Cure went on stage before Thc Clash, in the evening. But a fight in the front rows broke out during Tire Clash, and the concert was stopped. It was punk, so a little hot! Suddenly, Roxy Music and its leader Bryan Ferry did not play. At midnight, I was at x's. Sign that it was necessary to put an end to the event, a violent storm fell on Rettel just after the brawl. I, mass is said, festival-goers are invited to fold up the sapling ... No sms damage! GeneviËve, GÈrard's wife, says I was 18 years old, I worked that day. There were a lot of people, and the problem was that there was no parking. People park where they can. take place in the streets of the village. At the end of the interrupted concert, there was breakage. My parents have found their garage door completely smashed. It had to be replaced. We talked about it a long time later ... Promised to be a great success, the Rettel Rock Festival did not go any further in the adventure. And unfortunately, whoever could speak the best of it bowed out in 2016. A native of the country, organizer of the festivals at Sierck Castle, Jean-Marie Sanzey left the tmp scene early. Ludovic BEHRLO

" Once on stage, The Clash set fire to the powder! Photo DR / Francis PRYMERSKI