Les Wampas

Les Wampas are returning to Paris for a concert at L’Olympia on Saturday, April 11, 2026. Formed in 1983, the band coalesced around Didier Chappedelaine, who soon became known as Didier Wampas, the singer and driving force of a lineup that also features Niko Wampas on drums and, in its early days, Philippe Wampas on guitar. Their name, borrowed from a tribe encountered in an episode of Rahan, sets the tone: a taste for mixing styles and a free spirit.

Sonically, they blend punk, rockabilly and yé-yé echoes. Their first single, “Dracu bop,” appeared in 1985, followed by their first album, Tutti Frutti, in 1986. They caught the wider public’s attention at the Victoires de la Musique in 2004, then with “Chirac en prison” in 2005, in the wake of the sharp-edged style of Manu Chao. What followed includes Rock'n'Roll Part 9 (2006) and Les Wampas sont la preuve que Dieu existe (2009), before Les Wampas font la gueule (2014). True to form, they then released Never Trust a Best-Of and went on with Sauvre le monde, then Tempête, Tempête, made with Lionel Limiñana and recorded and mixed by Nicolas Quéré.

On stage, Les Wampas remain all about energy, biting hooks and a keen sense of self-mockery.