Deux Furieuses - ‘Bring Down The Government’
A furious and explosive two and a half minutes, ‘Bring Down The Government’ is a righteous anthem for justice.
Deux Furieuses is a post-punk duo with something to prove. Their latest offering, ‘Bring Down The Government’ certainly does the trick. It’s gritty, unapologetic, and daring, confronting a Tory government they feel is doing more harm than good.
This is no coincidence. Deux Furieuses, a duo made up of Scottish vocalist/guitarist Ros Cairney and Greek/London based drummer Vas Antoniadou, are angry. The song began life during lockdown when fervent criticism was being levelled at the government’s handling of the pandemic. The band ended up “jumping on a fuzz box and behind the kit in Vas’s attic to make some noise,” the duo explain.
Soon, the song grew into something unapologetically political, voicing their frustrations and outrage.
“It soon became a musical grenade aimed at the dark heart of Boris Johnson’s Conservative Government which we both felt to be disastrous for the country in its handling of the Covid pandemic. The care home tragedy was a scandal that affected us personally.”
Cairney crafted vocals that eloquently spat out a rallying cry for the people of Britain: ‘We need a reckoning for all the lives,’ she sings. ‘We are the dreamers and we’ve been bribed, no one to help us until we say, ‘bring down the government!’’
Occasionally, the vocal line leans into a harsh whisper that feels deliciously foreboding – there’s a reckoning coming, and Deux Furieuses are making sure we know about it.
The song’s bass line, delivered by none other than My Bloody Valentine’s Deb Goodge, echoes a Nirvana-esque wobbly dissonance. It coats the song in an irresistible punky sludge, offset by distorted power chords that push the song to its fullest.
Antoniadou’s drums are particularly compelling. Their tightness, slicing beats into tiny, even increments, itch the track towards explosion and lend it palpable tension. This sense of nearing explosion grounds the song’s message, articulating the band’s outrage and determination to see consequences for the government’s actions.
“The PPE nightmare, public health disinformation, lucrative profiteering and partying at Downing Street were symptomatic of Tory self-interest and a dumbed-down political discourse” the band add. ‘Benighted criminals all on the make’ sums them up for us!”
The track is set to feature on the duo’s upcoming third album, which is confirmed for release later this year via Xtra Mile Recordings. Perhaps we’ll find ourselves listening to Deux Furieuses’ manifesto on what Britain could be. In the meantime, the duo have some shows coming up – spreading the message to their fellow Britons.
Words by Izzy Rowley
