Ubu, Rennes

Concert venue located in Rennes, France. In the early 80's, the occasional concert venue in Saint-Hélier street was still known as the Jarry hall. It actually was the nursery of the Maison de la Culture, Rennes. From above, the building resembles a human ear. The Rock Against Tarzan festival took place there, as supervised by Hervé Bordier, then music director at Grand Huit, the actual Théâtre National De Bretagne. In 1987, the place was officially revamped to become a rock club and with the help of Jack Lang (then Minister of Culture), a proper sound equipment was implemented. Under the direction of Didier Perichon, the "3 concerts a week all along the year" concept was born. The first band to be playing in the new Ubu on October 2nd, 1987 is Noir Désir. In 1990, a money pit in the cultural activities of Rennes almost signed the bankruptcy of Ubu, then a non-profit organization largely depending on public subventions. Back then, the Association Trans Musicales (ATM) managing the Trans Musicales De Rennes was part of the NPO, but in fear of putting the project to an end with the closing of Ubu, and hopping to gain financial freedom, the team created a company called Trans Actions, in charge of the incomes, and found a new house in Jean Guy street. Nowadays, the concert venue is still managed by the ATM.