Eric Caudron

Artists don’t become artists, they already are, even if they don’t always know it. Eric is only 5 years old when he goes onstage for the first time, accompanying his father who works as a clown. He usually stays backstage with other artists waiting to perform their show. He keeps strong memories about this time, memories which influenced his artistic career. When seven, he starts to learn accordion as his brother has done since a few years, not sure that this instrument is made for him. But he keeps learning it as his parents insist and at 12, he’s a member of the “Accordéon Club de Thourotte”, a band of twenty accordion players and a drummer, he’s then at the third row with the juniors. He’s more interested by the drummer than by his own instrument and, when home, he practice… drums, with tins and cans and with a pair of knitting needles he borrowed from his mother!

Christmas

What a strange gift it was for that 1977 Christmas… Just an envelope with a piece of paper inside and something written on it: “Voucher for a drumkit to take at music shop X…”. He doesn’t go to the shop, he runs to it! And now he plays on his drums every single minute he can. He keeps learning and playing the accordion, but his true passion is drumming and two years later, he plays with the Accordéon Club as… drummer! At that time, he plays drums with smaller bands too, mainly popular dance gigs, but he starts his first rock band also, playing covers and some originals. He meets a lot of musicians during all these gigs and he can satisfy his passion: drumming! Every year, at mother’s day, there’s a public dance in his hometown and he goes there with friends to see how the drummer is playing…

The spark

Eric is a little shy, so it’s not him who asks to play a tune or two with the band but his friends. The request is… accepted! And soon Eric is onstage behind the drums playing with a guitar player called… Carmine Ghersi! They play Johnny B Goode and… a drum solo! Both the public and the musicians are amazed by the young drummer talent and the applause is cheerful, so they play a few other songs before Eric give the drumsticks back to their owner. No matter, the story has started. Carmine and Eric will then play dance gigs with various bands and soon with a new casting for Carmine band Aloysius and friends.

A few concerts, some recording sessions but it seems the era was then not made for that kind of music in France. It is the time when Eric accepts the request of his father, an August, to become a white clown and tour with him. Again on stage then, but not quite the same ones, not the same public either but still gratitude for their talent, even by famous circus professionals as Emilien Bouglione.

Sunblood

Carmine is working on a new project, still a trio but more powerfully rock, more basic and with even more energy! Of course, Eric is called and accepts on the go. They find a bass player and it is the beginning of concerts with that new formula. It is a great success, so they decide to record a CD, it will be From Where The Sun Now Stands, still on sale but maybe not for long. Some years touring and life slows down the band activity, Sunblood doze off. No show for Eric for quite a few years, it is too difficult for him to accept it and soon he prepares something new. A show based on the songs of French popular singer Renaud where he plays the rhythm part on the guitar and is accompanied by another guitarist. He goes onstage with the name “Léon” until the guitarist leaves the area. Some more dozing months and he meets again Carmine and Rico, and that means Sunblood! The band is on its way again and this is today!