Jean-Michel Labadie (born 14 July 1974 in
Cambo-les-Bains
Cambo-les-Bains (; eu, Kanbo) is a town in the traditional Basque province of Labourd, now in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France. It lies on the south-western bank of the river Nive. Cambo-les-Bains station has rail ...
,
Basque Country) is a French musician best known as the
bassist of
metal
A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...
band
Gojira.
Career
Labadie grew up in the Basque Country,
and played bass in regional underground bands.
Since 1998, Labadie has been the bassist of the metal band
Gojira, which was formed in
Ondres
Ondres () is a commune in the Landes department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. It is only two miles from the nearest beach (Ondres plage), which is well known for being a good surfing spot.
Population
Culture
Ondres is the home ...
(
Landes), near
Bayonne (Basque Country).
The whole band grew up in the south-west of France.
Labadie is known for his energetic live presence during shows, with much jumping around the stage and heavy headbanging.
Of the concerts made with Gojira, Labadie said, "I don't feel like a rock star but just human. I'm looking for my place and I want to give the best of myself, and while I can be useful, I just try to do good to people".
Music
When he was eleven years old, Labadie discovered
Metallica.
He started playing bass at the age of fifteen; "
Fade to Black" was the first song he learned to play.
He was also influenced by death metal bands such as
Death
Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...
,
Morbid Angel
Morbid Angel is an American death metal band based in Tampa, Florida, formed in 1983 by guitarist, primary composer and sole remaining original member Trey Azagthoth, vocalist and bassist Dallas Ward, and drummer Mike Browning. Widely considered ...
, and
Sepultura
Sepultura (, "grave")Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 17. is a Brazilian heavy metal band from Belo Horizonte. Formed in 1984 by brothers Max and Igor Cavalera,Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 16. the band was a major force in the groove metal, thra ...
.
He also cited
Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine (often abbreviated as RATM or shortened to simply Rage) is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commer ...
,
and
Pantera as influences.
Personal life
Labadie likes landscapes, solitude, nature and adrenaline.
He started practicing
boardsports
Boardsports are active outdoor sports that are played with some sort of board as the primary equipment. These sports take place on a variety of terrain, from paved flat-ground and snow-covered hills to water and air. Most boardsports are considere ...
such as
skateboarding,
surfing and
snowboarding.
In 1996, he became passionate about
mountain biking, and found these sensations again, "but more brutal".
When he's not touring across the world with Gojira, he practices mountain biking at a high level in his
Savoyard mountains, the place where he resides.
Labadie said, "Playing sports helps keep up the pace. For the drummer, too, you have to train. I like to push my body and the adrenaline it gives me".
Equipment
Labadie is known to use a pick to play bass in Gojira. He uses Darkglass electronics when playing live with the band.
Effects
* KHDK Abyss
* Ibanez TS7
* Boss TU3
* MXR Smartgate
* Radial Headbone VT
;
;Bass guitars
*Tobias Basic 6 Bass
*Fender American Deluxe Precision Bass
*Fender American Deluxe Jazz Bass
*Fender American Deluxe Dimension Bass
*Dingwall Super P Bass
;
;Amplifiers and Cabinets
*SWR Amps
*Fender SuperBassman 300 Amp
*Darkglass Amps
Discography
Gojira
;Demos
* ''Saturate'' (as Godzilla) (1999)
* ''Wisdom Comes'' (as Godzilla) (2000)
;EPs
* ''
Maciste All'Inferno'' (Gojira) (2003)
* ''End of Time'' (Gojira) (2012)
;Studio albums
*
Terra Incognita
''Terra incognita'' or ''terra ignota'' (Latin "unknown land"; ''incognita'' is stressed on its second syllable in Latin, but with variation in pronunciation in English) is a term used in cartography for regions that have not been mapped or do ...
(2001)
*
The Link (2003)
*
From Mars to Sirius (2005)
*
The Way of All Flesh
''The Way of All Flesh'' (sometimes called ''Ernest Pontifex, or the Way of All Flesh'') is a semi-autobiographical novel by Samuel Butler that attacks Victorian-era hypocrisy. Written between 1873 and 1884, it traces four generations of the ...
(2008)
*
L'Enfant Sauvage
''The Wild Child'' (french: L'Enfant sauvage, released in the United Kingdom as ''The Wild Boy'') is a 1970 French film by director François Truffaut. Featuring Jean-Pierre Cargol, François Truffaut, Françoise Seigner and Jean Dasté, it te ...
(2012)
*
Magma
Magma () is the molten or semi-molten natural material from which all igneous rocks are formed. Magma is found beneath the surface of the Earth, and evidence of magmatism has also been discovered on other terrestrial planets and some natural sa ...
(2016)
*
Fortitude (2021)
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Labadie, Jean-Michel
Death metal musicians
French bass guitarists
Male bass guitarists
Living people
People from Bayonne
Progressive metal bass guitarists
1974 births
21st-century bass guitarists
21st-century French male musicians
Gojira (band) members
French male guitarists