Les Porte-Mentaux, a French punk rock group originating from Paris, Île-de-France, was formed in 1978 by Michel Paul, known as BB Rock. The band emerged during the punk-rock and anarcho-punk movement of the 1980s, aligning with other notable alternative artists such as Parabellum and La Souris Déglinguée. Their name, Les Porte-Mentaux, was derived from a play on words involving Michel Paul's initials and a phrase coined by his friend Stéphane. Les Porte-Mentaux gained significant public attention in 1987 with the release of their single "Elsa Fraulein", which sold over 150,000 copies and reached number 32 in the charts, remaining there for nine weeks. The song's inspiration came from a film poster Michel Paul frequently saw near his home. Between 1984 and 1988, the band released several albums and singles with a renewed lineup that included Fabrice Paligiano on guitar and Sylvain Thollon on bass. The group faced internal issues, including various addictions, leading to their disbandment in 1990. Michel Paul pursued solo projects under the name Kanzen before his death in February 2005 at age 45. Les Porte-Mentaux reformed briefly from 1996 to 2005 with a new lineup that included Chris Lardant on guitar and Pascal Louvigny on bass, but their efforts were cut short by Michel Paul's passing.
