Hi, I'm Rupierre Le Funk. Not French but did live in France for 6 years. In a nutshell, I play funky, original music on keyboards and sing songs about random topics over irresistible grooves in an attempt to make you dance, laugh and be generally entertained by something you weren't expecting to hear. My live set is where this truly comes alive but as we have this internet thing, I'll try and use videos and audio to entertain you here. Hopefully these will lure you to a show or make you feel compelled to book me for your gig/party or whatever. I've released three albums to date, check 'em out! If you'd like a more in depth bio, please read on below. If that's all you need to know for now, go forth and enjoy my music here and follow me on the socials.
Please feel free to contact me about gig enquiries etc - rupierrelefunk@gmail.com
“Like Frank Zappa meets Jamiroquai with a bit of Bill Bailey”
It was back in 2018, watching a small trio kick out a big, funky sound with no drummer and only backing beats that I thought… “You know what… I should do a solo funk thing, just me playing keys with some beats to power the whole thing along, this could work!” I'd started my musical journey in my teens, playing self-taught blues and jazz piano and quickly began composing my own tunes. I was 16 when I did my first gig, a nervous wreck just playing instrumental stuff but I enjoyed it and spent the next few years improving my composing and playing skills. Aged 18, I released the first of many albums (you can find all these under my real name over at rupertleightonmusic.com) and achieved radio play and placements in some tv/film stuff blah bla blah. Back to the story, I formed a jazz trio called Miquid Licks in 2010 and another more funky band Fujalada in 2011 as I developed a love for performing. This band allowed me to branch out and write some more humorous songs such as ”Pull Your Trousers Up" which happened to coincide with the demise of the low-waisted trend, either by chance or maybe the song really made an impact? Who knows, either way.. it was massive in Luxembourg! After a few years performing with Fujalada - including a memorable backstage Vibes Battle performance at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival - I made the big move from UK to France (as mentioned earlier). This meant the end of the band as they decided not to follow me across the channel, so I started afresh. After much more composing in various genres, I eventually came up with a new solo act and the Rupierre Le Funk journey began!
“Is this Marc Rebillet's English cousin?”
No sooner had I set myself up with this new live set, Covid hit so it was back to the studio. Over the many lockdowns, my songwriting went into overdrive and rather than the occasional comedic moment, “funk with a sense of humour” became the USP for Rupierre. “Bad Pistachio” was the first album to emerge, the title track being my most streamed song to date. Another album followed in 2022 containing crowd favourites “Sweet Sweet Chilli”, “Undecided”, the title track “Burnt Parsnips” and the rarely performed “Never Play Leapfrog with a Unicorn” among others. I spent the next year performing in France, spreading the sweet chilli vibes before relocating back to the UK.
So here I am, having released my third album ‘Heaven in the DIY Store’ and back in England, though I often head back to play in France, Luxembourg or your lounge if the fee is right… so keep your ears and eyes peeled (or get in touch re bookings etc!) In the meantime, enjoy my little corner of the online world and hope to see you at a show soon!!
Rupierre x