Memory lane | cernettes

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A little timeline through the Cernettes years, with some comments, facts and gossips.

Vintage looks lovers, click here to find the old website, written in 1993, in pure HTML.

One of the very first musicians websites

1990 - The first Cernettes

<< Catherine, Michele, Ruth, Caroline.

First time on stage. "Les Horribles Cernettes" are born in front of a cheering CERN audience (from CERN Bulletin - July 1990)

1991 - The "original" Cernettes

LHC on the LHC "Les Horribles Cernettes" on the "Large Hadron Collider". The girls were sitting on a mockup of the LEP accelerator, on top of which the LHC was going to be built, according to the original design.	LHC on LHC more sitting on a mockup of the LEP/LHC	With the LEP train Dolce Vita style modeling on the monorail hung train that serviced the LEP tunnel
More on the LEP train	LHC and LHC	A gig in CERN Restaurant 1
"You only love your collider"	"My Sweetheart's a Nobel Prize"	Hardronic '91
Michele & bump At the Hardronic '91 Michele wore a 1965 baloon dress, cleverly making room for a baby bump.	Colette	Angela "Burning in your microwave looove"
in Restaurant 1	Colette at the Hardronic '91

1992 - The Cernettes sensation

Charpak Nobel Party The Cernettes sing for the Nobel Prize Party in honour of Charpak. L>R: Max, Colette, Silvano, Michele, Harald, Lynn, John	CHEP '92 Performing on the "Annecy" boat at a conference	CHEP '92
CHEP '92	CHEP '92	CHEP '92
En route pour Sevilla The Cernettes and Abraxas, the two bands chosen to represent CERN at EXPO'92, taking the shuttle to the airport	En route pour Sevilla Arriving at the Sevilla airport	En route pour Sevilla The Cernettes and Abraxas share drummer (Max) and keyboard player (Silvano), as well as sound engineer (Cesare, front left)
Arrived in Sevilla Sep 30th and 32 degrees! Angela, Michele and Colette just arrived. Lynn will fly in later, at midnight.	On stage at Sevilla World Expo'92

The Union Jack With the arrival of Linda, the Cernettes achieve the Union Jack. L >> R: Ireland (Linda), England (Michele), Scotland (Angela)	Stike a pose!	dip dah hoooo...
happy drummer the girls can always rely on Max, their Sicilian drummer, to keep the beat.	Angela	and with Colette Colette had not quit the band though. She used to pop in to represent Scotland whenever "sister" Angela was on a mission to save mankind.
Michele, Colette, Linda	the next generation An enchanted young audience would copy their moves, hoping to join the band when they grow up.	Colette, Michele, Linda
Stage entrance Michele Colette and Linda rehearsing their stage entrance in a typical CERN fashion. Lights off, the boys are already on stage. The music starts and the Cernettes appear in a spotlight on the roof of the restaurant. After the first chorus they descend into the audience standing on a forklift.

1993 - Linda from Ireland

American honey blonde Anne steps in New to Geneva, and already famous within Geneva International community for her leading role as Sandra Dee in a staging of "Grease", Anne gets to CERN, to turn more than one head	the Cernettes get sexy Years before the Spice Girls wore tank tops and miniskirts on stage, the Cernettes had invented it all, catching the eye of CERN physicists	Anne and Michele The start of a long bond between two stage beauties. Although at the time they were doing office work for CERN and the UN, they will both change their careers within a few years, becoming fitness trainers. Anne will then proceed to being a Yoga guru, and Michele a Pilates instructor.
Cernettes'94 Michele, Anne and Linda striking a pose for a photo session	Montreux Jazz Festival The Cernettes held a stage at the "Montreux Open Air" festival	Montreux
The Cernettes '94	The Cernettes '94 singing at CERN	Anne Not the cover of Elle, but a portrait of our own Marylin

1994 - Anne

The Colliders Playing to a wider audience, the band changed name and format, along the lines of the B52s, with Michele, Anne, Silvano and John singing. In this version, the "boys" took front stage along with the girls.	Laurent	Band action John (left) and Laurent (right) actually met for the first time on a football field, playing for a local team.
Colliders The whole band on stage	On stage at a festival The repertoire was mostly sixties standards. The Colliders was the "dance" version of the Cernettes, addressing a general audience rather that CERN Physicists only. Their repertoire included many more covers than originals,	Lookers Looks was an important asset in the Colliders. Our girls at a photoshoot.
Looks and on stage	Colliders girls	stage action Getting down on "These Boots"
shoulder to shoulder like Metallica	The Colliders Posing outside the CERN rehearsal hangar	The Colliders Most of the band on stage at the "St Gervais Festival" in Geneva
Our angel ...or so she looks to those who don't know her	Legs & co.	Football pose A very sporty band. Silvano (karate, windsurf), Anne (Hip hop), Michele (aerobics, dance), Max (bike), John & Laurent (football)
The Colliders... colliding! No Higgs out of this one I'm afraid

1995 - The Colliders

Colette, Michele, Sue	Michele	First webcast A frame capture during a video fade effect. The Hardronic '96 was one of the first concerts to be webcast live. The term "Webcasting" had not been invented yet, but Silvano set up a "video over MBONE" session for the occasion, so that our collagues from Fermilab and Harvard (USA) could watch their favourite High Energy Band.
Sue I'm gonna wait - WAIT - to the midnight hour	Sue checking the time	Sue - Midnight Hour Whoops... midnight... my horses are about to turn back into mice!
Sue, Michele, Colette And John, towering behind them	finale	Sue, Michele, Colette
Sue Sue played only one gig with us, the Hardronic Festival 1996	Colette, Michele, Sue	Musician's view A motivational shot. One of the highlights of being a backline musician for the Cernettes

1996 - The Cernettes are back, with Sue

Colette, Michele and Angela In between Red Cross missions, Angela joined us on stage for a gig or two	Michele	Michele

1997 - Angela is back

Singing on base For the Hardronic'98 the Cernettes didn't have a live band so Silvano prepared the bases and they gave an excellent vocal performance, including a few "a Cappella" songs, rehearsed a few hours before, at the hairdresser.	Hardronic '98	Hardronic '98
Hardronic '98	Hardronic '98 Angela microwaving her love	Hardronic '98
Hardronic '98 Hit the road, jack	Hardronic '98 "Goodbye sweet CERN" the moment feared by their loving fans	Hardronic '98

1998 - A vocal performance

Sweetie pie Louise joins us	Louise and Michele With the flow of singers and backline musicians stepping in and out of the band, the Cernettes became a flexible band, who's only constant members were Michele, Silvano, Max and John. At each concert, a different lineup was cast. On this one there were only two girls singing.	Silvano Author and composer of all the Cernettes songs, Silvano leads the band and trains new musicians to reproduce that "Cernette sound", while Michele is the choreographer and vocal arranger.
Max Faithful for over 20 years to the band, Max has missed only one concert, when he broke his ankle in '93.	Cernettes '99	Cernettes '99
Cernettes '99	Cernettes '99	Photoshoot for a magazine At the Arthur's discoteque in Geneva, for the WIRED magazine
Photoshoot for a magazine	Photoshoot for a magazine	Photoshoot for a magazine
Good bye LEP! The Cernettes posing in a section of the LEP accelerator, which was then running its last days of particle smashing, before leaving the place to the LHC.	Sitting on the LEP The Cernettes were always welcome by CERN's physicists and engineers. Just imagine being at work and having your favourite girls trio walking into your workplace for a photoshoot. Many physicists have quoted such sightings in their thesis, books, papers and talks.

1999 - Louise

Susan - the midriff from down under Cernette Susan joined the band for about a year. Unfortunately she quit the band to move to Barbados. But hey... would you blame her?	The Cernettes at LEPFest The girls sang for a VIP audience at the LEPFest, the official event to celebrate the decommissioning of LEP, our Large Electron-Proton collider	The Cernettes at LEPFest
The Cernettes at LEPFest The girls always design their hairstyles, makeup and clothes themselves. For the LEPFest they chose a "metallic" look, with a Helium atom on their top, to welcome CERN's next project, the Helium cooled LHC, .	The Cernettes at LEPFest	Susan, our kiwi girl Singing Microwave Love at the LEPFest. A theatrical photo sequence
Susan, our kiwi girl	Susan, our kiwi girl	Susan, our kiwi girl
Susan, our kiwi girl	Michele Pretty as ever	Michele and Anne
Anne Blonde as ever	Anne	The Cernettes at LEPFest
The Cernettes at LEPFest	The Cernettes at LEPFest	The Cernettes at LEPFest
The Cernettes at LEPFest	The Cernettes at LEPFest	The Cernettes at LEPFest
The Cernettes at LEPFest	The Cernettes at LEPFest	The Cernettes at LEPFest
And then there were two Michele and Susan often performed as a duo, helped by Silvano on backing vocals	When not playng violin... Apart from being a singer, Susan is a violin player. During her Cernette period she was recording a solo album with many violin parts.	c2k_015.jpg
Django He was named after a great jazz guitarist. Little did his parents know that he would become another great "cernette" guitarist	"Arms up!" Michele and Susan were a very dynamic duo, and never failed to involve the audience singing along and clapping hand	At the Hardronic Festival The ubiquitus "CERN Staff Association" banner at the back is the signature of CERN Hardronic festivals, of which the Staff Association is a major sponsor.
Burning in her microwave love our kiwi girl in a wonderful interpretation of Angela's Microwave Love	Michele's hairstyles Over 22 years of concerts, Michele sported all possible hairstyles, always looking pretty and cute. Lady Gaga did not invent anything after all.	Hardronic 2000
Hardronic 2000	Hardronic 2000	Hardronic 2000
Hardronic 2000	Another epic midriff shot	Silvano backing Whenever performing with only two girls, the boss used to stand in for the third girl, usually with lower harmonies or falsettos

2000 - Susan

Our Swiss Cernette Valerie was Anne's fitness student. She passed the audition with flying marks, and so we had our first and last Swiss Cernette.	ATLAS cavern inauguration The Cernettes in a simple performance on the ATLAS experiment site, for the party to celebrate the acievement of the cavern.	ATLAS cavern inauguration No lights, no band, no stage, just them on a concrete blocks slab. Shining as ever.
ATLAS cavern inauguration	ATLAS cavern inauguration	ATLAS cavern inauguration
ATLAS cavern inauguration	ATLAS cavern inauguration	c03_028.jpg
ATLAS cavern inauguration	ATLAS cavern inauguration	ATLAS cavern inauguration
ATLAS cavern inauguration	ATLAS cavern inauguration	ATLAS cavern inauguration
ATLAS cavern inauguration	ATLAS cavern inauguration	ATLAS cavern inauguration
ATLAS cavern inauguration	ATLAS cavern inauguration	ATLAS cavern inauguration
ATLAS cavern inauguration	ATLAS cavern inauguration	ATLAS cavern inauguration
ATLAS cavern inauguration	ATLAS cavern inauguration	ATLAS cavern inauguration
ATLAS cavern inauguration	ATLAS cavern inauguration	ATLAS cavern inauguration
ATLAS cavern inauguration	ATLAS cavern inauguration	ATLAS cavern inauguration
ATLAS cavern inauguration	ATLAS cavern inauguration	ATLAS cavern inauguration Thank you ATLAS...
ATLAS cavern inauguration ...and goodbye!	ATLAS cavern inauguration Meeting the fans, after the gig	ATLAS cavern inauguration Signing autographs
ATLAS cavern inauguration A pose with ATLAS scientists	Photoshoot in ATLAS	Photoshoot in ATLAS Posing in the cryogenics world of the ATLAS detector
Photoshoot in ATLAS Apart from being singers and dancers, the Cernettes are also actresses. They usually play the role of clueless bimbos lost in a science and technology world. In reality some of them were involved with the design and engineering of the Large Hadron Collider. For instance, the 3D Virtual Protoype of the CMS detector assembly procedure was designed to a large extent by Michele	Photoshoot in ATLAS	Photoshoot in ATLAS
Photoshoot in ATLAS	Photoshoot in ATLAS	Photoshoot in ATLAS
Photoshoot in ATLAS	Photoshoot in ATLAS	Photoshoot in ATLAS Disagreements are usually resolved... with Kung Fu!
Photoshoot in ATLAS KIAI!	Photoshoot in ATLAS Anne	Photoshoot in ATLAS Michele
Photoshoot in ATLAS Valerie

2003 - Valerie

The Cernettes at Hardronic'07 Sporting a wet hairstyle, due to adverse weather conditions, Vicky sang in her only performance with the Cernettes, under the pooring rain	The Cernettes at Hardronic'07 Victoria joined us to stay, and she loved the band and her audience, but she had to quit soon after her first gig, because she had unexpectedly been admitted at Drama School in London. Today she is a Drama teacher.	The Cernettes at Hardronic'07
Steve hops on Blues sensation Steve Goldfarb, singer of "The Canettes Blues Band", joined us on stage for "Surfing on the Web", in the role of a websurfer.	Anne, Michele, Steve and Vicky Steve surfing between and Vicky	The Cernettes at Hardronic'07 Vicky was a perfect fit for the role. Young and beautiful, she was the streteotype British sixties doll.
cernettes07_018.jpg	The Cernettes at Hardronic'07	Drummer's view Needless to say it, the post of drummer for the Cernettes is a highly rewarded one. No wonder Max clung on it for 22 years
Max the drumma	The Cernettes at Hardronic'07	The Cernettes at Hardronic'07
The Cernettes at Hardronic'07	The Cernettes at Hardronic'07 "And I love every proton of you" Michele premiering her brand new song for CERN's proton-hungry audience	The Cernettes at Hardronic'07
The Cernettes at Hardronic'07 Anne with a typically Cernette heart-ballon tree. It rained so hard and the temperature drop was so drastic that the helium filled ballons dropped to the ground instead of standing up on their strings	Vicky and Laurent Victoria, happy to be on stage, performing for a loving audience. Behind her is our friend and faithful cameraman Laurent, who never missed a single Cernette concert. Always ready to jump on stage with the girls, in most cases for free. This was his last gig with us. A sad destiny took him away two years later. He still lives in our photos and our hearts.	The Cernettes at Hardronic'07
The Cernettes at Hardronic'07	The Cernettes at Hardronic'07	Live from the Black Hole
Live from the Black Hole A picture taken in the dark. The pooring rain shortcut the lights dimmers, and the light show blacked out. Luckily we still had sound, so we went on singing in the dark. This episode earnt this gig the title above.	Live from the Black Hole The Cernettes dancing with a few "Mr. Higgs" in the dark. To see his keyboards, Silvano wore his LHC tunnel helmet, equipped with a headlight (stage right). The audiece followed his example. They all went to their cars and fetched their helmets, standing in the pooring rain to watch their fab girls. Hundreds of little LED headlights pointed to the stage made up for the missing lightshow, and cast enough light for the video cameras to keep flming. These shots all come from the video clip.	cernettes07_029.jpg
Live from the Black Hole As the writing in the video says, Silvano quit his keyboards to go under the stage fix the lights, but it took him some time to find which cables to connect in order to shunt the shortcut dimmer.	Live from the Black Hole But he finally did. Totally drenched, our hero messed with the cords till he restored power, at the price of little electrocution	Live from the Black Hole And the light came back
Live from the Black Hole	Live from the Black Hole	Live from the Black Hole
Live from the Black Hole	Live from the Black Hole	Live from the Black Hole But the light didn't last long. After a couple of songs another dimmer was flodded, causing a new shortcut.
Live from the Black Hole And so we were back in the Black Hole, with a very noisy picture, looking like a Higgs field.	Live from the Black Hole A big thank you to our faithful audience, who stood for an hour under the pooring rain to watch us play. We love you CERN! xxx

2007 - Vicky

LHCFest party The Cernettes headlining at the LHC Inauguration party, held for 4000 selected staff, after the inauguration cerimony, including Europe's heads of state.	LHCfest party After the official cerimony the big tribune table sitting 20 European presidents and ministers was taken away to transform the venus into a 30mt long stage for the bands.	LHCfest party
LHCfest party 250 lights, 80 speakers and 40,000 watts gave the Cernettes the biggest stage they ever performed on.	LHCfest party Cute as ever, the girls got their audience to cheer and dance as ever.	LHCfest party
LHCfest party	LHCfest party	LHCfest party
LHCfest party For the occasion, Silvano decorated his synths with neon hearts and lights, catching the eye.	LHCfest party Our dear CERN audience, whom our songs are specially written for.

2008 - The LHC Inauguration

Live at the Globe The Cernettes singing for a webcast show in the Globe of Science and Innovation, for the European Researchers Night 2010	Live at the Globe	Live at the Globe
Live at the Globe	Live at the Globe	Live at the Globe
Live at the Globe	Live at the Globe	Live at the Globe
Live at the Globe	Live at the Globe	Live at the Globe
Live at the Globe	Live at the Globe	Live at the Globe
Live at the Globe	Live at the Globe	Live at the Globe
Live at the Globe	Live at the Globe	Live at the Globe
Live at the Globe	Live at the Globe	Live at the Globe
Live at the Globe	Live at the Globe	Live at the Globe
Live at the Globe	Live at the Globe	Live at the Globe
Live at the Globe	Live at the Globe	Live at the Globe
Live at the Globe	Live at the Globe	Live at the Globe
Live at the Globe	Live at the Globe	Live at the Globe
Live at the Globe