New Government, The

Rock | Lebanon

This rock band came together in Beirut in November 2004, the result of a random gathering instigated by Zeid Hamdan (of Soapkills fame). After 4 months of experimentation and several live appearances, the band eventually coalesced around a configuration of 5 members (Jeremie on keyboards, Zeid and Timothee on guitars, Nabil on drums and Cherif on bass), and proclaimed themselves "The New Government" (since there was no official government at the time, it made sense).
Although each one of the musicians has a different musical background, The New Government has successfully managed to find its trademark sound: a mixture of indie rock and post-punk, with a "retro" touch reminiscent of the late 60s British psychedelia.
The band has toured Lebanon extensively (Beirut, Byblos, Deir el Qamar), and released its first EP in 2006 through Lebanese indie label Mooz Records. It has also ventured as far as Europe, playing at renowned venue La Fleche d'Or in Paris, among others.