Gilles Bertin (25 March 1961 – 7 November 2019) was a French bassist and singer, and a member of the punk band Camera Silens from 1981 to 1986. Gilles Bertin took part in a bank robbery in Toulouse on 27 April 1988, where nearly 12 million francs were stolen. Gilles Bertin went on the run for 28 years before handing himself in to police.
Camera Silens was a French punk rock/Oi! (with also some reggae and rhythm & blues influences) from Bordeaux formed in 1981, stopped in 1988.
Line up:
1981-1982 : Gilles Bertin (bass, vocals) – Benoît Destriau (guitar) – Philippe Schneiberger (drums)
1983 : Benoît Destriau (guitar, vocals) – Eric Ferrer (bass) – Nicolas Mouriesse (drums)
1984-1985 : Benoît Destriau (guitar) – Gilles Bertin (vocals) – Eric Ferrer (bass) – Bruno Cornet (drums)
1986-1988 : Benoît Destriau (guitar, vocals) – Eric Ferrer (bass) – Bruno Cornet (drums) – François Borne (saxophone)
Born in Paris on 25 March 1961, Gilles Bertin moved to Bordeaux with his parents as a teenager. In Bordeaux, he founded the punk band Camera Silens as a bassist and a singer. The band enjoyed significant success in the French punk rock scene. After he became a drug addict and tested seropositive, he fell into delinquency.
On 27 April 1988, Bertin participated in a robbery on the Toulouse department of Brink's along with a dozen other robbers, after two years of preparation. The group stole 11,571,316 francs, despite never firing a shot. To this day, most of the loot has never been found. After police launched "Operation Sangria", all participants of the robbery were arrested within two years, except for Bertin. He fled to Spain, and then later, Portugal while running a record shop dedicated to alternative rock. In 1995, Bertin fell ill with AIDS, but survived thanks to tritherapy. In 2000, he returned to Barcelona and worked in a bar owned by his family while living under several identities.
On 26 November 2016, Bertin returned to France to face justice. His trial began on 6 June 2018, and he faced 20 years imprisonment. However, Bertin was only sentenced to five years with suspension, after the prosecution cited "good conduct."
In February 2019, Bertin published an autiobiography, titled Trente ans de cavale, ma vie de punk with the publisher Éditions Robert Laffont.
On 7 November 2019, Gilles Bertin succumbed to AIDS after spending several weeks in a coma. He was 58.
Pour la gloire
Camera Silens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Qui vaincra pour s'exprimer
Tous unis pour réussir
Tous unis pour en finir
Pour la gloire, pour la gloire
Eh eh pour la gloire!
Quelle voix pour rassembler
Chaque branleur est sûr de soi
Chacun pour soi en avant!
The lyrics of Camera Silens's song "Pour la gloire" depict a call to arms, encouraging unity and expression as the means to achieving success. The chorus, repeating the phrase "Pour la gloire," emphasizes the desire for glory and recognition, suggesting that the end goal is as much about personal gain as it is about collective accomplishment.
The lines "Qui saura nous faire exploser / Qui vaincra pour s'exprimer" suggest a frustration with the societal boundaries that prevent self-expression and achievement. The call for a "force pour batailler" and a "voix pour rassembler" implies a readiness for action, for those with the strength and charisma to lead the way.
In contrast, the final lines of the song, "Chaque branleur est sûr de soi / Chacun pour soi en avant!" are somewhat cynical, suggesting that even in the face of a common goal, individuals will ultimately act in their own interests rather than joining together for the greater good. Overall, "Pour la gloire" portrays a complicated relationship between ambition and solidarity, hinting at both the uplifting potential and the darker realities of collective action.
Line by Line Meaning
Qui saura nous faire exploser
Who will be able to make us explode or stand out in some way?
Qui vaincra pour s'exprimer
Who will win in order to express themselves?
Tous unis pour réussir
We are all united to succeed.
Tous unis pour en finir
We are all united to put an end to it.
Pour la gloire, pour la gloire
For the glory, for the glory.
Eh eh pour la gloire!
Hey hey, for the glory!
Quelle force pour batailler
What kind of strength is needed to fight?
Quelle voix pour rassembler
What kind of voice is needed to bring together?
Chaque branleur est sûr de soi
Each slacker is confident in themselves.
Chacun pour soi en avant!
Everyone for themselves, move forward!
Contributed by Joseph Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.