As you cross Place Dominique Laboubée, you might wonder as to the identity of the man in the giant portrait drawn by Jef Aérosol. Well, that’s Dominique Laboubée – singer-founder of Dogs, a cult rock band formed in Rouen in 1973. A true icon of his time, Labouée died in 2002 after collapsing on stage at a concert in Massachusetts. Five years later, the city wanted to pay homage by renaming a square along the Rue de la Massacre after him. Despite the gory name, there’s certainly nothing dangerous about this spot. In the 1970s, a record store called Mélodies Massacre sat the corner of the square. The shop’s owner was manager of the band and, according to music legend, Dogs recorded their first record in his cellar with a four-track tape recorder.
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