Back in the 1990s, there was a trio of young Hull artists, painters every one, who were all tagged for success: Jean-Francois Provost, Dominik Sokolowski, and Claude Marquis.

And all three did find success. Provost and Sokolowski started painting abstracts that became popular locally and beyond. Marquis headed in a different direction. He started out exhibiting his dark and dramatic portrait-like paintings, the artworld’s version of film noir, in such bars as Mercury Lounge, Market Station and Le Café 4 Jeudis. And then, in 2003, came his big show, a critical and popular success called Nature Boy, at the prestigious Galerie Montcalm in Hull.

But not long after, Marquis and his paintings disappeared. And then, suddenly in 2010, Marquis reappeared in a series of eye-popping publicity photos for his musical adventure called The PepTides. The publicity stills were artworks in themselves, courtesy of another rising star, photo-artist Jonathan Hobin.

The PepTides, initially, were not exactly a band, seeing as how the ensemble only contained Marquis, the effervescent Deedee Butters and largely computer-generated backup. But The PepTides, as much musical theatre as music, became a hometown success and blossomed into a crowded stage of nine singers and musicians performing at such venues as the Elmdale Tavern, Black Sheep, and Fourth Stage. (more…)