Pip Pyle's Equipe Out

British Progressive Rock Ensemble

Equipe Out (alternatively known as Equip’Out, or the Out Team) was Pip Pyle’s jazz band formed in December 1984, and disbanded in 1995. In the beginning, Equip’Out was a parallel project to another short-lived band called The In-Out Quartet (active August 1984-April 1985), which featured Sophia Domancich, Ann Ballester and Bernard Weber. Equip’Out was based in France and formed around Pip Pyle and his then partner Sophia Domancich, with Elton Dean, Didier Malherbe, and Hugh Hopper, all long-time friends and collaborators of Pyle in the so-called “Canterbury scene”. Despite its international line-up, Equip’Out has always been rooted in France and did most of it 10 years career in the continent. This first line-up recorded an album in 1985 and played gigs regularly in France until December 1986, when Hugh Hopper left and was replaced by Charles Calamel. From April to May 1987 Marius Lorenzini (guitar) also joined temporarily, replacing Elton Dean who was seriously ill with hepatitis. This line-up toured UK then France (with Dean back) until June 1987, by which time Equip’Out was put on hold, Pip Pyle being too busy with a lot of other projects (Faton Bloom, Faton Cahen Trio, In Cahoots, Patrice Meyer Quartet…). In April 1988, Equip'Out resumed activities, with a line-up of Pip Pyle, Sophia Domancich, Elton Dean and Charles Calamel (plus Didier Malherbe as guest on selected dates). They played concerts extensively in France and Belgium until end-1989. Equip’Out was then inactive again until October 1990 – when Paul Rogers joined on bass, replacing Calamel – and recorded their second album for Gimini Production. The following month, Sophia Domancich left the band to lead her own trio, and Equip Out was disbanded… only to be reactivated in August 1993 with Francis Lockwood on piano. The new Equip’Out then played only half-a-dozen gigs in the two following years, which saw Patrice Meyer replacing Lockwood in 1995, then Charles Calamel returning for the final concerts in Nov. 1995 before the band broke up definitely.