Here’s What Daft Punk Looks Like Without Their Helmets
Earlier today the Knocks posted a picture on Facebook of Daft Punk playing champagne beer pong at the office of their record label, Columbia Records. What the Knocks didn’t realize is that Daft Punk is almost never photographed without their helmets, and the picture was removed almost immediately once someone higher up clearly caught wind of it.
The Knocks quickly updated their status saying “Guess We Weren’t Supposed to Post That Pic :X.” Unfortunately we live in the world of the internet, and once something has been posted, it’s almost impossible to retain all copies of it. Screenshots move faster than deletions ever could, and this was no exception — the photo spread across blogs and social media within hours.
Gawker confirmed with people who have spent time with Guy-Manuel de Homem-Manuel and Thomas Bangalter that this is in fact them behind the now-viral photo. That confirmation is a pretty big deal considering just how tightly guarded the duo’s off-helmet identity has always been — Daft Punk built an entire mythology around anonymity, and moments like this are rare cracks in that armor.
The photo didn’t stay contained to just the Knocks’ Facebook page either — outlets across the internet, from Gothamist to The Daily Beast, quickly picked up the story once it started circulating, each treating the unmasking as a minor pop-culture event in its own right. That’s a pretty good indicator of just how rare and newsworthy an unguarded Daft Punk photo actually is.
Daft Punk’s insistence on anonymity dates back to the earliest days of the project, when Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel first started performing in helmets as a way to keep the focus on the music rather than their faces. Decades later, that mystique is still very much intact, which is exactly why a single leaked photo like this one was enough to make headlines.
For a group that has spent their entire career hiding behind robot helmets, a candid, unguarded photo like this one is basically a collector’s item. Whether you’re a longtime fan trying to put faces to the legend or just curious what the guys behind “One More Time” and “Get Lucky” actually look like out of costume, this is about as close as it gets.
[Source: Gawker]
