This is one to scare the neighbours, the children, the wife/girlfriend, or anyone coum to think of it. Possibly the Punkiest group that emerged from 1977 without actually being labelled punk Throbbing Gristle were Industrial Music For Industrial people. The parallels between themselves and the Sex Pistols were similar, from the name which is Yorkshire slang for an erect penis, to the outrage they provoked a couple of months before the Pistols Grundy incident, when after their debut performance at the ICA at an exhibition called Prostitution. Questions asked in Parliament with one Tory MP declaring “These people are the wreckers of civilisation.” Throbbing Gristle were not yer average Rock’n’Roll band. They explored the dark side of the human psyche, masochistic sex, serial murderers and fascism, to the extreme. Musically they were ’anti music’ there were no songs, melody or groove, this was white noise at it’s darkest; Music From The Death Factory. I got this CD (a re-release of their 1977 debut) from a mate of mine (Mark Astronaut) for a few quid a few years ago, he’d bought it from Welwyn Garden City Library of all places when they were selling some of their CD’s. The thought that Throbbing Gristle could have been next to Take That in the Popular section makes me chuckle. Anyway if you wanna ‘enjoy’ some sonic mayhem here you go.
Posted in memory of former Throbbing Gristle member Peter 'Sleazy' Christopherson, who died last week.
Thanks for the the rememberance. you will be missed my friend
ReplyDeletepeace
fizzey and me
I guess Throbbing Gristle/Psychic TV pushed the boundaries. Just not sure if they were the particular boundaries I would have pushed…
ReplyDeleteOne of the craziest, most bizarre, and most memorable gigs I went to was Psychic TV at the Town and Country Club around ‘85/86. They were supported by an early, sort of Garage/Psych incarnation of Primal Scream, and The Godfathers. It was absolutely packed to the gills. I remember sitting next to Dave Hill (Younger readers may need to Google) on the stairs leading down from the balcony.
Thoroughly recommend the ATV Live At The Rat Club ‘77 album. Recorded by Genesis P- Orridge on a basic tape recorder, who can be heard heckling/baiting Mark P during the show. Indispensable.