The Story of Crass
Omnibus Press, 2006, 304 pages
About a week ago I finished reading The Story of Crass, by George Berger. I first found out about this book when Tibet mentioned being interviewed for it in a Durtro newsletter last September. I’m a Crass fan from way back (and have the tattoo to prove it) so this book immediately caught my interest.
I discovered the connection between Crass and Current 93 when I identified the voice of Steve Ignorant, the lead singer for Crass, on Nightmare Culture, the split C93-Coil EP released in 1985 (Coil recorded this with Boyd Rice under the name Sickness of Snakes). A further realization came when I saw Flux of Pink Indians named in some C93 liner notes (possibly on this same album, but I don’t remember now and, alas, I don’t have the record anymore). Flux of Pink Indians was one of the many bands released by Crass on their own label, Crass Records.
Tibet only got a couple of quotes in the book, and he was mentioned primarily due to his writing for Sounds at the time Crass was around. No musical connection with the band was mentioned, but that likely came later. Crass disbanded in 1984 and Nightmare Culture was released the year after that, which suggests that Tibet and Ignorant only worked together post-Crass. The book mentions Steve Ignorant recording with a few other bands after the split, including Conflict and the Stratford Mercenaries. C93 was not mentioned, but some shouting on a single recording probably doesn’t rate a mention anyway.
I think the two of these bands have something fundamental in common, in that they’re both part of a larger network of like-minded musicians and artists who all collaborate on each other’s work. Compare the size of the Crass records roster with the list of people and bands Tibet has recorded with, and the connections of each of these people (the scene largely associated with World Serpent Distribution, before their fall), and you start to see them all not as individual projects but as part of a large family, one that just happens to include lots of really talented and creative people.
One last connection I want to mention is that Durtro will be publishing the new novel by Nick Blinko, former frontman of Rudimentary Peni, another of the Crass Records bands. This new book is due out toward the end of 2007.
Comments
Actually, Steve Ignorant’s contributions to Current 93 were more extensive than that: He appeared as a guest on the original recording of “Falling Back in Fields of Rape”, and served as second vocalist at many early live shows. Mostly post-Crass, though, but still. Plus, Eve Libertine contributes spoken vocals to the aforementioned track (and damned scary ones).
Right you are! And you know what? I knew that but it somehow slipped my mind while I was writing this. Steve Ignorant is credited on Dogs Blood Rising but, even if he wasn’t, his voice is so distinctive that it’s hard to miss for anyone who’s familiar with it.
I actually didn’t know Eve Libertine was on that recording as well, which is yet another Current 93-Crass connection. Thanks.
Beautiful analysis…and the parallels you draw make sense..not to mention your tattoos are really original looking. My friend at this mmorpg site is a bigger Crass fan than I am so he needs to see this.
Thanks. The tattoo linked above is actually mostly artwork by Nick Blinko of Rudimentary Peni, but the composition is mine. Plus the Crass logo, of course, and the Flux Indian toward the back.
Send him over, I’d like to hear his input.
PUNK IS HIPPIES
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