Music Style Pop, Folk, Rock, Alternative

Artist History Chumbawamba have always been risk takers and mavericks; loving pop music and hating cultural conservatism. In the era of Popstars and Pop Idol and “we met at stage school” bands singing cover versions of anodyne retro ballads, Chumbawamba stick out like eight sore thumbs. Formed in the ‘80s, Chumbawamba were always willfully anarchic, with an ethos that punk rock is an attitude rather than a style of music. Chumbawamba’s albums have spanned everything from sweet barbed pop, to acappella harmonies, to break beats and big choruses punctuated by Memphis horn sections. Their latest release, READYMADES, is a sonic departure for the band with its break beats layered with atmospheric folk samples by the likes of Kate Rusby, a young folk singer from Barnsley, England, who was up for last year’s Mercury Award. The big shouty choruses have been replaced by plaintive melodies and four-part harmonies. Although inhabiting a different soundscape, Chumbawamba are still a band who are much more interested in the world outside themselves than they are in making records about personal angst: “There are enough great records around about falling in and out of love,” said vocalist Dunstan Bruce “We don’t need to make another one.” Still a collective, the band put their longevity down to a willingness to change, everybody having a say and an equal share in the band’s fortunes, thick skins and a sense of humour. “Minds are like parachutes... ” said Bruce “Useless unless they’re open. We’ve always encouraged each other to embrace change and not stay in ghettos, whether they be artistic or political. Working collectively takes up a lot more time than one person having a massive tantrum and getting his/her own way but it’s a lot better for the soul and it cuts down on the resentment factor.” Throughout their long and chequered career. Chumbawamba have inspired such glowing headlines as the English national newspaper, the Sun’s “Heartless Bastards!” and managed to have two albums removed from the shelves of major record chains on the grounds that a sleeve depicting a newborn baby was ‘pornographic’ (ANARCHY) and the band were inciting shoplifting (TUBTHUMPER). Chumbawamba were well used to controversy by the time they finished their 9th album TUBTHUMPER in 1997, and the band were also used to surviving the vagaries of the music industry, so when their label One Little Indian refused to put the album out on the grounds “that it wouldn’t sell”, Chumbawamba set out to find another label for the finished album. EMI released the album in Europe and Asia and Republic/Universal put it out in the North America. The album went on to sell 5 million copies worldwide. Accusations of “sell out” from longtime fans, faded away as the band continued to function as a collective, and to use their new found access to the media to push campaigns, and their financial success to fund the emerging anti-globalization movement. “When we signed to EMI and Universal, there was a mass chorus of ‘hypocrites!’” said Bruce, “the lead mostly by people who weren’t part of the movement and defined politics as some vague thing that we vote for and governments do. The name calling didn’t really affect us, we knew that time would tell and the people we worked with in the movement knew us well enough to give us the benefit of doubt.” Chumbawamba’s next album WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) captured the zeitgeist and was a barbed swipe at the business and celebrity culture which puts the drive for profit before human life, replacing news and real information with yet another picture of any and every wasted female celebrity badly in need of three square meals a day. It was all a bit too much for EMI who’d hoped for a ‘Bob The Builder’ novelty record [the #1 UK single, Christmas 2000, from a children’s television show].” Chumbawamba and EMI parted company. “We knew we hadn’t made a ‘commercial’ record,” said Bruce “But we had made a record which was fired and passionate and would stand the test of time.” Last year Chumbawamba completed the film “Well Done, Now Sod Off!” with Director Ben Unwin. The film was a potted history of Chumbawamba, which premiered at the Leeds Film Festival . “Well Done, Now Sod Off!” supplies answers to why Chumbawamba are so loved and loathed. Unusual for a band documentary, it contains footage of their critics as well as fans. Throughout “Well Done, Now Sod Off!” Chumbawamba break the unwritten rule that rebellion in the pop world is limited to misbehaving while under the influence. “I suppose we are hedonists,” said Bruce. “We like to party but we generally clean up our own vomit.” Chumbawamba have never smashed up a hotel or dressing room but they did refuse to join in the campaign of misinformation distributed by the UK government about Leah Betts’ death from the drug Ecstacy. The band produced posters similar to the government’s, which replaced the word “Sorted” with “Distorted.” And they have soaked England’s Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott in retaliation for New Labour’s refusal to support the striking Liverpool Dockers. Chumbawamba’s approach to supplying music for advertising also departs from the standard rock n’ roll approach. When offered ads the band contact anti-capitalist groups in the country where the ad will be screened and ask them if they want to use the proceeds, if the group says “Yes,” the band accept the ad. “It seemed madness to turn down hundreds of thousands of dollars when groups are struggling to raise hundreds,” said Bruce. Pontiac is presently using “Pass It Along” from WYSIWYG in an ad campaign in the US. Because of Chumbawamba songs, Ford and Renault have financed anti-capitalist groups in South Africa, Italy, Brazil and India. General Electric recently offered Chumbawamba $750,000 to use the mega-hit “Tubthumping” on an ad for an x-ray machine. But since General Electric manufacture engines for military planes the band refused the ad. As Dunstan Bruce put it: “We have to deal with each one of these ads as they come along, but we simply couldn’t find a reason big enough to excuse the fact that GE’s engines were flying over Afghanistan dropping bombs and incinerating civilians.” Meanwhile, Chumbawamba have provided the sound track to ”Revenger’s Tragedy,” an Alex Cox film (“Repo Man,” “Sid & Nancy”) that will be released later this year. The film stars Christopher Ecclestone (“Shallow Grave”), Eddie Izzard , Margi Clarke (“Letter to Breshnev”) and Derek Jacobi, and is a dark adapted from a Shakespear-era play about warring brothers, murder and lust. READYMADES is the band’s 11th studio album and will be released in June 2002. -- by Chumbawamba 2002

Group Members Alice Nutter One of wigan's chosen few. former sex columnist for w.yorkshire weekly magazine. wrote play about the life of bradford bad lad, harry goldthorpe which was performed at bradford playhouse last year. named after lancashire witch. editor of [sic] magazine caused outrage on US tv programme "politically incorrect" by speaking in defence of shoplifting. outspoken public speaker and rabble rouser regularly appears on bbc radio and bbc tv. involved in organising mayday and anti-monarchy events. kleptomaniac, compulsive liar, rent-a-gob and keen shopper. Danbert Nobacon doused deputy PM john prescott at the brit awards in 1998 as protest about govt treatment of striking dockers in liverpool. cross dresser who was arrested in florence, italy on suspicion of being male prostitute. has fixation with the evil that is gw bush. released anally-fixated solo album in 1985 entitled "unfairy tale". former football hooligan. part-time bingo caller. has spent last 15 years writing the same novel. regular speaker and attendee of demonstrations at menwith hill, a US listening station in north yorkshire. soon to be seen on anti-jubillee edition of award winning tv programme "banzai!" Harry Hamer rhythm activist who joined chumbawamba at the age of 15. dad, jimmy echo is established club act who appears on chumbawamba live album "showbusiness" doing a version of "timebomb". founder member of passion killers who along with boff and ex-chumbawamba member, mave released anti-war single "whoopee we're all gonna die" in 1991. season ticket holder at recently relegated barnsley fc. one third of the chumbawamba production team. impressionist. one half of "harry roberts" printing company responsible for, amongst other things, a series of booklets on working class heroes from harry roberts to eddie horner to bernadette macaliskey. regular attendee at dub and reggae nights at bongo's mill in bradford. vociferous weird vinyl collector who doesn't actually own a record deck. Lou Watts former car mechanic at mayday cars, responsible for keeping chumbawamba on the road throughout the late 80s and early 90s. experienced and efficient shoplifter. brilliant cook and bookkeeper, has quite often had to mix the two. only member of chumbawamba to have never had a mullet. anti-sweatshop campaigner who appeared on 'top of the pops" in anti nike t -shirt. folk singer at heart has become regular guest vocalist on oyster band records. can't half talk but never does interviews. Boff fell and mountain runner. burnley fc season ticket holder. one third of chumbawamba production team. just finished writing autobiography. one half of chumbawamba design team "baader-meinhof". currently working on solo album. brought up a mormon, threw away the holy book to become full-time punk and situationist who now regularly writes anti-religious articles. loves the sound of breaking glass and of sacred cows crumbling. has nothing to declare but his genius. Jude Abbott dedicated busker-cum-street performer, regularly appears with the peace artistes on the streets, worldwide. responsible for co-ordinating chumbawamba benefit and campaign work. former teacher in adult education centre. jazz aficionado. multi-linguist who uses her many tongues to good effect whichever country chumbawamba may find themselves in. bookworm who is regular contributor to "troublemakers" page on chumba.com website. currently learning to play the accordian. rumoured to have briefly dated ian dury. Fergi in some part responsible for the black lace cult classic "agadoo" . unhealthy encyclopeadic knowledge of the beatles. one third of chumbawamba production team. former member of 70's punk band "the donkeys". often to be found in 'pro-tools' and 'logic' chatrooms. former owner of woodlands recording studio has worked [and played] on every chumbawamba album ever made. Dunstan produced and reprinted subversive literature under the name "agit-press" on chumbawamba's own off-set litho machine in the 80s. spent over a year making the chumbawamba documentary "well done. now sod off". owns one ninth of a [racing] greyhound. runs own record label "lenny's record shop" releasing bootleg singles. disc jockeys with others as "lenny's record shop djs" other half of chumbawamba design team "baader meinhof". maintains chumba.com website. barred from appearing in "christianity is stupid, give up" t-shirt on barbara walters show in US. dedicated anarcho-dandyist who is for global chapitalism and not global capitalism.

Location Leeds, Leeds - United Kingdom

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