Chumbawamba – live at Glastonbury 1994 – Recorded June 26, 1994 – BBC Radio 1 –
Chumbawamba to start off the week. A little musical anarchy to get things rolling.
If you’re scratching your head, wondering who Chumbawamba are (or were, they broke up in 2012) – here’s a rundown via Wikipedia, which should answer all your questions, and then some:
Chumbawamba formed in 1982 and disbanded in 2012. The band drew on genres such as punk rock, pop, and folk. Their anarcho-communist political leanings led them to have an irreverent attitude toward authority, and to espouse a variety of political and social causes including animal rights and pacifism (early in their career) and later regarding class struggle, Marxism, feminism, gay liberation, pop culture, and anti-fascism.
The band are best known for their song “Tubthumping”, which was nominated for Best British Single at the 1998 Brit Awards. Other singles include “Amnesia”, “Enough Is Enough” (with MC Fusion), “Timebomb”, “Top of the World (Olé, Olé, Olé)”, and “Add Me”.
Chumbawamba formed in Burnley in 1982 with an initial line-up of Allan “Boff” Whalley, Danbert Nobacon (born Nigel Hunter), Midge and Tomi, all four previously members of the band Chimp Eats Banana, shortly afterwards joined by Lou Watts. The band made their live debut in January 1982. Their first vinyl release was a track (“Three Years Later”) on the Crass Records compilation album Bullshit Detector 2. They were initially inspired musically by bands as diverse as the Fall, PiL, Wire, and Adam and the Ants and politically by the anarchist stance of Crass. Another of the band’s early releases was under the name “Skin Disease”, parodying the Oi! bands of the time so successfully that they were included on Back On The Streets, an Oi! compilation EP put together by Sounds magazine journalist Garry Bushell. By the end of 1982, the band had expanded to include Alice Nutter (of Ow My Hair’s on Fire), and Dunstan “Dunst” Bruce (of Men in a Suitcase) and were living in a squat in Armley, Leeds on Carr Crofts road- the building, and surrounding buildings, have since been demolished – with Harry “Daz” Hamer and Mavis “Mave” Dillon joining soon after. Stalwarts of the cassette culture scene, the band released a number of tapes including Be Happy Despite It All and Raising Heck With Chumbawamba, and were featured on many compilations. Chumbawamba were at the forefront of the 1980s anarcho-punk movement, frequently playing benefit gigs in squats and small halls for causes such as animal rights, the anti-war movement, and community groups. The band’s collective political views are often described as anarchist. They made several songs about the UK miners’ strike, including the cassette Common Ground and a song dedicated to the pit village of Fitzwilliam, which was one of the worst cases of economic decline following the strike.
In July 2012, Chumbawamba announced they were splitting up after 30 years. On its website the members stated “That’s it then, it’s the end. With neither a whimper, a bang, or a reunion.” The band was joined by former members and collaborators for three final shows between 31 October and 3 November 2012, one of which was filmed and released as a live DVD.\
In the event you missed them the first time around, you can catch up by hitting the play button here and getting acquainted.
