Killing Joke Totally Explained

Everything about Killing Joke totally explained

Killing Joke are an English post-punk rock band formed in 1979. Founding members Jaz Coleman (vocals, keyboards) and Geordie Walker (guitars) have been the only constant members. Original drummer "Big Paul" Ferguson once described their music as "the sound of the earth vomiting". Killing Joke's music typically consists of metallic guitars and heavy, tribal, and danceable rhythms. Coleman's vocals are sometimes in a talk-sing style, sometimes a malevolent-sounding growl and sometimes emotional and melodic. Dark, ominous synthesizer loops and even sweeping, gothic keyboards appear to varying degrees, and indeed were a song-driving element on their mid-80s albums. Geordie never plays solos, but his unique style has earned him praise from the likes of Edward Van Halen and Jimmy Page.
Killing Joke influenced many later bands, such as Nirvana, Ministry, Nine Inch Nails, Napalm Death, Godflesh, Big Black, Tool, Prong, Metallica, Primus, Jane's Addiction, Soundgarden, Foo Fighters, Faith No More and Korn, all of whom have at some point cited some debt of gratitude to 'The Joke'.

History

1979–1982

"Big" Paul Ferguson was drummer in the Matt Stagger Band when he met Jeremy "Jaz" Coleman (from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire) in Notting Hill, London. In early 1979, after Coleman was briefly keyboard player in that band, he and Ferguson defected to form Killing Joke. They placed an advertisement in the music press which attracted guitarist Kevin "Geordie" Walker and bassist Martin "Youth" Glover. According to Coleman, their manifesto was to "define the exquisite beauty of the atomic age in terms of style, sound and form". Island Records distributed the records, until Malicious Damage switched to E.G. Records in 1980. The songs on Killing Joke's early singles were primitive punk rock sometimes mixed with funk ("Nervous System") and dub/reggae ("Turn to Red") styles. Their 'Nervous System/Turn To Red' EP came to the attention of legendary DJ John Peel, who was keen to champion the band's urgent new sound and gave them extensive airplay. They quickly progressed this sound into something denser, more aggressive, and more akin to heavy metal, as heard on their first two albums, Killing Joke (1980) and the more abrasive What's THIS For...! (1981). They toured extensively throughout the UK during this time, and both fans of post punk and heavy metal took interest in Killing Joke through singles such as "Follow the Leaders" (1981). No live dates were played to support the album and the band spent much of 1988 in a legal battle as they tried to split from their management and record company, E.G. This struggle resulted in Coleman suffering a nervous breakdown.
On 19 September 1987 Coleman had delivered a lecture at London's Courtauld Institute outlining the thinking behind the then-unreleased Outside the Gate album, touching on numerology and the occult. Geordie and percussionist Jeff Scantlebury provided a minimal musical backing at the event. A recording of the lecture was eventually released under the title The Courtauld Talks on Martin Atkins' Invisible Records in 1989.

1989–1991

Towards the end of 1988, Coleman and Geordie decided to get Killing Joke up and running again as a live band, and they began looking for full-time bass players and drummers. First on board was drummer Martin Atkins, who had gained notability in Public Image Ltd. and later Ministry and Pigface. A suitable bass player proved more difficult, however. Former Smiths man Andy Rourke was hired, then fired again after only three days. Eventually the band settled on Welsh bass player Dave "Taif" Ball, and played their first gigs in almost two years in December 1988. These were seen as a return to form, and featured the best of their 1980 to 1985 work, alongside powerful new material which alluded to the band's earlier, harsher sound. Nothing from Brighter than a Thousand Suns or Outside the Gate was played (and indeed, never has been since). Touring continued across the UK, Europe and the US until August 1989, when the band took a break to record its new material in Germany, and to allow Jaz Coleman time to record Songs from the Victorious City with Anne Dudley of Art of Noise.
However, for reasons which remain unclear, the German Killing Joke sessions were scrapped and bass player Taif left the band to be replaced by old hand Paul Raven. The revised line up began recording again, this time in London, and the result was Killing Joke's eighth album, the ferocious Extremities, Dirt & Various Repressed Emotions, released on the German Noise International label in 1990. It included some of the heaviest, noisiest and harshest music ever to appear on a Killing Joke record, although the progressive musical spirit of the previous two albums remained as well. The many highlights included "Solitude", "Slipstream", "Age of Greed," and the single "Money Is Not Our God". Once again, the band toured Europe and North America, but by the middle of 1991 this promising new line up had imploded. Coleman emigrated to New Zealand to live on a remote Pacific island, and it looked as though Killing Joke was over for good. Geordie Walker, Martin Atkins, Paul Ferguson, Paul Raven and the band's live keyboard player John Bechdel (Ministry, Fear Factory, Prong, Pigface, Abstinence, False Icons, Ascension of the Watchers) added Scottish vocalist Chris Connelly (Finitribe, Revolting Cocks) and continued as the short-lived Murder, Inc., releasing a self-titled album in 1992.

1992–1996

A Killing Joke anthology, Laugh? I Nearly Bought One!, was released in 1992, and during its production, Geordie was re-acquainted with Youth, who suggested that they reform the band with himself back on bass. That same year, two singles (on cassette and CD) appeared featuring the early songs "Change" and "Wardance" in several new versions remixed by Youth, by then a very successful producer.
   The reactivated Killing Joke released two strong and well-received albums on Youth's Butterfly Recordings label, Pandemonium and Democracy, which saw the band shift back to the simpler arrangements of their early albums. Pandemonium (1994) wove a metallesque ritualistic sound with mosh beats and loops and provided Killing Joke with a memorable Top of the Pops performance for the single 'Millennium', which was a UK Top 30 hit. Democracy (1996) successfully introduced acoustic guitar into the mix, as well as adopting more of a "live band" sound again. Much of Pandemonium and all of Democracy featured session drummer Geoff Dugmore. He also played live with the band throughout this era. Nick Holywell-Walker joined the band on keyboards and programming for 11 years from 1994-2005, notably on Democracy and XXV Gathering (live). Youth bowed out of live performance early in the Democracy tour and was replaced by Troy Gregory, ex Prong.
   After the Democracy tour, the band went on an extended hiatus. Jaz Coleman and Youth produced a string of well-received orchestral rock albums based on the music of legends such as Led Zeppelin and The Doors. Coleman became Composer-in-Residence for New Zealand and Czech symphony orchestras. He seems to have become something of a celebrity in the Czech Republic and made his acting debut with the main role in the film Rok ďábla (Year of the Devil) by Czech filmmaker Petr Zelenka (who later would direct the video for "Hosannas from the Basements of Hell"). This was followed by Bootleg Vinyl Archive Volumes 1 & 2, each of which is a 3 CD box set of live-in-concert bootleg recordings originally released on vinyl in the 1980s, plus the Astoria gig from the Pandemonium tour which was voted one of the greatest gigs of all time by Kerrang.
   In October 2007, the classic 1990 album Extremities, Dirt & Various Repressed Emotions, which had long been out of print, was reissued in remastered form on Candlelight Records.
   On October 20th, Paul Raven died of heart failure prior to a recording session in Geneva, Switzerland. On January 28 2008 the albums Fire Dances, Night Time, Brighter than a Thousand Suns, and Outside the Gate were finally re-issued in remastered form with bonus tracks by EMI. Each of these carries the message "Dedicated to our brother Paul Vincent Raven 1961 - 2007".
   Killing Joke have announced a world tour commencing in September 2008. The band will be reuniting with their original lineup and that'll be playing two nights per venue. The first night that'll play their first two albums 'Killing Joke' and 'What's THIS For...!' in their entirety. The second night will feature the whole of 'Pandemonium' plus their early singles released on Island records. The world tour will begin on September 13 in Tokyo and conclude in New York on October 10. A new album is tentatively planned for the summer.

Discography

Albums

Killing Joke (1980)

What's THIS For...! (1981)

Revelations (1982)

Fire Dances (1983)

Night Time (1985)

Brighter than a Thousand Suns (1986)

Outside the Gate (1988)

The Courtauld Talks (1989)

Extremities, Dirt & Various Repressed Emotions (1990)

Pandemonium (1994)

Democracy (1996)

Killing Joke (2003)

Hosannas from the Basements of Hell (2006)

Singles & EPs

Turn To Red EP 10" (October 1979)

Nervous System 7" 12" (December 1979)

Wardance/Pѕyche 7" (March 1980)

Requiem/Change 7" 12" (October 1980)

Follow the Leaders/Tension 7" 10" (May 1981) – UK #55

Empire Song/Brilliant 7" (March 1982) – UK #43

Chop Chop/Good Samaritan 7" (June 1982)

Birds of a Feather/Sun Goes Down/Flock the B side 7" 12" (October 1982) – UK #64

Let's All Go/Dominator 7" 12" (June 1983) – UK #51

Me or You/Wilful Days 7" 12" (October 1983) – UK #57

Eighties/Eighties Common Mix 7" 12" (April 1984) – UK #60

A New Day/Dance Day 7" 12" (July 1984) – UK #56

Love Like Blood/Blue Feather 7" 12" (February 1985) – UK #16, Germany #24, NL #8

Kings & Queens/The Madding Crowd 7" 12" (March 1985) – UK #58

Adorations/Exile 7" 12" (August 1986) – UK #42

Sanity/Goodbye to the Village 7" 12" (October 1986) – UK #70

America/Jihad 7" 12" (April 1988) – UK #77

My Love of This Land/Darkness Before Dawn 7" 12" (July 1988) – UK #89

Money is Not Our God CDs 12" (1991)

Change: The Youth Mixes CD (1992)

Exorcism CDs 10" (1994)

Millennium CDs 7" 12" (May 1994) – UK #34

Pandemonium CDs (July 1994) – UK #28

Pandemonium in Dub CDs (July 1994)

Jana CDs (February 1995) – UK #54

Jana Live EP (February 1995)

Jana/Millennium Double CDs (1995)

Democracy CDs (March 1996) – UK #39

Democracy dif. Mix CDs (March 1996)

Love Like Blood/Intellect (March 1998)

Loose Cannon 12" CDs DVDs (July 2003) – UK #25

Seeing Red CDs (2003)

Hosannas from the Basements of Hell/Afterburner/Universe B CDs (April 2006) – UK #74

Hosannas from the Basements of Hell/Afterburner (Alternate Vers.) Limited 7" (April 2006)

Singles on cassette

Adorations (The Supernatural Mix)/Ecstasy/Exile/Love Like Blood (The ’86 Remix) (1986)

Sanity/Sanity (Instrumental Mix)/Goodbye to the Village/Wardance (The Naval Mix) (1986)

Change (Re-Evolution 23 Mix)/Change (Spiral Tribe Mix)/Requiem (Malicious Damage Mix)/Requiem (Acapella Dub) (1992)

Millennium (Cybersank Edit)/Millennium (Cybersank Extended Remix) (1994)

Pandemonium (Cybersank Edit)/Pandemonium (The Dragonfly Mix)/Pandemonium (Waxworth Industries Mix) (1994)

Democracy (Album Mix)/Mass (1996)

Live albums

Ha! 10 inch live EP (1982)

BBC In Concert (1995)

No Way Out but Forward Go (2001)

(2005)

Compilations

An Incomplete Collection 1980-1985 (1990)

Laugh? I Nearly Bought One! (1992)

Wilful Days (1995)

(Remix Album) (1996)

Wardance (Remix Album) (1998)

The Unperverted Pantomime? (2003)

Chaos for Breakfast (2004)

For Beginners (2004)

(2007)

Bootleg Vinyl Archive Vol. 1 (2007)

Bootleg Vinyl Archive Vol. 2 (2007)

Videography

Rok Dabla/Year of the devil feat. Jaz Coleman Czech Rep. (2002)

[live] (2005)

Side projects

Pigface

Niceland

Influence

In 1982, GC Green & Paul Neville first came together as Fall of Because, named after the first track on What's THIS For...! and were later joined by Justin Broadrick, setting the foundations of Godflesh, who covered "Requiem" live, with Raven on bass.(External Link

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In 1987, Metallica covered Killing Joke's "The Wait" for their E.P. Garage Days Re-Revisited.

In some early interviews, the members of Soundgarden cited Killing Joke as one of the bands they listen to most.

In 1989, German gothic band Love Like Blood covered the name-giving track on the Love Like Blood EP and on the Snakekiller album.

The main riff of Nirvana's song "Come as You Are" bears a striking resemblance to the riff of Killing Joke's single, "Eighties." The band, however, didn't file a copyright infringement lawsuit, which, according to Rolling Stone, was "due to personal and financial reasons."

In 1993, Helmet covered Killing Joke's "Primitive" for the B-side to the single "Born Annoying".

In 1993, Econoline Crush covered Killing Joke's "Psyche" (a B-side from their "Wardance" single) for their Purge EP.

In 1994, Hoppy Kamiyama used a looped sample from "Exit" that was used in his God Mountain Orchestra project on the track "Lebanon", released on the Japanese compilation, "Neu Konservatiw".

In 1995, Icehouse covered "Love like Blood" on their album The Berlin Tapes.

In 1997, the Foo Fighters covered Killing Joke's "Requiem" for the B-side to the single "Everlong." Dave Grohl, leader and drummer of Foo Fighters, played drums for the recording sessions of Killing Joke's second self-titled album in 2003.

In 2001, Amen covered Killing Joke's "Europe" during a session on BBC Radio One in 2001. The recording of this song was later the B-side for their single "Too Hard to Be Free."

In 2001, The Mad Capsule Markets covered Killing Joke's "Wardance" on their album 010.

In 2002, Blacklight (Oliver Heydt, Olaf Wollschäger) made a double 12" with their five remixed versions of "Love Like Blood".

In 2002, LCD Soundsystem released "Losing My Edge" which is based around b-side "Change".(External Link

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In 2003, German band blackmail covered "Love Like Blood". It was released as a download track on their homepage and as a bonus track on the Japan edition of their album Friend Or Foe? as well.

In 2003, the German death metal band Disbelief covered "Democracy" on the album Spreading the Rage.

In 2004, Nouvelle Vague covered "Psyche" on their self-titled debut album.

In 2005, Swiss band MXD covered "Pandemonium" on their album Frustration Is Fuel.

In 2005, Fear Factory covered Killing Joke's "Millennium" on their album Transgression.

Other professed fans of Killing Joke including Ministry, Amebix, Front Line Assembly, Tool, Nine Inch Nails, Melvins, Faith No More, KMFDM The Complications, Born Dead Icons, Godflesh, Napalm Death, Mr. Bungle, VX, Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, I Am Spoonbender, Primus, Queen Adreena, Jello Biafra, Prong, The Red Star Ritual, Burning Image, Morgoth and Project 86.Further Information

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