Sat, 31 Mar 2007 12:00am

Book | The Story of Crass

I've just finished reading 'The Story of Crass' the biography of the anarcho-punk band 'Crass' by George Berger.

I've had a long-time interest in the band (and would regard them as influential in my own work) and this book tells their story in what seems to be a well-researched way, with plenty of interviews with the ex-members of the band and people who knew them.

Even if you don't particularly appreciate the aesthetic of the band, the totality of how they communicated their message deserves attention. As a group of artists they were true 'multimediaists', making use of music, sound, video montage, visual art, the printed word and more.

As well as reminding me just how important Crass were, this book also made me regret never having the opportunity to see them play live (they stopped playing in 1984). The nearest I came was the 'Crass Collective' event at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London on 8th November 2002 in which various ex-members appeared individually - but not as Crass...

Author: Sean Clark