SOUTHERN | crass (the band)

SHIBBOLETH: My Revolting LifeAn engaging autobiography of Jeremy John Ratter, aka Penny Rimbaud. From his strict lower-middle class childhood, to art-school, the hippies and Free Festivals, including the now legendary Stonehenge Festival, of which Rimbaud was a co-founder. The majority of the book is unsurprisingly taken up with the story of CRASS, a band unique in the history of rock'n'roll, and of which Rimbaud was the founder, lyricist, and drummer. Crass took the idealism of punk seriously. When Sex Pistol, Johnny Rotten screamed 'No Future' the challenge was taken up. In the space of seven short years, from 1977 to their break-up in 1984, Crass almost single-handedly breathed life back into the then moribund peace and anarchist movements. They birthed a huge underground network of do-it-yourself activism, fanzines, record labels, activist action groups, concert halls. While remaining an their own independent record label, and steadfastly refusing any interviews etc with the major press, they managed to sell literally millions of records. Their political 'pranks' included the now infamous 'KGB tapes', trumpeted amongst others, on the front page of the 'New York Times', and the duping of 'Total Loving' magazine to include a CRASS song (ranting against the patriarchy of marriage) as the "perfect song to play on your wedding day". Shibboleth also includes for the first time, the full story of Wally Hope - 'The Last Of The Hippies', close friend of Rimbaud, co-founder of the Stonehenge Festival, and murdered by the state while incarcerated in a mental institution. Back to Crass Members CRASS RECORDS Discography