Thread: How cool were Crass?

They created an entire era/genre, but never sold out.

They used to sell bucket loads of singles and LPs, but because they were banned from the major retailers where the data was collected from, they never actually made the Top 40.

Favourite moments. LP: Stations of the Crass / Single: Big A Little A

Awesome live experience. They used to be supported by about 3 or 4 other Crass Records acts [Zounds, Flux of Pink Indians, et al].

Brilliant logo too, but a bastard to graft onto a leather jacket unless you had a mate who was really good at art and could cut a decent stencil.

great band.


"banned from the Roxy...Ok
I never much liked playing there anyway
Said they only wanted well behaved boys
Do they think guitars and microphones are just fucking toys?
Fuck 'em, chosen to make my stand
Against what I feel is wrong with this land
Just sit there on their overfed arses
Feeding off the sweat of less fortunate classes
Keep their fucking power cos their finger's on the button
Got control and won't let it be forgotten
Truth of their reality is at the wrong end of a gun
Proof of that is Belfast and that's no fucking fun
Seeing the squaddy lying in the front yard
Seeing the machine guns resting on the fence
Finding the entrance to your own front door is barred
Got the fucking nerve to call it defence
Seems their defence is a just the threat of strength
Protection for the privileged at any length
Government protecting their profits from the poor
Rich and the fortunate chaining up the door
Afraid that the people may ask for a little more
Than the shit they get, shit they get, shit they get,
Shit they get, shit they get, shit they get,
Shit they get, shit they get,
DEFENCE? SHIT, IT'S NOTHING LESS THAN WAR
AND NO ONE BUT THE GOVERNMENT KNOWS WHAT THE FUCK IT'S FOR
Oh yes they say it's defence, say it's decency
Mai Lai, Hiroshima, know what I mean?
Same fucking lies with depressing frequency
They say "We had to do it to keep our lives clean"
Whose life? Whose fucking life?
Who the fuck are they talking to?
Whose life? Whose fucking life?
I'll tell you one thing, it ain't me and you
And their systems, christ, they're everywhere
School, army, church, the corporation deal
Fucked up reality based on fear
Fucking conspiracy to stop you feeling real
Well they ain't got me,
I'd say they're fucking wrong
I ain't quite ready with my gun
But I've got me song
Banned from the Roxy, Ok
Never much like playing there anyways
GUNS"

Some of their lyrics were brilliant.

Crass certainly helped to shape the mind I have today.


Contaminational Power
Cause a disturbance, don't let this slide by,
Do you want to end up a McDonalds french fry?
Atomic power, atomic power,
Death shower, maggies power.
The dust is settling, ticking in your brain,
Ain't imagination gonna blow you away.
Who cares a fuck as it's work for the people?
Compromised labour you build your death with.
Cheaper goodies, more time with the family,
Don't be fooled with their gestures of equality.
The only thing that's equal is your own rotting corpse,
Staring at each other to see who'll make it first.
Cause a disturbance, don't let this slide by,
Do you want to end up a McDonalds french fry?
Atomic power, atomic power,
Death shower, maggies power.
She holds it over you, you won't hear a thing,
No great contender to help the people win.
Another white paper gets waved in the air,
A victory for the modern world, but you won't be there.
Are you gonna let it shower over you?
The new great energy that sucks off yours,
Giving all you wanted as it settles in your pores,
Make it known just this once that people ain't toys.
Cause a disturbance, cause a fucking noise,
Atomic power is just another of their ploys,
To build their firepower and defend the nation,
They expose us to contamination.
Contamination, contamination, contamination,
Contamination, contamination, contamination,
Contains the nation, that old sensation
Contamination, contamination,
Contamination, contamination,
Cause a disturbance, cause a fucking noise,
Atomic power is just another of their ploys.
TO BLOW YOU RIGHT AWAY.

I quoted them to Nickyboy last week actually talking about work (and its ills funnilly enough). "Anarchy and freedom is what I want."

Originally Posted by ScorpioPower

Favourite moments.

Listening to "Mother Earth" for the first time. The last part of the song. Absolutely harrowing and un-nerving.

She's the anti-mother, mommy is that you?
She's the anti-mother, mother, mother is that you?
She's the anti-mother, mommy is that you?
She's the anti-mother, mother, mother is that you?
Mother? Mother? Mother? Mother? Mother? Mother? Mother? Mother? Mother?

Shame most of their contemporary fans are such fashion-oriented, cliquey snobs though.
-----

Originally Posted by ScorpioPower

Brilliant logo too,

Two lads from back home have it tattooed.

Originally Posted by robitusson

Shame most of their contemporary fans are such fashion-oriented, cliquey snobs though.

That's how cool they were!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This Are Music » Blog Archive » Steve Ignorant’s Feeding of the 5000 gig

If you’re into punk, especially if you’re in the UK, you’ve probably heard by now that former Crass vocalist Steve Ignorant is a couple months off from performing his old band’s debut album The Feeding of the 5000 in its entirety as the culmination of a giant full weekend show at Shepherd’s Bush Empire. Playing in his band will be Gags of Dirt (who also partnered with him in Stratford Mercenaries) and Lars from American Clash-revivalists Rancid. Support groups are a who’s-who of the UK anarchist punk scene of the early 80s: Conflict, Zounds, and even a reformed Flux of Pink Indians.

Who lives in London?

This gig looks well cool. Damn, I'm getting old.

A "Crass. The Musical." might be interesting.

[A la "Abba. The Musical."]

It could work too if you got the right people involved with it.

Here's a cool link. Great imagery that band. YouTube - Crass

Where did you dig this up from then Rob?!

A mate sent it to me. With those high notes Mariah can hit, an album of Crass covers by her is one thing I'd definitely listen to.