Chumbawamba

Return of the piss-taking anarcho-punks
Although probably best-known for a certain chart-topping single and that episode involving the then Deputy Prime Minister and a bucket of water, those with longer memories will recall Chumbawumba as the anarcho-punk collective much admired by a large section of John Peel's listening public. But whether playing punk, dance-pop or folk, their commitment to provoke, agitate and generally get under the skin of the status quo remains undimmed. Over 28 years and 17 albums, they've been keen to provide a historical and political context to a world in constant flux, from their 1986 Bob Geldof-baiting album, Pictures Of Starving Children Sell Records, onwards. No subject goes unchallenged - fascism, religion, pornography, domestic violence - sometimes tackled with tongue implanted in the collective cheek. Indeed, their new, fresh-from-the-traps album ABCDEFG contains Torturing James Hetfield, a song cheerfully condoning the detention and physical humiliation of the Metallica frontman.

(Biography written by Nige Tassell 2010)