Fireside Chat

Throbbing Gristle

Industrial Records, UK

Like their mid 1970's contemporaries, The Sex Pistols, Throbbing Gristle exploded into being amidst a blitz of controversy and banner headlines. The pinnacle of which was a member of parliament going as far as to call them the "wreckers of civilization,". Considered by the establishment as abrasive, aggressive, and antagonistic, TG pioneered industrial music; exploring society's attitude to life's big issues - death, sex, fascism included - amid a thunderous cacophony of mechanical noise, tape loops and extreme anti-melodies. But whilst punk's campaign to shock the music industry that spawned it lasted but a few hectic years, Throbbing Gristle's assault took the form of a sustained and calculated affair. Releasing their own music on their own record label for years, they also facilitated releases for other innovators like Cabaret Voltaire. After quitting in 1980 it wasn't until 2007 that the band reformed - with the full original line-up. We caught up with the band before their only London show and heard a little bit about what makes them tick, what they were trying to achieve and how they find it hard to tell the difference between the music they make now and the music they made in the seventies...