Fireside Chat

Pere Ubu

Hearpen, USA

Pere Ubu emerged from the urban wastelands of mid-'70s Cleveland to impact the American musical underground for generations to follow. Named in honor of Alfred Jarry's surrealist play Ubu Roi, Pere Ubu was formed in the autumn of 1975 from the ashes of local cult favorite Rocket from the Tombs. They were led by frontman David Thomas whose absurdist approach to lyricism and experimentation was at the heart of the band's long, convoluted career. Their sound was utterly unique - from Thomas's demented vocal delivery to an all-round self-destructive melodic dissonance and wild rhythm section. Proto-punk in ethic as well as sound, the group soon issued their own debut single, "30 Seconds Over Tokyo," on Thomas' own Hearthan label. The follow-up, "Final Solution," appeared on the renamed Hearpen in early 1976, an imprint which still runs to this day. Having disbanded and re-formed the band several times in the last 30 years, Thomas is still working as Pere Ubu and Pere Ubu Projects to this day, their most recent offering being a radio-play interpretation of the Jarry play he took the band's name from accompanied by the release of its soundtrack entitled Long Live Pere Ubu. In the lead up to a performance of this soundtrack at London's Institute of Contemporary Arts, David Thomas told us about some of the key moments in his career...