Bruce Smith (musician)

Bruce Smith
Background information
Birth name	Bruce Neal Smith
Also known as	Minty
Origin	Bristol, England
Genres	Post-punk, alternative rock
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instruments	Drums
Years active	1977–present
Associated acts	The Pop Group, The Slits, Rip Rig + Panic, Public Image Ltd

Bruce Neal Smith is a British musician best known as the drummer for post-punk band The Pop Group. He has also been a member of The Slits and the New Age Steppers and is currently performing with Public Image Ltd. He was once married to Neneh Cherry.

Career

Smith helped co-found The Pop Group in 1977 and would play with them until they disbanded in 1981.^[1] Smith was also part of the line-up when the band re-formed in 2010.^[2][3]

While the Pop Group was still active, Smith also joined The Slits in 1979 and would play with them until they disbanded in 1981.^[1]

After the Pop Group and the Slits, Smith teamed up with Adrian Sherwood and performed with the New Age Steppers and various other acts on Sherwood's On-U Sound Records label. He married Neneh Cherry, who was also involved with the New Age Steppers, during this period. Smith and Cherry then went onto form Rip Rig + Panic with former Pop Group guitarist Gareth Sager. This band performed from 1981-1983.^[4][5]

In 1986 Smith joined PiL for the tour to support their Album release and became a permanent member of the band, playing on their next two studio albums Happy? and 9.^[6] Smith left PiL in 1990 a few years before the band broke up. However, Smith re-joined the band when John Lydon reformed it in 2009.^[7]

In addition to working with his regular bands, Smith has also done a lot of session work, recording with artists such as Terrence Trent D'Arby, Guided By Voices, The The and Björk.^[4][6][8]

Partial discography

The Pop Group

• Y - The Pop Group (1979)
• For How Much Longer Do We Tolerate Mass Murder? - The Pop Group (1980)
• We Are Time - The Pop Group (1980)
• In The Beginning There Was Rhythm / Where There's A Will There's a Way - The Slits / The Pop Group (1980)
• We Are All Prostitutes (comp) - The Pop Group (1998)
• Idealists In Distress from Bristol (comp) - The Pop Group (2007)
• Citizen Zombie - The Pop Group (2015)

Rip Rig + Panic

• God - Rip Rig + Panic (1981)
• I Am Cold - Rip Rig + Panic (1982)
• Attitude - Rip Rig + Panic (1983)

Public Image Ltd

• Happy? - Public Image Ltd (1987)
• 9 - Public Image Ltd (1989)
• ALiFE 2009 (live) - Public Image Ltd (2009)
• Live at Isle of Wight Festival 2011 (live) - Public Image Ltd (2011)
• This is PiL - Public Image Ltd (2012)
• Knee Deep in Hits (comp) - Rip Rig + Panic (1990)

Others

• New Age Steppers - New Age Steppers (1980)
• Threat To Creation - Creation Rebel / New Age Steppers (1981)
• Return of the Giant Slits - The Slits (1981)
• Environmental Studies - African Head Charge (1982)
• Sir Henry at N'didi’s Kraal - Vivian Stanshall (1984)
• Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D'Arby - Terence Trent D'Arby (1987)
• Self-Inflicted Aerial Nostalgia - Guided by Voices (1989)
• Dusk - The The (1992)
• Debut - Björk (1993)
• Sweetback - Sweetback (1996)

References

1. Strong, Martin C. (2000). The Great Rock Discography (5th ed.). Edinburgh: Mojo Books. pp. 757–758. ISBN 1-84195-017-3.
2. Wilkinson, Peter (14 September 2010). "Review: Pop Group returns, raucous and defiant". CNN.
3. "The Pop Group Reform — Bristol post-punk band announce gigs". Clash (magazine). 10 July 2010.
4. "Bruce Smith biography". On-U Sound Records.
5. Bruce Smith (musician) at AllMusic
6. "PiL Members". Public Image Ltd.
7. Goldsmith, Belinda (9 September 2009). "Sex Pistol singer John Lydon to reform Public Image". Reuters.
8. "PiL People Bios". Public Image Ltd.