Rudimentary Peni

Rudimentary Peni
Origin United Kingdom
Genres Anarcho-punk, hardcore punk, deathrock, art punk, gothic rock
Years active 1980–present
Labels Crass Records
Corpus Christi Records
Outer Himalayan Records
Members Nick Blinko
Grant Matthews
Jon Greville

Rudimentary Peni are a British anarcho-punk/deathrock band formed in 1980, emerging from the London anarcho-punk scene. Lead singer/guitarist Nick Blinko is notorious for his witty macabre lyrics and dark pen-and-ink artwork, prominently featured on all of Rudimentary Peni's albums. Blinko is also rumored to have written the band's Pope Adrian 37th Psychristiatric album whilst resident in a psychiatric hospital. Bassist Grant Matthews has also written a number of songs for the band, though his lyrics primarily focus on sociopolitical themes. Very few photos exist of the band, as their albums feature Blinko's drawings instead, but Pushead published a few in an early edition of his magazine.[1]

Lineup

History

In Maximum RocknRoll issue No. 237 (February 2003), Matthews explained how he came up with the name of the band: "When I was at school studying biology, we were told that in the fetal stage the clitoris is a rudimentary penis."

In 1981, the band released its first record, an eponymous 12-song 7" EP, on their own Outer Himalayan Records label. They have continued to self-release much of their material, with occasional releases from other record companies. Early on, Rudimentary Peni had connections with fellow anarcho-punkers Crass, and their second 7" EP, Farce, was issued by Crass Records. Up through the band's first studio album, Death Church (1983), their records were packaged in fold-out paper sleeves full of artwork, lyrics and poster graphics characteristic of Crass and many other bands in the anarcho-punk scene.

Rudimentary Peni stopped performing in the mid-1980s after bassist Matthews was diagnosed with cancer. After a four-year hiatus, they recorded Cacophony, a sonic tribute to seminal New England horror author H. P. Lovecraft. Mark Ferelli of Part 1, a contemporary English deathrock band, introduced Blinko to Lovecraft; also, the two pushed each other's pen-and-ink artwork forward via friendly competition.

The band has continued to record and release material, and have maintained a diverse cult following in the United States punk scene. Most reissues of their '80s albums are now out of print.

Blinko authored a semi-autobiographical novel called The Primal Screamer, originally published in 1995 by Spare Change Books (his bandmates and Ferelli appear under false names[2]), as well as the more recent The Haunted Head (2009, Coptic Cat). Blinko has also become increasingly popular in the outsider art scene.

Discography

Chart placings shown are from the UK Indie Chart.[3]

Studio albums

EPs

Compilations

References

  1. ↑ SCARE-RIFF-EYEING Vol. 3: Rudimentary Peni
  2. ↑ https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/399904.The_Primal_Screamer
  3. ↑ Lazell, Barry (1997). Indie Hits 1980-1999. Cherry Red Books. ISBN 0-9517206-9-4.

External links

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