Chumbawamba hating the Manics (and vice versa)
 

Just found an old Chumbawumba interview whilst surfing the net:

(Chumbawamba interview)

By Stuart Maconie (March 1994, Select)

SM: But isn't being a political rock band just an endless series of compromises?

Dunst: "So's life. But what we do is still just as valid as Dennis Skinner. We reach more people, in fact. Don't underestimate popular culture. A lot more people watch the FA Cup Final than Question Time. To us political music isn't Crass. It's the Sex Pistols, Public Enemy, The KLF. The KLF are real situationists, but they can still make 'What Time Is Love?'. It's like any other industry in the end. Full of wankers. Full of supposed rebels who are really just stupid."

Alice (Nutter): "When I read a Manic Street Preachers interview I just seethe." Dunst: "I hate them because they didn't split up."

SM: They [MSP] were lying. It was a situationist prank.

Alice: "The Manics have half digested a situationist pamphlet. Situationism is real revolt. The Manics just want to become a part of the established order. What the KLF did with the Turner Prize was much more important. Just the fact that they were prepared to go to such ridiculous financial lengths to make a point. Whether they understood fully what they were doing is irrelevant. They made a fuss ...and if some journalists did nick some of the money, that's brilliant too. I think the things The KLF do are fantastic. I'm a vegetarian but I wish they'd sawn an elephant's legs off at the BRIT Awards."

Is this :up: the main reason that Chumbawamba hated the Manics or was it that the Manics were more successful/they felt the Manics sold out? I've read an interview where Nicky I think slags them off too - so the feelings obviously mutual.

Wamba. With an 'a'.

chumba who?

A band best known for the one hit wonder tune Tubthumping, and whose other output is sadly ignored because of it.

Throwing water over John Prescot was the most stupid way of making a statement, they just came across as thugs, I dont know what they expected to achieve. They're music was shit as well......dire.

Its not all bad though - they'll be dining out on the royalties for that song for years to come.

Bah - fine I'll change it :P

Sad but true.

I like Chumbawamba, I saw them support Oysterband and they were really good.

As for them slagging off the Manics, I actually prefer it when there is a bit of sparring between bands I like.:D

Oh cool, I thought I'd be the only one who actually likes them.

"The Manics just want to become a part of the established order"

I assume Chumbawamba were mortified when Tubthumping was a chart hit then.They remind me of Timmy Mallet,and not in a good way.

if tubthumping isnt a politacal love song - i dont know what is? and im sure what ever nicky said about they will 'never keep them down'

im sure some of their other songs are good - but tubthumping is putrid! it'd be like if manics only hit was 'mmbob' or something

i caaaan't rememberrrrrr!

:up: 'course you do! - "he drinks a whiskey drink, he drinks a vodka drink, he drinks a lager drink, he drinks a cider drink, he sings songs that remind him of the good times, he sings songs that remind him of the better times", and the singer wore a suit that looked like a brick wall on TOTP.

I never heard of this band. do they some hits songs?

And also, they have realy weird name...

:up: what was the Weird Al version of this song then?

I love that song! I used to play it all the time but I never knew the band.

Frankly I couldnt give a crap if Chumbawamba hate the Manics. They're only known for some crappy football anthem, they're nothing more than a 90s version of the Fratellis, they have a crap name and too many members. They're just jealous of the Manics who have struggled through hard times to make excellent music consistently, either that or they're just attention seekers.

I'm past the point of caring who likes what anyway, most people change their mind about everything based on what they read or whatever, and a lot of people who don't do that like crap music anyway.

The Manics get knocked down, but they get up again. Unlike, ironically enough, Chumbawamba, who never quite managed it.

Er, lmao.

This is exactly what pisses me off in Chumba-related discussions. The only thing people associate with them is Tubthumping and then assume that everything else by them is the exact same. Which is quite a shame, as the acoustic folk stuff, the electronic/dance stylings, the latin-inspired escapades of Un and the countless other stylings they've done musically are, well, unknown. And their often political lyrics put MSP's political crap to shame, even when really straightforward (and this is coming from a person who dislikes political and straightforward lyrics).

Each to their own of course but likening them to Fratellis is not only utter ridiculousness but also nothing short of evil. :(

No one can deny that's one hell of a song. They've got a couple of half-decent albums as well.

and they really weren't the 90s equivalent of the Fratellis at all.

someone borrowed my tubthumping single and never gave it back. :(

I had the Anarchy album taped off a mate that i really liked. Good job too considering what's on the cover :eek: Only song I remember off it was a lil ditty called Homophobia..was it a mini hit? can't remember. Went to one gig which i thought was good and all I remember now of that was one of the girls dancing with boxing gloves on.

Agree throwing water over John Prescott was thuggish but i hate John Prescott immensley so I laughed loudly when they did it.

Yeah throwing water over Prescott is just childish, why can't they do more mature things like wish AIDs upon gay rock stars?

If it was (I don't think it was but then again, haven't researched on the matter either), it wasn't the album version you remember since the song was drastically remixed for single release - from a quiet, melancholy ditty into a hilarious over-the-top dance tune with a (lesbian) church choir and all. :lol:

And what it comes to Chumba's stunts, I still love the nude streaking run they interrupted a Smashing Pumpkins performance with in order to "protest the insanely massive drumset" (or something like that).

They're actually kinda like Wire when it comes to ridiculous protest things, they just do performances instead of mouthing off their gob.

exactly :lol:

oh yeah they did! I heard both versions and liked the slower one. God the chumbawamaba memories are all coming back. Lucky meeee !

Are they still around?I can't imagine this many people have talked about their music in years.And thats only about 10 people.:)

practically everything they've done has been rated 5 stars on Amazon :hmmm:

Yeah. Their latest studio album came out 2005 and a live album was released in 2006.

Against my better judgement i might try and find some of their music to listen to.Im basing all my opinions of them on one single and half an album so my dislike of them may well turn to undying love!

wonder if they still hate the manics.
wonder if they've all kissed and made up
wonder if the manics would even CARE

They probably barely remember who they are!

very true

I only know them by Tubthumping too - can someone put up some of their political type lyrics (I'm too lazy to trawl the net)

they were shit...

wait, they are still around? lmao... then i mean they are shit!

Chumbadicks.

Oh yeah, I forgot to say... my mum punched the guy from Chumbawamba in the face years and years ago. Irrelevant I know, but I feel my mum deserves some recognition for it.

ooh cool! Why?

your mum sounds like a good person,

does she not like fat guys who sing about drink? :D

Ya have to do some ctrl+F'ing here.

"Jacob's Ladder (Not in My Name)" here
"Walking into Battle with the Lord" and "The Land of Do What You're Told" here
"Enough Is Enough" here
"Don't Pass Go" here
+ prolly fuckloads of their early stuff when they were still more of a punk band, but I'm not familiar with that era

At least I regard them as if not directly political then at least commenting lyrics. Different from Tubthumping's liquor lyrics anyway (like pretty much all their lyrics are). If you're really bothered, just read through some of the album lyrics.

I feel so oddly defensive in this topic, the band's not even nowhere near my favourites. But ah well, still good stuff and my fault I got into this position.

they are from burnley ;)