Killing Joke Tickets

Short Biography
It's been along adventure for Killing Joke since their conception in 1979. Since then, the band has gone through numerous internal conflicts and line up changes, the only two constant members being Jaz Coleman (vocals, keyboards and arrangements) and Geordie Walker (guitar). Last year, all founder members were finally reunited. Until meeting at the funeral of Paul Raven, former bassist for Killing Joke as well as Ministry and Prong, Jaz Coleman and Paul Ferguson (drums) had not spoken for nearly 20 years. Their reconciliation meant plans were hatched for a new album as well as for a worldwide tour which kicked off in Tokyo last September. The tour saw the foursome delivering critically...

Short Biography
It's been along adventure for Killing Joke since their conception in 1979. Since then, the band has gone through numerous internal conflicts and line up changes, the only two constant members being Jaz Coleman (vocals, keyboards and arrangements) and Geordie Walker (guitar). Last year, all founder members were finally reunited. Until meeting at the funeral of Paul Raven, former bassist for Killing Joke as well as Ministry and Prong, Jaz Coleman and Paul Ferguson (drums) had not spoken for nearly 20 years. Their reconciliation meant plans were hatched for a new album as well as for a worldwide tour which kicked off in Tokyo last September. The tour saw the foursome delivering critically acclaimed performances at sold out shows to loyal fans and new devotees alike. This year, Triple Grammy winner, Jaz Coleman, will once again take a break from his job as the Prague Symphony Orchestra's composer in residence. A more fascinatingly diverse musical career than his cannot be found, oscillating as he has between the white heat of Killing Joke and the world's greatest symphony orchestras. Coleman has also recorded with amongst others, the London Symphony Orchestra, the London Philharmonic, The Auckland Philharmonic, and the New Zealand String Quartet, topping the American crossover charts with three top fives, and two No. 1s, one of which stayed in the top spot for an incredible 103 weeks.

In 2001, Coleman was commissioned by the Royal Opera House for his first large scale opera. Last year's tour saw bassist, Martin ‘Youth' Glover step back into the live arena after a near 15 hiatus, having not played live with Killing Joke since 1994's Pandemonium tour. A legend in his own right, Youth is one of the UK's most talented producers, with the Verve's Brit Award winning ‘Urban Hymns', and Primal Scream's ‘Riot City Blues' amongst his many album credits.He has written and produced for bands including, The Cult, Dido, Missy Higgins, Paul McCartney, Embrace and Tricky as well as having phenomenal success as one half of highly regarded duo, The Orb. In 1998, Youth won the prestigious, Producer of the Year Award. Drummer, Paul Ferguson's comeback saw him takeover from a long line of uniquely talented musicians. Former Killing Joke drummers include onetime Swans and Prong member, Ted Parsons as well as Martin Atkins of Public Image Ltd and later Ministry. Nirvana/Foo Fighters's Dave Grohl also occupied the drummer's stool and played on 2003's eponymous album to great acclaim. Produced by Andy Gill and released on the Zuma/Sony label, the album was greatly influenced by the political climate and features themes of war and armageddon. Sonically and intellectually powerful, it is considered one of their finest recordings.

Despite the many exciting incarnations of Killing Joke, the reunion of the original members completed by talented guitarist Geordie with his unique and driving sound, delighted existing fans and inspired new legions of followers. Geordie's distinctive riffs and wall of sound continue to dominate Killing Joke, in past having drawn praise from fans as diverse and influential as Jimmy Page and Billy Corgan. Once described by Ferguson as ‘the sound of the earth vomiting', Killing Joke is anthemic and grandiose in it's evocation of nightmare visions. Taking a sarcastic jab at authority and perceived reality to a sonically charged mixture of post punk and metal, Killing Joke's heavy guitars and pounding tribal drums conjure a primitive atmosphere of doom, and gloom and resistance.

Notorious for their use of inflammatory imagery, a backlash against a world they perceived as ever more materialistic, unjust and conservative, Killing Joke, railed against the establishment and created a unique sound from their very conception. Ironically, in the current musical climate with it's obsession with rehashing eighties sounds, the 80's saw Killing Joke really pushing music forward, incorporating danceable elements with aggressive, grinding guitars and thumping drums. With elements of proto-techno rock, their post apocalyptic vision has inspired bands as diverse and influential as Nirvana, Ministry, Nine Inch Nails, Foo Fighters, Soundgarden and Godflesh. Covered by Metallica, Foo Fighters and more, Killing Joke's place in rock history was confirmed in 2005 when they won Kerrang magazine's prestigious lifetime achievement award. Killing Joke have always been and continue to be more than just a band. Gods of post- punk and metal, Killing Joke return with their eagerly anticipated new album to coincide with their world tour.

In-depth Biography
Heavy and slow, Killing Joke (at least early in their career) were a quasi-metal band dancing to a tune of doom and gloom. They eventually became less heavy and more arty (the latter seems almost impossible) -- more danceable even -- but early on they made some urgent slabs of molten dynamite that oozed with the power of thick guitars, thudding drums, and over the top singing. The origins of Killing Joke lie in the Matt Stagger Band. Paul Ferguson was drumming for the group when he met Jaz Coleman (vocals, keyboards) in the late '70s. Coleman joined the Matt Stagger Band briefly, but soon he and Ferguson split to form Killing Joke in late 1978. The duo recruited bassist Youth (born Martin Glover Youth), who had previously played with the punk group the Rage, and guitarist Geordie (born Kevin Walker) to complete the band's lineup. Killing Joke moved to Notting Hill Gate and recorded their debut EP, Almost Red, with money borrowed from Coleman's girlfriend of the time. BBC disc jockey John Peel was impressed by the EP and offered the group a session on his show, which became one of the most popular shows he broadcast in the late '70s. By the end of 1979, the group had signed with Island Records, who allowed them to set up their own label, Malicious Damage.

Killing Joke released "Wardance," their debut single on Malicious Damage, in February of 1980. Following its release, Killing Joke and Malicious Damage switched from Island Records to EG and released their eponymous debut album. The group began playing shows regularly throughout England and gained a reputation for being controversial. Their artwork often featured repulsive or inflammatory images, and after one of their concert posters pictured the Pope blessing legions of Nazis, the group was banned from performing a concert in Glasgow. Despite the controversy, the group began amassing a following of both punk and disco fans with hard-edged but danceable singles like "Psyche" and "Follow the Leader." The band released its second album, What's THIS For...!, in 1981.

After recording and releasing the group's third album, 1982's Revelations, Jaz Coleman -- who had developed an obsession with the occult -- decided that the Apocalypse was near, so he left the group and ran away to Iceland with Geordie. While in Iceland, Coleman and Geordie worked with a number of Icelandic bands, most notably Theyr, which would later evolve into the Sugarcubes. Youth followed Coleman to Iceland shortly after his departure. After a few months with no sign of the end of the world, Youth returned to England and formed Brilliant with Ferguson. However, Ferguson left shortly after the group's formation and moved to Iceland with Killing Joke's new bassist, Paul Raven. Youth continued playing with Brilliant, while Killing Joke's new lineup -- featuring Coleman, Geordie, Ferguson, and Raven -- worked in Iceland for a brief period. Soon, the group returned to England and recorded Fire Dances, which was released in 1983. Fire Dances demonstrated a calmer, more straightforward band than the one showcased on the group's earlier records.

For the rest of the '80s, Killing Joke continued to release albums, all of which failed to regain the audience they had in the early '80s. After 1988's Outside the Gate, the group broke up, only to reunite two years later for Extremities, Dirt & Various Repressed Emotions. Extremities featured a new drummer, Martin Atkins, and returned the band to the noisy dance experiments of its earlier records. Following its release, the group took a four-year break. In 1994, Killing Joke re-formed as a trio with Coleman, Geordie, and Youth and the group released Pandemonium, a harder-edged, heavier album than its previous records. Democracy (1996), a second self-titled album (2003), and the live celebration XXV Gathering! followed. After opening for the reunited Mötley Crüe on a 2004 tour of the U.K., the band settled in Prague to record its next album, Hosannas from the Basement of Hell, which appeared in 2006. In October of 2007, Paul Raven died of heart failure in Geneva, Switzerland. The original lineup of Coleman, Geordie, Youth, and Paul Ferguson all attended the funeral and decided to reunite in honor of both Raven and Killing Joke. After a worldwide tour, this lineup entered the studio and recorded the 2010 release Absolute Dissent. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine & John Dougan, Rovi