Pop Will Eat Itself
Pop Will Eat Itself are an English alternative rock band formed in 1986 in Stourbridge in the West Midlands of England with members from Birmingham, Coventry and the Black Country. Initially known as a grebo act, they changed style to incorporate sample-driven indie and industrial rock.[1][2] Graham Crabb describes their sound as "electronic, punk, alternative hip-hop, hybrid music for fucking, fighting & smoking cigars". Their highest-charting single was the 1993 top-ten hit "Get the Girl! Kill the Baddies!".[3] After initially disbanding in 1996, and having a brief reformation in 2005, they issued their first release in more than five years in 2010.
Pop Will Eat Itself
- PWEI
- The Poppies
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England
1986–1996, 2005, 2010–present
- Graham Crabb
- Mary Byker
- Davey Bennett
- Richard March
- Fuzz Townshend
- Adam Mole
- Clint Mansell
- Kerry "The Buzzard" Hammond
- Tim Muddiman
- Jason Bowld
Career[edit]
Early years: 1981–1988[edit]
An early permutation of the band formed in 1981 under the name From Eden. Members included Clint Mansell, Adam Mole, Chris Fradgley, Malcolm Treece and Miles Hunt (Treece and Hunt went on to form The Wonder Stuff). From Eden recruited Graham Crabb from 'Kit-Form Colossus' to replace Hunt on drums before splitting up.
Crabb, Mole and Mansell recruited Richard March and changed their band name to Wild and Wandering (known locally as Blind and Blundering because they always performed in an intoxicated state).[1] The name came from a Wasted Youth album under which one E.P. was released (2,000 Light Ales from Home on Iguana Records) before eventually becoming Pop Will Eat Itself in 1986. The new name was taken from a quotation in an NME article on Jamie Wednesday by David Quantick.[2]
Vestan Pance[edit]
All PWEI songs were credited to Vestan Pance. It was a pseudonym for the band as a whole. Although the songs were mainly Crabb or Mansell compositions, using a pseudonym was considered more interesting than just "All songs by Pop Will Eat Itself". When Townshend joined the band, an attempt to change the name to 'Vestan Pance and Socks' was denied by RCA.[9]
