Steve Ignorant

Steve Ignorant
Steve Ignorant with Crass, December 1981
Background information
Birth name Steven Williams
Also known as Steve Ignorant, Stephen Intelligent, Professor Ignorant
Born 1957 (age 60–61)
Stoke-on-Trent, England
Genres Anarcho-punk, punk rock
Occupation(s) singer
Instruments Vocals
Years active 1977–
Labels Crass Records, Small Wonder Records
Associated acts Crass
Conflict
Schwartzeneggar
Stratford Mercenaries
Current 93
Paranoid Visions
Slice of Life
Website http://www.steveignorant.com

Steve Ignorant, born Steven Williams[1] in 1957,[2] is a singer and artist. He co-founded the anarcho-punk band Crass with Penny Rimbaud in 1977.[3][4][5][6] After Crass stopped performing in 1984, he has worked with other groups including Conflict, Schwartzeneggar, Stratford Mercenaries, and Current 93 as well as being an occasional solo performer.

A stained glass image of Mr Punch by Steve Ignorant displayed at Dial House, Essex

He is also a sculptor, and has worked as a traditional Punch and Judy performer using the name Professor Ignorant.[7] In recent years he has developed an interest in the history of traditional London music hall performance. Ignorant is vegetarian.[8]

On 24 and 25 November 2007 he performed Crass's entire The Feeding of the 5000 live at the Shepherd's Bush Empire, backed by guest musicians.[9][10] Other members of Crass were not involved in these concerts. "I acknowledge and respect Steve's right to do this", Rimbaud said, "but I do regard it as a betrayal of the Crass ethos".[11] Ignorant had a different view; "I don't have to justify what I do. (...) Plus, most of the lyrics are still relevant today. And remember that three-letter word, 'fun'?"[11]

In 2010 Ignorant announced plans to do a tour called "The Last Supper", performing Crass songs from the period 1977-1982 with largely the same band that performed with him at Shepherd's Bush, including Gizz Butt, Bob Butler and Spike Smith.[12] In August 2010 Ignorant and Rimbaud took to the stage together to be interviewed by John Robb on the literacy stage at the Rebellion Festival in Blackpool where they informed the large crowd that Rimbaud has now given him his blessing to perform Crass material live.

On 19 November 2011, Ignorant performed "The Last Supper" at the Shepherd's Bush Empire where he was joined on stage by Rimbaud and Eve Libertine. This was the last time Crass songs were performed live by him.

In 2010 Southern Records published The Rest Is Propaganda, Ignorant's autobiography co-written with Steve Pottinger.[9]

Ignorant at Cafe ExZess, Frankfurt, 17 October 2010

He moved to the Norfolk coast in 2007 where he volunteers as a lifeboatman.[13]

References

  1. ↑ Berger, George The Story of Crass (Omnibus Press, 2006.)
  2. ↑ Burrows, Alex (2 November 2010). "Steve Ignorant On Crass & The Angry Young Men Of 1950's British Literature". The Quietus. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  3. ↑ Shibboleth - My Revolting Life (Penny Rimbaud, 1999, AK Press, page 69)
  4. ↑ Sleeve note to Bullshit Detector volume 1
  5. ↑ Berger, George The Story of Crass (Omnibus Press, 2006, page 76.)
  6. ↑ Archived 18 February 2008 at the Wayback Machine.
  7. ↑ Berger, George The Story of Crass (Omnibus Press, 2006)
  8. ↑ Worley, Matthew (2016). "The End Result". The Aesthetic of Our Anger (PDF). Minor Compositions (Autonomedia). p. 295. Archived (PDF) from the original on 11 November 2016. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  9. 1 2 "Transmissions from Southern | The Southern Records Weblog". Steveignorant.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-08-26.
  10. ↑ "Crass frontman plans "The Feeding of the 5000" live performance". Punknews.org. Retrieved 2014-08-26.
  11. 1 2 Archived 24 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine.
  12. ↑ Archived 9 June 2010 at the Wayback Machine.
  13. ↑ "BBC News - The punk rocker turned lifeboatman". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-08-26.
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