Pere Ubu and Ubu Projex Headlines

Photographs? Yeah, Who Cares?

Another show... more photogs want to get in free! Who are you to get in free? Forget it. If you want photos of us ask a fan for his/her selfie. Ubu denies all photo passes unless you grant us copyright to your image of us and supply us with copies of photos for our own use. We don't need you. You need us. Your photo of the show won't sell one ticket to the show. No photog application will be accepted unless photos are granted and given to us ahead of time. Otherwise, go suck eggs or photo some pop bozo - there's millions of them out there.

Mission Statement

A song is best the first time it is played; there is no right, no wrong – only the Moment. With repetition, with composition, Error, like a fog, enters the frame.

The Song is calcified. Listen to pop radio. Stasis. Musicians incorporate artificial intelligence into the compositional process. Stasis. The American visa system rejects any music that differs from what is at the top of charts. Stasis. The composition, as a mechanical process, promotes atrophy.

The Modern Dance (1978) marked the end of Rock N Roll.
Trouble On Big Beat Street (2023) marks the end of The Song.

Twenty-four unique musicians, over the course of 48 years, yielded the current Pere Ubu line-up: Gagarin, Keith Moliné, Alex Ward, Michele Temple and Jack Jones. They recorded Trouble On Big Beat Street (Cherry Red Records), along with Andy Diagram. The director of the Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame Museum described Pere Ubu as "a jewel in the crown of America's musical legacy to the world." The editor of Rolling Stone testified that there's never been a band like Pere Ubu and there never will be again.

Nevertheless, Pere Ubu is, again, stymied by the American visa barrier. So, we fix it. Boldly declaring that the Song is dead, Pere Ubu is to play an entirely improvised set of songs from its history in New York (June 19 at Le Poisson Rouge) and Los Angeles (June 22 at Lodge Room). Both former and current (non-British) members of Pere Ubu will take the stage: Wayne Kramer, Eric Drew Feldman, Michele Temple and Jack Jones, led by David Thomas, will be joined by Tony Maimone and Allen Ravenstine in NYC and Mayo Thompson in LA. Others may be invited.

Pere Ubu does not encourage chaos. We preserve it.

The Song is dead! Long live the Moment!

Rules for the new bands

1. Never miss the one.
2. If you are intent on playing music, or pushing buttons, you've stopped listening.
3. The words are a shape -- know it.
4. All timing arrives by way of the singer.

Faust is a co-bill for the NYC show. Mike Watt and the MissingMen will support in LA.

Crocus Behemoth On The Radio

Crocus Behemoth presents a monthly internet radio show on Louder Than War Radio from 10pm-midnight, London time. It's called Stay Sick Turn Blue. The latest iteration features an interview with David Fricke, editor of Rolling Stone. Listen shows with with these links. See Calendar Page for schedule.

Postcard

A book of postcard poetry by David Thomas has been released by Hearpen Music. It's called Postcard and is available here.

The Trouble Tour

Pere Ubu unveil their new album, Trouble On Big Beat Street, nearly four years after their previous record for Cherry Red,The Long Goodbye (2019). ‘The Modern Dance’ (1978) marked the end of Rock ‘n’ Roll. ‘Trouble On Big Beat Street’ marks the end of The Song. Pere Ubu ended with 'The Long Goodbye.' Pere Ubu begins again with 'Trouble On Big Beat Street.' If you missed the last 48 years then imagine a bad attitude, the Electric Light Orchestra - the version with Roy Wood - then add Muddy Waters playing guitar and Nina Simone singing.

'Trouble On Big Beat Street,' the 19th Pere Ubu studio album, is produced, mixed and engineered by David Thomas. The vinyl release is ten tracks. The cd release includes all 17 tracks recorded for the sessions. Those extra seven tracks were too good to lose but took up too much time to fit on a vinyl release. Pere Ubu is David Thomas, Keith Moliné, Gagarin, Alex Ward, Andy Diagram, Michele Temple and Jack Jones. Keith Moliné and Andy Diagram are the two pale boys. They have played with David more than 28 years. Electronica artist Gagarin was soundman for Pere Ubu and the two pale boys. Michele Temple has been in Pere Ubu 30 years. Improviser and life-long fan Alex Ward submitted a cover version of a David Thomas song to the band’s live-streaming show. David invited him to join the band. David met Jack Jones in the pub.

"53 years ago I read about 'Song Cycle' by Van Dyke Parks," says David. "I didn't understand what I read but it changed me. Years later I heard the album. This, finally, is my response to hearing to that album. Long ago I determined that a song is best the first time it's played. There is nothing that can go wrong or be inadequate. Repetition allows error to enter in. These songs have been played by the band one time, as they were recorded."

The Trouble Tour starts in London on June 2. Plans for America ran into the Visa Barrier erected by the Americans to exclude British bands, in spite of extraordinary efforts to break through. A very special, one-time Pere Ubu is being assembled for dates in New York City on June 19 and Los Angeles on June 22. Mike Watt & The Missingmen are support in LA. Faust is a co-bill on the 19th.

David Thomas can't have the Pere Ubu he wants in America so he'll make the Pere Ubu only he can imagine.

Ubu World, these days, includes a live-streaming internet show (DPK-TV), an 'official bootlegs' site, and, coming in February, David's monthly radio show, on Louder Than War Radio (LTW Radio) called 'Stay Sick , Turn Blue.'
Social Media links:
Youtube
Facebook: @ubu.official
Instagram: @pereubuofficial
Contacts:
Kiersty Boon, Manager, kboonmail@gmail.com
Matt Ingham, Press Cherry Red, matt@cherryredrecords.co.uk
Jenna Jones, Press Fire Records, jenna@firerecords.com
Jordan Corso, USA Agent, Jcorso@anniversarygroup.com
Pere Ubu Photos and Artwork

What is the 'Pere Ubu Moon Unit'?

It’s a subset of Pere Ubu dedicated to generating new songs. Venues chosen are generally smaller, intimate spaces. Two or three members of the Pere Ubu band join David. Sometimes guests are invited. Recently, Duffy from Primal Scream sat in at the Brunswick Pub in Hove.

"Here comes trouble on Big Beat Street," David Thomas says. "The beginning of the next Pere Ubu adventure. The Pere Ubu Moon Unit makes songs that never existed before and will never exist again, songs orchestrated by the subconscious, and liberated from the cult of personality."

Nuke The Whales Raves Coming In

AllMusic's Heather Phares notes how, with these albums, Pere Ubu "lived up to their reputation for subversion." It's the Editors Pick in Spill Magazine, "David Thomas and company never failed to impress, intrigue, and amaze their listeners and fans."

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Albums

Pere Ubu Live Albums 390º Of Simulated Stereo (1981) The Shape Of Things (1976) Manhattan (1977) In The Shadow Of The Aeronautical Shot Peening Co. (1977) London Texas (1989) Apocalypse Now (1991) By Order Of Mayor Pawlicki (2020)

Special Projex

Elsewise

Other Recordings The Inward City - 15-60-75 Farm Report/City Desk - Wheeler-Ravenstine

Other Pages Of Interest David Thomas and two pale boys Lyrics Unlikely Releases News Archive Accusations of Paranoia

Fan Input iPod Ubu Geography Lessons Pere Ubu Spotted in the Real World