Pere Ubu

Pere Ubu are an experimental rock music group formed in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1975. They have broken up and reformed several times, and despite many long-term band members, singer David Thomas is the only constant. Pere Ubu's official website reports that the group is named after the protagonist of Ubu Roi, a play by Frenchman Alfred Jarry.



While Pere Ubu have never been widely popular—usually categorized as "underground rock"—they have a devoted following, have been hugely influential on several generations of forward-thinking musicians and are among the most critically acclaimed American musical groups. Their early singles are sometimes regarded as minor protopunk classics.



Critical opinions of Pere Ubu include "the world's only expressionist Rock 'n' Roll band" and "Pere Ubu will be looked back on as the most important group to have come out of America in the last decade and a half. Either that or they will be entirely forgotten."



Pere Ubu have consistently conducted their affairs as they see fit, regardless of convention: They refuse to discuss or explain their sometimes odd music, forgoing the usual banter of newspaper and press interviews. Pere Ubu have compiled a list of protocols for touring, live performances and the like, including such statements as, "Lighting should be theatrical rather than rockist. We are interested in atmosphere, mood, drama, energy, subtlety, imagination-- not rock cliche," and note that the Danish Broadcasting Corporation is one of the few organizations they trust to record live performances, based "solely on the basis of the King of Denmark's defense of the Jews in WWII".



Tired of being asked to define their music, Pere Ubu coined the term Avant Garage to reflect interest in both experimental avant-garde music (especially Musique concrète) and raw, direct blues influenced garage rock. Thomas has stated "Avant Garage" is "a joke invented to have something to give journalists when they yelp for a neat sound bite or pigeonhole."

--wikipedia.com