Huggy Bear (band)

Huggy Bear

Huggy Bear (1994)
Background information
Origin London/Brighton, England
Genres Riot grrrl, art punk, punk rock
Years active 1991–1994
Labels Wiiija, Kill Rock Stars, Gravity
Associated acts Blood Sausage, Skinned Teen, The Element of Crime, The Furbelows
Website KRS band page
Past members Niki Elliott
Jo Johnson
Jon Slade
Karen Hill
Chris Rawley

Huggy Bear were an English riot grrrl band, formed in 1991 and based in Brighton.

History

Evolving in tandem with the Olympia, Washington-based riot grrrl movement led by feminist bands such as Bikini Kill,[1] Huggy Bear called themselves "girl-boy revolutionaries", both in reference to their political philosophy and the gender makeup of their band.[2][3]

For the majority of their existence, they refused to be photographed or interviewed by mainstream press,[1] nor gave their full names once they began releasing records formally. In spite of a major label bidding war, Huggy Bear stayed with indie label Wiiija.

“ Our situation was different to the one the American Riot Grrrls were responding to. The underground in London had deteriorated totally, there wasn't really much of an alternative . . . 'indie' just became an abstract term for a style of music, not ideas or values, 'cause they were all signing to major labels. The notion of selling out wasn't important. Punk rock wasn't important. Fanzines were seen as a sad joke, so we had to explain stuff that might have been obvious to American kids but was alien to young British kids. The reasons for being independent were snorted at.[4] ”

Their avant-garde debut EP, Rubbing the Impossible to Burst, was released in 1992, and in the same year they began working closely with Bikini Kill as riot grrrl's popularity peaked on both sides of the Atlantic, culminating in a split album on Catcall Records (Huggy Bear) and Kill Rock Stars (Bikini Kill) called Our Troubled Youth/Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah, the names of the Huggy Bear and Bikini Kill sides, respectively.[1] Huggy Bear then released a series of EPs, which were collected on Taking the Rough with the Smooch. No longer featuring Slade on guitar, Huggy Bear released two more singles and Weaponry Listens to Love in 1994,[5] their first full-length album as well as their final release.[6]

On 14 February 1993, Huggy Bear performed "Her Jazz" on the British television programme, The Word. After their set, the band stayed in the studio to watch a report on two American models who called themselves "The Barbi Twins". Huggy Bear and their fans became upset at this and started shouting at the show's presenter Terry Christian. They were ejected from the studio, and a spokesperson for The Word later claimed that one of the band's friends had "bit the face of a member of our production team."[4] Future Goldblade frontman and editor of music blog Louderthanwar, John Robb was with the band in the studio and said no-one got bitten and the security was heavy-handed and had to be calmed down. The performance was given a Melody Maker cover story, the event being compared to the Sex Pistols' Bill Grundy incident.[7]

Other projects

Members of Huggy Bear also played as The Furbelows. In 1993, Rawley and Johnson released an EP as The Element of Crime[8] on Soul Static Sound records, with members of Linus, Skinned Teen, Sister George and Blood Sausage.[9] Elliott and Johnson also joined Blood Sausage, while Rawley assisted Skinned Teen live and with artwork, and Elliot guested on their 1994 album.

After leaving Huggy Bear, Hill formed Phantom Pregnancies with Delia from Mambo Taxi and Sean from Wat Tyler. Slade briefly joined I'm Being Good, and then Comet Gain.

Twenty years after the dissolution of Huggy Bear, Jo Johnson released a solo ambient album on Boomkat records.[10]

Line-up

Discography

Albums

Compilations

Singles and EPs

References

  1. 1 2 3 Du Noyer, Paul (2003). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Music (1st ed.). Fulham, London: Flame Tree Publishing. p. 113. ISBN 1-904041-96-5.
  2. ↑ Moakes, Gordon (2008). "Huggy Bear: a tribute". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group (20 October 2008). Retrieved 17 November 2011.
  3. ↑ Pareles, Jon (14 October 1993). "Pop and Jazz in Review: Huggy Bear". The New York Times. The New York Times Co. Retrieved 19 November 2011.
  4. 1 2 Grrrls: Viva Rock Divas by Amy Raphael
  5. ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/album/weaponry-listens-to-love-mw0000123905
  6. ↑ Kill Rock Stars (2011). "Huggy Bear". Killrockstars.com. Retrieved 19 November 2011.
  7. ↑ the Melody Maker issue
  8. ↑ http://www.45cat.com/record/soul2
  9. ↑ http://www.linusland.co.uk/Andy93.html
  10. ↑ http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/19733-jo-johnson-weaving/

External links


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