Damage Limitation
Rupert M Loydell
(zimZalla Publishing)
"They set out to shock and pressed all the obvious buttons, often
pre-empting any genuine response by bullshitting about how provocative they
were, what they thought about their own work, and how upset previous audiences
had been". So says Rupert M Loydell in the introduction to 'Damage Limitation' , a poetry book published in the form of a fanzine, exploring power, abuse, music and cultdom, and how Throbbing
Gristle and Psychic TV influenced both their followers and other musicians. He is well placed to know which buttons are being pressed here, having edited poetry/music fanzine Stride and curated its associated music label back in the early 80's, skating across the surface of Industrial and occasionally dipping his toe into its icy waters. As a regular contributor to counter-culture bible International Times (which exists as a website these days), he has an overview of developments since too.
The rest of the introductory essay, and the poetry pieces that follow, eviscerate and lay bare the myth and bluster that surrounded Throbbing Gristle and Psychic TV with a surgeon's eye. Though unlikely to gain any followers from the legions of Genesis Breyer-P Orridge fanboys and (a few) fangirls out there, the excoriation of the journey from Throbbing Gristle through Psychic TV, the manifestos, the cult-ish Temple of Psychic Youth, indoctrination, and the noisy, atonal, and confrontational music and films, is comprehensive. All are pulled apart in prose piece-by-piece over 40 pages. Loydell is clearly no fan and is keen to sharpen his pen on an easy target, gradually unwinding the mythology of TG and PTV (see how they have already become reduced to recognisable acronyms?), exposing their naked conceptual torsos in a series of caustic and uncharitable poems set against fanzine style graphics/visuals and sporting headings like ' Nothing To Hang Your Brains On' and 'Negotiating The Snake'.
Here is an extract by way of example:
The amphetamine-fuelled rock of protest
Conceptual nonsense
Wasted synthesisers
And basic freeform rhythmic noise
It is worth highlighting the accompanying graphics, as they are impressive and complement the content perfectly, being a combination of blurred and distorted, yet unsettling, images juxtaposed with cut and paste style text and composed with a visual artists eye. It's rare to see it done so well.
I don't necessarily agree with the sentiments expressed in Damage Limitation. Many seem petty and it is all too easy to take a swipe at those breaking boundaries, accusing them of pretention. TG and PTV certainly added significant value to the emerging underground musical counter culture of the time, but they were not without their controversies. That they actively invited that controversy and set themselves up as confrontational 'Art Terrorists', however, means that they have nothing to complain about when others push back and offer critique of their methods and output. It goes with the territory. What Loydell has done here adds more value than another history or hagiography (of which there are many) as it challenges the challengers back. And surely that is the whole point?
Essential Information: Damage Limitation is available for £6 plus postage from zimZalla at https://zimzalla.co.uk
