Wreckers Of Civilisation (2000)

Maybe this isn't the best place to write a book review but since it's music related it may be appropriate.  Actually it isn't even really a review especially considering I'm only about half way into the book.  But so far I'm just really intrigued by the story of these truly fucked up people.  Many of you are already familiar with Throbbing Gristle but that's only half the story.  The birth of TG evolved out of a performace art group called COUM Transmissions founded by Genesis P. Orridge (Psychic TV) and Cosey Fanni Tutti.  I'd never even heard of COUM until I was paging through this book at my local book store.  Their idea of "art" consisted of self-mutilation, ingesting bodily fluids, and group sex.  COUM would eventually enlist Peter Christopherson (Coil) and Chris Carter and would become TG.  Do I consider them particularly talented as artists or musicians?  Not really.  I know that much of COUM/TG's work was meant for shock value and whether it's really much deeper than that could be questionable, but it makes for a hell of an interesting read.  I'm not even that big of a TG fan to be honest, but what they were creating had never been done before and it's a interesting look into the the birth of Industrial music.  So maybe I'll come back to this and add more once I actually finish the book, but I thought I'd mention it to anyone who's interested in this sort of thing.  

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