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Does pop music continue to
recycle? And have PWEI, better known as The Poppies,
recycled themselves once again under yet another name?
Where’s their new album and why were their tours cancelled?
One would tend to wonder if this group will stand the test
of time or even if they’ll get out of the starting gate
towards tomorrow. Maybe they ate themselves! (no pun
intended)
The name PWEI, or Pop Will Eat Itself, was taken from a
quote in a popular magazine. PWEI first introduced
themselves to the public with a 7-minute / 5-track EP in a
brown paper bag, proving intelligence, desire and conviction
for what they needed to say to their audience.
PWEI or The Poppies started an English alternative rock band
in Stourbridge in 1986. There were three core members of the
band; Graham Crabb the co-vocalist and songwriter, Adam Mole
on guitar and Fuzz Townshend on drums. Initially known as
Grebo gurus, their style changed to include India pop and
industrial rock, hip-hop, and electronica and was part of
the United Kindgdom’s subculture in the late 80s. PWEI’s
drew post-punk rock enthusiasts with Gothic rock roots as
their fan-base. The movement itself was short-lived but the
band had great influence on later bands. The solarized video
graphics they made are phenomenal and bring a statement to
those who want to listen, and there are those who still do,
even with all the name changes. Eccentricity prevailed with
this band’s fashion style. Partially shaved heads,
ponytails, uncut or shaved long hair to lumberjack shirts,
tatty jeans and army surplus clothing. PWEI is a band that
teeters on the brink of censoring and almost dares society
to try it.
This band stood onstage with the likes of Primal Scream,
Public Enemy, Run DMC and Nine Inch Nails, and also
headlined their own tours. They co-wrote ‘Their Law’ with
The Prodigy, and had numerous Top 40/30/20 hits. After a
brief split with Crabb, who started Golden Claw Musics
project and then disappeared from the music industry, PWEI
reformed in 2005 for 4 sold-out shows to 11,000 people. This
led to the formation of Vileevils. Crabb did make
appearances on the members’ albums at that time. A project
of Graham Crabb and Adam Mole, Vile Evils was conceived as a
new band continuing the legacy of PWEI, but with a more
aggressive approach that harkened back to the origins of the
post-Punk period.
Listening and reviewing music and videos of this band, it is
clear they are extremely independent musicians and video
showmen. Or maybe they are just sensationalist punks with
another venue. They are passionate in their message, that’s
a given, but repetitive in delivery. However, this does seem
to be what their fans want.
Robert Fuzz Townshend stated once, “the thing with the
Poppies was that I had great respect for them just doing
what they wanted to do, making albums their own way.” Techno
reviews call the music talented, citing the use of tribal
drums is “powerful and brilliant.”
The Future |