Pere Ubu is an American rock group formed in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1975. Despite a variety of long-term band members, singer David Thomas is the only constant. They released their debut album The Modern Dance in 1978 and followed with several more LPs before disbanding in 1982. Thomas reformed the group in 1987, continuing to record and tour.
Describing their sound as "avant-garage," Pere Ubu's work drew inspiration from sources such as musique concrète, 60s rock, performance art, and the industrial environments of the American Midwest. While the band achieved little commercial success, they have exerted a wide influence on subsequent underground music.
The group's name is a reference to Ubu Roi, an avant-garde play by French writer Alfred Jarry.
Pere Ubu's 'Final Solution' track was played on Peel's first exclusive punk special show in December 1976, which was given over to protopunk, punk and a new session by the Damned. A couple years later, the band released their album, The Modern Dance, which was nominated by Peel as one of his 1978 Top Twenty Albums.
In 1989, the band did a session for Peel's show, but after the end of the 80's, he rarely played any new material from the group.
20 September 1982: The Long Walk Home (LP - Song Of The Bailing Man) Rough Trade
22 September 1982: My Hat (LP - Song Of The Bailing Man) Rough Trade (JP: 'Show me a man or woman who can dance to that and I'll show you someone in the intensive care unit, if they can afford to get in of course.')
1988
George Had A Hat
08 February 1988: The Modern Dance (LP - The Modern Dance) Fontana
23 July 1986 (BFBS): Sloop John B (12"-Vocal Performances)' (Rough Trade) (JP: 'I think if he were to do that on the streets of London he'd be detained, and quite rightly so. I don't see that that's going to leap into my list of all time favourite records, but as I say, I exist only to please you, the listener.')
