Bruce Smith (musician)

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Bruce Smith
Bruce Smith.jpg
Background information
Birth nameBruce Neal Smith
Also known asMinty
Born (1957-12-25) 25 December 1957 (age 63)
London, England
OriginBristol, England
GenresPost-punk, alternative rock
Occupation(s)Musician
InstrumentsDrums
Years active1977–present
Associated actsThe Pop Group, The Slits, Rip Rig + Panic, Public Image Ltd

Bruce Neal Smith (born 25 December 1957 in Bristol) is a British musician best known as the drummer for post-punk band The Pop Group. He has also been a member of The Slits and the New Age Steppers and is currently performing with Public Image Ltd. He was once married to Neneh Cherry.

Career[]

Smith helped co-found The Pop Group in 1977 and would play with them until they disbanded in 1981.[1] Smith was also part of the line-up when the band re-formed in 2010.[2][3]

While the Pop Group was still active, Smith also joined The Slits in 1979, replacing Budgie, and would play with them until they disbanded in 1981.[1]

After the Pop Group and the Slits, Smith teamed up with Adrian Sherwood and performed with the New Age Steppers and various other acts on Sherwood's On-U Sound Records label. He married Neneh Cherry, who was also involved with the New Age Steppers, during this period. Smith and Cherry then went on to form Rip Rig + Panic with former Pop Group guitarist Gareth Sager. This band performed from 1981-1983.[4][5]

In 1986 Smith joined PiL for the tour to support their Album release and became a permanent member of the band, playing on their next two studio albums Happy? and 9.[6] Smith left PiL in 1990 a few years before the band broke up. However, Smith re-joined the band when John Lydon reformed it in 2009.[7]

In addition to working with his regular bands, Smith has also done a lot of session work, recording with artists such as Terrence Trent D'Arby, The The and Björk.[4][6][8][9]

Bruce Smith's father was the celebrated Avant-garde artist Hassel Smith.[10]

Partial discography[]

The Pop Group[]

Rip Rig + Panic[]

Public Image Ltd[]

  • Happy? - Public Image Ltd (1987)
  • 9 - Public Image Ltd (1989)
  • ALiFE 2009 (live) - Public Image Ltd (2009)
  • Live at Isle of Wight Festival 2011 (live) - Public Image Ltd (2011)
  • This is PiL - Public Image Ltd (2012)
  • What the World Needs Now... - Public Image Ltd (2015)

Others[]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b Strong, Martin C. (2000). The Great Rock Discography (5th ed.). Edinburgh: Mojo Books. pp. 757–758. ISBN 1-84195-017-3.
  2. ^ Wilkinson, Peter (14 September 2010). "Review: Pop Group returns, raucous and defiant". CNN.
  3. ^ "The Pop Group Reform — Bristol post-punk band announce gigs". Clash magazine. 10 July 2010.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b "Bruce Smith biography". On-U Sound Records.
  5. ^ Bruce Smith at AllMusic
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b "PiL Members". Public Image Ltd.
  7. ^ Goldsmith, Belinda (9 September 2009). "Sex Pistol singer John Lydon to reform Public Image". Reuters.
  8. ^ "PiL People Bios". Public Image Ltd.
  9. ^ Chamberlain, Rich (19 December 2016). "PiL drummer Bruce Smith on 40 years of post-punk". MusicRadar. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  10. ^ Gehr, Richard (7 November 2014). "The Oral History of the Pop Group: The Noisy Brits Who Were Too Punk for the Punks". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
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