Infernal Noise Brigade
Encyclopedia
The Infernal Noise Brigade was a Seattle, Washington
-based musical group, who originally formed to participate in the protests at the WTO Meeting of 1999
. Over its seven-year history, the group performed as part of several large-scale protest actions, such as those at the 2000 IMF/World Bank Meeting in Prague
, the 2003 WTO Ministerial in Cancún
, Mexico
, the 2004 United States Republican Party National Convention in New York City
, as well as at numerous events in their homebase of Seattle. In July 2005, they participated in the protests against the 31st G8 summit
in Scotland
as part of a Europe
an tour that also brought them to England
, Germany
, the Netherlands
, Belgium
, and Austria
.
Their website describes their music as combining "elements of drumline
, taiko
, Mughal
and North Africa
n rhythms, elements of Balkan fanfares, breakbeats, and just about anything else." Although best known for their free (and often confrontational) public performances at political protests, they sometimes performed at more conventional concerts and club gigs, usually featured as part of a musically eclectic program.
Christopher Frizzelle, in an "obituary" for the band in the Seattle-based arts weekly The Stranger
, remarked that their "most important and dramatic public events were standoffs with cops" and that they "can be credited for keeping WTO protestors energized, focused, and photogenic… What their parties and their protests had in common was intensity, vividness, and a fun, frightening sense that anything could happen. They were lessons in liberation."
Frizzelle, who travelled with INB on a portion of their European tour, wrote in his review of that tour that the members used "band names", partly to "retain the mystery of the band" and partly to preserve their anonymity from their employers: almost none of the band members are professional musicians. As example, Frizzelle provided the roster from the mainland portion of the European tour: "Annemat, Atomika, B. Q. (whose band name is Red Dot, but no one calls her that), Bluer Than You, Bookworm, Brassbelle, D. P. Punkass ("My whole name is Dread Pirate Punkass, but in print I like to be D. P. Punkass"), DK Pan, Flash, Grey Filastine
, Hawtpantz, Ice Frog, In Phase, Megor, Mildred, Mr. Rose, the Professor, Ramon, Satsuma, Skunk, Spider, and Violet."[With accidental omission of mc sub-zero permafrost].
The Infernal Noise Brigade officially disbanded on July 29, 2006.
Members of Infernal Noise Brigade went on to form Titanium Sporkestra.
¡Tchkung!
Titanium Sporkestra
Orkestar Zirkonium
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
-based musical group, who originally formed to participate in the protests at the WTO Meeting of 1999
WTO Ministerial Conference of 1999 protest activity
Protest activity surrounding the WTO Ministerial Conference of 1999, which was to be the launch of a new millennial round of trade negotiations, occurred on November 30, 1999 , when the World Trade Organization convened at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in Seattle, Washington,...
. Over its seven-year history, the group performed as part of several large-scale protest actions, such as those at the 2000 IMF/World Bank Meeting in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, the 2003 WTO Ministerial in Cancún
Cancún
Cancún is a city of international tourism development certified by the UNWTO . Located on the northeast coast of Quintana Roo in southern Mexico, more than 1,700 km from Mexico City, the Project began operations in 1974 as Integrally Planned Center, a pioneer of FONATUR Cancún is a city of...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, the 2004 United States Republican Party National Convention in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, as well as at numerous events in their homebase of Seattle. In July 2005, they participated in the protests against the 31st G8 summit
31st G8 summit
The 31st G8 summit was held from July 6 to July 8, 2005 at the Gleneagles Hotel in Auchterarder, Scotland, United Kingdom and hosted by British Prime Minister Tony Blair...
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
as part of a Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an tour that also brought them to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, and Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
.
Their website describes their music as combining "elements of drumline
Drumline
A drumline is a section of percussion instruments usually played as part of a musical marching ensemble. High school and college marching bands, drill and drum corps, drum and bugle corps, indoor percussion ensembles, and pipe bands usually incorporate drumlines; however, drumlines can exist...
, taiko
Taiko
means "drum" in Japanese . Outside Japan, the word is often used to refer to any of the various Japanese drums and to the relatively recent art-form of ensemble taiko drumming...
, Mughal
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
and North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
n rhythms, elements of Balkan fanfares, breakbeats, and just about anything else." Although best known for their free (and often confrontational) public performances at political protests, they sometimes performed at more conventional concerts and club gigs, usually featured as part of a musically eclectic program.
Christopher Frizzelle, in an "obituary" for the band in the Seattle-based arts weekly The Stranger
The Stranger (newspaper)
The Stranger is an alternative weekly newspaper in Seattle, Washington, USA. It runs a blog known as Slog.-History:The Stranger was founded by Tim Keck, who had previously co-founded the satirical newspaper The Onion, and cartoonist James Sturm. Its first issue came out on September 23, 1991...
, remarked that their "most important and dramatic public events were standoffs with cops" and that they "can be credited for keeping WTO protestors energized, focused, and photogenic… What their parties and their protests had in common was intensity, vividness, and a fun, frightening sense that anything could happen. They were lessons in liberation."
Frizzelle, who travelled with INB on a portion of their European tour, wrote in his review of that tour that the members used "band names", partly to "retain the mystery of the band" and partly to preserve their anonymity from their employers: almost none of the band members are professional musicians. As example, Frizzelle provided the roster from the mainland portion of the European tour: "Annemat, Atomika, B. Q. (whose band name is Red Dot, but no one calls her that), Bluer Than You, Bookworm, Brassbelle, D. P. Punkass ("My whole name is Dread Pirate Punkass, but in print I like to be D. P. Punkass"), DK Pan, Flash, Grey Filastine
Filastine
Grey Filastine is a musician based in Barcelona. He is a former member of ¡Tchkung! and the Infernal Noise Brigade. His album Burn It was released on DJ/Rupture's Soot Records. He has also been associated with the CrimethInc. collective. His album Dirty Bomb was released in 2009.-References:...
, Hawtpantz, Ice Frog, In Phase, Megor, Mildred, Mr. Rose, the Professor, Ramon, Satsuma, Skunk, Spider, and Violet."[With accidental omission of mc sub-zero permafrost].
The Infernal Noise Brigade officially disbanded on July 29, 2006.
Members of Infernal Noise Brigade went on to form Titanium Sporkestra.
Recordings
- Insurgent Selections for Battery & Voice
- Vamos a la Playa (live in Cancún), 2003
- "L'étincelle"/"Manguera" (single), 2004
- Final Report, 2008
- (with FilastineFilastineGrey Filastine is a musician based in Barcelona. He is a former member of ¡Tchkung! and the Infernal Noise Brigade. His album Burn It was released on DJ/Rupture's Soot Records. He has also been associated with the CrimethInc. collective. His album Dirty Bomb was released in 2009.-References:...
) No G8 Japan Action Benefit, 2008
Related Acts
FilastineFilastine
Grey Filastine is a musician based in Barcelona. He is a former member of ¡Tchkung! and the Infernal Noise Brigade. His album Burn It was released on DJ/Rupture's Soot Records. He has also been associated with the CrimethInc. collective. His album Dirty Bomb was released in 2009.-References:...
¡Tchkung!
¡Tchkung!
¡Tchkung! was a band from Seattle, Washington who blended guerrilla theater, "tribal" drumming, and punk ethics. Their live performances included multiple drummers, violin, didgeridoo, and electric bass, all played to fire breathers and fire eaters, body piercing, and other theatrical scenes...
Titanium Sporkestra
Orkestar Zirkonium
External links
- Official site
- Organization: Ones to Watch, Stranger Genius Awards 2005, The Stranger, October 13 - October 19, 2005
- Performance Picks: Infernal Noise Brigade, Seattle Weekly, March 22, 2006
- J.B. Rabin, Beat the Band, Portland Mercury, September 4 - September 10, 2003
- Alan Roden and Linda Summerhayes, They came looking for trouble. . they got their wish, Edinburgh Evening News, 5 July 2005.
- Alex Nunns, The strange affair of the Gleneagles G8 demo, 7 July 2005, part of Red Pepper's G8 coverage.