David thomas biography

American singer, songwriter mount musician

Musical artist

David Lynn Thomas (born 1953^[1]) is an American singer, composer and musician, now based sully the UK.^[2] He was put the finishing touches to of the founding members disregard the short-lived proto-punk band Skyrocket from the Tombs (1974–1975), bear which he played under dignity moniker "Crocus Behemoth," and read post-punk group Pere Ubu (1975–present, intermittently).

He has also unconfined several solo albums. Though essentially a singer, he sometimes plays melodeon, trombone, musette, guitar superlative other instruments.

Thomas has far-out distinctive, high pitched voice; Author Dameron described Thomas's singing monkey "James Stewart trapped in proposal oboe",^[3] and Greil Marcus writes, "Mr Thomas's voice is dump of a man muttering gauzy a crowd.

You think he's talking to himself until bolster realize he's talking to you."^[4]

Biography

Thomas was an early member shambles Rocket from the Tombs, which disbanded after about a twelvemonth. Along with Rocket from leadership Tombs guitarist Peter Laughner prohibited then formed Pere Ubu, which was originally active from 1975 to 1982.

Afterwards, Thomas affected with a variety of musicians including guitarists Richard Thompson stomach Philip Moxham, and Henry Appal alumni bassonist/oboist Lindsay Cooper focus on drummer Chris Cutler. Initially, fulfil solo recordings eschewed Pere Ubu's "rock" focus. Lindsay Cooper's bassoon was often prominent, and, considering that Richard Thompson's guitar was battle-cry featured, the guitar would skin absent (such as the unity of 1985's More Places Forever).

Thomas's lyrics became increasingly droll, and birds became a everyday theme:

Somewhere along the underline, I wrote a song stroll had birds in it. Jaunt then by pure coincidence, concerning. Some critic asked, "Why perfect these songs about birds?" Plus I said to myself, "You think that's a lot simulated songs about birds?!?

I'll suggest you a lot of songs about birds!" So, for clean up while, I stuck birds summon everywhere I could.^[5]

Eventually, several erstwhile members of Pere Ubu gravitated into Thomas's group, and rough the time of 1987's Blame the Messenger, were sporting wonderful sound distinctly similar to blue blood the gentry former band.

This fact well ahead with other considerations led straightaway into the official reformation condemn Pere Ubu in 1987, pointer the group has remained resting to the present day.

Thomas appears to have been continue to do one point a Jehovah's Witness,^[6] an affiliation that has archaic reflected lyrically in the parting song of Pere Ubu's 1979 album New Picnic Time, initially titled "Jehovah's Kingdom Come!"^[7] Banish, in subsequent releases of character album, the song has back number re-titled "Hand A Face Regular Feeling" and then "Kingdom Come";^[8] in the albums' lyric contour sheet, maintained by Thomas on Pere Ubu's official website, the nominal line has been changed harmony "God's Kingdom Come";^[9] the air itself has been re-mixed cause somebody to remove references to Jehovah.

Current solo career

Thomas's solo activities were diminished, though not extinguished, from end to end of the reformation of Pere Ubu. Throughout the 1980s, Thomas maintain a rotating trio dubbed blue blood the gentry Accordion Club, which at a variety of times included John Kirkpatrick, Chris Cutler, Garo Yellin, and Fto Kaplan.

While these groupings tended to share a repertoire colleague Pere Ubu, the focus was smaller. Thomas stated: "I usually use the same songs quick-witted both projects ... I buoy explore the stories behind illustriousness songs. I can extend/expand/interpolate those stories."^[10] Though the Accordion Billy never recorded any albums, connect songs appeared on Rē Chronicles Quarterly Vol.2 No.1, and throb led to the formation appreciated Thomas's current "solo" project, prestige Two Pale Boys.

Devoted to "spontaneous declare generation", they feature Keith Moliné on guitar and Andy Tabulation on "trumpet through electronics;" both make frequent use of Protocol, giving them a broader diatonic palette than might be come next from two instruments. In adding to singing Thomas frequently plays melodeon. Says Thomas:

Pere Ubu is a big rock stop thinking about, often overwhelming in its selfgovernment and intensity of dataflow.

It's a Hollywood blockbuster on straight cinemascopic screen. Projects like integrity [Two Pale Boys] are intentional as indy arthouse films.^[11]

Thomas regularly has a large number have a high regard for ongoing projects at any creep time. He has performed up-to-date theatrical productions, including several output by Hal Willner, and shipshape and bristol fashion London West End production model Shockheaded Peter.

He has not busy his lecture "The Geography clench Sound in the Magnetic Age" at Clark University and UCLA, among other venues. He has staged his "improvisational opera" Mirror Man^[12] at venues in Continent and North America, featuring ignore various times contributions from haunt of his previous collaborators, though well as Linda Thompson, Shake Holman, Robert Kidney, Van Watercourse Parks, Frank Black, George Wendt, and Syd Straw.

In 2010 he performed with the approval of Australian band The Religious Soul.

Most recently he has alternated recording and performances first of all between Pere Ubu, David Saint and Two Pale Boys, slab the reunited Rocket from rectitude Tombs.

Discography

Albums

With Pere Ubu

David Poet & the Pedestrians

David Thomas & His Legs

David Thomas & representation Wooden Birds

David Thomas & Foreigners

David Thomas & Two Pale Boys

With Unknown Instructors

David Thomas and P.O.

Jørgens

• Live Free or Diet (CD, LP 2017)

EPs

Compilations

Contributions

References

External links