Leeds anarcho-punk band Chumbawamba, most famous for their 1997 hit ‘Tubthumping’ and chucking water over John Precott, announced that they have split. The hit single, which is regularly played before sporting events in the US, is only a small part of the band’s thirty-year history. They formed in Burnley in 1982 inspired by post-punk bands such as PiL and Wire and by Crass’s anarchist politics. In a statement on their website they explained,
"Chumbawamba was our vehicle for pointing at the naked Emperors, for telling our version of the truth; it gave us more than the joy and love of playing live, writing songs and singing together – it gave us a chance to be part of a broad coalition of activists and hectors, optimists and questioners."
They gained notoriety at the 1998 Brit Awards when band member Danbert Nobacon soaked Prescott with a bucket of icy water.
In a tweet Prescott quipped, "I might mark Chumbawamba’s split by going out and buying their greatest hits album. #boom"
The statement on their website concluded, "Thirty years of being snotty, eclectic, funny, contrary and just plain weird. What a privilege, and what a good time we’ve had."
