Selfish Cunt were a

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

band based in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. The band was formed in early 2003 by Martin Tomlinson and Patrick Constable, and was noted for provocative lyrics, aggressive stage shows, and

electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic co ...

-influenced

. Their mix of

electric guitar An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar (however combinations of the two - a semi-acoustic guitar and an electric acoustic gui ...

and electronic drum machines was typically accompanied by politically charged and often sexually graphic lyrics. Later becoming a four-piece band through the addition of drums, bass guitar and ceasing to use a drum machine, they developed a sound which incorporated elements of punk and post hardcore. Reaction from critics was mixed. In 2004 ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' placed Selfish Cunt at #40 on its list of "top 40 bands in Britain today".

History

Selfish Cunt was formed in 2003 at the start of a

post-punk revival Post-punk revival (also known as garage rock revival,J. Stuessy and S. D. Lipscomb, ''Rock and roll: its History and Stylistic Development'' (London: Pearson Prentice Hall, 5th edn., 2006), , p. 451. new wave revival,. and new rock revolution) is ...

Blackburn Blackburn () is an industrial town and the administrative centre of the Blackburn with Darwen borough in Lancashire, England. The town is north of the West Pennine Moors on the southern edge of the Ribble Valley, east of Preston and north-n ...

-born frontman Tomlinson was working in theatre, while guitarist Patrick Constable was playing in the

art rock Art rock is a subgenre of rock music that generally reflects a challenging or avant-garde approach to rock, or which makes use of modernist, experimental, or unconventional elements. Art rock aspires to elevate rock from entertainment to an art ...

band Dirty Snow. Tomlinson stated: "We decided to do Selfish Cunt because although we're from really different practices, the connection is music." After touring small clubs, mainly in London, the duo released the single "Britain Is Shit" / "Fuck The Poor"; a second single, "Authority Confrontation", briefly entered the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

at No. 66. Selfish Cunt were banned from the

Institute of Contemporary Arts The Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) is an artistic and cultural centre on The Mall in London, just off Trafalgar Square. Located within Nash House, part of Carlton House Terrace, near the Duke of York Steps and Admiralty Arch, the ICA c ...

, On The Rocks, and The Egg after a series of destructive acts, including the sabotage of the band

Snow Patrol Snow Patrol are a Northern Irish–Scottish Rock music, rock band formed in 1994 in Dundee, Scotland. They consist of Gary Lightbody (vocals, guitar), Nathan Connolly (guitar, backing vocals), Paul Wilson (musician), Paul Wilson (bass guitar, ...

's equipment. A brawl outside of

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It ...

involving Tomlinson,

Babyshambles Babyshambles were an English rock music, rock band established in London. The band was formed by Pete Doherty (lead vocals, rhythm guitar) during a hiatus from the Libertines. As of 2013 the band includes Mick Whitnall (lead guitar), Drew McCo ...

frontman

Pete Doherty Peter Doherty (born 12 March 1979) is an English musician, songwriter, actor, poet, writer, and artist. He is best known for being co-frontman of The Libertines, which he formed with Carl Barât in 1997. His other musical projects are indie b ...

Dominic Masters The Others are an English rock band. They signed to Poptones in July 2004 and their eponymous debut album was released on 31 January 2005. Career The band formed in 2002 and quickly became renowned for their riotous live shows. By 2004, they ...

of The Others, and photographer Andrew Kendall during an

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

photoshoot was reported in the press in 2004. Selfish Cunt released their second

album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

''English Chamber Music'' in September 2008 A Third album ''Shaved'' was recorded in 2010 for Japanese label 51 Records and released only in Japan. They disbanded in 2012

Discography

Singles

*"Britain Is Shit" / "Fuck the Poor" (2003, Horseglue Records) *"Authority Confrontation" / "Full Swing" (2004, Horseglue Records) *"My Prerogative" (2004, Horseglue Records) *"The Mechanic" (2007, LoveHowlMuse) *"Avocado" (2007, LoveHowlMuse) *"England Made Me II" (2008, Sparrow's Tear)

Albums

*''No Wicked Heart Shall Prosper'' (2004, Horseglue Records) #"Corporate Slut" #"Fuck the Poor" #"Pro Patriotic" #"Coming of the White Man" #"Full Swing" #"Crackney Browns" #"I Love New York" #"My Prerogative" #"Authority Confrontation" #"Yes" #"Britain is Shit" *''English Chamber Music'' (2008, Sparrow's Tear Records) #"Intro" #"Whip Goes the Crack" #"Feel Like a Woman" #"Bullet To The Brain" #"Avocado" #"Born in a Mess" #"The Mechanic" #"England Made Me II" #"I Got It On Slow" #"Born from a Mother" #"Outro"

References

External links

Selfish Cunt at bandcamp.com

Official band videos and photographs
from 241-24-7. Retrieved 17 March 2011.
Video and photographs
from band record label ''LoveHowlMuse''. Retrieved 17 March 2011. {{Authority control English electronic rock musical groups English art rock groups Musical groups established in 2003 Post-punk revival music groups