Lou Watts | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Louise Mary Watts |
Born | Burnley, Lancashire, England | 4 June 1962
Genres | |
Occupation(s) |
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Instrument(s) | |
Years active | 1982–present |
Formerly of | Chumbawamba |
Louise "Lou" Watts (born 4 June 1962) is an English musician, best known for her work as a member of anarcho-punk (and, later, folk) band Chumbawamba.
Born in Burnley, Watts was introduced to the band by friend and member Alice Nutter. She was a member of Chumbawamba from their formation in 1982 until their disbandment in 2012. [1] She joined Boff Whalley, Danbert Nobacon and Midge and Tomi in 1982 to form the original line-up, and the band made their live debut in January of that year. [2]
The band gained a reputation for their anarchist views, and they gained popularity for their opposition to homophobia and fascism and support of feminism and gay rights. [3]
Watts provided lead vocals for the band's hit song "Tubthumping", which gained them international recognition, and topped charts in Australia, Canada, Ireland, Italy and New Zealand as well as "Tubthumping"'s follow-up song Amnesia, which reached number 10 on the UK Singles Chart. They were also nominated for a Brit Award for "Best British Single" at the 1998 Brit Awards, at which they also performed.
Along with Abbott, Whalley, Ferguson and Moody, Watts continued to work with the group and provide vocals, even after the majority of the original band members had departed and featured a shift in music style. She featured as a lead vocalist up until the band's last performances in 2012, becoming one of the band's longest serving members.
Chumbawamba were an English anarchist punk band formed in 1982 and disbanded in 2012. They are best known for their 1997 single "Tubthumping", which was nominated for Best British Single at the 1998 Brit Awards. Other singles include "Amnesia", "Enough Is Enough", "Timebomb", "Top of the World ", and "Add Me". The band drew on genres such as punk rock, pop, and folk. Their anarcho-communist political leanings led them to have an irreverent attitude toward authority, and to espouse a variety of political and social causes including animal rights and pacifism and later regarding class struggle, Marxism, feminism, gay liberation, pop culture, and anti-fascism.
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"Tubthumping" is a song released by British rock band Chumbawamba from their eighth studio album, Tubthumper (1997). It is the band's most successful single, peaking at number two on the UK Singles Chart. It topped the charts in Australia, Canada, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand and hit number six on the US Billboard Hot 100. At the 1998 Brit Awards, "Tubthumping" was nominated for the Brit Award for Best British Single. It sold 880,000 copies in the UK.
Tubthumper is the eighth studio album and the major label debut by English rock band Chumbawamba, released on 1 September 1997 by EMI. The album was written and produced by Chumbawamba, with additional production from Neil Ferguson. A musical departure from the group's anarcho-punk roots, the album incorporates elements of pop rock, dance-pop, and alternative rock. Thematically, the album acts as a social commentary on a variety of political issues, particularly that of class conflict. Tubthumper was promoted with three singles: "Tubthumping", "Amnesia", and "Drip, Drip, Drip". "Top of the World ", a standalone single previously featured on the official music compilation album for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, was included on a European reissue of Tubthumper.
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"Amnesia" is the second single from English rock band Chumbawamba's eighth studio album, Tubthumper (1997). The song's lyrics address the sense of betrayal that English leftists felt during the rise of New Labour. Released on 19 January 1998, the song was met with favorable reception from critics, who regarded the song as a highlight from Tubthumper.
Alice Nutter is an English musician, best known as part of the anarchist music group Chumbawamba, and writer for theatre, radio and television.
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